PEWtin is on track to be inaugurated President of the United States of America

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.

   

*****

 

22 December: dear ones, I have had a rough week and just don't have it in me to do a full post today--see ya next year. I'm planning to streamline come 2017: I need to devote more time to Making America Smart Again with my other writing project, and I want to make this blawg more useful to you by keeping it shorter and focusing more (when possible, given the fire-hose of outrage we'll be trying to drink from) on teh funny--assuming that dickless orange ugly Donald pussygrabber-in-thief trump doesn't make off with my sense of humor--and the irony...like my Tea Party Christian friend smugly pontificating that hair furor [sic] would spend more on science and research than O'Bama when herr drumpf has actually selected Rick "no, you moron, glasses DO NOT make you smart" Perry to lead all the super-sciency Ph.D.s in DoE and Mick "Do we really need government-funded research at all?" Mulvaney as his budget director. Urk. I figure that we're already well aware of just how fucked of a clusterfuck we are now in, so I see no reason to rub our noses in it as long as we all stay informed, stay angry, and stay fighting--saturating us all until we all go numb would be counterproductive, and, friends, we must needs keep those edges sharp for the many, many battles ahead. Urk. So, friends, let's take the next few weeks to sip Fireball, indulge in chocolate, and enjoy what goodness we still have until Dickless Donald "like but not actually a smart person" trump takes it all away from us to give to the rich who already have way more money than they'll ever need to live on. Urk. Til next time, Merry ChrisFSMas and Happy Holidays...and here's a little early Sundee Skool to tide y'all over until we meet again...enjoy!

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, look...

a nativity scene

without any Jews, Arabs, refugees,

or unwed mothers...!

...Christians claim that

abstinence is the only form of birth control

that's 100% effective...

tell that to Virgin Mary!

 

 

 

 

 

*****
21 December:
Happy Dot Calm's Birthday, y'all.

I still think Dot Calm's birthday should be a national holiday.

 

Dot Calm came from a time and place where women were not supposed to work outside the home except, perhaps, to give their parents money while they were waiting to find a husband. Women in those days had three professions open to them: nurse, teacher, or secretary. Dot Calm was an artist. She wanted to study fine art and become a fashion designer--I think she would have been famous--but her parents wouldn't let her. She ended up in commercial art--where she was truly in a class by herself--but not before taking all the secretarial courses, like typing and stenography.

 

Typing came easily to Dot Calm; in fact, she earned good money working weekends and evenings when her daughters were babies. Her work was so accurate that her employers were willing to drop off the work at Dot's home and pick it up when she was finished. And when computers came out, there was never a keyboard buffer built that Dot's nimble fingers couldn't outrun, leaving the poor machines beeping for mercy.

 

Stenography, on the other hand, was Dot's bête noir. All those funny little short-hand symbols...! Case in point: a story Dot used to tell about the class reading their transcriptions of the teacher's dictation aloud. "And the peas and carrots went out into the field...," Dot's transcription read, causing the class to erupt in laughter. Apparently, the symbol for "peas and carrots" looked an awful lot like the one for "boys and girls"...!

 

*****

Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders! 

Walp, that's the end of the great American experiment: secular democratic government. The electors have sided with party over decency and thrown themselves and the rest of us to the wolves of the top 1%. What else is there to say at this point? - except RESIST, RESIST, RESIST.

Donald john trump is an illegitimate candidate for president. He ignores all laws and norms, and Republicans are too busy fattening their wallets and laughing at their constituents to stop him in any way. They will be too busy cheering him on to impeach him
--whatever he gets away with, they get to do even worse the next time one of them gets in.

I've said before that I don't think the country will survive. Not only are we post-truth, but we are also post-accountability and post-integrity. That is a lethal combination for this nation.

And before you try telling me that it isn't that bad or it won't be so bad, just look at everything that hair fuhrer has already emboldened his gleefully hateful adherents into, unchecked. Nearly 900 hate incidents from November 8 to November 29, when they apparently stopped counting, and over 1,000 per month, according to TeleSur via AlterNet. North Carolina's Republican coup against Governor-elect Roy Cooper. Republicans' gleeful embrace of Vladimir PEWtin's bloodless takeover of OUR government.

Friends, ignorance and hatred have won. cheeto benito and his hateful adherents despise truth and honesty, favoring instead whatever opinion du jour happens to suit their momentary goals. Republicans have won the war on science and are positioned to win the war on women. Although you can try, you can't reason with unreasonable people.

It really looks like it's time to give these morons the kakistocratic, oligarchic, plutocratic, kleptocratic theocracy they've all been lusting for and set ourselves up an American nation where evidence drives what we think and those who represent us are held to account, both by their own integrity and by legal enforcement that does not favor the rich and powerful.

Because, let's face it--America as we all knew and loved it has had it.

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
    

Peas, friends. Take care of yourselves for me. Trust me--you're worth it!

  

- 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
       Newsweek: How Donald Trump's Business Ties Are Already Jeopardizing U.S. Interests
...Friends, if you read nothing else, READ THIS. Every single one of trump's buildings and business partners abroad is now a soft target for any nation that wants to bribe, blackmail, attack, or take revenge on us. This is SERIOUS SHIT.
    
Daily Kos: Astounding: David Koch's 1980 VP Run: Kill Medicare, Social Security, Minimum Wage, Public Schools

Huffington Post: Yes, The Women’s March Is Still On — And It Has A Starting Location
    
The New York Times: How Republics End
...Friends, read this article to recognize what is befalling us and what is about to befall us. Rome had nothing on America!
    
The New York Times: Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?
...YES, YES HE IS. chump is waving every anti-democratic red flag there is. This is not alarmism, friends--THIS SHIT IS FOR REAL.
    
Huffington Post: What Those Who Studied Nazis Can Teach Us About The Strange Reaction To Donald Trump
...A word of caution to you coordinators, normalizers, and give-him-a-chance-ers: DON'T. chump will yank the millimeter you give him into several miles before you even realize you've been pulled off balance into a face-plant on the cold, hard ground.
    
Daily Kos: History professor's, 20-point guide to defending democracy under a trump presidency
...I'm going to do as many of these as I can. Cleaning hate signs and vandalism, like swastikas, is a good one. Don't give up, don't give in, and FIGHT, DAMMIT! Friends, I know I keep saying that this is the end of America as we know it, but that-snot going to stop me from fighting tooth and nail to save it!
    
Daily Kos: Five Keys to Taking Down Trump
...NO appeasement, NO deals. Get the message out that Democrats are FOR working people; get millenials and Gen X'ers to buy in and OWN the party--aim it where they need it to go. Rebrand as needed, just like the evil Republicans do. Get out and do the grassroots thing. And don't underestimate cheeto benito--he's already survived Nate Silver's six stages of doom.
    
Daily Kos: NYC Mayor Teaches Democrats How To Fight Trump
...In short, stand and fight for what we believe in--truth, integrity, equality, democracy, protection of the vulnerable, and justice for all, not punishment of the poor and unbridled crime by the rich. "It takes A LOT strength to stand up for others.  Cowards are those who give into fear and paranoia—the very definition of the rightwing Trump supporter." Yup.
   
The Most Effective Form of Psychological Warfare We Can Wage Against trump
...trumplethinskin's greatest weakness is his dainty, fragile, and oh-so-brittle ego. C'mon, friends--it's time to mock around the clock--especially how poor chump is compared to his claims of "billions." We all know that Donald john trump blew daddy's money in shitty business deals because Donald john trump is a shitty businessman--the WORST, PATHETIC. Let's never let Dickless Donald LOSER trump forget what a sad, pathetic LOSER he is, ok? However, I do disagree with the article: it is DEFINITELY ok to fat-shame trump. Why? Because he fat-shames his betters all the time. He is an overweight, undisciplined fat ass, and he deserves to be mocked for his weight. I also think it's fair game to mock his plastic wife because she is plastic--and a plagiarizing hypocrite to boot. If she had come up with her own speeches instead of cribbing off her opponents' and if she weren't such a hypocrite about mocking on social media, then, yeah, I could see leaving her off limits. But she's earned her place in the four-year (hopefully less) mockfest that's about to ensue, so let her have it!
     

