Check In 8 January

[tanaqui]

The clown show to elect a Speaker in the new Congress has been quite something, hasn't it? Let's hope the Republicans continue with the disarray and infighting (although not so much disarray they hold up critical items related to the budget and debt ceiling).

We haven't had any posts in the comm since the last check in, so here's the usual reminder to not be shy of making your own posts about any issues and actions you think the comm should know about. You can also drop some information into a comment on our sticky post if you'd like the mods to make the post.

If you're looking for information on anything else, you can use our tags to check for any ongoing actions or resources relevant to the issues you care about. (And a quick shout out to redbird for all the tagging work that keeps the comm running smoothly.)

Finally, here's our poll (behind the cut) for you to tell us what you've been doing in the last few weeks. And do let us know in comments what you plan to do next.

Poll #28140 Check In

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4

View Respondents

Since the last check in, I...

View Answers

called my one senator
0 (0.0%)

called my other senator
0 (0.0%)

called my representative
0 (0.0%)

called my governor
0 (0.0%)

called my state reps
0 (0.0%)

sent a postcard/email/letter/fax
1 (25.0%)

attended a town hall
0 (0.0%)

donated money to a cause
2 (50.0%)

attended an in-person activist group
0 (0.0%)

participated in phone/online training
0 (0.0%)

went to a protest
0 (0.0%)

signed up for alerts
3 (75.0%)

worked for a campaign
0 (0.0%)

did textbanking/phonebanking
0 (0.0%)

took care of myself
3 (75.0%)

not a US citizen but worked in solidarity in my own community
1 (25.0%)

did something else (tell us about it in comments)
2 (50.0%)

committed to action in the coming month
1 (25.0%)

Comments

[dewline]

Networked with local service/activist groups in my neighbourhood. Not sure where it's going to go yet.

[jazzyjj]

I moved, and am now exactly one floor down from where I was. This apartment was recently renovated and they did a very nice job. A new person is scheduled to move in above me. Her mother is moving in also at least for the first week. They are from another state, so it will probably take them a little while to get adjusted. I briefly met the young lady and her father just prior to Christmas, and they seem friendly.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> The clown show to elect a Speaker in the new Congress has been quite something, hasn't it? <<

Well, they aren't afraid to show their incompetence in public. I mean, it took them ... I think 15 tries ... to accomplish something that should've taken one or two rounds. I had all kinds of ideas for how to break a deadlock. They just didn't seem to feel obligated to get the hell on with doing their jobs. :/

Actual clowns who work in teams are much more organized. You should see rodeo clowns using expert bufoonery to extract a berserk bull from a downed cowboy.


Stuff I have been doing:

* I got my goals for 2023 set up.

* I'm running New Year's resolution check-in posts, if anyone wants a support network in January for their efforts. Activism goals, personal goals, whatever floats your boat. Today's is here.

* I launched birdfeeding which includes not only birdfeeding and birdwatching, but also related environmental stuff in hopes of preserving the birds we have left.

* My plans for the next two months include shopping for spring planting, which involves a lot of native species to support wildlife. I also belong to a local nature society; our reserve areas are up over 1000 acres now, and I'm pretty sure that's contributing to seeing more bald eagles in the area. \o/ Twice I've seen them use my yard as a pit stop -- they like the big old trees with some dead branches to perch on, as do our great-horned owls.

* A lot of my current work involves communities on Dreamwidth. I'm trying to encourage more folks to join and participate. So that should help the activism communities like this one.

* After exploring many different activist techniques, I found that the most effective in terms of throughput -- people telling me "I did the thing" -- turns out to be storytelling. My most popular series is Polychrome Heroics. My fans really, really like my descriptions of a generally healthier society and give me prompts that encourage me to dig into what makes it work. That increases the toolkit for those who want to make this world more like that one. You can see discussions and posts like "How to Make Your Hometown More Like Bluehill," "Value Per Acre," "How to Host an Introvert Party," "Quiet Rooms," "Addiction Care in Terramagne," "How to Write Social Stories That Work," "Encouraging Physical Activity in Terramagne," "The NAACP in Terramagne," "The Mall as Agora in Terramagne-America," "How to Use a Giveaway Box," "Emotional First Aid," and my Skills Heroes Need tag.