Netroots Nation '21 Update
After successfully going all-virtual last year due to the pandemic, the Netroots Nation organizers are bringing back their live, in-person event this year, although scaled-back in size and also attendable virtually like last year. For the first time, it's an autumn event—NN21 is happening October 7-9 in Washington D.C.
Everything that makes the convention one of the wonders of the modern world is still scheduled: practical training sessions, A-list keynoters, and blue-ribbon panels featuring experts with an amazing amount of smarts between their ears. If you're wondering what kind of training sessions are on the schedule this year, look no further than below the fold, because they've just been announced and we've got a preview and the magic link to all of ‘em.
Continued...
Mary Rickles brings the goods…
C&J will keep you in the loop as more panels and speakers are announced. In the meantime, you can follow NN on Twitter here and on Facebook here.
And now, our feature presentation...
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Note: Whoever replaced my entrenched narrative with fresh perspective has 24 hours to switch it back or I'm calling the proper authorities.
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By the Numbers:
2 days!!!
Days 'til International Dog Day: 3
Days 'til the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul: 2
President Biden's approval rating among registered voters in the latest NBC News poll, down from 51% in April: 50%
Percent of Americans in the same poll who believe the Afghanistan War was and was not, respectively, worth it: 29%, 61%
Age of Don Everly of The Everly Brothers when he died over the weekend (Phil died in 2014 at 74): 84
Number of gas-powered cars Bugatti says it will make after the 16-cylinder, 1,800 horsepower, $4.7 million Bolide: 0
Number of Bolides that will be built: 40
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Puppy Pic of the Day: 15-year-old deaf dog stuck in an Arlington, Texas storm drain—Saved!!!
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CHEERS to official stamps of approval. Hot damn, the Pfizer vaccine is officially a winnuh!!! The FDA gave the greenest of green lights for folks 16 and older to get it:
The good news: along with the certainty of more mandates, this knocks a major argument out from under the legs of the three-in-ten unvaccinated Americans who said they were waiting for full approval before they'd get the shot (per a Kaiser Family Foundation survey). The bad news: many people will likely now come up with new excuses, like "My dog ate the brain lobe that regulates my common sense!" and "The Pfizer vaccine contains Hillary DNA!" And folks who don't host Fox News shows will probably make some up, too.
CHEERS to a clean slate in the Empire State. A significant bit of political history was made a few hours ago when Kathy Hochul took the oath of office as the first biped humanoid biological unit with ladyparts to become the governor of New York. As Lieutenant Governor, she was next in line when Andrew Cuomo resigned for freely letting his alter ego Captain Grabby Hands out to play. So Hochul—sorry, Governor Hochul—is tasked with not only seeing to the general welfare of her 20-million constituents (I can barely manage that with a dog and a cat), but bringing dignity back to the office after a string of pervy/corrupt dudes. Looks like she's up to the task, according to this terrific profile in The New York Daily News:
But one thing I can guarantee Hochul won’t do: make Manhattan clam chowder edible. She may be a bright, hardworking, personable go-getter, but dammit Jim she's not a miracle worker.
JEERS to imperial takesie backsies. On today's date in 1814, King George III got all pissy and ordered British forces to attack Washington, DC during the War of...um...1812. The president and members of Congress fled while First Lady Dolley Madison, armed with nothing but a butcher knife and her patriotism, rescued artwork and leftover mutton before the redcoats torched the White House. The 8/24 Commission Report later said President Madison should have heeded the PDB titled: "King George III Determined to Strike In US." Curse you, 20-20 hindsight.
CHEERS to getting' them birds in the air. Here's this morning's update on how the wind-down in Afghanistan is going:
Our next update in 24 hours. It may look a little bit like this one.
JEERS to the end of…something. As the Cyber Ninjas prepare to release the results of their audit of the 2020 election ballots from Arizona's Maricopa County this week—an effort so clumsy and unsupervised that all the election equipment will have to be replaced for 2022—let us revisit this titanic pronouncement issued from the top of Mount Doom last fall by our 45th (and infallible) president:
Uh huh. The Cyber Ninjas and their "modern-day computers" have now been at it for five months, subjecting those poor ballots to UV light and God knows what else in search of "bamboo fibers" and other evidence of fraud. And this week Republican state senators will finally get their report. If I were a Democratic state Senator, I'd demand an audit of that report. Because I'd bet dollars to cactus-shaped doughnuts that if you hold it up to sunlight you'll see one thing above all: bullshit fibers.
Late Update: Oops…
So rude when real life pokes its head under the bubble.
