Thursday, December 15, 2016

Open letter to the electors: DO NOT elect donald john trump!!!!!

Sunday update: friends, this is our last chance to communicate with the Electoral College before they vote tomorrow. I just wrote short message and sent it off to http://asktheelectors.org/--feel free to use it for inspiration and do the same:

Donald Trump is clearly unfit to be president. Russia's Mr. Putin has interfered in our election so that he can move forward with the $500 Billion Exxon oil deal set up by Rex Tillerson, and Trump's many buildings and business partners provide our enemies with a multitude of soft targets to attack--like Turkey's Mr. Erdogan imprisoning Trump's Turkish building partners to blackmail Trump to extradite imam Muhammet Fethullah Gülen. Republicans, such as Trump's cabinet picks, seem intent on enriching the top 1% at the expense of those of us who are already struggling to make ends meet. They are already discussing how to dismantle the Social Security and Medicare that my dad paid into his whole life and that are his sole mans of survival now that he's 85. From the repeal of Obamacare alone, the top 1% will each see a yearly tax break of $197,000.00--which is more than I make in a year...probably more than you do, too.

 
Please do what's right for those of us who are hurting, struggling, and vulnerable: elect Bernie Sanders president and Tulsi Gabbard vice president. The American people and the environment are depending on you.

 
Thank you for your consideration--and thanks for voting your conscience.
 
*****

THIS IS NOT NORMAL
NEVER LET IT BECOME NORMAL
EVER!


DON'T GIVE UP
DON'T GIVE IN
STAY ANGRY

trump voters stayed angry for eight years,
which is why we are having this conversation.
     
*****
      
An open letter to the Electors of the Electoral College:


The Constitution of the United States of America allows for electors of the Electoral College to use their own discretion to override popular vote counts in their states in the election of the president. I would enjoin them that, however rare such an action might be, now is the time for electors to use their discretion to stop Donald John Trump from becoming the 45th president of the United States.


In Federalist paper No. 68, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the electors would stop demagogues from being elected by preventing those with “[t]alents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity” from becoming president. Hamilton further said that the electors would also stop anyone who would “convulse the community with any extraordinary or violent movements.” Merriam-Webster defines a demagogue as “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power.“ This definition exactly describes Donald John Trump. Trump appealed to the baser factions within American society by falsely denouncing Mexicans as rapists and criminals (with a weak exception for some, whom he assumed were good people) [1]. He delegitimized our first Black president by starting birtherism (despite his recent denial) [2]. He bragged about sexually assaulting women [3], grades them solely on their appearance, and denigrates them wholesale by claiming that, “you have to treat [women] like sh_t.” [5] Trump further inflames his base’s prejudices against Muslims. He said, "Donald J. Trump is calling for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on," a statement which his surrogates justify by comparing such an unconstitutional discrimination against religion to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese Americans during World War II [6]--not our nation's finest hour. Trump further called for a Muslim database [6] and to torture—even if it is not effective in producing actionable intelligence—and kill not only terrorism suspects but their families [7]. If these samples aren’t textbook examples of Trump’s demagoguery, I look forward to your explanation to the American people why not.

In Federalist paper No. 68, Hamilton wrote that one major function of the Electoral College was to prevent the “desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils.” Hamilton further said that the college would “[g]uard against all danger of this sort … with the most provident and judicious attention” from the electors.” And yet a Russian diplomat admits Russian involvement with the Trump campaign in an effort to him elected [8], not to mention that the office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed Russia as the source of the hacks that leaked information on Hillary Clinton’s e-mails to WikiLeaks [9].

These should be reasons enough to disqualify Donald John Trump from the highest office in the land and in the free world, but there are many more.

As an engineer who has worked the last 26 years of a 29-year career in the Department of Defense (DoD), I am gravely concerned about the threat that a Trump presidency poses to national security. Let me elaborate. We in DoD receive annual security training that alerts us to watch for the following behaviors, which constitute security risks:

--Disloyalty to the United States. Both Trump and Pence have praised Russian president Vladimir Putin as “strong” while denouncing our own President Obama [10]. Do they not realize that such words at home disempower our sitting president in the eyes of the world?

--Foreign influence. Trump is a prime example of bending to foreign influence, not only from Putin but from whomever else cares to manipulate him. Case in point: although Trump loudly denounced Muslims (which necessarily includes Pakistan, as a Muslim nation) on the campaign trail, he gushed nothing but praise after Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif praised him during their recent phone call [11]. What must the government of India, where he has business partners [12], think of his remarks?

