Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THERE'S STILL TIME TO VOTE FOR BERNIE!

Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders!

There are some big primaries coming up, and Bernie is still not out of the action yet.

Although all of us can and should contribute to his campaign, only YOU can vote for him and keep him going! (We already voted for him in our state primary.)

We HAVE to do all we can to get an honest progressive in the White House. As Bernie says, you can't fix Big Money by taking donations from Big Money. Bernie is the only candidate out there who is NOT taking Big Money--he's the only one who's beholden only to his supporters. (My Tea Party Christian bud drank the kool-aid and thinks that Rafael "Ted" Cruz gets his money from small donors, too, but he doesn't--unlike Bernie, who won't take money from PACs, BUSTed takes money by the tens of millions from energy companies, duh, and PACs. Not to worry, though--even though he clearly represents Big Money, Cruz won't scruple to honor the evangelical social agenda--he's more than enough of a sadist to carry it out and enjoy doing so if he gets in. If that doesn't give you nightmares, you must not be paying attention! Remember, Cruz won't just limit himself to afflicting this country--he'll come for the whole world, given half a chance. That's what evangelicals do--they spread the "love.")

Don't you want your government to work for YOU for a change rather than the other way around?

Personally, I am so frustrated with what's going on that I could just spit nails.

Christians/Republicans are lowering the bar so far that they're busily sinking it farther and farther underground when it comes to common humanity, decency, and compassion.

Christians/Republicans act as if all women are their chattel property to be dictated to and disposed of as only they see fit--without reference to women as human beings or as individuals with wants, needs, potentials, and often families, often including small children.

Christians/Republicans act as if all transgendered people are child molesters and rapists--but you're far more likely to be raped or molested by some Christian or Republican. Like Denny Hastert.

Christians/Republicans jump through their own assholes to keep disadvantaged Democrats from voting. They believe not in "one person, one vote" but in "one dollar, one vote." They worship mammon, not the Jesus who exhorted his followers to sell all their possessions and take care of each other and the poor. They fail to see the hypocrisy of themselves and their favorite televangelists living like royalty.

Christians/Republicans act as if everyone who doesn't look like they look or believe like they believe is some kind of criminal or freak when THEY'RE the ones breaking the law (in order to discriminate) and believing in alternative realities that are completely unsupported by evidence.

Christians/Republicans jump through their own assholes to persecute everyone they dislike and then whinge that THEY are the ones being persecuted.

It's sick, it's sad, and it really bothers me. How are we supposed to get our country back from these selfish, deluded hypocrites?

It really feels as though the establishment is unrelentingly having its way with us--we're so much closer this time than we've ever been, but we are still being squashed and held back not just by the Christo-fascists, who strain farther to the hateful, bigoted, and intolerant right every day, but also the blue-dog DINOs like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who needs to resign NOW for the good of the nation and the world.

I hate the idea of holding my nose and voting for Hillary, but I will if I have to--any Democrat is better than EVERY Republican. And those blue-dog DINO bastards know it. They know that people like me won't risk a Trump or Cruz presidency. They know they have us by the short curlies.

"The Scallion," a now-defunct sister blog to this one, posted a satirical news piece in 2003: "Unamerica to Secede from America." (I'm not sure the link will work; the entry is 4 March 2003 in scallion.blogspot.com--you may have to navigate to The Scallion and use the search function on the  blog to search for "unamerica.") Some days, it seems like secession is the only option open to those of us who insist on liberty (including FROM religion), equality, and democracy--not to mention reality. Wouldn't it be fun to watch the Christo-fascists drive themselves into the ground, like they insist on doing in Sam Brownback's Kansas, Piyush Jindall's Louisiana, and pretty much every other dirt-poor red state up to its ears in debt, teen pregnancies, abortions, drug problems, crime, mass ignorance, failing infrastructure, and joblessness? And the answer is...yes, but only if WE would not be affected by THEIR shitty decisions. Consider: while Rafael "Ted" Cruz is calling for transgendered people never to leave their homes again unless they are wearing diapers--a solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist--there are REAL problems that affect us all that the Christo-fascists refuse to deal with. Like climate change. Serious shit that can take out the entire human species and quite a few others, thank you very much.

