Friday, July 15, 2016

JEEzus Phuquen H. Christ, NOT AGAIN...!!!!!

Friends, I can't believe we've come to this...yet another story of senseless violence...this time, in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, of all days.

As Dot Calm used to lament, "Can't we all just get along?"

I've been to France. Stayed for a few days--not nearly long enough--in Paris with my parents just over 20 years ago. We were so impressed with how warm and lovely the people were, how outrageously fresh and delicious the food and coffee were, how glorious the architecture was, and how stunningly beautiful the countryside was...best enjoyed from the generously-sized window of a TGV bullet train. We traveled through Nice--a port town--on the trains, which took us cheaply and swiftly through France to Italy. I will never forget how beautiful the French Riviera was. Maybe, if the bad news lets up, I'll post from my old journal about that trip. The French people were so good to us. My mother spoke no foreign languages, but the universal language of her radiant, kind, welcoming smile was her passport to the world--wherever she went, people bent over backwards to take care of her. My dad speaks French, so they thot he was da bomb. I speak only a few words of French, but I was fluent in Spanish, which turned out to be a happy medium for several non-English speakers and me--we chattered like happy magpies, exchanging life stories and celebrating the connection between America and France that the Atlantic will always be too puny ever to sunder.

France is such a strong nation, full of resilience and self-respect, that I take it personally--it offends me deeply--whenever some bastard mounts an attack there.

And there have been way too many attacks there lately.

This one really escapes me, though. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it.

I mean, what does it take to drive a semi deliberately through crowds of people...steering to aim at the thickest crowds...watching the horror and terror on your victims' faces and hearing their screams and seeing their blood as you mow them down?

It cannot have been the work of a sane mind.

That's all I got right now. I'm too horrified, too grief-stricken for my French brothers and sisters, to write any more. I have headlines below describing what we know and why such attacks are virtually impossible to prevent.

Some comfort, huh?

Know that my thoughts are with you, dear ones--know that I grieve for you. As soon as I can find a material way to help, please know that I will. And I encourage everyone reading this please to do the same--keep your eyes and ears open for a way to help our French brothers and sisters and then DO IT.

LOVE TRUMPS HATE.

It must--and it is up to all of us to make sure it does sooner rather than later.

Once you get past the headlines, there's plenty of Trump- and Republican-related bullshit to laugh at in todaze post. Hopefully, the infotainment will distract us all for a little while.

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


Peas, friends. Hug yourselves and each other for me--please and thank you! And treasure every minute you have to enjoy life with your loved ones. There are too many sick fuckers out there trying to make it our last.

- Dot Calm's shadow
 
********************************************
If you are Christian,
the only way to read the bible literally
is NOT to read it literally.
"Reading the words on the page as written"
is "twisting" it,
"taking it out of context."
What do you expect from people
who believe a book that says
"not fucking" = "fucking"?
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Headlines

First, the ugly...

Truck plows into Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, killing dozens: what we know

Why attacks like the one in Nice are nearly impossible to prevent--the short answer is that lone wolf attacks, which this seems to be so far, have so few warning signs or coordination signals we can triangulate in on. Ugh.

"Screaming that I will never forget": what one journalist just saw in Nice

Nice tragedy: Trump weighs in to say "I told you so"...well, the stupid orange fucksicle is at it again, staying classy and showing just how "presidential" he is. He can take his cell phone and shove it up his pasty white posterior for as much good as he's doing anyone.

President Obama on Nice attack: “the character of the French Republic will endure”...yup. That is how a President behaves. I'm too progressive to agree with a lot of what O'Bama has and hasn't done in office, but I have to say that, especially after the chimp, it has been a joy to have someone so intelligent and articulate representing us. Barack and Michelle are a class act.

Now, the bad...

Newt Gingrich demands deportation of American Muslims who believe in Sharia. Please, can we just get Texas to secede already, call itself Jesusland, move all the Jesus-freaks there to set up their own goddamn theocracy, and then surround it with a big, beautiful wall? I'm sure that the rest of America and the world will chip in to pay for it!