--Foreign contacts. Trump has business partners and business interests all over the world [12]. This puts him at grave risk for conflicts of interest, since he shows no sign of truly divesting (despite a Twitter campaign by the Office of Government Ethics to encourage him to do so [13]). Since his transition team inquired into security clearances for his children [14], his thinking seems to preclude his children’s running his business affairs for him separately from his running the government. Aggravating this concern is Trump’s own statement about why running his business from the Oval Office is not a huge conflict of interest by fiat rather than in reality: “'The law’s totally on my side,' the president-elect told the [New York] Times. 'The president can’t have a conflict of interest.'” [15] Mr. Trump seems to have no concept of the importance of conflicts of interest and why they matter to ordinary Americans. For example, how would we know that his decision from the Oval Office not to allow workers at his hotel in Las Vegas to unionize [16] is not because he just wants to save himself money? How would we know that his conversation with Argentine president Macri isn’t just to get a building permit there? Or with Taiwanese leader Ing-wen isn’t just to grease the skids for him to build hotels and resorts there? If he sends our men and women in uniform--our own family members and friends--into war abroad, how will we know that it isn't just to protect or promote his buildings or business interests there?

--Psychological and mental health issues. Donald John Trump has been informally diagnosed as a narcissist by several mental health professionals [e.g., 17-19]. One of the key features of narcissism is lack of empathy. This means that we are looking at a president who cannot, despite his fine populist words on the campaign trail, feel the pain of those he intends to govern—as evidenced by his cabinet choices, who are anti-populist to the last man. If this facet of Mr. Trump’s personality isn’t alone more than enough to disqualify him as president, I look forward to your explanation to the American people why not.

--Law violations, criminal conduct, and ethics violations. Kellyanne Conway admitted that Trump broke the law by violating the embargo with Cuba [20]. Trump also broke the law by violating the embargo with Iran by collecting rent from Bank Melli, an Iranian bank later connected to terrorism [21]. Trump’s foundation operated without proper certification [22], committed illegal self dealing [23], and has several legal complaints against it, including the Foundation’s questionable “campaign contribution” to Pam Bondi while she was considering investigating complaints from students regarding Trump University [24]. Trump University itself is an acknowledged scam [25], with Trump settling out of court for $25 million [26]. Arguably, pathological lying also constitutes a grave ethical violation [27]. Trump’s behavior since the election alone is cause for grave concern. He scammed American taxpayers into ponying up $7 million for Carrier to build robots [28] to replace workers in order to “save” 800 American jobs, with the other intended 1300 being moved to Mexico as planned [29]. He manipulated Boeing’s stock to plunge by tweeting the cancellation of the Air Force One upgrade in response, as the timing suggests, to criticism from Boeing the company's CEO, Dennis Muilenberg [30]. Trump’s brand of corruption, which rewards loyalty, like granting loyal businesses our tax money and light regulation, while punishing disloyalty, like shutting down the media and punishing disloyal businesses with heavy taxes and onerous regulations, will set fascist wheels in motion that our country may never recover from.

I firmly believe that there is more than enough evidence for any reasonable person to conclude that Donald John Trump is unfit in every sense to serve as president of the United States. If you do not agree with this conclusion, I look forward to your explanation why not—as do the rest of the American people.

References:
 
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/?utm_term=.44a3871744b7
[2] http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-09-16/congressional-black-caucus-denounce-trump-demand-apology
[3] http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-sexual-assault-chat/
[4] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/donald-trump-sexism-tracker-every-offensive-comment-in-one-place/
[5] http://www.dailywire.com/news/4157/7-quotes-show-donald-trump-doesnt-women-amanda-prestigiacomo
[6] http://www.cbc.ca/news/donald-trump-hairraising-quotes-1.3678096
[7] http://time.com/4247397/donald-trump-waterboarding-torture/
[8] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/11/world/europe/trump-campaign-russia.html?_r=0
[9] http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/19/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-blames-russia-putin-wikileaks-rele/
[10] http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/mike-pence-agrees-trump-putin-227913
[11] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/30/pakistans-surprisingly-candid-readout-of-trumps-phone-call-with-prime-minister/?utm_term=.0a8eb78cbbfb
[12] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/us/politics/donald-trump-international-business.html
[13] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/us/politics/donald-trump-business-president-elect.html
[14] http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/14/politics/donald-trump-children-security-clearance/
[15] http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/When-the-president-does-it-that-means-it-is-not-illegal.html
[16] http://www.npr.org/2016/12/01/504033529/trumps-dispute-with-las-vegas-hotel-employees-poses-potential-conflict
[17] Dr. Alan J. Lipman, who has been a professor at Georgetown University and The George Washington University: http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/28/opinions/trump-campaign-narcissism-lipman/
[18] Dan P. McAdams, who is professor of psychology and the director of the Foley Center for the Study of Lives at Northwestern University: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/
[19] Clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis, quoted in Vanity Fair, cited here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/donald-trump-narcissism-and-diagnosis-as-political-sport/article32368690/
[20] http://crooksandliars.com/2016/09/kellyanne-conway-admits-trump-broke-law; see http://www.newsweek.com/2016/10/14/donald-trump-cuban-embargo-castro-violated-florida-504059.html for detailed on Trump’s breaking the embargo with Cuba
[21] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-group-did-business-iranian-bank-later-linked-terror-n657636
[22] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-lacks-the-certification-required-for-charities-that-solicit-money/2016/09/29/7dac6a68-8658-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html?utm_term=.0bc8e9d661c9
[23] http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/donald-trump-foundation-self-dealing-irs-filing and https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-directed-23-million-owed-to-him-to-his-charity-instead/2016/09/26/7a9e9fac-8352-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html?utm_term=.7ad62674a0fa, for example
[24] http://fortune.com/2016/09/14/trump-foundation-investigation-pam-bondi/
[25] http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/432010/trump-university-scam
[26] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/trump-university.html
[27] http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/, for example
[28] http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/08/news/companies/carrier-jobs-automation/
[29] http://www.snopes.com/carrier-jobs-to-mexico-despite-trump-deal/
[30] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/06/did-donald-trump-tank-boeings-stock-because-he-was-mad-about-a-news-article/?utm_term=.2761ac3e012d
*****