********************************************

Get involved--sign a petition!
    
Great news. You recently signed a petition to the EPA to retract their draft report's conclusion that fracking was safe.

This petition was part of a coalition effort with many other organizations, and nearly 110,000 people signed on.

And the EPA listened. In its just-released final report, the EPA deleted the conclusion that fracking doesn't have "widespread, systemic impacts" on drinking water. And instead its final report states that fracking can cause water contamination.

This is a win for those of us fighting fracking, and for the many people who've suffered from water contamination due to fracking. And it's a loss for the oil and gas industry, which has used the EPA's draft report to claim that fracking is safe.

Thank you for taking action. Sometimes, it's hard to know if your petition signature will have an impact. But Daily Kos petitions are often part of larger campaigns, and they help make change happen.

Our voices, together, can win campaigns. Thank you for adding your name and joining this fight, and please keep fighting. That will involve signing petitions, protesting in the streets, calling your elected officials, and/or whatever else your activism looks like. We'll need all of it in the years ahead.

Thank you for all that you do,
Mara Schechter, Daily Kos

*****

     
Under Trump the next four years will be an all-out assault on reporters’ right to hold the powerful accountable. We’re committed to fighting back — and have signed a pledge to defend the First Amendment.

If you haven't already, join us and sign the pledge today.

Thanks—

Mike

*****

Friends,

Yesterday Donald Trump did what I thought was unthinkable, and nominated ExxonMobil's CEO Rex Tillerson to be the next US Secretary of State.

Exxon has a long history of funding climate denial and committing human rights abuses. We cannot put them in charge of our foreign policy. As CEO Tillerson formed billion dollar partnerships with strongmen like Vladimir Putin, and launched attacks against groups seeking to expose Exxon’s climate deception.

We're pulling together a massive grassroots response to push back on Trump’s climate denying nominees. It starts next Tuesday when we're rallying at transition headquarters in Washington, DC to send the message that we all oppose Trump's radical anti-science, pro-fossil fuel nominees.

Help us stop Trump's climate denial cabinet -- sign the petition opposing Rex Tillerson from becoming Secretary of State and putting Big Oil in charge of our foreign policy.

As Secretary of State, Tillerson would oversee everything from negotiating international climate agreements to reviewing the Keystone XL pipeline. Along with Tillerson, Donald Trump has nominated climate deniers across the board, including for the EPA, Secretary of Interior, and Department of Energy.

Here's our plan to stop the Climate Denier Cabinet:

• Between now and Tuesday, make as much noise as we can, so that we can deliver a big message to his transition headquarters.
• January 3rd, the first day that the new Senate takes office, make thousands of phone calls to every Senator telling them to vote against the Denier Cabinet.
• The following week, take to the streets in all 50 states to oppose their nominations.
• Fill the digital airwaves with ads calling out Senators who say they agree with climate science, but still support Trump’s climate denying cabinet.
• Fight like hell at every stage - we’re not going to make his job easy.

Washington needs to see that the majority of people in this country oppose Trump’s reckless agenda, and that a vote for his nominees is a vote for climate denial. We're sending tens of thousands of messages against Rex Tillerson directly to Trump Transition HQ next Tuesday -- add your name here.

Forward through the fog,

Jamie

---

350.org is building a global climate movement. Become a sustaining donor to keep this movement strong and growing.

 

*****

The right wing onslaught is going to come fast and it is going to be extreme.

Don’t sit on the sidelines, support an unapologetic opposition.

Chip in $3

*****

All I can say is Bayer is REALLY going to hate this.

Since I emailed you and other SumOfUs members yesterday to help us fight back to save the bees in Canada, hundreds of people have chipped in to power this work.

And we just got great news: thanks to our campaigning, the European Commission just cancelled extensions for a bee-killing chemical called fipronil! More than 118,000 SumOfUs members signed the petition to ban this pesticide — and this win is a reminder of what we can do when we work together.

Can you chip in today so we can win in Canada too?

Donate now

Thanks for all that you do,
Paul

 

*****

NBC’s unacceptable conflict of interest

The petition to Comcast/NBCUniversal reads: "Cut all business ties with Donald Trump.” Add your name:

 

*****

President Obama just had his final press conference of 2016.

While he expressed regret at the impact of the Russian cyberattacks on the election and promised a report on them before he left office, when it came to taking more impactful actions such as declassifying the intelligence to inform the public, or at least briefing members of the Electoral College before they vote on Monday, he declined.

Please call the White House again at 1-855-999-1663 and leave this message for President Obama:

I am requesting that President Obama declassify any and all intelligence related to Russia's interference of the presidential election—and to brief all members of the Electoral College before they meet on Monday. You still have the power as President for another month.

After you make this phone call, click here to offer feedback on how the call went.

Can't make a phone call? Click here to directly send an email to President Obama.
Keep fighting,
Paul Hogarth, Daily Kos

 

*****

There's a new petition taking off on Change.org, and we think you might be interested in signing it.

Petitioning President-Elect Donald Trump Federal Government—Not NYC—Must Cover Trump Tower Security Costs Petition by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito & Council Member Dan Garodnick New York, New York 45,745 Supporters Sign the petition At an estimated $1 million per day, protecting you, your family and your home at Trump Tower will total over one billion dollars during your four-year term. This represents an extraordinary financial burden for New York City taxpayers. We the undersigned, including the Speaker of the New York City Council, Melissa Mark Viverito; your local City Council Member, Dan Garodnick; and the many, many ordinary New Yorkers whose taxes contribute to New York’s budget, strongly believe that the provision of security services for Presidents-elect must be the obligation of the federal government. And accordingly, we believe that the cost of that obligation must be borne by the federal government, not the City of New York. We already stretch our municipal budget to provide basic services— like police, sanitation, and the education of 1.1 million public school students.  These services would suffer if we must divert funds to police protection. Further, should you or your family members choose to reside in Trump Tower for any length of time following your inauguration, the cost of security for that time also should be borne by the federal government.  While NYPD is both equipped and able to participate in ensuring your and your family’s protection, we must not allow this cost to blow a massive hole in New York City’s budget.   Let’s end the suspense: We ask you to commit the necessary federal funds to reimburse New York for all costs of protecting you and your family— both before and after your inauguration as President of the United States of America. As a lifelong New Yorker, you understand the importance of a vibrant local economy, and one that has the resources to operate. Make it clear today that New York City is not going to get stuck with the bill. Sign the petition

*****

Dear MoveOn member,

The year was 2005. America was stuck in a bloody war of choice in Iraq started under false pretenses. And George W. Bush had just been re-elected.

So what did MoveOn do? We launched an audacious campaign to take back Congress. We demanded that Democrats stand up to Bush's Social Security privatization plan, and we kept demanding an end to the disastrous Iraq War.

Two years later, Democrats took back the House and Senate—and in 2008, Barack Obama was elected president.

When it comes to fighting back when the chips are down, few groups have had more experience—and success—than MoveOn. And together, we're going to do it again. Will you chip in $5 a month to help build and sustain the Trump resistance?

Yes, I'll chip in to help build and sustain the Trump resistance.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

MoveOn members worked day and night for months to defeat George W. Bush for re-election.

But not only did Bush win, Republicans gained four seats in the Senate and three in the House, expanding their control of Congress.

The morning after we lost, it seemed as though things couldn't possibly get worse. Until Bush announced that his top priority would be privatizing Social Security. Some Democrats even seemed ready to fold.

But MoveOn members mobilized one of the biggest campaigns in our history—with a clear message to Republicans and Democrats alike: Hands off Social Security!

In the end, Bush's Social Security bill died without a single vote, setting the stage for Democrats to take back Congress in 2006.

We learned a lot of lessons from that fight, and we're putting those lessons to work right now. But we can't rise to challenges of the scale that we now face without unprecedented support. So we're counting on you to ensure that we have the ability to stand up to Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress on every important fight. Will you chip in $5 a month today?