So, yeah, I'm pissed today. Sometimes, I'd like to take all those Christo-fascist and DINO bastards, round them up into their own little country (they can have Texas), give them all the guns and ammo they could possibly want, and build a wall around THAT and make THEM pay for it so that the phuquers can never get out to bother the rest of us.

The world would be a much safer place.

But since that won't be happening any time soon...on with the news!

Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:

Daily Kos
AlterNet
Democracy Now!
Conservatives are Destroying our Future
Conservative Clown Car
Americans Against the Republican Party
Americans Against the Tea Party

...And, whatever you do,
VOTE BERNIE!!!!!

Please send him a buck o' five. I did just yesterday.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being you!
 

- Dot Calm's shadow

********************************************
ATTENTION, REPUBLICANS!
Obama is coming
for your guns 'n' Bibles
November 8, 2016.
DO NOT
LEAVE YOUR HOUSE
THAT DAY
FOR ANY REASON!
The rights you save
may be your own!
********************************************
 

********************************************

I have a transgendered friend who is just the sweetest, most adorable, most loving, most caring person I've ever met. If I were ever in trouble, she would pound the snot out of whomever was hurting me. And I would gladly do the same for her. I totes adores her, and she totes adores me. So of course it pisses me off to see Rafael Cruz, Jr., and his sick ilk trying to drum up fear against these very normal and completely harmless people. News flash: sex is a continuum, not a binary black-or-white. Instead of trying to make life hell for people who harm no one, Christo-fascists really need to educate themselves...or at least go crawl back under their rocks and let the grown-ups take care of bidnith. 
-- Dot Calm's shadow

From God, the Good Lord Above, on Facebook--a wonderful lady commented on God's post regarding gender-neutral bathrooms and one dad's epic take-down of the recent anti-trans laws:

Fanny Fae. Dear God: Please give Stella an extra big hug and kiss from us who are the friends of this woman. Thank you for letting her be in the right place at the right time:

And to the others who read this story, please take it to heart and pass it on: 
"I don't normally post a lot of personal things. I have nothing against people who do, within reason anyway. It's just not usually my thing. As you may have guessed, this is not one of those normal posts. So here goes.

There've been a lot of posts crossing my feed lately about trans people using bathrooms, "what about the children," and so forth. Much of it has been pure speculation, so I'd like to lay a little real-world experience on you.

Once upon a time, I was at the Greyhound Station in Fayetteville, NC. (How coincidental is that?) While I was washing my hands, a man walked in. I don't mean "a man dressing as a woman," I mean a man. Or at least a human being of the clearly male gender. I said "I think you're in the wrong room, sir" in a pleasant tone. While I was saying that, he crossed the room and slammed me into the sink. Dude had plans, and he wasn't in the mood to take "no" for an answer.

Two things were immediately obvious. First, it was a virtual certainty that I was going to lose the struggle. He was way out of my weight class. Second, the odds of rescue were rather slim no matter how much I screamed. The place was just about deserted, and the bathrooms were away from the main traffic area. He'd chosen his time & place well.

In the midst of all this - and "all this" was only a few seconds, even if it seemed like an eternity at the time - the door opened again. And I heard a voice. A low, soft, Southern-drawl female voice that said, "You really don't want to do that." Mr. Flannel Shirt looked up and said, "What are you gonna do? I can take two women as easily as one."

I'd gotten my head free by this point and caught a glimpse of a well-dressed, middle-aged businesswoman in an expertly tailored suit. She looked at me, smiled, and then looked back at him. She moved closer.

"That may be true, but here's the thing. I haven't always been a woman."

And she grabbed him by the neck, spun him around, and knocked him out cold with one punch from her exquisitely manicured fist.

She asked if I was alright and if I needed to do anything else in there. She volunteered to stand watch. "No, thank you so much, I'm fine. Let's get out of here." She agreed and paused for a moment to check her nails. "I really must remember to thank my manicurist--not even a chip." And we laughed.

Turned out she was going to the same bus as me. We shared company all the way to NYC, including a lovely meal in Baltimore during the layover. She was one of the best travel companions I've ever had.

Thank you, Stella, wherever you are. I hope life has been kind to you. You were an angel when I needed one most."




