Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
ass on an ass
Vote for Democrats.even Palin agrees that the Republican party isn't worth voting for... look at her scarf...
$55 from here to LA?! GIVE ME MY BULLET TRAIN!
Dude. Seriously. $55 to LA... AND it's only 2.5 hours. I probably won't even be living in CA by the time this is finished but I want it. Vote for it dammit!!!!
Fate of America's First Bullet Train Rests With California Voters
By Dave Demerjian
High-speed rail advocates in California have long dreamed of the day when bullet trains would revolutionize transportation, and they're counting on voters to pony up nearly $10 billion to bankroll what would be the nation's first true high-speed rail line.
Proponents have been pushing high-speed rail for 25 years and always fallen short. But they say a confluence of events -- rising fuel prices, gridlocked roads, jammed airports and concern about global warming -- present the best chance yet to bring bullet trains to America. "We have a perfect storm ... those four factors make a perfect case for high-speed rail," Ron Diridion of the state's High Speed Rail Authority, recently told the San Francisco Chronicle.
We've heard this before. There once was talk of a bullet train between Los Angeles and San Diego, and of a line linking L.A. and Las Vegas. Both were shot down. Will things be any different this time, and will America finally follow Europe and Japan in embracing high-speed rail? If it does, it will require changing how we live and how our cities grow.
Proposition 1A would authorize $9.95 billion in bonds to finance the first phase of an 800-mile high-speed rail line that would connect the San Francisco Bay Area with Los Angeles. Several transportation, environmental and business groups say it would offer a faster, cheaper and greener travel while easing the strain on California's notoriously backed-up highways and airports. Trains would make the 400-mile run between the two cities at about 220 mph (considerably faster than the 150 mph top speed attained by the Acela Express linking Washington, D.C. with Boston). The trip would take about 2 1/2 hours and cost riders $55, according to the High Speed Rail Authority.
The project is expected to cost $32 billion, with extensions to San Diego and Sacramento adding another $10 billion. State officials are banking on taxpayers, Uncle Sam and private investors sharing the costs equally. Construction could begin as early as 2011 and trains might be running by 2020. Advocates claim the largest public works project in state history would create as many as 160,000 construction jobs and spur 400,000 more jobs once the system is up and running.
Some opponents warn the final tab could be closer to $80 billion. Regardless of the final cost, taxpayer advocates and the California Chamber of Commerce argue California can't afford it. Repaying the $9.95 billion bond issue over 30 years would cost $19.4 billion, with annual payments hitting $647 million. That's a lot of coin for a state that already spends 6.1-percent of its budget on debt service. Opponents also say final tab might be closer to $80 billion. Even some rail advocates and transportation experts say the current proposal would never work.
"It's technologically impossible to do what the High Speed Rail Authority claims can be done, for any amount of money," Prof. James Moore, director of the transportation engineering program at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times. "When it comes to predicting the actual cost of systems like this, I just say a zillion and leave it at that."
Voters may be leery of spending any money, given the state of the economy, the collapse of Wall Street and California's budget deficit. And then there's the fact a Metrolink commuter train crashed in L.A. last month, killing 25 people. That could make the high-speed line a tough sell.
Of course, it isn't enough to simply build a high-speed rail line. As the Chronicle notes this morning, if bullet trains are going to work here like they do in Europe and Japan, California -- and, by extension, America -- must develop and live in denser cities while expanding public transportation. "It's a lifestyle change we're talking about," Noriyuki Shikata of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says. "It affects how people lead their lives."
It remains to be seen whether people are pony up for high-speed rail, let alone make the changes that might be needed to ensure its success, but polls show the proposition passing by a slim margin.
Post updated 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. PST.
Image by California High Speed Rail Authority.
Fate of America's First Bullet Train Rests With California Voters
By Dave Demerjian
High-speed rail advocates in California have long dreamed of the day when bullet trains would revolutionize transportation, and they're counting on voters to pony up nearly $10 billion to bankroll what would be the nation's first true high-speed rail line.
Proponents have been pushing high-speed rail for 25 years and always fallen short. But they say a confluence of events -- rising fuel prices, gridlocked roads, jammed airports and concern about global warming -- present the best chance yet to bring bullet trains to America. "We have a perfect storm ... those four factors make a perfect case for high-speed rail," Ron Diridion of the state's High Speed Rail Authority, recently told the San Francisco Chronicle.
