Category: politics

Cuba, love, politics, travel

Dreaming of Cuba

Christa Avampato

I’ve been in love with Cuba since watching the movie For Love or Country with Andy Garcia. The white sand beaches, the music, the food, the art, and the language. I considered hopping over the border and entering illegally though after my South Africa passport debacle, I don’t think that would be wise. Instead, I have been waiting for Mr. Castro to pass on or step down as the US government has made it abundantly clear that they will not lift the ban on Americans traveling to Cuba with him in power.

And he has stepped down. Though his brother has assumed power, it seems that change may be afoot on that small island only 90 miles from Miami. In my lifetime, I may get to sink my feet into that white sand, take in the music and the art, drink my authentic Cuban coffee with my authentic Cuban sandwich, and drown in the beauty of the language and the people who have so long been isolated from us. 
One can only hope that love and country no longer have to be mutually exclusive.      
The above photo can be found at: http://www.vjv.co.uk:.webloc.
economy, politics, writing

A Topic for Controversy

Christa Avampato

When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.
~ William Hazlitt, English essayist and literary critic

Another milestone for this blog- my 200th post in less than 9 months. Not too bad. Constantly writing leads me to constantly think about topics of interest, and as a result of topics of controversy. At work, we always seem to be shoulder-deep in the later. And while it’s all well-intentioned, it can on occassion be tiresome. However, the controversy is necessary if we are to move forward.

I freely admit that I have a distinct reluctance to engage in controversy. Not that I have a problem with carving my own path, considering and re-considering emotional and complicated issues, or speaking my mind. On the contrary, I excel at all three of those things. What I have a tough time with is belaboring number after number with no consideration of the information contained within those numbers. I have little tolerance for the constant rehashing of the same material over and over again. I can’t stand constant controversy over a single topic. I am a firm believer in the “get on board this ship or find a new one” when it comes to the strategic direction of a company. And some times I get on board, and some times I bail. But I never get on board if I don’t fully believe that the ship is being steered by an able navigator. Once the controversy is settled, the real work of moving down the chosen path begins. A company can’t move forward while the seas of controversy rage.

This time of year there is plenty of controversy to go around – what to do about the economy, the next Presidential administration, our own foreign relations, the war in Iraq, our environment, and the list goes on. No matter what side of the fence we fall on with these issues, the interest and passion has yet to wane. And for that, I’m grateful. We don’t have the best answers yet. We have huge problems in this world, and we need the controversy and its companion, interest, to unearth the the best solutions. However, at some point soon, on many if not all of these topics, we will have to make a choice. As one co-worker said to me recently as we left a particularly heated meeting “it’s amazing how quickly something gets done when it absolutely has to get done.” At that point, the topic of controversy has to shift to resolution, as does the interest of those involved.

environment, green, innovation, politics, WEF

Whales as a necessary casualty?

Christa Avampato

What I find fascinating about the U.S. military is their continual insistence that they care about preserving life and then with nearly every policy, the destruction of life on some level is considered acceptable. How is it possible that with all of the technology and funding that the military has at their disposal these days (and I truly hope that those days of unbridled spending are numbered), they are cannot help but harm or cause death in at least 30 species of marine life off the coast of California? There isn’t any other solution to this problem? Or is it just that it would require more creativity than the Navy can muster?

This brings to mind similar problems of a creativity void that I see, hear, and read about in today’s corporations. Our ability to proceed with “business as usual” is becoming a crutch. Some one’s in the way? Run them over. Someone has opinion that doesn’t tote the party line? Fire them. Some one’s best interests are in the way? Run them over. Or in the Navy’s case, destroy them. I mean, it’s just a few whales right? This is NATIONAL SECURITY we’re talking about here. Or is it just inconvenience for the Navy to think different?

Creativity seems to only rise to the top as a driver of solutions when it is the only option left on the table. Given the current state of our economy, and our wold-wide relations, we may have no other choice now except to let creativity lead us to a better solution. Brawn is clearly not working. It’s no wonder that the WEF in Davos chose Innovation as its theme this year. Innovation is the only way forward.

For a related article on this topic that appeared in today’s New York Times, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/opinion/22tue2.html?th&emc=th.

The above photo can be found at http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/humpback-whales-singing.jpg

media, politics

A picture’s worth

Christa Avampato

Lately I am getting more and more into cartoons. After seeing William Steig’s exhibit at the Jewish Museum here in NYC, I have been struck by how prevalent cartoons are in our media and how poufound their messages are with just a few words. It’s possible taht cartoonists may be the most creative people in our culture, which begs the question “why do they get so little credit?” Here’s one I saw recently in Time Magazine that I just love. The artist is Mike Peters.

economy, election, environment, green, politics, worry

Control the controllable

Christa Avampato

“I kept myself calm by making sure I didn’t concentrate on anything I couldn’t control.”
–B.J. Bedford, Olympic swimmer

BJ Bedford barely made the U.S. Olympic swim team in 1996 and then went on to win the gold at Sydney just four years later. If this mantra worked for her, I believe it can work for all of us. A lot of our anxiety as a society, and as individuals, is driven off the unknown fed by a focus on things we cannot control.

I worry a lot, as I have written about several times on this site. I worry about the economy, our environment, terrorism, about the states of education and healthcare. I worry that George Bush has damaged our nation so badly on so many levels that it may take all of the effort of the next administration, Democrat, Republican, or otherwise, four years just to get us back to where we were at the end of Bill Clinton’s Presidency. What do I control in these situations? What can I actually do to contribute?

The economy: I am an ardent saver. I live within my means, and most often below them. I do my best to make smart investments. I show up every day at my desk at work and do the very best I can in every moment. I look to buy products that make a difference, be that they are more environmentally friendly, healthier, or provide a benefit to those who manufacture them such as fair trade farmers. I watch the market, and I educate myself on the actions of the Fed and policy makers that can move the needle.

I try to propagate peace and tolerance in the environments I make my life in, hoping that I can inspire other people to do the same. I recycle, and I make every effort to always use less, whether it’s energy, paper, water, or any other natural resource.

And as far as George Bush – I do my best. I voted for the other candidates both times, mostly because I refuse to vote for anyone who is incapable of stringing five correctly pronounced words together to make a coherent sentence. Plus, I fundamentally disagree with his stance on nearly every issue. I control what I can control.

My politics aside, there is a lesson for all of us in BJ Bedford’s quote. What I do to maintain control is nothing extraordinary. They are choices I simply make by being aware of the world around me. It may be worth it to make a list of what’s in our control and what’s not in any given situation in which we feel stressed. The list can serve as a visual cue to help us refocus our energies and efforts so that we can generate a sense of calm both within ourselves and for those around us.

The photo above can be found at: http://www.colly.com/images/uploads/control_poster_420.jpg