Well, we made it to Humpday...!
Greetings, Dot Calm Readers
and fellow Truth Crusaders!
I'm back...miss me?
I'm a little blown out this week, so I plan to keep this post short.
I'd almost believe me if I didn't say that every single time, ending up with posts so huge that they alter the curvature of space-time...which I do.
Gotta love me.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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MALE Lawmakers in Utah tax
TAMPONS AND PADS
as LUXURY items.
Uhhhh, ex-squeeze me?
The men are taxing women
for being women?!??
for being women?!??
What do they want women to do--
BLEED all over the place?
Leave a trail?!??
Leave a trail?!??
Women of Utah,
take charge of your own destinies.
Tell these phuquers to
GO PHUQUE THEMSELVES
until they stop taxing your NECESSITIES.
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Sad news, scary news, but he's o-o-o-o-o-o-o-kay...
Famed evolutionary biologist (a real scientist, unlike pretender Rafael Cruz, Sr.) and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins, 74, has suffered a minor hemorrhagic stroke February 12, 2016, for which the Church of England has trolled him by offering prayers, which studies have shown DO NOT help. Talk about a gesture that is empty at best and flagrantly disrespectful at worst.
Reverend Arun Arora said of praying for Dawkins, "It is the very least I can do." No shit, Sherlock.
According to CNN, Dawkins's doctors told him he was "getting much better." Here is an excerpt from the article:
He had spent four days in hospital, but had since been discharged. He said he had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, which would affect his coordination, but not his "higher cerebral function, thank goodness."
"I gather if you've got to have a stroke, this is a pretty good one to have," he said, adding that the biggest challenge he had encountered was "buttons."
"You forget what a fantastically precise instrument the human hand is," he said.
Please support the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, and let's all hope that Dr. Dawkins recovers quickly and fully. We need him back on the front lines against ignorance and superstition of all kinds.
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Michael Moore is very ill
Moore recently released the film "Where to Invade Next," but he is apparently in poorer health than he let on to his fans. On February 17, 2016, he tweeted, "Doctors won't let me fly 2 Berlin for the European premiere of my film tomorrow night. Doing better, but still not @ 100%. Very sad not 2 go."
In 1999, Michael Moore literally saved a man's life using his television show, "The Awful Truth," as a bully pulpit. A young but ailing diabetic man needed a dual transplant--pancreas and kidney--to live, and Humana condemned the man to death by agreeing to cover only the kidney transplant. They knew that the man would die without the pancreas transplant (even a transplanted kidney wouldn't last very long without a working pancreas). They were pretending to do something while cold-bloodedly banking on the problem just going away--which it would have if Moore hadn't stepped in. Moore hounded Humana for several days, including shooting footage at Humana's offices, questioning underwriters (who received sizable bonuses for not covering expensive procedures, like transplants), and filming a mock funeral for the diabetic man on the lawn of the Humana CEO's home. After that last straw, the CEO decided that Humana would indeed cover both of the diabetic man's surgeries, saving his life. (The full story is available here on "Democracy Now!")
Let's all wish Michael Moore a speedy and full recovery. One of our favorite Flint, Michigan, residents, Moore has been a consistent champion of the average and disadvantaged American. We need him back on his feet now more than ever!
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Petitions, petitions!
...PE-TI-TIONS!
Dear MoveOn member,
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on Saturday. President Obama offered his condolences to Justice Scalia's family, ordered flags to be flown at half-mast, and pledged to do his job and nominate a new justice for consideration by the Senate.1,2
Republicans wasted no time in turning to partisan politics. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell announced that "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”3 Hours later, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said that President Obama shouldn't get to appoint the next justice.4 And Senator Ted Cruz vowed to filibuster any Obama nominee.5
We can't let Republicans keep a Supreme Court seat vacant for more than a year due to purely partisan obstructionism. Let's make sure Republican senators do their job as defined in the Constitution: to advise and consent to the president's nominee.
Click here to sign this petition to the Senate: Do your constitutional duty. Pledge to give President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court a timely vote.
Republicans may think it'll be good election year theater to refuse to consider President Obama's nominee. But the more signatures on our petition, the louder our message: It is critical to fill this vacancy—and anyone who abdicates their constitutional duty will be haunted by their choice through November and beyond.
When this rapid-response petition gains enough signatures, MoveOn will publicize it in Washington, D.C. and in the home state of any senator who is abdicating his or her responsibility by fighting for a prolonged and destructive vacancy on the court. Will you add your name and send your senators this message now?
