Campaigning in 2 States! - Rob's brother Wins!

This weekend Tom and I (Rob) helped campaigns in 2 states: Maryland and Massachusetts. We love our local City Council,or (who has been incredible) Diane Polangin, so we distributed flyers for her in MD this past Saturday.

**On Sunday we flew to Boston and spent about 3 days helping my brother Doug with his campaign for City Councilor at Large. He's been a city councilor for 8 years, and this is a step up~!  So, we helped distribute about 1000 flyers, made calls to sign holders, dropped off signs at the polls from 5:30am to 7am on Nov. 8th, picked up coffee and donuts, then drove around to half of the polling places around the city and offered them to sign holders for all candidates' sign holders. We also ran errands and managed to squeeze in dinner (thanks to  my sister-in-law for making it for all of us) and see my nephews.
DOUG WINS POSITION AS COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE! 
  There were 3 seat and 4 candidates for a Councilor at Large position in my brother's race. My brother Doug came in SECOND, cementing him a seat as as Councilor at Large!
The vote breakdown:  Joe Finn: 11,007 votes; Doug Gutro: 10823;

	Michael McFarland 10,143; John Rodophele Sr.5.250 votes.

   Here are pictures from BOTH CAMPAIGNS!

MARYLAND FLYER DISTRIBUTION:

Dolly and Franklin watching Tom distribute flyers

Tom and Franklin Flyer Fiends!

Tom getting his exercise distributing literature

MASSACHUSETTS CAMPAIGNING!!

Day 1 flyer drop- Doug's sign on a lawn!

Tom Dropping flyers at homes near Wollaston Beach

Sign said "Beware of Dog" - who could apparently chew through fences!

Tom and Rob posing with Doug's Campaign flyer

Vote for Doug!

Shopping for the signholder refreshments

Cold but sunny morning #2 of flyer distribution

Election day sign drop off at 6am

Rob distributing signs

Tom dropping off signs at a polling place

Doug the candidate and Tom

Doug the candidate and Rob

Jim the signholder at the Thomas Crane Library polling place

Coffee van to feed all signholders

Tom managing the coffee van

People loved the free coffee and Donuts Doug's campaign provided

Remembering Dad on his Birthday- (It's all good)

Mom and Dad from 2003

Today, November 8th would have been my Dad's birthday. He would have been 83, but he passed three years ago. Although I really miss talking with him on the phone, I still know he's very much around.
  Having the ability to still communicate with him is an incredible blessing. He's helped me find things for my mother (who lives 400 miles away), given me many signs from playing with electricity to a cold hug, and a visible appearance in the light.
  Dad's memory lives on in the book I wrote involving a lot of the signs he's provided, and every time I read a book or write a story or press release for work. Every time I go to the comic book shop and get my new comics (every Wednesday night) I know that Dad is right there with me, as he was when he took me along and bought me comics at 7-11 on weekends.
  Dad touched so many people with his kindness, easy-going attitude, and dry sense of humor. He loved his Red Sox baseball, Patriots football, Celtics basketball, and mystery and action novels. He always provided for my mom, myself and my brothers, and let us enjoy 2 wonderful dogs growing up. He wrapped presents and always left the tags on them, too- and funny enough- last Christmas my mother found a brand new wallet he bought himself, and she gave it to me (from him) with the tag still on it in the "Dad Tradition."
  So today, I say "Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you."
  For those of you who lost your dad or your mom, just know that they're always with us. They've influenced who we are, and we are reminded of them in some of the things we do.

On 11/9 FEMA is doing a Nationwide Emergency Alert Test.

