A Time To Regroup and Reconsider... And The Saturday Cartoons

I turned 50 earlier this month. And, while it is not written that hitting the half-century mark should be a time of great reflection, it seems as good a time as any to reevaluate my direction and decide how I would like the next decades to look.

Based on such an assessment, I have decided to take an extended break from writing this blog and covering the United States Senate. In addition to needing time to consider where I would like to go from here in my writing career, I feel a real imperative to make my physical fitness and health a greater priority.

Over two years of essentially working two full-time jobs -- like many bloggers, I also work a corporate day job -- and getting an average of four hours of sleep a night doesn't cut it for me any longer. But without any support or funding for our efforts, the vast majority of liberal bloggers do this for free, using every spare hour and minute, in the hope of changing the direction of our country and being a loud voice toward that end. But that level of devotion -- obsession? -- is not unlimited and, for each of us, it has a finite lifespan based on how long we hold off exhaustion and avoid burn-out.

That time has come for me.

We have much to do and accomplish in 2008 and, with the lack of newer, Progressive voices in the Corporate Media and the structural problems I see in the Progressive blog world, I believe I can better prepare to do my part next year by getting healthier and calmly, without the tyranny of daily deadlines, working with some trusted allies to find a better way forward.

This isn't good-bye. And if you would like to plug in your e-mail address below, I'd be happy to keep you posted on what comes next.

It could be some wild stuff.

As always, thank you for reading.

E-mail:

And now, on with the 'toons!







Here's our friend, Nick Anderson with his latest animation that, while not political, will warm your heart:



* * * * * *
All cartoons are posted with the artists' express permission to BobGeiger.com. Please visit the following sites to see more work from these fine cartoonists:

Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle
Tony Auth, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Justin Bilicki, City Pulse
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Matt Davies, NY Journal News
Walt Handelsman, Newsday
Paul Jamiol, Jamiol's World
Steve Kelley, New Orleans Times Picayune
Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jim Morin, Miami Herald
Jack Ohman, Portland Oregonian
Dwane Powell, Raleigh News & Observer
Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ben Sargent, Austin American-Statesman.
Ann Telnaes, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Todd Umbarger, Political Cartoonist and Illustrator