Change gonna come...but can we deal with it?

For the past few days, we've been listening to the reports about the "stimulus" and the "housing recovery" plans, and it strikes me that for as well as the current administration took advantage of new media during the campaign...they have failed to realize the impact it will continue to have throughout the new President's term and from now on. The White House press corps is no longer the gateway to the American ear. There are literally thousands, if not millions of "reporters" and "pundits" across the globe right now doing the same thing I am doing...putting their thoughts and opinions about what is going on out to the universe.

You can start to see the gradual shift of the information flow going back to more traditional mediums. Unfortunately, the landscape has changed. If the present administration continues to slip into the business as usual, same ol' same ol' way of getting their message out...the "change" everyone was expecting will start to seem hollow. The super powers we thought Obama had will start to seem like fiction, and we will all feel the same sense of disappointment that the power of change cannot stand up against the power of Old School DC.

I'm no mathematician...but just take a simple man's look at the numbers. The stimulus bill will save or create 3 million jobs. The unemployment rate today is 5 million. The housing bill will potentially help 8-9 million. The number of homes that are in or close to foreclosure is 27 million. My daughter is pretty good at math...and she knows that these numbers don't add up.

The administration needs to get back to its new media roots and keep people engaged, informed and educated. They are leaving this up to the masses of mass media out there, and people are starting to realize that these guys are only human. This would be OK if they presented themselves as humans up front. The hype was worn like a cape, the speeches and the cute phrasing the mask of the hero. But they are starting to learn the lesson of many a super hero in the pages of Marvel and DC...the hero is only as loved as their last rescue.

Why is it that politicians can't KISS?

Keep it simple, stupid!

Until someone offers to pay me for doing it...I don't plan to try and read through the entire stimulus bill. I am sure there is some really important information in there, but why is it that these people we elected to represent us can't just make a document that every Tom, Teresa, Dick, Darlene, Harry and Harriet can understand? Did we really need 1700+ pages for this thing?

Not to mention, not even President Articulate-one can adequately explain some of the "non-stimulus" stuff in the bill. He sort of throws a lot of words at us in a very passionate and well meaning way, and we are supposed to be appeased by that. Can he really keep hope alive?

I agree with my wife, use the money to pay-off or pay down people's mortgages...using some criterion of course. I don't think we should pardon the stupid, just as we should not reward the crooked. But there are people (like myself) who really are in bad situations by circumstance and no fault of their own. I mean, I only wanted to stay alive after being diagnosed with cancer, is that so wrong? Who knew it would suck all of our resources...even with two insurances?

Then that takes us to health care...and an entire alternate debate.

So I've been given the opportunity to explore other employment options...

...Which basically means I was laid off. the one thing I counted on when I began working for the company is the stability. I worked at a telecom/Internet company back in the late 90's and early 2000's and did the job/company/merger shuffle during the industry hey day. Then I had misfortune to end up at WorldCom. I was going down with the ship until...Texas instruments threw me a life preserver. I was happy, since it seemed like most people die or retire from there. I was happy to do my thing there and slowly creep up the ladder (note the reference to death and retirement...advancement can be slow). But then...the recession came. And after six years, three kids, one successful fight with cancer and a couple of close calls with foreclosure...I am now looking for a new gig.

But hey! This could be the greatest thing that ever happened to me, right?

So, while I have some extra time on my hands...I figured i would start to blog.

My focus will be on subjects concerning how we communicate with each other...and how we shouldn't. I may occasionally drift into politics, religion and other controversial topics.

I can also get a little philosophical on occasion. I try not to preach...but I can go on my rants.

So, for now...that is my first post. We'll see how popular this gets.