On 11/9- FEMA will be conducting a Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test

FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will conduct the first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test on November 9, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm


The national-level EAS leverages the communications support of all participating analog and digital radio, television, cable, satellite, and wireline providers (also known as EAS Participants) through specialized EAS equipment. A single, live-code alert, called the Emergency Action Notification, (EAN) is sent simultaneously to Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations across the country. PEP stations are designated to relay national alerts to the public and other stations in their coverage area. Local Primary (LP-1) EAS Participants monitor the PEP stations and other sources for an EAS message. Other EAS Participating stations also monitor at least two sources (in most cases the PEP and LP-1 stations) to receive the EAS message, and broadcast the message to the public in their area.

Has there ever been an activation of the national-level EAS?

Although the EAS is frequently used by State and local governments to send weather alerts and other emergencies, there has never been a national activation of the system. The purpose of the November 9, 2011 Test is to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system and identify incremental improvements to better serve our communities in the preservation of life and property

Random pictures from this week

I like to take pictures with the phone camera every now and then, and here are some from this past week. Nothing exciting, just life and how we enjoy it.

Sprite, Franklin and Dolly - they never all look the same way,

Tom enjoying the homemade chicken soup Ruthie made (we defrosted the great leftovers)

Front maple trees (now red) losing leaves- don't know what the contrast prob is on the photo

Sprite,Franklin and Dolly- "Look here" and the all look different directions!

Nice fall-like, orange colored tree with a blue sky background

Franklin and Dolly relaxing on the sun porch!

An amazing muscial duo: found on You Tube: Someone Like You

A friend sent me a link that showed a comic video, and after watching it, I zipped through a couple and found this amazing duo singing a song called "Someone Like You." Apparently, this video has become an internet sensation, if you listen, you'll see why. The singers are Charlie Puth and Emily Luther.
 - As a result of this they were signed with Ellen DeGeneres' Interscope records. This is talent!  Enjoy!

 To see their interview on the Ellen show: http://www.youtube.com/user/CharliesVlogs


LINK TO VIDEO:
http://youtu.be/nAHyGbOXoF4

Civil Rights News; the Good, the Bad, the Idiots

There's a lot of civil rights news happening this week. There's GOOD, BAD and IDIOTS. I'll be happy to point them out as you read through them.

• *IDIOT***Rick Perry praises effort to end marriage equality in N.H.
  Texas Gov. Rick Perry has come out in support of an effort to reverse New Hampshire's marriage equality law, telling a conservative audience in Manchester, "I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and a father." Concord Monitor (N.H.) (10/29)     

• **GOOD***Britain may withhold aid from countries that ban homosexuality
  British Prime Minister David Cameron said the threat of losing aid payments may help persuade certain countries to reform their laws against homosexuality, but acknowledged that reform will still take time. Cameron said he's raised the issue with some leaders of Commonwealth nations at a recent meeting in Australia. The Guardian (London) (10/30)     **

• **BAD***New Jersey seeks dismissal of marriage case
  Lawyers for the state of New Jersey are set to ask a judge this week to dismiss a lawsuit brought by supporters of full marriage equality for same-sex couples. Advocates contend the state’s civil unions law is not sufficient to address the inequality faced by gay and lesbian couples. New Jersey Online/The Associated Press (10/31)     

• **GOOD TO STAND AGAINST/BAD and IDIOTIC BILL**
•  University of Michigan employees consider leaving if anti-gay bill passes
  A bill in the Michigan Senate that would prohibit state schools from extending benefits to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees could prompt an exodus of University of Michigan professors, according to this article. University officials said passage of the measure would put the school at a competitive disadvantage in attracting top talent. AnnArbor.com (Mich.) (10/31)     

• **DISAPPOINTING IDIOTS** - WE BOYCOTT THIS RESTAURANT
• Report: Chick-fil-A foundation gave $1.7M to anti-gay groups in 2009
  A review of tax filings showed that a charity foundation affiliated with restaurant chain Chick-fil-A donated about $1.7 million in 2009 to groups including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Towleroad (11/1)

**GOOD**Wash. state voters would back marriage equality law, poll shows
A new poll in Washington state finds that 55% of registered voters would support a law extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, with 38% saying they'd vote to reverse such a law if it is passed by the state Legislature. State Sen. Ed Murray and State Rep. Jamie Pedersen are considering introducing a marriage bill in the next legislative session. The statewide poll was conducted by the University of Washington Center for Survey Research. The Seattle Times/Politics Northwest (10/31)

A Dog Rescue Adventure

The ad that I posted to help find the owner- It all worked out.

