Back In The Mix

Wow, it's amazing how much can happen when you are away for a few days. We sometimes tend to forget that the world does not stop, even if we stop participating for a while.

In case some of you were wondering, I was in Chicago last week attending the Unity Journalists Convention. The conference convenes every four years, bringing together black, asian, hispanic and native american journalists from across the country.

This was my third Unity Convention, as I have attended every NABJ convention since 1997. Early in my career, I used this annual event to improve my skills and seek the next move in my career path. These days, it's all about paying it forward by helping some young journalists with their job training.

Some of the highlights of this year's convention: 1) The location: It's hard to beat Chicago in the summer. 2) The NABJ Sports Task Force Party: We haven't quite gotten to the level of the Maxim or Playboy parties at the Super Bowl, but we are trying to get there. 3) Barack Obama: One day after returning from his world tour, the Democratic Presidential nominee fielded a myriad of questions in front of the assembled Unity journalists.

But now it's back to the grind. And judging by the post directly below this one, I've got some catching up to do since Kelenna Azubuike will NOT be playing for the Clippers next season.