Ruminations
1. Good Gnus
The Good News group is a community of readers, writers, activists, and supporters. We begin gathering every day at 7 a.m. ET to celebrate national good news. Our most active members are of course a subgroup of members of Daily Kos, whose Front Page displays the words: News, Community, Action. However, you don’t have to be a member of Daily Kos to be a Newsie.
We are realists. We know that we live in an anxiogenic and difficult world, and we choose to focus on the good news that people create around the country. Sometimes we are the creators. Together we are strong.
2. Republicans in Disarray
Democratic-led coalition takes power in Alaska House, robbing GOP of 2018's lone legislative pickup by David Nir
In a remarkable turn of events, a Democratic-led coalition in Alaska's 40-member state House elected a new speaker on Thursday, despite the fact that Republicans won a nominal 23-seat majority in November's elections. At the time, those results had appeared to spell the end of a similar bipartisan alliance that had governed the House—and give the GOP its lone pickup of a legislative chamber last year. But that outcome has now been reversed, leaving Democrats largely in control.
✂
It's also a bitter denouement for national Republicans, who had crowed about flipping the chamber and gaining a coveted governing "trifecta" the day after the midterms. Instead, that dreamed-of trifecta is now just a memory, and progressives will retain a voice in how Alaska is run for at least the next two years.
3. The Mayor of Gnuville Buoys Us Again
10 Reasons Why We Are on the Winning Side of This %^&$Show of a Presidency: Saturday's Good News
We have already made it through over 2 years! We are more than halfway there and we got ourselves a Democratic House now and way more local Democrats along the way. We have a movement filled with hardworking and awesome people. And we are awake and not going ANYWHERE until we save this country we love.
I know it is exhausting. I know it sucks. But we are the majority. We are on the right side of history. AND WE ARE WINNING. To keep us all motivated, here are ten reasons why we are on the winning side of this shit-show presidency. [GoodNewsRoundup]
Not even 6000 words.
4. The British do not like Trump. Why Not?
We are here not to fear Trump but to mock him. Jeer that priggin arsehole. We diss him.
“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?”
“A few things spring to mind…
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.” [Nate White, of England]
Only 700 words.
If your eyes cannot tolerate that version, here’s a more readable version posted by my friend Pakalolo on Daily Kos.
Who Won the Week? Did you miss some of these?
Honorary Gnu, Bill in Portland Maine has again loaned us his well-researched list of the week’s Good News. The following 11 items appeared in his Who Won the Week? poll in Friday’s Cheers and Jeers. Please enjoy Bill’s on-point analysis and wit, vote in his poll, Rec his diary, get on his bandwagon, send him money, and earn his blessing.
Chemotherapy was rough on Bill this past week; however, he plans to post Monday through Friday this coming week. His poll from Friday now has about 2800 votes. Cheers and Jeers archive and future editions here. Way more than 2 thanks to the incredible Willhelm von kosland!
- Sandusky, Ohio, for replacing Columbus Day with a paid election day holiday so state employees can go vote
- Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), for introducing S. 420, a bill to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana nationally
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), for tearing into former Asst. Sec. of State and genocide enabler Elliott Abrams for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal that got him convicted
- Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), for officially kicking off their presidential races, bringing to five the number of women running, a record
- Howard Dean, whose comeback with the DNC will see him in charge of a voter data exchange that'll allow the DNC, state parties and independent political groups to share voter data in real time during campaigns
- NASA's Mars rover "Opportunity," whose original 90-day mission turned into 14 years and finally came to an end due to that big dust storm.
- House Democrats (and 18 GOPers), for voting to pass a resolution calling for an end to U.S. Military support of terrorist nation Saudi Arabia in Yemen
- Lindsey Vonn, who won a bronze medal on her final race day, thus ending the professional career of the greatest American skier ever
- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for returning to the Supreme Court for the first time since she delivered her double-back-flip nunchaku-assisted body blow to her cancer and spit on its grave
- Jimmy Carter, who won his third Grammy (for either Best Spoken Word or Most Promising Heavy Metal Goth Solo Newcomer, I forget which) Plus: adorbs kisscam moment with Rosalynn.
- Denver's school teachers' union, for reaching an agreement that brought their first city-wide strike in 25 years to an end with higher pay and more incentives
Spoiler Alert! … top 3 items … Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 22%, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) 20%, NASA's Mars rover "Opportunity" 15%.
Environmental Good News
Many thanks to pr0gressivist for the following:
(Brought up from today's comments.)
