Archive for January, 2014

It is all over – Wildstein rolls over in bid to get legal fees covered, fingers Christie

Filed in National by on January 31, 2014 19 Comments
It is all over – Wildstein rolls over in bid to get legal fees covered, fingers Christie

The former Port Authority official who personally oversaw the lane closings on the George Washington Bridge in the scandal now swirling around Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said on Friday that the governor knew about the lane closings when they were happening, and that he had the evidence to prove it.

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Gawker Answers Jason330’s Super Bowl Team Question

Filed in National by on January 31, 2014 4 Comments
Gawker Answers Jason330’s Super Bowl Team Question

In fact, I think they kinda copied Jason. Thus, as a lawyer, I will be preparing a lawsuit against Nick Denton’s multi million dollar enterprise forthwith. On Jason’s behalf of course. Jason, my cut is 33%. Here is what Jason said 11 days ago.

Gawker, like Jason, initially found the matchup to be a draw, until digging deeper. Gawker went to the trouble to ask actual experts, who went with the Seahawks. Jason just went to his store of superior knowledge of the animal kingdom, and likewise found the Seahawk superior. 11 days ago.

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Friday Open Thread [1.31.14]

Filed in National by on January 31, 2014 9 Comments

When Chris Christie Bridgegate scandal broke, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was on air that weekend supporting the New Jersey Governor. Now Giuliani says it is “fifty-fifty” over whether Christie was lying and in fact knew about the bridge closures. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) runs a clinic on how to response when you fuck up and are facing criticism: you accept responsibility and apologize rather than blame others and dodge accountability (the path Christie chose).

Deal “called for a top-to-bottom review of the government’s response to the epic traffic jam in the aftermath of Tuesday’s snowfall and he and the state’s top emergency staffer apologized for failing to adequately prepare for the storm.” Said Deal: ‘I am not satisfied with the response. But I am not going to look for a scapegoat. I am the governor, and the buck stops with me.'”

Those that follow Deal’s example tend to survive crisis, and those that follow Christie’s path don’t.

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Friday Daily Delawhere [1.31.14]

Filed in Delaware by on January 31, 2014 1 Comment
Friday Daily Delawhere [1.31.14]

The Reedy Point Bridge by Wes Bunton on Flickr.

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The Difference Between Being Broke And Being Poor

Filed in National by on January 30, 2014 2 Comments
The Difference Between Being Broke And Being Poor

Re-posted, in its entirety, with permission by the author, Richard Mayhew of Balloon Juice.  There is a big difference between being broke and being poor.  Keep reading.

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19 Years on “The Gravy Train to end all Gravy Trains” enough for Orlando George

Filed in National by on January 30, 2014 6 Comments

After 45 years of service to Delaware Technical Community College, Dr. Orlando J. George Jr. has announced his intention to step down as president and retire June 30, 2014. George said, “It has been my privilege and honor to lead this great college of ours for almost 19 years. I have loved every minute of […]

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Thursday Open Thread [1.30.14]

Filed in National by on January 30, 2014 12 Comments

We have a lot a polling goodness for today’s Open Thread. First, a new Pew Research poll shows Americans perceive Republicans as the fringe uncompromising petulant radical party that no one wants to invite to a party for fear they will show up drunk and start a fight. Meanwhile, Democrats are seen an more willing to work with the other party, by a margin of 52% to 27%.

The Democratic agenda, as espoused by President Obama in his State of the Union Address, is thoroughly enjoyed and approved of by the American people.

1. Ending the Afghanistan War after 12 long years. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 66% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

2. Congress shouldn’t shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 80% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

3. Congress should repeal tax breaks for Big Oil. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 74% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

4. Congress should restore unemployment insurance that it let expire at the end of the year. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 58% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

5. Women deserve equal pay for equal work. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 90% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

6. Nobody who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty, so Congress should raise the minimum wage to $10.10. Republicans sat on their hands and refused to clap when the President said this. 71% of Americans stood, cheered and clapped with the Democrats.

