I'm wearing my lucky scarf and I'm not ashamed

My nerves are about shot to hell. I've been watching CNN continuously for about four hours, occassionally switching to the local NBC affiliate to catch up on elections around here, and, I'm not gonna lie, sometimes switching the channel to Sex and the City or Friends so I don't go completely crazy. Right now I'm watching The Daily Show (live) so I'm still watching election coverage (kind of) but at least I'm laughing.

Right now Bush has 186 votes and Kerry has 112. I'm trying not to freak out too much, mainly because there are still a lot of states up for grabs. Ohio being one of them.

I'm really disappointed in some of my fellow Ohioans for voting to pass Issue One. Issue One is the bullshit amendment that says only a man and a woman can be married. I didn't realize so many people in Ohio were so ignorant. True, I don't think it's totally decided yet, but I honestly thought it didn't have a chance in hell to pass.

I think I'll be up all night, glued to the TV. I'm OK with this. I just hope there's a clear cut winner by tomorrow morning.

I'll be honest. If Bush wins, I plan on throwing a tantrum of gargantuan proportions. People in California will hear my cursing. I'm not kidding. I'm just forewarning everyone, because if he wins there will be entry after entry on this blog bitching and moaning about the result. I never said I would accept defeat graciously. On the other hand, if Kerry wins, there will be much gloating and many, many exclamation points. And probably some Bush-bashing.

So, don't say I didn't warn you.

down to the wire

I just voted. I walked to the polling place, right up the street, feeling ready for battle. All the nightmares about my name not being on the list were coming to a head. Because of all the Republicans trying to challenge voters in Ohio, I was ultra-paranoid and armed with my voter's card, my license, my social security card, and my Witt student ID. Too be honest, I almost wanted someone to challenge me. I kept imagining different scenarios, many ending with me kicking one of the poll workers in the balls.

When I got to the polls, however, there were no people passing out pamphlets, no protestors, and no challengers. Instead, a grandmotherly type pointed me to my precinct (there was no line), I signed next to my name, and took my ballot.

I placed my ballot in the slot, opened the book, and started stabbing through the ballot with extreme glee. There'd be no hanging chads on my watch. After all the news stories about lawsuits around here, I'm in no mood for Ohio to become the next Florida.

As I handed in my ballot, I breathed a sigh of relief. All I can do now is hope for the best. I'll be glued to CNN, nervous and excited, until all the results are in.

I've done all I can.

And I even got a sticker.

why are you sitting there?

GET OUT AND VOTE!

remarkable restraint

Tonight, as my parents and I were on our way to visit my grandpa, we passed a busy intersection. There was a crowd of people on the two corners, waving Bush/Cheney signs. I rolled my window down and stuck my hand out, preparing to make a hand gesture. Seeing this, my Republican father started to roll the window up with the master control, trapping my arm outside.

I'd just like to point out that the hand gesture I was about to make was a 'thumbs down.' I was not going to start waving my middle finger at the misguided people on the street, no matter how much I really wanted to.

What to do on Election Day

From the NY Times:

1. Know where to go. In many states, you will not be allowed to vote if you show up at the wrong polling place. Worse still, you may be given a provisional ballot to vote on that will later be thrown out. Your board of elections can tell you where to vote. If you can't reach the board, a nonpartisan hotline, 1-866-OURVOTE, has a polling place locator. So does the Web site www.mypollingplace.com.

2. Bring proper ID. The rules vary by state. If you have a photo ID, it's wise to bring it, just in case. Too often, poll workers demand ID when it is not required, or demand the wrong ID. If you do not know the law in your jurisdiction, you should check your local board of elections Web site.

3. Review the sample ballot before voting. Ballots are often confusing, and their designs can change considerably from election to election. And as the infamous "butterfly ballot" showed in 2000, a poorly designed ballot can trick voters into choosing a candidate they did not intend. If you have questions about how to vote on your ballot, ask a poll worker or poll monitor for help.

4. Check your ballot before finalizing your vote. As we saw in 2000, if punch card chads are not punched out precisely, votes may not be counted. On electronic machines, a brush of the hand can erase or change a vote. On paper ballots, stray or incomplete marks can disqualify a vote.

5. Know your rights concerning provisional ballots. No voter can be turned away in any state this year without being allowed to vote. If there is a question about your eligibility, you must be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot, the validity of which will be determined later. But if you are entitled to vote on a regular ballot, you should insist on doing so, since a provisional ballot may be disqualified later on a technicality.

6. Know where to turn for help. If you experience problems voting, or if you see anything improper at the polls, you may want to get help. There will be nonpartisan poll monitors at many polling places. (There may also be partisan poll watchers, and it's possible one of them may be the person objecting to your voting.) It is a good idea to bring a cellphone, and phone numbers of nonpartisan hotlines like the Election Protection program's 1-866-OURVOTE and Common Cause's 1-866-MYVOTE1.

7. Be prepared for long lines. In some precincts, the wait may stretch into hours. Try to get to your polling place very early in the morning, or between the before-work and after-work rushes. As long as you are in line before the polls close, you are legally entitled to vote. Do not let poll workers close the polls until you have voted.

uh-oh

Launchcast and I just had our first fight (I know, already) because it tried to play William Hung.

I don't know if I should be angry at Launchcast for playing it, or at myself for picking some artist that made Launchcast think I'd want to hear it.

NaNoWriMo

Today is the start of National Novel Writing Month. I started my novel exactly at midnight because, as I think we've all fully established, I am a huge dork.

I wrote a little over 1,000 words in a little over an hour. I'm not saying any of these words combine to make anything good, but still, it's a start. So far, I haven't let myself go back and reread or revise anything I've written. Which, let me tell you, is a BIG step for me because I like to obsessively edit everything I write.

My goal is to write at least 1,667 words a day, because then I'll have 50,000 words by the end of the month, even if they're all really crappy words.

I could probably sit here all night, armed with my caffeine and my Launchcast radio station. How awesome is Launchcast? Why didn't anyone tell me about this before? It's like Tivo (as I understand it) for radio junkies. I love how I can rate what I like, and then Launchcast will play songs it thinks I'll like. Thank you, Launchcast! You are my new best friend.

Ok, I think I'm going to go read for a while and hope the caffeine burns off soon so I can get some sleep.