From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Energize An Ally Tuesday
Today we energize every Democratic candidate running in 2018 by expanding the army of voters eligible to get them elected by a landslide on Tuesday, November 6th.
Because you count on me to remind you of these things, let me be the first to say: “Happy Voter Registration Day!” (Or as Kris Kobach likes to call it, Nothing To See Here Please Move Along Day.) Last Friday Stephen Wolf of the Daily Kos Elections team posted a roundup of voter registration news around the country with good advice:
[I]t's a great time to double-check your voter registration online to make sure you're on the rolls, as well as a timely opportunity to encourage your peers to do the same, and to register if they haven't.
Each state has its own laws governing registration, and deadlines are coming up soon in many of them. Organizations like Rock the Vote provide online information and forms specific to each state, but you should also check with your state’s secretary of state or elections board website to review its particular registration rules and double-check to make sure you're still registered. […]
Most states still put the burden on voters to register instead of allowing the government to do it for them, but 37 states now allow voters to register online. Furthermore, 18 states and D.C. let voters cast a ballot at the same time as they register, although Maryland and North Carolina only allow it during the early voting period.
Last year over 750,000 Americans were registered on VR Day, and organizers of today's events are confident they'll break that record. I know everyone here is registered, but if you think you know of a pocket of maybe-nots on social media or a cubicle farm down the hall, pass this along. If it reminds Gladys in accounting to sign up, and she ends up being the deciding vote that brings Ted Cruz down in a spectacular ball of flames, chunky soup, and tonsil cheese, you'll earn a penthouse suite in Valhalla. I'm Bill in Portland Maine…and I guarantee it.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold...[Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Note: Today is also National Lobster Day. To make it especially memorable, breed them in your basement with radioactive isotopes until 40 feet tall and then unleash them on an unsuspecting populace. Add a funny hat or maniacal mad-scientist laughter over a loudspeaker if desired. Be creative---this is a day just for you and your special crustacean friend, and glitter is fair game!
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By the Numbers:
Weeks 'til the midterm elections: 6
Days 'til Maine's Fryeburg Fair, the first of which was in 1851: 6
Current estimated death toll from Hurricane Florence: 44
Percent of insurance policies issued by John Hancock Insurance that will, starting next year, require your health data constantly be monitored by a smartphone or other "interactive" wearable gadget: 100%
Portion of the top 70 highest-paid employees at HUD who have no relevant housing experience because they're just crony Trump/Carson hires: 24
Percent chance authorities in Taiwan caught 3-D gun fanatic Cody Wilson after he escaped justice for sexual assault: 100%
Trump approval in Kansas---repeat, Kansas---according to PPP: 50%
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Breaking news this morning, as the Pentagon finally approves the ideal template for Trump's big military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue…
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JEERS to giving the last bulwark of democracy the jackboot. Oh, booger balls. Yesterday deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the last public official protecting the Mueller investigation, either resigned or got fired before apparently unresigning or getting unfired until he can meet on Thursday with Trump to re-resign or get re-fired. All the work at the federal level Mueller and his team have done could soon disappear into the White House Kiln of Destruction as the investigation is dismantled and the special counsel is zip-tied to a rocking chair on the porch at Sunset Acres. State investigations, which Trump can't touch, will continue. They'll be enough to cause him some grief, but not nearly as much as Muller's expansive and explosive findings would have. While we wait for democracy to officially take its last breath, please enjoy this dancing raccoon:
And have a super day!
CHEERS to neutrality of the net kind. While all eyes this week will (appropriately) be on the Senate Judiciary Committee's handling of the Kavanaugh-Ford testimonies, there's another big event that could raise a lot of dust. After watching the FCC destroy net neutrality protections for the entire country, California's legislature voted to put 'em right back in place at the state level. Now the question is, will Governor Jerry Brown sign it? He hasn’t signaled one way or the other, but the betting money is on yupper:
Privately, Democratic aides have expressed confidence that Brown will sign the bill.
He was consulted by S.B. 822's authors frequently during its 9-month journey through the legislature. The governor has a policy, however, of not commenting on pending legislation. Tuesday’s press conference is one of several events supporters have planned to make the case to Brown, and to the public, that S.B. 822 should become law.
