government jobs: January 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

Cornell West to Obama

Cornell West to Obama: Take a Stand. Have the courage to government jobs.

Cornel West's note to Obama - January 20, 2010
Uploaded by Ladypolitik. - Watch the latest news videos.

Thanks to Anderson @ Shockfront and Ladypolitik for this tid bit.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Ambassador Profile: Brendan Mulcahy

While searching for an internship with the Department of Defense I came across an opportunity within the Department of State that was a dream position for me. I applied to, and was accepted as, an intern with the U.S. Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs in the Political Economic Section at U.S. Embassy Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. Day to day tasks included attending country team meetings with Ambassador Dan Rooney and section chiefs within the embassy as well as meeting with various business and government officials in Ireland. My main focus within the Political Economic Section was to monitor the environment surrounding the December 2009 Irish budget cuts and how they would impact Ireland’s overwhelming union membership affiliations throughout the country. The atmosphere was very tense as many were already suffering from pay cuts and job loss that had been announced only a few months prior. Under direction of my section chief, I performed entry level work such as making phone calls to various departments within the Irish Government, to reporting on protests in Dublin to Washington to determine safety for U.S. travelers, to supporting tasks such as meeting former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland such as Garret FitzGerald and the Ireland DoS desk officer. I also had the opportunity to review and edit firearms policy within the embassy under direction of the Deputy Chief of Mission. The average workweek was unlike anything I have ever experienced at any other job I’ve had in the past, corporate office environment or otherwise.

A student at the University of Washington Bothell campus, I am finishing up my coursework towards a B.A. in the IAS: Global studies program with a minor in Policy Studies. I have focused my research towards international relations and terrorism, and the implications on foreign policy and combat operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. A career in the Department of Defense or Department of State is to me a dream job. From working to better the lives of your family, friends, community, and country; to representing your country abroad there is no other environment like it. What led me to the federal service was family and friends. Family because of those in my family working within the federal government, and friends due to those friends of mine currently serving in the U.S. Army. I admire them all greatly, and will one day serve either at their side or in supporting them in operations and protecting our country.

Traveling to a foreign country, and walking from one tourist destination to another can often be an amazing experience. Interning with the Department of State, however, provided an experience far beyond any other form of travel I have ever had. Representing the United States in a foreign country, even if just as an intern, is something that I am incredibly proud to say that I have done. How else would I have had the opportunity to talk football with the Pittsburgh Steelers owner and U.S Ambassador Dan Rooney, and of course mention the Seattle Seahawks at every opportunity? Where else would I have been able to talk casually with a Japanese Ambassador, or eat Thanksgiving dinner with Israeli and Pakistani embassy officials? The experience was completely life changing to say the least. Many sacrifices had to be made to follow through with the internship, but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Having had a glimpse into what life could very well be like within the federal service, be it foreign service or not, has completely convinced me. I look forward to what lies ahead after UW, I am confident that the experience will only get better.

Promoting careers in the federal service in my eyes just makes sense. The nations largest employer, with duty locations in every major city in the U.S. and abroad, with arguably the best benefits of any employer, to me seems like an option that has no competition. Upon graduation UW students of all majors will be looking for work, and every major has a place in the federal service. Diversity of individuals and backgrounds is heavily sought after by the U.S. Government and with what will be a mass exodus of employees retiring soon, our country will need fresh and eager minds from great Universities such as UW to fill those positions. I am eager to help fellow UW students interested in a career in the federal service because if I had a fellow student to help me through my application process I would have had far fewer sleepless nights. Paying it forward to me is incredibly rewarding and I look forward to helping as much as I possibly can [ Mulcahyb at uwb.edu ]

Howard Zinn in Memorium

Historian Howard Zinn challenged the Establishment. He researched and documented history from the everyman perspective rather than from the standard historical perspective of the elite.

His work challenged the truism that to the victor of war goes the spoils and the writing of history. He challenged the ideology of American exceptionalism, believing that honest exposure of the darker aspects of US History is necessary for the maturing process of the nation.

He understood that the US Constitution was written to establish a government of the elite, by the elite, for the elite. People's struggles for recognition in the Constitution was a necessary evolutionary process... The Bill of Rights, abolition of slavery, women's rights were not included in the Constitution without a struggle.

