The Myth that Obama Democrats are Extremists

Obama Democrats have been remarkably fair-minded and pragmatic.

I think Obama and Congressional Democrats have made every effort to appease Republicans - e.g. The Health Care Reform: 1. there's no public option despite the fact that a majority of Americans favor it, 2. the Health Care Bill is actually considered a step back according to many pro-Choice advocates, and 3. The Bill hurts several Labor Unions by taxing "cadillac" Health Plans. If anything Obama Democrats have abandoned the Left in order to try to curry favor with the Right. They've been acting very pragmatically, though, compromising on ideological purity in order to at least get a few beneficial reforms through.

(For the far lefts view on the Health Care reform look here: http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article10.php?id=1341. They don't like it, because it's too moderate.)

However, Congressional Republicans are playing to the base and have effectively excluded themselves from the governance of the country by refusing to include themselves in reform discussion.

Look at what happened to Bob Bennet: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14870122

The Healthy Americans Act which he sponsored during the Bush years is so is incredibly similar to the Health Care Reform it's crazy! But when Obama Democrats propose the plan in a slightly different form he starts acting like the whole idea is pure lunacy - why?!!! It's so frustrating to see him have to abandon what he truly believes to satisfy the ideology of the Right Wing. He's also an expert in Health Policy and could have been helpful in the drafting process, but instead he decided he could score more points with the "Kill the Bill" crowd.

There is no pragmatism to what the Right is doing. The Republican stalling strategy is to sabotage the nations success to make Democrats look bad. It's nearsighted, hostile and despicable.

Democrats are at least trying to fix past policy errors and help the nation progress. Democrats are ignoring the extremists on their side while Republicans are touting the line for Right Wingers - e.g. Palin, Teaparties, Glen Beck, etc.

Refugee Resume Fillers

Job qualifications list for easier resume writing

Cashier

Provide fast, courteous, efficient service to ensure customer satisfaction. Strong customer service skills and the ability to sell products and services. Possess good communication, telephone and basic register/cash-handling skills. Process customer sales to include accepting payment, packing merchandise and issuing receipts and change. Maintains the appearance of store including stocking and performing general housekeeping duties. Maintains a safe work area for customers and coworkers. Ability to process transactions accurately. Ability to handle multiple tasks. Ability to communicate in a professional and tactful manner. Accurate listening skills. Ability to independently handle problems and facilitate successful outcomes.

Dishwasher

Work quickly and efficiently. Detail oriented and love cleanliness. Take pride in performing repetitive tasks well. Knowledge of food safety and public health protection. Wash dishes, pots, pans, kitchen utensils and other equipment used in making meals. Maintain the kitchen area in a neat, clean and orderly manner. Have or be able to obtain food handlers permit.

Food Service

Assists customers in finding products, making selections and purchasing items. Deal with people in a manner which shows sensitivity, tact, and professionalism. Knowledge of food safety and public health protection, applicable laws, rules, regulations and/or policies and procedures. Professional in grooming and uniform standards. Able to stand for long periods of time. Prepares special orders for customer when possible. Prepares hot and cold foods according to instructions. Maintains clean and sanitary work area. Wipes counters, washes utensils, etc. Stocks meats, cheeses, lettuce, rolls, bread and other foods as necessary. Sweeps and mops floor around deli area. Assists in stocking shelves. Rings up food items on cash register and accurately handles cash.

Groundskeeper

Works safely even in hazardous environments. Solves problems quickly and efficiently. Make decisions, takes responsibility, and works with minimal supervision. Follow directions with exactness. Ability to climb ladders, work in heights and confined spaces, use and maintain a variety of hand tools, and wear respiratory equipment. Mow, rake, water and fertilize lawn. Plant, transplant, water, fertilize, and trim flowers and shrubs. Control weeds, remove litter. Performs manual labor such as digging, shoveling, planting, trimming, painting, etc. Maintains building(s) and/or facilities in a clean and orderly condition and/or removes snow from sidewalks and doorways, etc. Assist with general maintenance of sprinkler systems and preventive maintenance of lawnmowers, snow blowers and other small grounds keeping equipment. Ability to work in severe heat and cold conditions. Knowledge of use and effects of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and/or fertilizers.