Yes, I'll chip in to help build and sustain the Trump resistance.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.


Thanks for all you do.

—Jo, Corinne, Mark, Milan, and the rest of the team

*****

Hi there,

This week, ATTN: explored job training in the United States vs. Germany, where youth unemployment is among the lowest in the world. The Germans have a different approach toward career preparedness after high school: they offer multi-year vocational training programs, which teach practical skills, such as electrical engineering, carpentry, and welding. Students also get on-the-job training as apprentices. Even better, German companies pay 75 percent of the cost of these training programs, while the government covers the remaining 25 percent. This leaves graduates with virtually no student debt, unlike in U.S. where the average four-year college graduate owes about $30,000 in loans.

If you think the U.S. should emulate this system, share ATTN:'s video here.

Other Stories Worth Your Attention This Week:

+ The Big Problem With How We Talk About Male Rape
+ Nev Schulman and Laura Perlongo Explain Why We Need Better Post-Natal Care
+ What Would Happen If Americans Boycotted Student Debt?
+ Veterans Are Standing up for Standing Rock Protesters
+ If You Still Doubt Raising the Minimum Wage, Check Out What Just Happened in Seattle
+ Here's Why America's Schools Are Falling Apart
+ One Dose of Magic Mushrooms Can Treat Depression in Cancer Patients for Months at a Time, According to a New Study

Talk to you soon,
Matthew

*****

Republicans in Washington are preparing to destroy Medicare by handing it over to the greedy insurance industry in return for campaign donations and lobbyist cash. Medicare is a fundamental tool of economic security ― a guarantee that seniors will not be denied health care because they can’t afford it. Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans want to end that guarantee.

Demand that Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell live up to President-Elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to not touch Medicare and Social Security. We must save Medicare from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan before he guts our earned benefits in the opening months of the new Congress.

The American people are united. Medicare is overwhelmingly popular across the political spectrum, and we won’t stand for attempts to destroy it. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump pledged to not touch Medicare and Social Security.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may use a parliamentary procedure called reconciliation to bring Speaker Ryan’s plan to destroy Medicare to a vote ― and it could happen as soon as this January. Reconciliation would allow this devastating bill to pass by a simple majority, without the opportunity for a filibuster. But the American people will not take this lying down.

Tell the Republicans that we are here to save Medicare from their plans to destroy it.

Thank you,
Michael Phelan
Social Security Works

Paid for by Social Security Works.

 

*****

Every single Democrat is going to need to play a role in building a party we can all be proud of. Before we elect our next party chair, let us know what you'd like to see in the Democratic Party of the future.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

*****

This man could destroy our future in just 34 days. All he needs to do is pull out of the Paris climate agreement and have other massive polluters follow suit. But we’ve got a way to bypass him: if we get climate champions New York, California and Google to build a coalition of US cities, states and firms to meet the US target, the Paris agreement can hold!

sign the petition

The only way to get hundreds of US mayors, governors, and businesses on board is if the whole world calls on them to be heroes and save our collective future -- share the email below with all your friends, and post the campaign on social media.

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/us_climate_heroes_loc/?tMJDsab&v=500269277&cl=11360198251&_checksum=480d1653783591c1fc228b8c68c4aac3e6eb8d3bedf479caba5b79057cc3fb24

Thanks again for your help,

The Avaaz team

*****

Desperate civilians in East Aleppo need safe passage out, urgently. Let's make this call as big as possible -- share the email below with all your friends, and post the campaign on social media.

We can help save lives today!

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/aleppo_stop_the_massacre_en_glb_loc/?tMJDsab&v=500268804&cl=11360208446&_checksum=9056bade79dc5a023e16ec2d3b91c41e00aad1c7721677ed581b426346a15ce8

Thanks,
The Avaaz team

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

Dear friends,

The massacre of Aleppo may have begun.

Militias are reportedly going house to house, executing civilians, women, and children, and an evacuation convoy was just attacked. Tens of thousands of civilians are left, crying out for help.

Our governments have all failed to stop this war. Let's demand that they unite to insist that Russia, Iran, and Syria allow the UN and the Red Cross to evacuate remaining civilians safely from Aleppo. If these 3 governments hear urgently not just from the US and Western Europe, but from governments around the world, it CAN affect their thinking.

Every moment takes a life - let's stop the massacre of Aleppo:

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/aleppo_stop_the_massacre_en_glb_loc/?tMJDsab&v=500268804&cl=11360208446&_checksum=9056bade79dc5a023e16ec2d3b91c41e00aad1c7721677ed581b426346a15ce8

Russia and Iran are used to ignoring appeals from the US and Western Europe. But Avaaz is a truly global movement. If the appeals this time come from EVERY trading partner, ally, and friend of these countries -- from Brazil and South Africa and India and Poland and more, it WILL affect their calculations.

Time is running out for the civilians of Aleppo. Let's pressure all our governments to ring Russia and Iran's phones off the hook. We've failed the people of Syria too long, let's not fail the remaining citizens of Aleppo:

Stop the Aleppo Massacre:

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/aleppo_stop_the_massacre_en_glb_loc/?tMJDsab&v=500268804&cl=11360208446&_checksum=9056bade79dc5a023e16ec2d3b91c41e00aad1c7721677ed581b426346a15ce8

Avaaz has stood with the people of Syria through dozens and dozens of campaigns. This is their darkest hour. Let's not abandon them now.

With hope,
The Avaaz team

PS - the situation on the ground is changing quickly. Here are reports about the clear signs that a massacre has begun:

Al Jazeera - 82 Civilians executed on Monday
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/civilians-killed-spot-battle-aleppo-nears-161213133240891.html

BBC - Aleppo battle: UN says civilians shot on the spot
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38301629

HRW - Syria: Desperate Pleas for Protection from Aleppo
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/13/syria-desperate-pleas-protection-aleppo

Avaaz is a 44-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

 

*****

UPDATE: Google, Apple, Uber, and IBM have joined Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft in publicly stating they will not help Trump build a Muslim registry. Public pressure is working. Tell other tech companies to resist Trump's Muslim registry by signing the petition.

December 14, Donald Trump met with about a dozen of the world’s most powerful technology executives to discuss how they would work together during his term.

Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to build a “Muslim registry,” to track and harass people based on their religious beliefs -- his team even went so far as to cite Japanese-American internment camps as "precedent" for the registry. The tech executives in the meeting could help him carry out his tyrannical plans.

Donald Trump’s agenda threatens our communities and democracy. Silicon Valley cannot collude with him or make it possible for the worst of his threats to be carried out.

Sign the petition: Tell tech companies to publicly oppose Trump’s proposed Muslim registry and refuse to help him carry out his draconian agenda.

Major tech companies like Google and Apple have made it their business model to collect and store personal information about our lives, our social connections, our beliefs, and our habits. They have already colluded with the U.S. government to enable mass surveillance of their users. Now the Trump administration is planning to use data from tech companies to target and discriminate against an entire population of people.

There is precedent for collusion between a tyrannical government and American tech. During the Holocaust, American multinational corporations collaborated with the Nazis to help them design and execute the systematic annihilation of the Jewish people. Most notably, IBM built the machine that allowed Hitler to efficiently send millions of people to death camps.

Despite this history and Trump's xenophobic, racist, misogynistic campaign, IBM's CEO personally offered the company's services to Trump just days after his electoral college win. When we say, "never again," tech companies must heed the call.

Add your name: Tell tech companies to oppose Trump’s proposed Muslim registry and refuse to help him carry out his draconian agenda.

Prior to the meeting at Trump Tower, The Intercept asked nine Silicon Valley companies if they would help Trump build a Muslim registry. Only Twitter refused.

After Daily Kos -- as part of a massive coalition effort comprised of more than two dozen organizations -- demanded other tech companies rule out helping Trump, Facebook and Microsoft publicly stated they wouldn't help build Trump's registry either. What's more, dozens of Silicon Valley employees pledged their resistance to the unethical use of tech.

