Taking It to the Virtual Streets!

My wife told me I was posting too much 'political stuff' to my Facebook page; potentially causing some of my Facebook friends to overlook my vital status updates about the weather and my joy at cleaning up the garage.  Since we obviously can't have that, she has encouraged me to start a blog to share my thoughts on the 'news of the day'.  And, actually, I'm quickly embracing the idea!  (Chalk up another point for her being right yet again... LOL)

I'm not new to writing; I've been doing it pretty much my entire life.  I enjoy sharing through the written word.  That's why my initial career choice was as a journalist, in which I got paid to write!  (Granted, I didn't get paid well to do it, but I digress.)  My background also means that I understand how to interpret and critique what I read/hear, which is an important skill in our modern 24-hour cable 'news' media-driven society.

As I've 'matured' (I resist the notion that I've 'grown-up'), I've discovered that society around me seems increasingly oblivious to the events taking place right before our eyes - events that literally will shape our world today and potentially for generations to come.  Yet there is more outrage over a pre-empted TV show than incompetence at the highest levels of government.  Meanwhile the modern media, which should be the unofficial 4th pillar of government keeping us all literate and well-informed, seems more interested in determining news based upon polling data, advertising review, and sensational 'hooks' to snag readers/viewers.  Is it any wonder that some choose to tune it all out?

In talking with folks, I've learned that the most commonly cited for them not being more 'aware' is simply that they "just didn't have the time to keep up on so much stuff."  Often this was followed by detailed listing of all of the things the person has to keep track of in their personal, professional, and community lives.  And that's where the name of this blog was born; because ultimately it's not a question of how much you may want to know about things, it's a matter of how many things are Competing for Your Attention!

So - my goal with this blog is simply to share information that you may have overlooked.  While I do lean a bit to the Conservative end of the spectrum, I think you'll find that my commentary on the issues presented here is less about a specific ideology or political party and more about what should be common sense in our government and our society.  The items I choose to share and the comments that I make are intended to spark thinking and provoke conversation - so please be sure to feel free to share your thoughts, too!

Let the blogging begin!
-Paul