Locations of members and supporters of the Good News Roundup
Our new map of Gnuville:
- If you want to pin your name and location on our map, please do! My instructions (below) might help. Markers do not betray your identity, and you could pick a nearby town, county, or state capital — we’ll never know! Please add your name and location to the Title box.
- If you choose not to plant your own marker for any reason, our gnutographers, tljdk and WolverineForTJatAW, will help you. Please respond to one of their comments with your state and city or county. — Thank you, TL and Wolvie!
- If you requested a marker yesterday and don’t see it today, please ask again. Patience, dear ungulates, we are gnu at this and could use a few more gnutographers.
- If you accidentally bump a marker from its position, please fix that by clicking the Undo button (Ctrl + Z on a PC).
Instructions: How to mark your location on the Gnuville Map:
- Open our Google map.
- To drop a marker, you need to be signed into your Google account.
- You might want to sign into an anonymous Gmail account, but the marker does not record personal information unless you put it there. (How to get an anonymous Gmail account).
- Search for the town you want to use. For example, Detroit, Michigan. To keep your hometown secret, you could Search for your state’s capital city and place your pin there.
- Click the Add to map link at the bottom of the information pane and do NOT click the Add Layer link immediately above the list of names.
- Click the pencil button (Edit) to insert the text you want to display.
- Add your text to the top box, not the second box: Username — City, State. The second box is not displayed.
- To the left of the top box in the information pane is a grayed-out drop-down arrow. The default is name. We want the default setting, so leave that alone please.
- Once your text is just as you want it, click the Save button.
- Click the X in the upper right corner of the information pane to close it.
- Voila! Check the list on the left to verify the title that appears on your pin.
Fine print: You don’t have to be a member of Daily Kos to place a pin on this map: If you participate regularly in Good News Roundups in any way (FaceBook, Twitter), and if you want to leave your mark on the map, go ahead. If you’re having tech issues, you could email me, and a kind-hearted gnu will post your pin. You can join Daily Kos and comment immediately. (Instructions, Version 4)
Call for map helpers!
We’re inviting a few tech-literate Gnusies with Gmail accounts to help us post Gnusies’ locations on our map. Some Gnusies will be able to post their own locations, and some will need to lean on other Gnusies. All in all, we seem to be doing fine in getting over this river.
7 a.m. 7 days a week — 8 Gnus lead the herd:
Resist
- Find and attend your local Presidents Day Protest: “Donald Trump has declared a #FakeNationalEmergency—an illegal power grab from an unhinged man to push his racist, dangerous policies. We're mobilizing rapid-response events on Presidents Day—Monday, 2/18—against Trump's fake crisis and racist deportation force and to stand with immigrant, Muslim, and Black and brown communities to stop Trump's dangerous and illegal power grab. Events will be at noon local time, or a time selected by hosts.”
- NeedtoImpeach provides stamped postcards, suggested comments. Hand write the addresses and messages.
- Postcards To Voters are friendly handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.
- Yosef 52 has more ideas. 450 Kosacks recommended a diary in praise of Yosef’s service in the 2018 primary! (Never too late to Rec.)
- The Black Kos Community posts diaries on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. ET. Most recent diary: Black Kos, Week In Review.
The Five R’s of the Resistance
- Resist: Protest on the streets, call senators and representatives, etc.
- Rebel: Run for office, GOTV (Get Out The Vote), support a progressive.
- Revolt: Change the laws, change the culture, build your communities.
- Rely: Trust that millions of others are fighting the good fight.
- Rest: Take care of yourself, we are in this for the long term.
What About You?
A Sunday Good Gnus Roundup is not much without you! What’ve you got to say? (You can join Daily Kos and comment immediately.)
- What’s your take on Good News for our country?
- What link, story, music, video, or tweet will you share?
- How are you resisting?
- What are your tech questions, map issues?
Signoff
On Wednesday, karij spoke for me when she signed off with this:
Well folks, that is it for me today. Depending on how work goes will determine when I can be in the comments. But I know you will all take the lead and share the good news I missed and put forth the kinship that exists here. I love the snark and I love to put it to the rethugs but what makes this space special for me is all of you.
Power with, not power over,
2thanks
Sing us out, Paquita La Del Barrio, with a tip of the horns to my friend, newpioneer, who introduced me to this song in Brock Long Gone!, a recent good-news diary on the departure of the despicable and degenerate Director of FEMA, Brock Long. Above the video, newpioneer wrote: “Dedicated to Long and Trompo, sincerely, Puerto Rico.” For those who do not know, newpioneer lives in Puerto Rico.
30 million views!
Lyrics — Spanish and English, side by side
Updated: Edited title and added section on Environmental good news.