Here's a little excerpt of reality from the "mic" article God posted, linked above:
In the post, Rudner speaks candidly about the things that worry him when it comes to raising a daughter — one of which is not whether she uses the bathroom with transgender women. 
I worry about her being sexually assaulted, because that happens a lot. I worry about her being the victim of a drunk driver, because that happens a lot. I worry about her being the victim of gun violence, because lots of people die from gun-related injuries. Here's what I do not worry about: I don't worry about her being attacked in a restroom by a trans woman because (a) it has never happened; and (b) trans women are the most victimized group of people I've ever met, and the least likely to commit a crime of indecency in a restroom, because they are afraid of getting beat up when all they want to do is pee.
Rudner's post directly confronts the transgender bathroom predator myth, often the fuel behind anti-trans legislation. These myths persist despite zero recorded instances of a transgender person ever assaulting someone in a restroom. Conversely, many transgender and gender nonconforming people feel nervous using a restroom that does not match their gender identity. 

********************************************

 
 
********************************************


********************************************

Petitions!
 
From Daily Kos: NC's anti-trans laws KILL, NO JOKE

Last month North Carolina’s governor signed a law that not only prohibits transgender people from using restroom facilities that match their gender identity, but also bans anti-discrimination measures designed to protect LGBTQ people.
This law has cost North Carolina hundreds of jobs and a huge amount of revenue.
But the greatest impact has been on the health of transgender people. Since this law passed, calls to transgender suicide hotlines have doubled. Trans people already face alarming rates of harassment and violence because people want to force them to conform to commonly accepted gender norms. This move by McCrory is an open invitation to continue this kind of harassment under the guise of upholding the law.
Please take a moment to call Governor McCrory’s office using the number and sample script below and tell him “This law is dangerous and is endangering lives. Strike it down now.”
Governor McCrory's office phone number:
(919) 814-2000

Governor's 24-hour "comment line':
(919) 814-2050

Hello, my name is ______. It’s ridiculous to assume I could know anyone’s gender just by looking at them, and it’s not my business anyway. Trans people using the bathroom poses no threat to anyone, but this law puts trans people in grave danger. It’s immoral and dangerous. End it now.

After the call, please click here to let us know you called.
Can’t call? Please sign and send a letter directly to the governor with your concerns.
While Republican lawmakers use their hatred of LGBTQ people to pretend they care about sexual assault, a real sexual assault survivors bill is languishing in Congress, with zero action taken on it. Click here to support that bill.

Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't make the call, you can at least click:

Over the past few months Republican legislatures in three states have passed bills to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people. It’s appalling.


We can’t let these laws stand. Add your name to tell Republicans: Stop discriminating against the LGBTQ community!

In North Carolina and Mississippi, these bills have been signed into law. And that means real, terrible effects on people’s lives.

Since North Carolina’s law passed, for example, transgender suicide hotlines have gotten twice as many calls as usual.

A majority of transgender people have experienced harassment and discrimination. These Republican legislatures are encouraging bullying of already-marginalized people. Studies show that these laws will significantly worsen transgender and gender nonconforming people’s health -- and they already face a public health epidemic.

Sign the petition to tell Republicans: I stand with LGBTQ people, and I won’t stand for these dangerous, discriminatory laws.

Keep fighting,
Mara Schechter, Daily Kos

-----------------------------------------------------------------

CREDO action
Tell the Forest Service: Stop Nestlé’s water withdrawals from the San Bernardino National Forest
Comment to the U.S. Forest Service:
"Turn off the spigot on Nestlé's water bottling in the San Bernardino National Forest immediately, and ensure that a thorough and unbiased environmental impact report is conducted before considering any request by Nestlé to further access the public forest."
Take action now ►


-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
From CPD Action

One of the greatest myths about pro-worker policies like the minimum wage, paid sick leave, and fair scheduling is that they would harm businesses. The Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Association, and the National Restaurant Federation claim that these policies will slow job growth and cause businesses to lay off employees.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post exposed documents leaked by our friends at Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). These documents showed the Chamber of Commerce coaches business executives to obstruct pro-worker policies, even when an overwhelming majority of businesses support raising wages and greater workplace protections.

Tell the state Chambers of Commerce: listen to business leaders and support pro-worker policies!

The Washington Post cited a poll conducted by the Council of State Chambers of Commerce that shows an overwhelming majority of business executives support progressive, pro-worker policies – 80% support raising the minimum wage, 73% support expanding paid sick leave, and 78% support scheduling policies that would provide more stability for hourly workers.