Janitor, Commercial

Take pride in your work, and have high standards of cleanliness. Pays superb attention to detail to determine tasks to be accomplished. Responsible for ordering additional supplies as needed to ensure the smooth flow of day to day operations. Ability to work with minimal supervision. Trustworthy, punctual and task oriented. Works well with others to accomplish team goals.

Janitor, Medical

Perform housekeeping tasks, according to detailed instructions, to maintain area in a sanitary, clean and attractive condition. Ability to properly dispose of infectious waste and trash. Ability to communicate clearly, and to follow written and verbal directions. Effectively coordinate efforts with staff members. Ability to work around patients, visitors and staff without causing disruptions. Ability to use cleaning chemicals properly. - Must have the ability to properly clean walls, and carpets, with appropriate chemicals. Ability to keep up assigned area, making independent judgments on needed activities and projects. Ability to work with patient care units and other departments with specialized cleaning needs and hazards. Knowledge of appropriate responses to chemical spills. Cleans, mops, scrubs and dust floors. Cleans toilets, basins, showers, bathtubs, patient beds. Cleans and vacuums furniture, fixtures, doors and related furnishings by using appropriate cleaning supplies. Operates and maintains electric floor machines, snow blowers, industrial vacuums, carpet shampooing equipment and upholstery shampooing equipment. Cleans patient rooms, beds, waiting areas and examination tables. Labels and removes infectious waste bags and containers. Transports custodial supplies and equipment to and from storage and work areas. Replaces sharp containers, transports trash and refuse, removes empty boxes and organizes closets.

Janitor, Construction

Safely remove construction debris and garbage. Efficiently stack and organize jobsite construction materials. Clean tools and equipment. Ability to lift and carry heavy objects up to 70 lbs. Able to endure long periods of standing. Assist the foreman and helpers with the assigned task. Work in tight and confined spaces and quarters. Maintain a productive pace of work while unsupervised. Assist several people at a time. Willing to change task as often as required, due to job site circumstances

Laborer, plumbing

Hard worker, dependable, always shows up on time or before. Willing to go the extra mile, complete tasks given, and strong common sense. Physically capable. Safety-first attitude.

Laundry Worker

Responsible for the gathering, sorting, washing, drying, folding and delivering of linens and clothing to closets and rooms in a nursing home.

Production/Assembly

Adaptable: ability to rotate through the assembly line, learn different tasks, and adjust quickly to new responsibilities. Ability to meet line rate expectations. Ability to perform a variety of assembly tasks requiring dexterity and fine motor skills. Ability to visually check work performed and identify whether a product has been assembled correctly according to quality criteria. Ability to follow instructions in performing repetitive tasks. Dependability in coming to work on time and meet company attendance guidelines. Attentiveness in performing tasks. Pride in performing repetitive tasks well. Good eye-hand coordination. Works closely with co-workers to create and promote high quality, teamwork, increased throughput and low scrap rate. Actively seeks to keep areas and equipment clean and organized to maintain a professional shop appearance. Basic math and computer skills. Have a company first outlook. Be a role model while having a positive attitude. Ensure the building of the highest quality product possible. Goals are met on a daily basis. Understand Standard Operating Procedures. Participate in resolving any area problems/concerns with team. Effective communication skills both verbal/non-verbal and listening skills. Physical work, standing for 8 hrs, repetitive bending, twisting lifting 25+ lbs. Able to communicate and read work orders, great attitude and work ethic, team player; able to work over time if necessary. Excellent attendance and punctuality. Work well in a fast paced environment with high noise level around mechanical and electrical equipment.

Vehicle Service Agent

Transport cars from service center to ready line, clean interior and exterior of vehicles, check all fluid levels, inspect vehicles for damage, drive cars through car wash to staging area. High energy level and willingness to work in a fast-paced team environment. Clean driving and criminal record.

Warehouse, Material Handler

Takes pride in work, able to multi-task and detail-oriented. Ablility to work independently with minimal supervision. Efficiently move and stock product. Accurately pull orders and packaging product. Accurate use of scale for weighing product. Use scanner and printer to label product. Ability to learn and perform multiple tasks in a team environment. Good communication skills. Work independently in a fast paced environment. Compliant with safety regulations. Possess computer skills and aptitude. Ab;e to lift, slide and lower packages that weigh up to 75lbs. Basic math skills.

