Need an “orange to blue” list!

4fx

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Friday July 20, 2018 · 5:16 PM PDT

2018/07/20 · 17:16

It’s been a while, but do you recall the DailyKos “orange to blue” donation list? The list picked out candidates where our donations could make a difference, and had an ActBlue link. It was an easy way to ensure that my donations would go to where they could help most, and I donated accordingly.

Sadly, if there has been such a list for 2018, I’ve missed it.

Of course, I could try to do all the research, figure out which candidates need the help more than others plus for which the donations could make the difference, taking into account advertising costs in various media markets, etc. The sad truth is that I’m deficient; that is not my area of knowledge and it would take a while for me to get up to speed… if I even could by November. It would be better for me to spend my time canvassing, writing voter postcards, etc. and find someone knowledgeable to make suggestions.

Ah-ha, I thought, Dailykos has people who do know this stuff! Has anyone put together such a list? Is someone willing to do so? I promise to donate to it immmediately!

Save The Expanse - one of the best political shows on TV (and great science fiction)

4fx

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Tuesday May 15, 2018 · 12:03 PM PDT

2018/05/15 · 12:03

SyFy has cancelled future seasons of The Expanse with more than half the story from the novels yet to go. Alcon studios is trying to find another place to carry it and is reportedly in talks with Amazon.

Dedicated (some would say insanely rabidly dedicated) fans are working to support this effort in any way possible. Petitions, tweets, and they are begging Amazon to pick up the show. Some truly dedicated fans ran a Go Fund Me and rapidly hit goal to fly a banner over Amazon studios today. Anyone in the Santa Monica area should see it between now and until 2 PM, and again between 5 and 7 pacific time.

For those unfamiliar with either book or show, a few items that may interest you:

Paul Krugman retweeted the Save The Expanse petition. Why? Well he might have agreed with The Washington Post on season 2

The best show about international relations on television right now is on — wait for it — Syfy.

For season 3, the Post rated it second, just behind “The Americans” as regards international politics.

The show (and books) explores themes of economic injustice, “planetism” which has taken the place of racism, and imperialism all while telling a heck of a good story. The cast is diverse with strong female and POC characters.

Those who have read the best selling, Hugo award nominated books but not seen the show should know that the book authors are closely involved in writing the show scripts. The show runner has a physics PhD, so the fidelity to accurate science is excellent.

Those who have watched the show know this is very high quality sci-fi, critically acclaimed, and season 3 is 100% on rotten tomatoes. (Season 1 was 76%, yes the first 3 episodes were set up and slow

Dear Senator Grassley

4fx

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Monday December 04, 2017 · 8:14 AM PST

2017/12/04 · 08:14

I will not be subject to the estate tax. Not under the existing law, nor obviously under your revisions. I have worked in some capacity since I was 16 (the legal minimum in the state where I grew up). Of course, I worked unofficially before that — babysitting, etc.

The majority of my professional work life was as an emergency physician. I’ve saved, I’ve invested, and am very fortunate to be looking at a comfortable retirement.

I rarely drink, I see 3 or 4 movies a year. I confess to spending a lot on a woman: myself.

Senator, what the hell are you talking about? Even in a well-paid profession it takes a lot more than the salary most of us earn to be subject to the estate tax. Plain and simple, you are pandering to wealthy Republican donors, shafting most Americans to give the the next generation of wealthy donors a break.

if you live in Iowa, give Grassley a call.

The "no permit" lie

4fx

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Wednesday August 16, 2017 · 8:18 AM PDT

2017/08/16 · 08:18

It’s far from the most important point, but we might as well debunk it now. The counter-protesters had permits. The permits were obtained by Professor Walter Heinecke of the Curry School of Education of the University of Virginia.

In this podcast from KPFA he explains why: during a past counter-protest, as soon as the alt right had finished and left, the police threatened arrest for anyone remaining. He recalled the situation where the police didn’t give sufficient time to disperse and Heinecke was determined to avoid it for this protest.

