Earlier this week Stefan, Ryan and I somehow ended up in Colorado with the Bunny and Pat Milbery. Ryan is going to write a full story later but in the mean time here is a sneak preview of the action. Huge love to Pat and Reed for showing us such a good time. Photos courtesy of Mano from the Midwest.

All About (B)Us

Get on the Bus

Put yourself on a bus full of young people and experience first-hand the revival of hope and energy in Washington politics. It’s not just any bus, of course. It’s the Washington Bus. And on any given Saturday it rolls into a town somewhere in our state, full of volunteers eager to work for positive change. The Bus provides a platform for young people to make their voices heard on issues that speak directly to our shared values: health, education, fairness, peace and prosperity.

This spirit of civic engagement is turning an unresponsive system into something that reflects the values of young people all around Washington. The Bus is developing leaders by helping them catch the buzz that comes from making a difference. Believe it. Or, better yet, be a part of it. Donate your time and skill. Contribute cash to help the Bus make stops in every corner of our state. Get on board and exact change!

Young people power

Don’t let statistics about youth voting fool you into believing that younger Americans don’t care about their future or their world. Roughly 40 percent of today’s 15- to 25-year olds volunteer in their communities. With all that competes for their time, that’s a very hopeful number.

The Bus exists to inject some of what is found in other volunteer opportunities into politics: fun, friends, festivity and the sense that everyone matters.

And it makes a huge difference: when 60 Washington Bus volunteers drop in on a county council race that has never seen so much support, the energy is palpable. And that feeling builds on itself. People who start the day as volunteers end it as agents of change. We see it happening. It’s magic.

www.washingtonbus.org

Jasen Rolfe is alive and well in NYC. He took some time out to drink cobra blood in Bali this summer which is the new “it” thing to do. Now he’s the lead singer of a death metal band. Here’s the proof.

Where