Month: November 2012

Boy, winter sure came early

Mark Twain had a lot of wonderful witty things to say about New England weather, and the most relevant  (and true) for today would certainly be this one, from a speech he gave in 1876:

One of the brightest gems in the New England weather is the dazzling uncertainty of it.

Oh, boy, is he so right.  Although the cold and rain was predicted, as was the high winds, I don’t think anyone thought that we would have any appreciable snow here in Boston today, and yet we got enough to turn the roads into quite a slushy mess.

Continue reading “Boy, winter sure came early”

I voted, and so should you

Today is election day here in America.  If you have not yet voted the polls are open until 8:00pm local time.  I was heartened to see that my polls were not only busy, they were busy with people of every age, every color, and that the poll attendants had already run out of the “I Voted” stickers.  (I love those stickers.)

If you are voting in a swing state or a place where funny things sometimes happen at the polls (Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania come to mind) here is what you need to know about finding your polling place, necessary ID, reporting voting fraud, etc.

It is your duty as a citizen of this country to get out there and vote.  It is also, for some of us, a hard fought right.  Women got the right to vote in 1920, the year my grandmother was born.  For those of you paying attention, we’ll celebrate the centenary anniversary of that achievement 8 years from now.

Don’t sit this one out, get out there and make the most of that right.  VOTE.

The following was provided by Ultraviolet.org

What You Need to Know for Election Day, November 6, 2012

 How to find your polling place: 

Questions or problem at the polls?

  • Election Protection is a nonpartisan coalition of 150 organizations dedicated to making sure everyone can exercise their right to vote. If you have a problem at the polls on Election Day, or if you just need to find your polling place or have a question, you can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE, or download their smart phone app at the links above. 

What to bring to the polls:

Some states require specific forms a voter ID; some don’t. Here are a few resources to find out what you need to bring:

What’s on my ballot? 

  • Check out November6th.org to find out what’s on your ballot. Just enter your address, and you will be able to see what’s on your ballot, from ballot measures and local races to the national level. 

The resources above should answer most questions for most people. If you can’t find an answer online or with the apps provided, your best bet is to call 1-866-OUR-VOTE or your state election official.

——————————————————————

If you’re going to vote near closing time, bring a book and a bottle of water.  If you’re on the premises before they shut the doors then they have to let you vote.  Similarly, your employer has to allow you unpaid time to vote today.  Make time to do this.  It really is important, the future of our country is at stake.

Thank you in advance.

~Kelly

Autumn in New England

My favorite season is autumn, especially here in New England.  I love walking and hiking in autumn, when the trees are turning and the weather is just perfect for being outside.  And in the fall you have all these wonderful holidays, one after another.  This year is a bit different because we are working so much, and so many holidays will be work days for us.  Working for a church as I do means that most big holidays are work days.  Even Thanksgiving.  Still, I love fall, and I will try to take advantage of the season when I can.

-Geoff

Election season is almost over (hopefully)

Kelly and I have been getting phone calls from different pollsters and phone banks and so we are just avoiding them as much as possible.  Thank God for caller ID.  I love the people who block their number so “000-000-0000” shows up.  Who in their right mind would answer that?

Anyway, here’s a public service announcement from Chris Rock that is geared towards undecided white voters.

-Geoff