The UNITED States

Hopefully you watched the inauguration this week. As I watched, I found myself feeling anxious, rejuvenated, and excitedly positive as the cameras panned past millions of onlookers.

The crowds were as diverse as I can remember at an inauguration. The parade was overwhelmingly supportive and positive. I loved watching President Obama and Michelle walk the streets, smiles from cheek to cheek. I loved the personability of his speech and gaffs with Justice Roberts. I loved the day!

One great thing i'm noticing with this administration and its relationship with the media, pundits, and commentators is a general feeling of positivity and hope.

Since the Regan era, there have always always been your conservative and liberal "haters." I mean real hatred emerged from the get go with these last several administrations (people absolutely had firey hatred toward the conservative values of Regan, the adultery and scandal of Clinton and "W's" failure of communication, the war, patriot act, etc); and i'm just not seeing that with President Obama. There are a handful of conservatives that are critical - but always respectful. It seems everyone wants America to succeed and isn't willing to hate President Obama, because we know the outcome of division.

And a critical eye is what I wish the media would do more of (see past posts about absolute power, etc.)

So...since CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and the like are not exactly telling everyone, everything, today I'm going to raise some awareness.

Obama ran an AMAZING campaign that was able to reach across party lines, color barriers, social barriers, etc. He ran a campaign focused on Hope and Change.

He was not George W. Bush, and he was not Hillary Clinton. Those were his 2 primary rivals.

So, today nearly all of his cabinet has been filled, and I'm not seeing an abundance of change. This concerns me. If change was the focus of his election and that change is lost in the first week, I think a lot of his voters are going to be angry - that is, if the voters are even made aware of his selections.

Here's a list of his appointments that were also appointees in the Clinton Administration:

NAME ---- OBAMA ADMIN. ----- CLINTON ADMIN.
Eric Holder --- Attorney General ---- Justice Department
Rham Emanuel -- Chief of Staff -- Presidential Aide
Hillary Clinton --- Sec. of State ------ 1st Lady
Susan Rice ---- US Ambassador to UN --- National Security Council
Leon Panetta ---- Head of CIA ---- Chief of Staff
Larry Summers ---- Natl. Econ. Council ---- Treasury Secretary
Carol Browner ---- Energy Czar ---- Head of the EPA
Tom Vilsack --- Dept. of Agriculture ----- Campaign Natl. Co-chair
Peter Orszag ---- Office of Mgt. & Budget ---- Economic Advisor
John Podesta --- Head of Transition Team --- Chief of Staff

So what's my point...nothing other than making us all aware. You'll most likely never hear this from the mainstream media - because its not "change." But now you know.

I hope we can keep up the optimism we all experienced on Tuesday, but I hope its an honest optimism, and not one fabricated by the media.

-Ross

Book Excerpt #3 - If I Could Paint the Way

If I Could Paint The Way

(VERSE)
Stories of better times
Life lived unblind
Seems so far behind
Those better times

Always told I could change
But it’s more than me
To make the difference
For those better times

(CHORUS)
If I could paint the way
I want life to be
To paint the way
It ought to seem
Everything I wish
I could see

(VERSE)
Am I too ill-conceived
Too filled w/ defeat
Am I able
Able to see

Riches and anger
Spending what’s better
Those better times sold
At a bitter price

CHORUS


I wrote this as a husband, and also as a reminder to never settle, and forget to date, dream, and be wild.

I think one of the most deadly things in the world, that strips our soul of its intent, that keep us in a constant state of stagnation, is comfortability.

Be honest, if you’re married, have you put on some weight? I have!

Why?

Because I got comfortable with the woman I once worked off 37 pounds in one summer to impress with a more appealing physique. (It’s okay, go ahead and laugh)

When was the last time you went “all out” in planning a date?

There was one date in college where I took Kate, blindfolded, from restaurant to restaurant. I even circled a bunch of times before really going to the next locale, just to confuse her more. Even Jack Bauer couldn’t have figured out where he was going. (Okay, Jack Bauer probably could have. My bad Jack.)

After we’d eaten hors dvours, a main course, and desserts, I played Kate a song I’d written for her, then took her back to my apartment. I had setup candles across the floor of the apartment balcony, and had a CD player waiting to accompany a late night of dancing.

Again blindfolded, I walked Kate up the steps to the balcony and we danced.

The night was beautiful, involved, planned, prepared; and I didn’t even propose!

My point is that I haven’t prepped a date like that, since that date. And that doesn’t set well with me.

It doesn’t set well that comfort makes us lazy. It doesn’t set well that comfort makes us forget our wild dreams and aspirations.

It doesn’t set well that comfort kills our futures. We redefine our one-time adventurous souls as content with job security, gated communities, SUV’s, a family dog, getting to bed before the news, and if we’re just real crazy, staying up late enough to catch the Top 10.

I wrote this song as a warning, as a charge to never get so comfortable that I lose my will to dream and be the man Kate fell in love with.