But the Chamber of Commerce is not representing the views of their members and, to make matters worse, they’re doing that at the expense of single moms, students, and others who work hourly jobs.

Act now: tell the Chamber of Commerce to stop obstructing policies that lift up low-wage workers.

The Fight for $15 experienced a real breakthrough in April. A few weeks ago, Gov. Jerry Brown of California and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York both signed statewide minimum wage increases that will give as many as 5 million workers a raise over the next few years. And by the end of the year, millions more could get raises when voters support wage increases on ballot initiatives across the country. However, we anticipate the Chamber will continue to misrepresent their members’ perspectives on pro-worker policies and attempt to defeat the gains  – sign our petition now to demand the Chamber of Commerce stop obstructing pro-worker policies.

In solidarity,

Ana Maria Archila
Co-Executive Director

PS – To read more about the exposé check out this article from The Washington Post.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

CREDO action
Tell the U.S. Senate: Stop the right-wing’s assault on America’s coastal national parks
Tell the U.S. Senate:
“Reject Senate Bill 2807 and stop the assault on America’s coastal national parks. Protect America’s coast from those seeking to gut wildlife and land management regulations.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

-----------------------------------------------------------------

From NARAL Pro-Choice

Missouri Republicans dropped their threat to throw the CEO of the state's last abortion provider in jail. But now they're about to move a series of new anti-choice attacks. Will you chip in $15?
Donate Now
For months, Missouri Republicans demanded that Planned Parenthood hand over the signed consent forms of every woman who'd had an abortion in the state over the last six years.1
And after Planned Parenthood refused, they threatened to throw the CEO of the local affiliate in jail.
Then late last week, after NARAL Pro-Choice America helped spark a massive grassroots backlash, Republicans dropped their threats of jail time.
But the war on Missouri's last abortion provider is not over—far from it. Today, the Missouri legislature is considering FIVE new onerous restrictions on abortion that do nothing to protect women's health.
The fact that anti-choice Republicans would even consider demanding the names of every woman who has had an abortion in the last six years is shocking.
To threaten to put the CEO of the state's last abortion provider in jail? That's just unbelievable.  That's why NARAL members from across the country mobilized and submitted more than 13,000 comments telling the legislature how despicable this is—which our Missouri affiliate delivered today.
But we can't keep quiet now. The legislature still wants to move an omnibus bill to restrict abortion access that could harass abortion providers out of existence.
We'll keep fighting until these outrageous attacks are history.
Thank you for helping to make reproductive freedom real for all women.
Ilyse G. Hogue
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
DONATE NOW

Source:
1. Senators summon Planned Parenthood CEO over subpoena, Columbia Daily Tribune, April 15, 2016

-----------------------------------------------------------------

CREDO action
Tell the U.S. Senate: Reject the China Bilateral Investment Treaty
Tell the U.S. Senate:
“Reject the China Bilateral Investment Treaty. Say no to corporate trade deals that kill American jobs and give corporations veto power over domestic laws.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►


-----------------------------------------------------------------

From Ruben Kihuen

With one swing vote on the Supreme Court this summer, millions of immigrants could be forced back into the shadows and President Obama’s executive actions on immigration would be washed away.
That’s why we need to elect new leaders in Congress to keep families together and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
This summer, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of President Obama’s executive actions protecting DREAMers and their families from deportation.
But Republicans refuse to hold a confirmation hearing for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. With an even number of justices on the court, a potential 4-4 vote on this issue would threaten the future of more than a million DREAMers.
We can’t let that happen.
Thank you,
Democrats 2016


Paid for by Ruben Kihuen for Congress

-----------------------------------------------------------------

From Change.org

Computer science changed my life, and I want that opportunity for every student in every school. My family came to America when I was a child, escaping a war-torn country, dreaming of a better future. Learning to code gave me a path to success, and even helped me provide a better life for my mom and dad. Today, my dream is that every student in America should have a similar opportunity, to learn computer science in school.
And today, America’s leaders agree, is a historic moment for education in our country. An unprecedented set of leaders have joined in a bipartisan message: to ask Congress to support computer science in our schools. I can’t remember the last time I saw a list like this unite on any issue. It’s especially refreshing in today’s age of divided politics.