Improve your Business - Hire a Refugee!

This is the letter I send to people who might be interested in hiring someone from our pool of clients:

Hello Potential Employer,

My organization could be an awesome solution to your future employment needs.

I work for the Asian Association of Utah as an employment case manager for refugees. Basically our organization offers employers the advantages of a staffing agency, except we're a free, not-for-profit organization. So there is no need to deal with hassles of public listings. Instead by using us you can expect to get quality legal employees fast - usually within 48 hours. And as I mentioned, since we are a non-profit organization, there is no fee for any of our staffing services.

At this agency we assist refugees from all over the world who have fled their homes because their life was endangered by political turmoil. Due to the amazing circumstances of their life, refugees tend to be very willing, hard-working, dependable employees. We screen nearly one hundred potential employees each month. We ensure all their paperwork is in order and any other employment related needs are met. We want to ensure that you have a good experience when you hire a refugee. As such, the services we provide include, but are not limited to, the following:
Language-specific job orientations
On the job training in the refugee's native language
Translation of rules/policies/procedures in the appropriate language
Language specific interpreters
Assistance with transportation needs
Assistance with social service issues that might otherwise interfere with work
Many innovative companies have discovered the huge benefits associated with hiring refugees. For example, the Summit Watch Marriot Hotel in Park City decided to give refugees a chance and bought a van to transport 15 people from Salt Lake to their Hotel in Park City. Summit Watch Park City went from having a 100% yearly turnover rate with a traditional workforce, to a 4% turnover rate once they started hiring Burmese refugees. Now 90% of their housekeeping team is composed of refugees. With job retention also came increased job performance as evidenced by improvement on customer satisfaction surveys at Summit Watch Marriot. If you are interested I can put in you contact with Summit Watch's Suzanne Wild who will tell you more about her experience hiring refugees.

Finally, right now is a uniquely good time to hire a refugee in Utah. Currently there are two Federal programs which make helping a refugee very cost-effective. First, if you're willing to train someone in a valuable skill while they work, our refugees qualify for the On the Job Training Program which reimburses employers 50% of the cost of employee(s) wages during a predetermined training period. Many employers are granted over 100 hours of reimbursed time when they hire and train a refugee. Also, all our refugees qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit which can be worth as much as $9,000!

Give me a call or send me an e-mail so we can schedule a time to talk about your employment needs.

Thanks,
Zach Myers
Asian Association
Utah Refugee Employment Center
http://www.aau-slc.org/
801-808-0653
zcmyers@gmail.com

Links to Refugee Resources/Information:

FAQ about Refugees:
http://www.jobs.utah.gov/refugee/who.asp

Department of Workforce Services, Refugee Services:
http://www.jobs.utah.gov/refugee/

U.S. Refugee Statistics:
http://www.cal.org/co/refugee/statistics/index.html

I gave a talk in Church

Hello friends and potential friends. I am Zach Myers. I’m getting married in two weeks so I’m not going to be coming to the Single’s Ward much longer. I’ve often heard people who are about to leave a ward look out from the pulpit and gush that they love everyone in the room. I, however, am not often gifted with such love and so I can not honestly say I love all of you, especially since Adam Back is here today. Haha, jk. But that’s not to say that you’re not lovable, all of you. Even Adam Back is lovable. I know everyone in this room is very precious because there is at least one person who loves each of you very, very much. In fact greater love hath no man than this man has for you, for he gave his life that you might live. Jesus Christ suffered in Gethsemane and died on the cross so that we can live again.

Brother Zarbock has asked me to talk today about a request that this man, Jesus Christ, has made of his followers continually for two millennia: Christ asks, “Will you…Repent… that I may heal you?” {pause}

The prophet Alma describes Christ’s call to repent in chapter 5 verse 33, “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.” In this verse Alma talks about the “arms of mercy.” How can mercy have arms? That’s kinda weird right? What do mercy’s appendages look like? I like sci-fi. So for this talk I imagined a sci-fi interpretation of “mercy’s arms” which would be like a bunch of wispy, feathery tentacles reaching out of the sky trying to attach onto people. However, the gospel isn’t sci-fi, which is why Elder Neil L. Anderson has given us a better interpretation for the arms of mercy in a recent conference talk.