We've heard this before. There once was talk of a bullet train between Los Angeles and San Diego, and of a line linking L.A. and Las Vegas. Both were shot down. Will things be any different this time, and will America finally follow Europe and Japan in embracing high-speed rail? If it does, it will require changing how we live and how our cities grow.
Proposition 1A would authorize $9.95 billion in bonds to finance the first phase of an 800-mile high-speed rail line that would connect the San Francisco Bay Area with Los Angeles. Several transportation, environmental and business groups say it would offer a faster, cheaper and greener travel while easing the strain on California's notoriously backed-up highways and airports. Trains would make the 400-mile run between the two cities at about 220 mph (considerably faster than the 150 mph top speed attained by the Acela Express linking Washington, D.C. with Boston). The trip would take about 2 1/2 hours and cost riders $55, according to the High Speed Rail Authority.
The project is expected to cost $32 billion, with extensions to San Diego and Sacramento adding another $10 billion. State officials are banking on taxpayers, Uncle Sam and private investors sharing the costs equally. Construction could begin as early as 2011 and trains might be running by 2020. Advocates claim the largest public works project in state history would create as many as 160,000 construction jobs and spur 400,000 more jobs once the system is up and running.
Some opponents warn the final tab could be closer to $80 billion. Regardless of the final cost, taxpayer advocates and the California Chamber of Commerce argue California can't afford it. Repaying the $9.95 billion bond issue over 30 years would cost $19.4 billion, with annual payments hitting $647 million. That's a lot of coin for a state that already spends 6.1-percent of its budget on debt service. Opponents also say final tab might be closer to $80 billion. Even some rail advocates and transportation experts say the current proposal would never work.
"It's technologically impossible to do what the High Speed Rail Authority claims can be done, for any amount of money," Prof. James Moore, director of the transportation engineering program at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times. "When it comes to predicting the actual cost of systems like this, I just say a zillion and leave it at that."
Voters may be leery of spending any money, given the state of the economy, the collapse of Wall Street and California's budget deficit. And then there's the fact a Metrolink commuter train crashed in L.A. last month, killing 25 people. That could make the high-speed line a tough sell.
Of course, it isn't enough to simply build a high-speed rail line. As the Chronicle notes this morning, if bullet trains are going to work here like they do in Europe and Japan, California -- and, by extension, America -- must develop and live in denser cities while expanding public transportation. "It's a lifestyle change we're talking about," Noriyuki Shikata of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says. "It affects how people lead their lives."
It remains to be seen whether people are pony up for high-speed rail, let alone make the changes that might be needed to ensure its success, but polls show the proposition passing by a slim margin.
Post updated 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. PST.
Image by California High Speed Rail Authority.
Monday, October 20, 2008
i can has internets fame!
LOLcat art show space announcedGreat news!
The first-ever LOLcat art show I am curating in tangent with Icanhascheezburger.com has a home!
The show opens on Thursday October 23rd, 2008 - 7-9:30pm - at Varnish Fine Art (77 Natoma Street, San Francisco).
For more info: www.thelolarts.com
you eated my cheezburger.
You can probably vote EARLY and avoid any voter FRAUD
However, the information about voting early is a little difficult to find. Especially if you're not an internet adept, or if you have a terrible SOS website (Washington, blech!).
So, to help people out, I dug through the SOS websites for all of the battleground states and a few of the big blue states (where people could definitely vote early and then volunteer). Below, I have listed by state
The state's SOS website
The states policies for early/absentee voting
The dates when you can vote early
A basic "how to", with links to needed documents and voting locations.
Important notes about the information:In a lot of states there is no "early" voting, but there is absentee voting. In some of these states, you must "qualify" for absentee voting. Don't be discouraged. Volunteering on election day is a perfectly legitimate reason to vote absentee.Also, in these states, even though there is no "early voting" option, there is a quick way to vote early. You can vote absentee in person by filing out the absentee application in the polling office and then immediately voting. Good deal!
Before we get to the info, I would like to mention two quick things. First, in order to vote early, you must first be registered. Please go to voteforchange.com to make sure that your registration is correct and up-to-date. The deadline for registration is fast approaching. Please encourage your friends/acquaintances/anyone you know to do so as well. Nothing is worse that getting to your polling place and being unable to vote. Second, please encourage those same people to vote early, and possibly do some volunteering work on election day.
