A little Birdie sez VOTE for BERNIE!!!
Happy humpday, o Dot Calm Readers
and fellow Truth Crusaders!
Here I am again with more goodies for you.
Today, I'm putting in my favorite headlines...cuz I can (w00t).
Even so, 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
Mrs. Betty Bowers
God, the Good Lord Above
...And, whatever you do,
If at all possible, send him a buck o' five.
What happened in Brussels and Lahore could happen anywhere, any time, to any of us. I am still mourning too deeply for words, so please...always remember...never forget...be good to yourself and your loved ones! This one life that we all know we have is the only one we do know we have. Don't let some stoopit prik convince you to sell it out for something that isn't even real. No--enjoy it to the fullest, and let's love the daylights out of our loved ones while we all still have each other. Just like my dad and me...and the Easter Chipmunk (hehe)!
And now...
Sit down, strap in, and hang on cuz here we go!
- Dot Calm's shadow
that the Bible isn't a test
for God to see which humans
can reason well enough
to tell that it's all bullshit?
How do Christians know
that the Bible isn't a test
for God to see which humans
refuse to throw out
their moral compasses
to worship a deity
that is clearly immoral?
How do Christians know
that God is so unreasonable?
How do Christians know
that Christians won't go to hell
and atheists won't go to heaven?
The 30,000-acre hunting ranch, located around 30 miles from the Mexican border in the West Texas town of Shafter, is also the home of owner John B. Poindexter, who owns the Houston-based manufacturing firm J.B. Poindexter & Co.
The two men already had a tenuous connection outside of the ranch. Last year, an age discrimination suit filed against the Mic Group, a subsidiary of J.B. Poindexter & Co., reached the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.
In an email to the Post, Poindexter said Scalia, who was invited to the ranch as a personal guest, was not charged for his stay. A person “familiar with the ranch’s operations” tells the paper Poindexter typically hosts these free events two to three times a year.
“I did not pay for the Justice’s trip to Cibolo Creek Ranch,” Poindexter wrote in a brief email Tuesday. “He was an invited guest, along with a friend, just like 35 others.”
Poindexter added: “The Justice was treated no differently by me, as no one was charged for activities, room and board, beverages, etc. That is a 22-year policy.’’
Poindexter explicitly denied paying for Scalia’s charter flight to the ranch and declined to identify the friend who accompanied Scalia or any of the other guests on the trip.
Suuuuuure...not charging someone is totally different from paying for his trip...! Didn't Scalia ever hear of "conflict of interest" or "appearance of conflict of interest"? Didn't Scalia know that it looked like he was taking a reward for helping his bud? No? Sounds legit. Nice-lookin' room, though...fancy.
- Dot Calm's shadow
Here's Why Transgender "Bathroom Panic" Is Ridiculous
Kelly Lauren of Chicago, Illinois, shared the following photo Nov. 4 with the caption:
"Houston, do you REALLY want me in the same restroom as your husband or boyfriend?"
RELATED: The Toughest Obstacle for Trans Rights is Fear Mongering
The non-discrimination law, dubbed HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance), would have required most Houston-area businesses to allow transgender people access to restrooms consistent with their gender identity. This means that transgender men (those transitioning female-to-male) would be able to use men's restrooms, and transgender women (those transitioning from male-to-female) could use female accommodations, preventing absurd scenes like those depicted in Lauren's tongue-in-cheek photo.Unfortunately, HERO opponents waged a successful campaign to convince residents that sexual assaults would increase if Houston's transgender residents were allowed to use the right restrooms, squashing advocates hopes of aligning the city with other major municipalities.
#WeJustNeedToPee
Increasingly, transgender people are taking selfies in restrooms of their birth-assigned sex to showcase exactly how ridiculous these transphobic representations are. Take a look at the myth-busting tweets below and follow #wejustneedtopee:The history of "bathroom panic"
This is far from the first time "bathroom panic" has been invoked to kill an anti-discrimination law that would protect transgender people.Led by misleading advertisements and signs stating, "No Men in Women's Bathrooms," anti-HERO activists were able to convince more than 60 percent of Houston residents to reject the anti-discrimination ordinance by making it about sexual predators and restrooms. Just take a look at this ad, created by Austin-based consultant Jeff Norwood for the campaign, which aired before the vote:
The scare tactics and outright lies that featured prominently into video aren't new, however. They were recycled from prior campaigns against the transgender community that have also been met with success.
