Friday, April 22, 2016

Old queen, young Prince, and Dot Calm

Greetings, Dot Calm readers
and fellow Truth Crusaders!

I'm in less of the usual mindset for poly-ticks with the passing of Prince and with remembering the beginning of the end for Dot Calm a little over a year ago. I'm going to share a few thoughts on each of those lovely people with you; then, if I have the time and inclination, I'll pepper the post with news you can use and a movie or two. It's interesting that the Queen of England turned 90 on the 21st, and we have lost so many wonderful people so much younger than she within the past year. I think I'd be more impressed if I'd ever heard good things about her, but, from what I can tell, she's just a walking display rack for oversized millinery and foo-foo dresses. I kid. What does anyone expect from someone her age? The fact that she can even get dressed in the morning is pretty impressive. I hope I can do as much as she does if I ever get to be her age.

Before I get tuit, let me just remind you...

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,
VOTE BERNIE!!!!!

If at all possible, send him a buck o' five. He ain't out of it yet!
 
Happy Earth Day--love your Mother because She's the only one we have. There is NO back-up planet!
 
Thank you for being you!
 
- Dot Calm's shadow
 
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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!
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Dot Calm and the beginning of the end...or "Yes, Virginia, you CAN die from a broken leg if you live in New Bern, NC"
 
A little over a year ago, Dot Calm broke her leg.
 
She had been getting dressed that morning. Always an excellent manager of her MS, Dot knew to lean against something that wouldn't move whenever she had to stand up, change clothes, etc. So, dutifully, she had braced herself into a corner so she could slip her pants on. Despite her best efforts to protect herself from falls, Dot went sliding down and snapped her right leg just below the knee. When she realized she couldn't get up, even with help from Mr. Calm, she called her younger daughter, who called in the home aide service that would come by to help the Calms with light housekeeping, errands, and evaluating falls to make sure any injuries were properly attended to. The service dutifully came out, realized that Dot's leg needed medical attention, and got her to the emergency room.
 
The bone doctor was a young man named Caudle. He x-rayed Dot's leg, casted it, and sent her home for Mr. Calm, who is disabled himself, not to mention ten years older than Dot, to take care of.
 
Are you saying, "WTF?!??" right now?
 
If not, let me give you another data point.
 
In the winter of 2014, Mr. Calm fell and broke his wrist. His orthopedist sent him directly to a residential rehabilitation facility after correcting and setting the fracture. In other words, the orthopedist knew that Mr. Calm would not be able to take care of himself with a bum wrist, and he knew that Dot would not be able to take care of him given that she was disabled, too.
 
But the young bone doctor knew no such thing. And even though Dot was not a medical expert herself, she knew something wasn't quite right. But home she went because that's where the hospital transported her.
 
Over the next three months, Mr. Calm dutifully tried to take care of his bedridden wife, even though he couldn't fully take care of himself. Becoming increasingly exhausted, he sometimes forgot to feed Dot. He lost weight too because, by then, he wasn't even eating properly himself. He was so exhausted that he started seeing things--like little black ants all over the white carpet, except that the little black ants were not there.
 
During this time, the Calms' daughters visited from out of state every chance they could. They had managed to keep their parents limping along until that three month mark, when the older daughter realized that both of her parents were losing weight and that her father was hallucinating. His desk was covered in red "turn off" notices because he'd lost track of the bills in trying to take care of Dot and himself. The daughters concluded that the home was no longer a safe environment for Dot, so the older daughter moved heaven and earth to get Dot into the residential rehabilitation facility. (That, in and of itself, is another long story. Suffice it to say that Dot Calm's older daughter isn't called "Wonder Woman" for nothing.)
 
Rehab facilities are funny places. This particular one rates in the middle of the three in the area--not great (not that any of them are great) but certainly not the worst out there. Dot so badly wanted to blog about her time there; I will certainly record her thoughts and experiences in more detail in a later post, but that's not the focus of the piece of the story I want to tell today. The bottom line about rehab facilities: caveat emptor! While some of the staff were helpful and nice, a lot of them were downright nasty and disrespectful, even to the people living there indefinitely. A lot of them had sticky fingers and stole the residents' property while they were sleeping. Very few of them were at all helpful, and it was worse than pulling teeth to get even the good ones to do anything.
 
But the worst part was the lack of REHABILITATION in the REHABILITATION FACILITY. The physical therapists dismissed Dot as a patient because Dot's MS caused her so much pain that she couldn't always participate fully in the therapy.
 
Am I hearing another "WTF?!??" right now?
 
If not, I should be, and here's why.
 
It is not the decision of the physical therapist to dismiss a patient.
 