Zinn was born into a poor family in a New York City slum. During the 1930s, he worked in the shipyards where he organized laborers in the fight for better conditions. He recalls - in one of his many interviews - the first beating he took at the hands of police, which prompted his understanding that police aren’t neutral in concerns of state. In the 1940s, he met his wife, enlisted in the Air Force, and was sent to Europe as a World War II bombardier. He was ordered, late in the war, to drop the U.S.’s first batch of napalm on a French village where the German occupiers had all but surrendered. This led to Zinn’s unwavering pacifism.

The preceding historic narrative is from movie-review of:

HOWARD ZINN: YOU CAN'T BE NEUTRAL ON A MOVNG TRAIN
Directed & Produced by: Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller.
Director of Photography: Michael Burke, et al.
Edited by: Cyndi Moran.
Music by: Billy Bragg, Woody Guthrie & Eddie Vedder.
Released by: First Run Features.
Country of Origin: USA. 78 min. Not Rated.
Narrated by: Matt Damon.

Howard Zinn: 1922 - 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Info about suggested itineraries for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 24 July 2010)

Here are some links about suggested itineraries for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy:

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES FOR TOSCANA/TUSCANY

36 Hours in Florence – By ONDINE COHANE – Published: July 16, 2010 – Source: TRAVEL section of The New York Times
How to Spend a Great 2 Weeks in Italy - Suggested Independent Travel Itinerary – "Part 2 - Tuscany or Umbria with a House Rental" – By Martha Bakerjian – Source: Italy Travel section of About.com
NAVIGATING IN TOSCANA 03 – By BOB the NAVIGATOR – Source: Worldisround – "is the best travel photos site on the planet."
A Sample Slow Travel Itinerary – "A sample itinerary for someone's first trip to Italy. This plan combines seeing some of the major sites and spending time in the Tuscan countryside."– Pauline Kenny – Source: slow travel italy section of slow travel
Suggested Itineraries – Source: Destinations section of Frommer's – "START EXPLORING"

Suggested Itineraries – "Livorno is a great starting point for many different, easily reached destinations for lovers of art, nature, and gastronomy." – Source: Porto di Livorno 2000 – "Livorno natural gateway to Tuscany" – In English, Italian
Suggested itineraries – Source: Siena Web – "Terra di Siena ...... a place between art and nature !" – In English, Italian
Tuscany – "Trip Planning & Itineraries" – Source: VIATOR – "Unforgettable tours & experiences. Unbeatable deals.℠ " – In Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Two Weeks in Tuscany - A Very Personal Itinerary – Source: Resources: Sample Itineraries section of Vacanza Bella – "Holiday Homes in Italy"

LISTS

Free custom itineraries in Tuscany – "Tours in tuscany, Free custom itineraries in Tuscany: what to see where to go in tuscany choose your itinerary in the heart of tuscany." – Source: WelcomeTuscany – "Tuscany travel guide places charming art cities history references accommodation" – In English, Italian, Japanese
Itineraries in Tuscany – "Itineraries in Tuscany: What To See in Tuscany, Italy" – Source: discover TUSCANY – "Travel Guide about Tourism in Tuscany (Toscana), Italy, from an Insider's Point of View" – In English, Italian
Itinerary in Tuscany – "Tuscany Itineraries" – Please click on one of the 10 provinces of Tuscany listed on the left side of this web page – Source: Tuscany-charming.it – In English, Italian
Tuscany suggested itineraries – Source: italyTraveller – "CHARMING ITALIAN EXPERIENCES" – In English, Italian
Tuscany Travel Itineraries – "Recommended trip and tourist travel in Tuscany Italy" – Source: ToscanaViva.com – "is a tourist site dedicated to Tuscany." – Also, you will find "information about tourism, bed & breakfast and hotels in Tuscany Italy" on this web site – In English, Italian

How To Plan The Best Itinerary for Your Trip to Italy – Source: In Italy Online – "Welcome to the Internet's Favorite Old-Fashioned Website™"
Itinerary for 4 Days in Florence – by Jessica | March 15th, 2010 – Source: Italy section of WhyGo
Italy Itinerary: The Perfect Two Weeks – by Jessica | September 1st, 2008 – Source: Italy section of WhyGo

MISCELLANEOUS

SEE ALSO:

Info on 2010 Events and Festivals (feste or sagre) in Toscana/Tuscany *, dated Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Info on 2010 National Holiday Observances in Italy *, dated Friday, January 01, 2010
Info on some of my blog entries (URLs) for Tuscany/Toscana, Italy *, dated Wednesday, July 22, 2009

* = Blog entry has been updated.

