Okay, no Sept. 11 remembrance blog entry from me. I'm an American, I'm a native New Yorker. Osama bin Laden is an asshole but then so are the people calling the shots here. God Bless my great city, God bless those who sacrificed. I will never forget but it hurts too much to remember.

Moving on.

Interesting thing at work this week. My job is big on the whole diversity kick, on the surface it could have some sincerity but it's mostly contrived. Basically it's upper management trying to remind themselves not to hire too many white men.

Well there's some yearly award the rewards the company with the greatest diversity leadership and one of my superiors nominated the company's diversity committee. I must admit, I LOVE the diversity committee because usually its one person on a desk calling out others for being insensitive racists. I wish I woke up before noon because I'd make all these meetings just to hear the banter from this wonderful person (and no sarcasm there, I really think she's wonderful).

Anyway, in the nomination letter my superior mentioned me and a black....errr African-American photographer.

First of all, I hate the term African-American. I understand my parents were hatched in the respective African nations of Philadelphia and Elloree, South Carolina, but in spite of that I like being black. Black is nice a simple, doesn't take up too much space in a headline, it's clean and concise.

But there we were...on an island...myself and a co-worker...Two tokens in a bowl of spare change. I'd understand the need to mention the few minorities in the office but it was such an incomplete listing. My office is actually more diverse then they are willing to give themselves credit for.

Why there's a full-blown Mexican artist among the staff (henceforth referred to as "non-black" by me and a fairly white person in the office) and there are two people of Asian decent, one East Asian (China) and one West Asian (India). Plus tons of fairly independent women and another really strange but strangely intelligent black man.

Given where I live, we're doing okay in some areas. In all fairness, however, our middle management is borderline embarassing in regards to diversity. It's so bad that the recent hiring of my boss, another white guy, actually IMPROVED diversity because at least he's a young white guy who desparately tries to be hip.

I'm glad this letter was sent, I needed something to talk about at the next lunch meeting. I want to know if we're hiding some of our minorities and are we completely oblivious to the overbearing amount of white guys who make the decisions. I mean not too long ago we were ALMOST going to put up a picture of an older black man holding up a piece of fried chicken on the front page?!?!?!

(Okay, the fact that he was opening a fried chicken joint is insignificant, it closed three weeks later anyway.)

So this is my latest and last fight, with five months remaining in my tenure I want the company to credit all the diversity they have and work to make that diversity count for something other than fodder for an award we're not going to win (rightfully so).

Rant over.

(P.S. Holly, Email me again please!)