Californiawww.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htmCalifornia has early voting and mail-in voting. In California anyone can vote early.Voting Window: County dependentHow to:
You can vote early in person at any of your county voting locations. Times and dates vary (and are not posted yet in some cases) by county. You can find your specific county information here.
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application found here and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. Starting October 7th, they will begin to mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Coloradowww.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspxColorado has early voting and mail-in voting. In Colorado anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 20th-October 31st (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. To find times and locations for your county, you should check your local county website found here
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application. I can't link directly to the application. Go here and open the "Mail-in ballot Application" link and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Floridahttp://election.dos.state.fl.us/Florida has early voting and mail-in voting. In Florida anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 20th-November 1stst (in person) or now- Nov 4th (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. Locations and voting hours vary by county, check with your Supervisor of Elections website which can be found here
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. You must request your vote by mail application directly from you Supervisor of elections found here . A registered voter may request an absentee ballot by telephone, mail, email, fax, or in person, to be mailed to or picked by the voter. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Georgiahttp://sos.georgia.gov/...Georgia has early voting and absentee voting. In Georgia anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 27th-October 31stst (in person) or now-November 4th (absentee voting)How to:
To vote early, you must go to an advance voting office, and fill out an application. You will then be issued a ballot that must be filled out and cast while you are in the office. Locations and times are county dependent and can be found here.
Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. You must fill out the application here . You can then either
i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices, information found here, and vote immediately.ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county here .They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Illinoiswww.elections.il.gov/Illinois has early voting and mail-in voting. In Illinois anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 14th-October 30th (in person) or now- November 4th (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of the early voting centers across the state. I cannot find any information on the locations yet. You should seek information from your county websites found here
Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. The applications can be found at your local county clerks office found here. You can then either
i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices and vote immediately. This can be done from September 30th – November 3rd.ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county clerk's office.They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot. This can be done from September 30th – October 30th.
Indianahttp://www.in.gov/...Indiana has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. In Indiana anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 6th-November 3rd (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)How to:
All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at the county election board office. To do so, you must fill out an application to vote absentee in person (weird, eh?) found here and bring it to your local county clerk's office (found in the same link) where you will be able to vote.
To vote absentee by mail, you must check off one of the reasons why you cannot make it to the polls. You must fill out the application found here and return it (mailed, faxed, or hand delivered) to your local county election board (found in the same link) by October 27th. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Iowawww.sos.state.ia.us/index.htmIowa has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. You must qualify to vote absentee.An absentee ballot can be requested for one of these reasons:-When, during the time the polls are open on Election Day, the voter expects to be absent from the precinct in which he/she is a registered voter.-When, through illness or physical disability, the voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls and voting on Election Day.-When the voter expects to be unable to go to the polls and vote on Election DayVoting Window: September 25th - ??How To:
Any qualified voter may vote early in person by completing the absentee ballot application, found here, at his County Auditor’s Office. Office locations can be found here here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to the County Auditor's Office. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Mainewww.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl
Michiganwww.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633---,00.htmThere is absentee voting in Michigan.To qualify for absentee voting you must be:-Age 60 or older-Unable to vote without assistance at the polls-Expecting to be out of town on election day (eg VOLUNTEERING!)-There are a few other optionsVoting Window: now-November 4thHow to:
You can request an absentee ballot by filling in the form found here. . This should then be mailed to your local clerk's office found here. It must arrive by October 31st. They will mail you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Minnesotawww.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=4Minnesota has absentee voting in-person and by mail.Voting Window: October 6th-??How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Missouriwww.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=votingMissouri has absentee voting by mail and in person. In order to be able to vote absentee, one must fulfill one of various criteria such as: Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote (due to, say, volunteering).Voting Window: In person now-Nov. 3rd. Absentee ballot requests by mail must be received by October 30th.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Information on locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
NOTE: Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail who have registered by mail and have not voted in person are required to submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application.
Montanahttp://sos.mt.gov/...In Montana absentee voting = early voting. Anyone can vote absentee.Voting Window: absentee in-person now-September 25th by-mail now-November 3rd*I am little perplexed by the voting window here, and would suggest you call the free voting hotline to confirm the dates 1-888-884-VOTE (8683)How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot.
