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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Postcard Writing & Music Thread

Postcard Writing & Music Thread

by | 146 Comments

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It’s postcards and music time!

All the details on options for writing for Ohio Issue 1 and for Virginia – and images of postcards – are always available in the sidebar.  To make it extra easy to find, I have copied it just below the postcard image.

Chime in if you know about others good post-card writing options for OH or VA.

Also, send me a photo of your postcards and I’ll post it in the thread and add it to the link in the sidebar.

(click the image to see a bigger version)

Political Action

Postcard Writing Information

Music!

Brendancalling is giving us a jump start tonight with a great playlist of classic rock and R & B.

And of course, add your musical links in the comments!

Announcement (and question)

I’ve been thinking that we haven’t had enough participation in the postcard threads to warrant having them twice a week.  How would you guys feel about going just with Saturdays for a postcard writing post?

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

146Comments

  5. 5.

    Alison Rose

    @WaterGirl: Ooh, that is a pretty picture. I like the play on “Virginia is for lovers” too :) Reminds me of an article I wrote at a past job about Danica Roem, a trans woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.

    Just as Virginians repudiated the racist Trump agenda by electing Democrat Ralph Northam as governor and shutting down Trump buddy Ed Gillespie, they also made it clear that Marshall’s brand of hateful prejudice against the LGBTQ community is not welcome in their state.

    Virginia is for lovers, after all — not haters.

    Still proud of that line :P

  13. 13.

    Phaedrusonbass

    Hey folks – I released this about a month ago. It’s Brian Eno-esque ambient music, suitable for relaxation and sleep. First in a series. “Somnus Dolcis 01” is the new one.

    This is the YouTube link, which don’t cost nuthin’. It’s also available on all other digital platforms if you feel the urge to throw a few shekels my way.

    Thanks and enjoy!

    https://t.co/b2rZY3OjNv

  14. 14.

    BlueGuitarist

    I’m writing postcards for the 2 candidates in the BJ thermometer:

    Michael Feggans and Kimberly Pope Adams.
    I got the addresses and an initial script from Postcards4VA

    https://postcards4va.com/

    They also have addresses for other candidates.

    if you get addresses from them, don’t worry about the statement that you are required to include  on each card disclosure of who is paying for the postcards – that only applies if you are doing 500 or more of substantially the same card.

    But they do ask for the FEC info that would go with a contribution – name, address, employer – so they can report the postcards each person/group sends as an in-kind donation.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    @brendancalling: I had no idea they existed as a group.  Can you tell us more about that?  End of the Line seems to be about Roy Orbison dying?

    How many songs did they do?  How long did they play together?  I had no idea.

    (edit: thanks for the Fleetwood Mac song in the playlist!

  22. 22.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I have time to write cards for Virginia elections but am I correct that I have to buy cards from their approved vendors? I print cards from Postcard Patriots…and I’m halfway to making some of my own for the future.  I’m happy to buy the stamps, card stock, printer ink and pens for writing…

  24. 24.

    CarolPW

    @brendancalling: Figuring out who all had been in them at various times, and wondering how many of them were still alive, led me to discover that Tom Petty was 9 days younger than me.

  26. 26.

    H.E.Wolf

    @WaterGirl: ​
     Postcard peep popping up! :)

    I’m continuing to write for the pro-choice ballot issue in OH, via PostcardsToVoters.org – 5 addresses at a time, 3 days in which to write, White-Out dispenser at the ready.

    I particularly encourage pro-choice men to be active allies by writing a few GOTV postcards to Ohio in the next few weeks. Email [email protected] to get started.

    The great thing (from my point of view) about PtoV is that you can write their minimum of 4 postcards and be done forever if you want… and that is 4 voters more, who’ve been invited to show up at the polls on Election Day.

  27. 27.

    WaterGirl

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    but am I correct that I have to buy cards from their approved vendors?

    Not that I’m aware of!  Absolutely not true if you want to write for OH with the addresses I’ve got.  Maybe someone else knows more than me about Postcards to Voters?

    Personally, I don’t think I’d write for a group that MADE me buy postcards from them.

    Can anyone else jump in?

  31. 31.

    H.E.Wolf

    @Sure Lurkalot: ​I print cards from Postcard Patriots…and I’m halfway to making some of my own for the future.

     There are lots of good postcard-making options online.

    I’ve had good luck with Vistaprint, which lets you upload an image of your choosing, and which frequently has discounts. https://www.vistaprint.com/marketing-materials/postcards

    I prefer a matte surface for the writing side, and I use their “regular” paper stock.

  38. 38.