Watch this strikingly similar advertisement released in response to a similar human rights ordinance in Gainesville, Florida, in 2008:
The image of an adult male following a young girl into the bathroom features prominently in both, with each ending with a door closing ominously filmed in black and white. Designed to hit viewers at a gut level, Norwood told the Houston Chronicle that his recent ad "correctly portrayed the dangers women and girls would face had the ordinance passed."
RELATED: The Reviling Fight against Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cited these concerns when voicing his opposition to HERO before last week's vote, stating that the ordinance "was about allowing men to enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms — defying common sense and common decency.”The same arguments also came up when I was advocating for safe bathroom access at my college in 2005. (One concerned community member let me know that gender neutral restrooms would be "a beacon to rapists across the country.") This 2011 ad from Massachusetts also tells a similar story:
What's missing?
Notably, the same component is missing from all of these these scare tactics: transgender people. Instead, trans individuals are recast as monsters, with transgender women replaced by male sex offenders in each ad. And sadly, it works, despite the fact that none of these claims have ever been substantiated.Media Matters - mediamatters.org
When trans-inclusive bathroom policies are enacted, sexual assaults do not increase. What does increase is the safety of those in the transgender community. A 2013 study found that 70 percent of transgender respondents were "denied entrance, were harassed or assaulted when attempting to use a public restroom of their identifying gender."
Trump said today
that women who have abortions
should be punished,
thus confirming
that the type of object
he perceives women to be
is "incubator"
and throwing a trump card
Rafael "Ted" Cruz cannot overcome:
Trump has now proven
that he speaks for the entire
Republican Party,
including Evangelicals.
Evangelicals,
like Cruz
and my Tea Party Christian friend,
think women SHOULD DIE
if they get abortions.
At least,
that's what
my Tea Party Christian friend said.
So why is it that Trump,
my Tea Party Christian friend,
and the rest of the
pro-mandatory-birthers
back down so quickly
when others find this sentiment
reprehensible?
********************************************
Petition from Daily Kos and CREDO: ours is the world's richest country--don't let Americans starve!
Starting April 1, many states will reinstate cruel laws requiring a time limit on food assistance–denying between 500,000 and 1 million people a critical resource.
Congress can stop it with a simple legislative fix–but it will take loud and sustained pressure, starting right now.
Sign the petition from CREDO and Daily Kos to Congress: Don’t let Americans go hungry.
The 1996 welfare reform law included onerous restrictions that force people to work demeaning jobs in order to be eligible for basic levels of human survival. For so-called “able-bodied adults” without children, it is even harsher. These Americans are only eligible for food assistance for three months total within a span of three years, unless they are employed or in a job training program.
This is a cruel and unrealistic system to “incentivize” people to work. And it is blatantly unfair as it doesn't respect people who are looking for work but can't find any.
For the past few years, most states waived these requirements because the economy was still in recovery. But with state budgets pressed by austerity politics and undermined by tax cuts for the rich, there is new pressure to let the law go back into effect. In some places, such as New York, the statistics show a growing economy for some–while countless more are still struggling.
The fix in Congress is simple: Change the law to allow people seeking a job or training to keep their food aid, even if they can’t find an opening or their state doesn’t offer educational programs.
It is so straightforward even Republicans and corporate Democrats should be willing to get behind it–or explain to voters why they want to take food away from those who are job-hunting.
Sign if you agree: No cuts to food stamps.
Keep fighting,
Monique Teal, Daily Kos
Paid for by CREDO
Having trouble rearing your kids?
The evangelicals, who love
punishing out of proportion
because that's what God does,
will hate this article...
no spankings, no time-outs, no problem!