Duh.
 
How did that moron expect Dot to recover so she could LEAVE the facility unless she had the physical therapy that had been prescribed for her?
 
So, picture Dot's younger daughter on the phone 24/7 for days at a time trying figure out the right person in the facility to call, which ultimately ended up with her on the phone 24/7 for days at a time trying to track down and ring up the facility's doctor once she found out he was the right one to ask. (The older daughter is the admin/bookkeeping queen; the younger one has medical background. Great team if you need help.)
 
The house doctor, it turned out, had a brain and a heart and told the physical therapist to get off her ass and back to work helping Dot Calm--just be gentle about it and do what the patient can tolerate, and make sure you go in there every day or so. (That only took 3-4 weeks to accomplish on the daughter's part--yay her.)
 
The physical therapist was too huffy to comply, so a nurse's aide stepped in instead. She went in on a daily basis and helped Dot stretch her injured leg. That aide also had a brain and a heart, and, unlike so many in that place, she did what she said she'd do when she said she'd do it.
 
The problem?
 
Because of the MS, Dot had developed a contracture, meaning that it would be very difficult to get her leg straight so that she could get back on her feet.
 
"All I want is my nice clean bathroom at home," Dot would lament. She bucked up as well as she could under all the institutional neglect, disrespect, theft, indignity, and lack of privacy, but she absolutely hated it there. She did her level best to comply with all the medical instructions, but it was just more than she could do. A picky eater at the best of times let alone when faced with industrial-strength chow, Dot wasn't recovering any of the weight she'd lost at home, either.
 
Meanwhile, nobody knew what to do about the contracture.
 
Cue Dot's younger daughter again.
 
It took her five minutes on teh Intert00bs to find out that Botox can help release contractures without all the complications of revision surgeries that tend to make the problem worse.
 
Cue another several go-rounds of her being on the phone 24/7 for days at a time trying to get someone to approve and do Botox on her beloved mother's leg so that she could get up and get the hell out of that rehab facility.
 
Cue her consulting her older sister and the two of them trying to arrange a second opinion on the broken leg and/or a referral for the Botox.
 
Cue the older sister arranging said appointment and flying in from out of town to attend it with her parents.
 
And now...cue that doctor's office canceling the appointment without telling anyone.
 
I had better be hearing a whole lot of  WTFs right now. And I'd better be hearing a whole lot more WTFs when I tell you that this is standard operating procedure in New Bern, NC.
 
Yep--if I had a nickel for every time some doctor hauled the disabled Dot Calm out of her house when she couldn't drive and had to pay someone to drive her to an appointment that had been canceled without anyone telling anyone, I'd have enough to pay my rent for the month, no problem.
 
So, there were Dot and her older daughter--all dressed up with nowhere to go, sitting in one doctor's office trying to figure out what to do next.
 
Cue the older daughter whipping out her cell phone and trying to get someone, anyone, in the area to see her mother, evaluate her leg, and refer her for Botox.
 
And guess who was the only taker in town...
 
If you guessed Caudle, you're right! Give yourself a cigar!
 
So, hat in hand, Dot and her daughter went back to Caudle's office. Dot's daughter teleconferenced her sister in on the visit so she could hear and advise.
 
When Caudle came into the exam room, the thing that amazed the three women most (Mr. Calm was in the waiting room) was his voice. It DRIPPED contempt, repulsion, and inconvenience...Why are you here? Just go away already!
 
During the consultation, it became clear to Dot and her daughters that this man might have known a little about bones, but he clearly knew nothing about joints, nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or anything else attached to them. And he certainly didn't know nuthin' 'bout no contractures.
 
Finally, the younger daughter piped up, asking about Botox.
 
Caudle thought that was brilliant.
 
Dot and her daughters didn't know whether to be disgusted by his ignorance or relieved by his receptiveness.
 
After a few days of the younger daughter calling his office to follow up, Caudle finally recommended someone to do the Botox for Dot Calm--another moron with barely two-star reviews HALFWAY ACROSS THE STATE, four hours away.
 
Yet another proof that the young bone doctor hasn't got a practical bone in his body (and that what sits between his ears is probably a bone, too).
 
Lemme connect the dots for you again, just in case...
 
Like I said, by now, Dot--who only ever broke 100 lbs once in her life, during one of her pregnancies and who, even then, didn't make it up to 120 lbs--was pretty emaciated. Medical transport beds for someone like Dot, who couldn't sit up normally because of her leg, HURT. Even with pillows, they are not padded, and they are not comfortable for someone with MS who's already in tremendous pain--especially with the stress of driving FOUR HOURS ACROSS THE STATE AND THEN BACK.
 
