“The best idea we ever had...”
Happy National Park Week. Yellowstone was #1 in 1872 (Thank you, U.S. Grant), and we've been adding 'em ever since. And you know what else we've finally added? A Native American Secretary of the Interior:
And good lord, has she been busy. On today's agenda: delivering a keynote address to the 20th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Below the fold, a few Monday moments of zen, courtesy of our National Parks…
"The establishment of the National Park Service is justified by considerations of good administration, of the value of natural beauty as a National asset, and of the effectiveness of outdoor life and recreation in the production of good citizenship."
— Theodore Roosevelt —
"The parks do not belong to one state or to one section. The Yosemite, the Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon are national properties in which every citizen has a vested interest; they belong as much to the man of Massachusetts, of Michigan, of Florida, as they do to the people of California, of Wyoming, and of Arizona."
— Stephen Mather, NPS director 1917-1929 —
“Every national park has its own unique story to tell, yet so much of our nation’s shared heritage can be found in the towering forests and vast desert expanses that make up our National Park System. The outdoors has also proven to be a welcome refuge during the past year of the pandemic. I encourage everyone to enjoy the beauty and wonder of our national parks safely and responsibly.”
— Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland —
A few more pics here. Please note that the C&J kiddie pool is not considered an official national park. But the paperwork has been submitted. Now comes Step 2: convincing Kos to stop un-submitting it.
And now, our feature presentation...
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Cheers and Jeers for Monday, April 19, 2021
Note: Thank you for calling. Please hold and the next available representative will go into the kitchen for a snack, go outside to smoke a butt, write the next great American novel, boogie the night away, and then be right with you. Thank you for your patience, valued customer. —Mgt.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til the next full "pink" moon: 7
Minimum number of mass shootings in the U.S. last month, according to the Gun Violence Archive: 53
Percent of Americans polled by Quinnipiac who don’t believe gun violence is a problem "at all" in the United States, presumably because their brains have been consumed by Dr. Hannibal Lecter: 12%
Percent who correctly believe it's a full-blown crisis: 45%
Percent of Americans who believe marijuana should be legal, according to the same Quinnipiac survey: 69%
Percent chance that Maine's Bowdoin College will require all staff and students to be vaccinated if they want to work or study there this fall: 100%
Weight of the average smell, according to some web site: 760 nanograms
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Monday morning wake-up call…
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CHEERS to ridin' high. Over the last few months, Americans have gotten a sample of life under the leadership of an elderly bureaucrat with decades of D.C. experience, a flinty-eyed focus on lunch bucket issues, minimal tolerance for bullshit, and empathy to spare. The reviews are in: with four decent polls out last week, President Joe Biden earns a respectable post-inauguration honeymoon average of 54 percent approval. Easy to see why:
[O]ne of the reasons why Biden is staying above water is that almost everything he’s deliberately tried to make part of his agenda during his honeymoon period is popular. That Covid-19 relief law? It remains widely popular. (A Monmouth poll finds 63 percent of Americans supporting it, including 43 percent who do so strongly.) His infrastructure plan? It pretty much matches his job rating in the Quinnipiac and NPR/PBS/Marist surveys.
Increased taxes for corporations and Americans making more than $400,000? Popular.
What about making long-term health care part of his infrastructure plan? NPR/PBS/Marist shows 58 percent of Americans believing that this is part of the country’s infrastructure, versus 39 percent who don’t.
In response, Republicans have come up with the perfect way to foil the president's popular agenda: a new racist House caucus led by sex addicts that's dedicated to Anglo-Saxon principles. I'm doubtful it'll catch on. (I hear it’s already disbanded.) But at least they have a catchy slogan: "We’re Gonna Party Like It's 1066."
CHEERS and JEERS to another week on Planet Covid. First the good news: according to the White House, 200 million people in the U.S. "have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including more than 80 million people who’ve been fully vaccinated." Now the bad: it’s time for our weekly check of the latest coronavirus numbers for the historical record, courtesy of the tote board of woe. Worldwide now: over 141 million cases (10M more than last week) and 3 million deaths, as our own domestic death toll rapidly approaches the population of America’s 31st-largest city Milwaukee:
1 year ago: 764,000 confirmed cases. 40,500 deaths
6 months ago: 8.3 million confirmed cases. 224,000 deaths
3 months ago: 25 million confirmed cases. 407,000 deaths
This morning: 32.5 million confirmed cases. 580,000 deaths
As the risk-assessment of the "paused" Johnson & Johnson vaccine continues, a very low-tech solution to the problem of chronic right-wing pandemic misinformation was unveiled last week, courtesy of Congresswoman Maxine Waters. I believe the technical term for this ingenious invention is called—[checks notes]—“You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth.” I hope she's applied for a patent. That's pure gold.