America’s tech firms hold an unprecedented amount of power and can be a formidable opposition to Trump. Our safety and democracy hinges on our ability to disrupt Trump's plans on every level. Tech giants must be explicit in resisting Trump's overtures and refusing to help create his Muslim registry.

Sign if you agree: Tech companies must publicly oppose Trump’s proposed Muslim registry and refuse to help him carry out his draconian agenda.

Keep fighting,
Monique Teal, Daily Kos          

*****

 

Earlier this month, Congress passed the bipartisan Cures Act, a major piece of health care legislation that will increase funding for medical research and update the FDA's approval process for critical new drugs. I supported the act because of these good provisions. But there was an area where it fell short – mental health. It's not the first time you've heard me say this. When it comes to mental health reform, Congress continues to tiptoe where it should leap. Which is why what happens with the Affordable Care Act next year is so important. For the countless Americans struggling with mental illness and the families that love them, the ACA was a lifeline.  For the first time, it designated mental and behavioral health as an "essential health benefit" that insurers had to cover. It vastly expanded Medicaid, a critical vehicle for delivering mental health care to low-income families, and ended the ability to deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition -- like a chronic mental health issue. So let's be really clear here. When Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan and President Trump proudly say that repealing the ACA will be their very first order of business next year – they are putting those mental health provisions on the chopping block. They are threatening the one in five American adults who suffer from mental illness and who depend on the access, protection and care the ACA delivered them. In the weeks and months ahead, I’ll be fighting attacks on American’s health care like my life counts on it – because for many people it does. Joe Express Donate: If you've stored your info with ActBlue, we'll process your contribution instantly: $5 $15 $35 $65

*****

The first trial of those charged in the resistance to construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) begins this week in Morton County, North Dakota.

Click here to donate to the legal defense of Water Protectors.

All of the accusations stem from police response to the global outpouring of support for the resistance based out of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation and treaty territory. Police have arrested more than 550 Water Protectors during incidents of prayer and disruption of the DAPL construction, and trials are scheduled to continue through the spring.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ladd Erikson asked the Morton County District Court to enter an order to prevent the accused or their attorneys from talking to the jury about issues of Indigenous sovereignty and land rights during trial. In short, the prosecution seeks to eliminate the Water Protectors' defense and block evidence.

The Water Protector Legal Collective is the on-the-ground legal support team at the encampment adjacent to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, formed in opposition to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. They will be representing the majority of Water Protectors throughout the proceedings.

If you can, please click here to donate to the Water Protector Legal Collective and aid in the defense of Water Protectors. Even if you cannot donate, please share the page on social media and help build awareness for the accused Water Protectors.

Keep fighting,

Neeta Lind aka navajo

Director of Community, Daily Kos

******************************************** 

 

A word from Greg Palast  

 

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The Republican Sabotage of the Vote Recounts in Michigan and Wisconsin By Greg Palast for Truthout Photo of Michigan ballot with bubble. (Image courtesy of Palast Investigative Fund, 2016) Before the Electoral College votes, they should know this. Michigan officials declared in late November that Trump won the state's count by 10,704 votes. But hold on – a record 75,355 ballots were not counted. The uncounted ballots came mostly from Detroit and Flint, majority-Black cities that vote Democratic. According to the machines that read their ballots, these voters waited in line, sometimes for hours, yet did not choose a president. Really? This week, I drove through a snowstorm to Lansing to hear the official explanation from Ruth Johnson, the Republican secretary of state. I was directed to official flack-catcher Fred Woodhams who told me, "You know, I think when you look at the unfavorability ratings that were reported for both major-party candidates, it's probably not that surprising." Sleuthing about in Detroit, I found another explanation: bubbles. Bubbles? Michigan votes on paper ballots. If you don't fill the bubble completely, the machine records that you didn't vote for president. Susan, a systems analyst who took part in the hand recount initiated by Jill Stein, told me, "I saw a lot of red ink. I saw a lot of checkmarks. We saw a lot of ballots that weren't originally counted, because those don't scan into the machine." (I can only use her first name because she's terrified of retribution from Trump followers in the white suburb where she lives.) Other ballots were not counted because the machines thought the voter chose two presidential candidates. Continue Supporting the 2016 Stolen Election Investigation because it ain’t over and we’re not done.     How come more ballots were uncounted in Detroit and Flint than in the white 'burbs and rural counties? Are the machines themselves racist? No, but they are old, and in some cases, busted. An astonishing 87 machines broke down in Detroit, responsible for counting tens of thousands of ballots. Many more were simply faulty and uncalibrated. I met with Carlos Garcia, University of Michigan multimedia specialist, who, on Election Day, joined a crowd waiting over two hours for the busted machine to be fixed. Some voters left; others filled out ballots that were chucked, uncounted, into the bottom of machine. When the machine was fixed, Carlos explained, "Any new scanned ballots were falling in on top of the old ones." It would not be possible to recount those dumped ballots. This is not an unheard of phenomenon: I know two voters who lost their vote in another state (California) because they didn't fill in the bubble – my parents! Meet mom and dad in my film, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy:   How did Detroit end up with the crap machines? Detroit is bankrupt, so every expenditure must be approved by "emergency" overlords appointed by the Republican governor. The GOP operatives refused the city's pre-election pleas to fix and replace the busted machines. "We had the rollout [of new machines] in our budget," Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey said. "No money was appropriated by the state." Same in Flint. GOP state officials cut the budget for water service there, resulting in the contamination of the city's water supply with lead. The budget cuts also poisoned the presidential race. The Human Eye Count There is, however, an extraordinary machine that can read the ballots, whether the bubbles are filled or checked, whether in black ink or red, to determine the voters' intent: the human eye. That's why Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, paid millions of dollars for a human eyeball count of the uncounted votes. While labeled a "recount," its real purpose is to count the 75,355 votes never counted in the first place. Count those ballots, mostly in Detroit and Flint, and Trump's victory could vanish. Adding to the pile of uncounted ballots are the large numbers of invalidated straight-ticket votes in Detroit. In Michigan, you can choose to make one mark that casts your vote for every Democrat (or Republican) for every office. Voters know that they can vote the Democratic ballot but write in a protest name – popular were "Bernie Sanders" and "Mickey Mouse" – but their ballot, they knew, would count for Clinton. However, the Detroit machines simply invalidated the ballots with protest write-ins because the old Opti-Scans wrongly tallied these as "over-votes" (i.e., voting for two candidates). The human eye would catch this mistake. But Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette stymied Stein's human eye count. The Republican pol issued an order saying that no one could look at the ballots cast in precincts where the number of votes and voters did not match – exactly the places where you'd want to look for the missing votes. He also ordered a ban on counting ballots from precincts where the seals on the machines had been broken – in other words, where there is evidence of tampering. Again, those are the machines that most need investigating. The result: The recount crews were denied access to more than half of all Detroit precincts (59 percent). I met with Stein, who told me she was stunned by this overt sabotage of the recount. "It's shocking to think that the discounting of these votes may be making the critical difference in the outcome of the election," she said. This story was repeated in Wisconsin, which uses the same Opti-Scan system as Michigan. There, the uncounted votes, sometimes called "spoiled" or "invalidated" ballots, were concentrated in Black-majority Milwaukee. Stein put up over $3 million of donated funds for the human eye review in Wisconsin, but GOP state officials authorized Milwaukee County to recount simply by running the ballots through the same blind machines. Not surprisingly, this instant replay produced the same questionable result. Adding Un-Votes to the Uncounted Stein was also disturbed by the number of voters who never got to cast ballots. "Whether it's because of the chaos [because] some polling centers are closed, and then some are moved, and there's all kinds of mix-ups," she said. "So, a lot of people are filling out provisional ballots, or they were being tossed off the voter rolls by Interstate Crosscheck." Interstate Crosscheck is a list that was created by Donald Trump supporter and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to hunt down and imprison voters who illegally voted or registered in two states in one election. An eye-popping 449,092 Michiganders are on the Crosscheck suspect list. The list, which my team uncovered in an investigation for Rolling Stone, cost at least 50,000 of the state's voters their registrations. Disproportionately, the purged voters were Blacks, Latinos and that other solid Democratic demographic, Muslim Americans. (Dearborn, Michigan, has the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the US.) The Michigan Secretary of State's spokesman Woodhams told me the purpose of the mass purge was, "to clean our voter lists and ensure that there's no vulnerability for fraud. We've been very aggressive in closing vulnerabilities and loopholes to fraud." While Woodhams did not know of a single conviction for double-voting in Michigan, the "aggression" in purging the lists was clear. I showed him part of the Michigan purge list that he thought was confidential. The "double voters" are found by simply matching first and last names. Michael Bernard Brown is supposed to be the same voter as Michael Anthony Brown. Michael Timothy Brown is supposed to be the same voter as Michael Johnnie Brown. Woodhams assured me the GOP used the Trump-Kobach list with care, more or less. He said, "I'm sure that there are some false positives. But we go through it thoroughly, and we're not just canceling people." As to the racial profiling inherent in the list? Did he agree with our experts that by tagging thousands of voters named Jose Garcia and Michael Brown there would be a bias in his purge list? The GOP spokesman replied, "I've known a lot of white Browns." Jill Stein didn't buy it. Responding to both Michigan's and Trump's claim that voter rolls are loaded with fraudulent double voters, Stein said, "It's the opposite of what he is saying: not people who are voting fraudulently and illegally, but actually legitimate voters who have had their right to vote taken away from them by Kris Kobach and by Donald Trump." Crosscheck likely cost tens of thousands their vote in Pennsylvania as well. "It is a Jim Crow system, and it all needs to be fixed," Stein concluded. "It's not rocket science. This is just plain, basic democracy." A note in the snow Last week, I flew to Detroit with my team at the request of a major west coast publication.   When I landed, they got cold feet; assignment cancelled.  Without funding to continue, I should have headed home.  But I was getting tips of nasty doings with the ballots in Motown.  I could get the evidence that Trump’s victory was as real as his tan. So I tucked my long-johns under my suit, put on my fedora, and headed out to meet the witnesses, see the evidence and film an investigative report on the Theft of Michigan.   With almost no sleep (and no pay), my producer David Ambrose and I put together an investigative film—and donated it, no charge, to Democracy Now! and several other outlets. As to the airfares, hotels, cars, camera batteries, sound equipment, local assistants and the rest, the bills have piled high as the snow and uncounted ballots.  So, here I was, literally out in the cold, hoping you'd see the value of top-flight investigative reporting.  So, buddy, can you spare a dime?  Or $100 or so?  For that, I’ll send you  my new film, the one that, back in September, told you exactly how Trump would steal it.  Or a signed copy of the book that goes with it:  The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, a tale of billionaires and ballot bandits. I want to thank all of you who donated to get me to Washington DC to testify at the ad hoc Congressional hearing and to speak with the Justice Department about the suppression of minority votes. (On Monday, I was joined at the Washington Press Club by the nation’s top voting rights attorney, Barbara Arnwine; civil rights legend Ruby Sales; Muslim activist Sameera Khan.  They announced plans to take legal and political action against Crosscheck, the Trumpistas’ latest Jim Crow tactic, the one our team uncovered for Rolling Stone.  Khan joined me at Justice to present them 50,000 signatures (we unloaded reams of paper on them) gathered by 18 Million Rising, the Asian American advocacy group, to light a fire under Justice. On Tuesday, I joined the presidents of the NAACP chapters of Michigan and Wisconsin and other front-line voting rights leaders, to plan next steps for this week, for this year, for this decade. My presentation to Justice, to Congressmen and rights advocates, to the press, was so much more powerful because I arrived in DC with the goods, the evidence, the film, the facts from Michigan, from the scene of the electoral crime. So, in the end, my assignment wasn’t cancelled:  I went to work for YOU.  Because I have faith that my readers  agree that this work is important, that I’m not on some fool’s errand. The US media doesn’t want to cover the vote theft—because, hey, the count is over—and we should get over it.   I am not over it. I am standing my ground.  Let me know if you think I’ve made the right decision.  Feed the team.  I have nothing to offer you in return except some signed discs and books (or the Combo)— and the facts. – Greg Palast

