(You and) I Don't Have To Dream Alone

Hi Everyone,

Well, here I am to give you my first weekly post. You've probably heard about the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This spill is beyond the scope of what any previous spill has done. This comes right on the heels of a disappointing decision by the Obama Administration to expand some offshore oil drilling in this area, as well as off the coast of Virginia, and in some areas in Alaska. This spill is only the most visible symbol of why going halfway on these proposals do not work, but I will devote more time to this in the next post. For now, let us just hope that this will be the time when we say "enough."

Anyway, what I wanted to write about this week was this. I have been taking a theater class this semester, and I have had to go to plays for it. This Thursday, I went to attend this play. I was surprised when I entered. The actors first asked us questions to construct a brief skit, incorporating all our answers. They did this to illustrate how they created this play, Out of Thin Air.

The play was great to watch. Interacting with the actors beforehand gave it a different feeling. Usually, watching plays feels like looking through the actors through a glass wall, but this one was like watching their stories come alive. It showed the stories of all of the actors in this company.

It showed their childhoods, going through the uncertainty of their growing up, to their joy now. It didn't hit me at the time, but after the play, some of us got in a circle with the actors, and my theater professor, and talked about it. The full effect of the production hit me then. I realized that as I watched, I had connected with the characters in a way I hadn't with many people before.

It reminded me of a movie I used to watch a lot. You may have noticed the movie poster above. This movie is called Waking Life. It depicts a man who is in a dream, wakes up, and then it turns out this is a dream, and then he wakes up into another dream, and then another one. All the while, He hears about, and discusses, many philosophical, and more importantly, existential truths. I used to watch this quite regularly. It used to be a ritual for me to watch it, and allow my thinking to slowly reflect the messages contained in Waking Life.

I watched Waking Life again on Friday, and then I realized, this is a lot like the play I saw last week. The movie contained various scenes, some focusing on discussion, and others on action. One scene had a man wondering how humans can have free will when outside forces seem to be running the show, whether it be God's determination or scientific law. Another scene had the central character floating out the door, across town, to a movie theater. None of the characters are given names.

In the play, we see parts of each of the actor's lives, childhood to the present. We see moments of innocence, like a girl saying goodbye to her mother when going off to college. There are moments of peril, as one man depicted his days as a teenager in the midst of the violence in Kosovo in the '90's. There are moments of sadness, tension, and ultimately, unity and joy. The same clear, light feeling that Waking Life evokes to me, was also brought about in this play. Something else, a feeling of connection, warmth, that I got to know someone.

Let me describe it this way: I used to see plays about romance, that made me feel lonely because I don't have a girlfriend. This made me feel like the opposite of that. Happy Mother's Day, treat your Mother good today. My Mom is out of town today. I called her this morning, and I told her I was working on my blog. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. See y'all (as they may say in the South) next week!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

A New Way Forward

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm back again, and like the politician on the campaign trail, I have a new way forward. I have had a habit of writing a long piece and then taking a month or two off. So instead of that, I will write on this blog once a week.

I will also write about a few things, not just about the larger issues in politics, society, et al. I write about the larger issues here, since I rarely get a chance to delve into these things in depth. I will now also add other things about what I see and do when I am off the blog.

I will write every weekend. My goal will be to write on Friday, but it will be some time every weekend. I will write on Saturday or Sunday if I cannot write in on Friday, like this week. I will report back when I have more for you later today. See ya then!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

It's [third] Party Time!

Hi Everyone,

Well, tonight, I thought I'd do a double post, since I've been off for so long. Anyway, this is just some idea I wanted to get out there, so this will be a quick post.

So this is my thought: we've seen how dysfunctional our political system is. I've grown quite tired of both the far right power brokering of the Republicans, and the mucky pro-corporate centrism of the Democrats. It has now become a choice between bad and worse; and I have grown tired of both. I've also grown tired of the nastiness and animosity that politics tends to breed. I want a peaceful, just and free society. And I've grown tired of being told that the latter excludes the former two possibilities.

