Great weekend / Gone for a week

I’m in Newark airport waiting for my plane to Phoenix. 2 days at the LOPSA conference (including the Google Recruiting Reception) and 2 days at the Google PHX office giving talks and meeting people.

Saturday night was NJLGC’s “Honor 2006” Awards, where we honored 8 activists in NJ. I was coordinating registration and thank god for WiFi because it let us scramble and get everything done “just in time”.

Sunday I went to the Queens PFLAG 2006 Luncheon where I was the one being honored. The gave me the 2nd annual Brenda Howard award. I didn’t expect, however, that there would be so many politicians there giving citations. One is a HUGE framed proclamation from the NY City Council. I’m gonna have to buy more wall to fit it all! :-) My mom and brother were there with me and quietchris. In my acceptance speech I talked about the importance of being out to our parents as an act of love, and thanked all the people that have helped me over the years, especially BiNet, BiZone.

Phoenix

Well I'm here. The flight was noisey... more on that later.

I'm killing time by posting to LJ while I wait for luggage.

How to make sure your friends vote on Tuesday

Tuesday is Election Day. I bet you knew that already. That’s great.

But how do you encourage your friends to vote?

Email won’t work. You have to do it “one on one”.

People are more likely to vote if they plan. Help them visualize themselves voting.

Call them (on a phone... remember those?) and ask:

• Are you registered to vote? (If they are, they should have received a sample ballot. If not, help them register to vote for next time here)
• Where is your polling place? (It’s on their sample ballot. Have them read it to you.)
• What time will you be voting? Before or after work? (Voting takes time. People that have planned a specific time are more likely to vote.)
• Are you giving yourself enough time if there is a long line? (Once we get them to the polls, make sure they stay long enough to vote!)

While the larger political landscape involves control of Congress, it is important to remember that every election has a direct impact on your life and it is your right to vote.

While you may not feel the direct results of a vote by your Congressman on a bill in Washington, you are certainly affected by the time your garbage is picked up or the size of the pothole that you hit on your way to work every day.

Every election is important. Please remember that on Tuesday and vote!