    RevRick

    With my essential tremor, postcards are a hilarious no. But I am encouraging my local UCC church to take the challenge of climate change seriously. I got the backing of Consistory (the governing board) to form a Green Team to explore what we might endeavor to do. We recruited the pastor and four others to join, and we held an organizational meeting on the 24th, at which we decided to follow the model created by the national church on Creation Justice. It calls for one quarter to be spent on education, the next on doing personal/church inventories involving all aspects, including investments, the third on making concrete steps, and the fourth devoted to building links to other organizations.

    To kick things off, I’m doing factoids in the church bulletin, we have two people lined up to write letters for our newsletter, we will get on the schedule for our adult forum, and our pastor will preach a sermon series in January.
    I invite this community to hold us accountable by asking about progress.

  41. 41.

    Alison Rose

    @WaterGirl: The Traveling Wilburys were a “super-group” started I think in 1988 and lasted a few years. Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne. Yes, I do think End of the Line was for Orbison. They put out two studio albums, both of which are great!

  45. 45.

    H.E.Wolf

    @WaterGirl: 

    @H.E.Wolf: Hello!
    Can you help answer Sure Lurkalot’s question re: Postcards to Voters?
    ​

     PostcardsToVoters.org is happy for volunteers to use their own postcards. Here is their guideline:

    “Use cards that are inclusive. If you buy, print, or make postcards, the images/graphics/photos and wording/quotes/slogans should be issue-neutral/benign/safe and not depict any holiday.”

    The design I used first was a 1907 image of “America” (a woman draped in an American flag with her pet eagle at her side). https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51k05RF4YmL._AC_.jpg

    When I got the finished postcards, I realized she was slightly too un-draped, so I got a gold marker and wrote “VOTE” across her bosom. Potential problem solved. :-)

    Subsequently, I’ve been using an image of women from WWII, with permission from the University of Hawaii Archives, where the photo resides.

  54. 54.

    H.E.Wolf

    @WaterGirl: ​
     *snort* That made me laugh!

    As I recall, I wrote “VOTE” in two places (on every dang card): across the décolletage, and across the expanse of the flag, so that it wasn’t quite so obvious that I was modesty-policing Ms. America 1907. :)

    I’ll emailing you one of my current OH “Yes on Issue 1” postcards (WWII image) after as I post this comment.

  56. 56.

    WaterGirl

    I haven’t seen any comments in response to my suggestion that we just do the postcard / music threads on Saturday nights until / unless there is more demand.

    Not sure if that indicates agreement or suggests that no one read the whole post up top.

    Thoughts?

  71. 71.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @BlueGuitarist: I went to the Postcards4VA site…is that where to sign up and get addresses? That website has a link to where you can buy postcards or templates, which are all Virginia oriented (as opposed to MazeDancer’s PLEASE VOTE template which I used for Ohio). Sorry that I’m not clear on the Virginia effort. Ohio was easy getting addresses from WG.

  74. 74.

    WaterGirl

    @Sure Lurkalot: I think the postcard from BlueGuitarist in comment #1 was really cool.  Do you like that one?  He provided a link at #21.

    And yes, you can get addresses there.  Are you going to do like BlueGuitarist and write for the two candidates we have in the thermometer?

  79. 79.

    BeautifulPlumage

    Finally found my cafe press stash of postcards. Working too many hours to schedule these, really hoping to join the next one. No opinion on once a week versus twice since I haven’t made any of them. : (

  85. 85.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @WaterGirl: I’m trying to make dinner so I’m not being a good thread follower. Sure, I like the card Blue Guitarist linked to but I have a shitload of card stock and do not want to buy postcards.

  92. 92.

    H.E.Wolf

    @WaterGirl: ​
     As it happened, I didn’t want the image to be breasting boobily into strangers’ mailboxes (and detracting from the GOTV message) – hence the gold ink.

    I used to write the “T” first, so that the downstroke disguised the areola, and then go back and add V O E plus the second VOTE. :-)

    I never did feel entirely clear in my conscience about using that 1907 image, since I didn’t know quite where to get official permission; and if I had, they might not have liked me grafitti-ing it up.

    The female firefighters were easy to get permission for, so I’ve used those ever since! Also, they’re women of color, so it’s my homage to the core constituency of the Democrats.

  94. 94.

    CarolPW

    @Alison Rose:

    Neil Young and Tom Petty looked like they were having so much fun singing together. And Clapton is an ass but this shows why he is so highly rated as a guitar player.

  97. 97.

    H.E.Wolf

    @WaterGirl: ​
     One of the many reasons I like the firefighters image: the woman who is only visible by her white saddle-shoe’d foot.