Friends, feel free to use any or all of the above to write to http://asktheelectors.org/ like I did. Most people seem to be writing very short messages, like a paragraph or so. The electors vote Monday, which means that, come Tuesday, we'll know if we have a country or not. FSM help us all!

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

    
Daily Kos
AlterNet
Democracy Now!
Vox
Conservatives are Destroying our Future
Conservative Clown Car
God, the Good Lord Above
Democratic Underground
    
Peas, friends. Take care of yourselves for me. Trust me--you're worth it! Tomorrow is Friday, so don't forget to pour yourself a snort of Fireball, indulge in some dark chocolate, and bounce your boobies!
      
- Dot Calm's shadow

Consider the preemptive Blogger phuqued-up phormatting disclaimer to be in effect. Grrr.
-- Dot Calm's shadow

     

  

    
********************************************
          
Choo-choo Time Headlines

The New York Times: The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.
...Friends, if you read nothing else, READ THIS ARTICLE. It gives the history behind PEWtin's bloodless coup of our election and why the situation is so god-fugly.
    
RawStory: 'It's happening': Maddow previews 'explosive' Newsweek story that hints at Turkey’s blackmail of Trump
   
A word from Vox

Rex Tillerson's potentially huge conflict of interest over Russia and oil, explained
    
The specifics of how Congress "investigates" Russian hacking will make a huge difference
...And since they all want trump, we're fucked.
    
Melissa Harris-Perry: "since when" has racism or sexism disqualified an American president?
...She rightly referred to racism and sexism as necessary items on a would-be president's resume. It's sad AF that she's so right. Dot Calm lurved this lady.
    
How the alt-right's sexism lures men into white supremacy
...It's all about the pizza-faced losers wanting so badly to feel like winners--and feeling entitled to feel like winners, preferably at everyone else's expense.
    
How we would cover Russia's pro-Trump hack if it happened in another country
...A-yup.
   
After a huge uproar, Trump's team has disavowed its controversial climate questionnaire
...KEEP FIGHTING, my friends!
    
The Trump campaign got into a big fight with Twitter over an emoji. Really.
...Hey, Donald "dickless LOSER" trump: I found an emoji that describes you to a tee:

Donald Trump can be weirdly honest about his lying. The Daily Show gave a few examples
    
A word from FiveThirtyEight
    
How Americans Die May Depend On Where They Live
    
Rex Tillerson Is Already A Diplomat — For Exxon Mobil's Shareholders
...In other words, Exxon is a country unto itself with implicitly as much sovereignty as our First Nations...but with a whole lot more explicit money and power.
    
Will Trump Take A Honey Badger Approach To Congress?
...I figure he'll just bully whatever he can't shit on and shit on whatever he can't bully.
    
All Of A Sudden, Russia Has Become A Partisan Issue
...Weird because most of our top brass think Russia is our #1 threat, but now the Republicans are PEWtin's fanbois!
    
How Trump's White House Could Mess With Government Data
...Yes, a trump administration can delete data or misrepresent it to distort reality--not that their minions would give a shit either way, since they're so post-truth. Worse, a trump administration could and probably will just cut funding so severely that our agencies can no longer collect data. One way we have to fight back is bureaucracy, believe it or not...you'd be amazed, the article says, at just how easy it is for a federal career employee to lose a request or slow-walk it or whatever. Heh, I hope every fed is reading this right now!!
    
The Government Finally Has A Realistic Estimate Of Killings By Police
...Roughly 1200 in a twelve-month period, disproportionately more Blacks than whites. I wonder if my Tea Party Christian friend would get himself up in arms if I took the ~80% of those Blacks and referred to them only as Christians (since ~80% of Blacks are Christian) killed by police.

And the rest
    
...Flynn is a real piece of shit...and a real piece of work. He was the one screaming to string up Hillary--as usual for a Republican, for crimes HE committed! Sometimes, I wish I did still believe in hell so that I could send people like Flynn, trump, and the rest of the Republicans there.
 
