The Eleven: January 2024, Friend

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Part 2 - Want to get more inspired to take action in this important election year - and in general? Jessica Craven's daily Chop Wood, Carry Water is for you!

Part 3 - For a historical take on the day's events, we are incredibly lucky to have Professor Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American.

These newsletters make me a better informed and hopeful citizen of this fair land. Join me. The US Mainstream media is failing us by not calling out the obviousness of the MAGA/Authoritarian/fascist issue, for starters. We need to become the media for one another. Reading these 3 newsletters and sharing them, will go a long way towards improving our political climate and reality. Thank you.

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Happy New Year Albert,

And just like that, we're in 2024. Where did that come from? I had a trainwreck of an end of the year - struggling to drive myself to urgent care on Xmas day due to a pain in my leg. All seems to have righted itself thanks to the care, physical therapy, and some rest, but I missed going to guitar camp and instead ouched my way into the new year! Luckily, I got myself to a couple of NYE parties where I played music and felt some real joy!

Not going to camp gave me some time to contemplate a few things. One is the constant feeling I have of how long it takes to make some simple (obvious to me) changes in our society. I've now been working (with a hearty team) for 7 years to try to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland and beyond. While my immediate community is a lot quieter now than it used to be (thank you, neighbors!) - still we're trying to get our political leaders to adopt an ordinance to ban gas-powered leaf blowers (and all gas-powered tools, hopefully). But I'm actually somewhat confused and angry - why is it taking this long? Are we not being strategic enough? Are our leaders really this inept? (maybe) Are these machines better than electric alternatives? (no, they're not). As Greg Brown sang - "Why does good change have to take so long?"

I'm having a similar frustration with my work to get Portland back into the tree-planting business. Years ago the Parks Department's Urban Forestry Department moved to sever our City's contract with Friends of Trees. It was a terrible move that led to the planting of way fewer trees in Portland just when we need these trees planted most. It's not getting cooler out there as we all know. Trees help. Again, why are our City leaders dropping the ball on this most obvious front?

But what's really bugging me about all of this is how much time I and other activists spend trying to make (what seems to me) obvious things happen. What could I have been doing instead? Hiking more? Playing music more? Spending more time trying to find a partner? I don't know, but I'm starting to question my dedication to pushing our society in the right direction. In my co-counseling sessions over the years, I've worked with the direction: "Here, it's your turn, you do it!"

Thanks for listening to my rant. It helps me to write this out as it gets me thinking of how I might change course, and possibly also how to do things better. I do believe we're on the cusp of getting a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland this Spring. And there are 10's of millions of dollars about to be spent in Portland and beyond for tree planting (though this could be going a lot faster if you ask me). So, just a little bit longer...to go.

This article below was referenced in Robert Hubbel's newsletter today - another reason to read the big 3 listed above - they often point to other brilliant writers/thinkers.

13 New Year's Resolutions for Saving Democracy

With Donald Trump looming like an evil Snoopy in the Macy's Day Parade (see: Maestro) the great novelist Steve Erickson offers a prescription for saving America.

If you're curious about all the issues I think are important in our community, I have a page about that! Feel free to share that link on some local group or Nextdoor with a personal introduction - maybe it will help make your corner of the world go better! Or, just pick one thread and pull :) Keep pulling for awhile :)

Small Achievable Things - Take Action!

Here are small achievable things I've brought up via Nextdoor.com - join me in moving one or more of these issues forward.

On the biz front, I'm still enjoying what I'm doing and who I'm meeting on Alignable. If you're at all curious about this world, come find me on there and say howdy! It's a great space for anyone who has a small business or something they want to promote in the world.

Thanks for reading this far. I hope the new year is feeling a bit more hopeful for you. It is for me. I keep thinking that this cool weather is making everyone forget that we just went through the hottest year in human history last year - and that people are forgetting the emergency of climate change and our need to make significant changes ASAP. One thing I'm doing is driving way less. I keep thinking of selling my car. I'm also flying less.

Feel free to write back about how any of this lands on your side of the inbox.

Hugs and good health and connection to you.

Albert

Pic from a recent press event with Environment Oregon and QCPDX.

Pic below from Eleanor O'Brien's amazing annual Stocking Stuffing for the Houseless event.