Japi's Blog

Michelle Obama at the Convention

The first day of the Democratic National Convention had a little of everything...

• DNC Chairman Howard Dean opening the convention to a very small crowd (I guess attendees were still flying in)
• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaking
• Caroline Kennedy introducing her uncle, Ted Kennedy
• Ted Kennedy's inspirational speech
• a touching video voiced-over by Michelle Obama's Mother
• Michelle Obama introduced by her brother
• and a great speech by Michelle Obama

She was eloquent and had a real strong presence on the stage.  At the end of her speech, her daughters came out - then a beautiful exchange between them and Barack (via Satellite from Kanasa City).... just wonderful!

I can't wait to see the rest of the convention!

My New Job - Houston Market Manager at Group O Marketing Solutions

I've had several friends and family ask about my new job.... and a dear friend suggested I post it here so I don't have to keep repeating myself <grin>.

So I left Schipul after four amazing years of learning, growing and producing. I enjoyed the work more than any other job I've had - the people there are brilliant, the work is challenging and fun and I am certain their future is extremely bright!! I will bleed Schipul burnt orange or Tendenci maroon for many years.

It took me a few months to get the right offer from the right company - Group O Marketing Solutions.

Group O was founded in 1974 by Robert Ontiveros, originally named Bi-State Packaging which was started to sell packaging materials and equipment to manufacturers. The company has grown to over $350 million per year and was recognized this year as the 20th largest Hispanic-owned company in the U.S. by Hisoanic Business magazine.

Group O is based in Milan (pronounced mīˌlän), Illinois and has three divisions:

1. Marketing Solutions
2. Packaging Solutions and
3. Supply Chain Solutions

I was hired by Group O Marketing Solutions as a Market Manager for Houston. I have been tasked with putting together and managing a team of salespeople to market and sell a product for a major telecommunications company... one that has three letter in its name and two are repeated <grin>.  We can use its name when we talk, but not in print.

I have an amazing support team that is helping me put together the team... everyone I've met and worked with are very intelligent, hard-working and fun, so I feel great about this job!

Our goal is to build and grow the business in Houston and San Antonio the next 4 months so that we will be offered additional markets in Texas and eventually around the U.S.

I am extremely excited about the opportunity in front of me and the trust that Group O has placed in me. I will continue to inform of my progress as we meet and beat the numbers... the goal is to have a productive team of 50 here in Houston and 30 in San Antonio in the next few months.

Sorry if I can't say more than that, but if I gave away too much info, I'd have to take all of you out and I wouldn't want to lose my small fan-base <grin>.

What Made Obama's Speech Great - George Lakoff

I understand that the mainstream media spends very little time on any given story and moves to the next one.   Soundbytes, tidbits, short attention spans, bite-sized pieces are all products of the short amount of time we allow to consume news or any other information in which we are interested.

So it's great to come across an article provides excellent analysis of a particular topic.  In this case it's Senator Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech he gave March 18, 2008 in Philadelphia's Constitution Hall.

Professor George Lakoff has written a wonderful paper on the speech and how it's not JUST about race.  The media had to abbreviate the speech to one topic, race.... but if you have 30 minutes to listen to the whole speech - you will realize it's about a lot more than just race. 

Professor Lakoff's paper provides insight into the speech's setting (Constitution Hall, surrounded by Flags), entonation, subtext and just the overall greatness of it.

The paper is 7 pages long, but worth the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to read it.  I would recommend you watch the speech first... so it may take 45 minutes of your day - but it's such an important speech that I recommend you set aside the time.  You may also want to read the comments to the paper which, as of this post, it has 56.

George Lakoff is Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley; senior fellow at the Rockridge Institute; and author of the forthcoming The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st Century Politics with an 18th Century Brain (Viking/Penguin), available June 2, 2008.

Pale Blue Dot - by Carl Sagan

This is an amazing video which leaves you thinking of our importance and lack thereof.

It's in English and has Spanish sub-titles.

Lionly Love - just amazing

My daughter, Melissa, sent me this and I thought it was just too beautiful not to include it in my blog... as I make another detour from my political posts. 

This lady in Colombia rescued a malnourished lion and when she comes back to visit, the lion shows it's gratitude.  It's truly amazing!

And Now For Something Completely Different - a laughing baby

To temporarily interrupt my political blogposts... I decided to go with Laughing Baby!!

It's awesome because I have the exact same reaction to ripping paper... LOL!

Dr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

My niece, Adriana Perez, sent me this and it's amazingly inspirational.

Dying professor, Dr. Randy Pausch knows he is dying. This video will leave you thinking when it's over. Take 10 minutes of your time to watch it. It would do us all some good.

Heart's Dog & Butterfly - lovely memories

When I was in high school, the band Heart was very popular.  songs like Barracuda, Crazy on You and Magic Man made them very famous.  I enjoyed those songs... but one song just touched my heart (and still does).