This is the most bipartisan idea in America today. Computer science has become fundamental for every field of study, for individual opportunity, and for national growth. It’s time our schools offered students a chance to learn it.
Polls show 90% of Americans agree on this, but nothing will happen unless our voices are heard.
Join me in asking Congress to give every student in America the opportunity to learn computer science.

Whether you care about giving all students a fair shot at the best jobs, to prepare our workforce for the future, or to protect ourselves from a growing cyber threat, we can’t move forward if our schools don’t teach computer science. There are currently 500,000 open jobs in computing, accounting for 16% of all new wages in the U.S., yet most of our schools don’t teach this subject.

Support for this issue goes beyond tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates or Tim Cook. CEOs from dozens of companies like Walmart, Target, American Airlines, John Deere, Morgan Stanley, or Disney are joining education leaders and more than half the nation’s governors want Congress to give every student the chance to learn computer science.

This isn’t just about jobs, it’s about teaching our children that if you build something and have a dream, you can spread that dream and change the world.

Tell Congress you want our children to learn computer science so that they can have the best jobs and shape our world for the better.

Thank you,

Hadi Partovi

-----------------------------------------------------------------

From National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Dear Friends,

Today, The Guardian launched 6x9, a powerful new virtual reality experience of solitary confinement, which places viewers inside a U.S. solitary confinement prison cell. It is available at http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/apr/27/6x9-a-virtual-experience-of-solitary-confinement

As you prepare for Torture Awareness Month this June, join NRCAT in sharing this experience with members of your faith community, as a part of a call to action to end the torture of solitary confinement. Here's how:

1. A free mobile app for 6x9 is available for download at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/apr/27/6x9-a-virtual-experience-of-solitary-confinement

This app allows users to fully experience a 9 minute virtual reality solitary cell on their own, with or without cardboard viewer. Note: You will need headphones for this experience. To purchase a cardboard viewer, visit https://www.google.com/get/cardboard/

2. If you don't have a smartphone, watch the 360° video: http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/apr/27/6x9-a-virtual-experience-of-solitary-confinement#gvr-360

NRCAT has prepared a set of 6 posters to accompany set up of your virtual reality solitary experience, available for download and printing here: http://www.nrcat.org/storage/documents/solitary-case-study-posters.pdf

NRCAT has scheduled virtual reality solitary confinement experiences of 6x9 utilizing this new technology at two major national religious conferences this summer: the Islamic Circle of North America's National Convention in Baltimore, MD  and the National Youth Event,hosted by the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Orlando, FL. NRCAT will be staffing these events and providing resources, action steps, and a solitary confinement set. I invite you to contact me at ldownton@nrcat.org to schedule an event at your upcoming conference or advocacy event. The NRCAT team would be glad to support you in setting up this experience locally and answer any questions as you prepare.

Together, we will end the torture of solitary confinement. Thank you for taking action to share this powerful new resource in your community.

Rev. Laura Markle Downton
Director, U.S. Prisons Policy & Program

-----------------------------------------------------------------

From Change.org: I live in daily fear of deportation
                                             
I was born in the Philippines, and settled in the United States when I was six years old. My immigration status didn’t really hit me until I was 17, when I could not access the financial aid necessary to go to my dream college. I am eligible for expanded DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) - but the program is currently on hold while the Supreme Court decides whether to let it go forward. 
I became a Ph.D. candidate at age 21, and I’m currently an entrepreneur. I have a history of helping students earn over a million dollars in scholarships and grants, and I have done it all as an unauthorized immigrant for over 25 years. The Supreme Court's decision would mean that instead of living in fear of deportation, I could focus on growing my business and hiring the workers I need to be successful. 
For much of the past decade, I have helped many low-income, first-generation immigrant students get to college. Currently, I’m building out a career app called KeyJargon, which is in the running for First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Reach Higher” app challenge. It’s pretty ironic that someone without work authorization is building out a project that could help launch the careers of millions of young people.
For me personally, unfreezing expanded DACA and DAPA would provide a lot of security - it would provide me with the work authorization I need to hire people to build out this career platform that I really believe in, and that people whom I served believe in, too. Please join me in telling the Supreme Court that unfreezing expanded DACA and DAPA would be a huge step in making that happen. 
 