-
Ten years ago in C&J: August 24, 2011
CHEERS to crashing the gate. No, that's not a metaphor. Yesterday an army of Libyan rebels, stuffed comically into golf carts like a circus act except with more firepower than you'd typically see at a Ringling Bros. performance, blew up Muammar Gadaffi's (Ha Ha---my spellchecker wanted to change that to "Gandalf's") front door, and helped themselves to the leftover meatloaf in his fridge. Sadly, the big guy wasn't there, but he did manage to air a message from his undisclosed location, in which he vowed to light a "burning volcano and a fire under the feet of the invaders." See, that's how you know when you've really pissed off a dictator: when he promises not just a fire under your feet, but an actual, live, geothermalically-functional, lava-spewing volcano. Ya gotta hand it to the megalomaniacs: they're masters of proportion.
-
And just one more…
CHEERS to the Spud Stud. On August 24, 1853, chef George “Crum” Speck made the first potato chips—originally called Saratoga Chips—after a fussy customer (Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt) complained that his potatoes weren't sliced thin enough. So the chef sliced 'em thinner-than-thin out of frustration and the rest, as they say, is BBQ, Salt & Vinegar, Ruffled, Kettle-cooked, sometimes-even-packed-in-tennis-ball-canisters history.
And he doesn't have a statue on the National Mall because...why???
Here in the BiPM household, I'm not sure we've ever actually thrown out an old bag of chips. When one gets down to about an inch of crumbs, we just go buy a new bag and leave the old one in the cupboard, making a "mental note" to "finish off that old bag before starting in on the new one." Never happens. And now we have chip bags dating back to the Nixon years gathering dust and lord-knows-what else. The potato DNA is probably congealing into a super potato brain that will fashion a crude body out of the potato bags and begin a rampage that flattens several cities before it's finally brought down by a giant glop of French onion dip dropped from a helicopter. And when that day comes, I trust someone will update George Crum's Wikipedia page accordingly.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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-
After successfully going all-virtual last year due to the pandemic, the Netroots Nation organizers are bringing back their live, in-person event this year, although scaled-back in size and also attendable virtually like last year. For the first time, it's an autumn event—NN21 is happening October 7-9 in Washington D.C.
Everything that makes the convention one of the wonders of the modern world is still scheduled: practical training sessions, A-list keynoters, and blue-ribbon panels featuring experts with an amazing amount of smarts between their ears. If you're wondering what kind of training sessions are on the schedule this year, look no further than below the fold, because they've just been announced and we've got a preview and the magic link to all of ‘em.
Continued...
Mary Rickles brings the goods…
C&J will keep you in the loop as more panels and speakers are announced. In the meantime, you can follow NN on Twitter here and on Facebook here.
And now, our feature presentation...
-
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Note: Whoever replaced my entrenched narrative with fresh perspective has 24 hours to switch it back or I'm calling the proper authorities.
-
By the Numbers:
2 days!!!
Days 'til International Dog Day: 3
Days 'til the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul: 2
President Biden's approval rating among registered voters in the latest NBC News poll, down from 51% in April: 50%
Percent of Americans in the same poll who believe the Afghanistan War was and was not, respectively, worth it: 29%, 61%
Age of Don Everly of The Everly Brothers when he died over the weekend (Phil died in 2014 at 74): 84
Number of gas-powered cars Bugatti says it will make after the 16-cylinder, 1,800 horsepower, $4.7 million Bolide: 0
Number of Bolides that will be built: 40
-
Puppy Pic of the Day: 15-year-old deaf dog stuck in an Arlington, Texas storm drain—Saved!!!
-
CHEERS to official stamps of approval. Hot damn, the Pfizer vaccine is officially a winnuh!!! The FDA gave the greenest of green lights for folks 16 and older to get it:
"The FDA's approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.
My preciousssssss…..
"While millions of people have already safely received Covid-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today's milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S."
The FDA's decision may also pave the way for more vaccination mandates: Many businesses were waiting for full approval before they required employees to be vaccinated.
The good news: along with the certainty of more mandates, this knocks a major argument out from under the legs of the three-in-ten unvaccinated Americans who said they were waiting for full approval before they'd get the shot (per a Kaiser Family Foundation survey). The bad news: many people will likely now come up with new excuses, like "My dog ate the brain lobe that regulates my common sense!" and "The Pfizer vaccine contains Hillary DNA!" And folks who don't host Fox News shows will probably make some up, too.
