From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...
Academy Awards producer Gil Cates has an Oscar blog (http://www.oscars.com/oscarnight/blog/blog2.html.). This entry shows how smart he is:
"I think it's wrong to have a tape delay because we run the risk of infringing upon the right to free speech. When you take that away, we are handing over our Constitutional rights to one person who decides for hundreds of millions of other people what is appropriate for them to see. In my opinion, the occasional embarrassment we might suffer is the price of democracy.
[snip]
"I would hate to think of someone with his or her finger on the delay button who must decide very quickly if the political nature of remarks warrant the censorship of acceptance speeches. I mean, do you push the button for that? And then what happens to the Constitution? What happens to freedom of speech?"
Wow. Go, Oscar Dude!
Cheers and Jeers starts---without delay---in the Extended Entry section... [Swoosh!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!]
Cheers and Jeers for Wednesday, February 23, 2005...
By the Numbers:
Days `til the Oscars: 4
Percent of February that's over: 82%
Number of Jeff Gannon stories in USA Today in the past 15 days: 1
(Source: USA Today's search engine)
Number of Catholic marriage annulments performed in 1968: 338
Number of marriage annulments performed in 2002: 30,000
(Source: San Francisco Chronicle via The Week magazine)
Inches of rain in L.A. this winter: 30
(Source: C&J'er SanDiegoDem)
The last time the Stanley Cup wasn't awarded: 1919 (Reason: a flu epidemic)
Your Puppy Pic of the Day Hello, kitty therapist? Do you handle emergency trauma cases? http://www.mattsfunhouse.com/gallery/animals/pic27368
CHEERS to kicking it up a notch. BAM! Senate Democrats are circulating a letter calling for a formal investigation into the Jeff Gannon scandal (John at Americablog calls it "Very, very very good news"): http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/02/yes-democratic-leadership-calls-on.html. To be continued. Deliciously continued...
JEERS to product placement. Winn-Dixie gets an entire movie named after it ("Because of Winn-Dixie"), but it's not enough to keep the company from filing for bankruptcy protection three days after the film's release: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-02-22-winn-dixie_x.htm. "Cleanup on aisle 6...and yer gonna need the jumbo mop!"
CHEERS to filling-ripper-outers. On this date in 1896, the Tootsie Roll was introduced by Leo Hirshfield. I've eaten approximately 30,000 of them so far. They help plug the holes in my stomach caused by the Bacardi.
JEERS to hating the sinner, hating the sin, and yo mama, too. The Pope has written a new book (yeah...like he really wrote it) in which he calls gay people "evil": http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050222/2005-02-22T201215Z_01_L22608092_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-POPE-BOOK-D
C.html. Pick your punchline: A) It takes one to know one B) I know you are but what am I C) People who live in glass houses... D) Ass.
JEERS to the effete right. Remember when Bill O'Reilly and other wingnuts told their followers to boycott all things French at the start of the Iraq war? Turns out France is still selling a lot more stuff to us than we are to them...in fact, French imports were up 9% in 2004: http://wampum.wabanaki.net/archives/001744.html. So much for the party of discipline.
CHEERS to memorable moments in patriotism. On this date in 1945, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi, where they raised the American flag: http://www.gallerym.com/work.cfm?ID=277. Not shown: the poor G.I. who slipped and got a hardwood enema.
JEERS to killjoys. The ban on sex toys in Alabama is allowed to stand, thanks to a lily-livered U.S. Supreme Court: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1896&u=/nm/20050222/us_nm/court_sextoys_dc&pri
nter=1. But overturning the ban may turn out to be easy---just threaten to inspect the Republican leaders' bedrooms.
CHEERS to the original inkster. On this date in 1455, Gutenberg printed the first book: the Bible. While proofing it the first time, he noticed that the page numbers went 361, 362, 364...and all he could do was weep.
JEERS to life imitating cheap B movies about jungle vixens. Madonna has been elevated to the rank of---I kid you not---High Priestess of Kaballah. http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=68170&cat=Entertainment. Hey, if it means she'll be too busy to make movies, we're all for it. (Can they make Britney Spears a major general?)
JEERS to ways you can tell that the Presidents' Day party is over. After having Monday off, the Dow dropped 175-points. Oh well, what's a little money down the drain as long as you've got happiness? (Note: If happiness for you is money, the bar is right through those doors).
CHEERS to sons who become president and don't embarrass their dad. On this date in 1848, Anthony Hopkins---played by John Quincy Adams---died of a stroke at the age of 80, after a lifetime of noble service to a young nation. Pay your respects here: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7&pt=John%20Adams. Then utter your epithet of choice to the current Spawn-in-Chief.
JEERS to crabby old ladies. "No thank you! We already have a vacuum cleaner. His name is Bentley!" http://www.bobsnewswire.com/jpegs/queen2.jpg. "Now bugger off!"
JEERS to clueless Mainers. Yesterday Bill in Portland Maine was the first to post a comment on a Kos main page entry. We crowed about it. Bad move: http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/2/22/11511/6400/2#2. Now you know why we stay here in the cellar where it's safe.
C&J Flashback: February 23, 2004...
CHEERS to Kos's Edwards endorsement. C&J believes, also, that Edwards is the best candidate (and last Wednesday's poll showed 84% Edwards support among C&J readers). Fresh, energetic, smart. Kerry vs. Bush will be Clinton vs. Dole in reverse.
CHEERS to the drug makers. I held out as long as I could before kneeling at the altar of NyQuil, Robitussin, Actifed. But once this bastard cold passes, you're back on my shit list, you money-grubbing pharmaceutical companies. And another thing: You guys can... Zzzzzzzzz.....
And just one more:
CHEERS to We See/They See. [Be sure to click on "More" to see them all]: http://www.dribbleglass.com/images/we-see/we-see14.htm. Still wonder why it's so hard for the left and the right to play well together?
Floor's open. What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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