I VOTED! (see for yourself)

I woke up to a gorgeous West Hollywood sunrise today. My iTunes, on cue, began streaming KCRW as I stretched out of bed to make my morning brew. Waiting for the coffee, i took the time to check my favorite spots online for the latest election coverage and gossip.



Check out dailyKos today if you have a chance. Don't forget Talking Points Memo as you brave the wait today, either. The power and influence of the Internet and the blogging community cannot be underestimated in this election. The sites i mention above have been a powerhouse of information and community -- focusing attention on GOP dirty tricks and providing hope and sustainable tactics for the reality-based engaged community.



Of course when my coffee was ready to drink and my first surf complete, i ran out to the fire escape to ... start my own little fire. I've been kidding myself lately that i would stop smoking if Kerry wins today. That remains to be seen. But it truly may happen. I guess it all depends on the results (hopefully) we get tonight.










I arrived at my polling place in plummer park in west hollywood before 9AM and picked up my ballot. Unlike the touch-screens in Florida and Ohio, my ballot was blank. (did you hear that the e-voting in Florida actually marked 'bush / cheney' on the summary screens of people who almost certainly had chosen kerry / edwards? Be sure to check your summary screen before submitting your vote if you are voting electronically.







Once in the booth ... 1.5 hours later ... i was able to clearly mark my choice for President and Vice President. Let there be no doubt -- I chose John F. Kerry and John Edwards.













Then i happily dropped my ballot into the locked box that will eventually make its way to Sacramento to be counted. Thank goodness California is Blue. I lived in Texas during the 2000 election -- a red state, indeed -- so it was especially gratifying to know my vote was with the blue majority this go-round.







Hope is on the way. Peace be with us.