American Friends Over 18 -- Please Vote.
My sister Marilyn mistressmarilyn and I live in a state that has mail-in ballots for every election. We both voted against that, as we liked the experience of going to the polling place and casting our vote. There was a sense of community and of the sacred right of the voter involved... I'll cherish those memories as long as I live!
For those interested, I just visited Perceval Press. I'm delighted that an actor I already admire for his work -- Viggo Mortensen (of LOTR fame) -- is such an intelligent and caring person. His involvement with PP and Michael Moore (I always say Michael is my god -- and I'm only half joking when I say that) is incredible.
In fact, Viggo was in Columbus, Ohio with Michael on October 30, and gave an amazingly good speech... (When I went to PP I realized that some of the speech is actually there!)
Marilyn and I just got done talking briefly on the phone, where we both remarked on what an intelligent man Viggo is...
My sister Sue has borrowed my three fave mags that have interviews on Michael contained in them (including both "Playboy" and "The Rolling Stone"). She's had them for ages! She'd better not misplace them, because I want them back...
Viggo's been going around the country and appearing with Michael at a number of places -- and heavily pimping "Fahrenheit 911." (Damn, I haven't seen it yet, believe it or not. But MM and I finally did see "Bowling for Columbine" some time back. It was amazing.)
I have our ballots here waiting for when Marilyn gets off work tonight. We figure the closest we can come to going to the polls is to hand-deliver our ballots on November 2. There are several places where we can drop them off prior to 8 p.m.
Because we haven't yet had our ballots received and counted, we get constant phone calls reminding us to vote. Yesterday the Oregon Democratic Committee called us for the fifth time in the past week! I went off a little with the man, though I told him I admired what he was doing. We've had flyers on the door and people going door to door and phone calls like you wouldn't believe...
Measure 36 here is a 'one man, one woman' initiative -- or basically 'let's take away all the rights from any same-gender couples' thing. I don't suppose I need to say where we stand on that one, do I? I was talking again about our online friend Peter greyday and his boyfriend/partner Ryan ryan_beaches -- and their two kids (PJ, 13 and Caitlin, 3). The arguments in 'favor' of 36 go off on how a family can only be a father and mother (opposite gender parents). That just makes me see red! I'm going to hate it if 36 passes...
Marilyn and I live in a very 'blue collar' neighborhood -- and there are Kerry signs and 'no on 36' signs everywhere you look, basically...
We attended a funeral/memorial service on Halloween in the afternoon. The woman who died was clearly amazing -- we didn't really know her, but are friends of her husband. She loved politics and was active in them her entire life, loved to sing and dance and still performed in a seniors performing group (and was going to have to be replaced for her upcoming "Let Me Entertain You" performance on November 11!). I could go on and on, seeing as people said wonderful things about her...
She was a Republican and involved in the Right to Life movement.
Many of the people there were Republicans, actually.
As we were headed home, Marilyn said something about leaving Bush country and heading for Kerry land... (smile)
We reflected that it's still easy to both like and love people who don't share your political (and/or religious) views...
It's raining cats and dogs here. Nasty as can be. Ugh. I mean pouring down rain! I need to go out shopping in this muck later.
Oh, yeah! We only had 77 kids on Halloween this year! It's less every single year, I swear. Sue couldn't come by because she had to work (and didn't get back from Hood River -- long drive -- until past 11:00!), so it was just the two of us...