Dog and Butterfly is a ethereal composition that I used to love to listen to as I roller skated or just laid in the grass listening to my walkman.  The version I placed in this blogpost is acoustic which will have you floating as you listen.

Purchase the CD with the original version of this song.

Here are the lyrics:

There I was with the old man
Stranded again so off I'd ran
A young world crashing around me
No possibilities of getting what I need
He looked at me and smiled
Said no, no, no, no, oh child.

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he liked to fly."
The dog and butterfly
Below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing
She don't know why, she don't know why
Dog and butterfly

Well I stumbled upon your secret place
Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers
Stealing your fires, the message hit my mind
Only words that I could find

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he liked to fly
The dog and butterfly below she has to try
But she roll back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly

We're getting older and the world's getting colder
For the life of me I don't know the reason why
Maybe it's livin' making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide
We're balanced together ocean upon the sky

Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
No begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he liked to fly
The dog and butterfly, below she has to try
When she'd roll back down to the warm soft ground
With a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly

A Flor De Piel by Yordano

Another phenomenal Venezuelan singer/songwriter is Yordano (linked to Manantial De Corazon on YouTube).  He has some of the best lyrics I've heard.

A Flor De Piel is one of my favorite songs by Yordano*.  It was interesting because he didn't originally make it famous.  Yordano started as a composer for several Venezuelan artists and "A Flor De Piel" was picked up by Luz Marina - a Venezuelan singer with a beautiful and sensual voice.

Then about a year later, I saw Yordano singing the same song on TV.  His voice was not as nice, but you could tell he was the song's composer - his interpretation didn't have much to it, but definitely had a lot of feeling.  Here are the lyrics and the translation.

*NOTE: Yordano has so many great songs, though... it's very difficult to have a favorite.  I will discuss other Yordano songs in future blog posts.  I hope you enjoy this one. 

Purchase the album with this song.

Original

English

Salgo del cuarto a descansar de una cama vacía y sin arreglar de tu perfume. Por fín en la calle de pronto me pierdo entre la gente que sale de un cine y tu apareces como una sombra en cada calle que cruzo, en cada rostro sin nombre, en cada esquina te escondes, en cada noche que cae, en cada día que rompe, siempre te llevo a flor de piel, a flor de piel, con tus labios todavía a flor de piel. Ya no soporto más el recuerdo de aquella noche de luna llena, perdido en tus brazos. Entro en un bar, me quiero aturdir alguien me habla y no puedo evitar que tu aparescas como una sombra en cada frase que oigo, cada mentira que digo, cada palabra te nombra, en cada noche que cae. en cada día que rompe, siempre te llevo a flor de piel, a flor de piel con tus labios todavía a flor de piel, en mi alma todavía en tu piel

I leave the bedroom To rest From an unkempt And empty bed Still with your perfume Finally on the street I'm suddenly lost Among the crowd Coming out of a theater And you show up Like a shadow In every street I cross In every nameless face In every corner you hide In every night that falls In every daybreak I always carry you On the surface of my skin On the surface of my skin With your lips still On the surface of my skin I can no longer stand The memory Of that night With a full moon I was lost in your arms I enter a bar I want to get lost Someone speaks to me And I can't avoid For you to appear Like a shadow In every phrase I hear Each lie I tell Each word says your name In every night that falls In every daybreak I always carry you On the surface of my skin On the surface of my skin With your lips still On the surface of my skin In my soul still On the surface of your skin

I'm Not Giving You Up by Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan has a beautiful song that wasn't extremely popular... but it's wonderfully written and the music is amazing too.

The name of the song is "I'm Not Giving You Up" from the album titled Destiny. 

Below you can read the lyrics:

To be completely honest
It scares me to imagine
What life would be without you

And for this very reason
I ask you to forgive me
For what I'm putting us through

Although there are so many things
Against us, I've decided
That I'm not giving you up, no...

Thinking back, I see what we have
Is something different
I think we've known all along
So how fair would it be
To divide this love's existence
Between what's right and what's wrong

And you, always wondering if we'll make it
Time will tell you
That I'm not giving you up, no, no...

We'll find a way to be together
However long it takes, wherever
If it means having you for only a moment
A moment just might be enough
I'm not giving you up, no
No I'm not giving you up, no

Screaming in the silence the promises we've spoken
Come back to haunt me, false and broken
Quiet desperation to see we're lost forever
Searching for water in the desert

No, I refuse to have to do
Without your kisses
I'm not giving you up, no, no

We'll find a way to be together
However long it takes, wherever
If it means having you for only a moment
A moment just might be enough
I'm not giving you up, no

No I'm not giving you up, no
No I'm not giving you up