I've read some wonderful diaries here written in response to Meteor Blade's request to tell everyone what you do, full of intelligently applied effort.
I represent the other side of activity: I do very little.
No, that isn't false modesty. However, I do far more than nothing, which is what I was doing before I found DailyKos.
Once upon a time, actually not too long ago, my political philosophy was "Don't vote, it only encourages them."
The Bush years changed that. I was a little offended by the paternalistic air to his speeches and actions following 9/11. I needed to mourn, not to shop, for pity's sake. I was appalled by the bloody decision to attack Iraq on flimsy evidence, and after decades of not voting, I came out to vote for Kerry, unenthusiastically but unhesitatingly. One candidate had started a pointless war, and one hadn't. It was an easy choice.
But Kerry lost, largely because of what seemed to me to be a strategy of Don't Make Mistakes, which meant Don't Endorse Anything.
I was completely disgusted, and backed away from politics one more time.
But Bush kept happening. And I kept getting angrier. I don't remember if I found Keith Olbermann first and he led me to DailyKos, or if it were the other way around, but I found both of them within a short period of time, about 3 years ago. I lurked and then I joined.
I've gotten an education here on what politics really means, what a fight it is, always, and on how that doesn't mean pointlessness. I was introduced to the work of George Lakoff, and that was pure magic. I've been introduced to pooties and liveblogs and Cheers and Jeers, and some of the funniest comments ever written. Kos's zest for the battle inspires me, as do the poems of Rsevern and the stories of people who have been fighting the liberal fight for 40 or 50 years.
And I've started to do something.
I call and email my senators regularly to express opinions, praise or disappointment (and I now know who they are!), and it was scary the first time, but not the second. I call my representative and state level reps less regularly, but only because they are more reliable. I do send them donations.
I've donated to Texas School Board candidates, even though I don't live there. I've donated to candidates all over the US. I've sent Christmas cards to my favorite out-of-state progressive legislators (even though most of them turned out to be Jewish, so much for Christmas cards, but I somehow think they understood the urge for what it was, pure gratitude).
I also now use containers instead of plastic bags, and use cloth bags for my groceries, because of environmental diaries I've read here. I no longer leave unneeded equipment plugged in.
I now discuss political issues with conservative people, but without alienating them because I use terms and facts I've learned here, taking to heart advice on how to convince people by using a light touch, appealing to values, and showing respect.
If you do more than I do, thank you.
If you haven't started doing anything yet, take one little step. Call one of your legislators. Throw a little money to someone outside of your area of the country, if you have any to spare, or to a group which works for a good cause. Buy containers and use them.
Doing anything is so much more than doing nothing. If all of us less politically energetic people took one baby step forward into activity, that can be powerful.
Fellow small-side people, what do you do?
(And here's one thing you can do immediately: recommend the BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership diary, to keep that effort going.