Cheers and Jeers: Tuesday

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Last Call for Netroots Nation Panel Submissions

A final reminder that the clock is ticking down to this Thursday’s deadline for panel, workshop and training submissions for the 2022 Netroots Nation convention in lovely Pittsburgh PA August 18-20. (Click here for the guidelines and submission form.) Grand poobah Mary Rickles says the goal is to highlight hot topics in the progressive community by bringing activists, analysts, political leaders and audiences together for 90 minutes of discussion and Q&A.

Below the fold are some topics they’re looking for this year:

Continued…

• Conversations about protecting democracy both here and abroad

• Discussions about the upcoming 2022 midterms and strategies to win
• Sessions about current events and issues (examples: the war in Ukraine, COVID, the economy, addressing climate change, attacks on reproductive justice, and racial justice)

• Trainings that help newer activists grow into successful organizers
• Advanced trainings that focus on cutting-edge tools and techniques

As always, we ask you to consider inclusivity as well as how your panel will empower others to take what they’ve heard and use it in their own work

If you missed one of the submission Q&A webinars we hosted and want to know more about the submission process, check out the slide deck here. And if you still have questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].

The link for all the panel submission info is here. Deadline is Thursday and I believe the final list will be announced next month. On a related note: we regret that the cocaine-fueled orgy we had planned for the final night has been canceled, as the Republicans already booked the pleasure palace and pre-purchased all the blow. (Thank you, Madison Cawthorn, for that helpful but disappointing information.)

And now, our feature presentation…

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Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Note: Due to a sinus infection, the Easter Bunny is unable to deliver candy and eggs this year.  For your safety, please lock your family in the bathroom until the Easter Rhino has left.  We also recommend you put your homeowner’s insurance agent on speed dial.

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By the Numbers:

Days ’til earth Day: 10

Days ’til the 75th Poteet Strawberry Festival in Texas: 10

Estimated number of lives that the Covid-19 vaccine saved so far: 2.2 million

Number of workers now fueling the U.S. economy: 151 million

Rank of South Korea, China, and Italy among most expensive countries for raising a child from birth to age 18, according to data from Yuwa Population Research: #1, #2, #3

Percent chance that Volkswagen rejected a shareholder push to make the company “explain how its lobbying activities align with its climate goals”: 100%

Rank of Fremont, California in WalletHub’s latest assessment of the happiest cities in America (5 California towns are in the top 10): #1

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Puppy Pic of the Day: What sorcery be this???

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JEERS to today’s Covid-19 update. We promised we would only do these sporadically, and guess what? My Garfield-Eating-Lasagna-Ha-Ha wall calendar says today is Sporadic Day, so we must obey. But we’ll keep it quick:

»  The Covid dashboard says there have been 82 million cases in the U.S., meaning one-in-four of us have contracted the virus. Total U.S. deaths: 1,012,151. Actual number of both cases and deaths: much higher.

» Interesting article on how smart ventilation is getting more attention as a way to reduce covid particles, especially in schools. It could turn out to also be an effective way to get kids to behave. (“If you little brats don’t settle down, I’m turning off the HEPA filter.”)

»  Vaccines and boosters remain the best way to defend yourself from “The Rona.” Masking up is also a good idea in indoor public spaces or crowded outdoor public spaces. The worst ways to defend yourself remain ivermectin, drinking your own pee, and Jesus.

And this just in: all the rich hoity-toitys at the Gridiron Dinner got covid and have spread it to the entire world. But on the bright side, some of their jokes were pretty funny.

JEERS to barbarians at the gate. The madman responsible for killing countless civilians is planning a major invasion, during which hedonistic nutballs bristling with guns, who speak more in grunts than words, will be tasked with completely destroying the country in the pursuit of money, power, racial purity, and ideological zealotry. The freedom fighters opposing them, who want to preserve democracy, are bracing for the assault, but nothing is guaranteed. All we know is that no rule will go unbroken, no norm of civilized behavior will remain intact, and if the unwashed horde prevails, it’ll be virtually impossible to recover. But enough about the Trump death cult’s planned takeover of the legislative branch in 2022 and executive branch in 2024. Anyone know how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is going?

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BRIEF SANITY BREAK

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END BRIEF SANITY BREAK

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JEERS to cerebral hemorrhages. They suck.  President Franklin Roosevelt died from one 77 years ago Today down in Warm Springs, Georgia.  His private Secretary Grace Tully recounts what happened here. A snip:

The shock was unexpected and the actuality of the event was outside belief.

Without a word or a glance toward the others present, I walked into the bedroom, leaned over and kissed the President lightly on the forehead.  Then I walked out on the porch and stood wordless and tearless.  In my heart were prayers and, finally, in my mind came thoughts, a flood of them drawn from seventeen years of acquaintance, close association and reverent admiration. Through them, one recurred constantly—that the Boss had always shunned emotionalism and that I must, for the immediate present at least, behave in his pattern.

I did, for a matter of hours.

While FDR’s generation got a rendezvous with destiny, ours got a rendezvous with a fuckup named Dubya and, eight years later, another fuckup named Dampnut, and we’ll be paying for it the rest of our lives—thanks a lot, fate.  Now comb your hair and go pay your respects.  As always, regards to Eleanor.

CHEERS to today’s edition of Was It Something We Said? Courtesy of Twitter:

This has been today’s edition of Was It Something We Said?

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Ten years ago in C&J: April 12, 2012

CHEERS and JEERS to Google glasses. You put ’em on and it distracts you with the internet while you’re walking down the street. A lot of people will be investing in their success. Me? I’ll be investing in my local forehead-lamppost collision specialist.

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And just one more…

CHEERS to the master of the mashie. The 2022 wearer of the Green Technicolor Dreamcoat was decided at the Masters golf tournament Sunday: Scottie Scheffler from USA! USA! USA! won all the marbles—2.7 million of them, to be precise. There were a lot of good shots made, as usual, but this from Sir Rory will be one of the enduring moments of the tournament:

Despite that amazing lesson in propulsion, gravity, and aerodynamics, our condolences go out McIlroy, who finished second and limps away from Augusta with only $1.62 million in his pocket. Some days it’s all you can do to pay the rent.

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

”I’m trying to think of a blog post that thinks less of its audience than Cheers and Jeers, and I am failing. ”

—Catey Sullivan

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