Can you say, "What was that young jackass THINKING, IF he was thinking?!??"
 
I knew you could.
 
So, cue the younger daughter AGAIN, spending another round of several days on the phone, trying to get someone LOCAL to do Dot's Botox.
 
She tracked down a local neurologist with nearly a five-star rating. She was willing to do Botox, but she'd never done it in someone's leg (she'd only ever done it for migraines)...then the daughter was on the phone with that doctor's office for weeks and weeks because insurance didn't want to pay for the Botox, only the doctor's office never told anyone...and, and, and, and...
 
22 October 2015, three months to the day after being moved to the rehab facility, the too good, too beautiful, and too brilliant Dot Calm passed away. She had slowly starved and suffered long, and, even though she knew that her daughters were fighting for her welfare and her life, she simply ran out of steam. She died peacefully in her sleep and thankfully is no longer suffering.
 
There are a few morals to this story:
 
1.  Yes, Virginia, you CAN die from a broken leg if you live in New Bern, NC.
 
2.  If you are in your 70s or older or for any reason you end up in a residential rehabilitation facility, you MUST have someone "on the outside" to advocate for you. Make it someone you trust to help with your medical decisions--someone with some background or who at least is educated, preferably in the sciences, and can do research on the web. Trust me--you are going to need someone with the energy to spend days on the phone on your behalf. You won't be able to do it if you're elderly or sick--you won't have the strength, even if you do have the medical background.
 
3.  Make sure you check patient reviews for any doctor you're planning to see. If he or she doesn't have any reviews, do NOT go there. You deserve better than to be someone's guinea pig. If he or she has anything less than 4.5 stars, don't walk--RUN LIKE HELL and get the PHUQUE away from that jerk.
 
Dot Calm did not have to die the way she did or as young as she did. She would be here clanging the drums and pots and pans telling her story herself, if she could. She spent her last days on the planet trying to help people.
 
Please don't let what happened to her happen to you or your loved ones.
 
As for us, we are still reeling from her loss. Losing your best friend in all the world is not something you get over, and Dot Calm was best friend to a great many of us. She was more like a sister to me than my own sister. 
 
We also hope with every fiber of our beings that, should Caudle or any of the health care morons in New Bern, NC, have a beloved wife or mother, she gets better care when she needs it than Dot Calm did.
 
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The beauty that was Prince
 
It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing of Prince yesterday. Larger than life, he was always a living legend to me.
 
I remember when he hit the scene in the early 80s. My high school friends and I all adored him. The girls had crushes on him; the boys admired him--we all just loved the man and his music. He was a first-rate guitarist with some serious chops, and his vocals...! It's hard to describe those vocals. Prince sang with a heart and soul that were rare, even among music legends and icons. What's more, he could slingshot his voice into the stratosphere, let it soar just long enough to kiss the stars, and then let it spiral back down to earth like a lazy leaf in the Fall. And it all sounded so...effortless.
 
I personally loved his androgynous style. He was so original, iconoclastic! I loved those oversized suits and that big melodramatic 80s hair--everything he wore complemented his sculpted, handsome face. I loved watching him move--loved watching him play guitar and get down on that stage. He was poetry in motion and a joy to behold. He always kept it fresh--nothing about him or his work ever felt dated.
 
Prince was an amazing soul. He was sensitive and funny, writing songs from the treasure trove of personal experience. He was gracious and kind, warmly acknowledging his fans. He was "all that" without ever seeming to realize that he was "all that."
 
I had the good fortune to happen upon WPFW 89.3 (online or on the air in Washington, DC) around 6:00 last night: there was a delightful group of friends honoring Prince there on the radio. Some of them had even met Prince and had gotten to shake his hand. Punctuating their warm recollections, they played some of Prince's songs. I was amazed by the breadth and depth of the man's talent--the four songs I heard were all completely unlike one another, yet all were clearly Prince. One song was pure jazz (Old Friends for Sale). So moving.
 
You know what the best part was? As the radio friends said and I experienced myself, you can't be sad when you're listening to Prince. Even when the topic seems dark, there is just too much hope and joy in his music.
 
As soon as you're done reading this post, go find some Prince to listen to. You'll be glad you did!
 
********************************************
 
Are you thoroughly depressed now? I am! So here's a happier tale from Dot Calm
 
Have you ever had a chocolate egg cream?
 
It's an old soda-fountain treat straight from New York City--Brooklyn, to be exact--where Dot Calm spent a lot of time in her youth.
 
I somehow never managed to try an egg cream until I was out of college--then I couldn't get enough of them.
 