CHEERS to a clean slate in the Empire State. A significant bit of political history was made a few hours ago when Kathy Hochul took the oath of office as the first biped humanoid biological unit with ladyparts to become the governor of New York. As Lieutenant Governor, she was next in line when Andrew Cuomo resigned for freely letting his alter ego Captain Grabby Hands out to play. So Hochul—sorry, Governor Hochul—is tasked with not only seeing to the general welfare of her 20-million constituents (I can barely manage that with a dog and a cat), but bringing dignity back to the office after a string of pervy/corrupt dudes. Looks like she's up to the task, according to this terrific profile in The New York Daily News:
Hochul figures to bring a blast of change to Albany. She will become New York’s first upstate governor in more than 90 years, and the first woman in the post since George Clinton inaugurated it in 1777.
Good morning, Madam Governor. -
But perhaps the most striking shift she could provide, as a homegrown veteran of small-town politics, is a dose of civil cooperation. Her by-the-book style, according to her allies, will invite collaboration, not scandal, and stand as a stark contrast to the domineering Cuomo’s top-down approach.
“She’s just a solid human being,” said [Ken] Houseknecht, the childhood friend, who still lives in Hamburg. “She’s a good person. She’s the sort of a person you would want to move in and live next door to you.”
But one thing I can guarantee Hochul won’t do: make Manhattan clam chowder edible. She may be a bright, hardworking, personable go-getter, but dammit Jim she's not a miracle worker.
JEERS to imperial takesie backsies. On today's date in 1814, King George III got all pissy and ordered British forces to attack Washington, DC during the War of...um...1812. The president and members of Congress fled while First Lady Dolley Madison, armed with nothing but a butcher knife and her patriotism, rescued artwork and leftover mutton before the redcoats torched the White House. The 8/24 Commission Report later said President Madison should have heeded the PDB titled: "King George III Determined to Strike In US." Curse you, 20-20 hindsight.
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BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
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CHEERS to getting' them birds in the air. Here's this morning's update on how the wind-down in Afghanistan is going:
Our next update in 24 hours. It may look a little bit like this one.
JEERS to the end of…something. As the Cyber Ninjas prepare to release the results of their audit of the 2020 election ballots from Arizona's Maricopa County this week—an effort so clumsy and unsupervised that all the election equipment will have to be replaced for 2022—let us revisit this titanic pronouncement issued from the top of Mount Doom last fall by our 45th (and infallible) president:
Uh huh. The Cyber Ninjas and their "modern-day computers" have now been at it for five months, subjecting those poor ballots to UV light and God knows what else in search of "bamboo fibers" and other evidence of fraud. And this week Republican state senators will finally get their report. If I were a Democratic state Senator, I'd demand an audit of that report. Because I'd bet dollars to cactus-shaped doughnuts that if you hold it up to sunlight you'll see one thing above all: bullshit fibers.
Late Update: Oops…
So rude when real life pokes its head under the bubble.
-
Ten years ago in C&J: August 24, 2011
CHEERS to crashing the gate. No, that's not a metaphor. Yesterday an army of Libyan rebels, stuffed comically into golf carts like a circus act except with more firepower than you'd typically see at a Ringling Bros. performance, blew up Muammar Gadaffi's (Ha Ha---my spellchecker wanted to change that to "Gandalf's") front door, and helped themselves to the leftover meatloaf in his fridge. Sadly, the big guy wasn't there, but he did manage to air a message from his undisclosed location, in which he vowed to light a "burning volcano and a fire under the feet of the invaders." See, that's how you know when you've really pissed off a dictator: when he promises not just a fire under your feet, but an actual, live, geothermalically-functional, lava-spewing volcano. Ya gotta hand it to the megalomaniacs: they're masters of proportion.
-
And just one more…
CHEERS to the Spud Stud. On August 24, 1853, chef George “Crum” Speck made the first potato chips—originally called Saratoga Chips—after a fussy customer (Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt) complained that his potatoes weren't sliced thin enough. So the chef sliced 'em thinner-than-thin out of frustration and the rest, as they say, is BBQ, Salt & Vinegar, Ruffled, Kettle-cooked, sometimes-even-packed-in-tennis-ball-canisters history.
And he doesn't have a statue on the National Mall because...why???
Here in the BiPM household, I'm not sure we've ever actually thrown out an old bag of chips. When one gets down to about an inch of crumbs, we just go buy a new bag and leave the old one in the cupboard, making a "mental note" to "finish off that old bag before starting in on the new one." Never happens. And now we have chip bags dating back to the Nixon years gathering dust and lord-knows-what else. The potato DNA is probably congealing into a super potato brain that will fashion a crude body out of the potato bags and begin a rampage that flattens several cities before it's finally brought down by a giant glop of French onion dip dropped from a helicopter. And when that day comes, I trust someone will update George Crum's Wikipedia page accordingly.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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