Anderson’s puts the “arms of mercy” in their proper place, attached to the body of Jesus the source of all mercy. He says,

“I have thought of the Lord’s invitation to come unto Him and to spiritually be wrapped in His arms. [Christ] said, ‘Behold, [my arms] of mercy [are] extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.’”

Anderson goes on to say,

“The scriptures speak of His arms being open, extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as mighty and holy, arms of mercy, arms of safety, arms of love, ‘lengthened out all the day long.’

We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love and comfort. The Lord has said, ‘I am he [who] comforteth you.’”

Repentance then is like a big Jesus hug. Only the arms that embrace us are spiritual rather than physical. This was a somewhat new perspective on repentance to me but one that rings very true to me personally. I have had many opportunities to repent in my life. It feels so good when you turn to Christ with your heart. It really does feel like being embraced in a warm hug.

I think the reason it feels so good to have that spiritual connection that hug is that generally, mortality is a very lonely sojourn. I’ve often pondered the impossibility of human connection. We’ve heard it before on daytime TV - “You don’t know me!” We laugh at the bearer of this exclamation, yet not because it isn’t true. No matter how much time you spend with someone you can never truly say you know them. Our perception is just too limited. I often just feel trapped in my own head. I fear that there is no way to that I can ever be understood the way I want to be. And I certainly realize that I can never truly understand another because I can’t help but analyze everything from my own perspective and inevitably send others perspective out into orbit around the massive pull of my own ego. From this realization it is then easy to lapse into solipsism where life loses all meaning because we find ourselves utterly alone. This truth at the heart of reality is the horrible and tempestuous void which Schopenhauer and Nietzsche appropriately call “the will.” It is what Nephi calls the natural man and without Christ’s intercession it is inescapable.

Elder Anderson says in his conference talk that at this very moment, someone is saying, “Brother Andersen, you don’t understand. You can’t feel what I have felt…” True empathy requires perfect knowledge of another person. For one of us to achieve perfect understanding and oneness would require us to cease to be ourselves and to literally become the Other.

Elder Anderson, therefore, admits that “You are correct” he cannot fully understand you. However even though Anderson, an apostle gifted with the spirit of prophecy, says that he cannot understand you, he does points us towards the one person who can.

Christ bridges the impossible void that separates all of us. Anderson explains that “Christ knows. He has felt your pain. He has declared, ‘I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.’ The Savior is there, reaching out to each of us, bidding us: “Come unto me.’ We can repent. We can!” Only a God with infinite knowledge including the knowledge of our innermost thoughts and feelings could ever truly claim to know what it is to be another person. He is the only one who completely understands you. Only Christ can ever hope to bridge the gap between man and man and look into your heart to grant forgiveness. Furthermore, only through the light of Christ is human empathy a possibility. In Second Nephi chapter 2 verse 16, a Seraphim, which is like a total sci-fi creature, by the way – I mean it’s a celestial beast covered in twine and with wings made of twine, it reminds me of the digimon angimon - Anyway the Seraphim exclaims to Isaiah, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his light.” Christ gives us glimpses of what it is to be another person. He gifts us with insight into the heart of reality. His light imbues the world with meaning. Turning to Christ is the only hope for man to escape himself and feel connected to another person or to something larger generally. This sublime notion is one reason why Christ and the atonement are a necessary foundation for reality. Otherwise Silenus was right that life is meaningless and the best we can hope for is die to young.

Christ is quite explicit about the unifying power of the atonement. In Moses 7:18 we learn that the people of Zion “are of one heart and one mind.” Christ’s people are not lost in the valley of solipsism; they alone escape the natural man, “the will.”

This unifying power does not come without cost; however, and the price of getting outside ourselves and into something larger is that we let go of the selfish desires that hold us back – our sins. This seems simple but actually requires a significant level of painful self annihilation. Christ expresses this painful process when he told his followers “if your arm offends thee, cut it off.” This implies that repentance is much deeper than merely saying no to certain temptations, Christ requires an utter self-transformation ending in the removal the natural inclination towards wickedness.

