From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
“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. Among other things, entry is free at all our N.P.s now through the 24th. While we’re all waiting for tomorrow’s New York primary, feel free to daydream with a few pics:
"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 best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." ---Historian Wallace Stegner
"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
Cheers and Jeers---not a national park yet but a certified 100% national embarrassment---starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Monday, April 18, 2016
Note: Today's Daily Kos pie fights are brought to you by Keebler Ready Crust---pie crust made with delicious graham taste. Great flame wars get off to a great start with delicious Ready Crust. Hurl some today!
-
By the Numbers:
Days 'til Earth Day: 4
Days 'til Blacksburg Fork and Cork in Virginia: 9
Percent chance a La Nina (the opposite of an El Nino) will arrive this fall according to NOAA, meaning dryer conditions out west: 70%
Percent by which Maricopa County, Arizona cut the number of polling places in 2008: 85%
Percent chance the Democratic party and the Clinton & Sanders campaigns are suing Arizona over voter access to the polls: 100%
Years, as of last Thursday, since Boko Haram abducted 267 girls, 219 of whom are still missing: 2
Percent of Americans in the latest AP-GfK poll who say they've been following the Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination drama closely: 20%
-
NEW Monday Feature! "Meet Me in St. Louis"
Counting down (87 days) to the 2016 Netroots Nation Convention in St. Louis, July 14-17. Missouri is nicknamed the "Show Me State." Not until last Saturday did I ever wonder what the f**k that even means. Now I kinda know:
It's not known exactly where or how this nickname originated.
The most popular story regarding this nickname revolves around remarks made by United States Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver who served as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. Vandiver, a scholar, writer and lecturer with a passing resemblance to Mark Twain, was speaking to Philadelphia's Five O'Clock Club. Questioning the accuracy of an earlier speaker's remarks he concluded "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."
Regardless of its origin, the nickname has stuck and can be found on Missouri license plates. It has come to represent Missourians as stalwart…and with a dedication to common sense.
But Republicans live there anyway.
-
Puppy Pic of the Day:
-
CHEERS to being patriotismier than thou. Today is Patriot's Day (yes, that's where the apostrophe goes up here), a commemoration of the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord that sparked our War of Independence 241 years ago. Only three states are flagpinny enough to make it an official holiday: Maine, Wisconsin and Massachusetts. The big event today is the 120th Boston Marathon. As usual, I'll go out on a limb and predict that the winners will be the Obama-trained Kenyans unless the nerd from MIT perfects his rocket shoes in time...and someone can achieve the impossible by waking him up before noon.
CHEERS to peeking over the edge. The New York primary is tomorrow (22 billion delegates are at stake, according to my typing fingers that have a tendency to go rogue), and everyone's on pins and needles because this is one of the el grande peach plum jewel kahunas. The latest polling came out yesterday via CBS News, and things look about the same as they always have:
Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders in New York, 53 percent to 43 percent, in a state widely considered crucial to both campaigns.
The shape of this race hasn't changed much from recent primaries as Clinton still trails Sanders on measures like being seen as "authentic" and in understanding people, but has wide leads over Sanders on being specific about policies (61 percent say she is more specific) on effectiveness, and electability in November.
[I]n both New York and California Sanders leads on dealing with income inequality, while Clinton leads on dealing with health care and improving race relations.
On Team Crazy's side, polls show Donald Big Hands holds a big New York lead over Sen. Ted Chunky Soup, Gov. John Phony Moderate and, in last place at zero percent, hope.
CHEERS and JEERS to paying for vital services (and, unfortunately, non-vital congress critters). If you're part of the 99 percent, today (tomorrow for Maine and Massachusetts) is the day you need to make sure you've sent enough money to the IRS to pay your income taxes. If you're in the top one percent, today is the day you need to make sure you've sent enough money to the Cayman Islands to dodge your income taxes.
CHEERS to thinning the herd. Nine Gitmo detainees from the Bush years---who as far as anyone can tell haven't been charged with anything, let alone convicted---are being turned over to Saudi Arabia, leaving just 80 remaining at our still-active gulag.
The Department of Defense identified the men as:
Ahmed Umar Abdullah Al-Hikimi, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Saleh Nasir, Ali Yahya Mahdi Al-Raimi, Tariq Ali Abdullah Ahmed Ba Odah, Muhammed Abdullah Muhammed Al-Hamiri, Ahmed Yaslam Said Kuman, Abd al Rahman Al-Qyati, Mansour Muhammed Ali Al-Qatta and Mashur Abdullah Muqbil Ahmed Al-Sabri.
And some guy named Frank. They have no idea where he came from.
JEERS to sticking your thumb on the separation of church and state. The Tennessee legislature, moved by the spirit of Christian supremacy, passed a bill (55-38 in the House, 19-8 in the Senate) making The Bible the state's official book. Even though Governor Bill Haslam vetoed it, the legislature is going to try and override it. The dustup is raising a lot of important questions in the state. Liberals are asking, "What the heck?" Conservatives are asking, "What's the harm?" And teens are asking, "What's a book?"
CHEERS to Saddle Sores for Freedom. On this date in 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott hopped on their Segways and scootered from Boston to Concord, Mass., warning the citizens of the approaching British army (Prescott was the only one with enough juice to make it all the way). Their focus group-tested talking point: "The British Are Coming!" Tomorrow: The thrilling conclusion...
-
Ten years ago in C&J: April 18, 2006
CHEERS to Mercury Man! Maine's Governor, John Baldacci, has signed a first-in-the-nation bill to cut down on mercury emissions in a novel way:
"With the two bills signed [Friday], Maine has effectively eliminated all household products that contain mercury from store shelves and the wastestream," said NRCM executive director Brownie Carson. "Maine's `can-do' common sense approach is leading the nation in reducing the toxic mercury in our environment."
Figures...two days after we perfected the recipe for mesquite-flavored Mercureetohs. Maine: Land of crushed dreams.
-
And just one more…
CHEERS to leaders on late-night. The expected winner of the New York primary makes an appearance to discuss her big ideas tonight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But she'll also be focusing on the small issues, and here's a peek:
Remember, you can't spell hilarious without Hillary. Mainly because if you try your spellchecker will throw one of those red squigglies under it and alert the authorities. You don’t want that.
Have a tolerable Monday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-
Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
“You wanna tax tobacco so kids don’t get cancer? OK. Then let’s tax Cheers and Jeers so they don’t get stupid.”
---Bill Maher
-