Monday, January 19, 2009

Lookin' for my mojo


"I'm sorry I can't, baby. Dr. Evil stole my mojo while I was frozen" Austin Powers

To say I've been in a blogging funk would be like saying the economy has been in a mild slump. Probably never in history has there been more material for someone like me to use as a trampoline. But, it just hasn't been there and no amount of self-pep talking was going to change it.

My blogging mojo is MIA. I know why (and many of you know too). But knowing and doing something about it are two different animals.

Well, maybe I've found sparkle of "mojo light" that can lead me back to my old, cockeyed, sardonic self.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet our new President.

Last year I wrote a blog entitled "What's your Say:Do Ratio?" Say:Do. The essence of it is that not many people DO what they SAY they're going to. A correction to the blog, as sent in by a reader, points out that the lower the number the better the Say:Do ratio. That is, if someone does everything they say they're going to, then it would be a Say:Do ratio of 1:1. A perfect score.

So I have a buddy, Craig Levy, who read that blog and using it as inspiration back during the pre-election days started logging what each candidate was saying they were going to do if elected. Once a winner was declared he built a spreadsheet of all the major promises. In this case Mr. Obama's (he was going to track it regardless of who won).

So, before I go forward a couple of full-disclosure points. I did not vote for Mr. Obama. However, I would like nothing more than for his first four years to be a resounding success to the point that the Republicans don't even run someone against him next time. The country could use a real hero right now. Also, I think it's sad that any candidate has to make blind promises just to get elected. Mr. Obama has done that. Mr. McCain was doing it, too. Sadly no one will elect a president who says "I'm sure there are things that I don't even have a clue about until I get to look under the hood at the White House, so promises made right now may be hollow."

But, that's the system and Mr. Obama got elected on a platform of hope and change. I hope he's careful about what he changes and doesn't play into the old joke "we have the greatest country in the world and I'm here to change it".

So, Mr. Levy and I will be tracking - I can say it as of today - President Obama's Say:Do ratio and reporting along the way.

What does it have to do with my XOD blog? I dunno, but if it helps me find my mojo then the new president has already helped one person out.

More to come.