Tag Archives: gay

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Bringing ultra high-speed broadband to Stanford homes …Google-Official blog


Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:06 AM PDT

Earlier this year we announced our plans to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of American communities. Since then, a team of Google engineers has been hard at work experimenting with new fiber optic technologies. And following a series of tests we’ve run on Google’s campus, we’re excited to announce the next step in our project. 

We’ve reached an agreement with Stanford University to build an ultra-high speed broadband network to the university’s Residential Subdivision, a group of approximately 850 faculty- and staff-owned homes on campus. Through this trial, we plan to offer Internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second—more than 100 times faster than what most people have access to today. We plan to start breaking ground in early 2011.

To be clear, this trial is completely separate from our community selection process for Google Fiber, which is still ongoing. As we’ve said, our ultimate goal is to build to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people, and we still plan to announce our selected community or communities by the end of the year.

Stanford’s Residential Subdivision—our first “beta” deployment to real customers—will be a key step towards that goal. We’ll be able to take what we learn from this small deployment to help scale our project more effectively and efficiently to much larger communities.

Why did we decide to build here? Most important was Stanford’s openness to us experimenting with new fiber technologies on its streets. The layout of the residential neighborhoods and small number of homes make it a good fit for a beta deployment. And its location—just a few miles up the road from Google—will make it easier for our engineers to monitor progress.

We’re excited about this beta, and we look forward to announcing our selected community or communities for Google Fiber in the coming months.

Posted by James Kelly, Product Manager

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Meet Darryl Issa


Video is from 4/2008

Olbermann names Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., today’s ‘worst person in the world’ for his statements refusing 9/11 sicker workers aid and belittling the 9/11 attacks despite his constant terror-mongering–

“It simply was an aircraft, residue of two aircraft and residue from the materials used to build this building,” Issa said.

GOP Rep. opposes sick Sept. 11 worker fund

WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) — A California congressman said Wednesday he has reservations about a proposed new fund for rescuers sickened by the 2001 terror attacks, not supporting victims.

At a hearing in Washington Tuesday, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., balked at the idea of a new compensation fund for emergency responders who fell ill after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, the New York Daily News reported.

Issa insisted the airliners that crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York were not weapons. He suggested the cause of illness for the responders was simply debris from the collapse of the towers.


“It simply was an aircraft, residue of two aircraft and residue from the materials used to build this building,” Issa said.

Rep Darrell Issa (R-Cal) gets chided for his continued wingnut use of “Democrat Party” to refer to the Democratic Party. Barney Frank (D-Mass) came to his defense by calling the opposition the “Republicanistical” party. Serious times.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

An immediate crisis


Human Rights Campaign


We need 16 donations from Seattle by TOMORROW.

We’re fighting poisonous hate from right-wing groups and on the campaign trail.

Join

How would you feel seeing this headline on November 3rd?

Radical Conservatives Take Over Washington

It’s not farfetched. At a time when anti-LGBT bullying and harassment are already out of control, this election could usher a wave of extremists into Congress and bolster hateful right-wing groups that have already begun urging lawmakers to pass a national ban on same-sex couples marrying.

One prominent candidate founded a “cure the gays” group before running for Senate. Seriously. Last week, another declared he wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education so students won’t be taught that “Susie has two mommies is an appropriate family situation.”

We’ve already raised more than half of the $250,000 we need by MIDNIGHT TOMORROW to expose illegal electioneering by radical groups and get hundreds of thousands of voters to the polls.

But we need 16 donations from Seattle to get us there. Can you help, Carmen?

With Tea Party funding and groups like the National Organization for Marriage running illegal ads, the risk of a radical takeover of Washington is shockingly real.

So we’re fighting back. Here’s how:

  • We’ve got organizers on the ground in key cities across the country, fighting against radical candidates.
  • We just filed a formal complaint with the IRS detailing illegal political campaigning by a tax-exempt nonprofit arm of the National Organization for Marriage.
  • We’re running innovative programs in faith communities so groups like the Mormon Church hierarchy don’t have the last word.
  • And we’re launching a massive effort to get pro-equality voters to the polls.

In the wake of so many horrific stories of anti-LGBT hate crimes and bullying, fair-minded supporters across the country – both LGBT and straight – are energized and ready to help. Over a million are wearing purple today in memory of victims of anti-gay bullying. But at the same time, every day brings new examples of right-wing vitriol – and unless we take direct action to fight them, they could soon have an even bigger platform for their hate.

Last week, the president of the extreme, anti-equality Family Research Council wrote in The Washington Post that it’s the “homosexual movement” – not bigotry – that causes feelings of despair among LGBT youth.

His offensive claim comes in the wake of a Mormon leader’s hateful sermon saying same-sex attraction is “impure and unnatural”… the Catholic Diocese of Minnesota mailing a misleading, anti-gay DVD to every single parishioner in Minnesota… and the National Organization for Marriage’s relentless, outright lies.

These groups do real damage with these comments, but hearing the same hate spouted from elected leaders – and seeing it in legislation like a federal ban on marriage equality – is even more dangerous. And that’s the immediate crisis before us now.

Can you help us reach the 16 donations from Seattle we need to fight back?

Election Day is only 13 days away. I hope you’ll stand with us.

Not backing down,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

P.S. If you’ve already put a check in the mail or given to HRC by some other means, I can’t thank you enough. If you haven’t yet contributed, I hope you’ll join us today. Also, don’t forget to wear purple today! Learn more here.

Join

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Rally to Restore Sanity Merchandise is Here — Get Yours Today!


The Daily Show

**Sanity-Wear **
 

—–Want to show off your sanity and help preserve the National Mall while doing it? Order your official Rally to Restore Sanity merchandise now! All net proceeds go to benefit the Trust for the National Mall.
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Make a difference in Washington elections today


Human Rights Campaign

 

November 2nd is right around the corner, and the election season is kicking into high gear. Pundits and observers on both sides of the political aisle agree; the elections this year will be decided by who gets their voters to the polls. We want to make sure your pro-equality voice is heard, so plan to vote early by mail– and tell your friends and family to do the same!

HRC-Endorsed Candidates in Washington

HRC has endorsed the following fair-minded candidates this year.

U.S. Senate
Patty Murray

U.S. House of Representatives
Jay Inslee (CD 1)
Rick Larsen (CD 2)
Norm Dicks (CD 6)
Jim McDermott (CD 7)
Suzan DelBene (CD 8)
Adam Smith (CD 9)

How to Vote by Mail

Voting by mail is one of the best ways to ensure that your vote is counted. You won’t have to worry about long lines on Election Day, going to the wrong polling location or feeling rushed at the voting booth. In Washington, almost all voting is conducted by mail and coordinated through your county auditor’s office.

In most counties (with the exception of Pierce County), county election officials will automatically send you a ballot in the mail if you are a registered voter. If your ballot does not arrive or if your address has changed, you may also register to vote or pick up a ballot in-person at your county auditor’s office until October 25th. Pierce County residents may request a vote-by-mail ballot online.

All ballots, including vote-by-mail ballots, must be signed and postmarked or delivered to your county auditor on or before Election Day.

If you’re not yet registered to vote in Washington, it’s not too late. You can still register in person at your county auditor’s office until Monday, October 25th.

With so much at stake this November, we cannot afford to have a single pro-equality voter sit this election out. Make sure you are all set to vote early – and don’t forget to spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues!

Sincerely,
Joe Solmonese Signature Blue

Joe Solmonese
President