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College athletes should be treated like employees

Filed in National by on January 30, 2014 11 Comments
College athletes should be treated like employees

Our current system is an inhumane joke. I think hat might be about to change though.

In a surprise move without precedent in the history of college sports, Northwestern University football players have petitioned to form a labor union.

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 30, 2014

Filed in Delaware by on January 30, 2014 23 Comments
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 30, 2014

Brother, can you spare a dime a gallon for a $500 million boost to Delaware’s economy? A jobs creator and a massive infrastructure upgrade? House Majority Leader Val Longhurst has already said she won’t do it, regardless of the number of constituents in her district who will earn meaningful wages for their families. I hope she is in the minority. I hope that the unions who previously supported her are paying attention. With a gallon of gas well north of $3 a gallon, let’s be honest here. That additional 10 cents should hardly be a deal-breaker. But we shall see. The General Assembly has a minimum of six weeks, starting at the end of today’s session, to consider whether a $500 million boost to the state’s economy is in the economic interests of the people who live and try to work here. It’s all about the jobs, as far as I’m concerned. By far the biggest issue facing the General Assembly this term.

Here is what happened in Dover since my last post. The Box Bill passed the House by a 31-8 margin. None of the no votes will surprise you.  The bill now goes to the Senate.

The minimum wage hike bill got plenty of love from the Business Lapdog Committee this time, and made it to the floor. 6 favorable, one on its merits, and 3 unfavorable. Amazing what six months of reflection can do.

Come inside for more…

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Thursday Daily Delawhere [1.30.14]

Filed in Delaware by on January 30, 2014 0 Comments
Thursday Daily Delawhere [1.30.14]

This is titled “Frohoboth Beach” by Dancer Burns / Moxie Photos on Flickr. But doesn’t look like Rehoboth to me. More like Cape Henlopen.

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What’s wrong with bowling?

Filed in National by on January 29, 2014 18 Comments
What’s wrong with bowling?

That’s a rhetorical question. Everyone knows that it is the scoring. Bowling scoring is stupid. Bowling would be doing itself a huge favor if it changed the scoring to the way “Match Play” golf is scored. It would be a 9 frame game and the winner would be the first person to win 5 frames outright, or win the most after 9.

This has been another installment of “Jason330 Fixes the World”

You’re welcome Bowling!

PS. Anyone up for a DL bowling meetup to road test this system?

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Wednesday Open Thread [1.29.14]

Filed in National by on January 29, 2014 14 Comments
Wednesday Open Thread [1.29.14]

Andrew Sullivan:

The metaphor of the soldier slowly, relentlessly, grindingly putting his life back together was a powerful one for America – and Obama pulled off that analogy with what seemed to me like real passion. One aspect of his personality and his presidency is sometimes overlooked – and that is persistence. He’s been hailed as a hero and dismissed as irrelevant many times. But when you take a step back and assess what he has done – from ending wars to rescuing the economy to cementing a civil rights revolution to shifting the entire landscape on healthcare – you can see why he believes in persistence. Because it works. It may not win every news cycle; but it keeps coming back.

If he persists on healthcare and persists on Iran and persists on grappling, as best we can, with the forces creating such large disparities in wealth, he will look far, far more impressive from the vantage point of history than the news cycle of the Twitterverse sometimes conveys.

This was True Grit Obama. And it was oddly energizing.

When the book closes on this Presidency, given all he has done, President Obama will rank pretty high. Not among the greats like FDR, Lincoln, and Washington. But I think he will be regarding among the very good: Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, Eisenhower, Truman; and not among the very bad: Carter, Bush II, Nixon, Hoover, and Buchanan.

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Whacky Idea: Go Directly To The Richest 400

Filed in National by on January 29, 2014 9 Comments
Whacky Idea: Go Directly To The Richest 400

Here’s a whacky idea that may not be totally crazy. This is inspired by the 2014 SOTU brilliantly delivered by my President.

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