Progressive voices speak out on Occasional Planet. We started publishing in February 2010 and have never stopped. We’re based in St.Louis, Missouri, but our writers live in a variety of cities. And while we don’t focus primarily on our home region, we do highlight some local issues and developments, particularly those that reflect national trends or are in the vanguard of change. We hope that readers outside the Midwest will see those connections; and we hope that local readers will find something of interest in our broader focus.
Our viewpoint is progressive and realistic: We think that good government can do good things; and that working for the common good is central to making our country, and the world, a better place for everyone. But we’re not pollyannas: We see the problems, the obstacles and the challenges, and we’re not afraid to talk about them. The difference between Occasional Planet and many other [but not all] progressive blogs is that we try to avoid rants, choosing instead to emphasize solutions and progress toward progressive goals, both real and hoped for.
We rely on our contributing writers’ curiosity, instincts and interests to create the mix of stories that we post. Some of our articles refer to other articles that catch our eye. Others present our personal views on issues raised by news reports or articles on other sites. Still others are original “think-pieces” that spring from our heads, and articles that offer historical perspectives on current issues. So, we’re not a single-issue blog. We’ve chosen, instead, to present an eclectic variety of stories that, we hope, add up to a place you’ll want to come back to.
But while the issues we cover are diverse, there is most definitely a unifying theme to our postings. We assume that Occasional Planet’s audience is one that reads a lot. But we know that everyone can’t read everything, and neither can we. So, as we plan our postings, we’re on the lookout for items that otherwise well-read people might look at and say, “Gee, I didn’t know that,” or, “Hmmm, I hadn’t thought of that issue in THAT way.”
And one more thing. About our name: When we chose it, we liked that it had a global sense, and we thought it reflected a sense of humor [something that is important to us.] But don’t take us too literally: this blog is anything but “occasional.” We post new items continually. We’re delighted that you’ve checked in, and we hope you’ll be back more than just, well, occasionally.