election day

November Inspired

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(c)2025
(c)2025

These leaves, the first before I voted, and the second, after stuck with me throughout the day. I ignored pundits. I ignored mainstream media. I ignored social media. And in the end, for the most part the inspiration held.

Blue.

Blue.

Blue.

From Pennsylvania to Mississippi to Georgia, even to Florida.

In 364 days, change is coming, and there is nothing the corrupt, the sychophant, the traitorous, the racist can do about it.

We will take back our democracy.

Tomorrow, I’ll share with you some of those people doing the work for democracy, for our future, and for our children.

See you tomorrow.

Friday Food – – Food for Thought

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What food goes with fascism? Autocracy?

Will eggs be cheaper? No, they won’t. Gas? That’s a big NOPE on that, too. Peace in Gaza? Hah! But those are subjects for another post.

I’ll hope to have more useful things to say about the next two years of American politics. In the meantime, join me as I look towards the comfort foods of my childhood.

Tonight, we had roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas for dinner.

I’m looking forward this week to baked sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, Chinese take-out, an egg bagel with cream cheese, quite possibly a knishe, and a Diet Coke. Not all at the same meal.

Potato Pancakes with applesauce & sour cream.
(c)2024

Who Are You People?

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My friend posted this on Threads. I scrolled past it because I wasn’t ready. I was still living in Schroedinger’s Democracy. I have questions about yesterday’s outcomes. Tomorrow I will go through all my emails and unsubscribe from every news organization that I feel betrayed the American values we purported to share. These include The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, Politico, possibly a few of the Crooked Media podcasts among others that helped heave us into this cesspool of apathy and antisemitism.

Another thread that I want to share came from “OhNoSheTwint” who wrote, “It wasn’t ‘but her emails;’ it was ‘but they’re females.'”

I sat with my friend’s simple, heartbreaking post. I went into my daughter’s room to watch her sleep. She was also in Schroedinger’s Democracy up until the point from her very first vote just over twenty-four hours before to when her eyes opened, and I watched her groggy and yawning and innocently unknowing, and I kissed her head and I went out and brought back bagels.

On the drive, with the window down and the cool air blowing, a litany came to me.

  • Women’s Rights. It is finished.
  • Equality. It is finished.
  • Protecting women and girls from predators. It is finished.
  • Rule of law. It is finished.
  • Department of Education. It is finished.
  • Safe school. It is finished.
  • Climate Progress. It is finished.
  • Voting rights. It is finished.
  • Public safety. It is finished.
  • Separation of church and state. It is finished.
  • Freedom of religion. It is finished.
  • Freedom from religion. It is finished.
  • Freedom of the press. It is finished.
  • Freedom of Assembly. It is finished.
  • The Right to an Education. It is finished.
  • Learning history. It is finished.
  • Social security and medicare. It is finished.
  • Standing up to Jewish hate. It is finished.
  • Facts matter. It is finished.
  • America. After two hundred forty-eight years, it is finished.

It is finished.

Mental Health Monday – Election Edition

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Whatever happens (or doesn’t happen) tomorrow and in the following weeks, once you’ve cast your vote, there isn’t anything left to do. Settling into that in-between time between when the polls open and when the President-Elect is announced can be fraught with anxiety and worry. I feel it, too.

I’m going to vote first thing in the morning with my final first-time voter child, have an unhealthy breakfast (probably McDonald’s), drop my other child off at work, and then go to work myself, and then I’m going to let it go until I catch up to Rachel Maddow in the evening.

We planned our dinner around watching the returns, but my plan is to remain in a neutral frame of mind. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the outcome – I care very much, but it will be out of my hands, and I need to hope that everyone understood the assignment.

My advice to anyone who’s very anxious is to turn off the television and do something else. You will know when it’s time to come back to the news. Read a book. Drink water. Watch a rom-com or another favorite genre. I may hit up the Supernatural reruns because they soothe me. What soothes you? Use it.

And tomorrow, we’ll see what the world wants to tell us.

Peace.

Election Connection – 12 Days

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We can do this!

We’re Not Going Back! (c)2024

In our house, we have a first time voter! We are very excited to have her vote for HER rights and who we hope will be the FIRST WOMAN President.

In 12 days, she, her father, and I will walk together into our polling place and watch her “pull the lever” for Democracy. She knows the issues; she knows what’s at stake, and she’s ready to add this civic duty to her growing list of growing up milestones, following graduation from high school, getting a driver’s license and buying herself a car, and working in her chosen field.

We are so proud of all of our kids who are choosing their ways through life, and we are proud that they all know that equal rights are for everyone, and civil rights are human rights.

Take the responsibility and the privilege and go out and vote on November 5, and let’s turn this country around.

BRING THE JOY!

Election Connection: The Fight Starts Now

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We have 301 days until Election Day.

