I've Returned, With a Vengeance

Hi Everyone,

Well, I don't believe in taking vengeance, but apparently I've returned with one! Anyway, I was checking out blogs this morning, and I suddenly got inspired to return and revamp this blog. So I hope you like the new design. I picked the background for a couple of reasons. Have you ever looked at a satellite picture of the world and been fascinated by it? That's one reason. Another is that I usually live off in my own little world. That's why I got this blog up and running. Let me know what you think of the new layout. Any questions, concerns, condemnations, you can comment.

Anyway, I think I owe you, the reeders, an apology. I had said I was going to do weekly posts from now on, but then I went back east, and between all the work, I got off track, and posted very little. I would like to tell you some about the two months that I spent out; the eight weeks I spent in Barre, MA and elsewhere in Massachusetts, and my two weeks traveling via highway back out here to Long Beach. This will require a couple of posts, so bare with me a while.

There are many things I would like to talk about. Not just political, but religious, spiritual, some personal things (but not too many, since this is the internet). This blog is now brand new, and the weekly (or maybe twice a week) postings will now resume. And I've got plenty of things here for you, the reeder. See you soon!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Yes We Can, One Year Later

Hi Everyone,

Well, I know I haven't written in two months now. You know how it is with the Reeder. I try to have a life of my own, which is hard to do if you have a blog. I had tests, papers, job searching to do, and I put it off one day after another, and now that I have a Friday afternoon open, I will write on a subject, which is perhaps dated, but I feel I need to be addressed nonetheless. Anyway, here we go.

Last Wednedsay, the first anniversary of last year's election was marked. Many were assessing Obama's performance and delivery on the promises in this past year. Unfortunately, many of those who supported him and wanted him to get elected had grown tired. Many were saying "I'm not happy," "he sold out," and various other complaints.

Personally, I've grown tired of cynical pessimism. I guess it's easier to complain about the state of things than to work toward a solution. It's sad that if everything is not perfectly set up, right away, some people give up and say, "He's a sellout," or "It's all the same," and all the rest. The greatest advancements did not advance because they were set up perfectly in the beginning. They advanced because the people persisted over time, and the solutions were set up through a long, persistent effort.

Presidents going back to 1912. Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, and Clinton all sought a health insurance system that truly worked for the people. Now, we are beginning to see one emerge. This bill is far from perfect, but it does do several things. Though the public option will not go into effect until 2013, there are some things that will go into effect immediately after the bill is signed.

A catastrophic risk pool will be set up in the interim for those who need it. Insurance companies will no longer be able to infinitely jack up their premiums, and suddenly drop people for "preexisting conditions." Young people, who most often are the ones who don't buy insurance, will be able to stay on their parents' plans until they turn 27, so that they'll be more savvy when it comes time to buy a plan. There are flaws in the plan, but we are closer to a breakthrough on this than we've ever been, and a constant push forward will bear more fruit in the long run than an "all or nothing" mindset.



Now, in all fairness, there are thing that are not being done by the administration that need to be done. Last Friday, new unemployment numbers came out. The national rate now stands at 10.2%. This is to underscore the importance of getting people back to work as crucial to rebuilding the economy. All gain from other spending, tax cuts, and rises in the dow are only temporary. The bad news is that historically, jobs numbers are always at the tail of every recovery.

Ironically, at the time when there are so many people out of work, there is the most work to be done. You may have heard about those electric cars that are coming out soon. I got to thinking last night that we could use a lot more charging stations, since those cars are really going to take off soon. That could give people work putting those things together, running the stations themselves, and running the infrastructure that goes with it. Now, I know I've touted the prospects of clean energy as a pathway to a strong economy, a more secure nation, and a more responsible stewardship of our natural world. I'll spare you that essay now, since you can refer back to an earlier essay I wrote for that.

What I want to emphasize here is that the scope of the task ahead of us cannot be overstated. This administration is moving in the correct direction, but it is moving very incramentally. What it must do is make the structure of the country one that favors the people over the powerful. I know that this is anything but an easy, simple or quick task, which is why I cut this administration some slack. But this is not the '90's anymore. It's almost 2010. The world is changing rapidly, and the Administration better work for this change.

This is no time to give up on them. It's time to aid them in the political battles they will have to face. Powerful and influential as the Administration is, they cannot do this all on their own. Others are needed to advertise the truth over the dogma that's disseminated every day. And we have to show that there are lots of people who want the goverment to act on what this president has talked about, and are not going to give in, and are not going to be silenced. So do whatever it is that you think will help in this effort, get the Will.I.Am album back out, and start saying "Yes We Can" again.

I wanna know now, are you Fired Up? Are you Ready To Go? So am I. Let's go change the World. I'll try to have more material up soon to do my part.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

Well, I know I've been gone over a month now, so in this post I will just welcome you back to the blog. This is why I was gone: I got into a lull in activity for a few weeks, then I had some personal stuff I had to deal with, so I took another week off. Even guys like me need time off sometimes. Then I returned to thinking about the big issues, but still couldn't get any ideas out. So here I am.

Anyway, if you've all been missing me, the wait is now over. So you can expect some good new stuff out of here. When it will surface, I can't say exactly, but it will be soon enough here. I am now back to giving you my analysis as a true outsider. I'm not so vain as to think that I have all the solutions to everything; I don't. But I will be looking at things, giving my perspective on it, and listening for your conclusions.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.