Helaman 15:7 says “repentance bringeth a change of heart…”
Repentance is a turning towards Christ. When you repent and forsake your sins you are surrendering your own will to Christ’s will. So when I repent I am opening myself to Christ to allow him to make me into whatever person he wants me to be. Personally, I like myself a lot better when I stop trying to construct an identity and through a certain amount of self annihilation allow myself to be whatever it is that Christ intends.

Elder Anderson tells us that this is a gradual process. It is a continual turning to Christ as we learn to trust his will before our own. Becoming one with Christ and one with the hearts of others is a beautiful promise. This incredible closeness and familiarity is perfectly represented by an embrace. A warm perfect embrace far beyond a physical hug. Repentance is a return to Christ’s fold. The feeling that we get when we repent foreshadows the joy we will feel when we return to live with him and are fully enveloped in the love of Him and the love of our family members.

I bear my testimony of the truth of Christ’s love. I bear witness that repenting of your sins is totally worth it, even though its painful. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Lieberman disgusts me.

Why are conservatives so afraid of a public option? If they really believe in the power of free market enterprise, then they should have faith that the government run public option would be unable to compete with private companies. If it is true that market competition produces efficiency, then the private companies will find ways to offer better service at a better price than the public option.

However, I sense a fragility in conservative Democrats faith in the markets. They would rather protect the private insurance companies by compelling everyone to join them, rather then forcing the private sector to prove its worth by competing with a public option. Lieberman and every Republican in the House and Senate are playing right into the hands of Big Insurance and are acting very cowardly.(Not surprising considering that Lieberman has received over $920,000 in campaign contributions from the health insurance industry since 2005.) Lieberman and Co. are forcing concessions that severely weaken the proposed health care legislation during this pivotal and unique opportunity for real change.

What I started writing for my law school application... crap.

“Moderation in all things.” My favorite Mormon aphorism. Not a very sexy saying to be sure. “Hard-core” and “extreme” characterized the style of my youth. In politics we reward those who we find to be uncompromising. From the amount of derision exhibited in the media an outsider might conclude that the gravest crime a US public official can commit is a change of mind – infamously known as the “flip-flop.” Even while criticizing the opposition for being stubborn we find ourselves settling into our comfortable spaces of ideological purity. Setting up camp in the wings is comfortable. There is a clear boundary between what is thinkable and what is not. This does not suggest that political moderates are the heroes of the American political system. If anything the “moderation” of the American public is excessive and primarily exhibits. Otherwise, claiming to be a political moderate is usually merely a form of political cowardice. I doubt anyone really thinks that Glen Beck and Michael Moore are actually independents. There is no challenge to what should be thought if you are already outside – of course you think differently – nothing revolutionary about that. For instance, Slavoj Zizek believes that that only a conservative Nixon could have established talks with China. Zizek calls this a true political act – in which the “unthinkable is rendered thinkable.” A true political act, a true movement, a true shift in collective expectations of what is and is not done, requires transgression and there is no transgression if you already on the outside.

Unless we are willing to consign moderation to a place of simplistic unimportance, then moderation cannot be just boring un-effective apathetic nihilism. Especially if it’s really just a façade behind which one hides a particularly immoderate ideology. Moderation is the middle path, the prudent path, but this does not mean that it is the easy path. The true moderate should be ideologically schizophrenic – but ever practical. This is an uneasy balance to find, because you can’t rely on the same set of rules for every situation. This can be a great disadvantage to the person who seeks the middle path. Instead, a great deal of specificity is required in arriving at well thought out moderate decisions. This of course requires hard work and patience and only rare moments where one can feel sure about their choice in a given political situation. This is the road I want to follow: constant careful analysis of each new problem without giving priority to any one ideological lens – looking at lots of relevant information (and probably some irrelevant) from several perspectives and orientations.

It surprises me how reading Zizek tends make me feel better about life.

"What the cynics don’t see is their own naivety, the naivety of their cynical wisdom that ignores the power of illusions."
- slavoj zizek

The advent of Obama really has inspired a nation. The mere fact that a public option is even being seriously considered proves to me that things have changed - a few years ago I would have thought it impossible in the USA. I'm gonna continue to hope - if not because of Obama - than at least because of the symbolic importance of his election. Thanks Zizek.

Slavoj, Zizek. "Why Cynics Are Wrong."