For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using .

The above links as of this date are/were current. If anyone has any suggestions for any other additional web sites and/or links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry.

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request any further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

NOTE: If you want to leave a comment, please leave it in ENGLISH.

Broken links: Since November, 2005, I have written over 300+ blog entries with 1,000's of corresponding links/URLs for government jobs, covering a varied and wide range of topics. In the event if you come across a broken link or a non-functioning link/URL, please post a comment and report the non-functional link. I wish to thank you in advance for assisting me in the ongoing maintenance and the updating of this successful and informative blog.

Please note: I do NOT represent or endorse any of these links nor do I receive payment for listing them in my blog.

That's it for Wednesday, 27 January 2010: martedì, 27 gennaio 2010.

Ciao, Ben

government jobs – The #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"Bello di Gennaio, brutto di Febbraio."
"If January is nice, February will be awful."

Please read my wife blog about our life in Italy with photographs:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 24 July 2010)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Obama's Cheap Words Signal Nothing

TIME Magazine reports that Obama is "signal[ing] a somewhat new approach to financial reform." The article sites the Obama administration's "plan for $117 billion worth of bank taxes to recoup the costs of bailouts."

Given that the Federal Reserve has given banks at least a trillion, and backed up bad gambles to the tune of several more trillion dollars, some of us are rolling our eyes at this pittance of $177 billion. We think we should effectively "own" these banks, receiving a cut of their profits for as long as it takes to offset the cost of the bailouts; it shouldn't be negotiable, no law should need to be passed.

We had these corrupting institutions over a barrel and could have extracted real reform. But Obama let them go, and now these institutions are back to their old ways of using their power and money to corrupt our legislative and executive branches... the US Supreme Court is no help with decisions that allow corporations to buy elections, and the fourth branch, the media, is owned by the corrupting corporate powers that be.

It's hard to believe the broader message TIME claims about Obama, citing this sound bite,

His uncharacteristically blunt message to financial giants and their political defenders said it all: "If these folks want a fight, it's a fight I'm ready to have." [1]

That's a nice story concept by TIME, but is it real? Does it really "say it all?" Or is it just another case of cheap words?

Are Obama's advisors, like David Axelrod, simply telling the President to ratchet up the populist rhetoric to stem the public angst towards the administration's economic policies emanating from the likes of Larry Summers and Tim Geithner? I can see Obama's advisors on the phone with the financial giants, "Don't worry. The President needs to say these things to quell public sentiments. Our basic understandings with you are not going to change." This isn't empty speculation; we have numerous memoirs from the past to draw on in which similar things are documented.

History is rife with examples of leaders saying one thing and doing another... take George W. Bush and his "Healthy Forest Initiative" or his "Clear Skies Act," which were, in great part, environmental roll-backs.

The Democrats under Obama continued Bush's bailout policies and are now giving lip service to so-called financial reform; $117 Billion over a decade is chump change to the powerful financial sector; the four largest firms—Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase—took in $22.5 billion in profits through September [2]... that's profits for less than a year immediately after the "financial crisis."

Thinking people of both conservative and progressive leanings are reaching the same conclusion; the two major parties have been captured by a small powerful elite that use both parties to advance their interests, interests that reflect little allegiance to those of our Nation or the general well being of the average people.

Skeptical progressives are going to need a lot more than words before their hope in tangible outcomes translates into support of Obama and his policy initiatives. Obama's choice of Rahm Emanuel damaged his credibility, as did his choice of Summers and Geithner, and his decision to keep on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

As I've said before, the elite is so powerful that Obama may be their prisoner. OK, so it might not be his fault, because he may be forced to push establishment-oriented policies. If that's the case, then we know his words are just that... words. We want to see Obama "signal" with deeds not just words.

Sources:
1. TIME Magazine,
Wall Street: Obama's Bank Crackdown Signals Policy Shift, January, 2010.

2. DemocracyNow! Headlines, November 18, 2009.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

GDAE Podcast - Episode 25

2009 GDAE Podcast Retrospective

Themes of:

Music,
Financial Robbery of 2009,
Prosecuting Bush era officials for numerous crimes,
American Exceptionalism,
Human Exceptionalism
Climate Change
Right-wing Fringe Storm Clouds,
Health Care,
Perpetual War
Middle East,
Media Reform,
Humor
Obama
and more

Play Episode 25 from this page:

Click to Download Episode 25.

