Monday Motivation

VOTING!
Taylor Swift

I know I've said it before and I'm gonna say it again, and most likely one more time before November 3rd. Today's Monday Motivation is VOTE! VOTE early, VOTE on election day, VOTE by mail or drop your mail in ballot off at an official drop off box. Not a fake GOP one, they send you the official locations near you with your ballot FYI.

Here today to help me motivate you is Taylor Swift. Ms. Swift has recently gotten vocal in a political way (not a music way, she's been doing that for a while.) about her political leanings. 

She recently stood in line and cast her VOTE for Biden/Harris. How do I know who she VOTED for? Because she came out and backed the Biden/Harris ticket publicly, that's how.

Now I'm not trying to motivate anyone to cast their ballot a certain way, OK, yes I F#cking am! Please join Taylor and myself and cast your VOTE for people who are not insane and addicted to Adderall.

VOTE!!!

Voter Information -

https://www.vote411.org/  

All Hands On The Decks

Give a Beat Launches “All Hands on the Decks”  Fundraising + Advocacy Campaign for New Reentry Program September 10 - October 10  And to Encourage Critical Voting in Upcoming Election Rooted in the electronic music community, Give a Beat launches “All Hands on the Decks” fundraising and advocacy campaign on September 10th to raise funds for their pilot “On a New Track” post-incarceration reentry mentoring program and to encourage critical voting in the upcoming election. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the plethora of unjust barriers people face upon reentry and mobilize communities to support criminal justice reform legislation. Funds raised will allow Give a Beat (GAB) to expand their reentry mentoring program to reach more people and ensure that participants have the resources and support they need to pursue their creative career dreams. The campaign will run September 10 - October 10, 2020. More info is at allhandsonthedecks.com. Give a Beat was awarded a Reentry Through The Arts grant from the California Arts Council to pilot its unique “On a New Track” reentry mentoring program in collaboration with Defy Ventures and California Mentoring Partnership. GAB will train eight formerly incarcerated participants from the Defy Ventures community in the art of DJing, music production, and related business and entrepreneurial skills. By connecting previously incarcerated individuals with music business professionals, Give a Beat aims to develop a cycle of change that encourages people to harness their creative talents while engaging members of the electronic music community to educate themselves about bills and legislation . “Defy is excited to partner with Give a Beat to bring opportunities in the music industry to formerly incarcerated individuals in our program. There's no better city than Los Angeles in which to train people in a musical field, and people with criminal histories have incredible talent to share with the world if given the chance to do so. This partnership will lift the voices of people with criminal histories and create opportunities for them in the creative field in our city.” - Mariah Dickinson - Director of Development and Marketing, Defy Ventures. In addition to raising funds to support previously incarcerated people on the individual level, Give a Beat’s “All Hands on the Decks” campaign also serves to advocate for people experiencing incarceration on the macro scale. By aligning with allies in the broader social justice movement, this campaign will bring attention to the various obstacles people face upon leaving prison. It will also educate the music community on ballot initiatives such as Prop 17 which restores the right to vote for people on parole and Prop 20 that aims to undo progressive transform. “All Hands on the Decks” will also educate around the power that electable positions hold in relation to criminal justice at the city, county, and state levels. These positions are key to strengthening the defense of our civil rights and emboldening our ability to make progressive change. This campaign’s name illustrates that now is a critical time both for the organization and for the future of the country to have “All Hands on the Decks” to engage communities to get more involved and take meaningful action. 

Monday Motivation

Vote On November 6th!
Taylor Swift

In light of recent developments in our country today's Monday Motivation comes in the form of voting on November 6th. With one Taylor Swift finally voicing her POV on the matter. Why do I single her out for chiming in? Because of her adoring fan base, millions of young women, who look to Taylor as a role model. "Yes" her voice is gonna make a difference. You go Swift! 

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.

I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.

So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

Taylor on IG -
https://www.instagram.com/taylorswift/?hl=en 

Don't Bother Me I'm Voting

Today is the California primary, and since I live in CA, Los Angeles,to be exact I will be casting my vote for the candidate of my choosing this morning.

Having moved recently I have not had time to get my change of address in to obtain an absentee ballot so I could vote my preferred way by mail.

Who am I voting for? That does not really matter, the point is you should exercise the fact that you have a vote.

Let's kick off the primary on a high note, literally with the song Election Day by Arcadia featuring the one and only Grace Jones. 

Have fun, be careful and whatever you do, Dump Trump!

Find Your Polling Place at: 
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/find-your-polling-place/