Writer Dianna

Call me a nerd, but I’ve always really loved Election Day.

There’s something about people from all different walks of life coming together to vote – regardless of who their candidate is. The trouble is, in past elections, I was usually only sharing the experience with about 5 other people that bothered to go to my polling place.

The line to vote in Miami stretches around the proverbial block. Props to the lady who brought something to sit on.

So, maybe that’s why it didn’t bother me that it took 3 hours to cast a ballot yesterday. At least people care enough to show up!

I decided to try early voting because the lines are already hours long in Georgia and I assume they will only get worse on Tuesday. Despite the 3 hour wait, I found the whole experience pretty enjoyable. Here are the main reasons why I think it wasn’t so bad:

1) No annoying people next to me in line.
I actually chatted with about 5 other people the whole time and felt like I made some new friends by the time we left. I was afraid the conversation might go to politics – which can turn an otherwise civilized discussion with strangers into a nightmare – but it never came up.

2) Expectations
I had already seen local news reports about how long it might take, so I prepared myself for a few hours on my feet before I went to the polls. I also happened to attend a luncheon right beforehand where the guest speaker was Naomi Tutu, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She told a story about waiting in line for days when they first got the right to vote in South Africa, so a few hours kind of paled in comparison.

Anyway, I know I may be the lucky one.

I’ve heard a few horror stories about early voting too.

Let us know what your experience was like! Tell us about it in the comments field below.

Writer Aimee

OK, I’m fessin’ up. Tomorrow is Halloween … I have a costume party to go to this Saturday … and – I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what to dress as!!

Is this the Halloween spirit committee? They come after you if you don't dress up for Halloween. Uh oh, Writer Aimee might be in trouble!

I’ve tried just walking through the store hoping an idea would pop out … I’ve tried searching the web for some brilliant ideas … but, nothing pops out at me.

So, I’m curious (and yes, beware, I may “borrow” your ideas) – what are you dressing as for Halloween this year? Or, what’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?

One year … I dressed as a nerd. Some would say that didn’t take a lot of dressing up at all. I had this ridiculous hat with a spinny thing on it. You know you’ve seen them! One year, my sister dressed as a bunch of grapes. A VERY PUFFY BUNCH OF GRAPES. That wasn’t so fun for her when we had to march around the school parking lot for our annual Halloween parade.

I tend to prefer topical costumes … Presidential candidates, or something that represents a hot news story from the year, etc. What do you think? Got any creative ideas?

Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel

Victory for the Phillies. Maybe not so much for the TV networks.

So that’s it?

The World Series ending on a half game?

As the song goes, “Is that all there is?”

In case you didn’t hear, the Phillies won game 5—the first suspended game in World Series history—to take home the team’s first trophy since 1980.

Congrats to Phillies fans. As a Cub fan I know what it’s like to root for a perennial loser. The last time the city of Philadelphia won a “major” championship was 1983. The town’s most inspirational modern sports figure is Rocky—who’s fictional!

But it appears there’s little love for this series outside of the City of Brotherly Love. TV ratings were bad. The nightmare that MLB was concerned about, that a lack of a “glamour” team would lead to disinterest, more or less came true.

But that’s not why the Fall Classic fell short.

Umpires admitting to blowing calls adding to the debate about expanding instant replay in the game.

Forecasters blew weather reports as a storm blew in to halt game 5.

And, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig blew it when he didn’t call that earlier when the storm was pelting player and fans, especially when he knew he was going to make the two teams play 9 innings regardless.

But Selig did it because of TV. The game was on during prime time and perhaps Fox didn’t have a back up like a re-run of “Dumb and Dumber” handy. And because of TV, Selig didn’t start the game earlier Monday to avoid the possibility of a delay. The sad irony is nobody watched game 5 on TV outside of Philly and Tampa Bay. It drew the lowest TV rating for a game 5 in World Series history.

It’s a shame since they were two good teams with two great stories—the Cinderella Rays and the fifth-largest city starving for a title.

Tampa Bay will be back. They are a very young team and speaking of starving getting this far will only make them hungrier. That city will not have to wait as long as Philadelphia fans to celebrate a baseball trophy. And Philly fans should be satisfied for another 28 years.

But will the rest of us be back next year?

Writer Lauren

We’re in the home stretch of the presidential election – and about 7 % of you are undecided (that’s according to CNN’s new average of polls.)

We want to hear from you!

Why are you undecided, so late in the game? What do you need to hear from the candidates, to make your final decision? And, if you’ve already made up your mind, what is the one issue that sealed the deal for you?

Join our conversation now: We might read your blog comment on TV this morning!!

Political Correspondent Richard Lui

Very shortly, if you haven't done so already, many of you will be casting your vote for not only President and VP, but also indirectly a group of top advisers that will drive the President’s decision making. Issues of national security and the economy will be defined and recommended by his cabinet and strategists that inhabit the white house.

Chief of Staff, Secretary of State, and Treasury Secretary are just some of the positions he must fill come January. We look into the process and decisions the president undertakes to fill his staff; as well as some names that have been discussed that McCain or Obama might select. Former eBay president Meg Whitman, Warren Buffet and others are discussed in these reports

These choices might affect who you vote for. You might like some of them, dislike others. Take a look and let us know how if at all, a President McCain’s or President Obama’s potential choices change the way you think.

Business Correspondent Jennifer Westhoven

What is YOUR boss doing to deal with the economic downturn?

Ah the company holiday party. The revelry, the regrets, the free drinks. But in these tough economic times will it become a thing of the past?

Cutting jobs, 401k matches, holiday parties, most likely.