A few years ago, Dot Calm thought it would be fun to send her granddaughters the recipe for egg creams along with the makings so that they could try this New York delight for themselves. She even found old-school Coke glasses!
 
Well, y'all know I love ya, but I can't give y'all the makings for egg creams! I can at least give you the recipe, though.
 
Hint #1: egg creams don't contain eggs...or cream!
 
Hint #2: use Bosco chocolate syrup if you can get it--more authentic than Hershey's, which still doesn't exactly suck. Fox's U-Bet syrup is also authentic and quite yummy, although Bosco is my favorite.
 
New York City Chocolate Egg Cream
 
1.  In a very cold 12-oz glass, thoroughly mix 4 Tablespoons chocolate syrup with 1/2 cup of whole milk.
 
2.  Add seltzer water to fill the glass; gently stir.
 
3.  Get ready to smile!
 
********************************************
According to Christians' Bible,
women are men's property.
But Christians act
as if all women are THEIR property!
********************************************
 
Petitions!
 
Just Foreign Policy

Last night there was a “Presidential Surrogates Foreign Policy Debate“ between Larry Korb, a foreign policy advisor and surrogate for the Bernie Sanders campaign, and Derek Chollet, a foreign policy advisor and surrogate for the Hillary Clinton campaign. The surrogates were asked whether their candidate would support the Murphy-Paul bill, which would require the President to certify that Saudi Arabia was working to minimize civilian casualties in its war in Yemen and cooperating with the U.S. against ISIS and Al Qaeda as a condition of U.S. weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia.

Derek Chollet said he couldn't answer because he wasn't familiar with the bill. But Larry Korb said that he was familiar with the bill and thought that Senator Sanders would support it, because it was in line with Senator Sanders' criticisms of Saudi Arabia.

We want more Americans to know about this, because we think it will help build support for the Murphy-Paul bill, if more people know that Senator Sanders is likely to support it. I wrote up the exchange in a piece at Huffington Post.

Can you help spread the word by reading and sharing my piece? You can find it here.

And if you haven't yet voted for the question on the Murphy-Paul bill in the Florida Senate debate on Monday, you can do that here.

Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,

Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy

Help support our work!
If you think our work is important, support us with a $15 donation.
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Today is Earth Day, and the first day the nations of the world can sign the Paris climate change agreement at the United Nations.

Future generations may look back on this day as the one when America finally stood up and led the world on climate change. But that is up to us -- it’s up to us to create the change we want to see.

I’m asking you to commit to supporting a greener future. Sign our petition and show your support for President Obama’s actions on climate change.

This is a proud day for me. I served as the Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming in Congress, convening 80 hearings on the national security, health, and economic impacts of climate change, raising public awareness and mobilizing action to address these issues. And in 2009, I was the co-author of the only comprehensive piece of climate legislation to ever pass either chamber of Congress. It slashed global warming emissions and set a new renewable electricity standard that said by 2020, 20% of our nation's electricity must come from renewable sources.

Most importantly, the legislation showed to the rest of the world that the United States was serious about addressing the effects of climate change, and aided President Obama in his negotiations with the international community.

And yet, climate deniers in Congress and on the campaign trail across the country threaten our progress.

Pope Francis is right -- this is our moral obligation now and for future generations, and the United States has a duty to lead. Add your name to mine and show your support for President Obama’s actions on climate change.

Climate change is not a problem we can run from, and it is not a problem we can ignore. Climate change is happening now, and it’s getting worse -- March of this year was the 11th-straight warmest month in history. We can only anticipate what the numbers for April will look like.

We must #ActOnClimate now, and live up to our role as the global leader on combatting climate change. It is the only way forward.

With appreciation,

Ed
 
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Update from Public Citizen

Big Business is increasingly abusing the legal system to attack rules that protect We the People — our economy, the food we eat, the air we breathe and more — from corporate greed.

Right now, a lawsuit by Corporate America’s most vicious attack dog — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce* — threatens to destroy a critical tool for addressing our climate crisis.

Stand up to Big Business: Tell the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to drop its dangerous lawsuit against President Obama’s Clean Power Plan.

There is overwhelming public support for action that slows down runaway climate change.

And smart state leaders, along with forward-looking utilities and businesses, are already moving ahead with clean-energy solutions that will cut carbon pollution and create new jobs.

But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is dismissing both We the People and the businesses it supposedly represents in favor of its Dirty Energy puppet masters.

Add your name now to hold Big Polluters and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accountable.

The damage this lawsuit might inflict can’t be overstated.

Will we act now to safeguard public health, protect the planet and develop cleaner, safer sources of energy?