    Strikes me as a great metaphor for what we’re all doing (postcards, donations, music, etc.) – we may not be seen, but we’re essential to the work, and a vital part of the concerted effort!

    And with that, I’m out for the evening. Thank you WaterGirl for hosting the party! I’m OK with one night/week or two, whichever is decided.

  100. 100.

    brendancalling

    @Subsole: I’d gladly do a metal list. My taste is pretty vintage, TBH. Early metal—and especially 80s metal—is very much “fight the power” and really positive. Great for running. Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave” is a great album. Motörhead’s “1916” is a damn masterpiece. Dio, “Holy Diver” and “Last In Line,” OMG.

  103. 103.

    brendancalling

    @WaterGirl: I am a true metal-head, and any list I do will be A-list metal, nothing too extreme, and every tune will probably come with a “why this is good/what to listen for” explainer. It’s one of those genres, like hip hop, that’s really misunderstood—but once you like it, you wonder why you never listened to it.

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    This has been fun tonight.  Really appreciating all the postcard writers and music linkers!

    We’ll plan on another one next Saturday, same time, same station.

    P.S. Not intending that comment to close down the thread!

  118. 118.

    brendancalling

    @WaterGirl: honestly, I’d say that anyone who likes “Machine Gun” by Hendrix, the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”, or Neil Young’s electric version of “Hey Hey My My” already likes metal. They just don’t call it that or identify it as such because of labels.

  123. 123.

    RevRick

    @WaterGirl: I had a bout of sciatica triggered by arthritis in my lower spine. I had had COVID right after Christmas 2021 which caused achiness in my lower back. I’ve been through PT and have been discharged. I have daily exercises to do to prevent a recurrence.

  127. 127.

    BeautifulPlumage

    @WaterGirl: when it rains it pours! Cleo Marie is doing well. Love new job. Old job has been taking up Saturdays (helping old boss while he finds/ trains new accountant). And the friend I offered to do pre-sale house cleaning for back in June is now ready, so that’s been on Sundays. The extra work is short-lived, so just another week or so.

  130. 130.

    Mousebumples

    @WaterGirl: I haven’t seen any comments in response to my suggestion that we just do the postcard / music threads on Saturday nights until / unless there is more demand.

    Not sure if that indicates agreement or suggests that no one read the whole post up top.

    Late to the thread, but Saturdays are generally booked for me through the end of October. Not that I need to be here, but this weekend, next weekend, and I think 2 weekends after that are all out of town weekends – and we might have friends over to cookout the other Saturday night. I can do postcards on my own time, but I just realized how full my October calendar is getting…

    Thanks to everyone for postcarding and hope you have fun next Saturday too!

  136. 136.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    very sorry that i missed this query.

    I went to the Postcards4VA site…is that where to sign up and get addresses? That website has a link to where you can buy postcards or templates, which are all Virginia oriented

    Yes.

    You can get addresses, without buying their postcards or templates, at

    https://postcards4va.com/

    click the “sign up to write postcards” or scroll down and fill in the name, address, etc form to sign up.

    Once you sign up you’ll get an email with a link to activate your account.

    Once you’ve activated your account, you can select the campaign for which you want to write postcards, and choose the number of addresses you want (from 1-499). You can choose the format of the addresses, e.g. excel.

    You can use your own postcards.

    When you complete your bundle of addresses, you can request more addresses for the same campaign or a different one.

    If you scroll down on their home page you can see the campaigns for which they will supply addresses. which include the competitive elections for Virginia  House of Delegates and state senate, such as the 2 candidates for whom Balloon-Juice is raising money:

    Kimberly Pope Adams HD 82

    Michael Feggans HD 97

    The postcards4VA site also has a FAQ button.

     

    Reiterating a comment above: if you get addresses from them, don’t worry about the statement that you are required to include on each card disclosure of who is paying for the postcards – that only applies if you are doing 500 or more of substantially the same card. But they do ask for the FEC info that would go with a contribution – name, address, employer – so they can report the postcards each person/group sends as an in-kind donation.

    Hope that helps

  138. 138.

    Alison Rose

    @patrick II: Dang, she’s still around? And I’m sure the issue isn’t that she didn’t get the memo about not calling Black people “articulate”, but rather that she got the memo and promptly fed it into the shredder.

  144. 144.

    Matt McIrvin

    @NotMax: In Judith Moffett’s 1989 story “Not Without Honor”, aliens contact us because they are having some sort of cultural upheaval involving restless youth, they have been watching “The Mickey Mouse Club” and they see the heroic cross-generational leadership they need in Jimmie Dodd.

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