Greg Palast (Rolling Stone, Guardian, BBC) is the author of The New York Times bestsellers, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, now out as major motion non-fiction movie. Support The Palast Investigative Fund and keep our work alive. Download the FREE Movie Comic Book. Rent or buy the film from Amazon or Vimeo. Or support the The Palast Investigative Fund (a project of The Sustainable Markets Foundation) by shopping with Amazon Smile. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your purchases to the Palast Fund and you get a tax-deduction! More info. Follow Palast on Twitter | Like Palast on Facebook | Forward to a friend  Subscribe to Palast's Newsletter | Podcasts Share this with

 

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Headlines from Democracy Now!, Daily Kos, and AlterNet

Stories Robert Reich: Like a Tyrant, Trump Is Deploying Seven Techniques to Control the Media Today marks the 146th day since Donald Trump last held a news conference. As the Electoral College backs Trump, we speak to former Labor Secretary Robert ... Read More → Protest & "Boycott Everything": Robert Reich on the First 100 Day Resistance Agenda Against Trump Protests broke out across the country Monday as the 538 electors of the Electoral College met in their respective state capitals and decisively voted to make ... Read More → A Deadly Day: Russian Ambassador Assassinated; 12 Dead in Berlin Truck Crash; Zürich Mosque Attacked In Germany, 12 people were killed and 48 more wounded in Berlin after a truck drove into a Christmas market around 8 p.m. local time, plowing into the stalls, ... Read More →

Headlines → Germany: 12 Killed After Truck Plows Through Christmas Market Russian Ambassador to Turkey Assassinated in Ankara U.N. Security Council Votes to Monitor Aleppo Evacuations Electoral College Elects Donald Trump 45th President of United States Michelle Obama: "We're Feeling What Not Having Hope Feels Like" Obama Grants Clemency to 231 Prisoners in Single Day North Carolina Lawmakers Set to Repeal Anti-LGBT "Bathroom Bill" China Returns U.S. Navy Drone Seized in South China Sea Zürich: Gunman Opens Fire at Islamic Center, Wounding 3 IMF Head Christine Lagarde Convicted of Negligence Ban Ki-moon Warns South Sudan May Be Headed Toward Genocide New Orleans Settles High-Profile Police Brutality Cases for $13.3 Million

Stories Ambassador for Apartheid: Trump's Pick for Israel Post Slammed as Threat to Peace & Two-State Talks President-elect Donald Trump is facing widespread criticism for picking David Friedman to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. For years, Friedman has served ... Read More → Ari Berman: How Voter Suppression Helped Pave Way for a Legislative Coup in North Carolina We turn now to North Carolina, where as many as 39 protesters were arrested Friday at the State Legislative Building. Activists are accusing Republican lawmakers ... Read More → Elector: Our Duty in Electoral College is to Prevent Unqualified Demagogues from Presidency The 538 electors of the Electoral College are set to meet today to officially choose the next president of the United States. Members of the Electoral College are ... Read More → Mustafa Barghouti: Trump Pick for Ambassador to Israel Giving the Green Light to Israeli Extremists As President-elect Donald Trump picks David Friedman to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, we look at President Obama's record dealing with the Israel- ... Read More → Jewish Voice for Peace: Trump Election Has Empowered Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia in United States In Montana, a white supremacist website has issued a call for online attacks against the Jewish community in the town of Whitefish, where white supremacist Richard ... Read More →

