2012 Election Day Soundtrack

The post below was originally written in on Election Day 2008. The sentiments I felt that day, I still feel today. In fact, if anything, I'm more optimistic about our future now than I was then.

I have no idea what will happen today. I don't know how people will vote. I hope Nate Silver of 538 is right and that President Obama is re-elected. No matter what happens, I hope we can come together as a country and remember that we're all one and we're in this together.

Make sure you vote and listen to some good music.

We Take Care Of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen

I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas


Good Life by One Republic

Simply the Best by Tina Turner


I Feel Good by James Brown


I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff


Election Day Soundtrack! 
(originally published 11/4/08)

Yesterday as I was running some errands and stuck in my car for about 45 minutes, I kept switching radio stations (I'm bad with the TV remote too). Every station I landed on had motivating, uplifting, and hopeful music. As I drove around on this beautiful 70+ degree sunny early November day (that NEVER happens in Chicago), I couldn't help but sense the hope in the air. The whole world just feels different.

So as we end our Long National Nightmare, I think we need a soundtrack.

Enjoy!

Yes We Can by Will.I.Am


Beautiful Days by U2


One (Live in Chicago, 2005) by U2


Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls


Big Country


Only In America by Brooks & Dunn


Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours by Stevie Wonder


Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) by Fleetwood Mac

Tuesday's To Do List: VOTE

I don't care what you think you have to get done today. There is only one thing you really need to do.

Seriously. You must vote.

Don't tell me that your boss won't give you the time off. Most states, but not all (and what is wrong with those states that don't) make it illegal for your boss to deny you time off to vote. Click that link to find out what the requirements are in your state.

The lines may be long so be prepared. Take a folding chair so you're not standing the whole time. If the weather is iffy, take an umbrella and dress appropriately. Take snacks and water. Take a book. Be prepared to wait. Whatever you do, do NOT get out of line once you're in it. Have a back-up plan to pick up your kids in case you're in line to vote. Better yet, go vote right after you drop your kids off at school. As long as you're in line before the poll closes, they have to let you vote.

Don't tell me your vote doesn't matter because Obama (or Romney) is going to win your state anyway. 537 votes determined the outcome in Florida in 2000. Have you heard of the "down ballot races"? Those are the races for Congress, Senate, your State House races and Governor races, county races, referendum issues, judges. Those races matter more to your daily life than the President. Trust me.

Don't tell me you don't know where to vote. The Googles has you covered. This is cool. Just type in your address and it will tell you the location of your polling place (and get you directions), but it will also tell you all the races on your ballot.

Leave for work super early and vote. And don't forget to ask for your "I Voted" sticker. Trust me, I will wear mine with pride.

Just vote.

And if anyone tries to intimidate you into not voting, take action. Voter intimidation and voter suppression is a big f'ing deal. Thanks to my blog buddies Dr. Monkey Hussein Monkenstein and Katie Schwartz for the heads up about the FBI Voter Intimidation Hotline. Put the number in your cell phone, even if you think you won't need it. Especially then.

And if you choose not to vote, please don't talk for the next four years.

Are You Ready for Election Night?

If you're anything like me, you're busy getting ready for Election Night. You've got all your Tuesday night chores done in advance. Dinner is pre-made or you've already placed your delivery order.  All errands are run. Your inner circle knows not to call. The wine is chilled. You've got your Electoral Map ready to be colored in. And your red and blue crayons are sharpened.

What?

You don't have a blank Electoral Map ready to be colored? You don't have your crayons ready for Tuesday night?

Not to worry. You've got time to remedy that Election Night planning failure. LMS has your back. Just print out the Electoral Map below and steal borrow your kids' red and blue crayons. With any luck, you'll really only need the blue one.
 

Why I'm Voting for Obama Reason #7,972

Memo to the GOP: You don't own me.



From You Don't Own Me PSA.

Your Vote IS Your Voice. Make It Count. Be Heard.

Warning: I'm going to get on my soapbox about voting. You've been warned.

Tuesday is Election Day.

I know many of you say you hate politics. You hate it because of the backstabbing, lying, highly questionable ethical practices, lack of ability to work together by politicians of different parties, and general negativity that seems to be inherent in our political system today. Oh, and the fact that campaigns seem to start the day after the elections without ever giving elected officials to do their jobs. I get it. I truly do.

