Let’s Check the Ukraine Relief Tote Board
As we do every other week or so, let’s check in on the Daily Kos relief fund for the Ukrainian civilians affected by absolutely-going-to-Hell Vladimir Putin’s backfiring attempt to use mass murder to distract us from his total failure as a leader and human being. As of this morning, we see that another 20-grand has been added to the total:
$2,661,421.05
If you'd like to support the five chosen groups—the World Central Kitchen, AmeriCares, the International Rescue Committee, Razom for Ukraine, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare—click here and ActBlue will help you take care of the rest.
While we were celebrating the anniversary of our fight for independence, Ukraine was and is continuing to fight for its independence, and the humanitarian toll is astronomical. Thanks for your continued support of the helpers. And to the cancer in Putin’s gut: what’s taking you so long?
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Note: Now that the July 4th holiday is over, it's time for the annual post-fireworks Counting of Fingers. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and…goat hoof-grafted thumb replacement makes ten. Woo hoo! We hope your weekend was equally excellent.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til the midterm elections: 126
Days 'til the Cheddar Cheese Festival in Adams, New York: 4
Increase in traffic to telehealth abortion platforms when the draft opinion of the repeal of Roe v. Wade was leaked in May: 456%
Increase in traffic to telehealth abortion platforms immediately after the repeal of Roe v. Wade was formally announced in June: 2,585%
Jump in the Dow Industrials last Friday: +321
Percent chance that Joe Biden and the Democrats dug us out of the 2020 employment recession faster than the previous two recessions (2001, 2007): 100%
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Puppy Pic of the Day: A fluffy dolphin, I think…
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JEERS to making an impossible job that much more impossibler. Sorry to say it, but I believe the parasite scientifically known as "Humanity" screwed the climate pooch long ago. There's no longer any hope of saving the planet, just possibly slowing down the speed at which future generations are doomed to flood, fire, and pestilence. (Should I have yelled "spoiler alert"?) So when the six Grand Inquisitors of the Supreme Court gave the EPA a rude authority-ectomy, all I could do was shrug and know that our demise would happen just a little faster. But wait! Was there no silver lining? Thanks to last Friday's New York Times morning email, there may be:
Amy Westervelt, a climate journalist, summarized the decision by writing: “Not good, but also not as bad as it could have been. It’s pretty narrow.” Romany Webb of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University called the ruling “a blow, but it is nowhere near the worst-case scenario.” […]
Michael Gerrard, an environmental law expert at Columbia University, listed other ways that government agencies could continue to address climate change, including: federal rules applying to newly built power plants; federal rules on leakage from oil and gas production; state and local rules in many areas; and private sector efforts to become more energy efficient, often subsidized by the government.
“One battle is lost…” Gerrard wrote, “but the war against climate change very much goes on.”
"Oh how adorable," said Mother Earth as she upped her climate blender setting from "stir" to "puree."
CHEERS and JEERS to the blue, white and red. Meaning, blue skies giving the sun carte blanche to turn white people red. It was a picture-perfect Maine holiday/summer vacation weekend (we hope yours was nice, too), all wrapped up with fireworks that sent the dog scurrying for cover. Meanwhile we read that this happened down south:
A Florida man lost his hand in a fireworks accident early Saturday, authorities said. In a statement, the sheriff’s office said the man was holding fireworks when one of them exploded in his hand.
When deputies arrived, the victim had already been taken to an area hospital in a private car, the newspaper reported. Deputies found the man’s hand at the site and took it to an area hospital, WPEC-TV reported.
Thus answering the question: what kind of idiots need to watch those government videos of mannequins getting blown up by fireworks so they won’t blow themselves or others up with fireworks like the mannequins in those government videos?
CHEERS to Men in Black. The Secret Service went to work on this date in 1865. Its original intent was to prevent the spread of counterfeit currency. It wasn't until after the McKinley assassination that the service began protecting the president. Which reminds me: if you ever want to intimidate someone, just stare at them while talking into your wrist. (The old lady across the street is now poppin' Prozac like candy...)
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BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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CHEERS to the T&A Revolution. On July 5, 1946, the bikini debuted at a fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris. It was created by men. Shocking, huh.
CHEERS to something that looks really good on a resume. Using a Dixie cup attached to a string extending from the G-7 summit to the White House, President Biden announced the 2022 Medal of Freedom recipients last week. The awards are given out for "An especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." This year's group (the technical term is actually "pod") includes:
Gymnast Simone Biles…Sister Simone Campbell…former University of Texas president (1st Hispanic to serve as a U.S. college president) Julieta Garcia…Rep. gabby Giffords…civil rights attorney Fred Gray...Steve Jobs…Father Alexander Karloutsos…Gold Star father and founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center Khizr Khan…1st U.S. Covid vaccine recipient Nurse Sandra Lindsay…SNCC co-founder Diane Nash…Soccer ace and equal-pay/LGBT rights advocate Megan Rapinoe…late AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka…Gen. Wilma Vaught (ret.)…Denzel Washington…and former National Council of La Raza president Raul Yzaguirre...and also Senate farts (john mccain) and (alan simpson).
Each honoree gets the medal, a ribbon, a tie clip, and a Voltron-3000 Throbbing Orb of Omnipotence. We trust they'll use their new powers wisely.
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Ten years ago in C&J: July 5, 2012
JEERS to the media's BFF. He possesses no particular wisdom. His rants on the Senate floor are as silly as they are shrill. A garden-variety Republican obstructionist whose top goal is to see President Obama defeated in November. Average and dull—the epitome of a politician who has overstayed his welcome. And yet John McCain is far and away the Senator that the media fawners fawn over most. I know you'll find this shocking, but…this is excellent news for John McCain.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to blowing this popsicle stand. Every time you go outside on a clear night you’re doing yourself a grave disservice if you don’t look up and gasp as you realize that the universe up there is pretty spectacular. The elves at NASA are also aware of this, so they always let us in on the big celestial events for the month. Here’s a look at July’s skywatching tips, including hot planet-on-planet action and a steaming cuppa Milky Way:
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And if there are any benevolent societies out there in the cosmos reading this who are good at solving problems on planets inhabited by self-immolating halfwits: Help!
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
Opulent and over-the-top, dazzling and dizzy, Cheers and Jeers never takes us closer to Bill in Portland Maine the man, but, wow, it sure understands Bill in Portland Maine the spectacle.
—Alison Gillmore
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