********************************************

********************************************
Yes, these are all transgendered men
who were born female...


********************************************
Attention, women!
This is what Christians and Republicans
think you are:
chat·tel
ˈCHadl/
noun
  1. (in general use) a personal possession.
    • Law
      an item of property other than real estate.
All your vaginas are belong to them!
********************************************

Democracy Now!

We are on the road in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we speak with the state's former two-term Republican Governor Gary Johnson about why he is now running for ... Read More →

Tuesday was another big night for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. In the Republican race, Trump won all five states up for grabs: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, ... Read More →

We are on the road in New Mexico, where a presidential primary is set for June. We continue our conversation on the 2016 election with four guests and discuss key ... Read More →
 
  • Trump Wins All 5 Primary States; Clinton Wins 4; Sanders Takes 1

  • Establishment Democrats Win Senate Primaries in Maryland, Pennsylvania

  • Yemen: U.S. Drone Strike Kills 6, Including al-Qaeda Leader

  • U.S. to Deploy Rocket Launcher System in Turkey Near Syria

  • Spain Headed for New Election After Failed Bid to Form Leftist Coalition

  • Venezuela: Right-Wing Opponents Start Bid to Recall Maduro Amid Energy Crisis

  • Thousands Mark 19 Months Since 43 Students Disappeared; U.N. Expresses Concern

  • Mexican Journalist Shot to Death Outside Home in Guerrero State


  • As Cleveland officials agree to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Tamir Rice, the youngest victim in a spate of well-known police killings of unarmed African ... Read More →

    We are on the road in New Mexico, home to Los Alamos and the birthplace of the nuclear age. The atomic bombs used in World War II were designed and developed here, and ... Read More →

    We speak with family members who have just concluded a five-day hunger strike marking the first anniversary of the death of Samuel Harrell, who died after as many as 20 ... Read More →
  • Family of Tamir Rice to Receive $6M for Cleveland Police Killing of 12-Year-Old

  • Voters Head to Polls in 5 States for "Acela Primary"

  • Pollster: Sanders Is "Moving a Generation to the Left"

  • Trump & Clinton Share Delaware Address Known for Tax Loophole

  • Billionaire Environmentalist Tom Steyer Pledges $25 Million to Spur Youth Vote

  • Judge Upholds Sweeping North Carolina Voting Restrictions

  • More Than 50 Arrested Protesting North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law

  • Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas Cancel Shows in North Carolina over Anti-LGBT Law
  • Bangladesh: Gay Rights Activist Hacked to Death in Dhaka

  • Canadian Man Beheaded by Militants in the Philippines

  • Court Lets Criminal Sexual Assault Case Against Bill Cosby Move Ahead

  • Australian MP Sets River on Fire to Protest Fracking

  • Ukraine Marks 30th Anniversary of Chernobyl, World’s Worst Nuclear Disaster


  • ********************************************
    Uterus Registration Day
    May 1 to June 22
    Don't Get Caught
    Using an Unregistered Uterus, Ladies!
    Uterus Gestapo 
    start making door-to-door checks
    starting June 23rd! 
     ********************************************

