We're not prepared if more bad things like Hurricane Katrina or the 2003 blackout happen. My first thought when we heard about the 2003 blackout - sitting on the 30th Floor in a conference room, listening to David Wood listening to his radio - was relief that 3000 people weren't dead. My second thought was: How could this possibly happen 2 years after the 9/11 attacks? How dare they not make sure nothing like that could ever possibly happen? Maybe I watched too much Comedy Central tonight, but what kind of IDIOT doesn't secure the power grid against catastrophic failure like, TWO DAYS after a brutally masterminded terrorist attack? It's not like people weren't thinking about it. Check out this blog post from October 2001:The structure of America's power grid favors terrorists and other attackers. American power companies rely on relatively few generation plants and a vast transmission network, so…

Michael Cervino and the gang at Beaconfire have created an excellent online protest engine at actnow.org. It runs on Google Maps and allows you to post a sign on the map at an address you enter, then see what other signs have been posted around you. Great way to build the sense of presence and momentum that define eAdvocacy: You're at your computer, but you're not alone. (Beaconfire Consulting helped the ACLU draft the strategy that created my job, but when I think of the word, geek that I am, I still picture this.) On Salon.com, my buddy Meghan Laslocky has published an extraordinary article about "Real Dolls," super-pricey, hyper-realistic, life-size dolls that are either silicone shrines to misogyny or, in the words of one satisified patron, "teddy bears with benefits." And in North Carolina, my erstwhile consultant and three-decade family friend Ruby Sinreich had a flattering article in local…

Tomorrow, New Yorkers interested in reinvigorating local government with a focus on a mobilized citizenry should vote for my friend Andrew Rasiej for Public Advocate. A friend of mine who's watching this primary called Andrew "the Internet guy" over the weekend, but he is more than that. He's someone who wants to improve what his recent NYT profile called the "poor flow of information in New York City." Read his blog entry about how information savvy could have saved lives and narrowed the obvious racial divide that hobbled the response to Hurricane Katrina. And finally, consider the importance of Andrew's broader campaign message, that the city is full of public advocates. Motivated individuals making a difference in their communities, who will serve as models and help mobilize others at an entirely new level when City Hall finds new ways to connect them and spotlight their efforts. technorati tag: rasiej