Headlines → Electoral College Meeting Today to Select Next U.S. President Obama Accuses Vladimir Putin of Meddling in U.S. Election Exxon CEO Tillerson, Trump Pick for Sec. of State, Also Heads U.S.-Russia Oil Company Scientists Copying Climate Change Data; Wayback Machine Moving to Canada NC: 39 Arrested as Republicans Approve Restrictions on Incoming Democratic Gov. U.N. Security Council to Vote on Deploying U.N. Monitors to Aleppo Yemen: Suicide Bomb Attack on Security Forces Kills 48 in Aden Jordan: 10 Killed in Attack on Police in Southern City of Karak Turkey: Pro-Kurdish HDP Party Says 20 of Its Offices Attacked ASEAN Leaders Meet in Burma to Discuss Violence Against Rohingya Saudi Arabia on Track to Execute 150 People This Year First Group of Water Protectors Head to Trial in North Dakota Today Montana: White Supremacist Richard Spencer May Run for U.S. Congress NYC: 3 Activists Attacked by Men Chanting Pro-Trump, Pro-Police Slogans CPJ: 74 Reporters Killed in 2016 Larry Colburn, Who Intervened to Stop My Lai Massacre, Dies at 67

Stories A Legislative Coup in NC? Rev. William Barber on GOP Stripping Power from New Democratic Governor Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are being accused of waging a legislative coup by attempting to strip power from the state's incoming governor, ... Read More → "Pirates of the Caribbean": Bankers Who Created Puerto Rico's Debt Crisis Now In Charge of Fixing It We turn now to "Pirates of the Caribbean." That's the name of a shocking new report on how the Santander Bank's revolving door with Puerto Rico's Government ... Read More → Rev. Barber: We Have Convicted White Supremacist Dylann Roof But America is Still Guilty In Charleston, South Carolina, a jury has found Dylann Roof guilty on 33 counts of federal hate crimes for murdering nine black worshipers, including Pastor ... Read More → Trump Has Appointed More Generals in His Cabinet Than Any President Since World War II We turn now to look at Donald Trump and his military generals. Trump has nominated retired Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis as defense secretary. The Obama ... Read More → Andrew Bacevich: Trump's "Israel First" Policy Will Likely Lead to More Violence in Region Donald Trump has tapped the far-right-wing bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Many are calling Friedman an unprecedented ... Read More →

Headlines → Syria: 8,000 Escape Aleppo Before Evacuations Again Halted Obama Vows Retaliation Against Russia over Election Meddling Trump Taps His Far-Right-Wing Bankruptcy Lawyer to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel Trump Cabinet & Cabinet-Level Picks are Worth $9.5 Billion Combined Trump May Try to Give Daughter Ivanka & Her Husband White House Positions NYC: Water Protectors Disrupt 4 Bank Branches Demanding Divestment from Dakota Pipeline Iowa: Residents Fight Dakota Access Pipeline Use of Eminent Domain in Court NYC: Ex-Rikers Officer Guilty of Beating Prisoner to Death in 2012 South Carolina: Dylann Roof Guilty on 33 Counts of Federal Hate Crimes Chile: Art Exhibition Reveals Testimonies of Torture Under Pinochet

 

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Trump's Pick for Israel Ambassador Is Aligned With Israel's Extreme Right Wing By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet David Friedman vows to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem in first remarks following appointment. READ MORE» Why the Fur Industry Is Very Pleased With Trump in the White House By Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet The Trump sons are trying to rebrand fur as "animal agriculture," but consumers aren't falling for it.  READ MORE» Who Is Trump's Most Dangerous Cabinet Pick? Here's the Case for It Being Jeff Sessions By Marge Baker, OtherWords Time and time again, Jeff Sessions has put his own right-wing ideology above Americans' constitutional rights. READ MORE» Russia Had Every Reason to Hack the U.S. Presidential Election By Arun Gupta, Raw Story This is the missing background to the hacked U.S. election. READ MORE» 84% of Americans Oppose Civil Asset Forfeiture—But Only Once They're Told What It Is By The Influence Staff, The Influence What's with the other 15 percent? READ MORE» What Trump TV from the White House May Look Like By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet A strange mix of "The Apprentice" and late-night wrestling matches? READ MORE» What They Did in the Shadows: President Putin and President Trump, and What We Know About What We Don’t Know By Andrew O'Hehir, Salon It's a shocking real-life spy story, but what really happened—and what it means—may not be clear for decades. READ MORE» Academic Witch Hunt Project Gets an F for Accuracy By Peter Dreier, The American Prospect Propaganda campaigns foreshadow more serious assaults on the First Amendment under a President Trump. READ MORE» Why Owning Your Own Farm Isn't Necessarily a Ticket for Financial Well-Being By Michael Colby & Will Allen, AlterNet There's plenty of money in food. But most of it's going to corporate giants. READ MORE» Will Trump Provoke a Serious Conflict with China? By Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann Show There never have been two countries more interdependent on each other than China and the U.S. in history.  READ MORE» Simple Thinking in a Complex World Is a Recipe for Disaster By David Green, The Conversation Our actions have unintended consequences. READ MORE»

Without the Christian Right, There'd Be No President Trump: What Do They Want in Exchange? By Jason Wilson, AlterNet They overlooked his three marriages and sexual harassment all the way to the White House. READ MORE» The Worst Cabinet: Donald Trump Made Some Horrible Picks for His Government By Matthew Rozsa, Salon From Rex Tillerson to Rick Perry to Gary Cohn, Trump loves assigning foxes to guard hen houses. READ MORE» Immigrant Movement Prepares for Battle Against Trump By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet Strikes, protests and trainings are part of some immigrants' ambitious, bold offensive in the coming struggles for justice. READ MORE»

Robert Reich: Why President Trump Will Continue Holding Rallies By Robert Reich, RobertReich.org There are clues about Trump's bizarre and just plain messed-up "thank-you" tour going beyond Inauguration Day. READ MORE» Fake News and Online Harassment Are More Than Social Media Byproducts—They're Powerful Profit Drivers By Soraya Chemaly, Salon Banning fake-news sites doesn't address the real problem: Social-media companies make big money off lies and hate. READ MORE» If Obama Had Prosecuted Goldman Sachs' Brain Trust, We Wouldn't Be Plagued by Them Again in Trump's Cabinet By Michael Arria, AlterNet Goldman Sachs' huge political influence is growing even bigger—and the Obama administration is partly to blame. READ MORE» End Times Pastor Tom Horn: Donald Trump Could Be the Messiah or His Forerunner By Brian Tashman, Right Wing Watch In their mind, Donald Trump is a kingly and warrior-like leader committed to protecting Israel.  READ MORE» Electoral College, What Would Reagan Do? Protect America and Reject Trump By Danny Feingold, AlterNet A last call to action for the electors. READ MORE» Debacle: How a Promising Charter School Failed By Robin Urevich, Capital and Main The demise of SEA is a sobering reminder that charter school boards are beholden to profits, and not to students and parents.  READ MORE» 'No Homo' No More: Bromosexual Friendships Emerge as the New Way for Dudes to Share Advice By Eric Russell, Marjorie Prokosch, Raymond McKie, The Conversation Straight men who like other men platonically are "bromosexual"—having a gay bro' to exchange advice with is cool. READ MORE» What Your Beard Says About Your Relationship Status By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet A new study finds that while women find guys with a little scruff suitable for a short-term relationship, bearded men are the ones they really want to settle down with.  READ MORE» What a California Refinery Town Can Teach America By Kathy Kiely, BillMoyers.com A soon-to-be-published book by a longtime labor organizer chronicles how a grass-roots democracy movement overcame corporate money. READ MORE» The Corporate Food Industry Has Created a Diet That Is Literally Killing Us By Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann Show Thom Hartmann investigates how to break free from what's dangerous in your diet. READ MORE» 8 of the Most Fascinating Videos About the Powerful Psychedelic Ayahuasca By Alex Gearin, Chacruna Are you ready for an ocular, multi-modal cosmic interface? How about an intense feast of symbolic alien languages? Come on in. READ MORE» 'Mr. Trump, You Are the Gift': Putin Stops by SNL to Wish Alec Baldwin's Trump a Merry Christmas By David Ferguson, Raw Story Baldwin's impersonation remains hilarious, and something Trump just loves to hate. READ MORE»

It's Started: Paying Off the Trump Family for Access By Kali Holloway, AlterNet Getting heard is going to cost big bucks. READ MORE» On Russian Hacking, Obama Complains About Media and GOP, but Lets FBI Off the Hook By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet We still do not know the extent of Russian hacking. READ MORE» 100 CEOs Have as Much Retirement Wealth as 41% of American Families By Sarah Anderson, AlterNet Everyone should be able to enjoy their golden years—not just former CEOs and presidents. READ MORE»

