Reporter's Notebook: Setting The Course For 2025
The messaging throughout 2024 as to what will happen in 2025 is a bit discomforting. That, I am taking to heart.
The new year usually brings optimism. It should also bring goals, resolutions, and insights.
There is something about this new year – 2025. Perhaps the ongoing concerns about the automotive industry, the economy, the incoming government, and the mood of this nation’s – and global – citizenry.
I have to admit that I am feeling a bit pessimistic. I shouldn’t be. Yet, the messaging throughout 2024 as to what will happen in 2025 is a bit discomforting. That, I am taking to heart.
The messaging around tariffs, ending DEI policies, job insecurities in key functional roles, mass deportations, and making segments of our citizenry illegal are indeed anxiety inducing. These are not what I was sold on back in Civics class back at Vanalden Elementary School in Reseda. Certainly, they existed before I was legal age to vote, but it is the way those messages have been delivered in the past several years.

Of course, you can say all of these things and use them as bluffs to get what you want. Looking back, however, think about the previous administration of the incoming President – along with the make-up of Congress during that time – not a lot of things went on. We were just fine, apparently.
Even though I am feeling pessimistic, I must move forward into 2025. I must take on what comes my way and keep on delivering the necessary work that you have been reading on here and watching on our YouTube channel. It is what brings joy into my life – as well as to the lives of George, Kyle, and Gabriel.
With this team, we move forward. Never regressing. Never yielding. Never distracted by someone else’s work. Never challenged by the haters.
If last year’s website record traffic numbers are any indicator of how well we have done, we continue to move the needle on our work – written, on video, and photographically.
However, I only have a few goals for 2025.

One, is to keep working. It has been a challenge since transitioning jobs last summer. Yet, I need to keep busy on all fronts – that includes my consulting gig. We have plenty of videos that we are still working through to publish. Believe me, we will keep you entertained through our YouTube channel.
Stories – including vehicle reviews – are what keeps the website and the YouTube channel humming. Hopefully, that will include new or returning vehicle brands that have not seen a regular rotation with us. So far, we were added back to two brands with another new brand in the wings for 2025. Stay tuned for the latter.
To be honest, it would be nice if we worked with other manufacturers that we have not worked with on a regular rotation. I could name those OEMs, but I’ll save myself from going into an abyss with massive amounts of frustration.
The podcast is expanding to include guests. We are outing out an open call on our social media for guests. At first, we want to concentrate on local people in the automotive world. When we figure out how to integrate a remote guest into our podcast with nominal issues, we will also include them.

Content is important. We want to produce more than enough to keep you informed and entertained. That is always our goal.
Doing this work is not without its challenges.
If one thing is at the front of my mind is my health. Granted, there was a gap in health insurance and now I'm back with coverage provided in part by the state. While that’s good and all, I am still concerned about what could happen next. With a spinal stenosis at my neck and my left foot missing all of its toes, I fear the worst.
One of those fears is that I am possibly one fall away from paralysis. Things have been a bit wobbly for me, but I am still maintaining some balance as I use my strength to carry on.
Paralysis means possibly a major setback in this career. That is why I’m fighting against a serious fall and doing what I can to continue this work at this level. The mantra I am living by comes from a toy from my youth: “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.”

Of course, the throughline to all of this is to simply keep our heads in the game and our noses to the grindstone towards delivering another year of great content for you to read, view, listen, and engage.
That’s all we will look forward to in 2025. As Dory (from "Finding Nemo") would say, “just keep swimming.”
All photos by Randy Stern