Today's Vacation

From the top of the Hill in the Boston Common

Today's vacation took place at 5:20pm EST atop the "Hill" in the center of the Boston Common. Very different, but reminiscent of looking South into Midtown from within Central Park. I took a few minutes before snapping this picture on my way to Ballroom Dancing class and the combination of weather, view, and atmosphere just made my day go from great to exceptional. These are the days I think not of what I don't have, but what I do.

A New Level of Laziness due to Social Media

Ask me about... A new level of laziness in social networking. All of those questions you're too lazy too ask or stopped asking when you were 12, like "if you had one superpower, what would it be and why?" or "who's your hero?" With the ability to link to Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Formspring, and other social networking sites you can answer your friend's questions, Formspring's questions, or post your own. Questions and responses will automatically be posted to your Wall and Tweeted if you choose to opt in for these services.  Quora is another service that provides a similar service that is less random and facilitates discussion in regards to a multitude of specific topics.

Ask me about...

The real fun is just how lazy you can be. There isn't really anything here that you couldn't do by posting on your Facebook Wall and letting people reply. The people behind Formspring do have a good sense of humor and I can see how people might enjoy a site that speaks to them through random daily questions.
During my usual morning run through of Social Networking sites I came across the question "Is it easy for you to tell people how you feel?" and before I contemplated a response, I had to take a good long moment to assess how I could and would answer this question for myself. Gems like this are why I enjoy being surprised and surprising myself; they make me think. Why didn't I see this question on my Facebook Wall or Google+ Page? Does it say something about my network, or about the questions being asked today and whether a question like this is relevant. I want to say, "of course it's relevant" and then I have to follow up by dictating to myself and others my reasoning while being prepared for alternate viewpoints.
Back to the question. "Is it easy for you to tell people how you feel?" The answer for me is yes; my presence on Facebook and other social networking sites is testament to that. Much of the time I will not bother orating my opinions for the sake of not having people despise me, but it is all too often that I find it easy to speak my mind through crass explanation or simple statement. How many do not speak though, for fear of isolation and embarrassment? Do our obligations to the normative thinking of society keep our Shadows from connecting with the self? I am not radical in my thoughts, but I do think that common sense has been radicalized. Polarization of politics among other subjects are clear examples. Moments of clarity can come from a number of mediums and I think of as rarely being self-induced. One of my favorites is music. Most recently I bought Lupe Fiasco's Lasers, and the track Words I Never Said really struck me.
Now I find myself asking how honest I am with myself and others and likewise, how honest others are with me. A simple step but I think I'm going to start asking more questions.
My answer on formspring.me
http://www.formspring.me/francisacruz/q/318438064747711582?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=shareanswer

Spain's Economy Climbing Out of a Sinking Hole?

Spain is doing exceptional considering their fiscal situation; 22.5 billion euros in recent cuts. The fiscal issues are exasperated by the high rate of unemployment (22.8%) but combating that, you have small shows of the fight against austerity (according to government sources, as union representative have consistently claimed 10 times the recorded number by police) and a strong remaining working class picking up the slack. Nevertheless, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria called the situation "extreme". If Spain had chosen to borrow and spend generously before the European Financial Crisis, there are speculations that they would now be in a better position to have staved off sharp financial cuts and payroll freezes.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria 

Will this stall the recovery of the private sector while competently shoring up the public sector accounts? Makes me think of that saying, “...that you have to spend money in order to make money” by Srully Blotnick which I don't agree with personally, especially in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but I personally tend to be wrong at an alarming rate. The reason this is important to me at this time, is that I have passed the initial application process for a 6 month unpaid position in Madrid with a large International Marketing and PR firm and I must now decide to continue with the process and risk getting accepted or to pursue full time paid positions in Boston or New York.
People are still willing to invest in Spain though and the economy, which is my primary concern, has the potential to rebound in a big way. Bond Auctions in the last couple of months have seen a rise in popularity and, I'm sure linked, rate, which will raise Spain's borrowing costs but does put much needed money into the country.  Direct Foreign Investment for a controversal possible casino that has the would bring 16 billion euros and up to 260,000 direct and indirect jobs has created a fervor in discussion. Can a Euro-Vegas save or destroy Spain? We have some time before decisions are made and more pressing issues for the immediate future are how the Spanish economy will continue to cope with these current losses and gains.
#Business #BBC #NYTimes #ESP http://bbc.in/J3jwGb

09/05/2012
It is the first week in September, 2012, and I am really shocked at just how wrong I was. While the public sector in Spain continues to tighten it's belt and implement austerity measures, the hole within which it has landed itself will not be so easily climbed out of. Kyle Alexander Hentges, the IPB Scholar and World Business Analyst weighed in very strongly against my prediction that Spain would not continue to need bailout funds, and he was right as he tends to be. He did make a strong distinction though, in comparing Spain to Greece and suggested that unlike Spain, Greece should be dropped from the Euro if Germany would allow it to happen. It is a long way from financial stability, but the right moves are being made for a recovery on global terms.

How Far do You Have to Go to Get Away?

The last time I was in New York I enjoyed spending time with the family but I was hoping to get away from the kids and dogs, a veritable Cartoon Central, so I jumped, hopped, skipped to Manhattan and spent the night in a hotel a couple of blocks from both Time Square and Central Park. There I was able to walk around at all hours of the night, have a drink at the Russian Tea Room, and get creative juices flowing for a night of intense typing. The perfect vacation in my own back yard.

Welcome to the Mis-Education of Francis Hill Cruz. Sit back, grab a drink, and be amused. These thoughts are my own. These thoughts are my world. These thoughts are my voice. These thoughts are my word. These thoughts are mine.