...Because of course he would pull shit like that!
    
...We're all in uncharted waters here, friends, and I wouldn't want to bet money that we don't drown.
    
...ICYMI. As Michael Moore says, trump is gonna get us killed. I would bet money that trump won't stop until he does.
    
********************************************

Get involved--sign a petition! Or, today, make a call or three!

Please call the White House at 1-855-999-1663 and urge that President Obama declassify any and all relevant intelligence on this matter—so members of the Electoral College can be adequately briefed.

*****
 
CREDO action
Make a call today: Tell President Obama: Declassify the CIA report on Russia and brief electors immediately
Make a call today to urge Pres. Obama to declassify the CIA assessment that determined that Russia intervened in the presidential election to help Donald Trump win and hold special briefings to make sure that all of the electors have this crucial information before the Electoral College votes next week.
Click below for a sample script and the number to call:
Take action now ►
 
*****

Image may contain: text

********************************************
          
Headlines from Democracy Now!, Daily Kos, and AlterNet

Stories


On Wednesday, heads of the nation's top technology companies met with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower. Among those attending were Apple CEO ... Read More →

The New York Times has just published investigation into a program called pretrial diversion that's meant to give criminal offenders a break, but often puts them in ... Read More →

At least one child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen. That's the conclusion of a report just published by the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. The report also found ... Read More →

California Democratic Congressmember Mike Honda has been a longtime progressive civil rights advocate. Last year, Honda tweeted a photo of him and his ... Read More →

Headlines →


Stories


With the aid of Russian airstrikes, Syria has taken near full control of the city of Aleppo in a major defeat for forces hoping to topple Syrian President Bashar ... Read More →

Donald Trump has chosen former Texas Governor Rick Perry to be energy secretary. Governor Perry famously attempted to propose to abolish the Energy ... Read More →

We turn now to take a broader look at U.S.-Russian relations in the wake of Donald Trump's election. On Tuesday, Trump officially nominated Rex Tillerson, chair ... Read More →

Headlines →


*****

  • All hell breaks loose: North Carolina GOP's coup d'état starts tomorrow


  • Putin involved in election hack & Trump may have known


  • North Carolina GOP calls special session to usurp authority from incoming governor Roy Cooper


  • Sign if you agree: Whoever wins the most votes should be elected President


  • NBC News: U.S. officials say Putin was personally involved in election hacking


  • Trump team has big plans for the White House press corps, starting with those pesky seating charts


  • Washington, D.C. public school marching bands will not participate in Trump's inaugural parade


  • Corpus Christi officials: Don't drink or use tap water


  • Watergate investigative reporter Carl Bernstein says 'fact-free' Trump is worse than Nixon


  • Barack Obama's remarks at his last White House Hanukkah party are just exceptional


  • Sign the petition to defend the First Amendment during Trump’s presidency


  • Source says Trump cut Twitter out of tech meeting because they didn't give him his emoji


  • Trump's National Security Adviser gave secret information to foreign military leaders


  • The questions the Trump team asks show they don't know what the Department of Energy does


  • Congressional Republicans bullish about codifying anti-LGBT, anti-women bigotry into law


  • General Services Administration makes it clear: Trump must fully divest from D.C. hotel or he will be in breach of contract


  • Democrats should just say 'no' to Trump; so should Electoral College


  • Trump shuns scientists, taps 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant to oversee nuclear weapons


  • 93-year-old Elector signs letter to James Clapper requiring info on Russian hacking—signatures grow


  • Harry Reid goes there about Comey


  • Sign the petition to the Electoral College: Elect Hillary Clinton as our next President


  • Cartoon: The mysterious stranger


  • Who owns Donald Trump, and how much did they buy him for? We only know parts of it


  • Oklahoma Republicans mandate new anti-abortion signage in the state's public restrooms


  • Watch Rachel Maddow break down how Turkey may already be blackmailing Donald Trump and his family


  • Less than 24 hrs after saying he was too busy for a press conference, Trump meets with Kanye West


  • Success! Republican wins Louisiana House race so he can pay off child support debts


  • Sign the petition to President Obama: Step up for climate justice before Donald Trump takes office!


  • Being 'like, smart' is not a substitute for knowing what the intelligence says


  • Energy Department rejects Trump request for names of employees whose work touched on climate change


  • Elector: Founding Fathers created Electoral College to protect country from a Donald Trump (VIDEO)


  • The questions the Trump team asks show they don't know what the Department of Energy does


  • Cartoon: If social justice movements tried not to offend anyone


  • Don't be swayed by pundit opinion of 'what's important'

  • *****
        
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    Someone should just teach Scott Baio and Stephen Baldwin to dance and sing. READ MORE»


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    Sympathies for Russia follow white supremacist rise in the GOP. READ MORE»


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    Apparently, they had no idea they might lose their access to health care. READ MORE»


    By Taylor Link, Salon
    Army records show that Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn violated the rules by sharing secrets with foreign military officials. READ MORE»