The way our country practices politics is disgusting. Much like watching sausage being made, I imagine.

But here's the thing: We have this elected form of government and our elected officials make decisions on our behalf that effect our lives everyday and the only way we can influence the decisions they make is to VOTE.

There are many special interest groups (i.e., PACs) and wealthy people (e.g., the Koch brothers) who would use their money and influence to get politicians to do their bidding and don't care about the effects on the majority of Americans. When we don't vote, those special interest groups win. When they win, we lose.

What do we lose? Good question.

When the special interests win, we lose funding for education and FEMA. Ask your friends and family in New Jersey, New York and New Orleans about the importance of FEMA. We lose bank regulations and consumer protections. We lose environmental protections. Social Security and Medicare are at risk.  Our country's infrastructure suffers. Health care for women and children suffers. This is just a small list of what we lose when special interests win.

If you care about these things, the loudest way your voice is heard is when you vote. And if you think your vote doesn't matter, I'd like to remind you of the 2000 presidential election. Not only did it go down to the wire, it went past the wire. 537 votes separated the vote totals in Florida. What would have happened if another 540 voters went to the polls and voted for Al Gore? We'll never know.

You simply must vote. You owe it to yourself, to your elderly parents, to your kids, to your future grandchildren. You owe it to all the women around the world who are denied the ability to vote simply because they are women. You owe it to all the people who died fighting to ensure everyone of every race and gender in the United States was allowed to vote.

I know that there are many organizations trying to deny people the right to vote this elections. Voter suppression efforts have been widely covered in the news. The best way to fight voter suppression efforts is to vote. Show those groups that no matter how difficult it is on Tuesday, your vote matters to you and you won't be deterred by their fear of your vote.

Your vote is your voice. Make it count. Be heard.

2012 LMS Presidential Endorsement: President Barack Obama

After much deliberation (about when to release my endorsement), I have decided to announce my endorsement for President of the United States tonight.

Now before I tell you my pick in the 2012 election, I want you to know that my choice isn't perfect. Actually, no one is perfect. In the past four years, President Obama has made some decisions I disagreed with and put forward some policies I have felt didn't go far enough. 

Four years ago, it's no secret that I was in love with President Obama. I believed in Hope and Change. Four years later, I still am in love with President Obama and I wholeheartedly believe in Hope and Change. 

Sarah Palin rhetorically asked a couple of years ago, "How's that Hope and Change thing workin' for ya?" Well, I have to tell you, I think it's worked out pretty damn well.

We've had 31 consecutive months of job growth and 5.2 million new private sector jobs. The October Jobs Report will come out in the morning. Everyone expects it to be another month of positive job growth.

Obamacare. The GOP has attempted to make the term some derogatory slur. It's not. Thanks to Obamacare, I can never be denied insurance for a pre-existing condition and possessing a uterus is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance until their mid-20s allowing them to pursue dreams without jeopardizing their futures. Insurance companies are required to spend at least 80% of insurance premiums on actual insurance benefits or send out refunds. I didn't receive a refund this year, but I know quite a few people who did. President Obama is also firmly behind the idea that women should control their own bodies and make decisions that are best for them and their families. If the right to control my our own bodies isn't enough to vote for President Obama and all Democrats, I don't know what is.

Nine words: Osama Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive. 

Oh, and Chrysler is not pulling out of Michigan and Ohio in favor of taking all their Jeep production to China. They're expanding to build Jeeps in China that will be sold in China. There's a big difference. My tax dollars helped build that.

The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill to be signed into law by President Obama, gives women more freedom to fight back against pay discrimination. I think it says a lot about a President when his first major piece of legislation is to help bring equality to half our population.

DODT is no more and POTUS endorses marriage equality.

Fuel efficiency and clean energy alternatives are a priority to President Obama because he believes in leaving a healthy planet for future generations.

President Obama ended the war in Iraq. The war that was started based on a bunch of lies by his predecessor, by the way.

Middle class tax cuts that resulted in an average savings of $3,600 for typical families over the past four years.

