Why I Vote

It's Election Day, and this morning we reveal the results of the Why I Vote project. I asked readers to send photos of themselves with a description of why they vote. We didn't get as many responses as I'd hoped, but what we got is top-quality. Thanks to everyone who participated. And if you haven't voted yet, get thee to the polls.


David Bayer:




Jimmy Locke:



Jessica Eiden Smedley:


If you're not sure what that means, this will help.


Mike Lynch:




Edwin Walter:



To me, it is very simple. I do because they can’t. They can’t because in the simplest terms, they gave their lives to defend my ability to do so. It isn’t about silly ads or stupid pundits. It is about our bedrock responsibility as citizens. Bicker we may about MANY things, but nowhere else in the world should this simple act be taken any more seriously than right here, right now. It is our duty, sanctified by their blood. Can anyone really argue for an excuse not to? The recurring examples of pettiness and yes, apathy, make MY blood boil.


Neca Bennett:



Full disclosure: The guy in the chair is my brother, Ronald. And he really was asleep.

UPDATE: Here's one more, from Larry Bumgarner... for some reason this got caught in my spam filter, and I didn't see it until Larry called to check. My apologies.

The Friday Wrap

Let me just start by saying a fond goodbye to October, the best month of the year. College football and the NFL are in full swing, the NBA begins, the baseball playoffs and World Series... and, oh yeah, the leaves and the autumn winds and all that stuff.

Here's what I was up to this week:

In the paper and on the blog

This political season as the Year of Amateur Status.

Sausage-making and Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.

Last call for the Why I Vote project. (Thanks to those of you who sent something in; there's still time.)

An invitation to join me for a writing class, or come see a reading.

Links on Twitter

Here are some links I posted during the week from my Twitter account, @tommytomlinson:

Steve Perry singing along... with himself. Hang with the video -- it'll kick in. http://bit.ly/cmPIRN

Some of these are fake. But still: People are awesome. http://bit.ly/cntS1x

Honus Wagner: the world's rarest baseball card. Who ends up with one? Some nuns in Baltimore. http://es.pn/bUqh4R

Amazingly, Landon Donovan predicted this would happen today. http://bit.ly/cKy5Gq #worldcupoctopus

OK, I know what I want for Christmas. MINI-CANNON! http://bit.ly/9pTg1A

A musical interlude

My friend Andrea Pitzer of Nieman Storyboard linked to this great Tom Petty live clip the other day. There's one four-letter word, if you care about that sort of thing. But here's how Andrea set it up: "Love the tension he sets up here--The off-rhythm vocals! The injured hand! Where's the band?"

This one won't embed, but go take a look. It's worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpG09PenZt8

Coming up

A (very late) Avett Brothers album review, maybe some thoughts on the World Series, I'll have a column in the paper on Sunday, and of course Tuesday is Election Day -- I'll be columnizing on that, too. Go vote, por favor. Enjoy your Halloween weekend.

Last call for Why I Vote

We've gotten a few good submissions for the Why I Vote project, but I'd love to see some more before Election Day next Tuesday. The idea is to send me a photo of yourself, with a card or caption or something explaining why you vote.

Here's a great example from David Bayer:


You can e-mail the photo to me, ttomlinson@charlotteobserver.com. If you have any questions about how to do that, holler.

As we all know, voting increases your sex appeal, makes hair grow back and causes your stocks to increase in value. But you probably have your own reasons. Let's hear 'em.

The Friday Wrap

I've got a story scheduled for Sunday's paper on how the lack of political experience might be a virtue in this election season. Look for it in the Big Picture section. Here's some of the other stuff I was up to this week:

Projects for you

This week I launched a new project, Why I Vote. Send in your photo with a sign saying why you vote. Here's an example from David Bayer:


David did a fancy-schmancy computer caption, but all you really need to do is hold up a sign. Get your photos in and we'll put up a gallery.

I'm also still taking entries for the At First Sight project -- tell me a story about when you knew something at first sight.

On the blog and in the paper

I let you know I was going to be on TV.

Then, surprisingly, they actually put me on TV.

Links on Twitter

Here are some links I posted during the week from my Twitter account, @tommytomlinson:

Man eats half-stick of butter every day, solves problems faster. http://bit.ly/bBmWtR So shouldn't Paula Deen be Stephen Hawking by now?

Very cool CNN project: 50 choirs, 1 song. http://bit.ly/dnDvBS

A great gambling story that makes me not want to gamble ever again. http://bit.ly/do3mtf

Thinking about moving to France. Worst comes to worst, would still get to retire at 62. charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/19/177… via @AddThis

New York has its own Alvin Greene, except even more awesome. The rent is too damn high! http://bit.ly/9Do47u

Coming up

If you've been interested in the writing classes I've been teaching at Queens University, but you haven't had a chance to take one yet... I hope to have some news for you next week.

And the Panthers are playing! Against a team almost as bad as they are! If the home team does end up going 1-15, you really don't want to miss the 1.

(By the way, not to brag or anything, but my Panthers' season pick looks like a better bet than the ones by either of our official sports columnists. Although I'd be thrilled to be wrong.)

Have a great weekend, everybody.