My attempt at catching up...

I've been woefully neglectful of my little blog here in my little corner of cyberspace. Not that anyone really reads it, but it feels good to get all those nagging thoughts out. Traveling for work makes it hard to have the conversations you'd normally have with friends or family about life. So - here's my attempt at a recap of several issues from the last several months:

The eternal issue of gay marriage - I just don't have words anymore. I'm sure I have friends that don't support it, but I don't want to assume and just barge in like a bull in a china shop. I'd actually like for them to come to me. Start a conversation. I actually think they have more to defend in terms of their position than I do. Equal rights or not. Period. Right?

Obama - Well, politics in general, I think. Politicians make me ill. They all just want to get elected again, so they vote just to make decisions that will be popular with undecided voters (vote for people that can't make up their minds....yeah, that's a good strategy), they twist the facts and don't do a fucking thing to ensure that we're more secure, are in good health, or that we're economically stable. While the president certainly has areas in which he can improve, a) it's only been a year; b) he's trying to do things a little differently. For instance, he gave congress the prerogative to shape health care. He was criticized for not leading on an issue. Well, he led by telling them to get their shit together and pass health care. He was also smart enough to give them an opportunity to work it out on their own. That didn't work, so he's getting involved. I actually applaud the slow and deliberate path he often takes (and also appreciate his quick decisiveness when absolutely necessary). It's a breath of fresh air to know that decisions are not made lightly. Granted, some things need to happen quickly. But give the heated, fact-less commentary a break and let's actually get some shit done. Aight?

Health Care Reform - I honestly don't know who wouldn't want some kind of reform to keep costs down, improve care, modernize facilities, records and processes. But conservative politicians keep telling me that Americans don't want it. That it's being shoved down the throats of hard-working Americans. Well, how about not criticizing and actually coming up with some ideas that work. Because, see, I'm a hard-working American. And I'd love to see health reform that actually contained costs and changed what I see as a severely broken system. It would actually make my life much better because then wage increases would be more likely because the union wouldn't be fighting with the employers over exorbitant health premiums. Quit bitching and actually do something, y'all.

China - We understand that China is a rising power. America will not be able to contain China by simply trying to give them a slap on the hand. Conservatives rail against multinational and global initiatives. We are no longer in a position to bully the rest of the world, especially as our debt grows and China's economy continues to boom. We must work with other countries if we want to be competitive and relevant in the 21st century. We can't be competitive if we can't get out of the rut of our own self-importance.

And that sums up my opinions on recent events. I mean, I certainly have more, but why dote on? I'm sure I'll get inspired soon enough by some idiocy in the world and share all of my earth-shattering thoughts with the digital world...