Ambassador Profile: Sage Emry-Smith

I am currently a Disaster Assistance Employee, Congressional Specialist, for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Region 10. I was contacted by FEMA after attending a federal government job fair in the fall of 2008. I am a reservist and can be deployed to any disaster nationwide (including a possible deployment to Haiti), however, I am typically deployed to the Regional office in Bothell, WA for special projects while I finish my graduate studies. As a congressional specialist I am responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with congressional delegations in Region 10’s four states and I serve as the contact point for constituent inquiries. I have led briefings on FEMA programs and policies for the congressional staff of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska delegations and would be responsible for helping to brief congressional offices during a disaster if our region received a presidential declaration for a disaster event. On a daily basis I respond to congressional inquiries from regional constituents and perform research in order to compile comprehensive and timely responses.

Until December of 2009, I had been working full-time in the Office of the Ambassador as an intern for the United States Department of State at the U.S. Mission to France and Monaco in Paris, France. I performed entry-level Foreign Service work as assigned by the Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission and completed special projects as assigned by the Ambassador’s Staff Assistant. I was responsible for managing the visit of Secretary Clinton's Senior Advisor for Innovation, Alec Ross, who helped the Embassy develop a youth outreach strategy to address the next generation of French leaders through new media. To support this visit, I coordinated his schedule, organized successful town hall meetings with Embassy staff, prepared briefing materials for the Ambassador, and participated in all of the strategy sessions. Throughout my internship, I assisted with several receptions at the Ambassador’s residence, communicating in both French and English with broad spectrum of government officials.

When I started in the Master of Public Administration program at UW's Evans School of Public Affairs, I was uninterested in government employment and sure that the non-profit sector was where I was meant to be. It wasn’t until I started working for FEMA that I even considered a federal career. My time with FEMA and my experience with the State Department proved to me that there are great opportunities for creative, innovative, intelligent, and ambitious individuals in government and I have the chance to contribute my skills and abilities to help shape our nation.

Both of these experiences have been truly rewarding and have helped shape my career goals as I move closer toward graduation this June. These opportunities have solidified my desire to pursue a career in public service and have exposed me to a broad range of federal career paths. I have met and worked with individuals who are dedicated to their jobs and who have inspired me to serve my country.

UW students are welcome to contact me at sagee at u.washington.edu.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Info on guides for Rome/Roma, Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 17 June 2011)

Here are some links on guides for Rome/Roma, Italy:

GUIDES FOR ROME/ROMA

WEB SITES FOR GUIDES

Enjoy Rome: Cityguide – "At the moment, our Rome city guide guide is being updated, a new and improved version will be online in the coming days." – Source: ENJOY ROME – "... the main resource for your Rome travel guide." – In English, Italian

In Rome Now – "beyond the guide books" – Source: web site

ROME – "Living La Dolce Vita " – Source: UCITYGUIDES.com – "Guides for the Savvy Urban Traveler"

Rome City Guide – "The Best Things to do in Rome, Italy" – Source: 10BEST™ – "Trusted Advice for Travelers™"

Rome CityGuide – Source: CityGuide World – "Destination Guides to Attractions and Accomodations in over 5000 cities worldwide."

Rome City guide – "City Guide to Rome for the Rail Traveller" – Source: EuropeanRailGuide – "rail passes - city guides - maps - community"

Rome City Guide – Source: WORLD TRAVEL GUIDE

Rome City Guide Introduction – Source: eurocheapo – "we've been there"

Rome File – "Rome city guide & tourist information" – Source: web site

Rome Guide – "A wealth of tourist information about Rome, Italy. A useful guide for all who are going to Rome, Italy." – Source: web site – In English, Italian

Rome Information and Tourism – "World Guide to Rome" – Source: world-guides.com – "City Information and Tourism"
Rome Travel Guide – Source: VirtualTourist – "Real Travelers • Real Info"

