From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Happy LGBT Pride Month!!!
Golly gee, what might we have to celebrate this year? How about this...
Soon to be 100% blue.
-
Advocates for same-sex marriage count 19 consecutive victories on matters big and small since the high court ruled that the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where it is legal. … Those decisions have been accompanied by a steady increase in the percentage of Americans who support same-sex marriage, most recently at 55% in Gallup polls. … Forty-four percent of Americans live in states where gays and lesbians can marry.
And
this…
A conservative group trying to force a referendum on a [Maryland] transgender rights law scheduled to take effect this fall did not get the required signatures needed to bring the issue to a vote.
And
this…
The Stonewall Inn, site of the
1969 riots and a historic landmark.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is convening a panel of 18 scholars [this] month that will be charged with exploring the LGBT movement's story in areas such as law, religion, media, civil rights and the arts. The committee will identify relevant sites and its work will be used to evaluate them for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, designation as National Historic Landmarks, or consideration as national monuments, Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said.
And
this…
Current cover story
The Obama administration on Friday ended a 33-year ban on Medicare coverage for gender reassignment surgery---a major victory for transgender rights and a decision that is likely to put pressure on more insurers to provide coverage for such services.
The ruling by a Department of Health and Human Services board was in response to a lawsuit filed last year on behalf of Denee Mallon, 74, a transgender woman and army veteran from Albuquerque.
And
this...
With the clock running out on the seventh and final round of the 2014 NFL Draft on Saturday evening and the St. Louis Rams holding two of the last eight picks, Rams coach Jeff Fisher turned to general manager Les Snead and team president Kevin Demoff and said, "Let's go get Michael Sam"---and the NFL changed forever.
And
this…
A new postage stamp honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk was unveiled at the White House on what would have been the icon’s 84th birthday.
Milk, who was elected as a San Francisco supervisor in 1977 and was assassinated less than a year later, is the first openly gay politician to receive the honor of a postage stamp.
Bring it on home,
Mr. President...
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
Mimosa, anyone?
The key to the marriage map above, by the way, is here. Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Note: Today is Give A Canadian A Dirty Look Day. No one knows anything about this holiday, but we're not about to argue with the special events committee. Prepare to glare, eh.
-
4 days!!!
By the Numbers:
Days 'til Father's Day:
12
Days 'til the
Fiber Frolic in Windsor, Maine:
4
Overall cost of "economic and societal harm" from vehicle crashes in 2010:
$871 billion
Number of people killed and vehicles damaged in crashes, respectively, in 2010:
33,000 / 24 million
(Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Expected per-year rise in sales of electric motorcycles through 2023:
30%
Cost of riding an e-motorcyle one mile:
One cent
(Source:
USA Today)
Percent of men who have loaned a buddy tools who are still waiting to get them back:
63%
(Source: Men's Health)
-
Tuesday Words of Wisdom from the Right-wing Blogosphere:
What does "KOSkiddiot" mean ?
---Commenter "Bowen" at RedState
The posters from Daily KOS are routinely referred to as "KOS Kids". They also, if you have ever poked around on their site, have a tendency to lack any valuable discourse. They choose name calling rather than a discussion of ideas. You can play a fun, and short, game on their site by deciding to read through posts of interest until name calling begins. You won't get far on any post, I promise.
---Commenter "cavalier"
All together now: 1…2…3…
You mean like not being able to make it through six comments at RedState before name-calling someone a "KOSkiddiot"?
-
Puppy Pic of the Day: Sploosh.
-
I just LOVE June!
(And those PEARLS!)
CHEERS to June! Dad and the flag get their day, gay pride breaks out across the country (June 21
here in Portland), Atlantic hurricane season started Sunday (the forecasters say this'll be a normal to below-average year, so you can shred your emergency plans and
relaaaaax). It's Candy Month, Adopt-A-Cat Month and Accordion Awareness Month. Plus: according to my wall calendar the Queen gets two freakin' holiday celebrations, one in New Zealand (yesterday) and one in Australia (the 9th). There's a full moon on the 13th, so you have some time to practice winking at Neil Armstrong. Sequel mania hits the
Train Your Dragon, Transformers and
21 Jump Street franchises, which is a polite way of saying don’t hold your breath for any take-your-breath-away movies this month. Oh, and a special message from our Maine mosquitoes: "Come on up---we'd love to have ya for a drink sometime."
P.S. "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon!" So who drew the black spot this year? I gotta get these rocks thrown and then get back home in time for Judge Judy.