From a woman's right to choose, to the ability of workers to organize, to how America can combat climate change, to efforts to craft a humane immigration policy, the Supreme Court is facing pressing topics that directly affect the lives of countless Americans. Leaving a seat empty would reduce the court's ability to decide these matters, create costly uncertainty, and be a direct attack on one of the three branches of American government.
Many justices have been confirmed in election years before, including as recently as in 1988, when Senator McConnell and many other Republican senators voted to confirm Justice Anthony Kennedy.6
Tell your senators and Senator McConnell: It's up to you to do your job as defined by the Constitution. As soon as President Obama announces a nominee, advise, consent, and move forward.
Thanks for all you do.
—Anna, Justin K. Ann, Stephen, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Political leaders and candidates react to Scalia's death; Obama vows to nominate successor," Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1383?
2. "The Latest: Scalia's Body Taken to Texas Funeral Home," ABC News, February 14, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1402?
3. "Mitch McConnell Voted To Confirm A Supreme Court Justice In Reagan's Final Year," The Huffington Post, February 13, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1385?
4. "The GOP's bitter South Carolina brawl," CNN, February 14, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1386?
5. "Ted Cruz Plans to Filibuster Any Supreme Court Nominee Made by President Obama," ABC News, February 14, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1387?
6. "Mitch McConnell Voted To Confirm A Supreme Court Justice In Reagan's Final Year," The Huffington Post, February 13, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/1385?
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Over the past 36 hours, 80,000 Demand Progress members have already signed our petition,
telling the Senate to carry out its duty under the Constitution to
consider and confirm a nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
We need your help to send a strong message that obstruction for political gain won't be tolerated.
Click here to sign: act.demandprogress.org/sign/President Obama said he will naturally carry out his constitutional responsibility to name a Supreme Court replacement in due time.
But Mitch McConnell and Senate
Republicans have doubled down on their radical position that they will
block ANYONE President Obama nominates to succeed Justice Scalia, no
matter how qualified.
No hearings. No vote. Nothing.
Extremist presidential candidate Senator Ted
Cruz has joined the fray soon after Justice Scalia’s passing, saying the
Senate should “ensure that the next President names his replacement”
and that he would “absolutely” try to filibuster anyone the president
nominates.1
Another senator running for president, Marco
Rubio, ridiculously claimed that presidents “stop nominating” judges in
their last year. PolitiFact rated the statement simply “False.”2The president has said he will carry out his responsibility under the Constitution to fill the opening at the Supreme Court. The Senate needs to do its job, too.
Click here to sign the petition: Tell the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty and work with President Obama to fill the vacancy at the Supreme Court without delay.
Thanks,
Kurt Walters
Campaign Director
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The following sponsored email was sent to you by AlterNet on behalf of CREDO Action:
President Obama's Supreme Court nominee must get an up-or-down vote
The petition to Senate Republican leadership reads:
"Your partisan threats to block President Obama from replacing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia would be an unprecedented and unconstitutional act of sabotage to our judicial system. It is your duty to hold fair hearings and an up-or-down vote on President Obama's nominee."
Add your name:
 |
Within hours of news breaking that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died, Senate Republicans were already promising to block confirmation of his replacement until the next president takes office.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued an official statement declaring, "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President."1 Sen. Charles Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee, agreed that a "new president" should "select the next Supreme Court justice."2 Presidential candidates Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio both made statements suggesting that "the next president" should name Scalia's replacement.3
President Obama has almost a year left in office. As president -- twice elected by the American people -- he has the constitutional power under Article II to nominate a new Supreme Court justice with the advice and consent of the Senate. It is unprecedented that senators from the opposing party would preemptively challenge that power and promise to undermine it.
In the last year of President Ronald Reagan's second term, the Democratic-controlled Senate -- including current Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell -- unanimously confirmed Justice Anthony Kennedy with a 97-0 vote.4 In the last year of President Obama's term, partisan obstruction from Senate Republicans will be an anti-democratic power grab that would violate their duty to the nation. We have to show that the political cost of obstruction will be too high.
Tell Senate Republican leadership: You must hold fair hearings and a timely up or down vote for President Obama's nominee for Justice Scalia's replacement on the Supreme Court. Click here to sign the petition.