WEB SITES FOR AUDIO GUIDES

audioguide ROMA – "ALL OF ROME ON YOUR MP3 PLAYER" – NOTE: For purchase – Source: web site – "Welcome to a new way of travelling to rome" – In English, Spanish
Audio guides of Rome – "Free Audio Guides of Rome for iPod and MP3 players" – Source: ITALYGuides.it – "A SIGHTSEEING REVOLUTION" – In English, Italian
Best of Rome iPodGuides – "Free audio guides to the Eternal City!" – In Dutch, English, Spanish – Source: podnova – "The best way to find, subscribe to, share, play and download your podcasts and vodcasts."
Rome – In Dutch, English, Italian – NOTE: For purchase – Source: AllAudioGuides – "Audioguides for all destinations"

Welcome to Rome – "Free audio guides for your iPhone or mp3 player" – NOTE: Besides a free version, there is a "premium" version available for an additional cost – Source: iAudioguide.com – "City Audio Guide" – In English, French, German, Italian

LISTS

Self-guided Walking and Audio Tours of Places in Italy – Source: Filed in Things to Do in Italy under the Italy Travel section of About.com

WEB SITES FOR VIDEO GUIDES

Galavanting in Rome, Italy – Source: Galavanting.tv –
Rome - Roman Forum – "video travel guide" – Source: SuTree – "Learn & Play"
Rome Overview Videos – Source: Tripfilms – "Travel Inspired" – "... inspiring, informative travel videos from real travelers."
Travel Guide -- Rome, Italy – Source: Pastplaces

WEB SITES FOR VIRTUAL GUIDES

Rome Travel Guide – "Italy Virtual Tours" – Source: 360travelguide.com™ – "leaders in interactive travel information"
Rome Virtual Tours – Source: ItalyByClick.com
Virtual walk in Rome – "visiting its monuments, hotels, museums restaurants, and ..." – Source: abcROMA.com – In English, Italian
Virtual Tour – "A VIRTUAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE IMPERIAL ROME" – NOTE: ADMITTANCE CHARGE – Source: 3D Rewind Rome – "Take your place in history!" – In Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian,Spanish
Virtual Tour of Rome – "Welcome to the Eternal City"– In English, French, Italian, Spanish – Source: ITALYGuides.it – "A SIGHTSEEING REVOLUTION" – In English, Italian

MISCELLANEOUS

SEE ALSO:

Info on things to do in Rome/Roma, Italy * dated Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Info about, for or on airports for Rome/Roma, Italy * dated Wednesday, March 10, 2011
Info on blogs about, for or on Rome/Roma, Italy *, dated Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Info for maps of Roma/Rome, Italy , dated Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Info on some of my blog entries (URLs) for Roma/Rome, Italy *, dated Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Info on three day or suggested itineraries for Rome/Roma, Italy *, dated Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Info on web sites about, for or on Rome/Roma, Italy *, dated Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Info on the Best of/Top 10 of Rome/Roma, Italy *, dated Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Info About, For or On Rome, Italy *, dated Tuesday, December 13, 2005

* = Blog entry has been updated.

For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using

.

The above links as of this date are/were current. If anyone has any suggestions for any other additional web sites and/or links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry.

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request any further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

NOTE: If you want to leave a comment, please leave it in ENGLISH.

Broken links: Since November, 2005, I have written over 300+ blog entries with 1,000's of corresponding links/URLs for government jobs, covering a varied and wide range of topics. In the event if you come across a broken link or a non-functioning link/URL, please post a comment and report the non-functional link. I wish to thank you in advance for assisting me in the ongoing maintenance and the updating of this successful and informative blog.

Please note: I do NOT represent or endorse any of these links nor do I receive payment for listing them in my blog.

That's it for Wednesday, 13 January 2010: mercoledì, 13 gennaio 2010

Ciao, Ben

government jobs – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"A mente curiosa e sagace - il troppo riposo non piace."
"To a curious and wise mind, too much rest will not be pleasing."

When you have a free moment or two, please read my wife's interesting and entertaining blog about our life in Italy with photographs:

Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:

Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

Please note: The time listed below for this posting is Central European Time (CET)/ GMT+1.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Random Thoughts Spawned by Truth

The following was triggered by a post at Truth 101 blog:

We can understand Obama's behavior if we view him as a prisoner of the wealthy establishment. The aristocracy is loosing its grip, papering over the financial mess for instance. While that teeters, we need to be engaged in diffusing the fringe right wing.

The last line is motivated by my current reading of Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat by Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Island of Properity in a Sea of Poverty

The following is a transcript from a segment on GDAE Podcast Episode 23 from late November 2009.

