As the extended Thanksgiving holiday provided me with my first real downtime in months, I decided to test the new diary editor-- which, by the way, is a big improvement over the old one. What began as a brief .analysis of the 2006 election in South Carolina grew lengthier than I had planned, but at the end I had a finished product with which I was quite pleased. It was not my finest work, but it was solid, well-researched, and carefully edited, with well-placed links, a little humor, and more than enough substance to provoke thought and discussion

One might think that as a Democrat in South Carolina, I wouldn't have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Yet I can see a number of silver linings in the dark clouds that hovered over this state on Election Day.

I have nothing of substance to add to Georgia10's diary about the declassification of Iraqi nuclear documents, but that's not really what this diary's about. It's about the state of my own mind, and my ongoing struggle to hear the faraway drone of reality over the relentless cacophony of spin and bullshit that surrounds me.

Those who still bother to pay attention these days are constantly reminded of about how politically polarized we are as a nation, and how nasty our political discourse has become. Certainly there have been times in our history when we have been similarly divided, and once the rift was so great as to precipitate a bloody civil war. But that was back in the old reality-based days, when the world only spun in one direction and truth, while elusive, was at least something to be desired.

This diary is a continuation of a discussion that began on a thread from this diary, which I will call the "Snowflake Diary," about how individuals acting alone can make a difference. I resisted the urge to title it "Microactivism 101," because that would imply that I intended it to be a tutorial rather than a point of departure and a catalyst for discussion. The point of this diary is that while it is possible for one person, such as Rosa Parks or Cindy Sheehan, to make a big difference, we as individuals are more likely in our daily lives to have the opportunity to make many small differences. What I'd like to do is to open a discussion about how best to act upon those opportunities, and to encourage others to do the same. That is what I call microactivism.

I have mixed feelings about my alma mater, Clemson University.  I enjoyed the time I spent there on its beautiful campus, located in a comfortable small town in upstate South Carolina.  I earned a master's degree in U.S. history there in 1994, and was privileged to study under a respected group of historians and alongside a number of promising young scholars.  Yet Clemson is one of those state land-grant universities where athletics often take precedent over academics, and it operates according to the neocon values of corporate hegemony, religious fundamentalism, and macho bumper-sticker patriotism.  

It's always nice to see a Christo-con get his ass handed to him on national television, but this morning's debate between Sens. Arlen Specter & Sam Brownback was especialy sweet.  

I don't know about all of you, but I'm having a hell of a time watching Tom DeLay dig a deeper & deeper hole for himself with each passing day, & I'm thrilled that he's decided to stick around & fight to the bitter end.  

As much as I detest the idea of that juiced-up asshole Barry Bonds breaking the great Henry Aaron's home run record, and as disgusted as I am with all the steroid-aided statistical milestones set in recent years, I reject the argument that the public interest is best served by a full-blown congressional inquiry into 'roids in sports.  It's not like there aren't more pressing issues that require their attention.