Tighten Up!

Yeah, you do the tighten up
Yeah, now
I said, if you can do it now
It sure would be tough
Now look here, come on now
Now make it mellow

Let's tighten it up now
Do the tighten up
Everybody can do it now
So get to it

We're gonna tighten up
Let's do the tighten up
You can do it now
So baby, get to it!

The Issues

KNOW THE ISSUES Know what you are voting for when you stand for Barack Obama. Know that, with the American people supporting our country's future president, we can forge a society that is sustainable. Please look past the fact that sustainability is a trendy word right now, and look at what it really means: bearing the weight of a structure or means of burden.

Everything we do has a cost, in some way, some manner. Whether it's taxes, energy, or education, we as citizens need to balance and moderate what we're TAKING and what we are GIVING. Looking at the philosophy behind Obama's government plans, it will be a boon to all of us to phase out inefficient industries and harmful policies in order to create new business, strengthen communities, and allow for peaceful living.

We need to know the issues and come together for the common good. If you were not one of the 26.3 million that watched the Obama infomercial, here it is...

Dirt off your shoulder

There are often times in my personal and work life, where I start to feel a bit down, a little low, by the actions of other people. A bad review, relationship conflicts, manipulators, someone in my apartment building who not only does not recycle, but then has the nerve to take down the really nice signs (with funny cartoons I drew!) to try and encourage a nicer refuse and sanitation area! I get to feeling blue by these things and I have to remind myself to not be entrenched in playa-hatin' and brush that dirt off my shoulder.

You know, I don't like everything about Jay-Z, and despite my sensitivity to ...uh, er, some of the raw language, I do love "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and the sentiment behind it. BRUSH IT OFF. MOVE ON. BE SMART. TAKE ACTION. Bad review? I take it in stride that it's not how everyone feels. Relationship conflict? I strive to be diplomatic in finding a resolution. Manipulators? Respectfully ignored. Non-recycling neighbor takin' down my posters? I'll put them right back up.

www.FIGHT THE SMEARS.com

"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon -- that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize."

– Barack Obama, June 3, 2008

(I snapped this pic, I think on W.11th Street)

It ain't over, until it's over. There is still so much work to be done. The thrill of victory is just 1 week away. We hear it in the streets, we feel it in our hearts and it's burning in our souls. Together we have successfully registered the most young voters in the history of the modern political process. We called a State Of Emergency on October 3rd at 6:00AM and our culture stood up and recognized the importance of registering millions of voters. From 1st time voters who have just come of age to vote, to those who are participating for the 1st time in the voting process. Your commitment to Change will continue to ring across our America, because we all are in the Right State Of Mind

Where it stands today, we are on the verge of making history, the kind of history that will be apart of our cultures legacy. The kind of history that bridges the gap between race, religion and culture, the kind of history that will ignite a light that shines bright from generation to generation, screaming that our voice does matter and our vote does count. The kind of history that will enable the next generation of leaders to encourage vision, not division, to encourage hope, not hopelessness, to encourage the power of the people, not the power politics of the few.

With only 7 days left before we vote for change, let's hold ourselves accountable and responsible. No more excuses, no more mistakes and no more time to waste. If you have the opportunity to vote early in your state then vote today. If you are voting on November 4th, make preparation today. Bring your family and friends and plan for the party at the poles. Make November 4th the day we celebrate change - The day we celebrate freedom of choice. The day we celebrate power of all people. Lets all come together on November 4th, because it's a family reunion. It's our time and we are all in the Right State Of Mind.

We have 7 days to Vote for Change. 7 days to Vote to Make History. We can not slow down. We can not let up. We must push through to history until the final vote is cast and the last ballot is counted. We can, we must, and we will Make It Happen. Vote Obama/Biden on November 4th.

God Bless,
Diddy
Jay-Z
Mary J. Blige
Kevin Liles

--October 28, 2008 / VIBE.com

Seven Days to Win, Seven Days to Lose

"We can go to the moon, split atoms to power submarines, squeeze profits from a 99 cent hamburger and watch football highlights on cell phones. But the most successful democracy in human history has yet to figure out how to conduct a proper election."

1. The Database Dilemma
Back in Mississippi last March, an election official wrongly purged 10,000 people from the voting rolls — including a Republican congressional candidate — while using her home computer.

2. 'Mickey Mouse' Registrations And Polling-Place Challenges
Republican protesters have started crashing political events in squirrel costumes.

3. Bad Forms
Until the palm beach county butterfly ballot had its 15 minutes of fame, few believed that bad design could determine the fate of the world.