Turkey coup attempt: what we know

Turkey military coup: news and updates

Repulsive Mike Pence fits right in with Trump's misogynistic worldview

And now...a little funny.

Hillary is already using Pokémon Go to register voters. Should we tell her that those virtual Pokémon are really DEMONS (according to the Christian right-wing-nutjobs...see the video below if you don't believe me)? When it comes to voters, I want Hillary to Collect Them All. Srsly--NEVER TRUMP.

A hard look at the Trump-Pence campaign's penetrating new logo--click through and read it for the lulz. Hehe.

The best tweets about the Trump-Pence logo--click through for another delicious batch of penetrating puns

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Mailbag

CREDO action
Tell Democratic leaders: Oppose the Ryan tax cuts for the rich
Petition to Senate and House Democratic leaders:
"Hold the line against Speaker Paul Ryan’s radical new tax plan, and oppose any proposals that would cut taxes on the rich or tax-dodging multinational corporations."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

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


Dear friend,

Donald Trump is bringing his three-ring circus of hate into Cleveland next week for the Republican National Convention. So we’re heading to Cleveland with a few thousand of our very best friends to build a wall around Trump. Literally. And we need your help.

We’re working with a bunch of bad-ass partners to create a 15,000 foot-long wall! Our wall won’t divide cultures and families; our wall brings us together and speaks truth to power.

Our wall will be made of fabric (cotton) and stenciled and painted by artists (and kids!) to look like a real wall. Some sections will be held by courageous front-line activists to peacefully blockade Trump’s convention. Thousands of Americans will march through Cleveland with sections of our wall before attaching it to the 15,000 foot-long security fence that Cleveland is building to protect Trump from the voice of the people.

Check out our #WallOffTrump Indiegogo page and chip-in to make it happen.
 
-----------------------------------
 
CREDO action
Tell Congress: Don’t cut Medicare, expand it
Petition to Congress:
"Do not cut America’s health care benefits by supporting the Republican plan to raise the Medicare eligibility age at a time when millions of Americans have no retirement savings."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
 
-----------------------------------
  
From UltraViolet--by picking Pence, Trump wants to make damn sure we all know just how much he HATES women, LGBTQ+, and disadvantaged people



 
-----------------------------------
 
From ColorOfChange--stop media outlets from blaming victims by criminalizing Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and other Blacks murdered by cops

Why do media outlets immediately criminalize and dehumanize every Black person killed by police?
Hv

Sign the open letter to national news outlets demanding new policies that don’t victim-blame Black folks killed by cops.
Take Action
  
-----------------------------------
 
Demand an end to the obstruction.
Leahy for Vermont

Tomorrow is the four-month anniversary of President Obama officially nominating Chief Judge Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

This is a shameful milestone, marking four months, to the day, of my Republican colleagues refusing to hold a single meeting, hearing, or vote on Chief Judge Garland's nomination.

There is no precedent for the level of obstruction the GOP has brought to our courts, and we cannot afford for it to continue.

Will you add your name to call on Senate Republicans to end their obstruction, and hold a hearing for Chief Judge Merrick Garland?

 
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From Tim Canova--Debbie Wasserman Schultz is "too busy" to debate him, but she's not too busy to swan around politically grandstanding

Debbie Wasserman Schultz claims that she is far “too busy” to come back to South Florida, but she has plenty of time to head to Cleveland next week to grandstand in front of TV cameras at the Republican convention. What does it say about our opponent that she is able to find the time to talk with the media and the Republicans, but not the voters of her district?


 
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From Diane Russell, Maine State Representative, National Delegate--end superdelegates now

Politico just reported, "More than a dozen prominent progressive organizations, Democratic officeholders, and top liberal operatives are demanding that the Democratic National Committee's Rules Committee remake the superdelegate system when the panel meets just before the convention in Philadelphia at the end of the month."