Or will we allow polluters to block progress and continue pumping unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into OUR air so they can get richer?

The Chamber has already lost in the court of public opinion. Now pressure them and the Big Polluters to get on the right side of history.

Thank you for taking action!

Onward,

Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen

*In case there’s any confusion, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is NOT part of the federal government (that’s the Department of Commerce) and it is NOT like the Chamber of Commerce in your city or town (which may give you advice on local hotels and restaurants). Simply put, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the main lobbying group for Big Business.
 
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CREDO action
Tell members of the Internet Association: Disavow endorsement of the TPP
Tell members of the Internet Association:
“Publicly disavow the Internet Association’s endorsement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Stand up for the rights of your users and a free internet.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
 
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From Daily Kos for Arcadia Power
 
For the past 100 years the choice of where the electrical power in your home came from has been in the hands of monopoly utilities and big coal.

Don’t you wish you had more control over something that you pay for every month?

This Earth Day, you do.

Arcadia Power is an innovative clean energy company that gives any American who pays a utility bill a choice to power their home, apartment, or business with 100% clean wind energy.

Better yet, it takes just 3 minutes to do.


Are you ready to join the clean energy movement with Arcadia Power? Sign up for renewable energy today in just a few minutes.

When you choose clean energy with Arcadia Power, your utility will still continue to deliver electricity through the same power lines, but Arcadia Power will ensure that 100% of your usage is covered by clean, renewable energy.

No panels or equipment needed, and you will experience the same reliability you’re used to. You just set up an account online, and Arcadia Power gets to work for you by linking up with your current local utility account.

The mission is simple: Provide everyone with an opportunity to help change the way America consumes its energy.

As an incentive for you to choose clean energy and reduce your carbon footprint this Earth Day, Arcadia Power is offering a $20 account credit to all Daily Kos readers when you sign up.

Let’s not sit back and continue to have Super PACs, monopolies, and climate-denying politicians dictate our energy future. Take a stand, and help us build a country with a clean energy future.

Are you ready to join the movement with Arcadia Power? Sign up for renewable energy today in just a few minutes.

Thank you,
Chris Bowers
Executive Campaign Director, Daily Kos
 
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CREDO action
Tell Congress: Audit the Pentagon
Tell your member of Congress:
“Co-sponsor Rep. Barbara Lee’s Audit the Pentagon Act. Defense and military spending deserve the same scrutiny as other government programs.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
 
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One Commonwealth PAC
From Chesapeake to Galax, Virginians work, shop and dine in North Carolina as part of their daily lives.
So it was a major blow when North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a sweeping law that he called "common sense" – which bans protections for LGBT people and, in its haste to discriminate, actually makes it harder for workers to fight discrimination based on age or disability.
Texas had a record number of discrimination bills in its last legislative session, Georgia sent its anti-LGBT bill to the governor’s desk before common sense actually prevailed, and just this week Mississippi’s governor signed a law allowing businesses to refuse LGBT couples service.
We won’t go back.
In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe vetoed a wrongheaded measure like the North Carolina law.
Mark
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Missouri Republicans are threatening publicize the names of every woman who’s had an abortion over the last six years. We're fighting back. Will you chip in $15?
Donate Now
The anti-choice Missouri State Senate is STILL demanding the signed consent forms of every woman who's had an abortion in the state over the last six years.1
And now they've called on the CEO of the Planned Parenthood in St. Louis to testify THIS MONDAY on why she shouldn't be thrown in jail for refusing this order.
We're pulling out all the stops to fight back, going door to door, bringing NARAL Pro-Choice America members to speak out at the state house, and collecting statements from women like those whose medical information is at risk. Will you chip in $15 to help us fight back?
Last November, the Missouri State Senate committee demanded that the last abortion provider in the state turn over six years worth of consent forms.
To comply would not only violate medical privacy, it would expose tens of thousands of women to harassment and intimidation by anti-choice extremists.
We're already seeing a huge spike in clinic violence. Now these anti-choice Republicans want to provide the extremists with a road map to virtually every woman in the state who's exercised her constitutionally protected right to choose.
We're fighting to demand anti-choice Republicans drop this outrageous attack.
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
 
