From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...
Things for Which I am Thankful: 2009
Barack Obama is our 44th president and John McCain is not
Joe Biden is our vice president and Sarah Palin is not
That somehow we didn't fall into Great Depression II
The hope of semi-significant healthcare reform
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Howard Dean
The Congressional Progressive Caucus
Michelle and those arms
Olbermann, Maddow, Schultz, Stewart, Colbert
That my spellchecker recognizes "Maddow" and doesn’t try to replace it with "mad cow" or "mildew."
Lou Dobbs' forced exit
25 years of Bill Moyers on my teevee
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The life and leadership of Ted Kennedy
Senator Al Franken
Also senators Sherrod Brown and Bernie Sanders.
The rising star that is Rep. Alan Grayson, and his perfect summary of Blanche Lincoln's, Joe Lieberman's, Ben Nelson's, Mary Landrieu's and the GOP's healthcare plan: "Don’t get sick. If you do get sick, die quickly."
My new congresswoman, true-blue progressive Chellie Pingree
Also Congressman Anthony Weiner, for articulating the progressive position on healthcare reform so perfectly
The continuing Republican implosion
The rest of the world, for liking us again
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That I'm not traveling for Thanksgiving
My partner, Michael, for his patience
All of my bosses here at Daily Kos
The front-pagers and diarists here, for explaining stuff I don't know boo about
The rest of the progressive blogosphere, for having the wisdom to follow all orders issued by Kingmaker Markos
Netroots Nation and its organizers
Pittsburgh's hospitality
Netroots for the Troops
Righty blogs, an endless source of amusement (bless their hearts)
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Evolution
Electric cars
Bullet trains
Unions
Diversity
NASA
Public works projects
Stem cell research
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Our soldiers over here and over there
The folks here in Maine who voted 'No on 1'
The folks in Washington who voted 'Yes on 71' and those in Kalamazoo who voted 'Yes on 1856'
Our new kitty
Water on the Moon
And, as ever, that magic moment at 6am when the rum crosses the blood-brain barrier
Okay. Let's eat.
Cheers and Jeers, including the debut of our special hymn for the season, starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Thursday, November 26, 2009
Note: Cheers and Jeers will not appear tomorrow in honor of our time-honored tradition of slacking. We will return on Monday...if we must.
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By the Numbers:
Days `til Festivus/Christmas/Kwanzaa: 27/29/30
Days `til the 48th annual Holiday Bazaar in Reedsport, Oregon: 8
Average amount holiday shoppers plan to spend this year, a 3.2% decrease from last year: $682.74
(Source: BIGresearch via McClatchy News)
Date of Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation: 10/3/1863
Number of people who will call the Butterball hotline today: 12,000
Number of NFL games on tap today: 3
Population of Turkey, Texas: 456
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Your Thursday Molly Ivins Moment:
Since the political world ranges from poor to icky these days, you may think we are gratitudinally challenged this Thanksgiving. But a mere soupcon of sunny optimism goes a long way toward getting us to dwell on how lucky we are. We are abundantly blessed with lemons. Let us make lemonade. [...]
I was particularly intrigued by this thought from peace activist Gen Van Cleve: It's 2009 and the Bush people are gone, leaving in their wake fury, suspicion, distrust -- basically, our name is mud, whether we've left Iraq by then or not. Most of the rest of the world considers us: A) insane, B) imperialist and C) morons. What to do?
Remember when John F. Kennedy announced that America would go to the moon within 10 years? That we would put all our technological, scientific and government expertise into making a grand project happen? And we did.
Suppose we announce a new project: to find and make available inexpensive forms of renewable, nonpolluting energy. We could put all our available federal resources in science and technology into making that happen and enlist the private sector -- and also announce our intention to share this technology with the rest of world. Not to own it exclusively, but to help spread it all over the world. Good for them, good for us, no downside -- except for the oil companies.
---Thanksgiving, 2005
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Puppy Pic of the Day: The first Thanksgiving. It's been downhill ever since. (I blame the cat.)
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And Now For Something Completely Different...
In a slight break from our usual format, today we're treating you to the debut of the first C&J hymn---BiPM Opus 1.1. In observance of Thanksgiving, we've added a few new stanzas to the classic holiday piece, We Gather Together. (Click here and watch a dude play it on his "magic organ"---[snork!]) It is written for lute and cowbell. As the holiday unfolds, may your feast be bountiful, and your couch time plentiful.
[Lights dim]
[Lute and cowbell players enter, bow, and play...]
We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to his name, he forgets not his own.
We gather together to fist bump Obama;
He's working, not shirking, and holding his own.
The right is distressing, their trousers they are messing,
They're acting like big jerks; hear them piss, whine and moan.
Before we go further let's mock Rethug health care;
If you're sick just die quick and try not to groan.
We need the adoption of a robust public option
Care cradle to the grave: every organ and bone.
Oh, maybe we might think a bit 'bout the ice caps
I'm thinking they're shrinking and that means we'll fry!
Our planet's an oven, it really needs some lovin'
If we don’t act and fast, we can kiss our ass "Bye!"
Afghanistan is a big mess there's no question
We're tired, quagmired; we're fed up and beat.
Let's throw in more forces, more treasure and resources
Don’t learn from history---Rinse, lather, repeat.
And this is the lyric devoted to Oprah
We praise her, we glaze her with sweet words and awe
'Cause if we don't bow down she'll fly out to our town
She'll find us where we live, and she'll shatter our jaw.
And here's an idea: let's increase employment
We need jobs, we need jobs, we need jobs jobs jobs!
Eight million will do it, now Congress get to it!
Put people back to work...well, except for Lou Dobbs.
Could gay people please have a seat at the table?
Nix DOMA, Pass ENDA, and let us be wed.
Can we ring the death knell on Don’t Ask and Don’t Tell?
It's none of your beeswax what we do in our bed.
And let’s say a word about C & J splashers
You cheer and you jeer and you've got great big hearts.
You're all smart as Einstein (and cultured as fine wine)
You have the sense to flee, when I unleash my farts.
And finally a scritchy or two for our pooties
They're fuzzy, they're wuzzy, they're sassy and sleek
Their claws they are scratching, their teeth they are gnashing
Okay, no bath today---we can do it next week.
Ahhhhh...haaa...mennnnnnnn.
Oh, and Gobble Gobble. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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