CHEERS to Super Tuesday! It's primary election day, and Gladys's doughnuts are warm and fresh down at the polling place. Today's contests are in the great states of…
Go Sandra!!!
Alabama
California
Iowa
Mississippi
Montana
New Jersey
New Mexico
...and South Dakota
If you're voting today, do me a favor: write in "Hiram McGillicutty" somewhere on your ballot. That way, thousands of ballots will say Hiram McGillicuitty and the ballot counters will be like, "Who is this Hiram McGillicutty feller?" And then it'll go national and America will be like, "Oh, that Cheers and Jeers guy is
such a merry prankster! Hiram McGillicutty, indeed." Indeed, ha ha!
JEERS to Obama Derangement Syndrome, Part…I've Lost Count. Yes, we negotiate with bad people. The Obama administration negotiated to get the one and only captured U.S. soldier back from Afghanistan---yay, mission accomplished---and that, of course has the conservative base's knickers (I don’t mean that rhetorically…they still wear knickers and knee socks from a secret Montgomery Ward retail bunker) in a circulation-arresting twist. Never mind this stuff, which apparently never happened:
For example, when terrorists hijacked TWA Flight 847 in 1985, the Reagan administration negotiated with the hostage takers, despite the U.S. policy, and despite fears that it might create an incentive for future hijackings.
More recently, and more to the point, military leaders appointed by the Bush/Cheney administration, at David Petraeus’ behest, endorsed negotiations with the Taliban years ago in the hopes of improving national security conditions in Afghanistan.
Of course, we know what the right's outrage is really about. They aren't mad at Obama for negotiating with the Taliban. They're mad at the Taliban for negotiating with Obama.
CHEERS to a gathering of friends. The Maine Democrats got together over the weekend in Augusta to plot and strategize and make a joyful "Woo hoo!" Among other things (like Mike Michaud's "When I become governor next January…" speech), the new party platform was worked on, including these additions:
Earlier in the day, delegates voted to amend the party platform to support the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana like alcohol, and declared that money is not a form of free speech.
Then, moments later, they came up with a great idea and voted to amend the party platform to support the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana like alcohol, and declared that money is not a form of free speech.
JEERS to the Big Whiffer. On June 3, 1888, "Casey at the Bat" was first published in the San Francisco Examiner. Who can forget those immortal final words…
"Casey...what a schmuck,
am I right, kid, or what?"
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville---mighty Casey has gotten stabbed by Lord Walder Frey's goons at the Red Wedding, tossed into a bottomless pit by Petyr Baelish and burned to a crisp by one of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons.
Oh, I almost forgot: Spoiler Alert!
-
Five years ago in C&J: June 3, 2009
JEERS to extreme sour grapes. Terrorism reared its ugly head again in the U.S. when a lone gunman, backed in spirit by an army of anti-abortion zealots whose rhetoric against their target regularly included words like "murderer," "demon," "killer," and, of course, "Nazi," shot and killed a Kansas doctor in church. Our condolences to George Tiller's family, friends and supporters, who have now seen their worst fears realized. Digby says:
Crazy conservative
Jesus freak terrorist.
-
It seems as if there's somebody shooting up churches and killing cops on the basis of some wingnut obsession every few months now. I wonder why? How many years has it been since there was a left wing terrorist killing in the US? ...
Said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, an anti-abortion activist: "No one should use this tragedy for political gain." Perhaps we could just sweep it under the rug and carry on with the slut shaming, bloody pictures and calling doctors murderers. No need to bring up this little bump in the road. It would be rude.
I noticed this morning in some ABC News video footage that suspect Scott Roeder had a little fish symbol stuck to the back of his car. In the middle it says "Jesus." My sentiments exactly.
-
And just one more…
CHEERS to moments worth remembering:
Terrorist fist jab?
(Hey, just asking.)
"Our primary season has finally come to an end... Because of you, I can say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America.
America, this is our moment! This is our time!"
---Barack Obama, June 3, 2008
Wrote Paul Krugman
yesterday: "I’m liking Obama more and more as he slogs through his second term." The feeling is mutual. Because one day soon he's going to be back in Chicago painting ex-presidential self portraits in the bathtub. And unlike the other ex-president who gets his giggles from that, we're gonna miss this one like hell. Mark my words.
Have a nice Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-
Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
Artist and entrepreneur Mikael Genberg has teamed up with Astrobotic on a 15 million dollar effort to send a self-constructing little Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool to the surface of the moon.
---The Space Reporter
-