So what would you do if you could paint that way?

New Layout for 2009

So i've been tossing this idea around of a more regular blog schedule. Here's what i'm gonna' give a go (for at least a few months).

Mon/Tues - Original Piece & Dialogue (prose, poetry, song, etc.)

Wed/Thurs - Politics, News, Current Eventz (that's with a "z")

Fri/Sat - Video, Movie, Book, Music Shout-outs (what I think is great stuff anyway)

So that's that. Check it out. I'll give this a go starting tomorrow.

See you then!

-Ross

Good Vids for the Weekend

#1...


#2...


#3...


have a fun weekend!
-Ross

"Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely"

Ok, lets get political...

Well, quasi-political, more news-critical.
CNN put out a poll after Obama was elected, asking if people felt that the media supported/reported more positively, Obama or McCain during the election process. The poll ended with Obama 74%, McCain 26%.

That wasn't surprising to me at all.

Between CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and MSNBC, the polls would support my claim that "their" candidate won. Fox stands alone...obviously.

So what's the point of the blog?

First, its not to tear down Obama AT ALL. What it is however, is an attempt to say that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Too much power is dangerous, and if the election process was any indication of the next 4-8 years, we'll be fooled, lied to, and pushed a direction that is of the major news syndicates leanings - and that is most deffinately to the left.
(if you're more left leaning, that's fine. but the news/media's job isn't to push an agenda, but to hold accountable and tell the truth of what goes on in DC. otherwise, isn't it state-run news??? that didn't go so well for russia, china, germany, venezuela, cuba, iraq, iran, lybia, syria, etc etc etc...)

So where are we now?

This past week, Obama tapped Geithner as the Treasury Secretary. Unfortunately, as the overseer of the IRS, Geithner had "forgotten" to pay his Social Security taxes from 2001-2004; over $34,000 in taxes. This should be an open and shut case in my opinion. The news should have been all over this. But instead, they're reporting it as a "hiccup," "an innocent mistake." Really...?
During his campaign, Obama promised to see an end to lobbyist appointments. However, William Lynn was tapped for Deputy Defense Secretary. William Lynn is one of the biggest defense lobbyists in the US. He's probably great for the job, but Obama promised not to be in the hand of lobbyists - that's what "W" did. I haven't heard anything from the media about this one.

NPR last week said that they "wanted Obama to be a great American President," and that it was their job "to make him that great American President." National Public Radio...that's a main source for information and "truth" in reporting for a ton of people, and it sounds like its their agenda to "make" Obama that great President.

I did hear the media come out against Obama's choice to lead his innagural prayer though. Apparently Rick Warren (pastor of Saddleback in CA) is too anti-gay, right-wing conservative, and radical for the likes of CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc. Of course, Obama was never once asked about his Chicago pastor, Rev. Wright. If it wasn't for Hillary in the debates, you'd be left to the Sean Hannity's and Bill O'Riley's to cover that. But FOX isn't newsworthy.It seems when the mainstream news/media outlets criticize, its only against a more conservative agenda. Fair or not, that's where we're at as a country. And to top it all off, many of the larger news publications are now asking for bailout money. Is it possible to get a federal government bailout and NOT be beholden to that same federal government? I guess we'll see.

My solution...be skeptical of everything!

I'd rather the news organizations be critical of everything and write the truth, positive or negative. They should seek the truth, not a party or agenda. Otherwise, who can we trust?

That's it for now.

-Ross

p.s.

Idol

Did you catch last night's American Idol? I don't usually watch the show. Actually, before last night I've probably seen fewer than 30 min of the show in its 8 year span. Nevertheless, last night I watched in horror for about an hour.

I'm sitting on my couch thinking, "surely some of this is staged...these people can't really think they're good singers?!"

But I may just have been hopeful. I think some of them were really sincere in their critical disbelief.

So what's the issue here?

I'm of the belief that we were all uniquely created with a special talent - something that you can do exceedingly well, that no one else can do.

The problem I see in Idol, is individuals that have been generously lied to and told that their voices were great. Thus, thousands of 16-30 year olds get their hearts broken when the judges simply tell them the truth. For a decade or more, many of these so called singers waste time embracing a lie and miss out on countless opportunities for their truest potential and call.

That's my 2 cents...

-Ross

Hope for Haiti

A couple months back I was fortunate enough to take a week long trip to Port Au Prince, Haiti. My eyes reeled with sorrow and disbelief at the ruin and hell that millions called home. And night after night, as I lay down to sleep on the roof of the orphanage, I was saddened by what seemed like an unending cycle of death and pity for this country.

This past week, Wyclef Jean was on 60 Minutes discussing his work in Haiti. A native Hatian that made it to America as a young boy to become an artist, writer, and activist; he's back in Haiti making a real difference.
Take a look at the state of Haiti and what's being done there:



Watch CBS Videos Online

-Ross