He doubled funding for Pell Grants. That's a big damn deal. I had Pell Grants when I was in college. Today, I'm a successful, home owning, tax paying woman earning more than I could without that education.

That's a very small list at what President Obama has done. I believe that in the next four years, he can accomplish far more that will move the country forward for everyone, not just the top 1%. 

So to answer Sarah Palin's question about Hope and Change, it's working quite nicely for us, thank you. We are far better off than we were four years ago. And I'm fully committed to the path President Obama is taking us down. I know that when he's given another four years in office, President Obama will lead us to full recovery.

Therefore, without reservation, Little Merry Sunshine endorses President Barack Obama for a second term as President. As I said on October 27, 2008, 

If you're reading my blog and still undecided, I ask you to think about the kind of country you want to leave for your children and grandchildren. If you believe in equal pay for women, that health care is a right not a privilege, that women have a fundamental right to control their own bodies, that all people absolutely are created equal, that sometimes more gets accomplished by sitting down face to face than with the "either you're with us or against us" approach, that the politics of fear don't work, that every American deserves equal opportunity, and that government should do that which we cannot do for ourselves, then you owe it to yourself and future generations to vote for Obama.

Now if you're still undecided, I don't know what to say to you. Watch the videos below and then go vote for President Barack Obama.

Oh, and in case you're curious, yes, Sammy and Zoey are Demo-CATS and fully support President Obama.

LMS Halloween PSA: The Guide to Trading Candy

We've all been there. We come home from Trick or Treating and someone (usually a sneaky sibling) wants to trade some of their craptastic candy for some of our kick-ass candy. But we worked hard, mapping out which houses gave full-size Snickers, changing costumes so we could go back multiple times, and suffering through wind and rain for our award-winning stash and there's no way we want to trade candy, right?

Don't be too fast to answer that question. You know that if you dig down deep into your bag of Trick or Treating Loot, you'll find some less than desirable candy that you'd happily trade.

Before you trade, know the rules so you can work the system in your favor. Watch this video and then get ready for some serious Trick or Treating. Also remember this: stealing candy from your kids is bad, but trading candy with your kids is good. Just know the rules.

You Gotta Ba-Rack the Vote!

CJ Cregg said it best, so I'm just gonna let her speak . . .

Early voting is open in many places. Go vote. Go vote NOW. Don't know where to vote or how to vote early? No problem.

Oh, and if you live in the path of Hurricane Sandy, GO VOTE NOW. Really. Remember how the Halloween Nor'easter paralyzed parts of the East Coast last year leaving many without power for more than a week? Imagine that happening just before the election. Tons of hurricane damage. No power. What would happen to your ability to vote on November 6th if you were cleaning up from a massive hurricane? Go vote now and you won't have to worry.

If you think your vote doesn't count, I remind you of the 2000 election. That was decided by just over 500 votes in Florida. But if Gore had won a couple of other states, Florida wouldn't have matter.

This election is a big f'ing deal, so go vote.

Nana Visited Me Again

Yes, I know that sounds a bit crazy, but let me explain.

Two weeks ago, my mom, dad and I went to Crystal Beach to finish cleaning out Nana's house because we had just put it on the market and I wanted to be able to finish that project on my schedule, not a buyer's schedule. Plus, I thought it would sell better if it was empty. Oh, yes, you read that correctly. BOTH of my parents, who have been divorced for 30 years, went to Florida together to help me with this chore. But that's not what we're here to discuss.

One of the "must do's" while we were in Crystal Beach was to attend Sunday morning church at Crystal Beach Community Church. As a reminder, my step-grandfather was the first minister at CBCC, Nana was the second member of the church, the pews in the church are there due to Nana's efforts and sizable donation after my real grandfather died in 1961, my mom grew up in the church, my parents were married there in 1970, and I was baptized there in 1971.

As always, we sat in Nana's pew. It's actually the pew that has the plaque with my grandfather, Jesse Paulk's name on it, but I always refer to it as Nana's pew. It's the fifth pew from the front on the right side. I suppose there are other pews to sit in, but I've never sat in them. Ever.