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From ColorOfChange
Thanks to you we stopped Coke from funding Trump, but now we need your help to get Microsoft and Google to publicly take a stand against Trump.
These Big Tech companies, who rely on our dollars, shouldn't be comfortable aligning themselves with Trump's brand of hate and violence, but they feel like they can do just that. They've continued to carry on with business as usual, even with CNN reporting that many high profile Republicans are planning to skip the convention because they're “fearful of a potential melee in Cleveland this summer.”1 If the Republican convention is too divisive and violent for Republican leaders to show up, then there is no reason corporations like Google should be sponsoring it.
We want to be completely clear with these execs: you cannot profit off of us by day and still pledge to sponsor hateful, violent rhetoric and policies at night. That's why we’re putting up hard-hitting billboards throughout Silicon Valley and through advanced digital targeting technology, we'll be making digital ads appear on the laptops, cell phones and tablets of executives at Google, Microsoft and other tech companies.
We need to raise $25,000 in the next 48 hours to pay for designers, billboards, and online ad space to pull off this powerful advertising campaign. 
Until Justice is Real,
--Arisha, Rashad, Brandi, Evan, Bernard and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.
  
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.
References:
1. “First on CNN: Top Republicans may skip GOP convention,” CNN, 04-12-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6183?t=6&akid=5699.765771.f1Qr3w
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CREDO Action
Tell President Obama: Immediately stop fracking on public lands
Sign the petition to President Obama
"New evidence shows that promoting fracking was a huge mistake. We can’t afford any more damage to our water and climate. Immediately halt fracking on public lands, and do everything in your power to move us to clean energy and away from all fossil fuels."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
 
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Tammy Baldwin for Senate

Last month, I sent a letter to Governor Walker calling on him to restore food assistance benefits to over 30,000 low-income Wisconsinites who could go hungry as a result of his actions.

Now, over 25 groups in Wisconsin have sent him a letter urging him to do the same.

Hunger relief providers, community advocates, and religious and fraternal organizations are outraged by Walker’s choice to reject a federal waiver that’s been in place for over a decade.

This waiver was meant to help individuals in areas of high unemployment, like Wisconsin, remain eligible for FoodShare benefits, so they can buy groceries and stay healthy. Governor Walker callously dismissed it.

I’ve denounced Governor Walker’s actions and called on him to restore food assistance. Twenty-five Wisconsin organizations and thousands of others have joined me. Will you add your name to the letter?

Wisconsinites are trying hard to find work. Governor Walker’s economic policies aren’t making it any easier. The federal waiver would have allowed Wisconsin to extend nutrition benefits in 20 counties and 10 cities.

Low-income Wisconsinites can’t control the state’s economy. They shouldn’t be punished for the state’s high unemployment and forced to plunge further into poverty.

They certainly shouldn’t lose vital benefits that help them put food on the table.

Sign the letter. Denounce Governor Walker, and demand he reinstate FoodShare benefits for the 30,000 Wisconsinites that need them.

Thanks.

Tammy
 
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Deport 
Crazy Canuck
Rafael "BUSTed" Cruz
NOW!
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Democracy Now!
 

The world is mourning the loss of the hugely acclaimed and influential musical sensation Prince. He died Thursday at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57. His work spanned ... Read More →

On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has announced that new $20 bills will feature Harriet Tubman on the front, replacing former president and slave owner ... Read More →

We are broadcasting live from Denver, Colorado, where in 2012 the state voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Now 23 states and the District of Columbia ... Read More →

As the world marks Earth Day, more than 60 heads of state meet at the United Nations headquarters to sign the Paris climate agreement aimed at slowing climate change. Many ... Read More →

As we are on the road in Colorado, we look at how Boulder is debating an international conflict. This week the Boulder City Council agreed to hire a moderator and convene a ... Read More →

Headlines →

 
 

A New York City police officer who killed an unarmed African-American man will serve no time in jail. Officer Peter Liang, who is Chinese-American, fatally shot Akai Gurley in ... Read More →

The first criminal charges have been filed in the ongoing Flint water contamination crisis that exposed nearly 100,000 residents to poisonous levels of lead. Two state ... Read More →

President Obama's fourth visit to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council comes as human rights organizations have been pressing ... Read More →

Headlines →

 
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Rafael "BUSTed" Cruz
loves rape, hates dildos
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Daily Kos
 