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    They could face up to six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Look at all the hoops Barack Obama had to jump through to be president; Trump, not so much. READ MORE»


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    Hatemonger Stephen Miller will be Trump's senior policy adviser. READ MORE»
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    Academics are increasingly being targeted by conservative elements.  READ MORE»


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    To succeed in setting up your U.S. oligarchy, you’re going to need to be friendly with oligarchs in other major powers.. READ MORE»


    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    The Pennsylvania legal fight continues, but lessons are learned about how states don't verify the vote. READ MORE»


    By Max Blumenthal, AlterNet
    A Muslim chaplain describes how Cuomo’s exploitation of her image resulted in a harsh online backlash that drove her to depression. READ MORE»


    By Jeremy Sherman, AlterNet
    The art of deciding when you're talking to a brick wall. READ MORE»


    By Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films
    Watch what he does, not what he says. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "One tweet could be worth more than the president-elect himself." READ MORE»


    By D. Watkins, Salon
    The racial double standard that Obama has faced is real, but so are the challenges African-Americans face daily. READ MORE»


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    It makes no sense to continue relationship counselling in a therapist's office – it is far better to do it in the more natural environment of the home. READ MORE»


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    Asia considers how to defend itself when the US becomes not an ally, but a business acquaintance. READ MORE»


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    No, Donald Trump hasn't really read "Atlas Shrugged." Sad! But he's surrounding himself with Ayn Rand superfans READ MORE»


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    When President-elect Donald Trump announced 1,100 jobs saved, he included 300 employees who Carrier never intended to move to Mexico.  READ MORE»


    By Jag Davies, AlterNet
    A new war on drugs that could be worse than anything we’ve seen before. READ MORE»


    By Karen Fratti, The Frisky
    Whatever happened to "love thy neighbor?" READ MORE»
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    The men who will run our country are fans of a cruel philosophy that celebrates wealth and selfishness. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    General John Kelly, who oversaw Guantánamo Bay, has been appointed to lead the Department of Homeland Security. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Maybe Trump forgot that Perry admitted he would eliminate the Department of Energy in 2012. READ MORE»


    By Matthew Sheffield, Salon
    The GOP's endless battles over who is or isn't a "true conservative" created a movement it couldn't control. READ MORE»


    By Tom Boggioni, Raw Story
    Trump is busy tweeting attacks at private citizens when he should be knee-deep in intelligence briefings. READ MORE»


    By Brian McFadden, AlterNet
    Prepare yourself for the new regime. READ MORE»


    By Anna Fahey, Sightline Institute
    It's not an easy conversation, even for the experts. READ MORE»
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    Trump catered to them, and it worked—even on evangelical leaders who were skeptical of his commitment. READ MORE»


    By Brian Tashman, Right Wing Watch
    Trump is choosing to surround himself with people who similarly gravitate toward fake news and baseless propaganda. READ MORE»


    By C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout
    Why class mobility is a thing of the past. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "If I can drill and make money, then that's what I want to do." READ MORE»


    By Matthew Rozsa, Salon
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    By Katherine Paul, AlterNet
    President-elect Trump has surrounded himself with pro-corporate advisers who would endanger public health, animals and the environment. READ MORE»


    By Ben Norton, AlterNet
    Provisions slipped into the latest defense bill could give anti-aircraft missiles to extremist groups. READ MORE»


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    It’s time to divest from U.S. militarism at home and abroad and reinvest in black, brown and working-class communities. READ MORE»


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    What to give your Reefer Man (or woman) for a hempy, happy holiday.  READ MORE»


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    Republicans in Ohio wanted a more restrictive "Heartbeat Bill" to ban abortions as early as six weeks. READ MORE»


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    By Taryn Fivek, AlterNet
    It's time for the National Parks Service to be on the right side of history. READ MORE»


    By Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann Show
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    By Bill Blunden, AlterNet
    We can't ignore that leaks granted the public an unfettered view of systemic corruption. READ MORE»


    By Travis Gettys, Raw Story
    Republicans and Democrats alike are eerily silent. READ MORE»


    By Lily Black, Lex Winters, Kinkly
    Bondage can be a scary subject to approach. Be respectful and be mindful of your partner! READ MORE»

    ********************************************
           
    M00bies

    RESIST FASCISM NOW!!!!! Bear with me...I'm going to keep running this for a while.

    Sir David Attenborough on how climate change will affect the U.K. We are at a delicate, critical point right now. Obama didn't do a ton, but he did more than Republicans tried to stop him from doing. We need to continue in the same direction he was leading, not undo it all and throw the poor to the wolves, like I wrote last time.

    TYT: repealing Obamacare will make the rich richer. Well, duh. But did you know that it will make them $197,000.00 richer? That's a crap-ton more than I make in a year...how about you? Aren't you glad that Republicans want to take away YOUR health care so that these poor, poor rich people can get a bigger discount on their taxes than any of us make in a year?!??