This seems like a long time but judging by last week’s Meet the Press where Hide-in-Plain-Sight Insurrectionist Barbie from NY’s 21st spouted lies and didn’t answer direct questions, we have a lot of work cut out for us. For one thing, anyone calling the January 6th defendants “hostages” is not a serious person and should be viewed as an accessory after the fact. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson having prayer sessions on the House floor is inappropriate and unacceptable. And these two examples are minor things compared to threats against our representatives and democracy as well as recent swatting terror acts.

Start by speaking out. When your representative does something right, call their office and let them know. If they question how a vote should go, call and email. Offer your opinion on what the right thing to do is.

Know your sources.

I have left Twitter for Threads, but there are bad actors there also. Before reposting misinformation, do some due diligence. There has been so much misinformation about the Israel-Hamas War that by the time the truth comes out, no one remembers. Hamas is a terrorist organization that uses the Palestinian people as shields and cannon fodder while their leaders live like billionaires in other Arab countries. Defeat Hamas; then rebuild. This is a war that Hamas started (during a ceasefire by the way).

We also cannot ignore the onslaught against women’s rights and bodily autonomy. Women are not second-class citizens. We are half the population, and we should be treated with the respect that is due to us. We should not be relegated to incubators who are left to die because men in power don’t understand biology and doctors care more about legal ramification than their oaths to heal.

Women are dying, partly due to misogynistic laws being passed by ignorant men in power, and a religious fascism that thinks their way is the only way. We are a multi-cultural, multi-faith society where everyone’s beliefs should be accepted. Laws should not be made on one religion, especially when it violates others’ freedom of religious expression.

Pay attention to the small things because the small things are not so small.

Check your voter registration and make sure the information is correct.

Sign up for updates from Vote Save America. They need all our help.

Sign up for Democracy Docket. Attorney Marc Elias is on the forefront of litigating election cases and has been for years.

This upcoming election is one that no one can afford to sit out.

Election Connection will appear as needed and when things arise that need to be addressed. Next month, I will provide other recs of people who are fighting for all of us and are reliable with the information they offer.

Do you ever ask yourself why after Republicans spend and offer huge giveaways to the rich it is up to the Democrats to fix things? Then they do, and Republicans come back and destroy it again. Why do we let that continue to cycle? Teachers can’t deduct a pack of crayons, but the wealthy can deduct the gas from a private jet. Where is the justice? Where is the fairness?

One more reminder: Voting third party or not voting is a vote AGAINST democracy. President Biden is the only candidate that can guarantee the continuation of free and fair elections.

The only poll that matters is November 5, 2024.

There is much to be done before that day.

Election Day is November 5, 2024.

Election Connection – Women’s Rights Today

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Today marks 134 days before the next Election Day, and 500 days until the next Presidential Election Day. It seems like a very far time away, but it really isn’t. It will be here before we know it. It is also not too early to become familiar with your local elections and issues happening that will be addressed on the next two Election Days.

Our voting numbers in this country are abysmal. I know we want to represent freedom, and you should have the freedom to decide whether or not you want to vote. However, that should come with a dreading realization that with your one vote, you can change how things are done in this country. Look at Michigan. I am personally for a national day off for voting and automatic registration at 18 as well as requiring all those eligible to vote. We are still using a Presidential election system built on slavery and proportioning electoral college votes on land rather than on people.

How does this affect women’s rights, the presumptive focus of this missive?

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Election Connection – Year End Wrap

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What a Year from Vote Save America

Let’s look at the list of the races we were following here for the 2022 Election, and see how we fared:

  • Senate Races
  • AZ – Mark Kelly
  • CO – Michael Bennet
  • CT – Richard Blumenthal
  • FL – Val Demmings
  • GA – Rev. Raphael Warnock
  • HI – Brian Schatz
  • NH – Maggie Hassan
  • NV – Catherine Cortez-Masto
  • NY – Chuck Schumer
  • OH – Tim Ryan
  • PA – John Fetterman
  • WA – Patty Murray
  • WI – Mandela Barnes
  • Also, keep an eye on Iowa and Kentucky
  • House of Representatives
  • AK – Mary Peltola
  • MI – Elissa Slotkin
  • NY – Matt Castelli
  • NY – Sean Maloney
  • VA – Abigail Spanberger
  • Governors
  • CA – Gavin Newsom
  • CO – Jared Polis
  • FL – Charlie Crist
  • GA – Stacey Abrams
  • MI – Gretchen Whitmer
  • NY – Kathy Hochul
  • PA – Josh Shapiro
  • TX – Beto O’Rourke
  • Mayor
  • Los Angeles – Karen Bass

Looks like the majority of them won their races. Beto and Tim Ryan were close. We need to keep pushing in Ohio and Texas. In that endeavor, follow Olivia Julianna on Twitter (while there’s still a twitter). She is a Gen Z political activist, doesn’t back down, and speaks her mind.

Have we learned anything from the last several years?

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