Trump Is Making America Great Again by Embracing Corporate Titans With Some of the Worst Outsourcing Practices By Gary Legum, Salon The president-elect's "policy forum" is a who's-who of evil capitalism.  READ MORE» Trumped by Vladimir Putin: The Russian Strongman Has Upended American Democracy By Bill Moyers, Michael Winship, BillMoyers.com The U.S. finds itself at a crossroads unseen since the Civil War, and we have a ruthless autocrat to thank. READ MORE» CNN Host's Attempt to Explain the U.S. Economy Was So Bad I Started Yelling at the TV By Les Leopold, AlterNet Offshoring is about the rush to cheap labor, not about automation and new technology. READ MORE» Not Just North Dakota: Here Are 10 More States Where Activists Are Fighting Pipeline Projects By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet Brave citizens are fighting hard to stop a number of big projects.  READ MORE» Abortion Isn't Linked With Mental Illness, Study Shows—but Being Denied One Might Be By Amanda Marcotte, Salon Anti-choice activists have long claimed that abortion leads to mental illness—but a new study shows the opposite. READ MORE» What Algeria's 'Black War' Can Teach Us About the Syrian Crisis By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet Blood has flowed in Aleppo and will likely flow for the foreseeable future. READ MORE» Did Monogamy Kill the Penis Bone? By Carrie Weisman, AlterNet New research suggests a shift in human mating habits sparked a major change in human anatomy. READ MORE» Colorado Sold Cannabis Worth $1 Billion in First 10 Months of 2016 By Mary Pascaline, International Business Times The Rocky Mountain State's bud business is big business.  READ MORE» Donald Trump's Newest Cabinet Member Has Ties to Neo-Confederate Group That Inspired Dylann Roof By Travis Gettys, Raw Story Add another name to the growing list of white supremacist sympathizers in the president-elect's inner circle. READ MORE» 20 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain During the Holidays By Brianna Elliott, Authority Nutrition Between the parties, stress and baked goods, the holidays are a time when people tend to gain weight. READ MORE» Amazon Under Fire After Staff Found 'Camping' Near Site By Lucy Clarke-Billings, Newsweek "Amazon should be ashamed that they pay their workers so little that they have to camp out in the dead of winter to make ends meet." READ MORE»

Paul Krugman Reveals the Real 'Useful Idiots' Who Enabled Our Election to Be Hacked By Janet Allon, AlterNet Institutions failed us in a big way. READ MORE» Robert Reich: 4 Signs You May Have Lost Your Will to Fight the Coming Tyranny of Trump By Robert Reich, RobertReich.org Watch out for these symptoms of passivity. READ MORE» ‘Nobody Is Getting Fooled!’ Newsweek Writer Hilariously Trolls Fox News' Tucker Carlson By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet Kurt Eichenwald has literally collected Carlson's falsehoods in a thick binder. READ MORE»

Van Jones Schools Kayleigh McEnany on How Government and Diplomacy Actually Work By Sarah Burris, Raw Story The CNN pundit makes quick work of one of Trump's most noxious boosters. READ MORE» Colbert Goes to Town About Trump's Pathetically 'Lame' Inaugural Planning By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet "You know the party is lame when the band doesn't want to come."  READ MORE» Donald Trump Favorite Sheriff Joe Arpaio Has One Last Crazed Birther Conspiracy Theory Before He Slinks Away By Sophia Tesfaye, Salon The bigoted Arizona sheriff was voted out of office in November. READ MORE» Al Sharpton Slams Trump for Not Tweeting About the Dylann Roof Case By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet Apparently, Roof's is not the sort of hate crime that keeps Trump up at night. READ MORE» U.S. Decides to Withhold Aid to Philippines While Duterte Continues Murderous Drug War, But What Will Trump Do? By Hannah Hetzer, AlterNet The Obama White House has stood up for human rights, but the new guy will be in office soon, and the early signs aren't exactly encouraging.  READ MORE» Someone Made the Perfect Fix for Trump's Absurdly Petty Vanity Fair Tweet By Janet Allon, AlterNet Here's what he would have said if he had a conscience, heart or the remotest leadership ability. READ MORE» North Carolina's Roy Cooper Sounds the Alarm About State GOP: 'What Is Happening Is Unprecedented' By Kerry Eleveld, DailyKos A series of bills could vastly diminish the newly elected governor's executive powers.  READ MORE»

15 Things Trump Apparently Does—and Does Not—Have Time For By Kali Holloway, AlterNet There are only so many hours in a day. READ MORE» It Would Take a Virtually Unimaginable Miracle to Stop Trump's Electoral College Victory By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet It won't take an Electoral College rebellion, but an Electoral College miracle to stop a Trump White House. READ MORE» A Dire Prediction for Trump's First 100 Days By Travis Nichols, AlterNet Putin's power grab is a blueprint for Donald Trump's budding kleptocracy.  READ MORE»

What Did Donald Trump Know About Vladimir Putin's Attempt to Hack the Election—and When Did He Know It? By Heather Digby Parton, Salon The plot thickens: Everything about Trump's oddly subservient attitude toward Putin suggests dark possibilities. READ MORE» Trump's Energy Policy Will Darken the Future with Disastrous Pollution and Dirty Air By Michael Klare, TomDispatch His carbon-obsessed energy policy will make America Smoggy Again. READ MORE» What Trump Would Be Doing if He Actually Wanted to Drain the Swamp By Gary D. Bass, Danielle Brian, OtherWords If Trump cares about unrigging the system like he's said, here are five things he can do. READ MORE» A Tragedy Unfolds in Yemen, Aided by U.S.-Funded Saudi Weapons By Medea Benjamin, AlterNet The only way to end the humanitarian crisis is to end the conflict. READ MORE» Noam Chomsky: Trump's Victory Recalls Memories of Hitler and Fascism's Spread Across Europe By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! It's the end of the world as we know it.  READ MORE» Born of Slavery, the Electoral College Could Stand Against Racism in 2016—and Stop Donald Trump By Chauncey DeVega, Salon Part of the Electoral College's original purpose was to protect slave-state power. Will it redeem its history now? READ MORE» Whitelash? Not Exactly—Maybe Not Even Really By Jim Sleeper, AlterNet Anti-racism and anti-sexism are necessary but insufficient conditions of the change we really need. READ MORE» Will Trump Privatize Air Traffic Control? By Michael Arria, AlterNet Privatization advocate Rep. Bill Shuster has met with Trump and incoming Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. READ MORE» Anthony Bourdain Slams Synthetic Meat Creators: How Do You Think They Develop That Stuff? By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet Bourdain believes synthetic meat is the "enemy."  READ MORE» How Much Ibuprofen Is Too Much in One Day? By Elana Glowatz, Medical Daily There are limits to what the body can handle. READ MORE» White Man Taunts Black Comedian: Trump's Victory Entitles Me to Call You a Ni***r By Erin Corbett, Raw Story This happened even in supposedly liberal New York City.  READ MORE»

********************************************  

M00bies

     

David Pakman: Putin Involved in Election Hacks, Bernie Takes Down Trump Supporters, and Much More...

 

David Pakman: Harvard Prof: Electors Close to Blocking Trump; Trump Trying to Stop Elector Lawsuit

 

Secular Talk: Lockheed Martin loses billions over trump tweet

Secular Talk: Politico punishes writer over anti-trump joke...basically implying incest between him and ivanka. Thing is, the writer's joke was FUNNY because it was TRUE! Why does Politico have its knickers in a twist--trump gave us permission to say whatever's on our minds, unfiltered by civility. And the writer's tweet was far more civil than anything coming out of trump's filthy face anus.

Secular Talk: a guide to trump's MASSIVE MASSIVE debts. Friends, we need to know this shit because it tells us who OWNS trump's pasty fat ass. And it ain't us, duh.

