Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Space shuttle launches sure are dramatic, aren't they? Even the countdown amplifies everyone's anticipation. And what a dramatic visual - water vapor, smoke and fire billowing around the shuttle and its companion rockets as they jettison up to the heavens. Amidst all of … Continue reading Alternative Fuel
Image by Michael Balint It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world. ~Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776) Have you ever seen a redwood tree? They're majestic and towering - scraping the sky while standing shoulder to … Continue reading Standing Tall
"You just can't beat the person who won't give up." ~Babe Ruth In the days and weeks after the election, our brains were battered with predictions that the new administration would be buoyed by GOP majorities in the House and Senate - and that Democrats would be powerless to stop the conservative train. And in … Continue reading The Tip of the Iceberg
The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs Here we are, friend. We're part of a band of people who are just crazy enough to think that we can change the world, one phone call and one action at a time. When … Continue reading Being Crazy Enough
I love this photograph. Defending democracy ... and darning a sock. As it turns out, the two activities are not mutually exclusive. We've all learned that ordinary citizens like you and I can be extremely effective activists. But for a long time, "activism" seemed to be reserved for college kids, or professional "do-gooders," or people wearing … Continue reading (Extra)Ordinary Citizen Activists
If you're like me, you did a little victory lap in your kitchen on Friday when Ryan pulled AHCA. I hope you did, because no matter how many people blame Paul Ryan, or DT's ignorance and instability, or the Freedom Caucus's draconian instincts, I'm here to tell you that they're all missing the bigger picture. … Continue reading Your Victory Lap
You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes. ~Mother Jones Mother Jones (the woman, not the magazine) was once referred to in the Senate as the "grandmother of all agitators " (and was also called the "most dangerous woman in America"). Clearly Senator Warren's predecessor, she … Continue reading Raising Hell
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the news and action items, here's a bit of inspiration. Just this morning (March 13), Rebecca Farley, the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the National Council for Behavioral Health, announced during a talk in Washington that our calls are working. She said that we - you, and … Continue reading Teamwork Wins
This winter was harder than most. It wasn't the weather. In fact, the weather was unseasonably warm. But there was a darkness beyond the early nightfall that nobody could shake. Now the days are getting longer again. It's planting time. It's time to start sowing the seeds of the resistance, too. And as we tend … Continue reading Planting Time
During the cold war, Ronald Regan told an anecdote about the differences in how the Soviet and US constitutions protected freedom of the press: "Two Soviets . . . were talking to each other. And one of them asked, 'What's the difference between the Soviet Constitution and the United States Constitution?' And the other one said, … Continue reading Freedom After Speech
Small Deeds Done 