Nevadahttp://sos.state.nv.us/...Nevada has early voting and absentee voting options available to any person.Voting Window: Early voting is October 18th to October 31st. Absentee voting now-November 4th.How to:
Voters can vote at any location in their respective county where early voting is offered. Hours and locations vary from county to county. You can check with your local county website here.
Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absentee ballot request form, which may be obtained from your local county election official. You can find county information here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 28th. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.
New Hampshirehttp://www.sos.nh.gov/...New Hampshire has absentee voting. You must qualify to be able to vote absentee, by (for example) being out of the county on election day volunteering.Voting Window: October 3rd -November 3rd.How to:
You must complete the absentee ballot application found here and return it to your town or city clerk, locations found here. I could not tell if there is the possibility to fill out the form at the clerk's office and vote at the same time. You might want to call to inquire.
New Jerseywww.njelections.orgNew Jersey has absentee voting in-person and by-mail for any voter.Voting Window: now-November 3rdHow to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. County Clerk's office locations here. They should have copies at the clerks's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot. You must submit the application by October 27th.
New Mexicohttp://www.sos.state.nm.us/...New Mexico has early voting and absentee voting available to all voters.Voting Window: Early voting October 6th-November 1st. Absentee voting now-Nov 4thHow to:
You may go to your county clerk's office to vote early County clerk locations found here here.
Early voting begins on October 18th at alternate sites. Call your county clerk for locations, contact information here . Alternate sites for early voting are open from 12:00 Noon until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The sites are open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.
Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absent ballotee request form, found here. Then mail your request to your county clerk. Find your county clerk here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 31st. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.
New Yorkhttp://www.elections.state.ny.us/New York has absentee voting in-person and by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in New York, by (for example) being "unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day" while volunteering.Voting Window: In person October 5th – November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here. They should have copies at the board of election's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 28th. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
North Carolinahttp://www.sboe.state.nc.us/Any registered voter may vote early in person with "One Stop Early Voting." Any registered voter may vote early by mail.Voting Window: Early voting October 16th-October 31st. Absentee by mail now – November 3rd.How to:
To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address. To find your local one-stop voting location, contact your county board of elections here.
Any registered North Carolina voter can request an absentee ballot from his/her respective county board of elections prior to the last Tuesday before the election. County board of election information can be found here.
*A handwritten absentee ballot request must include:Name of voterResidential Address of voterMailing Address of voter (if different from residential address)Date of Birth of voterSignature of voter or near relative (indicate relationship with voter)I suspect there is a standard form somewhere.
Ohiohttp://www.sos.state.oh.us/...Ohio has absentee in-person and by-mail voting available to all voters.Voting Window: September 30th – November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here.
They should have copies at the board's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.SPECIAL NOTE: Voter registration goes until October 6th. From September 30th – October 6th you can register to vote and vote early all at once!
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 31st. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Pennsylvaniahttp://www.dos.state.pa.us/...Pennsylvania has absentee by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in Pennsylvania, by (for example) "expecting to be absent election day" while volunteering. I was not able to determine if there is absentee voting in person.Voting Window: now – November 3rd.How to:
An application for absentee ballot, found here must be filled out and returned to your County Election Offices by October 28th . County Election Office locations found here. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Texas:
Offical Site
Early Voting in person-
Early voting in person may be easier than you think. You don't have to stand in long lines on Election Day. Registered voters may vote early at a location convenient to them within their political subdivision. Early voting in person generally starts 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election.
Early Voting by mail-
You may vote early by mail if you are:
* going to be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting;* sick or disabled;* 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or* confined in jail, but eligible to vote.
Virgina:www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.htmlVirginia has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. You must qualify to vote absentee, by (for example) "being absent from the county or city" due to volunteering.Voting Window: September 20th-November 1stHow to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here.
They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. They will then mail you a ballot.
Washingtonhttp://www.secstate.wa.gov/...In Washington any registered voter may vote early by mail.Voting Window: October 15th to November 4thHow to:
An absentee ballot may be requested from the voter's County Auditor's Office by phone, mail, fax, electronically, or in person. Absentee ballots are available 20 days before each election. Contact information for each County Auditor's Office is available here. Absentee ballots must be postmarked or delivered to the county election officer on or before Election Day
Wisconsinhttp://elections.state.wi.us/Wisconsin has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot.Voting window: now-November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your municipal clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Clerk's office locations here.