So what's a pro-peace, pro-environmental seeker of true democracy to do? Well, I don't have any answers, but I do have an idea of what I'd like to do. I want to start a third party. I want this to be a viable party that people can access, too. I'm thinking of a name for this party. I'm thinking of a name for it. I would call it the "Freedom and Restoration Party." You can write me with more ideas on this party and its name. I do like the idea of putting "freedom" or "liberty" in the name, because I think that idea is very important to take back from the powers that be. I'll talk to you more about this and ideas related to it soon. See ya then!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Don't Like the Tea? Try some Coffee

Hi everyone,

I'm back, after yet another unexpected hiatus. Look on the bright side, though; when I do blog, this makes it that much better. Usually I don't do posts like this, but this group seems so promising, and I appreciate what they are trying to do, so I thought I'd devote a post to pay it its due. You've probably heard all the rage over the last year about the tea party and its fiery, anti-government rhetoric. Well, what about those of us who don't want no government, but want a more sensible, sane, dare I say, empathetic government? A government that will be an instrument of We The People, not I the multinational corporation? What about those of us who want a working democracy, and insist on it (how high-maintenance of us)?

Well, look no further than this. Don't get tee'd off, get coffee'd up! The group Coffee Party USA offers a similar grassroots venue for those misfits that I just described above. I count myself as a proud member of this group. Anyway, one difference, aside from the tone, is this group's origins. It has recieved no outside funding, aside from word-of-mouth internet organization. The leader didn't even know there was going to be a movement. The unofficial founder, Anabel Park, 41, is a documentary filmmaker from Vienna, Virginia. She was ranting on facebook, back in February, like I was doing just now. Some people who read what she wrote got together and formed groups at coffee shops, hence the name, coffee party.

The group itself has only been around since late February-early March. This past Saturday, March the 13th, was a national day of organizing events in coffee shops around the US. Another such national day of organization is set for Saturday, March the 27th. The group began in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, and spread across the country. According to local news sources, Coffee party chapters have just opened in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Pocatello, Idaho, and in Downstate Illinois, aomng others. The group's mission is to promte a civil discourse in our politics, rather than the heated tone it has taken on in recent times.

Now, this group is being pegged by some as the left's equivalent of the tea party, but this is not entirely true. While the stance of the coffee party is an overall progressive stance, there have been reports of conservatives and libertarians attending meetings, and feeling somewhat welcome. Predictably, this is being dismissed by some as just "copy-catting," or "suckers for Obama," and on and on. It is true that most of the participants more likely than not voted for Obama, but since Obama seems to be more concerned with his own political gamesmanship than with the goals the people supported him for, these people are picking up the slack in changing the political culture. Once the culture changes, more changes become possible.

There are also accusations that the group is part of some astroturfing front. Aside from the fact that some of the main organizers of this group volunteered for the DNC, there is little evidence to indicate this. According to Politico, the DNC has no formal ties to the party's organization. Some within the DNC express doubt that the movement can grow with the structure it has. Another way the Coffee Party differs from the Tea Party is that its tactics are different. While the Tea Party organizes demonstrations, the Coffee Party gathers groups together for discussions. Discussions don't make the news the way demonstrations do. This is the challenge the coffee party faces.

Well, I encourage you, if you can, to attend one of these gatherings. If you go to the website, you will see a page where you can find an event near you. Or, if there is not an event near you, you can gather one together. This group is working for something really worth endorsing, which is why it has an uphill battle ahead of it. It isn't going to get wall-to-wall coverage, and since it doesn't have an endless supply of corporate funding behind it, it will be handicapped in some ways. It will be dismissed as a failure, as just a pipe dream. But some of the best things in life were pipe dreams at one time. So, with that in mind, let's get brewing!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Tribute to a Man with a Dream

Hi Everyone,

Well, I presume you all know what today is. Martin Luther King day!Today we celebrate the birthday, the life, and the continuing legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He proclaimed that he had a dream, and he fought for it through all the abuse, the brutality and legal trouble that the Civil Rights Movement endured from 1954 to 1968. From Birmingham, Alabama and Philadelphia, Mississippi to Selma, Washington, and even Topeka, Kansas, the battle King waged had many setbacks and many triumphs. Although his life ended too soon, King's legacy has never faded from this earth. As I write this, it's raining outside my window. I like to think that's justice raining down like a mighty torrent, to paraphrase a quote from Dr. King.

