October 1, 2013

Sad Birthday Cards for Yosemite and NASA, 123 and 55 Today


It’s your party, and we’ll shut it down if we want to.

That’s the message congressional Republicans sent Yosemite National Park and NASA today, on their respective 123rd and 55th birthdays. 

Yosemite’s special day will now include such celebratory activities as instructing all day visitors to immediately leave the park and kicking out overnight RVs and campers. Worst surprise party ever.

NASA put out a cheery graphic today celebrating its five decades of astronomic successes, from putting 12 people on the moon, four landers on Mars, and one craft in interstellar space. To honor their hard work, the government gave 97 percent of NASA staffers unpaid vacations. The space program effectively got grounded on its own birthday. Robots got the shaft too; Curiosity Rover poked at H2O molecules in Mars dust on Thursday, and got furloughed on Tuesday. 

Congress may be giving them the Sixteen Candles treatment, but we wanted to let Yosemite and NASA know we care.

 

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Thank you!

We didn't know what to expect when we told you we needed to raise $400,000 before our fiscal year closed on June 30, and we're thrilled to report that our incredible community of readers contributed some $415,000 to help us keep charging as hard as we can during this crazy year.

You just sent an incredible message: that quality journalism doesn't have to answer to advertisers, billionaires, or hedge funds; that newsrooms can eke out an existence thanks primarily to the generosity of its readers. That's so powerful. Especially during what's been called a "media extinction event" when those looking to make a profit from the news pull back, the Mother Jones community steps in.

The months and years ahead won't be easy. Far from it. But there's no one we'd rather face the big challenges with than you, our committed and passionate readers, and our team of fearless reporters who show up every day.

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