Secular Talk: the White House says that the U.S. media "became the arms of Russian intelligence." Well, no shit, Sherlock. And, despite everything we are trying to do through Congress and the Electoral College, there seems to be no way to stop PEWtin's American kakistocracy. I for one welcome our new Russian overlord...NOT.

Stephen Colbert: PEWtin hacked because of a vendetta with Hillary. Stephen oversimplifies a little--the vids above give the story better, and I mention it because so many of us get our news from people like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers because our commercial, corporate media suck--but he's still funny as.

David Pakman: David and the team debunk a trump voter just by asking him to elaborate on why he voted for trump. Friends, these are the irresponsible people who are responsible for voting to destroy our nation and environment. These are the people who think that making decisions without thinking them through first is a good thing--"Idiocracy" as documentary. As frustrating as this video is to watch, it's good to understand what we're up against. In short, morons and ideologues who stick their fingers in their ears and shriek la-la-la-la whenever presented with the truth.

MSNBC: Michael Moore is "all in" on fighting PEWtin and his evil trump empire

Democracy Now!: Professor Cornel West says that, unlike Bernie, he-snot convinced that the Democratic Party can be reformed. Friends, I hope brother Bernie is right, but I suspect that brother Cornel is right.

Redacted Tonight: the vote was rigged by both sides! But far more by trumpists, just to be clear. This video is worth watching so we can all understand just how little of an actual democracy we have left. Or should I say "had." PEWtin's inauguration on 20 January will remove those last pesky vestiges.

David Pakman: China called trump "ignorant as a child." They're right, duh--ever heard the child-man speak? Any more questions?

David Pakman: trump's businesses are already jeopardizing American interests. Can you imagine how much worse it'll get once PEWtin is inaugurated on 20 January?

Thom Hartmann on Kurt Eichenwald's Newsweek article: Turkey's president Erdogan may already be blackmailing trump!

More on the same story from HuffPo--in short, Erdogan wants the U.S. to extradite reclusive imam Muhammet Fethullah Gülen, who lives in Pennsylvania, because Erdogan wants to pin responsibility for the failed summer coup attempt on Gülen. But President Obama doesn't believe the charges against Gülen and has no intention of extraditing him. Cut to trump's congratulatory phone call with Erdogan, where trump blabbed about how great his Turkish developers were by name. So Ergodan locked the two men up, falsely accusing them of supporting the failed summer coup attempt, to give himself bargaining chips to get trump to extradite Gülen. Again, every single trump building and business partner abroad is now a soft target for those who would come at us, bro.

    
Ring of Fire: trump is threatening the electors who plan not to vote for him because of course. trump is smelling the greed and realizing the implications of sucking PEWtin's dick for the next forever--of course he-snot going to give up unlimited power so easily. And why on earth would anyone expect trump to respect the Constitution, either now or after PEWtin's inauguration on the 20th of January? The only difference between trump and any other Republican is trump's business conflicts of interest and bounty of soft targets for our attackers--other than that, he and the Republicans all have the same goals of suppressing the Democratic vote, destroying the social safety net, and destroying the environment. No shock there. But, even so, ANY other Republican would be better than trump BECAUSE of the business conflicts of interest and soft targets. Just sayin'.

Secular Talk: an alarming number of Republicans think chump won the popular vote. Let's all just file that under DAFUQ?!??, shall we?

Randi Rhodes: we MUST investigate Russia's interference in our election. Oh, and the Russian ambassador to Turkey was brutally assassinated...yikes.

Randi Rhodes: yes, Russia tried to help chump; the intelligence community fears his retaliation.

Keith Olbermann on what we can do now that the electoral college has crowned chump. I'd like to crown them.

Seth Meyers on the North Carolina coup. Disgusting fuckers.

TYT on trump's rage-tweets against Vanity Fair. The review of trump grill is hilarious and makes this video well worth watching. Graydon Carter is the witster who gave us the descriptive "short-fingered vulgarian" for PEWtin's new orange sex slave. I wonder if PEWtin will make the pasty wear pasties.

Here's an SNL Cold Open that will really put a smile on your face...if anything can, given the dire disaster we now face...

This will make you smile, too. It's exactly what hair fuhrer wants to destroy.

'Til next time, check out these great channels:

Randi Rhodes Air Force
Late Night with Seth Meyers
LastWeekTonight
Secular Talk
The Young Turks
The Thinking Atheist
MisterDeity
NonStampCollector

...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested
  

******************************************** 

 

Memes & Funnies

 



...and trump literally thanked Black voters for not voting, telling whites that that was a good thing!!

******************************************** 

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 the swamp monsters. 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.
   
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!

And here's a list of trump companies.

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
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?skip=true

Belk
Contact info: (866) 235-5443 HQ- (704) 357-1000
http://www.belkfeedback.com/(X(1)S(sbbxm3z11e1guxbtctk2wdkc))/Index.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Bloomingdale's
Contact info: (800) 777-0000 HQ- (212) 705-2000
http://survey.medallia.com/?blm-tuwyt-com

Bluefly
Contact info: (877) 258-3359 HQ- (212) 944-8000
flyrep@bluefly.com

The Bon-Ton
Contact info: (800) 233-7626 HQ- (800) 937-5449
http://investors.bonton.com/contactus.cfm

Bed Bath and Beyond
Contact info: (800) 462-3966 HQ- (908) 688-0888
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/selfservice/ContactUs?…

Burlington Coat Factory
Contact info: (855) 355-2875 HQ- (609) 387-7800
http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/contactus.aspx

Carson's
Contact info: (800) 945-4438 HQ- (317) 971-6200
http://investors.bonton.com/contactus.cfm

Century 21 department store
Contact info: (877) 350-2121 HQ- (888) 221-2551
https://www.c21stores.com/contact

Dillard's
Contact info: (800) 345-5273 HQ- (501) 376-5200
http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContactUs

DSW Shoes
Contact info: (866) 379-7463 HQ- (614) 237-7100
http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/customer_service/send_email.jsp

Hudson’s Bay
Contact info: (800) 521-2364 HQ- (800) 521-2364
https://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

HSN
Contact info: (800) 284-3900 HQ- (727) 872-1000
https://www.hsn.com/cs/email_us/default.aspx

Jet
Contact Info: (855) 538-4323 HQ- (844) 538-2255
help@jet.com

Lord & Taylor
Contact info: (800) 223-7440 HQ- (212) 391-3344
https://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

Macy’s
Contact info: (800) 289-6229 HQ- (513) 579-7000
http://survey.medallia.com/?mcy-tuwyt-com

Marshalls and TJ Maxx
Contact info: (888) 627-7425 HQ- (508) 390-1000
https://www.marshallsonline.com/contact-us

Neiman Marcus
Contact info: (888) 888-4757 HQ- (562) 463-9333
https://www.neimanmarcus.com/assistance/contactUs.jsp

Nordstrom
Contact info: (888) 282-6060 HQ- (206) 628-2111
https://nordstrom.custhelp.com/app/ask/incidents.c$sent_queueid/12

Overstock.com
Contact info: (800) 843-2446 HQ- (801) 947-3100
https://help.overstock.com/app/ask

Perfumania
Contact info: (866) 557-2368 HQ- (800) 228-3489
http://perfumaniaholdings.com/contact

Saks Off Fifth
Contact info: (877) 551-7257 HQ- (212) 320-4700
https://www.saksoff5th.com/contactus

Stein Mart
Contact info: (888) 783-4662 HQ- (904) 346-1500
http://ir.steinmart.com/contactus.cfm

Wayfair
Contact info: (866) 263-8325 HQ- (617) 532-6100
https://www.wayfair.com/help/faq.php

Winners
Contact info: (514) 788 4949 HQ- (905) 405-8000
https://www.winners.ca/en/contact

Zappos
Contact info: (800) 927-7671 HQ- (702) 943-7777
https://secure-www.zappos.com/contact

Zulily
Contact info: (877) 779-5615 HQ- (206) 724-0500
http://www.zulily.com/contacts

OK, friends--let's get busy!