They all agree: Party leaders should never trump the will of the voters. Period.

Will you chip in $27 to help finish the fight in Philadelphia next week?

 
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Democracy Now!

Stories


More than 84 people are dead in Nice, France, after an attack on a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in the city in the French Riviera. Witnesses said a man in a large ... Read More →

As Black Lives Matter protests have swept the country in recent weeks, we end today's show with the story of one dishwasher at Yale University who has decided to take the ... Read More →

On June 30, President Obama signed into law the PROMESA bill, which will establish a federally appointed control board with sweeping powers to run Puerto Rico's ... Read More →

The controversy at Yale comes as Georgetown University struggles to come to terms with its past involvement in the slave trade. In 1838, Georgetown sold 272 enslaved African ... Read More →

Headlines →

 

Stories


After the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, Princeton professor Eddie Glaude sat down and ... Read More →

On Wednesday, President Obama met at the White House with law enforcement officials and civil rights leaders. President Obama hosted the meeting one week after the ... Read More →

Protests against police brutality continue in the aftermath of the police killings of two African-American men, Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. We ... Read More →

A Facebook Live video has gone viral of a black female police officer speaking out against police violence. "If you're afraid to go and talk to an African-American female or a ... Read More →

With the national political conventions beginning next week, protests against police brutality continue to sweep across the country in the wake of the fatal police shootings of ... Read More →

Headlines →

 
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I think it was Mrs. Betty Bowers,
America's Best Christian (TM), 
who gave this penetrating explanation
 of the overtly sexual Trump-Pence logo:
"Children, when two candidates
love each other very much
and want to start a campaign together..."

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Daily Kos

  • There are so many, many things we could say about Donald Trump's new logo ...
  • Why Donald Trump's 'safe' pick of Mike Pence might turn out to be an utter disaster
  • Trump's vice presidential process shows what a flaming mess he is
  • Want to beat Trump, Pence, and the whole GOP ticket? Chip in $1 to each of Daily Kos' endorsed candidates for Senate.
  • Mike Pence gained national attention hating gays, but became governor attacking Planned Parenthood
  • Donald Trump makes it official: It's Mike Pence
                 
  • Atlanta cop opens fire on car, kills driver without even knowing if it's the suspect
  • Her Royal Whiteness Megyn Kelly is completely unraveled by DL Hughley on Fox—'Don't WOW me!'
  • Bernie’s loss highlights the progressive movement’s greatest liability
  • New 60-second Hillary Clinton ad shows Donald Trump through the eyes of children—and it's haunting
  • The last time Mike Pence made national news, he crashed, burned, and killed his presidential hopes
  • Unusual polling question reveals which candidate is more likely to win in November.
  • Clinton's 'love fest' meeting with Senate Dems: This is how you do it, Donnie
  • Like the Daily Kos Recommended email? Chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day.
  • Veepstakes (served with mushrooms and onions)
  • My Uber Ride to the Airport
  • Sign if you agree with NARAL: Time to end the special committee attacking women’s health. sponsored
  • Team USA has won the 2016 International Mathematics Olympiad held in Hong Kong
  • After Mike Pence signs extreme bill aimed at punishing women, he gets unexpected 'monthly' updates
  • Trump admits he's hiding his taxes because they could be used against him
  • White House masterfully trolls Donald Trump's reported VP pick
  • Check out this billboard that's up right near the Republican National Convention
  • Republican lawmaker with nickname 'Pants Candy' reportedly had sexual relations with 22 women
  • Why Does Nobody Talk About What was Actually in Hillary's E-mails?
  • Death toll in Nice truck attack reaches 'at least 84'
  •  
  • Eric Trump proves perving on Ivanka runs in the family
  • Things that are Obama's fault, in graphs
  • Watch this white woman scream 'RAPE!' when a black man walks towards her to ask a question
  • Sign if you agree with the Democratic Governors Association: Voting should be easier—move Election Day to a weekend. sponsored
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn't care about traditional media outrage, doubles down on Trump criticism
  • The biggest difference between Clinton and Sanders wasn't policy. It was something more important.
  • The most well-known astrophysicist of our time discusses a dozen times he's been racially profiled
  • Trump creates an imaginary crime wave to justify his law and order chest thumping
  • A white man's experience of Black Lives NOT Mattering
  • The ACLU just filed a lawsuit against everybody in the Baton Rouge Police Department
  • Sign the petition: Stand with Hillary to defend DAPA and DACA sponsored
  • Anonymous Republican pledges $5 million donation if Trump releases his tax returns
  • The Republican platform hates gays, puts women back in the kitchen, and insists on religious law
  • I'm a Progressive. And I'm with her.
  • GOP devoting more staffers to whipping against 'Dump Trump' than it has in four key swing states
  • Cops are safer under President Obama. Whether critics like it or not.
  • A year ago, video fakers tried to swift-boat Planned Parenthood. Instead, they helped strengthen it
  •  
  • Alton Sterling video was filmed on purpose, but not for the reason you may think
  • When the only word left is shame
  • What you need to know about the police killing of Alton Sterling
  • Woman captures boyfriend's death on livestream after he was shot by police (warning: graphic video)
  • The terrorists we face wear badges
  • Police killings of black men have reached my own city
  • Back to back nights of police brutality: Police shooting in Falcon Heights
  • A uniform does not hide you from guilt
  • Harrowing video shows black man shot by Baton Rouge police