    Amy Goodman interviews Bernie Sanders in Philly. Gawd, I so love them both!

    Reich-Wing Watch: Peasants for Plutocracy. Just like my Tea Party Christian friend, they're all brainwashed
    --they think that the only way they'll ever get rich is to give all the rich people all the money. Every Trump voter is a deluded victim of bad ideas. Like I said last time, I blame religion for indoctrinating people into believing more in their own desires than in the tangible reality under their noses. Welcome to post-truth America.

    Randi Rhodes with an example of trump's weaponization of Twitter, as I posted about last time

    Randi Rhodes on what we know so far about trump's relationship with Russia; Rick Perry for DoE. Isn't that a lark--a moron who can't count to three being put in charge of all the Ph.D.s, Nobel science laureates, and other people whose IQ is higher than Perry's weight with his cowboy boots on. DoE was the agency Perry couldn't remember that he wanted to shut down..."oops!" Everyone trump is appointing hates the agency and the work they're being given charge of. This is why I think trump will put Sarah Palin in charge of DARPA--or, even better, Franklin Graham, Jr.

    Stephen doesn't come out and say it, even though it's the title of the clip on YouTube: congratulations to Russia for winning the cold war. Here's a pearl from the summary: "Forget Rex Tillerson, President-Elect Trump's choice for Secretary of State might be Vladimir Putin."

    Seth Meyers on chump vs the CIA regarding PEWtin's hacking of our election

    Samantha Bee on women-hating Ohio's heartbeat bill. I think that all the women in Ohio should just buy themselves dildos and tell all the men to go fuck themselves.

    Keith Olbermann: the grave danger of chump's intelligence failure. I watched it three times in a row...but mebbe that's just me.

    Hamilton's plan to keep chump from becoming president. Keith suggests that the real hero here could and should be...Hillary Clinton: she should tell her electors to team up and vote for a moderate Republican, like Mitt Romney, and use that as leverage to get enough Republican electors to defect from trump and vote for that moderate Republican and a Democratic veep. I'd take penis pence over trump, but Romney might even be less horrific than penis pence. It's a shame there isn't one good Republican whom I'd be comfortable, mebbe even proud, to have as president. *sigh*

    Randi on how Russia can now blackmail trump, duh. Just like Turkey!

    chump's cabinet of plutocrats and hardliners

    'Til next time, check out these great channels:
    ...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested
      
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    Memes & Funnies
     
    Please and thank you...
    No automatic alt text available.


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    Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, text
     
     ...Donald trump skips out
    on NEARLY ALL
    of his intelligence briefings
    ...doesn't he remember
    slamming Obama
    for skipping fewer than half?

    Image may contain: 1 person, text

    Image may contain: 1 person, text

    Image may contain: 1 person, suit and text

    Image may contain: 2 people, meme and text

    Image may contain: 2 people, text
    ...So tell me again
    why my Tea Party Christian friend thinks
    Dickless Donald "cheeto benito LOSER" trump
    is the second coming of Jesus...!
    ******************************************** 

    SOPROUD: TDL
    (Save Our Planet--Resist Orange Ugly donald: To-Do List)
        
    Until further notice, the purpose of this blog is to provide tools to help protect and preserve our rights, our liberties, and our country from the wrinkled fat orange clusterfuck that is Donald "dickless LOSER" trump. As I track down more information, I will continue to refine these tools.

    If you value my work, please support me on Patreon: just point your browser to https://www.patreon.com/ and type "Dot Calm's shadow" into the search box at the top--thank you! Even a dollar a month from 20 people would really help right now--it would cover part of my Internet. Show me that there's more out there than just a lonely chorus of crickets!
        
    Action List

    PROTECT yourself financially, reproductively, and medically.

    1. If you need a loan, get it NOW--rates have already gone up; they went up at least three times the first week or two after the election. MOVE your retirement out of the stock market and into a stable fund that is guaranteed NOT to lose your principal--if you're not risk averse, keep your money in stocks until after the inauguration...but move it out ASAP afterward because, once chump and the Rethuglikkkants deregulate Wall Street, we are in for a bust that makes chimp's Great Recession look like O'Bama's recovery. Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, and their guest speakers agree that the Rethugs and chump will crash the economy by deregulating the stock market so quickly our haids will spin. The boom-bust cycle repeats every 80 years or so--as long as it takes for the last people who remember what a depression was like and fight the greedsters to die off. We're phuqued.

    2. If you're a woman of reproductive age or a man who knows and loves women of reproductive age, stock up on as much "Plan B" (the "morning after" pill) as you can afford NOW. Plan to take one pill either immediately after unprotected sex or the morning after unprotected sex, and plan to take another pill 24 hours later. No matter what else you do, STOCK UP NOW on Plan B because even the best contraceptives fail, and you won't be able to get an abortion once chump and the Rethuglikkkants take over.

