From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Energize An Ally Tuesday
Me, my 50 monkeys with typewriters, and our editing team of three-toed sloths thought it would be a good idea to follow others' leads and regularly highlight an organization that we'll need to be fully prepared as the evil Trump empire (I say that without the slightest exaggeration), lured by a piece of rotting meat on a stick, clodhops its way to the January 20th starting gate. This is the battle of Helms Deep comin’ up, and the more we help up-armor our allies, the better.
Today I picked the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.
We’re currently tracking more than 1,600 extremist groups operating across the country. We publish investigative reports, train law enforcement officers and share key intelligence, and offer expert analysis to the media and public.
For more than four decades, we’ve won landmark cases that brought systemic reforms---toppling remnants of Jim Crow segregation and destroying violent white supremacist groups; shattering barriers to equality for women, vulnerable children, the LGBT community and the disabled; protecting migrant workers from abuse; ensuring the humane treatment of prisoners; reforming juvenile justice practices; and more.
I’m a proud supporter and I hope you’ll consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Or check out the other ways you can support them here. Your financial help is an easy way to keep skin the game. They’ll really appreciate it.
Slightly off-topic: I hope you’re hanging in there. My mind is still spinning like a Whirling Dervish in a Pottery Barn. It feels like the world is a big fat mess right now. But...there’s a new Star Wars movie coming out in 31 days, so there’s that.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Note: From the Eyewitness News desk: Donald Trump is a lying Nazi asshole. Film at 11 for the next 4 years.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til Turkey Day: 9
Days 'til the Great Brews Beer Festival in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania: 4
Increase in the number of hate crimes (5,850) committed in the U.S. in 2015, according to the FBI: 6.8%
Surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes: 67%
Number of shipwrecks found in the Black Sea dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries: 41
Depth at which oxygen levels drop to zero, which is why the shipwrecks are so well preserved, according to National Geographic: 150 meters
Percent of the popular vote Jill Stein ended up with: 0.98%
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Moptops…
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CHEERS to soothing our troubles with…THEATAH!!! Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg took to the stage in an opera over the weekend, appearing in The Daughter of the Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti and performed by the Washington National Opera. She was a big hit, and received prolonged applause before she even spoke any of her lines. C&J is glad everyone had a good time. But I believe I speak on behalf of sane people everywhere when I say: don’t quit your day job.
JEERS to a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. Residents on New Zealand's South Island got a midnight jolt Monday as a 7.8 earthquake was followed by one registering 6.2. The prime minister says it'll cost billions to get things back to normal. Roads and bridges sustained major damage, and humans weren't the only ones stranded:
I heard they’re safe now. They found an udder route.
JEERS to the downside of being up. A new study shows that people who are really happy are more likely to get ripped off:
The researchers used several experiments to explore why this might be. They found that their test subjects assumed, rightly or wrongly, that very happy people maintained their positive outlook either by not processing information deeply, or by sheltering themselves from negative information in the world. And because of these beliefs, people were more likely to try to cheat those who seem very happy, the research showed. […]
Studies have also shown that happiness can make people less critical---for example, encourage them to pay less attention to negative or weak arguments.
I guess that explains why the #1 tweet among Trump supporters on election night was "Anyone seen my wallet?"
CHEERS to happy distractions. Hey, did you see the supermoon Sunday or Monday night? When shit feels overwhelming, at least our advanced brains can transport us up to the surface for a little peace and quiet as we watch our species slowly devour all that is good and kind and decent and sustaining here on the blue marble. Oh, and this is cool. Click it! Click it! Go on and click it now!!!
The supermoon's superness is slightly diminished by now but it'll still look impressive tonight. When you look up at it, don't forget to think of Neil Armstrong and give it a wink. Before Trump makes it illegal.
JEERS to Pontiff PR puffery. Pope Francis says that the Catholic Church welcomes everyone to the club and we're all equal in the giant bubbling Jacuzzi of life and the afterlife:
“The Gospel calls us to recognize in the history of humanity the design of a great work of inclusion, which fully respects the freedom of every person, every community, every people,” the Pope said Nov. 12.
[…]
Reflecting on the Body of Christ as it is depicted on the crucifix, the Pope noted how Christ’s arms are “outstretched on the cross” showing that “no one is excluded from his love and his mercy.” … "We do not exclude anyone!” he emphasized. “For God, in his plan of love, he does not want to exclude anyone, but wants to include everyone.”
Nice sentiment. Unfortunately, there are a lot of ifs, ands, buts and other assorted caveats in the Bible's 1,281-page contract, so read it carefully (especially you women, LGBTers, and masturbators). Which reminds me: what's the difference between the Good Book and an iTunes user agreement? The Bible threatens fewer smitings.
CHEERS to Mary Had A Little Lamb. Back in the day, you could play that tune with the buttons on your touch-tone phone, which was invented on this date in 1963. It was almost as awesome as being able to spell out BOOBIES with your calculator by punching in 5318008 and turning it upside down. Man, we were wild back then. You kids have no idea.
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Ten years ago in C&J: November 15, 2006
JEERS to new rules same as the old rules. Catholic leaders released their new guidelines on homosexuality yesterday. Their goal is to reach out to gay people in a spirit of hope and love. Their new edict: "You people are still sick." But the difference is that now they have to say it with a smile.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to Uncle Joe. Posted without comment:
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today’s Shameless Testimonial:
Kenneth Copeland Now Has A Direct Line To Deliver Messages From God To Bill in Portland Maine
---Right Wing Watch
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