PROTECT YOURSELF
WHAT EVERY VOTER NEEDS TO KNOW BEFORE NOV.4

Given the unprecedented registration and excitement during this election season, and the reports we’re seeing on Early Vote, we can expect a record high turnout on Election Day, November 4.  A higher turnout, particularly with lots of first time voters can also increase the number of problems at the polls.  To make sure everyone gets the opportunity to vote and has their vote counted, we are asking you to MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR ELECTION DAY.  Here are some simple questions you should answer BEFORE you head out to vote.

1.  AM I REGISTERED AND WHERE IS MY POLLING SITE?
Whether you are a regular voter or not, you should verify whether you are still registered.  You also need to know where your polling site is as it may have changed.

VERIFY YOUR REGISTRATION and FIND YOUR POLLING SITE by:

• calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE
• going on line to: govote.org
• calling your local Board of Elections

If you are at the correct polling site but your name is not on the register, you can request a provisional ballot.  If election officials don’t allow you to cast a provisional ballot call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  You should only vote with a provisional ballot as a last resort after you’ve confirmed you are at the correct polling place.

Protect Yourself: What Every Voter Needs to Know Before Nov.4 … read more »

Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother found dead!

The mother and brother of Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson were gunned down in a home on the South Side of Chicago on Friday. Police confirm that they are investigating the deaths of Darnell Donerson, Hudson’s 57-year-old mother, and Jason Hudson, her 29-year-old brother. Authorities are also searching for a 7-year-old boy, believed to be Hudson’s nephew, who is missing from the scene.

Police told CNN that the bodies were discovered at about 3 p.m. Friday, when a relative found Donerson (pictured, with Hudson at the 2007 Academy Awards) shot to death on the living room floor of her home. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the brother’s dead body in a bedroom. Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for the missing boy, Julian King. The Chicago Tribune reports that a suspect was taken into custody Friday night, but the boy was not with him.

Jennifer Hudson, a former American Idol contestant, is said to be on her way to Chicago; her representative has yet to make a statement.

I just stumbled upon a gay blogger who posted about Apple Inc that is supporting Gay & Lesbian Marriage!

No on Prop 8
October 24, 2008

Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

What the f@#$ is wrong with Apple? Now I know that Steve Jobs is a Gay!

For those of you who don’t know what Proposition 8 is all about, here it is:

Proposition 8 is an initiative measure on the 2008 California General Election ballot titled Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. If passed, the proposition would “change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California”. A new section would be added stating “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California“.

For only the second time in two years, Microsoft has released a critical patch to the Windows operating system before the normally scheduled monthly patch release cycle. Today’s release is a “level 200″ issue, and could allow a “specially crafted RPC request” to execute computer code on a remote system. An hour-long “by registration only” webcast was held today at 1pm PDT outlining the release. MS08-067 affects all versions of Windows since Windows 2000.

Affected systems

These Windows operating systems are affected and listed as critical: Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, XP SP3, XP Professional x64, XP Professional x64 SP2, Server 2003 SP1, Server 2003 SP2, Server 2003 x64, Server 2003 SP1 Itanium and Server 2003 SP2 Itanium.

These Windows operating systems are affected, but only listed as important: Vista SP1, Vista x64, Vista x64 SP1, Server 2008 32-bit, Server 2008 x64 and Server 2008 Itanium.

MS08-067 … read more »

New Orleans — Everyone knows that cats can see in the dark, but that wasn’t good enough for some New Orleans scientists. They produced Mr. Green Genes, a cat that glows in the dark and is destined to be more than just a novelty for Halloween parties.

He’s a nearly 6-month-old orange tabby but, under ultraviolet light, his eyes, gums and tongue glow a vivid lime green, the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species.

Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the United States, said Betsy Dresser, the center’s director.

The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into the feline’s genetic sequence to create what is formally known as a transgenic cat. If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to combat diseases via gene therapy.

The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes’ DNA when he was created earlier this year in the Audubon center’s laboratory, has no effect on his health, Dresser said.

Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr. Martha Gomez, a veterinarian and staff scientist at the center.

Why a glowing cat?

To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow.

Mr Green Genes … read more »