CHEERS to a good thumpin’. On April 19, 1775—a day after Paul Revere & Co.’s famous ride—our War of Independence began in Massachusetts (or, if you’re Michele Bachmann, New Hampshire) with a brief skirmish at Lexington, an engagement at Concord’s North Bridge, and guerrilla warfare as we chased the redcoats—Really, guys? Red? Bright red? Lemme guess: your uniforms were designed by a committee—back to Boston:
After searching Concord for about four hours, the British prepared to return to Boston, located 18 miles away. By that time, almost 2,000 militiamen—known as minutemen for their ability to be ready on a moment’s notice—had descended to the area, and more were constantly arriving. At first, the militiamen simply followed the British column. Fighting started again soon after, however, with the militiamen firing at the British from behind trees, stone walls, houses and sheds. Before long, British troops were abandoning weapons, clothing and equipment in order to retreat faster.
The colonists did not show great marksmanship that day. As many as 3,500 militiamen firing constantly for 18 miles only killed or wounded roughly 250 Redcoats, compared to about 90 killed and wounded on their side.
Nevertheless, they proved they could stand up to one of the most powerful armies in the world. By the following summer, a full-scale war of independence had broken out.
And today we’re still fighting wars. Depending on which side you’re on: against women, secularism, scamvangelists, immigrants, Anglo-Saxon fetishists, fast food, guns, white supremacist terrorists, drugs, freedom, terror, lady parts, the deep state, education, capitalism, cancel culture, the poor, liberals, conservatives, Asians, Hispanics, blacks, gays, transfolks, seniors, the 99 percent and the 1 percent, and Christmas. But, after 20 years, not Afghanistan anymore. Hooray. Sweets and flowers for everyone.
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BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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CHEERS and JEERS to final words. "I can't breathe" are really the only ones the jury in the George Floyd murder trial need to hear.
But starting today the attorneys for both sides will add a few of their own during closing arguments for and against the defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. In the 'plus' column: the prosecution has an open-and-shut case, thanks to eyewitness video and testimony by forensic experts, bystanders, and even other police officers. In the 'minus' column: the victim is black, the defendant is a white (former) cop, and the defense attorney is using not-so-subtle racism to sway the jury. So, for now, we'll just assert that there's no way the jury won’t convict Chauvin for his heinous act of cruelty. Unless they do.
CHEERS to Evolution Man. Charles Darwin started out as a single wriggly cell in 1808, evolved into a fully-grown human being, and died on April 19, 1882. His legacy is always worth revisiting:
Influenced by the ideas of Malthus, he proposed a theory of evolution occurring by the process of natural selection.
The animals (or plants) best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on the characteristics which helped them survive to their offspring. Gradually, the species changes overtime.
[T]he logical extension of Darwin‘s theory was that homosapiens was simply another form of animal. It made it seem possible that even people might just have evolved—quite possibly from apes—and destroyed the prevailing orthodoxy on how the world was created. Darwin was vehemently attacked, particularly by the Church. However, his ideas soon gained currency and have become the new orthodoxy.
Of course, there are some organisms that demonstrate evolution can work in reverse. Like dust mites. And Republican governors.
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Ten years ago in C&J: April 19, 2011
CHEERS to Winning! Nigerians went to the polls to elect a leader, and the victor is: Goodluck Jonathan. "I don’t understand how this could've happened," said his opponent, Nevermore McMirrorbreaker, during a press conference he held under a ladder after which he lit three cigarettes with a single match and then stepped on a crack and broke his mother's back. Poor distribution of yard signs, I'm guessing.
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And just one more…
HEERS to the keepers of the great orange overnight flame. It’s an act of courage and/or audacity to commit to writing a daily series here at Daily Kos, but it’s downright Herculean when you look in the rear-view mirror and see that your series has blown past the baker’s dozen mark. So please join me in wishing the team (Neon Vincent, Magnifico, side pocket, Chitown Kev, HoundDog, maggiejean, annetteboardman, BentLiberal, Interceptor7, jck, eeff and Besame—did I miss anyone?) responsible for publishing the Overnight News Digest—first posted on April 19, 2007—a happy 14th blogiversary.
Having done my share of overnight shifts at various radio stations, I know there’s a real appreciation for having a gaggle of regulars to engage with while most people are catching their forty winks. So we salute the OND crew for keeping the Great Orange Satan’s lights on into the wee hours for so long.
If you're burning the midnight oil or dealing with a bit of insomnia, stop by for a cuppa chamomile with a splash of Dewar's and some good conversation. But as I said back in 2007: keep the noise down or I’m calling the cops.
Have a tolerable Monday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
"You need to respect the Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool and shut your mouth."
—Maxine Waters
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