2011 was a year that was both incredibly frustrating and exceedingly hopeful. On the frustrating end of things, the political environment is as toxic as it gets. I mean, really, Newt Gingrich was a front runner? On the positive end, my work as picked up, and that is never a bad thing. Here are some of things I’d like to see happen in 2012. As usual, these are in no certain order.

• I want to see Progressive causes advance. This is probably a pipe dream. After all, I live in one of the reddest of Red states. Tennessee is not known for anything remotely approaching the progressive, but a man can have a dream. Let’s champion equality, tolerance, and understanding. You know, the hippy trifecta.
• Let’s change the tone in Washington. The best way to do this is to remove the fear mongers from office. Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, John Boehner…you’re outta there. As my mom would say, they can scream, and they can squall. Pointing out the income disparity between the top 1% and the rest of the 99% is not class warfare. It is simply acknowledging the obvious. People can’t climb the ladder, because the ladder has been removed.
• Don’t take it anymore. If you are upset that your bank is going to charge unreasonable fees, dump them. There are plenty of banks and credit unions that want to earn your business. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase…you are on notice. People are tired of your crap, and you will be held to account.
• Love your loved ones. These are the people that keep you going. Family, friends and anyone else that keeps you grounded are the folks that are the most important. Remember that.

I will do my best to advance my goals this year, and I hope you will to. After all, without goals, life is pretty boring. See you next year!

‘Tis the season to express the joy all around us. Despite the fact that I talk quite a bit about things that bother me in this blog, I do have a lot of joy in my life. It manifests itself in a number of places. Some are very specific, like experiencing a new U2 album for the first time. Others are like the feeling I get when I’m close to my wife when she smells intoxicating (which is often).

In this vein, I’ll go over some of the things that brought joy to my world this year (in no certain order):

• U2 at Vanderbilt Stadium - I had only seen them once before at a monumental show in the summer of 2001 in Rupp Arena. That show wasn’t topped, but it was certainly equaled. The best part of this particular show? My wife was there to experience it with me. It didn’t matter that it was hot as hell that night. It was sublime.
• Paul Simon at The Ryman – For my wife’s birthday, I took her to see Paul Simon at the legendary Ryman Auditorium. She loves Simon, and I have to admit, I have grown to love him because of her. The highlight for me was his performance of Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes.
• My Parents Turned 60 - This may not be a point of joy for them, but it is for me. As an only child, they are the single biggest influence on my life. Having them around this long has been a huge part of any success I’ve experienced in life.
• My 6th Anniversary - Yeah, I know. A cynic would call foul on this, but so what. My wife is one of my favorite people, and each year this is going to be one of my favorite times of the year.

These are my major points of joy for the year. I hope your year has been as blessed as mine. Just remember, no matter what has happened to you, your life is what you make it.

As a progressive leaning voter in the state of Tennessee, it is easy to feel alone. While I may live and work in the politically moderate Nashville area (compared to the rest of the state), it is difficult to find elected officials that represent many of the things I hold as core values. We are a state that is overrun with conservative zealots whose only priority is to crush any and all opposition to their points of view. To these people, it isn’t about finding compromise. It’s about complete domination.

Let’s use Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey as Exhibit A. With a recent tweet to his followers, he made it clear he doesn’t mind sticking it to his political opponents. This example of shameless antagonism is a microcosm of the conservative mantra. Belittle your opponents. Make them out to be the enemy. Claim liberal bias in the media. Rinse and repeat.

A worse example of feeling unrepresented is Jim Cooper. He is my congressman, and I helped vote him into office. He has embraced many things I support. Others, not so much. The worst example of the latter is his support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). I understand why he is supporting this legislation. While he may represent the aforementioned politically moderate city of Nashville and surrounding areas, he also has big monied entertainment companies amongst his constituency. He is merely playing to that. However, this legislation will have a chilling effect on free speech.

Democrats in this region are feeling under siege. Anyone cast as “liberal” could possibly lose their position in public office. At least that is the fear. This fear of losing one’s elected office is causing my elected officials to vote with their jobs in mind, rather than their consciences.

I want the people I vote for to champion equality. I want the people I vote for to stand up for free speech. I want my elected officials to stand up for those that don’t have a voice. A functioning democracy should represent all people. Not just the majority. Not just the richest. They should absolutely represent the minority and the marginalized. This is why I feel profoundly unrepresented in Tennessee specifically, and the South in general. Who is going to speak for me?

Driving to the office the other day, I noticed a bumper sticker on a vehicle ahead of me. Since I can’t remember the exact phrasing, I’ll paraphrase:

Want to annoy a liberal? Work hard, and be happy!

I seem to forget when it was against the liberal credo to be aghast at hard work and happy people. Oh yeah, it must be that liberals want free handouts from the government, and jobs that aren’t dependent on skill or competency. Screw hard work!

Or…It could be that people just don’t want the first rung of the ladder of the American Dream to be beyond their reach. Perhaps it is just a matter of people wanting an overall fairness to exist in this great land of ours. I have a really hard time with the notion that the liberal end of this country necessarily wants a “socialist” state. Whatever that means. People, in general, just want a fair shake.

This is why bumper stickers are the bane of any great national conversation, in my mind. I have nothing against bumper stickers, per se. After all, I have a sticker of a once bitten Apple on my car. I’m referring to those stickers that say things like “Impeach Obama” or “Bush’s Last Day – 1/20/09″. There is simply no way to express the complexity of our political system in the space you have on a bumper sticker.

Whether I consider myself a member of the 99%, the 1% or any other %, I probably will not be putting any political statements on my car. You are, however, going to be seeing stickers paying tribute to the great loves of my life (other than my wife). There already is an Apple sticker. Next is a tribute to my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide. My expressions of political leanings are only going to happen in this space, and in conversation with the people in my life. The nuance that is the human condition can only be truly expressed in this way.