King's legacy has not faded, but it could use more commemorators. In words, from a lonely blog in the urban wilderness of Southern California, to the President of the United States speaking in a large church in the Ivory halls of Washington, DC, we commemorate that legacy in speeches. But we must also commemorate it in action. Whether large or small, actions are the best way to judge a man. Judge them by the fruit they bear, to paraphrase the Bible. That action may be earthmoving, or it could be small, like working in a soupkitchen for an afternoon, or giving money to Red Cross, for those suffering in Haiti, as we will do. Those count, too. You may think what you do is insignificant, but if enough people do those small actions, they add up, and as King would probably have said, then the powerful will have to listen to that call.

In 1954, people felt left out, oppressed, in despair. King urged them to overcome, to not give in. To remain firm in their resolve to resist oppression, without becoming oppressive themselves. He asked the best of us in this country. Though imperfect and flawed, the promise of our country was still there. As it was in 1954, so it is in 2010. People today are feeling left out, oppressed, in despair, which they are. We must not give in to our instincts to give in, to fear others, to scapegoat. That would be the easy thing to do. But to quote Obi Wan Kenobi in The Empire Strikes Back, "If you choose the quick and easy path, that is the easiest path to the dark side." We must look within ourselves, who we are, if we are to change our world.

Though it's difficult, we have to proceed with the faith of Martin Luther King. Perhaps not a belief in the supernatural, but a belief that one day, justice will roll down like a mighty torrent. So, here's my hope. In 2010, the same call that emanated from Washington on August 28, 1963, must be heard and seen again. It must ring, as King said, from the highest mountaintops. From The Blue Ridges of North Carolina, to the Appalachians of West Virginia, to the Rockies of Colorado, to the Canyons of Arizona, to Mt. Whitney in California, let that call ring again. Thank you, and,remember, We Shall Continue to Overcome.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Emergency in Haiti

Hi everyone,

Well, something has happened since I last wrote. You've probably heard about Tuesday's giant earthquake in Haiti, off the coast of Port-au-Prince. It would be one thing if an earthquake of that magnitude occurred in a country with no other troubles, but this is Haiti. Haiti was in really bad shape to begin with, and with this earthquake, the country has been devastated. The capitol is all but flattened, and foreign aid vehicles are having a difficult time getting into the country, since there is no infrastructure in Haiti. It's a perfetct storm in Haiti.

So what can you do to help? You can give some money to Red Cross, Oxfam, or whoever else you think will do the best job of helping the Haitians in this time of crisis. Also, pay attention to any text alerts. If you see or hear a message telling you to text a number to some address, it will automatically pull $5 or $10 from your account to fund whatever recovery efforts are in progress. But beyond immediate action, we need a long term effort to help Haiti get out of desperate poverty.

Before this, Haiti was in debt to all sorts of countries. The people had so little that they had to eat dirt to survive. This disaster can be the opportunity for those of us in the rich developed nations to shine a light on this destitute poverty in the third world, which comes as colsse to us as Mexico or Haiti. This can be an opportunity to forgive the unjust debt that the countries have because of dictators, it can be an opportunity to promote a working infrastructure in Haiti, and help the people, help them. I hope you'll do what you can.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

It's 2010, Now What?

Hi everybody,

Yes, I know I missed the holidays. I hoped yours were merry and happy by the way. And I know that I missed our anniversary of one year on this blog, so happy anniversary. Anyway, it's a new year, and a new decade. So what's ahead for us?

First of all, what are we going to call this decade? What are we going to call last decade even? There was the "seventies" and "eighties" and "nineties." But what about the last one? The "O's" the "O-O's" the "two thousands?" Time will tell, I guess, which name sticks. Anyway, I'm going to call this new decade the "teens." Simply because most of the years in this decade will be "-teen" years.

And then there is the "twenty-" part. Last decade, it was "two thousand-," since you could have said "twenty-o-nine," but it would have sounded odd. So the "two thousand nine" pronounciation stuck for the decade. But at some point this decade, that will become impractical, since nobody is going to want to call a year, say "two thousand twenty four." So, this year could go either way. You could either call it "two thousand ten" or "twenty ten." At some point, though, the latter pronounciation will be phased in.

With that in mind, what are your resolutions for this year? I'll tell you some of mine. Mine are to get out more, to relate better to people, not that I don't now, but I can always do better. Next is to form more relationships. Finally, I will get on this blog more than once every two months. Write in some time and tell me some of yours if you'd like. I'll have another post up for you soon.

For the first time in the year 2010, this is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.