If there's no replacement for Justice Scalia until the inauguration of the next president, the highest court in the land is effectively hindered for two terms. In the likely event of a 4-4 tie, the lower court's decision is upheld but is not considered binding precedent.5 That means that countless important cases -- and lives -- will remain in limbo if Senate Republicans succeed in their attempt to undermine the Constitution.
Here are just some of the issues before the Court this term:
- Whether President Obama has the authority to provide a path to legal status and work permits for people who entered the United States as children, and for the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens.6
- Whether President Obama's attempts to curb carbon emissions violate the Clean Air Act.7
- Whether states can pass legislation under the guise of "protecting women's health" that actually takes away women's access to abortion.8
- Whether institutions have the right to use religion as an excuse to deny women birth-control as mandated in the Affordable Care Act.9
- A case that could decide the future of public sector unions.10
The next Supreme Court justice may also have the opportunity to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision, which poses an existential threat to our democracy.
Senate Republicans are already making it clear that they are willing to subvert the Constitution in order to have a chance to appoint a justice who opposes women's health care, sides with corporations over workers, will allow big money to continue to hijack our elections, and more. We can't wait while Republicans try to spin a false narrative that their malfeasance is in defense of the will of voters. We need to put as much pressure as possible on Senate leadership now and force them to back down.
Tell Senate Republican leadership: You must hold fair hearings and a timely up or down vote for President Obama's nominee for Justice Scalia's replacement on the Supreme Court. Click here to sign the petition.
We don't yet know who President Obama intends to nominate. At CREDO, we will be pushing for the president to pick a strong progressive who will take seriously the Court's responsibility to the American people. But right now, the immediate need is to draw attention to Republicans' radical refusal to act at all, in direct contradiction of our Constitution.
Tell Senate Republican leadership: You must hold fair hearings and a timely up or down vote for President Obama's nominee for Justice Scalia's replacement on the Supreme Court. Click the link below to sign the petition:
http://act.alternet.org/go/
Thank you for speaking out.
Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
Add your name:
| |
- Harper Niedgig, "McConnell: Don't replace Scalia until after election," The Hill, February 13, 2016.
- Lydia Wheeler, "Judiciary chair: 'Standard practice' to not confirm SCOTUS nominee in election year," The Hill, February 13, 2016.
- David Jackson, "Cruz, Rubio: Next president should name Scalia replacement," USA Today, February 13, 2016.
- Jennifer Bendery, "Mitch McConnell Voted To Confirm A Supreme Court Justice In Reagan's Final Year," HuffingtonPost.com, February 13, 2016.
- Libby Nelson, "Antonin Scalia's death could lead to more 4-4 ties. Here's what happens if it does." Vox.com, February 13, 2016.
- Adam Liptak and Michael Shear, "Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Obama Immigration Actions," New York Times, January 19, 2016.
- Adam Liptak and Coral Davenport, "Supreme Court Deals Blow to Obama's Efforts to Regulate Coal Emissions," New York Times, February 9, 2016.
- Emma Green and Matt Ford, "A New Supreme Court Challenge: The Erosion of Abortion Access in Texas," The Atlantic, November 13, 2015.
- Richard Wolf, "Supreme Court agrees to rule on birth control insurance mandate," USA Today, November 6, 2015.
- Adam Liptak, "Supreme Court Seems Poised to Deal Unions a Major Setback," New York Times, January 11, 2016.
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| |
| The FCC must stand up for Net Neutrality | |
| Sign the petition to the Federal Communications Commission:
“Some of the same companies that fought to kill Net Neutrality are now creating schemes to undermine it. Stand up for real Net Neutrality by immediately putting a stop to zero-rating.”
Add your name:
|
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Dear Mr. President, please appoint Elizabeth Warren to the Supreme Court, before the end of the week.
Why
Elizabeth Warren? She started waiting tables at the age of 13, a year
after her father was driven into poverty by a heart attack followed by
huge medical bills. She later taught children with disabilities. She was
a Harvard Law Professor for almost two decades – in fact, the only one
there with tenure who had attended a public university. Her scholarly
work is renowned; she is one of the most frequently cited law professors
of all time.
She
has been an indefatigable watchdog over the capital markets for almost a
decade, going back to her extraordinarily valuable work on the
Congressional Oversight Panel for the federal bailout program. She
created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, even though the Senate
Republicans wouldn’t let her run it. She electrified the nation with
her “you didn’t build that” speech. And she has been a tireless and
effective U.S. Senator.
Fourteen Senators and 17 Congressman have been appointed to the Supreme Court. So it wouldn’t be the first time this happened.