4. The Voting-Machine Fiasco
But in a single, Democratic-leaning county, more than 18,000 voters mysteriously failed to record a selection in the congressional race, an undervote as much as six times the rate of other counties.

5. Unequal Distribution of Resources
While suburban precincts had enough machines so voters didn't have to wait, largely Democratic precincts in Columbus had lines with four-hour waits — often in the rain.

6. New Burdens of Proof
But an explosion in voter-identification laws has raised the prospect that thousands will turn up to vote next month and find themselves turned away.

7. Confusing Rules, Bad Information
Anonymous automated phone calls warn people that they will be arrested at the polls or that their polling places have moved.

7 Things That Could Go Wrong on Election Day
by Michael Scherer from TIME.com

Sounds scary, right? All these things are terrifying, but it doesn't have to happen to YOU. It shouldn't be difficult to vote in this election if you're armed with information and put in a little effort of preparation and planning. And, if you're able, you can also volunteer in many ways and many places, such as at the polls.

Hopefully, The Voter Information Project will help streamline the process to allow every single one of us to be heard.

State and local elections officials can now spend less time and money gathering and sharing voting information. In partnership with a group of state elections officials, the Voting Information Project developed a standard format to easily collect and distribute voting information. Using this open and non-proprietary data format, elections officials can share their voting information securely. Follow the links below or visit About the Project to learn more about how you can help voters get easy access to essential voting information.

Wasssssup! 8 years, 8 days...

Eight years ago...



Tuesday, NOVEMBER 4th!
Vote for CHANGE!

Young Americans

Ah, an oldie but goodie! The availability of this amazing clip of David Bowie and Cher might be the sole reason I love youtube.com. (How many of the songs in the medley can you name?)

And, via the effervescent young North American Cecil Castellucci, I have discovered yet another amazing network of folk who've organized themselves as YA FOR OBAMA.

Maureen Johnson's site is incredible and worth checking out for active participants, info-sharing, breaking news, fan contests, and, if you scroll down a bit on the main page, the fantastic cartoon image FIST BUMP featuring Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln.

Have a fabulous weekend, everybody!

xoxo.

Flickr's Artists for Obama

Need a little pick me up, besides Scotch, in order to deal with the last couple days recent run of news insanity? Check out the Flickr's pool of photos for Artists for Obama!

Steal Back Your Vote

My friend, and extremely talented writer and artist, Brian Wood has been sounding out the call for folks to get involved with Steal Back Your Vote.

There are so many crucial jobs in an election, from what I hope have been inspiring posts to register and get to the election office here at spookoo.com to Wood's efforts to dig in even further to make sure every single ballot counts. Here's what he has to say about the extremely important movement to secure your voice at the polls and in our election:

The Election 12:53 pm October 20th, 2008 They call it the election of a generation, or even of our lifetime. That's likely true, considering what's at stake, so voter repression and list-scrubbing should be something that carries an equal amount of weight and significance, well beyond just Florida in '00 and Ohio in '04. Greg Palast and Bobby Kennedy Jr. have been fighting a pre-emptive fight on this front, and you've probably heard of the comic book you can download about it: http://www.stealbackyourvote.org/ Suffice to say, I support their efforts, and signed on as a sponsor of the project. These guys are the real deal, and deserve a couple bucks of donation in exchange for the comic. At the very least, some reading on Palast's previous efforts, especially the book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy is essential for anyone interested or concerned. thanks, b [Also, taken from http://www.brianwood.com/ BLOG:] The book has art by Ted Rall, Lloyd Dangle, and Lukas Ketner, and I am encouraging everyone to go to www.stealbackyourvote.com and donate something (as little as $1, but I hope more than that) and get the book. I just got done writing a 130-page DMZ story about an American election rife with fraud and suppression and violence, but that’s nothing compared to what goes on in real life, seemingly every time I open a newspaper. This is a CRUCIAL issue, one that Palast has been doggedly fighting for nearly a decade, and your donations can do a bit of good. Samples from the book here. History of Greg Palast’s work here. “The most important investigative reporter of our time” [Tribune Magazine] “The top investigative journalist in the United States is persona non grata in his own country’s media.” [Asia Times.] “Doggedly independent, undaunted by power. His stories bite, they’re so relevant they threaten to alter history” -Chicago Tribune Twisted and maniacal” -Katherine Harris “We hate that sonuvabitch.” -The White House

After you download and read Steal Back Your Vote, go pick up Wood's NORTHLANDERS comic book series, beautifully illustrated by Davide Gianfelice, it's fantastic. Action, romance, and vikings!

