C&J is a diary entry today at the request of Kos.
From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...
The Good...
Howard Dean on Meet the Press:
"Democrats have strong moral values. Frankly, my moral values are offended by some of the things I hear on programs like "Rush Limbaugh," and we don't have to put up with that. Our problem in this party is we didn't stand up early enough and fight back against folks like that who thought they were going to push us around and bully us, and we're not going to do it anymore..."
The Bad...
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on teaching evolution and creationism in public schools: "I can tell you that in Texas we did go through this issue, when Bush was governor and I was working for him. We ended up...the curriculum says basically that both points of view are taught from a factual basis." Oh really?
The Ugly...
Rick Santorum on the cover of the New York Times magazine is stomach-turning stuff. What's next...a glowing Barbara Boxer essay in the Weekly Standard? (Don't hold your breath.)
Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Monday, May 23, 2005...
Note: Your left turn blinker is still on.
By the Numbers:
Days `til Memorial Day: 7
Days `til July 4: 42
Number of people who streamed Air America online in January: 1,300,000
Number who streamed it in April: 1,700,000
(Source: Air America CEO Danny Goldberg)
Percent of U.S. employees who say they'd rather give up morning coffee than their ability to surf non-work related web sites at work: 52%
Guys who deliberately surf porn sites at work: 17%
(Source: Websense)
Number of sunny weekends in southern Maine since April 9: 0
Rank of southern Mainers on list of "Crabbiest Americans": 1
(Source: My own eyes, damn you!)
Your Puppy Pic of the Day Double the pleasure, Double the fun!
CHEERS to Newsweek. Finally, finally, finally. President Bush finally gets a `down' arrow in the magazine's Conventional Wisdom Watch. It wouldn't be payback for the bloody lip he gave you on the playground last week...would it?
JEERS to flawed firsts. In over 4 years at the helm, George W. Bush has never vetoed a bill that arrived at his desk. So what does he promise to veto first? Why, scientific progress, of course. No surprise there...when was the last time you saw a stem cell in a voting booth?
JEERS to more of the same. As our Top Brass boasts of insurgent desperation, another explosion creates another 50 casualties in Iraq. Cartoonist Steve Benson shows why military press conferences are getting a little noisy lately. Those aren't inroads, General...they're called craters.
CHEERS to progressive inspiration. C&J submitted its "Dream Agenda" to the Yearly Kos convention organizers last night. We found some great idea starters in Alternet.org's new book (which includes an article by Kos), called Start Making Sense. It'll drain the ink from your highlighter faster than Congress drains dollars from the treasury. Buy!
JEERS to a good walk spoiled. While scouting out a comfy post-Armageddon squat spot in Jerusalem, First Lady of the Sith (check out her duds in this photo) Laura Bush incurred the wrath of protestors. She then clicked her heels three times and said, "There's no place like a town hall meeting. There's no place like a town hall meeting..."
CHEERS to good neighbors. It's Victoria Day in Canada. Pluck a maple leaf and give it a li'l squeeze, eh?
JEERS to Howard Dean. Look, he was mostly great on `Meet the Press' (someone's been taking framing lessons!), but this statement---although he later corrected it---was cringe-worthy: "But the thing that really bothered me the most, which the 9-11 Commission said also wasn't true, is the insinuation that the president continues to make to this day that Osama bin Laden had something to do with supporting terrorists that attacked the United States. That is false. The 9-11 Commission, chaired by a Republican, said it was false. Is it wrong to send people to war without telling them the truth. And the truth was Osama bin Laden was a very bad person who was doing terrible things, but that Iraq was never a threat to the United States." CoughSaddamCough!!
CHEERS to bandits eating bullets. On May 23, 1934, bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death in a police ambush as they tried to escape in a stolen Ford Fordor Deluxe Sedan near Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Of all the luck...one day after the warranty expired.
JEERS to life without munchies. A German scientist claims that he's gone four years on nothing but water. Michael Werner says he gets all his energy from sunlight. "I can't really explain what is happening," he says. We think that lifestyle sound fascinating...but absolutely no fun.
JEERS to Marty Meltz. He's the Maine Sunday Telegram's frequently-clueless movie critic. The latest inanity: he calls `Star Wars III' "the last prequel before the `last' (1977) chapter..." [his parentheses, not mine]. Then he says, "For `Star Wars' aficionados, it is highly satisfying in its preparation for the final episode, which we saw 28 years ago." I guess `Empire Strikes Back' and `Return of the Jedi' never made it on his radar screen. Thumbs down to you, Marty Hack.
CHEERS to madmen who stop breathing. On this date in 1945, Gestapo thug Heinrich Himmler committed suicide in prison. Something about his girlfriend shacking up with Göerring, I think.
CHEERS to perfect words. The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy visited Boston Harbor over the weekend, and the message the crew spelled on deck as it docked was great. Shore leave granted, you hunky swabs.
C&J Flashback: May 23, 2004...
CHEERS to Michael Moore. His film beats 18 others to win the Palm d' Hors d'oeuvres at Cannes, ensuring both a d'stributor and big bucks at d'box office. But he's not going to get d'big head now, is he?
And just one more...
CHEERS to Revenge of the Grannies. Hell hath no fury like a group of old ladies getting sideswiped by a jerk. (Thanks to C&J'er Black Max for the link to this amazing cell phone call.) We can think of no better way to start a Monday than with your beverage of choice coming out your nose.
Floor's open. What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-