One
more thing: Senator Warren is an outstanding writer and communicator,
something that the Supreme Court badly needs. (Justice Scalia recently
attacked a colleague for a writing style “as pretentious as it [is]
egotistic.”) In my opinion, the two best judicial writers of my lifetime
are Justice Hugo Black, a former Senator, and Judge Abner Mikva, a
former Congressman. (I worked with Mikva; I know what I’m talking
about.) Serving in either House of Congress is a very effective lesson
in communication.
Would
obstructionists in the Senate filibuster an Elizabeth Warren
appointment, or vote against her? Maybe. But that seems like poor form
against one of their own, for a place as clubby as the U.S. Senate.
And
the President should appoint Warren right now, before the end of this
week. That would make it a “recess appointment,” and Justice Warren
could take office immediately. The obstructionists in the GOP couldn’t
do anything about it.
One last reason why Elizabeth Warren should be on the U.S. Supreme Court:
She’s earned it. She deserves it. And she’ll be so, so good at it.
Courage,
Rep. Alan Grayson
********************************************
So, Scalia wanted to be cremated?
Why should he decide
what happens to his body?
Let the women of Planned Parenthood
decide what's best for Scalia's body!
Those women know what's right for Scalia
better than he did.
Those women know what's right for Scalia
better than he did.
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Daily Kos
********************************************
Hey, Mitch--
The American people DID have a voice
in who should replace Antonin Scalia.
They elected President Obama TWICE--
with a far wider margin
The American people DID have a voice
in who should replace Antonin Scalia.
They elected President Obama TWICE--
with a far wider margin
than DUHbya had his second term,
which he claimed was a "mandate."
********************************************
AlterNet
 |
By Leo Gerard, AlterNet
Now the wealthy want access to charity, and Karl Rove is ready to provide it. READ MORE»
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Adam Johnson, AlterNet
Only 14% are not sure if whites are the superior race. READ MORE»
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Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Hillary won "Old" Hampshire, and lost 83% of young voters last week to Bernie Sanders. READ MORE»
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By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlteNet
First Jeb! now Rubio... Want to lead America or somewhere else, GOP? READ MORE»
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By Sean Illing, Salon
Hillary's stressing how much closer her platform is to Obama's than Bernie's — that might be enough to top Sanders READ MORE»
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By Brian McFadden, AlterNet
What to expect from a campaign already rife with comic errors. READ MORE»
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By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Colbert pays tribute to the Supreme Court justice who died Saturday. READ MORE»
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Don Hazen, AlterNet
Teachers union organizing in hostile charter environment, while L.A. school board blocks "out of touch" plan by billionaires.
READ MORE»
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Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
Far-right Clarion Project releases viral video based on Harris' dubious concept of radicalization. READ MORE»
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Stan Cox, AlterNet
The dream of vertical farming is gaining momentum despite many unanswered questions about its feasibility. READ MORE»
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By Paul Blest, Salon
First it was Jeb, then Rubio. Now moderate Republicans are hoping for... John Kasich? Good luck, guys! READ MORE»
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By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
A huge crisis is on the docket. READ MORE»
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By Leslie Salzillo, Daily Kos
New York City charter school boss Eva Moskowitz should rethink her attitude about foreign language studies. READ MORE»
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By Eric Boehlert, Huffington Post
The press has continued its habit of looking away from the GOP's stunning record of institutional obstructionism since 2009. READ MORE»
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By Yesenia Vargas, Religion Dispatches
Campaign launches to remind the public that the bindi isn't purely a fashion statement. READ MORE»
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By Hugh Middleton , The Conversation
New research questions existence of common winter malady. READ MORE»
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By Suzanne Moore, The Guardian
We’re told that sugar is the source of all evil, but giving it up made me grumpy, skint and antisocial. READ MORE»
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By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Anti-Trump campaign aims to derail presidential bid built on racism and xenophobia. READ MORE»
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By Chris Maisano, Metropolitan Books
It’s time to rediscover the lost history of labor’s struggle for shorter hours. READ MORE»
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By Tim Baker, Newsweek
One of the more counterintuitive discoveries about the potential for cannabis. READ MORE»
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The Humane Society of the United States
The AKC has aligned itself with cruel puppy mills. READ MORE»
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By David Edwards, Raw Story
The latest in the assault on women's rights. READ MORE»
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Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Voter IDs, like Oscar nominations, are just something white people are more likely to have.