They should have copies at the clerk's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. The request must be received by October 30th. They will then mail you a ballot.
***vote early, vote often.
So, to help people out, I dug through the SOS websites for all of the battleground states and a few of the big blue states (where people could definitely vote early and then volunteer). Below, I have listed by state
The state's SOS website
The states policies for early/absentee voting
The dates when you can vote early
A basic "how to", with links to needed documents and voting locations.
Important notes about the information:In a lot of states there is no "early" voting, but there is absentee voting. In some of these states, you must "qualify" for absentee voting. Don't be discouraged. Volunteering on election day is a perfectly legitimate reason to vote absentee.Also, in these states, even though there is no "early voting" option, there is a quick way to vote early. You can vote absentee in person by filing out the absentee application in the polling office and then immediately voting. Good deal!
Before we get to the info, I would like to mention two quick things. First, in order to vote early, you must first be registered. Please go to voteforchange.com to make sure that your registration is correct and up-to-date. The deadline for registration is fast approaching. Please encourage your friends/acquaintances/anyone you know to do so as well. Nothing is worse that getting to your polling place and being unable to vote. Second, please encourage those same people to vote early, and possibly do some volunteering work on election day.
Californiawww.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htmCalifornia has early voting and mail-in voting. In California anyone can vote early.Voting Window: County dependentHow to:
You can vote early in person at any of your county voting locations. Times and dates vary (and are not posted yet in some cases) by county. You can find your specific county information here.
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application found here and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. Starting October 7th, they will begin to mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Coloradowww.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspxColorado has early voting and mail-in voting. In Colorado anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 20th-October 31st (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. To find times and locations for your county, you should check your local county website found here
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application. I can't link directly to the application. Go here and open the "Mail-in ballot Application" link and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Floridahttp://election.dos.state.fl.us/Florida has early voting and mail-in voting. In Florida anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 20th-November 1stst (in person) or now- Nov 4th (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. Locations and voting hours vary by county, check with your Supervisor of Elections website which can be found here
Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. You must request your vote by mail application directly from you Supervisor of elections found here . A registered voter may request an absentee ballot by telephone, mail, email, fax, or in person, to be mailed to or picked by the voter. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Georgiahttp://sos.georgia.gov/...Georgia has early voting and absentee voting. In Georgia anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 27th-October 31stst (in person) or now-November 4th (absentee voting)How to:
To vote early, you must go to an advance voting office, and fill out an application. You will then be issued a ballot that must be filled out and cast while you are in the office. Locations and times are county dependent and can be found here.
Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. You must fill out the application here . You can then either
i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices, information found here, and vote immediately.ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county here .They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Illinoiswww.elections.il.gov/Illinois has early voting and mail-in voting. In Illinois anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 14th-October 30th (in person) or now- November 4th (vote by mail)How to:
You can vote early in person by going to any of the early voting centers across the state. I cannot find any information on the locations yet. You should seek information from your county websites found here
Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. The applications can be found at your local county clerks office found here. You can then either
i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices and vote immediately. This can be done from September 30th – November 3rd.ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county clerk's office.They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot. This can be done from September 30th – October 30th.
Indianahttp://www.in.gov/...Indiana has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. In Indiana anyone can vote early.Voting Window: October 6th-November 3rd (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)How to:
All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at the county election board office. To do so, you must fill out an application to vote absentee in person (weird, eh?) found here and bring it to your local county clerk's office (found in the same link) where you will be able to vote.
To vote absentee by mail, you must check off one of the reasons why you cannot make it to the polls. You must fill out the application found here and return it (mailed, faxed, or hand delivered) to your local county election board (found in the same link) by October 27th. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Iowawww.sos.state.ia.us/index.htmIowa has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. You must qualify to vote absentee.An absentee ballot can be requested for one of these reasons:-When, during the time the polls are open on Election Day, the voter expects to be absent from the precinct in which he/she is a registered voter.-When, through illness or physical disability, the voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls and voting on Election Day.-When the voter expects to be unable to go to the polls and vote on Election DayVoting Window: September 25th - ??How To:
Any qualified voter may vote early in person by completing the absentee ballot application, found here, at his County Auditor’s Office. Office locations can be found here here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to the County Auditor's Office. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.