ABC's of Jackson Nash

Congratulations are in order for Jackson Nash who completed the 26th letter in his art series, The Peace Alphabet, last Friday for SuperForest.

Jackson is a good compadre of mine, so I have had the great fortune to chat with him as he went on this small journey and sometimes get a peak at his sketchbook. When I saw his first letter-doodle in his sketchbook, I knew he was onto something simple, yet big; amusing yet profound! Something more than a language's word-building blocks, more than an art exercise in ideas, something that ultimately takes these two fundamental means of our creative lives and uses it as a grand projection for our civilization: PEACE.

Bravo bravo bravo, Jack.

To view the entire run, go to The Peace Alphabet

HOPE, North Carolina!

The lovely and talented Hope Larson, author/illustrator of the amazing Chiggers, was one of many magnificent early voters who got out to the voting booth to cast their ballots in North Carolina yesterday!

Election 2008: Close race fuels massive early voting in North Carolina

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is reporting that over 100,000 voters cast ballots yesterday, the first day of early voting in the state.

In that one day, Democrats had the clear advantage:

State Board of Elections data showed that 64 percent of voters who went to the polls Thursday were registered Democrats, while 21 percent of voters were registered Republicans. Another 15 percent were unaffiliated.

The record turnout, especially among Democrats, is being fueled by the sense that, for the first time in decades, North Carolina is in play. Both presidential campaigns are investing heavily in NC, although Obama is outspending McCain 2-1 in advertising.

Sarah Palin made two campaigns stops in NC this week, and Obama will lead a rally in Fayetteville -- the heart of NC military country -- this weekend.

Another boost for early voting turnout: North Carolina is the only state in the South with same-day voter registration, which boosts the ability of candidates to bring new voters to the polls.

--The Institute for Southern Studies

VOTE for CHANGE, North Carolina!

And after you vote, do a little dance because you are wonderful, and it's DANCE POLITICAL PARTY FRIDAY!

The Kids Are Alright

11 Facts About Voting:

1. The Millennial generation already makes up 1/5 of the electorate. By 2015, they will account for 1/3.
   
   
2. Compared to 2000, young voters have more than doubled their turnout in the 2008 primaries and caucuses. For example, in Texas, the number of 18-29 year old voters grew 301%.
   
   
3. In both the 2006 and the 2008 primaries, young voters made the difference in several tight races. Senator Obama owes his caucus win in Iowa to 18-29 year olds, and a winning margin among the youth vote helped Senator McCain win in California.
   
   
4. The current presidential election is the first in decades where candidates are actively and aggressively courting the youth vote. In the primaries, four candidates from both parties had full-time, national youth outreach directors.
   
   
5. Young Latinos are the largest, and fastest-growing ethnic subset of young adults; 50,000 young Latinos turn 18 each month, and Latinos make up 17% of the youth electorate.
   
   
6. In comparison to other people of color, young African-Americans voters are more likely to vote regularly, donate money to candidates, and display a campaign button or sign.
   
   
7. Since 2004, young women have led the turnout increase witnessed among young adults overall. In both 2004 and 2006, young women voted at rates seven and three points higher than young men.
   
   
8. The majority of young voters identify themselves as Democrat (47%), with 55% of young women classified as Democrats, compared to 38% of men.
   
   
9. Overall, 28% of young voters identify as Republicans, with 30% of young men categorizing themselves as Republican, compared to 26% of young women.
   
   
10. Republican identification is also highest among Caucasian youth, with 35% identifying as Republican.
    
    
11. Research shows that young voters with college experience are much more likely to vote than their non-college counterparts. Although ½ of young Americans ages 18-29 have never enrolled in college, 79% of the young voters on Super Tuesday attended college.

From DO SOMETHING:

What we're all about

Do Something believes you have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org we provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. Be part of a generation of doers.

Five guidelines we live by:

1. Believe in teenagers. Teenagers can lead today. We don't require adults.
   
   
2. Trust teenagers. We provide reliable, easy to access information and activation strategies, but teens decide for themselves what to do.
   
   
3. Celebrate teenagers. We think all measurable contributions from teens are valuable.
   
   
4. Respect teenagers. We understand that teenagers have diverse abilities and
   constraints.
   
   
5. Value teenagers. Our programs and products are free. We're not after teens'
   money; we want their passion, time and creativity.

We Are The Ones

30 graphic designers present 30 REASONS to vote for Barack Obama.