Growing up, I remember attending church with Nana each Sunday when we visited. It wasn't optional. We just went. Nana never missed a Sunday and we never missed a Sunday with her. Without fail, at some point during the church service, she'd always reach over and take my hand. She'd wrap her little hand around mine and just hold it as long as I'd let her. Sometimes she'd pull my hand onto her lap and pat my hand with her free hand as she held it.

Nana's been gone for 3 1/2 years and in that time, I don't think I've ever felt her presence. I've seen her in dreams, but I've never felt her presence. Until that day two weeks ago.

The first hymn on Sunday was "Lord, I Want to be a Christian." As I was standing and attempting to sing along, I could see Nana and suddenly felt her presence. On my left side, I felt her right hand wrap around my left one. I could feel the softness of her skin, the delicateness of her hand, and the warmth and coolness that always permeated from her skin simultaneously.

My eyes welled up with tears, as I tried to subtly wipe them away. Needless to say, it didn't work. I spent most of the ceremony crying.

I cried because I miss Nana and because it was the last time I'll ever be in Crystal Beach. It was the last time I'll ever be in the only church I've ever felt comfortable in. Three and a half years after her death, it all felt really real and final and I just kept thinking about how soon, there would be no one in Crystal Beach who remembered her and it would be as though she never existed. I also cried because I felt guilty for having failed to take care of getting her name on one of the (almost) floor to ceiling windows on each of the walls.

Throughout the service, I couldn't shake the feeling of Nana's hand wrapped around mine. It was comforting as I dealt with the grief I still felt.

After the service was over, I was taking a picture of the plaque on Nana's pew and Mom was explaining the story of the pews to some new church members when the minister walked up to greet me.

The plaque on Nana's pew.

Pastor Susie welcomed me back to church, asked about the house, and then asked if I'd seen Nana's window.

What??? Nana's window?! No. I hadn't seen it.

And then she walked me over to it. Sure enough, there was Nana's name. Exactly as she'd want it.

In an instant, I was sobbing again. The only words I knew to say were "thank you." I can't remember the last time I felt so much gratitude.

I had dropped the ball and not gotten back to the church with how we wanted Nana's name on the window and when we'd be down to dedicate it, but there it was. Nana would never be forgotten. And she really was in church with us that morning, just as she would be forever. And she really held my hand.

The bottom pane of Nana's window.

I'm On My Way to Nana's House and What Do I See?

Remember when you were a kid and your family took long road trips? In between the fighting in the backseat with your brother, you'd play "I'm On My Way to Grandma's House and What Do I See?" Of course you do.

Just in case you don't, the way it worked was you named things you each saw, but you also had to name everything that had been named and you couldn't repeat anything. For example:

Dave: I'm on my way to Grandma's house and I see a car.
Me: I'm on my way to Grandma's house and I see a car and a skunk.
Dave: You did not see a skunk!
Me: Yes I did! I did see a skunk!
Mom: Kids! Don't make me turn this car around!
Dave: I'm on my way to Grandma's house and I see a car, a skunk, and the cop that pulled mom over for speeding. Officer, are you gonna arrest my mom?
Mom: Nobody's getting arrested. Now behave.

Everybody played, right?

Well, today, I'm driving to Nana's house in Florida with my dad. This is the final trip. Ever. Seriously. During the three hours we were in Kentucky, we saw some sights:

• 1 Oscar Mayer Weinermobile
• 1 horse-drawn Amish buggy
• 3 fake dinosaurs encouraging us to visit Dinosaur World
• 1 ambulance hauling a power boat
• 1 M-22 sticker on a car with Kentucky plates
• 2 or 3 "Hell is Real" signs
• 1 mattress by the side of the road (a man-made rest stop, perhaps?)
• 12 airplane wings on the back of 12 tractor-trailers and
• Chester's Chicken to Go at the local Exxon station in Oak Grove, Kentucky

The airplane wings were the most interesting because they had to each be close to 50 feet long and weren't traveling in a caravan. They were each separate with many miles between them. They also each had a police escort.

Imagine my disappointment with Tennessee when we saw nothing of interest. Tennessee, I expect you to do better upon my return in a few days.

Fortunately, Kennesaw, Georgia saved the night by allowing me to do all my Christmas shopping at the local Chevron station.

No need to thank me. It's the least I could do for the people I love. Yes, clearly, it's the very least.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!