Get off your butts

If you're at all like me, you've got a host of frustrations about how things are going in this country. Yes, we are better off with the current administration than the alternative, but it is becoming clear that relying on the same institutions that failed us so badly is not a recipe for success.

Witness:

• A Democratic president fighting the court-ordered release of photographs showing the abuse of US prisoners.
• Democrats in congress blocking a bill that allowed relief for homeowners via bankruptcy courts
  
• The Democratic-majority congress failing to confirm an OLC nominee who favors (as does the majority of Americans) vigorous investigations of criminal acts of torture?
• Networks refusing to cover the Military Analyst scandal that exposed their willing participation in a DoD-driven PR campaign.
• Government regulators looking the other way so bonuses could be paid to former employees of AIG.
  

Looking at stuff like that - (if you're like me) you say - what the hell can I do?

Having already written my senators and representatives - it's easy to feel powerless.

There's a small thing I did, and it made me feel a bit better.

Like I wasn't just sitting there. I gave some money to Marcy Wheeler.

Marcy's the one who broke the story about KSM getting waterboarded 183 times in one month. She's been all over the missing White House email scandal and the Scooty Libby trial and a ton of other stuff that is just good to know.

And she's an unpaid blogger who does all this while she pays her bills with other jobs.

FireDogLake is asking people to give her cash (the New Organizing Institute is matching donations up to a total of $5,000) so she can hopefully spend more time doing the good work she's been doing all this time.

I know, I sound like one of those letters you habitually throw out.

Fair enough, but it felt real good to support somebody who is doing good. I figured I'd share.