Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

Writing Boots backs White House push for workplace flexibility

by // 1 Comment

Apparently Barack and Michelle Obama invited some corporate HR people and other workplace experts to the White House yesterday for a summit, during which participants explored "what we can do—as business leaders and advocates, as employees and as government officials—to modernize our workplaces to meet the needs of our workforce and our families."

The general idea is to acknowledge and accommodate the many "juggler families," whose plight is so ubiquitous I don't have to explain the term.

Ideas floated include: "encouraging telecommuting, giving people time off for family emergencies, enabling flexible schedules, allowing employees to swap shifts, and so on."

Of course, none of those ideas are novel, and lots of employers do all that stuff already.

And I have no idea how the White House might exercise its influence over these workplace practices, and don't necessarily support federally mandated employment policies.

But this issue affects the quality of Americans' daily lives more than almost any other, and I'm happy they're discussing it, and especially glad the First Lady is in on the public conversation.

"I remember those days," she said, about the years she juggled her law career and her family. "And as all the parents in this room know, it's never perfect—ever. But here's the thing: As we all know here today, it just doesn't have to be that way, doesn't have to be that hard."

Traditionally, First Ladies have pet causes. So far, Michelle has been on childhood obesity, an important problem but not exactly a moral controversy worthy of her penetrating lawyer's mind.

It'd be really good, wouldn't it, if this veteran working mother made some hay on workplace issues?

If Chicago gets the Olympics, fat kids will lose weight and poor kids will try harder

by // 14 Comments

Michelle Obama thinks Chicago should get the Olympics because it will help stem the American problem with childhood obesity and inspire the poor people to greatness. As she said in her Copenhagen speech yesterday:

When we're seeing rates of childhood obesity increase, it is so
important for us to raise up the platform of fitness and competition
and fair play; to teach kids to cheer on the victors and empathize with
those in defeat, but most importantly, to recognize that all the hard
work that is required to do something special. …

And I just think, wouldn't it be great if
that kind of spirit was happening right down the street in our
community? Just think of that. Kids and communities across the city, in
Austin, kids who grew up in Cabrini, kids who live so far from the
city. Now just imagine if all of that was happening right in their own
backyard. That's what I think about.

It does something to a kid when they can
feel that energy and power up close and personal. And for some kids in
our communities and our city, around the nation, around the world, they
can never dream of being that close to such power and opportunity. So
that's what excites me most about bringing the Games to Chicago—the
impact that it can have on the lives of our young people, and on our
entire community.

Oh, really? In America, the problem is that we haven't sufficiently exposed the kids to sports?

Back to the drawing board, Michelle. I can see how people lie lustily and playfully, but to spout such dismal falsehoods as this stuff with a straight face … it's draining just to think about it.