Señalización de lugar de votación en California. 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know it’s election day.  You may be sick of the ads and tired of the campaigning.  It may seem as if your vote doesn’t make a difference.

It does.

If you want to be heard, you must vote. Politicians want to win. They notice who helps them do it. If women vote, they pay attention to women. If minorities vote, the politicians take note of that.

Vegan restaurants don’t care about meat eaters. They care about the people who will help them and buy from them. Politicians don’t care about non-voters.

If you want grease you have to squeak.

If you’re not sure where to vote, Google has a polling place finder.

There’s also coverage on YouTube’s 2012 Election page and on Yahoo’s Election Page.

“So go vote now, it will make you feel big and strong.” – Gladys Payne Schieffer (Bob Schieffer’s mom)

(i) Seth Godin

It’s a mighty longboat to carry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s a bit surreal actually.  I’m fine.  The view out my windows is fine (not even a broken branch in sight).  Yet, a few blocks and miles away there is utter devastation.

It seems a bit self-serving to talk about marketing now.  So, instead, here are some useful links.

ITunes donations -Mashable reports you can donate to the Red Cross through iTunes.

Red Cross - donate directly here; and please send money or donate blood, NOT supplies.  It’s much easier for them to buy and transport in bulk.  Individual donations have to be cleaned and sorted and take up valuable time.

Webgrrls Volunteers – if you have technical skills, help Webgrrls and the Red Cross get databases, computers, and servers up and running. Form at the link.

Google Crisis Map – links to shelters, power outage information, emergency Twitter feeds, and disaster area maps

NYC Sandy Map – subway and bus service maps, local emergency Twitter feeds, and a transit tracker link

NY Times Siubway Service map – search by zip code or address

NY Times – free access to the site during the crisis

And, does anyone know where NYC can get a great deal on longboats?  And oars.  We need lots of oars.

A short film written, directed by, and starring “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”

black ribbon (Photo credit: EdSai)

Today’s weather in New York is nearly a perfect replica of that terrible day 11 years ago.  I remember thinking what a beautiful day it was: sunny, clear sky, a perfect early fall day.

Then, suddenly, it was all horribly, horribly wrong.

A few days after the attack, a friend of my brother’s was downtown delivering food to the homeless.

One homeless man insisted on giving him a quarter for The Red Cross to help other people.

I love that story. No matter how bleak things look, there can always be a bit of hope.  I try to remember that.  I hope you will too.

Mad Men get rickrolled.