It’s a good listen for other reasons as well; he was at the University on Friday night and gives details of the confrontations on Friday night.

Need Help Volunteering - Nevada

4fx

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Monday August 22, 2016 · 4:46 PM PDT

2016/08/22 · 16:46

I want to volunteer to go to Nevada. I've signed up on the general Hillary website and the Nevada section weeks ago. I just signed up again via Facebook. I keep calling the campaign 646 854 1432 but I get “all our call center operators are busy” and “please call back later.” (I realize this is a good sign so I can't be annoyed that others want to volunteer, etc.!)

Is there anyone on Kos involved in the Nevada effort? Can you put me in touch with the volunteer contact? Or do they no longer need volunteers? I could go to Colorado or Arizona instead, but they seem less likely to be priority.

Need volunteering advice

4fx

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Sunday August 07, 2016 · 11:43 AM PDT

2016/08/07 · 11:43

I am determined to do whatever I can to elect Hillary. Donating, yes I have and will, but I'd like to volunteer also. Since I work part time, it would be 4 or 5 day stretches, limited to states reasonably close to California. So which is the most likely to help elect Hillary? Nevada? Colorado? Arizona? Somewhere else?

i signed up to volunteer last week on the Hillary site. Anyone know the lag time for contact aside from the standard “thank you” email?

Trump's Response Proves Mr. Khan's Point

4fx

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Sunday July 31, 2016 · 12:24 PM PDT

2016/07/31 · 12:24

I was disappointed not to see a comment on this angle, then Vox put this up; I’m glad someone covered it. Trump said Mr. Khan

has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution

Trump is, as usual, dead wrong, and showing that he either hasn't read — or doesn't understand — the Constitution. The first amendment bars laws

prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

So yes, Mr. Trump, the Constitution (which of course you know better than anyone*) specifically guarantees Mr. Khan the right to stand in front of as many people as he pleases and criticize you in any way he likes.

If you don't know this, you are even more unfit than seems possible to even run for any public office, much less the highest elected office in the US.

So I thought this might be the place for a round up of Trump’s statements which show how well he’s “read the Constitution."

1st Amendment: Aside from the example above, he wants to close Mosques, is “open to” a Muslim database or requiring Muslims to carry special ID. He already sues various media outlets if they say things about him he doesn’t like, so he wants “loosen up” libel laws in order to win those ridiculous suits. He wanted the FCC to find a pundit who criticized him. Who knows what other offenses against the first amendment he’ll think up?

4th Amendment: Trump endorses surveillance on Mosques, no mention of a warrant required.

5th Amendment: He embraces a concept of eminent domain, taking property for “public use,” that many constitutional scholars find very questionable.

14th amendment: He doesn’t understand that the Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship

DONALD TRUMP: Well, I happen to disagree with the whole concept of anchor babies. I mean, you look at anchor babies--

CHUCK TODD: But that's in the Constitution.

DONALD TRUMP: No, it's not in the Constitution. If you read and if you look, and if you go to the real scholars, like different people that I can give you, they will tell you. Somebody comes over and they have a baby on our border and it happens to be on this side of the border, we're not mandated to take care of that baby. You do not have to change the Constitution.

And of course, there was that meeting with Republicans in Congress where he said “I’m for Article I, I’m for Article II, I’m for Article XII.” Nice that he vowed to defend 12 articles of the Constitution, since there are only seven.

* Extra points to anyone who can find a Trump statement on how well he knows/understands the Constitution.

Ivana: Trump Kept Hitler's Speeches at Bedside

4fx

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Sunday June 19, 2016 · 11:28 AM PDT

2016/06/19 · 11:28

It’s old news, but there’s so much in his past, it’s easy for things we should remember to get buried. Here’s something that shouldn’t be forgotten, an article from Vanity Fair.

Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. . .

“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.

Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”

“I don’t remember,” I said.