    Daily Kos
     
  • Charles Koch denounces his creation, the modern Republican party        
  • So you've ruined a town and poisoned its children—what next? Bill them for your legal costs
  • Fox News host calls 'bathroom bills' a 'solution in search of a problem'
  • Stand with Hillary if you agree: Companies who walk out on America should pay a price. sponsored
  • Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' is both personal and political
  • Joe Biden isn't running for president, but he's still in this election
  • Cartoon: Islamophobic Air
  • Blacks, black Jews, and Black Panthers in Israel
  • Cartoon: A credible big bank living will
  • Why Britain's possible 'Brexit' from the EU matters to the U.S.
  • Sign here: Tammy Duckworth needs to defeat Trump ally Mark Kirk. Working Americans need a leader and advocate like Tammy Duckworth. sponsored
  • Why the SpaceX barge landing is such a big deal
  • Missouri legislature rejects federal Medicaid money in Republican war against Planned Parenthood
  • How to win against 'political correctness'
  • Cleveland will pay $6 million to family of Tamir Rice
  • Retracing my Cold War history
  • SC lawmaker proposes law requiring a waiting period and counseling for Viagra prescription
  • Trans teen physically removed from Ted Cruz rally—here is the 16-year-old's excellent response
  • Jim Webb claims uninformed 'political correctness' used to denigrate Andrew Jackson
  • Black woman responds to Megyn Kelly's claim that Jesus is white—and it's stunning
  • (Don't blame me--Blogger and Daily Kos both went crazy in their formatting!! 
  • -- Dot Calm's shadow)
  • NYT: North Carolina governor can 'barely contain his irritation' as HB2 blows up his re-election bid
  • Cartoon: Trump pivots
  • Like the Daily Kos Recommended email? Chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day.
  • Police union blames unarmed 12-year-old boy for getting killed by police
  • Scott Walker signs bill that stops communities from issuing IDs for voting
  • Clinton hasn't won, Sanders hasn't lost. This is bigger than any single primary
  • Trump talks about corruption while a violent convicted felon pretends to be a cop behind him
  • Sanders transitions from fight for nomination to fight for platform
  • North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory's unbelievably desperate bid to blame HB2 on someone else
  • Sign if you agree with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility: No special protections for gun industry. sponsored
  • Who wants to be Donald Trump's next ex?
  • Cartoon: Algorithm blues
  • The Cruz-Kasich Confederation of Dimwits is already falling apart
  • Watch men struggle to read mean tweets directly to the faces of female sportswriters (NSFW language)
  • North Carolina's Republican attorney general nominee on anti-LGBT law: 'Keep our state straight'
  • Vetoing the crazy conservative legislature is becoming a full-time job for the governor of Tennessee
           
  •  
     ********************************************
    PRAYER WARRIOR ALERT: As America’s Best Christian™, I'm sharing this ungodly video with you so you may join me in laughing at the fact-obsessed libs.
    

    Wanna see a long list of
    As in,
    "HOLY CRAP, THAT'S A LONG LIST!!!"?

    ********************************************
    Annette Tadeo recently sent this message:
    "Last night, in a sexist tirade, Donald Trump claimed Hillary Clinton is only winning primaries because she is playing the “woman’s card” and wouldn’t be able to get more than 5% of the vote if she were a man."
    You know what I have to say to Donald Trump?
    BA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
    (Lather, rinse, repeat until passed out from
    hyperventilation)
    Trump is only getting votes
    because he's playing the racist bigot scum card.
    0% of Republicans would vote for Trump
    if he were a decent human being.
    Same for Rafael "BUSTed" Cruz
    and their little dog, Kasich, too.
    -- Dot Calm's shadow
    ********************************************

     

    ********************************************

    AlterNet
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Trump is set to deliver a foreign policy speech in Washington, D.C. Can we expect more of same? READ MORE»

    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    Why, Colbert and the rest of the world wonder, are they so obsessed with what people do in bathrooms? READ MORE»

    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh discusses the reporting he did for his new book, "The Killing of Osama bin Laden." READ MORE»

    By Robin Scher, AlterNet
    She's apparently still playing the "woman card" and Trump is still recovering from her "shouting." READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    For women, time isn't always money, but this clock makes the case that it should be. READ MORE»

    By Sophia A. McClennen, Salon
    We've become familiar with his ramblings, and at ease mocking them. But they might be the sign of someone unwell. READ MORE»

    By Gary Legum, Salon
    After tweeting some dubious statistics the other day, Robbins had a bit of a social media meltdown. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Make reality TV great again.  READ MORE»

    By teleSUR, TeleSur
    The CIA recruited Felix Rodriguez in 1967 to hunt down Che Guevara, who had left Cuba to lead a guerrilla movement in Bolivia. READ MORE»

     
    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    Key progressive primary candidate Donna Edwards loses Maryland Senate bid. READ MORE»

    By Jim Sleeper, Salon
    Yes, Sanders needs to play it smart from here. But let's not forget that we need a check on Hillary's deep failings. READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    Racism is never benign.  READ MORE»

    By Joanne Barkan, Nonprofit Quarterly
    Today’s multibillionaires are a different species of philanthropist; they keep tight control over their foundations while also operating as major political funders. READ MORE»

    By George Monbiot, Monbiot.com
    Crisis after crisis is being caused by a failed ideology. But it cannot be stopped without a coherent alternative. READ MORE»

    By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet
    A new study establishes a link between ejaculation frequency and overall health. READ MORE»

    By David Ferguson, Raw Story
    L. Ron Hubbard's successor tries to stop his dad from criticizing the Church of Scientology in a new tell-all book. READ MORE»

