Lots of typing today. There are two startup ideas I have that a potential partner wanted more information on, so I spent an hour this morning typing up an email for each startup describing the problem, how the startup solves the problem, example usage cases, important features, and competitors or sites/products trying to solve at least part of the problem. Preliminary research work mostly, and it was nice to finally get a smattering of thoughts and links into a more organized state.

And then I wandered off and finished a new email template design for Bookbranch v3 and created the events in Laravel that would trigger the sending of two new emails to users with that template. Wrote the content for those emails too. When you are the sole developer and there is no writer available, you have a tendency to write quite a bit of the filler content yourself. Thankfully with all of the emails I receive on a daily basis, I found a few examples that helped me along. Also, I am ever so naturally charming over digital communication, right?

However. Before I go to bed, there is a little thing I need to get off my chest. This whole primary season has shown how bad politics and elections have become in the United States. People in line for 4-6 hours to vote in their state's primary. Massive, vexing voter purges. Candidates sounding like Nazis/sociopaths. $33K a person fundraising dinners. The media hardly challenging the blatant lying and their flagrant biases for or against candidates. It is all rather embarrassing. Not exactly a beacon of democracy.

And the long arguments in Facebook threads between friends and family about what is wrong with the other person's candidate. Oof. Is it over yet?

For me it really comes down to the fact that there are long standing problems with the health of this country's people, infrastructure, and economy that are not being adequately addressed and forcing many things to limp along in survival mode. The middle class is in a shockingly bad shape. Our government has such high debt and an aversion to raising taxes that our infrastructure got a D+, to the point that many schools, bridges, roads, etc. are unsafe for those who use them. And, if you consider the potent combination of income inequality, stagnation of wages and underemployment, tax havens in foreign countries, skyrocketing healthcare costs, and low household savings, I think it is pretty obvious our economy is far from being in a stable, healthy state.

These problems are systemic and dangerous for the long term future of our country. On the surface we present a stalwart and glamorous face, yet there is strong erosion in our foundation. We are not months away from a dystopian hell on Earth, but I am concerned. Very. If things do not improve, I expect a slow decline in our fortunes with an eventual, seismic level shake up.

I am an idealist. I believe in the United States and its potential. I also am acutely aware of its self destructive tendencies and bouts of careless behavior. I would rather we be the country with huge swaths of scenic beauty, the ability to explore the cosmos, and a leader in diplomacy, peace, and social progress...than the militaristic, polluting, barely disciplined bully of the world.

Of all the candidates, Senator Bernie Sanders is the only one I believe in. Maybe it is my curmudgeon side rearing its head, but it is time to proclaim loudly and forcefully that "The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!" No more billionaires and their Super-PACs. No more wealth funneling to the top 1%. No more denying climate change. No more of going bankrupt because of injury or illness. No more working 2 or 3 jobs and barely surviving. No more pay inequity between men and women. No more massive student load debt just to get a college education.

Things can and should be better. No more bullshit about this is how politics work or how it is not politically feasible. Time to standup and demand that things change.