REASON 2 10/6/08

This election gives us a rare opportunity to make a choice and commit to one of two drastically different sets of ideals. We can cower in the shadows of our problems, divide and fall, or we can band together, get to work and make a difference. This election is about one thing: Fear versus Empowerment. Please choose wisely.

Found via my ever fav site SUPERFOREST!

Alphabet for Change

Patrick over at PKPR has sent a note about an amazing site launching this week:

SpellingChange.com (http://www.spellingchange.com), features an Obama-inspired alphabet created by dozens of the country’s top artists, designers, and photographers.

Contributors include Stefan Sagmeister, Karen Collins, R.O. Blechman, Larry Fink, Jake Chessum, MC Paul Barman, and a housewife in Texas who created an embroidered “S”. Each of the participants reinterpreted one letter of the alphabet in a way that represents what Obama’s candidacy means to them. In all, more than 100 letters were created.

The project was spearheaded by Michael Ian Kaye, head of Mother Design, and the site was created by POKE New York.

“I’ve never been politically active before, but this election is far too important to remain on the sidelines,” said Michael Ian Kaye, head of Mother Design, who spearheaded the project. “We wanted to give Obama fans a fun, creative way to show their support and voice their own messages of change.”

For those who think they don't know Michael's work, you surely do! He's created/designed such iconic book covers as Chuck Pahlaniuk's Fight Club and David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day.

Using spellingchange.com, I made the words CREATE, ART, and DESIGN (myself!) which I've used to outline the three very basic, easy, and amazing features of the site:

To create banners to post online (using embed code), bumper stickers, posters, postcards, and t-shirts, simply type in a word and the site generates an original design using letters from the alphabet. To create a word, go to: http://www.spellingchange.com/make-a-word.php.


Users can browse the alphabet and click on individual letters to learn more about the artist and the inspiration behind the design. To view the alphabet, go to http://www.spellingchange.com/browse-alphabet.php.


You can also design and upload your own letters at http://www.spellingchange.com/create-a-letter.php.

Thank you so much for emailing, Patrick! I love what you guys do and cannot wait to see Earth From Above when it opens.

xo, christine

Aretha's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'

Aretha Franklin, 'A Change is Gonna Come'
song/lyrics by Sam Cooke

VOTE FOR CHANGE

New York... Idaho... North Carolina... and Oklahoma, I hope you are registered to vote because today is your last day to do so! If not... maybe you are going out to register on your lunch break today, or perhaps before you go out for the evening? It's a beautiful day to register!

And, for the rest of you who reside in states that still have time, have an amazing and wonderful weekend!

Alabama * California * Connecticut * Delaware * Georgia * Iowa * Kansas * Maryland * Massachusetts * Minnesota * Nebraska * New Hampshire * New Jersey * Oregon * South * * Dakota * Utah * Vermont * West Virgina * Wisconsin * Wyoming

Vote for Change

New York! Tomorrow is the very last day to register to vote! Registration must be in the mail, postmarked October 10!

You might think, "Why should I worry? New York's totally going to win for Obama". Well, it is my firm belief that every citizen should be counted, you should vote, no matter the odds! Show the numbers, let it be known, let it be a landslide, do your duty, for your community, for this country, for our world! Go go go!

VOTE FOR CHANGE

The Ecology

Marvin Gaye -- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

The League of Conservation Voters has given John McCain’s lifetime voting record on the environment a score of 24 out of 100. The average in the Senate is somewhere in the mid 50s.

Barack Obama’s lifetime environmental voting record receives a score of 96 out of 100.

"With less than a month to go in the US Presidential Election, one debate between John McCain and Barack Obama done and another scheduled for tonight, and the only debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin completed, less than 18% of US voters consider themselves undecided.

If you’re one of these people and care about energy policy and the environment I hope comparing side-by-side the rhetoric of both major party candidates has proven useful. In past posts we’ve covered renewable energy, offshore oil drilling, nuclear power, clean coal, and global warming."

--Matthew McDermott,Treehugger.com

Click to read the full article and breakdown comparison: Toeing the Green Line: McCain v. Obama

VOTE FOR CHANGE

The Morning Line

Matthew Ritchie, the British artist who was tagged by Time Magazine as one of "100 Innovators of the Next Millennium," informed the listeners that, "If Obama becomes president, I will become a US citizen." He used the "p" word that I had been hearing so frequently from Obama advocates.