  •  
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    AlterNet
    By Ismail Khalidi, AlterNet
    What we witnessed in Nice was harrowing, and the response only adds to the tragedy. READ MORE»

    By Adele M. Stan, AlterNet
    They may hate Trump, but he could put one of their own a heartbeat away from the presidency. READ MORE»

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    Racism is so deeply embedded in this country not because of the racist right-wing radicals who practice it openly. It exists because of the silence and hurt feelings of liberal America. READ MORE»

    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    By bringing the whole world together in solidarity, radical extremists are sowing the seeds of their own demise. READ MORE»

    By Robert Reich, RobertReich.org
    Given her history of being under relentless attack, it's understandable that Clinton seeks to minimize small oversights. But that's a mistake. READ MORE»

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    Just because you're in the safety of your own home doesn't mean terror-filled news won't cause you psychological—or even physical—harm. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "All plates matter" is a terrible excuse for not serving everyone who ordered. READ MORE»

    By Scott Eric Kaufman, Salon
    Technology sector wants "candidate who embraces the ideals that build America's infrastructure." READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Maher said some cops are on the force to make up for a past lack of authority.  READ MORE»

    The Associated Press
    13-year wait is now over. READ MORE»

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    Social movement leaders to trek across the country calling for grassroots alternatives to the far-right resurgence in America. READ MORE»

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    Do you want to make your students significantly more ignorant for a rock-bottom price? READ MORE»
     
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    If you weren’t whiplashed, heartsick, nauseated, outraged and exhausted last week, you weren’t paying attention. READ MORE»

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    So much for his grand promises of "showbiz" coming to Cleveland. Antonio Sabato Jr.? Really?  READ MORE»

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    Tired of the repeated story of police violence against black victims, D. Watkins is working to change the story. READ MORE»

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    The French nation is reeling after the latest terror attacks. READ MORE»

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    A recent wave of police violence against African Americans isn’t anything new. It’s just been caught on video. READ MORE»

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    Dear rich people: drastic inequality is bad for everyone, even you. READ MORE»

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    Human Rights Watch identifies 17 “apparently unlawful” airstrikes on civilian factories, farms and warehouses. READ MORE»

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    Despite national complaints from law enforcement, the company's CEO says, "We go to bed every night knowing that we did the right thing." READ MORE»