Back on Oct. 17th (my birthday) I was driving to Baltimore to work at the Maryland Science Center. The life-sized model of the Webb telescope (the successor to the Hubble) was erected outside of the science center, and its as big as a tennis court. On my way there, I got a call from my friend and co-worker Lynn, who was taking the light rail there, so I told her I'd pick her up a the airport station and we could find a parking space together. - She had to switch trains, so I said I'd get her at a station in Linthicum, Md. - (and I wasn't sure I knew where it was, but found it). On the way there, I saw two little dogs running loose along the side of a lightrail train track, so I immediately pulled my pickup truck over and grabbed one while the other bolted.
 - I then drove after the other dog (a senior Pekinese dog) and finally got him, too.  As I was putting him in the truck I was trying to figure out what to do with them when a retired couple drove up and asked if they were my dogs. I told them the dogs were not mine, and I took them off the train tracks. I explained I was headed to pick  up a friend from the train station, and asked if they could hold the dogs at their house until I finished work and I would pick them up. The couple agreed to hold them and I gave them my phone number.
 - When I finished working around 2pm in Baltimore and was headed home, I called the couple. They had already called Animal Control in the County - and the dogs were taken away to the shelter!  NO!!!!!!
I was ticked off. The shelter holds dogs for 5 days and then euthanizes them. I was really pissed off.
 - I posted an ad immediately on Craigslist and two local county facebook sites, one for breaking news, one for lost dogs. I gave the county shelter information.
 - Meanwhile, the owner contacted me through the Craigslist ad, via a 2 sentence email saying they were her dogs. The next email from her said that she was going to pick them up. No word of "thanks for rescuing my lost dogs (who had NO TAGS on them and were dirty).
- I wound up calling the shelter that night and learned the woman picked the dogs up. I never heard from the woman at all.
- I DID, however get 87 emails via the Facebook posting. half were praising me for saving the dogs, and the other half were calling me nasty names for bringing the dogs to the shelter (which I didn't do - the retired couple did). It's amazing how hateful people can be when you try and do a good deed. If they only knew that I was planning on getting the dogs from the shelter after 4 days, and keeping them at our house until I found their owner, perhaps they wouldn't have been so nasty. Oh, well. The dogs are safe and back home. In the end, that's all that counts.

VIDEO SHORT: Our Canine Kids Waiting with Rob during 1st Snowfall!

Sometimes whenever we go shopping on the weekends, we'll take our three dogs and one of us will sit in the truck with them while the other runs the errand. (The dogs are never alone in a car or the truck) - This past weekend, I (Rob) made this short, cute video of the kids while we were waiting for Tom to run an errand.

Photos of Halloween Visitors!

We didn't get many kids visiting the house this year- about 20.
I (Rob) wound up working until 5:30pm (yes, even though at home) and got a late start on dinner for us and the dogs, so it was too late to don my Green Lantern costume. Instead I just dressed like Superboy - Jeans, Black tee with an "S", boot shoes, and spiky hair.   The dogs didn't go out want to visit the neighbors in their costumes so they stayed upstairs with Tom, who watched taped episodes of Judge Judy while I handed out candy and took some pictures of the trick or treaters.Here are some of those pictures.

Patty the pirate and Trixie the Princess

Nick, Zack and Luke: gangster, ninja, Jason the killer

Melissa, Elizabeth, Catherine and grandma

I LOVE this clown costume, and butterfly. I love it when parents dress up!

Cute kids- one Scream, one Skeleton -not sure about the kid on the left, but he was cute.