********************************************
Here's a little good news from Avaaz
Dear amazing Avaazers,
If you ever doubt that our efforts together are worth it, or if you're just needing a bit of hope and light in your day, read on. Bet you won't be able to stop :). Avaaz Movement Wins 2016 (So Far!!) For years, Icelandic millionaire badboy Kristjan Loftsson has massacred hundreds of endangered giant fin whales. But no more!! Working with allies, a million of us pressed the Dutch government to close their ports to him, then German Avaazers helped to block ports there too. Then we caused a media and political storm in the Caribbean where Loftsson’s ship was registered. After years of pressure, he’s called off the hunt!
“The global pressure brought by the Avaaz community has no doubt played a big role in Loftsson’s welcome decision.”
- Vanessa Williams-Grey, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Saudi Arabia is a human rights nightmare, but after they bombed schools and hospitals in Yemen, calls rose in Europe for an arms embargo. When EU politicians started to waver under the pressure of powerful Saudi lobbyists, 740,000 Avaazers weighed in, flooding members of parliament with messages and calls. And we won -- for the first time in history, a Western parliament voted to ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia! Now the pressure is on for governments to follow the European lead.
"We’ve received
calls from Scotland to France to Yemen calling for action, Avaaz played a
major role to bring this message to the European Parliament." - Alyn Smith, Member of European Parliament
Monsanto’s glyphosate weedkiller is everywhere, providing much of the mega-corporation’s revenue. So when UN experts said it likely causes cancer, 1.5 million of us called to ban it! With Europe set to re-approve its licence for 15 years, Avaaz delivered our petition and thousands of us sent urgent messages to our governments. In the final hour, support collapsed, and the EU commission was forced to postpone the vote! We’ll keep the pressure up until we get the ban our planet needs.
“The Avaaz campaign
helped to raise awareness and concern of the general public about
glyphosate. This helped me as a parliamentarian to work on this issue…
Stay with us in this fight” - Pavel Poc, MEP and Vice Chair of the Environment, Health and Food Safety Committee for the European Parliament.
After horrendous civilian death in Gaza, almost 2 million of us called on 6 major companies to stop profiting from the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. Our movement sent messages to CEOs, held rallies from London to Ramallah, met with government and corporate officials, and lobbied other countries to cut ties with those companies. And as of last month, 3 of the 6 have pulled out!! It’s a tactic that's having impact in the struggle for freedom and peace.
“The nearly 2 million
Avaazers joining the fight for companies to divest from the occupation
shows Israel the public push to end this oppression is going
mainstream.” - Rabbi Alissa Wise, Deputy Director, Jewish Voice for Peace
Thousands of Syrian children seeking refuge are lost in Europe, without their parents and preyed upon by child traffickers. That’s why 40,000 of us donated to fund lawyers to find them, provide legal support, and get them to safety. Dozens of children are already being helped. And just this past week, three boys arrived in London and were reunited with their families for the first time in months!
"Nothing I could say could convey how grateful I truly am to all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." - One of the boys on arriving in the UK
The Prime Minister of Somalia just joined over a million of us by signing our petition to support a full ban on female genital mutilation! Somali women’s rights experts told us that global pressure could help them outlaw female genital mutilation -- but we never imagined that the Somali Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and dynamic Minister for Women and Human Rights would respond by signing the petition, too! Working with these leaders, UNICEF and survivors, it’s now likely that FGM, done to 98% of Somali women, will become illegal!
“I am committed to outlaw FGM in Somalia through legislation, advocacy, education, and community engagement.” - Somali Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmark, as he signed our petition.
Shining Our Light in 2016 These battles are part of deeper struggles -- between forces of love and fear, hope and despair, ignorance and understanding. Sometimes Avaaz campaigns are about shining our movement’s light into these struggles, to help shift our culture and politics. Here's some awesome light-shining examples from the last few months: Inspired by Greek fishermen and pensioners who have saved and cared for thousands of desperate refugee families, Avaaz member, Alkmini, started a petition to nominate these unsung heroes for the Nobel Peace Prize. Then more than 600,000 of us backed the request, and Desmond Tutu endorsed an official submission by 230 academics to the Nobel Committee.This moving story of humanity triumphing over fear captured the world’s media from CNN to the BBC.
