Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Wednesday flurry of news and vids

Greetings, Dot Calm Readers
and fellow Truth Crusaders!

Just a few goodies today to tide you over til Friday, when I post the 30-question Bible literalist true-false quiz I've been working so hard on. Having a case of pre-TL;DR? They're all true, and the "answers" that follow the quiz offer a brief summary of why nobody in this country can genuinely be a Bible literalist unless they live under a rock and never went to school...which I hear happens more than it ought to in Appalachia and places like it. If you can't read the Bible for yourself, you'll just take on faith that it's perfect--you'll never find for yourself all the places where the Old and New Testaments contradict themselves and each other, not to mention when they contradict morality and reality.

As far as today's post goes, if it's too depressing, try thinking of it as an anthropology exercise...our chance to study the natives.

Blerch.

- Dot Calm's shadow

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Donald Trump said last night that despite calling Ted Cruz a "maniac," he has since learned that Cruz has a "wonderful temperament."
And if Donald Trump thinks you have
a "wonderful temperament,"
you're probably a maniac.
-- Seth Meyers
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A Word from The Onion
(courtesy of my bud, David Franke)

Rubio Refutes Claim He’s Soft On Immigration By Dragging Undocumented Worker He Knocked Out Cold Onto Stage

NEWS IN BRIEF January 14, 2016
Vol 52 Issue 01    Politics · Politicians · Election 2016 · Marco Rubio

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC—In an attempt to silence party members who have criticized his record on illegal immigration as too weak, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio reportedly responded to a question about border security during Thursday night’s GOP debate by dragging the body of an undocumented worker he had knocked out cold onto the stage. “Would someone who’s unprepared to protect our nation from the influx of illegal immigrants do this?” said a sweaty, out-of-breath Rubio, heaving the limp, unconscious body of a migrant turnip picker over his debate lectern for all to see. “For anyone out there who thinks I won’t take a hard stance against those entering our country illegally, have a good look at Humberto here. Things didn’t end too well for him, did they? And I promise to crack down on all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. with just as much strength and conviction when I’m president.” At press time, Rubio was silently responding to a question about how he would create more job opportunities for out-of-work Americans by repeatedly kicking the crumpled, inert migrant in the gut with his pointed wingtips.

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Get Obama Party
2016 Celebutante Deathmatch:
Money Boo Boo vs Bruised Cruz
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The Young Turks offer an example of the powerful, knee-jerk bigotry exemplified and fomented by FOX-manufactured outrage over ad featuring American soldier married to Muslim woman. My Tea Party Christian friend is a perfect example of the Islamophobia ginned up daily by Faux Noise. Remarking about it recently to my father, a fellow Bernie supporter, I said, "What do you think it's going to take before we as Americans decide to see Muslims as fellow human beings and let them live? Another Hitler-style, six-million-dead Holocaust?" His head-shake and sad sigh were enough of an answer.

The Young Turks: Trump's history of racism goes back at least 30 years

The Young Turks: Carly Fiorina attacks Hillary's married life but isn't prepared to back up her attack with facts

The Young Turks: Pat Robertson gives advice on beating your wife...and sounds like he's jealous of the Muslim fundamentalists he thinks beat their wives!

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Seth Andrews: Scrabble on the Space Station.
Seth caps this funny and thoughtful talk with his video "Afterlife." Comparing the technology of just 30 years ago with today's, he shows just how inexcusable it is to be ignorant in the Information Age.
If you ever wondered what religions that live for dying give up, this presentation will get you thinking about the answers.

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Texas senator and tea party favorite Ted Cruz announced he's running for president.
He pledged to lead America boldly forward
into the 1950s.
-- Conan O'Brien
 
1950s?
Bruised Cruz wants to take us back to the 1850s!
--Dot Calm's shadow
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Daily Kos