READ MORE»
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Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
With frat's racism exposed, students call on administrators to confront a pattern of anti-Palestinian attacks. READ MORE»
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AlterNet
"If divided government persists, it’s really hard to see how we avoid growing chaos." READ MORE»
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By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
Antonin Scalia wasn't just a giant of conservative jurisprudence. He was an architect of right-wing legal extremism. READ MORE»
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By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Conservative politicians love government handouts - for themselves. READ MORE»
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AlterNet
They are ruthless. READ MORE»
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By David Sheen, AlterNet
This week in Israeli racism was hard to top. READ MORE»
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By John Upton, Climate Central
The legal challenge to Obama's Clean Power Plan is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court. READ MORE»
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Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
The future of key constituencies in both parties, but especially Democrats, is at stake. READ MORE»
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David Masciotra, Salon
Washington might be broken. But that doesn't mean someone from the world of Wall Street knows how to fix it. READ MORE»
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Adam Johnson, AlterNet
It's easy to boost a war, it's hard follow up on the destruction left in its wake. READ MORE»
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By Maia Szalavitz , The Influence
What are the biggest steps the industry itself can take to improve? READ MORE»
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By Mary Anne Grady Flores, AlterNet
Mary Anne Grady Flores on her action and punishment. READ MORE»
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By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
A recent survey finds people are becoming more conservative about casual sex—and more progressive about other kinds of sex. READ MORE»
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By Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
The GOP may have to adopt a few liberal philosophies to keep Trump from winning. READ MORE»
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By Victoria Richards, The Independent
It has more calories than a Double Big Mac. READ MORE»
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By William Astore, TomDispatch
Showering the Pentagon with money and praise. READ MORE»
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By Chelsea Skojec, AlterNet
Author Cheryl Strayed says you don't have to hike 1,000 miles to find consolation — a short walk will suffice. READ MORE»
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By Jenna Berbeo, Truthdig
This week, legislators in Utah voted to reject a bill aimed at exempting tampons from taxation. READ MORE»
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By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet
This is not your grandmother's dildo. READ MORE»
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By Katie Halper, Raw Story
It might be time to memorialize the man through rounding up some of the most memorable things he ever said or wrote. READ MORE»
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Here I go proselytizing against televangelists again...
Funny commentary and clips of Christian televangelists and faith healers:
Corrupt televangelists and preachers...
Paula White
Joyce Meyers
Remember her? It wasn't an antique toilet but a commode--a vanity table--she paid $20,000.00 for, not $30,000.00 as I posted earlier. If, as wordoffakes says, you can feed a village for a month on $1200, then Joyce has omitted to feed that same village for nearly a year and a half just by buying that one antique...and she owns several comparably priced, equally useless objets d'art...not to mention her $49,000.00 conference table...not to mention the multi-million-dollar compound that she and her family live in rent-free, tax-free, and maintenance-free. How many villages could that money feed for how many years? What the hell is that conference table made of, anyway--pew-ranium 236 explosive space modulators? (Seriously, though, it is probably some kind of fancy exotic zebra wood from Africa. I guess nice cherry wood just isn't good enough for Queen Joyce.) Christians just luuuuurve helping poor kids in Africa by sending them Bibles, but what about feeding and educating disadvantaged kids right here at home in the good ol' U. S. of A.? Oh, no--they're undeserving poor...a completely different species from the deserving rich. And then, the money keeps rolling in from the books and videos, which my Tea Party friend laps up by the pound. If nothing else, these prosperity preachers show that nothing succeeds like excess.
wordoffakes reminds us why these fat-cats preaching the prosperity gospel aren't behaving biblically. Remember how simply Jesus is said to have lived and how many things he is said to have borrowed during his lifetime and ministry? How many times does the Bible tell us not to love money and hoard possessions? "But they deserve all that money," they have my Tea Party Christian friend brainwashed to whine. So poor kids deserve not to eat, have health care, go to decent schools?
Sux...wordoffakes promised a fourth video in the series, showing what could be done with Joyce Meyers's millions. Can you imagine how many needy people around the world would benefit from what these greedy hypocrites spend on their mansions and upkeep alone? Damn, son, I'd love to see that video, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll post it if/when I do.
OK, now I'm pissed off. I need a laugh. Time to tune in to Darkmatter2525!
...hee hee! Was that as good for you as it was for me?
Seriously, though--did you realize that the Holy Bible is this effed up?!?? No wonder they don't read the whole thing to the kiddies at Sunday School!
posted by Dot Calm @ 5:31 PM