    By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet
    Actions in Afghanistan, Europe, and Libya have created insecurity rather than order.  READ MORE»

    By Susan Sered, The Conversation
    It is estimated that 108 million Americans have no dental insurance. READ MORE»

    By Katie Cantrell, Tikkun
    Cheap food relies on billions of dollars of externalized costs that are kept hidden from consumers. READ MORE»

    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    What happened to serving and protecting? READ MORE»

    By Rebecca Carroll, AlterNet
    A conversation with Trump supporters on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  READ MORE»

    By Shaun Richman, In These Times
    Right-to-work laws could be nullified—and sooner than you might imagine. READ MORE»

    By Nicholas Guyatt, Basic Books
    In 1816, a group of politicians, clergymen and antislavery activists founded the American Colonization Society (ACS), a charity to encourage the resettlement of African-Americans in West Africa. READ MORE»

    By Kirstyn Smith, The Establishment
    Having BPD is like living in a bubble floating in a hazy world of detachment. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The Young Turks: "It's nice to see instances of failure" when it comes to big money in politics.  READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    The always-on-point late-night host dedicated a portion of her show to the "fragile" people decrying the face of an American heroine on our money.  READ MORE»

    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    Trump's supporters are taking the fight to Hillary Clinton in the most offensive way they can.  READ MORE»

    By Gary Legum, Salon
    The Internet was abuzz yesterday when the billionaire supposedly threw his weight behind Clinton. But he didn't. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "This guy is so innocent, Germany made a TV movie about his innocence." READ MORE»

    By Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet
    Beyoncé fans (a.k.a. the universe) shut down Piers Morgan. READ MORE»

    By Sonia Soraya, Salon
    The season 6 premiere of “Game of Thrones” set up intriguing developments—and became an hourlong referendum on men. READ MORE»

    By Michael Arria, AlterNet
    YG and Nipsey Hussle released “FDT" last month. READ MORE»

    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    Los Alamos remains one of two places that design every nuclear weapon in the United States arsenal. READ MORE»

    By Lorraine Berry, Raw Story
    He actually thanked God for the diagnosis.  READ MORE»

    By Gerard Di Trolio, AlterNet
    Some are predicting that James Hoffa Jr.'s reign may finally be over. READ MORE»

    By Paul Rosenberg, Salon
    Progressives are right and Hillary Clinton is wrong on trade. So why do we run away from a winning hand? READ MORE»

    By Roberto Lovato, Yes! Magazine
    Failing to understand the interests of 55 million Latinos has been one of the greatest political failures of our time. READ MORE»

    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    The first time such a case has been allowed to proceed.  READ MORE»

    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    "There’s a whole group of young people in America, across the board, all races ... who have just had it with our system." READ MORE»

    By Sarah Fader, Ravishly
    I do not curse at them, but I curse around them. And they know the difference. READ MORE»

    By Joanna Verran, James Redfern, The Conversation
    On a daily basis, we walk around surrounded by our own unique microbial cloud. READ MORE»

    By Stanton Peele, The Influence
    The toxicology reports are still pending, but it's looking like opioids were involved. READ MORE»

    By Rebecca Gordon, Tom Dispatch
    It was all a big lie. Abu Zubaydah was not al-Qaeda, but he was an early experiment in post-9/11 CIA practices.  READ MORE»

    By Katia Kleyman, AlterNet
    I learned that you don’t really need to know the language to communicate with men. READ MORE»

    By Alex V. Barnard, University of Minnesota Press
    From virtually any angle, the scale of food waste is astonishing. READ MORE»

    By Jillian Richardson, The Establishment
    "I’d been waiting for confirmation that I have the potential to have an amazing orgasm, and my vagina is beautiful." READ MORE»

    By David Edwards, Raw Story
    The group argued that teaching science without a religious explanation for the universe would indoctrinate children into atheism.  READ MORE»


    ********************************************


    ********************************************

    A movie just for fun!

    Ever see the old BBC series "The Supersizers Go..."? In it, a very cute, very funny couple costume themselves and eat their way through selected eras of history. The series is great fun--even though the food and their reactions to it are so horrific that I often need my little Crabby shot-glass-ful of Fireball whiskey to get through it! Today's sample: ever wonder what it must've been like to have been King Louis and Marie Antoinette?