Mainewww.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl
Michiganwww.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633---,00.htmThere is absentee voting in Michigan.To qualify for absentee voting you must be:-Age 60 or older-Unable to vote without assistance at the polls-Expecting to be out of town on election day (eg VOLUNTEERING!)-There are a few other optionsVoting Window: now-November 4thHow to:
You can request an absentee ballot by filling in the form found here. . This should then be mailed to your local clerk's office found here. It must arrive by October 31st. They will mail you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Minnesotawww.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=4Minnesota has absentee voting in-person and by mail.Voting Window: October 6th-??How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Missouriwww.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=votingMissouri has absentee voting by mail and in person. In order to be able to vote absentee, one must fulfill one of various criteria such as: Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote (due to, say, volunteering).Voting Window: In person now-Nov. 3rd. Absentee ballot requests by mail must be received by October 30th.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Information on locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
NOTE: Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail who have registered by mail and have not voted in person are required to submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application.
Montanahttp://sos.mt.gov/...In Montana absentee voting = early voting. Anyone can vote absentee.Voting Window: absentee in-person now-September 25th by-mail now-November 3rd*I am little perplexed by the voting window here, and would suggest you call the free voting hotline to confirm the dates 1-888-884-VOTE (8683)How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot.
Nevadahttp://sos.state.nv.us/...Nevada has early voting and absentee voting options available to any person.Voting Window: Early voting is October 18th to October 31st. Absentee voting now-November 4th.How to:
Voters can vote at any location in their respective county where early voting is offered. Hours and locations vary from county to county. You can check with your local county website here.
Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absentee ballot request form, which may be obtained from your local county election official. You can find county information here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 28th. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.
New Hampshirehttp://www.sos.nh.gov/...New Hampshire has absentee voting. You must qualify to be able to vote absentee, by (for example) being out of the county on election day volunteering.Voting Window: October 3rd -November 3rd.How to:
You must complete the absentee ballot application found here and return it to your town or city clerk, locations found here. I could not tell if there is the possibility to fill out the form at the clerk's office and vote at the same time. You might want to call to inquire.
New Jerseywww.njelections.orgNew Jersey has absentee voting in-person and by-mail for any voter.Voting Window: now-November 3rdHow to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. County Clerk's office locations here. They should have copies at the clerks's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot. You must submit the application by October 27th.
New Mexicohttp://www.sos.state.nm.us/...New Mexico has early voting and absentee voting available to all voters.Voting Window: Early voting October 6th-November 1st. Absentee voting now-Nov 4thHow to:
You may go to your county clerk's office to vote early County clerk locations found here here.
Early voting begins on October 18th at alternate sites. Call your county clerk for locations, contact information here . Alternate sites for early voting are open from 12:00 Noon until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The sites are open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.
Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absent ballotee request form, found here. Then mail your request to your county clerk. Find your county clerk here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 31st. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.
New Yorkhttp://www.elections.state.ny.us/New York has absentee voting in-person and by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in New York, by (for example) being "unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day" while volunteering.Voting Window: In person October 5th – November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here. They should have copies at the board of election's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 28th. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
North Carolinahttp://www.sboe.state.nc.us/Any registered voter may vote early in person with "One Stop Early Voting." Any registered voter may vote early by mail.Voting Window: Early voting October 16th-October 31st. Absentee by mail now – November 3rd.How to:
To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address. To find your local one-stop voting location, contact your county board of elections here.
Any registered North Carolina voter can request an absentee ballot from his/her respective county board of elections prior to the last Tuesday before the election. County board of election information can be found here.
*A handwritten absentee ballot request must include:Name of voterResidential Address of voterMailing Address of voter (if different from residential address)Date of Birth of voterSignature of voter or near relative (indicate relationship with voter)I suspect there is a standard form somewhere.
Ohiohttp://www.sos.state.oh.us/...Ohio has absentee in-person and by-mail voting available to all voters.Voting Window: September 30th – November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here.
They should have copies at the board's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.SPECIAL NOTE: Voter registration goes until October 6th. From September 30th – October 6th you can register to vote and vote early all at once!
Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 31st. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Pennsylvaniahttp://www.dos.state.pa.us/...Pennsylvania has absentee by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in Pennsylvania, by (for example) "expecting to be absent election day" while volunteering. I was not able to determine if there is absentee voting in person.Voting Window: now – November 3rd.How to:
An application for absentee ballot, found here must be filled out and returned to your County Election Offices by October 28th . County Election Office locations found here. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.
Texas:
Offical Site
Early Voting in person-
Early voting in person may be easier than you think. You don't have to stand in long lines on Election Day. Registered voters may vote early at a location convenient to them within their political subdivision. Early voting in person generally starts 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election.
Early Voting by mail-
You may vote early by mail if you are:
* going to be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting;* sick or disabled;* 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or* confined in jail, but eligible to vote.
Virgina:www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.htmlVirginia has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. You must qualify to vote absentee, by (for example) "being absent from the county or city" due to volunteering.Voting Window: September 20th-November 1stHow to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here.
They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. They will then mail you a ballot.
Washingtonhttp://www.secstate.wa.gov/...In Washington any registered voter may vote early by mail.Voting Window: October 15th to November 4thHow to:
An absentee ballot may be requested from the voter's County Auditor's Office by phone, mail, fax, electronically, or in person. Absentee ballots are available 20 days before each election. Contact information for each County Auditor's Office is available here. Absentee ballots must be postmarked or delivered to the county election officer on or before Election Day
Wisconsinhttp://elections.state.wi.us/Wisconsin has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot.Voting window: now-November 3rd.How to:
If you complete the absentee voter application at your municipal clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Clerk's office locations here.
They should have copies at the clerk's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. The request must be received by October 30th. They will then mail you a ballot.
***vote early, vote often.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Neal Hefti, Jazz Musician and Composer of the Batman Theme, Dies
by Jon Azpiri | October 15, 2008 at 09:39 am
Musician Neal Hefti died in Los Angeles at the age of 85. An accomplished trumpet player and composer, Hefti is best-known for having written the theme song to the hit 1960s TV series "Batman".
The catchy song was a Top 40 hit and won a Grammy Award in 1966 for best instrumental theme. Although the theme featured a simple chord progression and the lyrics contained just one word, Hefti struggled writing the song.
It was, Hefti later said, the hardest piece of music he ever wrote.
"I tore up a lot of paper," he told Jon Burlingame, author of "TV's Biggest Hits," a 1996 book on television themes. "It did not come easy to me. . . . I just sweated over that thing, more so than any other single piece of music I ever wrote. I was never satisfied with it."
"Batman," he said, "was not a comedy. This was about unreal people. Batman and Robin were both very, very serious. The bad guys would be chasing them, and they would come to a stop at a red light, you know. They wouldn't break the law even to save their own lives. So there was a grimness and a self-righteousness about all this."
Hefti said it took him "the better part of a month" to come up with the theme.
"I was almost going to call them and say, I can't do it," he said. "But I never walk out on projects, so I sort of forced myself to finish."
Hefti's "musical solution to a combined dramatic and comedic problem," Burlingame wrote in his book, "was perfect: bass guitar, low brass and percussion to create a driving rhythm, while an eight-voice chorus sings 'Batman!' in harmony with the trumpets. It was part serious, part silly: just like the series."
Source: latimes.com
In addition, Hefti composed music for films such as "Harlow" (which featured “Girl Talk,” one of his best-known songs), "How to Murder Your Wife," "Barefoot in the Park," and “The Odd Couple,” which was later used in the 1970s TV series.
Prior to working in Hollywood, Hefti was an accomplished jazz trumpeter and arranger, having worked with the likes Woody Herman, Frank Sinatra, and Count Basie. Hefti's song "Lil' Darlin'" is considered a jazz standard, having been recorded by Basie and dozens of other jazz artists.
Musician Neal Hefti died in Los Angeles at the age of 85. An accomplished trumpet player and composer, Hefti is best-known for having written the theme song to the hit 1960s TV series "Batman".
The catchy song was a Top 40 hit and won a Grammy Award in 1966 for best instrumental theme. Although the theme featured a simple chord progression and the lyrics contained just one word, Hefti struggled writing the song.
