Archive for cassandra_m
Sign the Petition, Send Them Back to the Rock They Should Be Hiding Under
On Facebook, there is a page called “One Million Moms”. This is an effort by the American Family Association that exists to mobilize conservative women to push back on advertising and products that they think are too gay friendly — or as they put it “standing up for their children”. This Facebook page is a cesspool of hate speech, mostly focused on gay people, but if you are The Other, you are not spared here. This group recently has started campaigning against JC Penney, who is advertising on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
6Feb2012 | cassandra_m | 4 comments | Continued
Sunday Open Thread [2.5.12]
It is Super Bowl Sunday and many of you are tending to the food and drinks (and fine tuning the color calibrations on your TVs) that you’ll serve at your parties this evening. In case you’ve a few lazy minutes today to catch up on some reading, the theme of this Open Thread is The Media.
5Feb2012 | cassandra_m | 22 comments | Continued
So Why Is DE State House Giving Official Tributes to Known Christian Dominionists?
On January 19, 2012, one C. Peter Wagner was awarded an official tribute from the Delaware House of Representatives, sponsored by Representative Daniel Short and officially signed off by Speaker Gilligan. The House awards tons of these, but this one is spectacularly different.
2Feb2012 | cassandra_m | 29 comments | Continued
Impressions of the First Wilmington Mayoral Town Hall
Last night was the first Mayoral Town Hall or Debate sponsored by WDEL. This forum played to a standing room only crowd (they did indeed stop people from coming in after awhile). All of the known candidates were there except for Bovell and Bobby Marshall. I was there with some friends and here’s what I think of the field so far.
31Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 31 comments | Continued
Reminder! — First Wilmington Mayoral Town Hall Tonight
Just received notice from WDEL that they will be hosting the first Town Hall (titled the Future of Wilmington) featuring the current crop of Wilmington Mayoral candidates next Monday, 30 January 2012 at 6PM at the Wilmington campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.
30Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 15 comments | Continued
Bill Shahan Running for NCCo Executive
On Saturday, Bill Shahan announced he was running for NCCo Executive, creating a primary for the incumbent, Paul Clark. According to his website, Shahan currently works for the County Land Use Department.
30Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 3 comments | Continued
Sunday Open Thread [1.29.12]
So what is going on today? Commenter TT reminded me of just how wonderful House of Cards is, and that I haven’t seen it for awhile. Time to fix that. TT notes that it is streaming on Netflix AND it is streaming on Amazon. So pick your preferred delivery method and go.
29Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 9 comments | Continued
Saturday Open Thread [1.28.12]
It is a gorgeous day outside and hope that everyone is having some fun today. But if you are inside catching up on paperwork, reading or just looking through recipes for goodies to cook for Super Bowl Sunday (yawn), use this thread to talk about what interests you today or news we should be paying attention to.
28Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 15 comments | Continued
Governor Markell on Morning Joe
This video clip is from yesterday’s show, where Governor Markell appeared with both Governor O’Malley from Maryland and Governor Quinn from Illinois. A number of the questions are actually good ones, but better were the answers by these Governors. The focus on jobs and real issues in contrast to the circus that is the current GOP campaign for President is great and I’m hoping that there is somebody out there who will pay attention to getting more Democratic voices like this speaking everywhere over the next months.
28Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 5 comments | Continued
SOTU — Put Your Pundit Hat On
This evening, President Obama goes to the House and delivers his State of the Union Address, and address that is widely advertised as either a bookend to the Osawatomie speech from last month, or an extension of it.
24Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 23 comments | Continued
Why Are President Obama’s Critics So Dumb?
This cover line question teases Andrew Sullivan’s article in Newsweek titled How Obama’s Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics. It’s a longish read (so stick with it), but one of the fairer accounts of the Obama Presidency I’ve seen (and a better case for his Presidency that I think that even the Obama folks have made themselves). And this is written by a conservative ex-Republican (he claims to be an independent now), who has had more than his fair share of issues with Obama policy, politics and process throughout the last three years.
19Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 3 comments | Continued
The Day the Internet Went Black
DD gave us a heads up yesterday that Wikipedia was going black today. If you’ve been spinning around the Internet today, it is pretty dazzling to see the sites that have joined them:
18Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 6 comments | Continued
BREAKING: President Obama to Reject Keystone Pipeline Permit
At least, that is what Politico (I know) is reporting.
18Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 7 comments | Continued
Zombie Casino Alert! Part III (or the New Legislative Session Episode)
This morning’s NJ has a great piece of reporting from Chad Livengood and Doug Denison, detailing the current state of Delaware’s casino industry as well as the current positions a number of our politicians have staked out on how to best support this industry.
15Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 4 comments | Continued
Biden As VP in 2012?
That is the question considered by Bill Keller in the Sunday NYT.
9Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 18 comments | Continued
City of Wilmington Mayoral Cattle Call — New Year 2012 Edition
The new year sees some firming up of plans for this race, and there has been some intersting movement since the last time we did this, in the Fall. For those of you following the broader narrative, you can see the first Cattle Call from 2010.
9Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 16 comments | Continued
The Rap Guide to Evolution
According to the artist — this may be the first peer reviewed rap album ever.
7Jan2012 | cassandra_m | 3 comments | Continued
Pew’s Political Typology 2011
A new poll! But this is one you take to see where you stand politically on a new political typology developed by (or maybe refined by) the people at the Pew Center for People and the Press. This is meant to get beyond the labels of red and Blue.
21Dec2011 | cassandra_m | 14 comments | Continued
Late Night Video — It’s Beginning to Look Alot Like Gingrich!
This is very funny and very clever, even though Gingrich’s support seems to be crashing (at least in Iowa)
16Dec2011 | cassandra_m | Comments Off | Continued
BCBSD vs. Delaware Kids
Yesterday’s NJ reported on the issues to be discussed in a hearing held last night in front of the Insurance Commissioner on a rate application that would attempt to charge Delaware kids more for subsidized insurance than they charge (via Highmark) in Pennsylvania. The bottom line here is that BCBSD/Highmark is trying to weasel out of a commitment required by law to cover these families in the way that Highmark covers families in Pennsylvania. It looks to me that they agreed to this when their merger was still not yet approved and now that it looks like a done deal they want to back out of it.
7Dec2011 | cassandra_m | 2 comments | Continued
In Which We Find Karen Weldin Stewart Abandoning Delaware Consumers Again
Back in June, we discussed the actions of KWS to apply for waivers from the medical cost ratio rule for two insurance companies so that they can continue to pay commissions to brokers and sales agents. Since then, HHS has finalized its rule that requires that the costs to pay premiums or other support to brokers and sales agents be categorized as Administrative Costs and therefore included to the maximum 20% overhead allowed by the ACA. Delaware’s own Insurance Commissioner voted in a recent NAICS action to vote on a resolution that recommends that Congress exempt the fees insurance agents and brokers from medical loss ratio calculations (pdf) and that HHS revive their rulemaking to exclude brokers and agents from the the administrative costs of insurance companies.
6Dec2011 | cassandra_m | 45 comments | Continued
Late Night Video — The Cain Train Wreck
This weekend’s news has been fascinated with the suspension of Herman Cain’s fake bid for the White House. Fake, because he was just opening a campaign HQ this weekend and still hasn’t actually staffed up to properly compete in either Iowa or NH. He *has* been furiously fundraising, selling books and managing his profile. Much like the Alaska grifter and all of the other GOP grifters looking for their pipeline of wingnut welfare, Herman was alot of sound and fury, signifiying nothing. Which ultimately qualified him to be the GOP frontrunner for one New York minute. And that “suspending” business seems to mean that Herman can still raise money.
4Dec2011 | cassandra_m | 2 comments | Continued
Paul Calistro Announces for Mayor of Wilmington
Paul Calistro told friends and supporters over this holiday weekend that he was definitely IN as a candidate for the Mayor of Wilmington for 2012.
28Nov2011 | cassandra_m | 34 comments | Continued
Black Friday Open Thread [11.25.11]
On your Black Friday open thread, tell us about the deals you scored, the leftovers you are making or the laughing you are doing at the shoppers or the people working out leftovers strategies.
25Nov2011 | cassandra_m | 9 comments | ContinuedSocial Media