  • RIP Prince: A World Lit Up In Purple (PHOTOS)  
  • No words necessary: The best image from the New York primary   
  • Eagles' Joe Walsh cancels concert after finding out it is tied to the Republican National Convention  
  • Sign if you agree with Everytown: Congress should not backtrack on President Obama’s common sense gun measure which will help save lives. sponsored  
  • Magnificent Methane: Gorgeous photos that will make your day   
  • Charles M. Blow: What is Sanders's Endgame?  
  • Something rotten in Brooklyn voting, and it's NOT 'lazy Independents'   
  • Southern Democratic Party Chairs to Sanders: Stop denigrating us   
  • NY Times' Editorial: “Sanders and Kasich Should Ignore Any Pressure to Quit”  
  • Sign if you agree with NARAL: We can't wait until one more patient, doctor or nurse is hurt before we take action. Clinic violence is domestic terrorism. sponsored  
  • Sanders has the vision, Clinton has the wonk, too bad we can't mash them up   
  • What's Andrew Jackson going to do behind Harriet Tubman's back?   
  • British government issued a travel warning for LGBT tourists planning to visit parts of the U.S.   
  • How accurate are those 538 primary forecasts anyway?Graphing the delegates: The mathematical elimination of Ted Cruz   
  • Graphing the delegates: The mathematical elimination of Ted Cruz   
  • The Hillary supporter's survival kit   
  • Justice Dept. won't try to get lawsuit over torture interrogations dismissed the way it usually does

  • Paul Ryan's 'golden boy' days are officially over with this Politico story  
  • U.S. Customs to man who saved 40,000 people: 'Go back where you came from'  
  • Stephen Colbert hits North Carolina's HB2 brilliantly
  • Sign if you agree with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility: No special protections for gun industry. sponsored 
  • Chuck Grassley admits to anti-choice group what Supreme Court blockade is all about
  • Elizabeth Warren unloads on Ted Cruz, and it's a beautiful thing   
  • Al Franken says that Ted Cruz is what happens when Joe McCarthy & Dracula have a baby   
  • Supreme Court justice learned a powerful phrase in sign language for an amazing reason   
  • Here's the main reason why closed primaries still exist   
  • New York votes, and can we bag this thing already?   
  • Take a stand with EMILY's List now to say you support pro-choice women everywhere. sponsored  
  • Cartoon: Cruzin' under the radar   
  • Cartoon: Plastics  
  • Witness blasts House fetal tissue panel for not demanding that video faker testify under oath It shouldn't be forgotten that badass Tubman will be on the $20 bill because of grassroots efforts
  • March was the 11th straight record hot month–and that's not the worst news    
  • High school students organize, win gender neutral restroom
  • Imperial Wizard of Georgia KKK dies after shootout with police   
  • Ben & Jerry arrested at the U.S. Capitol, their reason is better than their ice creams

  •  
    ********************************************
    Know why Ted Cruz
    wants to ban dildos?
    He hates competition!
    -- Dot Calm's shadow
    ********************************************
     
    AlterNet
    By David Korten, Yes! Magazine
    Those of us who succumbed to the false promises of Western consumerism at great cost to the planet and to ourselves are Earth’s prodigal children now returning home. READ MORE»

    By Marlena Fitzpatrick García, AlterNet
    "We’re not making progress," said psychiatrist Harold Koplewicz. "We’re actually going in the wrong direction." READ MORE»

    By Dean Goodwin, Ph.D., For Beginners
    Goodbye, (parts of) Florida.  READ MORE»

    By Ben Norton, Salon
    Here are some of Prince's most political, and historic, moments. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    This National Geographic project aims to create portraits of over 10,000 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.  READ MORE»

    By Michael Arria, AlterNet
    A rape victim could be punished under the school's "honor code" system. READ MORE»

    By Bobby Magill, Climate Central
    If a Republican administration is elected in November, the Paris agreement would be severely undermined. If a Democratic administration is elected, the agreement will remain intact. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    A lot of celebrities have seen the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway smash. Prince was one of them.  READ MORE»

    By Liz Magee, The Frisky
    The program is just a small way Bee is giving women and people of color a stronger comedic voice.  READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    It’s actually delicious.  READ MORE»

    By Andrew Griffin, The Independent
    The event is celebrated on 22 April every year—but 2016’s might be the most important ever. READ MORE»

    By Liz Dwyer, TakePart
    From calling out poverty in his lyrics to his support of coding, the legendary artist pushed the world to care about more than music. READ MORE»

    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    Protesters have called for Governor Snyder to resign over his handling of the Flint water crisis. READ MORE»

    By Tom Tomorrow, AlterNet
    You won't believe the shocking twist! READ MORE»

    By Bethania Palma Markus, Raw Story
    Aside from being charged with physically abusing a child, the aide could also lose his job at the school district.  READ MORE»

    By Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
    With confidence in the mainstream media at an all-time low, voters are turning to Facebook and Twitter for news.  READ MORE»

    By Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
    Remember that plan to broaden the party’s appeal to non-whites? READ MORE»

    By Valerie Tarico, AlterNet
    When does spirituality start looking like addiction? READ MORE»

    By Jim Hightower, AlterNet
    Mossack Fonseca is getting all of the attention, but state governments are just as guilty of corruption. READ MORE»