  • ‘You Americans have no idea’ - Another open letter, this time from Canada & this one hurts    
  • Why cats are not Republican  
  • Did he slip up? Chuck Todd speaks a truth that Americans must understand when watching ‘the news’
  • January 16th: The Christian Right does not want you to know about this day
  • Rep. Jenkins laughs at uninsured single mother, son
  • Texas defends voting laws: “We don’t want Democrats to vote”
  • Palin completely misunderstands what Sputnik moment means
  • Conservapedia disproves E=mc2
  • The brainwashing of my Dad by Fox, Rush Limbaugh & hate media
  • Reverse mortgages: The final blow killing middle class wealth
  • Pat Robertson advises 80-year-old tither to get her butt to work
  • 29-year-old leaves NFL and $37 million contract to become farmer in order to feed the hungry    
  • The phenomenon that can not be spoken in Florida continues, as salt water intrusion moves inland    
  • Ave Maria University’s stranglehold on women goes way beyond suing Obamacare      
  • Artist stops oil pipeline cold 
  • About that Palin endorsement ... The New York Daily News nails it again    
  • Armed Oregon supporters make late-night raid to take children from family member after CPS called    
  • Meanwhile in Alaska, Track Palin has been arrested on assault and weapons-related charges    
  • John Wayne was a raging racist. His daughter says he'd be 'standing right here' with Trump    
  • Add your name to tell Republicans: Stop attacking Social Security and start protecting American seniors!    
  • Rachel Maddow debunks misremembered Ronald Reagan for GOP candidates    
  • Cartoon: Obama control    
  • Walmart got what it wanted from Washington, D.C., now screwing over poor neighborhoods    
  • Cartoon: The social justice militia    
  • Trump wants stuff manufactured in US, unless it's his own stuff    
  • Charles Koch's decades-long plot to overthrow the government    
  • WATCH: Boy with bagpipes drowns out anti-LGBT preacher in town center    
  • The two most important political trends    
  • Add your name: Join Daily Kos and Donna Edwards in saying NO to corporate special interests and the TPP.    
  • Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump in fabulous reality television-politics mashup    
  • 2016 is ruining the GOP: 42 percent of voters say they now view the party LESS favorably    
  • Snyder calls Flint crisis his 'Katrina,' admits he knew of lead concerns last summer    
  • Fox News carpet bombs Ted Cruz's 'carpet bomb' statement to his face    
  • The most anti-gay Republican in Congress offers up berserk defense for his views
  •    
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    Republican candidate Ted Cruz said recently that in the 36 hours after he announced that
    he's running for president,
    he's raised over a million dollars.
    And Hillary Clinton closed her checkbook

    and said, "Happy to help. Can't wait."
    -- Jimmy Fallon
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    AlterNet

    Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    One detail that most of the media hasn't grappled with so far.  READ MORE»

    Jen Sorensen, AlterNet
    Meet aspiring acts 'the Authoritaritots,' 'USA Freedom Kids' and others.  READ MORE»

    Michael Arria, AlterNet
    A shocking new article details the problems with our copyright laws. READ MORE»

    By Bill McKibben, TomDispatch
    The momentum of two centuries of fossil fuel development means new projects keep emerging in a zombie-like fashion. READ MORE»

    By Deborah Menkart, Teaching for Change
    The lie of the "happy slave" rears its ugly head once again. READ MORE»

    By Bobby Azarian, Raw Story
    A lack of empathy is just one part of narcissistic personality disorder. READ MORE»

    AlterNet
    There's a quiet shift underway.  READ MORE»

    WhoWhatWhy
    For questions about Trump’s character and manner of operating, this film is more relevant than ever. READ MORE»

    By Ben Jacobs, The Guardian
    The four-stage contest begins on 1 February, building to a national convention in the spring. READ MORE»

    By Liz Dwyer, TakePart
    Your choices might change if food packaging displays how long you’ll have to bike, swim, or run to maintain your size. READ MORE»

    Michael Moore, AlterNet
    100,000 people have no water to drink, cook with or bathe in. READ MORE»

    Valerie Tarico, AlterNet
    Women are defying social stigma to tell their abortion stories. READ MORE»

    Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
    Our businesses will never compete with state-backed businesses in other countries if we don't impose a tariff on the products they ship to our shores.  READ MORE»

    By Eliza A. Webb , Salon
    It's true. Even as we descend into an election year defined by right-wing extremism, the numbers simply don't lie. READ MORE»

    By Jean Stevens, In These Times
    Car washes are among the most dangerous and exploitative places to work but organizers have come a long way in their fight to clean them up READ MORE»

    By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet
    Investor prudery and society's hangups create all sorts of road blocks for would-be entrepreneurs. READ MORE»

    By Jacqueline Boyd, The Conversation
    A new study, published in the journal Biology Letters, suggests that dogs really can recognise emotions in both humans and other dogs using visual and audio cues. READ MORE»

    By Beth Zasloff, Joshua Steckel, The New Press
    All of the schools cost at least $40,000 per year, more than Nkese’s mother earned annually to support her family of four.  READ MORE»

    By Bia Labate , Huffington Post
    Yes, definitely, ayahuasca can help war veterans! READ MORE»

    By Vijay Prashad, Al Araby
    Backed by the Israeli state and funded by US subsidies, settlements have bloomed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  READ MORE»

    By Brian McFadden, AlterNet
    Why should the Governor stop now? READ MORE»

    By Mike Sawyer, The Free Thought Project
    According to the ECPD, the driver was arrested for attempted murder on a police officer and the other two passengers were arrested for drug-related crimes.  READ MORE»

    I couldn't resist (again!)...
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