    3. If you're a woman of reproductive age and don't already have an IUD or contraceptive implant, get yours NOW. Mirena has progestin, not estrogen, and can reduce your period; the copper ones without hormones (like Paragard) can cause cramping and heavy bleeding that doesn't go away until the device is removed (think having the second day of your period for a year at a clip). Of these two IUDs, women seem to prefer Mirena, but the device can still fall out. Cosmopolitan has a great discussion on these and other IUDs, what's involved with getting one (not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week afterward), what's involved with having one removed (also not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week after). "Managing Contraception" has an article on Mirena (not scary). If I were you, I'd skip the Skyla--it only lasts 3 years, so you wouldn't even be done with the orange fuckwad's first term if you get one. Planned Parenthood has a video about contraceptive implants and great information about all forms of contraception. And if you think you might need a do-it-yourself abortion some time in the future, go talk to Planned Parenthood NOW and see if you can stock up on mifepristone now--the options for DIY abortions at home using substances like vitamin C seem promising to desperate women but don't have any scientific backing. You can also try womenonwaves.org and womenonweb.org.
        
    4. Don't take any new drugs approved after 2016 without doing your own research into whether they're safe and effective. Republicans are weakening the FDA to the point that it will no longer be able to verify that new drugs will work and not harm us.

    Now, make your daily calls and do the rest...

    DAILY CALLS!

    CALL your U.S. Senators and Representatives DAILY at their LOCAL offices. SHOW UP in person if you can. Call each day with ONE issue--and KEEP CALLING. The staffers track your calls by issue, so don't give in to the temptation of giving them the whole laundry list all at once. Here is our list of demands:

    0. Call your members of Congress now to ask them to denounce Stephen Bannon. And Jeff Sessions, and Mike Flynn, and Mike Pompeo, and MORON Ebell, and the rest of them. Just call and tell your elected representatives to denounce and block ALL of trump's appointments because they're all reality-denying bigots who hate so many actual Americans that they are unfit to serve all Americans.

    1. DEMAND they support Barbara Boxer's bill to ABOLISH the Electoral College--popular vote only. DEMAND paper ballots only, and DEMAND audit trails be published in local papers. DEMAND they LET ALL Americans vote (undo voter roll purges and other Black voter suppression) and MAKE Election Day a national holiday for all. And STOP gerrymandering.

    2. FIGHT trump's personnel appointments and FILIBUSTER ALL trump's SCOTUS appointments. Supporting Citizens United or opposing the rights of women, immigrants, non-whites, non-Christians, LGBTQ+, and the poor are UNACCEPTABLE. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

    3. DEMAND trump's impeachment--DEMAND he be investigated NOW for corruption and conflict of interest. DEMAND to see his taxes. trump has already committed impeachable offenses, so DEMAND that he be held accountable NOW.

    4. REMIND them THEY'RE FIRED if they don't obstruct, obstruct, obstruct trump and the Republicans from Day 1. If they resist, REMIND them that Hillary WON the popular vote by over 2.25 million and climbing.

    5. DEMAND restoration of the Fairness Doctrine--DEMAND fair, fact-based, accurate media free from the false equivalencies and unchecked free coverage that foisted trump on us.

    CALL President Obama every day:
     
    1. DEMAND a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR to investigate FBI director James Comey and Donald trump for interfering with the election.
     
    2. DEMAND the Army Corps of Engineers go to Flint to dig up and replace all the poisoned pipes.
     
    3. PARDON Edward Snowden and consider pardoning Hillary Clinton--even though she's innocent--to stop the Republican witch hunts, especially since one of trump's campaign promises was to jail her: Republicans hate her so much that, if she'd as so much as farted, Republicans would have had her in jail faster than Martha Stewart. The fact that Hillary isn't in jail is proof positive that she's innocent, which is proof positive that the Republicans will keep coming at her.
       
    4. STOP DAPL. DOJ MUST investigate the atrocities being committed against peaceful, non-violent water protectors who just want clean water and tribal sovereignty over their own lands. MAKE Standing Rock a national monument. The US Army Corps of Engineers MUST revoke all permits to build DAPL. STOP the construction NOW, PERMANENTLY.

    5. DEMAND that NSEERS be dismantled to make it harder for chump to set up his Muslim registry.
       
    6. DEMAND that the government release ALL of its data before trump gets into office and lets the Republicans hide it all and make shit up.
       
    7. DEMAND the immediate release of every wrongly-held prisoner and anyone else who will suffer unfairly if not pardoned.

    AND THE REST!!

    SIGN UP for daily headlines from Daily Kos, AlterNet, and "Democracy Now!" SIGN petitions. ATTEND town halls and protests. Jeremy Scahill's publication "The Intercept" is another high-quality resource of investigative reporting you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. GET INFORMED and GET INVOLVED!