    By Brittney Cooper, Salon
    The reserved musical icon spoke hard truths at the Grammys—about art, artists and our disturbing racial politics. READ MORE»

    By Rebecca Carroll, AlterNet
    Trump says there will be riots if he is denied the nomination, a warning his supporters echo in this video.  READ MORE»

    By Amanda Marcotte, Salon
    Author Ari Rabin-Havt explains how modern conservatism is built on an entire industry built to lie. READ MORE»

    By Emily J. Gertz, TakePart
    Exposure to certain contaminants blocks the body’s ability to expel toxins, a study has found. READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    Prince fucked with rock's formula more than any other artist. READ MORE»

    By Michael Winship, Bill Moyers
    The gutter-level of this year's campaign rhetoric is dragging all of us down—and that includes America's children. READ MORE»

    By Travis Gettys, Raw Story
    The church may be in danger of losing one of its most important celebrity members.  READ MORE»

    By Bronwyn Isaac, The Frisky
    Satisfaction guaranteed. READ MORE»

    By Vaughn Davis Bornet, History News Network
    Beyond Bernie Sanders, socialism has a long history in America. READ MORE»

    By Julie Boland and Robin Queen, The Conversation
    How much you care depends on your age and personality.  READ MORE»

    By Melissa Petro, Ravishly
    I stopped attending meetings because a lot of stuff I was instructed to believe became less useful the more “sober” I got. READ MORE»
    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    A spokesman for the campaign has said the shortlist will include a woman. Hmmmm.  READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Legendary singer/songwriter Prince was found dead at age 57 today.  READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    VICE spoke with laborers who are being barely paid and living in ways not "fit for human beings." READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Megyn Kelly: "Why don't we have a $25 bill? Everybody wins." READ MORE»

    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    The media has been treating Donald Trump like a reformed man and Paul Ryan like a genius. This makes no sense. READ MORE»

    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky announced medicinal marijuana use A-OK during the holiday celebration.  READ MORE»

    By Michael Arria, AlterNet
    Jackson sought legislation to prohibit abolitionist groups from using the postal system to deliver their message. READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Suck it Ted Cruz! Suck our New York values!" READ MORE»

    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Tribeca goes out with a bang.  READ MORE»

    By Alex Rowell, Brendan Duke, Talk Poverty
    IRAs didn't adequately replace pensions either  READ MORE»

    By Tom Boggioni, Raw Story
    The sheriff originally claimed police tried to save them.  READ MORE»
    By Ken Klippenstein, AlterNet
    A wide-ranging interview tied to his new book, "The Killing of Osama Bin Laden." READ MORE»

    By D.D. Guttenplan, The Nation
    Millions of Americans still need a champion, and the Democratic Party needs his supporters. READ MORE»

    By Sophia Tesfaye, Salon
    Warren slams Cruz for complaining about all the "sacrifices" he's made to run for the White House.  READ MORE»

    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    The president is aggressively lobbying against 9/11 families seeking to sue the Saudi government. READ MORE»

    By Branko Marcetic, AlterNet
    Why is the CIA involved in movie and TV episodes? It doesn't seem worth risking national security and free speech. READ MORE»

    By Valerie Tarico, AlterNet
    A variety of potential contraceptives could finally offer men some real choices.  READ MORE»

    By Phillip Smith, AlterNet
    As the UNGASS on Drugs is underway at U.N. headquarters in New York City, psychonauts and researchers are leading the charge for psychedelic freedom.  READ MORE»

    By José Orduña, Beacon Press
    An excerpt from the new book "The Weight of Shadows: A Memoir of Immigration & Displacement." READ MORE»

    By Josh Fox, AlterNet
    One of the Democratic presidential candidates is calling for a national fracking ban. The other accepts money from the fossil fuel and fracking industries. READ MORE»

    By Jason Best, TakePart
    The Environmental Working Group’s annual "Dirty Dozen" list helps chemical-wary shoppers navigate the produce aisle. READ MORE»

    By Cecily Kellogg, Ravishly
    I count among my friends today many politically conservative people—even a few evangelist pro-lifers—because I’ve learned to let people be, even when I believe with my whole heart they are wrong. READ MORE»

    By Travis Gettys, Raw Story
    Joseph Schmitz seems unaware that Turkey is a U.S. ally and member of NATO. READ MORE»

    By Sincere Kirabo, The Humanist
    The pinnacle of white privilege: a white person pretends to be Black and profits from the masquerade, while countless actual Black people continue to suffer. READ MORE»

     
    ********************************************
    Jesus and Ted Cruz
    are watching YOU masturbate
    ********************************************
     
    Movies!