Just before yielding the mic to State Senator Scott Wiener, the bill’s principal author, [Rep. Nancy] Pelosi offered some of the strongest assurances yet, at one point saying, “Pretty soon I’m sure we’ll be able to say ‘congratulations California on net neutrality.’”
Brown has a week left to put his John Hancock to parchment. If he signs it, keep an ear out and you might hear Trump blow an aorta. If you're lucky.
CHEERS to mile-high guests enjoyin' vittles at sea level. New England Meetup Alert! A pair of special Kossack guests---ColoTim and Mrs. ColoTim---are traveling all the way from the land of the Colorado blue spruce and Colorado hairstreak butterfly to the land of the eastern white pine and Maine coon cat to take in the sights and sounds of New England, and they'll be joining us at our next Maine meetup on Sunday, October 14th at 2pm. This one's happening down on the Portland waterfront at the legendary DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, where you can nibble on appetizers or enjoy a full meal. To RSVP or get more info, email Kossack nhox42 at nhox42[at]gmail.com. In addition to eating and drinking and toasting our visitors from the Wild West, we'll prioritize the list of all the investigations the Democratic-led House will have on their plate when they take over the majority in January. Well, actually only the first hundred, as we’ll only have seven hours before closing time.
CHEERS to Great Moments in Democracy. On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted twelve amendments to the Constitution and FedEx'd them to all 50 states for ratification. Ten of those amendments became the Bill of Rights. Had this same event occurred in 2018, the Republicans would've re-written them to please ALEC, Grover Norquist and the Koch brothers, and rammed them through without any committee hearings or floor debate. But my point is: Ha Ha! They wore funny grampa socks back then!
CHEERS to cool science. Lest we think the American space program is the only one operating on the planet, Japan just did something pretty incredible---they just parked some robot Hippity Hops on an asteroid:
The cylinder-shaped Minerva-II1 explorers will take photos and temperature readings on the asteroid Ryugu before the main probe lands, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said. […]
Measuring just 18 cm by 7 cm and weighing roughly 1 kg, the two explorers will travel across Ryugu’s surface by hopping because its gravity is so weak that rolling along the surface is too difficult. If they succeed, the explorers will have conducted the world’s first moving, robotic observation of an asteroid’s surface.
“I am so proud that we have established a new method of space exploration for small celestial bodies,” said JAXA project manager Yuichi Tsuda.
Sadly, moments later the Minervas sent out a message simultaneously: "Aieeee!!! Godzilla!!!" [Sigh] Somebody tell Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot to suit up. And somebody double-check the calibre on those finger rockets.
CHEERS to a double date from the Bay State. On September 25, 1690, Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick, the first newspaper to appear in the Americas, was published for the first time in Boston. It was also published for the last time, presumably because their Microsoft spellchecker blew up their printing press.
And speaking of Boston, today is also the anniversary of the September 25, 1911 groundbreaking for Fenway Park, home of the current best team in the American League East. To commemorate the occasion, the Green Monster issued a brief statement to the 2nd-place Yankees: "Urp."
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Ten years ago in C&J: September 25, 2008
CHEERS to little riddles. Q: How do you know when something---like, say a massive government bailout of Wall Street---is bad? A: Because Dick Cheney is out stumping for it. Cue the laugh track.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to U.S. Minty freshness. The new America the Beautiful state quarter is here! The new America the Beautiful state quarter is here!!! The latest in the series, which celebrates our national monuments and parks, was released late last month. it one represents the great state of Georgia, specifically Cumberland Island National Seashore, located just north of Jacksonville. Fun fact: this is the only quarter in this series to feature a national seashore:
Cumberland Island National Seashore was established in 1972.
It maintains the primitive, undeveloped character of one of the largest and most ecologically diverse barrier islands on the Atlantic coast, while preserving scenic, scientific, and historical values and providing outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and solitude.
There are almost 18 miles of pristine beach open to the public for recreational activities such as swimming and walking. The island is also known to have one of the largest oak maritime forests remaining in the United States, which provides an unparalleled visitor experience.
Cumberland Island National Seashore protects the largest designated wilderness area on an east coast barrier island.
Watch the process of creating the quarter here. The design on the back depicts a snowy egret posing on a branch on the edge of a salt marsh. Really? Egrets? I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention.
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
“The truth is, when we stay home, things stay the same, or they get worse. But when we all splash in the Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool, we get new ideas and new energy. That’s how we change America.”
---Michelle Obama
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