    If or when trump really does set up his Muslim registry, SIGN UP! Trevor Noah suggested this to be funny, but it's gone viral because the racist bigoted assholes can't deport us all, now can they? If I can do it as a proud anti-theist atheist, then so can you as whatever religion or lack thereof that you are. Keystone Progress has a page where you can pledge to sign up: Pledge to register as a Muslim if Trump creates a registry.

    VOLUNTEER for and DONATE to all the organizations that D. LOSER trump is targeting. Get on their mailing lists and donate as much time and money as you can to Planned Parenthood, NRDC, American Civil Liberties Union, and causes that matter to you. Change your cell phone carrier to CREDO, which is a Sprint re-seller that supports blue causes. Planned Parenthood is especially important to support right now--women will die if we don't. You can also donate to WomenOnWeb, who help women get safe abortions online.

    ORGANIZE to TAKE OVER the Democratic Party: FIGHT trump and the Republicans, CLEAN UP Democratic Party failures, WIN the midterms, and apologize to Bernie and America for failing.

    PROTEST all media that inflicted trump on us--BOYCOTT their advertisers and TELL them why. This includes FUX Noise.

    GRAB the pussy-in-thief by the wallet: BOYCOTT businesses that sell trump products and TELL them why.

    TELL Twitter to BAN TRUMP PERMANENTLY NOW!!!!!
    Call 415-222-9670, report Donald trump's use of Twitter to harass people at https://support.twitter.com/forms, and see The Best Way to Contact Twitter Through Email Support - Follows.com for more!
       
    JOIN SOPROUD by joining organizations working to protect our future! SIGN UP at http://workingfamilies.org/ and find an emergency meeting near you!

    And don't forget to SUPPORT those in The Resistance who support YOU! If we all chip in a buck o' five, WE CAN DO THIS THING!!!!!
        
    *****
        
    Boycott List

    Boycott Victoria's Secret--they kick out shoppers who are guilty of shopping while Black!

    Here's a twofer: let's save our money for when dump tanks the economy and grab the trumpussy grabber-in-thief where it hurts most--by his wallet!

    Want to boycott trump? There's an app for that!


    There's also a spreadsheet of trump supporters and vendors that carry trump merch that includes the vendors below.
    Don't forget New Balance, who praised and supported trump: 1 (800) 595-9138.

    Here's the list from Mindy Fischer, featuring 28 vendors that sell trump merchandise. BOYCOTT them all and TELL them why!

    6pm
    Contact info: (888) 676-2660, HQ- (702) 943-7777
    cs@6pm.com

    Amazon
    Contact info: (888) 280-4331 HQ- (206) 266-1000

    Belk
    Contact info: (866) 235-5443 HQ- (704) 357-1000

    Bloomingdale's
    Contact info: (800) 777-0000 HQ- (212) 705-2000

    Bluefly
    Contact info: (877) 258-3359 HQ- (212) 944-8000

    The Bon-Ton
    Contact info: (800) 233-7626 HQ- (800) 937-5449

    Bed Bath and Beyond
    Contact info: (800) 462-3966 HQ- (908) 688-0888

    Burlington Coat Factory
    Contact info: (855) 355-2875 HQ- (609) 387-7800

    Carson's
    Contact info: (800) 945-4438 HQ- (317) 971-6200

    Century 21 department store
    Contact info: (877) 350-2121 HQ- (888) 221-2551

    Dillard's
    Contact info: (800) 345-5273 HQ- (501) 376-5200

    DSW Shoes
    Contact info: (866) 379-7463 HQ- (614) 237-7100

    Hudson’s Bay
    Contact info: (800) 521-2364 HQ- (800) 521-2364

    HSN
    Contact info: (800) 284-3900 HQ- (727) 872-1000

    Jet
    Contact Info: (855) 538-4323 HQ- (844) 538-2255

    Lord & Taylor
    Contact info: (800) 223-7440 HQ- (212) 391-3344

    Macy’s
    Contact info: (800) 289-6229 HQ- (513) 579-7000

    Marshalls and TJ Maxx
    Contact info: (888) 627-7425 HQ- (508) 390-1000

    Neiman Marcus
    Contact info: (888) 888-4757 HQ- (562) 463-9333

    Nordstrom
    Contact info: (888) 282-6060 HQ- (206) 628-2111

    Overstock.com
    Contact info: (800) 843-2446 HQ- (801) 947-3100

    Perfumania
    Contact info: (866) 557-2368 HQ- (800) 228-3489

    Saks Off Fifth
    Contact info: (877) 551-7257 HQ- (212) 320-4700

    Stein Mart
    Contact info: (888) 783-4662 HQ- (904) 346-1500

    Wayfair
    Contact info: (866) 263-8325 HQ- (617) 532-6100

    Winners
    Contact info: (514) 788 4949 HQ- (905) 405-8000

    Zappos
    Contact info: (800) 927-7671 HQ- (702) 943-7777

    Zulily
    Contact info: (877) 779-5615 HQ- (206) 724-0500

    OK, friends--let's get busy!