"In times when fear and racism are threatening our societies and
Europe is raising fences, the big mobilisation of Avaaz members made the
voice of humanity echo loudly around the world." - Co-Founder of the Leros Solidarity Network, Matina Katsiveli
After decades of silence, 14 brave women just went to court to confront the Guatemalan generals who kept them as sex slaves. As they entered the courtroom we surrounded them with love, delivering messages from over 40,000 Avaaz members across Latin America. The women’s courage prevailed and for the first time ever these generals were convicted of crimes against humanity!
"I was happy to hear
the messages of support. I know I'm not alone, and I wanted to uncover
my face when I heard that there are people all around the world that
support me." - One of the women, Doña Rosa
After women were attacked on New Year's Eve in Germany, a flood of racism and xenophobia spread. Refugee men responded by handing out flowers to women on the streets as a show of respect. To return the gesture and show solidarity and welcome, a hundred female Avaaz members went out to hand flowers back to refugees in Cologne, the site of the attacks. Their video went viral!
"Refugee men handed out
flowers to women as a sign of peace. As Avaaz members we wanted to
reciprocate this courageous gesture to show that we counter hate with
humanity." - Maresa, Avaaz member
Ach, that stuff just lifts your heart doesn't it? The really crazy part is, those stories are a small fraction of our movement's work together over the last few months! What we're doing matters, we're winning, and we're winning in a way that is building the kind of world we dream of for our children. There is much to do, but this is a moment for gratitude for the 43 million scrumptiously wonderful people in this beautiful movement. What a joy it is to do this together. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! With love and gratitude, Ricken, Alice, Ben, Maria Paz, Emily, Risalat, Mike, Lisa, and the whole Avaaz team. PS -- a big reason Avaaz can do all this is we are 100% funded by small individual donations -- no corporate, government, foundation, or large donor money. To keep it all going, click here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/ |
Democracy Now!
On Saturday,
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won landslide victories in Washington,
Alaska and Hawaii, chipping away at front-runner Hillary Clinton's lead
in the ... Read More →
|
In
a Women's History Month special, we speak with author, activist and
scholar Angela Davis. For more than four decades, Davis has been one of
most influential activists ... Read More →
|
In
a Women's History Month special, we speak with author, activist and
scholar Angela Davis, professor emerita at the University of California,
Santa Cruz. Her latest book is titled ... Read More →
|
President
Obama concluded his historic visit to Cuba last week as the first
sitting U.S. president to visit the island in 88 years. During his trip,
Obama met Cuban President Raúl ... Read More →
|
On Saturday,
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won landslide victories in Washington,
Alaska and Hawaii, chipping away at front-runner Hillary Clinton's lead
in the ... Read More →
|
Daily Kos
- Susan Sarandon: A privileged fool
- Donald Trump has a plan to stop a contested Republican convention. . . and it's 'crazy'
- "Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy"
- Mitch McConnell willing to sacrifice the Senate to save his own skin over Supreme Court blockade
- No, the superdelegates won't bail out Bernie
- Like the Daily Kos Recommended email? Chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day.
- You had one job Joel, one: Hillary's aide Joel is really helping his boss: #Brooklynite
- Texas man exonerated after video surveillance shows violent arrest details didn't match police account
- A new symbol for a new age
- First-time voters in New York registered in record-breaking numbers
- Take a stand with EMILY's List now to say you support pro-choice women everywhere. sponsored
- Georgia lawmakers aim to override governor's veto of anti-LGBT 'religious liberty' bill
- Here's why Arizona's primary mess is no surprise to American Indians
- This is what Third Way incrementalism looks like
- 11 reasons why Tad Devine's superdelegate coup rationale is all kinds of wrong
- A Democratic primary scorecard: Who's won where and what
- California announces historic deal to raise the minimum wage to $15
- Yes, they DO hate him because he is black
- Trump uncorks a genie of anti-Semitic hate and harassment online
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor corrects Justice John Roberts on Obamacare. ‘That’s a falsehood.’
