I Think I Can Help

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

• Margaret Mead

My biggest concern for the next few years is the combination of President-elect Dingus Tramp and a Congress with a spatial relationship to conservatism akin to Earth’s closeness to Alpha Centauri¹. They can push a very aggressive legislative agenda very quickly through the process. That means ACA, Medicare, Social Security, arts and science funding, anything that’s not buying more artillery can be gutted. Too many people dear to me can be affected by this.

Reflecting on the results of the election these last few weeks has left me feeling angry and powerless. I do not like feeling angry or powerless. Nor do most of you. All these emotions do is serve to paralyze me, paralyze us, from doing anything useful. And, like terrorism, it wins when we are left stewing in inaction.

Powerlessness stems from two places:
1. Lack of knowledge
2. Lack of clear next steps

The best way to affect change is through dedicated, consistent efforts. After a number of friends posted that Speaker Ryan had set up phone poll about keeping the ACA, I had and idea. And I think I can help. I’ve developed the skill to read and understand legislation. I know how to track the bills, track the committees and committee members introducing legislation, and I know how to dial a phone. What I’m going to endeavor to do for the foreseeable future is read the laws as the come through, digest them, and tell you about them. And then tell you who to call.

With knowlwdge, it will then be up to us to do the easy thing of telling people in DC how terrible we think it is.



Knowledge is power. But you have to use that power to do something. I think I can help.

1. It is waaaaaaaaaay out there.

WIWT

Guest rooms are for vanity

   <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt=" Honestly, I really wanted a crit fail D20.  ">  Honestly, I really wanted a crit fail D20.   




   <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt=" Shiny ">  Shiny  




   <img src="_6AD0C72F-04C7-4B19-A527-07C6C32A98D1.JPG" alt=" Low angle light = all the arm hair detail.  ">  Low angle light = all the arm hair detail.   

WIWT

Cold enough for wool coats! Cold enough for wool coats! Also this coat fits a hell of a lot better this year than when I got it. Since last year, I’m down to 178ish from 201 last November. So that’s nice.

Today was a good dress day too. I wore my raw denim for the first time. The rise is higher than desired leading to bunching. That will disappear, I think, as I lose belly fat. I think. Don’t really care though.

I got the watch on a weekend with my then girlfriend in Milwaukee. It was in the Milwaukee Art Museum gift shop and seemed both cool and a good momento from the trip. I dug it out of a drawer last month and finally replaced the battery. The effort that took was silly - despite all the jewelers tools in the house, neither Alyska or I could get the back plate on. It took 3 jewelers to find one with an appropriate press.

In Miniature

I went to the capitol to write and meet @BaristaPowers for brunch - Bradbury’s for crepes (omnomnom). Between the teo, I popped into the Capitol building because of the nice light. I’ve taken so many photos in the building but never tried converting them all into tilt-shift model shots. It makes for a really interesting aesthetic in such a stately building.

  <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt="">




  <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt="">

See what I did up there? Just a little pun.

  <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt="">




  <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt="">

I did it again.

  <img src="_FullSizeRender.jpg" alt="">

It’s a small miracle I have any friends.