It was, Hefti later said, the hardest piece of music he ever wrote.
"I tore up a lot of paper," he told Jon Burlingame, author of "TV's Biggest Hits," a 1996 book on television themes. "It did not come easy to me. . . . I just sweated over that thing, more so than any other single piece of music I ever wrote. I was never satisfied with it."
"Batman," he said, "was not a comedy. This was about unreal people. Batman and Robin were both very, very serious. The bad guys would be chasing them, and they would come to a stop at a red light, you know. They wouldn't break the law even to save their own lives. So there was a grimness and a self-righteousness about all this."
Hefti said it took him "the better part of a month" to come up with the theme.
"I was almost going to call them and say, I can't do it," he said. "But I never walk out on projects, so I sort of forced myself to finish."
Hefti's "musical solution to a combined dramatic and comedic problem," Burlingame wrote in his book, "was perfect: bass guitar, low brass and percussion to create a driving rhythm, while an eight-voice chorus sings 'Batman!' in harmony with the trumpets. It was part serious, part silly: just like the series."
Source: latimes.com
In addition, Hefti composed music for films such as "Harlow" (which featured “Girl Talk,” one of his best-known songs), "How to Murder Your Wife," "Barefoot in the Park," and “The Odd Couple,” which was later used in the 1970s TV series.
Prior to working in Hollywood, Hefti was an accomplished jazz trumpeter and arranger, having worked with the likes Woody Herman, Frank Sinatra, and Count Basie. Hefti's song "Lil' Darlin'" is considered a jazz standard, having been recorded by Basie and dozens of other jazz artists.
Earthquake Simulation
Although this is effin SCARY, I do like how Oakland is the center of the world.
McCain Gets knocked off Youtube because of the very law he opposed
Remember "The Fair Use Act"?
Yeah the one that if you oppose it you call anyone who does a mash up a pirate?
The same law that McCain wanted to stifle because he felt that using anyone's media without thier permission was against the law? Well The Fair Use Act claims that if you meet 4 requirements you should be able to use the media;
1. You are not using it for profit (not violating copyright laws)
2. Must be factual
3. the extent of the use of the material and
4. impact will be reviewed
McCain posted a video in July called "Can't take my eyes off of you" (a video about the internets' obsession with Obama) with the song as the background music for satire, and The Warner Music Group posted a take down notice for McCains video for copyright violation. Now McCain is claiming the Fair Use Act, that he should be able to use the song (and the various clips) without permission because it falls inthe categories listed. That's kinda ironic dontcha think?
I think it's awesome that he got blocked from Youtube. We would have flagged it anyway, but not the point. If you vote against our bill you shouldn't be able to use it.
So anyway my message to McCain is this: this is what happens when you run dirty campaign. We hate you and your racist followers. We'll go to everyone of your events with Obama shirts on and out chant you and post it on yourtube with our camera phones. We'll boo your friends at hockey games and embarass you on a global scale. We will boo you off the Youtube stage. And don't be fooled old man, the Youtube stage is the biggest most important stage in the world.
citation
Yeah the one that if you oppose it you call anyone who does a mash up a pirate?
The same law that McCain wanted to stifle because he felt that using anyone's media without thier permission was against the law? Well The Fair Use Act claims that if you meet 4 requirements you should be able to use the media;
1. You are not using it for profit (not violating copyright laws)
2. Must be factual
3. the extent of the use of the material and
4. impact will be reviewed
McCain posted a video in July called "Can't take my eyes off of you" (a video about the internets' obsession with Obama) with the song as the background music for satire, and The Warner Music Group posted a take down notice for McCains video for copyright violation. Now McCain is claiming the Fair Use Act, that he should be able to use the song (and the various clips) without permission because it falls inthe categories listed. That's kinda ironic dontcha think?
I think it's awesome that he got blocked from Youtube. We would have flagged it anyway, but not the point. If you vote against our bill you shouldn't be able to use it.
So anyway my message to McCain is this: this is what happens when you run dirty campaign. We hate you and your racist followers. We'll go to everyone of your events with Obama shirts on and out chant you and post it on yourtube with our camera phones. We'll boo your friends at hockey games and embarass you on a global scale. We will boo you off the Youtube stage. And don't be fooled old man, the Youtube stage is the biggest most important stage in the world.
citation
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