AlterNet
Kali Holloway, AlterNet
Corey Lewandowski reportedly turned himself in to Florida authorities today. READ MORE»
|
Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Clinton
won't debate Sanders in New York prior to the upcoming primary and says
Bernie should "tone it down." Internet responds: "Tone down for what?" READ MORE»
|
By Stephanie Cegielski, xojane
I respect Trump's fans. That's why I can no longer support the man himself. READ MORE»
|
By Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon
Sarandon joins Louis C.K. in being just fine with a possible GOP win that would put the less-privileged in jeopardy. READ MORE»
|
By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
Sanders being president just means the bottom 99% can live a little bit better. Got it? READ MORE»
|
By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
Just days after new rule was implemented, grassroots groups have already staged a mass protest and filed a lawsuit. READ MORE»
|
By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
Lee stayed at the Taj Mahal and apparently hated it enough to tell a friend in a letter. READ MORE»
|
By Marlena Fitzpatrick-Garcia, AlterNet
Puerto Rico consists of 3.5 million American citizens—it's time we treated them that way. READ MORE»
|
TeleSur
The Democratic candidate had landslide victories in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii on Western Saturday, signaling the campaign's momentum. READ MORE»
|
By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
Last
week, North Carolina enacted a sweeping anti-transgender law, widely
considered to be the most wide-ranging anti-trans law to take effect
this year. READ MORE»
|
Kali Holloway, AlterNet
The former anchor is helping the billionaire-backed charter lobby spread the gospel of education reform. READ MORE»
|
Max Blumenthal, AlterNet
With help from influential liberals, pro-Israel lobbyists push to define resisting Israeli apartheid as hate speech. READ MORE»
|
RoseAnn DeMoro, AlterNet
They wanted to declare it over before actual voters could vote. READ MORE»
|
By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
Members of the establishment press wonder how they got Trump so wrong. Here's one big way. READ MORE»
|
By Amanda Marcotte, Moe Tkacik, In These Times
Clinton’s
remark prompted a furious debate. Is there any truth to it—and why did
she say it? Moe Tkacik and Amanda Marcotte debate. READ MORE»
|
By Eric Zuesse, AlterNet
Truthfulness isn’t ever their goal; winning and keeping power is. READ MORE»
|
By Patrick Cockburn, The Independent
The
U.S. public may not have known that their soldiers were back in Iraq
defending a fire base, but ISIS certainly had observed the arrival. READ MORE»
|
By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
In
a Women’s History Month special, we speak with Angela Davis, activist,
scholar and author of "Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson,
Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement." READ MORE»
|
By Tom Boggioni, Raw Story
Bruce
Francis, who has a form of multiple sclerosis, was trying to pay his
dogwalker online only to have the bank put a hold on the funds. READ MORE»
|
By Alex Kotch, AlterNet
Conservative
UNC leadership tries to stifle campus activism. Protests turned violent
in clashes between students and police officers. READ MORE»
|
By Jeremy Galloway, The Influence
Withdrawal
from opioids typically doesn't kill, but it can. Still, no one under
the care of correctional institutions should be dying from it, but they
are. READ MORE»
|
Break out the popcorn--
it's Groovy Movie Time!
Isn't it funny that, as children, we were brainwashed to admire Abraham's faith because he was willing without question or demur to hack up and burn his favorite (but not only--remember Ishmael) son? We were taught that Abraham was a paragon of virtue. But think about it. Would you kill your child if "God" told you to? I think I'd have told God to go phuque Himself. Makes Abraham sound like a complete psycho, hearing voices in his head, doncha think? And, of course, I'm not a big fan of genital mutilation, even if God does command it. Sick shit right there, if ya ask me.
Here's something a little more edu-ma-cational for you...
Enough smart-making; back to the funnies!
And now for some nice crunchy fakin' bac'n bits of atheist comedy:
Either it's me or the Fireball whiskey, but I think this is phuquen hilarious...! (Yes, I just ran it recently; yes, I still think it's that funny; yes, I just needed to watch it again!)