We've all heard that about 1% of Americans own about 38% of the nation's wealth.... and the bottom 40% own less than 1% of the nation's wealth. These are 2001 statistics and the disparity has certainly grown since then, during the Bush years.

On another scale, the relatively few developed Nations have accumulated a similarly disproportionate share of global wealth, in part at the expense of exploiting the natural resources of the lesser developed nations.

We've commented in the past on GDAE Podcast that this analogy between individuals and nations translates to the financial melt down. A small minority of wealthy elites in the US benefited from the financial bubble at the expense of a super majority of Americans, yet it was the majority of tax payers who bailed out the tiny financial elite when the crash was upon us a year ago.

By analogy, on a global scale, it was a small minority of countries, the Group of 7, or G-7, that created and benefited from the bubble economy; yet it is the other countries being hammered both during the go-go bubble expansion days of wealth accumulation and on the down-side of the global financial crash.

Now, with global climate change, we see the devastating legacy of this wealth disparity that has persisted over the generations: The minority of industrialized countries have accumulated their wealth, in part, by pushing a cost off onto the environment in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. Like the use of slavery, a small minority have gotten rich on the backs of others.

These are illegitimate riches. But where do we find ourselves today? These illegitimate profits have been invested to create even more riches, which have often been passed between generations (can you say "Paris Hilton?"). The wealth has been used to buy influence in all three branches of government, such as removing the Glass-Steagall Act designed to prevent speculative financial crashes from contaminating commercial financial institutions that fund small businesses, home and car loans, student loans, home improvement loans and the like. But now these super rich speculative financial institutions, and the US Government itself, are insolvent, although they won't admit it. [Now the US CAN'T pay global climate pollution reparations ... unless the US takes a loan from China to do so.]

This scenario of wealth accumulation among a tiny elite reminds me of something I recently read in an old National Geographic magazine. I came across a statement by a wise 39-year old Kuwaiti made back in 1975. When oil wealth in the Middle East was accumulating, the Kuwait fund for Economic Development pledged $16 billion to developing countries. According to National Geographic, The fund's director general, Abdlatif Al-Hamad, 39, explained the philosophy behind such generosity. He said:

"We cannot close our doors and say to hell with everyone else. Nothing is clearer than the danger of having an island of prosperity in a sea of poverty."

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Ambassador Profile: Elizabeth Comley

As a marketing and international business major, I didn’t think that the federal government held a lot of possibilities for my interests—I was wrong. Thanks to a visit from an international trade specialist, I discovered the U.S. Commercial Service, a sector of the Department of Commerce that works to help small businesses export their products and alongside the Foreign Commercial Service to promote U.S. products internationally. Over the summer I worked under a trade specialist to develop easy-to-use references on exporting logistics, documentation, and licensing. I also created market research reports which analyze the attractiveness of countries as exporting opportunities in terms of historical trade data, currency fluctuations, social trends, and government initiatives. Other interns in the office worked on revamping the agency website, collaborating with local companies on trade events, and initiating a medical tourism cooperative for major Seattle hospitals.

My experience with the U.S. Commercial Service was invaluable. It opened up my eyes to the possibilities for business majors in the federal government and led me to my future career goal of working with the USAID. The government can provide language and cultural training as well as relocation assistance that industry would be hard-pressed to match which is why it is an extremely desirable option for students wanting to work abroad. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ecomley1 at u.washington.edu.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Ambassador Profile: Michael Benezra

Working for the Federal Government has opened my eyes to a new and exciting world of opportunities. Last year I was selected to fill the Internship position with the Office of Senator Maria Cantwell in Seattle. While at the Senator’s office, I was given the opportunity to assist her state and regional outreach director’s in the difficult task of planning the Senator’s schedule and preparing documents for briefings with top public officials. This experience inspired me to continue working for the Federal Government and this past summer I traveled out to Washington DC to work in the U.S. House of Representatives. I was hired on by the office of Congressman Norm Dicks (WA-D). Coincidentally, Rep. Dicks is known to be one of the most powerful and influential members in Congress. Rep. Dicks is Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Committee, which gives him the authority to appropriate money and efforts towards specific Interior (Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife Habitats) projects. I had the opportunity to help conduct research on specific issues and related events that shape policy for the entire country. Simply having the pleasure of entering the U.S. Capitol every morning, made the experience worthy in itself. My experience in working for the Federal Government has given me the knowledge and tools necessary to pursue a career in any field imaginable.