If you wouldn't let your parents decide who you date, and if you wouldn't want your high school guidance counselor to pick your career for you, then you might want to reconsider putting blind faith in your elected officials in DC. After all, the stakes are just a teensy bit high there too. The future of the country. And the world. And, you know, stuff like that.

So here's a pop quiz. Can you name your elected officials in DC? Not just the senators, but your representative too. Do you know your rep's name? Do you know your district? If you don't, find out: here for the Senate and here for the House. Then post it in the comments. It'll be an interesting lesson in geography.

Now I'm sure you're wondering: is this just a lesson in point-and-click or, for those of you who already knew (and probably rolled your eyes at me), a moment of self-congratulation? No. Knowing these names and their contact information matters. A heckuva lot.

Want to know an un-secret secret?