    By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch
    The United States is the default superpower in an ever more recalcitrant world. READ MORE»

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    The idea behind legalizing weed is to repair the damage of prohibition, not to prolong it, but excluding people with drug convictions does just that.  READ MORE»

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    There are a number of ways that the super-rich may be hastening their own demise, while taking the rest of us with them. READ MORE»

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    Movies

    Secular Talk: New Black Panthers May Come Armed To The GOP Convention. Yup, Kyle's right--open carry and other second amendment "rights" only apply to whites. Just look at what happened to poor Philando Castile. If the NRA and the Republicans weren't such phuquen hypocrites, they'd have been up in arms about those "jack-booted government thugs" shooting a law-abiding open-carry citizen WHO WAS COOPERATING with police. And for those morOOns who think that everyone and his sperm should be packing AR-15s 24/7/365, just look at what happened in Dallas. Yup, all those open-carry Texan manly men stood their ground to defend God and country by turning tail and running like hell...and the poor police didn't know who was a threat and who wasn't. When will the ammosexuals learn that they are making the police's already-challenging job even harder?

    Secular Talk: GOP Maintains Anti-Gay Party Platform In 2016...what a pathetic bunch of bigoted losers. Ugh.

    The Young Turks: Cop Fired For Death Threats Against Little Girl. Frankly, I'm not sure I agree with them here. How certain are they that the cop isn't warning the mother to keep her daughter safe, especially since he ended the message with a smiley? Then again, maybe I'm just being naïve...

    Secular Talk: House Republicans Block Research Into Gun Violence. This is how Republicans plan to solve our nation's gun violence epidemic. Did I say "solve"? I meant "foment"...phuquen ammosexuals. You show me a Republican ammosexual, and I'll show you a sad little man with one teeny tiny weenie. It's also a case in point that Republicans, like God, hate facts.

    Secular Talk: Obama Suddenly Wants A "Public Option" In Obamacare. I agree with Kyle--we really need single-payer, and O'Bama had a super-majority and blew it. Medicare for all would have been so much better than Romneycare O'Bama-style.

    Secular Talk on 2016 GOP: Porn Is A "Public Health Crisis" And A "Menace"--too funny. Republicans apparently want to turn back the clock on sexual morality to Good Old Victorian England, where "good" people simply didn't have sex drives! That's why the species died out in the 1850s. Um...no.

    Secular Talk on Batshit Bachmann: "God May Have Lifted Up Trump" To Be President. Kyle mentions that Trump thinks wages need to be lowered. Of course he does--he doesn't effin' pay anyone who works for him, so it's safe to say that he thinks we should all be slaves and not get paid at all. I'd laugh at Batshit Bachmann except that people eat up this bullshit as if it were chocolate pudding. People like my Tea Party Christian friend. Creepy AF.

    Unholy shit--Republican platform OFFICIALLY wants to replace our democracy with theocracy. Listen to Cenk and John spell out the most hateful, heinous party platform outside of ISIS and al Qaeda. Holy phuque!!!!! (If I remember, next time I'll post a redo of the RNC logo with the elephant dancing on an AR-15 instead of a guitar. Much more appropriate for the RNC.)

    Here's Secular Talk's take on the right-wing-nutjobs' lust for American Sharia:

    The Young Turks: How many FUX Noise women has Roger Ailes sexually harassed and assaulted? As Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian (TM) tweeted, " I have trouble imagining that any sexual overture from Roger Ailes WOULDN'T be harassment!" Is it me, or does he look like a perv?

    The Young Turks: CNN cop claims Blacks are more prone to criminality. That stupid shit needs to be fired from making TV appearances.

    Pastor Terrified Of Pokémon Go "Cyber Demons"--too phuquen funny!


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    My new heroes just put up 
    an awesome billboard
    5 minutes from the RNC--hehe!!
    It reads:
    Love Trumps Hate.
    End Homophobia.
    www.plantingpeace.org
    Paid for by Planting Peace