“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)

Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”

From the same article

Donald is a believer in the big-lie theory,” his lawyer had told me. “If you say something again and again, people will believe you.”

I came to post this diary after reading Leonard Pitts Jr's column “If it talks like a Hitler and walks like a Hitler …” The goals are clearly not the same: Trump is not at all likely to try to exterminate Jews, Gypsies, LGBTQ people, etc. But the methods are the all too similar, and the outcome potentially catastrophic. Pitts quotes several holocaust survivors who see this similarity. He ends with a very acute statement:

You can’t blame people who didn’t realize what Hitler was. They had never seen anything like him before.

You and I, however, have no such excuse.

I can’t aspire to the term “activist.” My political involvement is limited: donations, some phonebanking in the past 3 presidential elections, door to door for Kerry in Florida and New Mexico (The only year I had time to travel as I worked very, very part time in 2004).

But this time, I am unashamed to be terrified by Trump. I will do everything possible for me to do to defeat him.

I hope to encourage all to do the same.

Should County clerks refuse marriage licenses to the divorced?

4fx

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Monday June 29, 2015 · 7:18 AM PDT

2015/06/29 · 07:18

So the Texas AG and others are concerned about the deeply held religious beliefs of County clerks. The bible never says gays shouldn't marry, but it does specifically talk about divorce and remarriage.

Has any one asked the GOP candidates whether they would support a clerk who refuses to issue a certificate to a couple where one or both of them are divorced? After all, the bible is specific on this, and a clerk with a deeply held religious belief shouldn't have to facilitate adultery.

I would love to see a journalist pursue this. Follow over the orange croissant for more about the relevant bible verses absolutely forbidding such marriages.

4fx

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Friday September 12, 2014 · 4:47 PM PDT

2014/09/12 · 16:47

I need help. Specifically, I need help directing my contributions. I get calls, emails and mail, but I know some of those are from candidates who are far ahead and don't really need more donations, and some are likely to be lost causes.

In the past I've donated based on the dailyKos "orange to blue" list. I want to donate where my money will have the most effect and do the most good, whether it's helping capture a seat or hold a seat. With all the expert political knowledge on this site, surely someone could come up with a dKos "high impact" list on ActBlue to help those of us who are not as knowledgeable?

Orbital floor fractures - facts and speculation on Darren Wilson

4fx

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Thursday August 21, 2014 · 7:01 PM PDT

2014/08/21 · 19:01

If you're following the Michael Brown killing (and how many of us aren't?) you may have heard the latest allegation - that Wilson has an orbital floor fracture. Having seen comments in some of the threads looking for information, I thought I'd post some background. I spent many years as an ER doc and have seen my share of these. (Though any ophthalmologist who wishes to add or correct, please do!)

Follow me past the croissant d'orange for the medical scoop.

4fx

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday November 04, 2012 · 11:14 AM PST

2012/11/04 · 11:14

Just saw this from AP via ABC - the judge ordered an extra day of early voting at the The Winter Park library site, a site that was closed for a while Saturday due to suspicious packages. Voters will have to use provisional ballots but will be able to vote today. Also

Christina White, deputy supervisor with Miami-Dade County, said the county also decided to accept absentee ballots for four hours on Sunday at its main office.
"We are hoping that (the Democratic Party) is happy with that," White said.

Broward County is also allowing voters to pick up absentee ballots on Sunday, but only if they made an appointment in advance.

For more complete information on early voting using absentee ballots in Florida, see David KC's diary

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Need an “orange to blue” list!

Save The Expanse - one of the best political shows on TV (and great science fiction)

Dear Senator Grassley

The "no permit" lie

Need Help Volunteering - Nevada

Need volunteering advice

Trump's Response Proves Mr. Khan's Point

Ivana: Trump Kept Hitler's Speeches at Bedside

Should County clerks refuse marriage licenses to the divorced?

Help - need a 2014 "orange to blue" list!

Orbital floor fractures - facts and speculation on Darren Wilson

Breaking - early voting extended Orange County, Florida