"It's very personal," he said. "Something more is at stake. People tell me, 'He's not the pragmatic choice. You're a dreamer.' But I think Obama can beat McCain. The whole world is waiting for the United States to come back."

-- The New York Art World Votes

Congratulations to Matthew Ritchie who unveiled his incredible sculpture/future/device, THE MORNING LINE at the 3rd International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville in Spain.

THE MORNING LINE

“Not light, but darkness visible.”

If sound is a kind of light, then perhaps light is a kind of sound. A fourteen billion year old tune played backwards to a clock made of stars, ticking at the speed of light until the end of time. Snake eyes rolled for eternity.

This project proposes a ruin from the future, a new type of structure whose function can only be inferred not just by using it but by reading it. Combining science, art, architecture, music and film into the first semasiographic building, an architectural language that directly expresses its content through its structure. A structure that is simultaneously generating itself and falling apart.

An anti-pavilion, not an enclosure, but an opening of space, a conversion of place into language.

Paradise Lost begins with the question, what happened after the beginning of time? It ends with the answer in a description of a future past, the world flooded under a great deluge.

Google and The Chocolate Factory VOTE!

NEW YORK! ONLY FOUR DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER!

GOOGLE MAPS / VOTE! You enter your address, hit search, and BOOM! All the info you need is there at your fingertips. Your state, deadlines for registering, and website and phone info for your state's election offices. And according their site, by mid-October Google Maps Vote will also have voting location information.

Seriously, this is so easy! Let me demonstrate HOW easy, by using Google Maps Vote myself. Of course, I need to keep my semi-secret identity secret secret, so I'm going to use the address of my local chocolate factory, Jacque Torres:



Amazing, no? The General Election is delicious! Check out Jacque Torres' Political Lollipops! We stopped by last week and the caramel crunch pop is super yummy (and on the back it's stamped 'Barack the Vote').

American Girls

MY NAME IS SARAH "There are thousands of "Sarahs" across the nation who reflect America's values and share a vision for the future of our country. They're mothers, workers, educators, providers and they're voting in November for Barack Obama.

By telling these women's stories, the "My Name Is Sarah" project aims to raise awareness among women in key swing states about the compelling reasons women like them are supporting Obama for president. Read their stories, post your own Sarah Stories."

Thanks to the lovely Ilona for emailing this! Normally, I try to keep this blog as positive and forward-thinking as possible, but in the case of Sarah Palin and in light of last night's debate, I'd like to voice how much I am against this woman and her negative and backwards-thinking ways.

The America that Obama/Biden want to build is positive and forward-thinking. The nation that Sarah Palin has sought to fashion in Alaska, and wants to ultimately create in our union, is environmentally destructive and socially fear-based. But, don't just take my word for it... much thanks to a reader who sent a ton of pics of Alaskan women protesting Sarah Palin!









PS. I cannot even describe the depths in which I love Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. If you do too, check out this excellent version of An American Girl from The Old Grey Whistle Test. xoxo.

Show your support!

"When did signing on to be an artist or a writer or any kind of entertainer suddenly mean you no longer had a right to your opinion? Sure, no one wants to hear an actor or a singer or a comic book artist get political if they are uninformed about the chosen topic, but at the same time, we seem to have no problem with politicians being uninformed about their jobs. Elected officials from both sides of the aisle consistently get it wrong, backflip on their opinions, and ramble on with nothing mooring their opinions, and everyone not only lets them get away with it, but instead of firing them, we elect them for another term. How is it that Matt Damon is suddenly the voice of reason?"

--Jamie S. Rich
"SHUT UP AND DRAW?" October 1, 2008

This is an excerpt from a fantastic essay posted by my friend and former editor Jamie S. Rich on his excellent blog Confessions 123. It's a detailed and insightful response to a couple negative comments that Comics Industry for Obama had been receiving on a message board. I urge you to click the link above and go read it. It's smart, positive, and ends with a poignant remembrance of Paul Newman's legacy.
On today's theme of showing your support, I also recommend checking out DemocraticStuff.com. They've got a ridiculous amount of amazing buttons, including the smooth Coltrane inspired Jazz for Obama button above! My personal favorite is Breakfast for Obama.

Big thanks go to journalist and writer Douglas Wolk for sending me to their website (congrats on your 2008 Harvey Award!).

KNOW YOUR POLLING LOCATION!

Okay, so you registered to vote yesterday, right? That's sensational, fantastic, you are fabulously awesome, you wonderful human being you! But, now you need to actually know where you are going to vote. This is SO easy, just use VOTE411's:

POLLING PLACE FINDER