Across the country, bosses are taking a hard look at their costs. Many expect sales to fall, and have to adjust. The bottom line is: that’s bad for workers.

The Number One cost for many companies is labor - and that means job cuts. According to a survey by Watson Wyatt, one in four companies say they are planning to either cut jobs or put in a hiring freeze in the next 12 months.

Two percent of companies said they had already cut 401k matches (GM was the latest in the headlines to do that) and another four percent said they are considering it – Money that can be crucial for your nest egg!

About 20% also said they could cut the holiday party. 'Bah humbug' indeed.

Have you experienced any cost-cutting at your workplace? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel

Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer is amazing. Not just because he’s 45 and still going strong and when he takes the mound in game three of the World Series Saturday, he’ll be the second-oldest starter in fall classic history.

Moyer is amazing for the magnanimous charity he and his wife Karen have created. You’ve heard of athletes “supporting” charities. How about building one from the ground up that’s making a difference in kids’ lives?

You won our hearts, Jamie Moyer.

Back in 2002, the Moyers started Camp Erin: Free weekend-long camps for kids who’ve suffered a loss of a loved one. The camps feature traditional camp activities that kids love, and are also staffed with bereavement counselors to talk with the kids.

Moyer’s foundation has helped Camp Erin grow to 18 camps in 12 states. Recently they announced that with the help of sponsors they will expand to 29 camps in 18 states in 2009. In fact, Moyer’s opposing manager in the series, Tampa’s Joe Maddon, is one of many baseball figures that have helped sponsor the project. Others include Tommy Lasorda, New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, Phillies teammate Jimmy Rollins, and Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella.

My family could have used one of these camps.

When my dad died in 2001 from a brain tumor, I was already in my 30s, but my baby sister Teddi was only 7. Now she’s 14. This would have been perfect for her then and could even be useful for her now.

I can’t think of anything better for a kid going through such a tremendous loss than to be able to bond with other kids who’ve experienced something similar, talk with counselors, and have fun at the same time.

She and the rest of my family are in Chicago. If all goes well with the expansion of Camp Erin, Chicago will get a camp next year along with Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis, Detroit and Los Angeles, and many other cities.

If you want to get involved, enroll your kid, or just learn more about it, check out the foundation’s Web site at www.moyerfoundation.org.

And if you watch game three Saturday, no matter what happens, root for Moyer to do well, because he’s truly one of baseball's good guys.

Writer Keith

Halloween is just across the corner, and being the Salem, MA representative on the Morning Express Congress I am so glad to be living in Atlanta this time of year.

Halloween to you may mean costumes, candy, and egg fights. To me it meant avoiding massive traffic jams downtown, trying not to get punched out by some meathead looking for witches, and hiding from tourists up by the water tower at Gallows Hill with some beers and a campfire.

Thank you for putting cash into our economy. This still doesn’t mean we like you. A visitor walks through smoke from a fog machine in Salem, Massachusetts.

By the way, for those of you looking for ghosts and goblins this year in the Witch City, please keep in mind the hysteria was mostly a land-grab that was probably fueled by a mold that caused hallucinations. BOO!

Speaking of beer, I nearly drove off of the road this week when I saw a billboard outside of a package store saying Yuengling Lager would be available in Georgia this weekend. Talk about your "October Surprise"!

I am really pulling for the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. I mean most of the fans cheering for the team at their home field have had to watch that franchise for three whole months. Bitter, party of one!

My wife and I are heading back to my parents place this Thanksgiving. We have basically come to the conclusion that this is our last vacation as sane, regular people until Dustin Lester Jacoby comes into the world. Nutcracker and Celtics game here we come. Who knows, I may even blog about the FVBK (final vacation before kids).

Going back to Halloween, when you were a kid you knew which house gave out whole candy bars and when you were an adult you knew which house had the guy passing out hot apple cider spiked with spiced rum.

I asked my dog Barrett who he likes this election season. He likes whichever candidate supports drilling for more dog treats that look and taste like t-bone steaks.

What if the hokey-pokey really is what it is all about?

Anytime I wax nostalgic about the Red Sox season, I just pop in a DVD of "The Steve Harvey Show" and suddenly feel at ease.

I can't believe Alec Baldwin showed up on "SNL" with Governor Sarah Palin. I thought he had moved to Canada four years ago.

Any random thoughts about the weekend you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments field below.

Senior Writer Jeff

We do our best to tell you the news you need each morning.

But let’s be honest: part of what makes “Morning Express” so much fun ... is that we find stories about some of the strangest people you'd ever hope to meet.

This cop tasered a teen for fun. Yes, looks like lots of fun.

My personal favorite is still the guy who tried to rob a store using a palm frond as his weapon.
But this morning, we have 3 fine candidates. Let’s examine their actions and (lack of) judgment.

1) Mac the Knife
Police say he stabbed himself to impress a woman! During my years of dating, that one never occurred to me. Maybe my wife would like it. Honey?

2) Tase me, Bro!
An off-duty rookie policeman was having fun at a party where there was underage drinking … when a 15-year-old boy had a great idea: tase me, bro! The cop obliged. The crowd cheered as the kid went down. The officer has been fired.

3) Queen Mary Jane
A teen beauty queen and her friends decided to dine and ditch. It was funny until she remembered she'd left her purse at the restaurant. By the time she had gone back, the cops were there waiting for her. This train wreck gets even better: the cops found marijuana in her purse!

So, who should be kicked out of the gene pool first? Now, I’d say we can’t kick out the beauty queen. But, ignore her obvious gifts for a moment, and focus on sheer stupidity. To whom would you give the boot?

Write your comments below, tell us why, and feel free to offer up some other nominations!

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