Tuesday Open Thread [4.16.13]

The news is focused on the Boston Marathon bombing, and for so much ink being spilled, there is precious little new information. So 2 bombs, 3 people dead, more than 150 sent to the hospital with injuries. There’s no one in custody yet, law enforcement of all kinds are at the scene and working to ID the bomber and apparently they are getting tons of tips. And right on cue, the right wingnuts are spinning up their conspiracy theories — this one claiming that the bombing is meant to frame the tea party and expand the TSA. Just so you can be certain that there is a national tragedy, the Westboro RatBastards have already pledged to picket funerals from this.

Late Night Video — Jon Stewart Tackles Guess Who’s Coming to Howard

As usual, he nails it. Especially the collective ignoring of the last 50 years of GOP history. Especially choise that he found articles from the 70s when the GOP explicitly wrote off the Black vote, wanting the VRA to stay alive, because that would drive more southern whites to the GOP.

Wednesday Open Thread [4.10.13]

So this is a thing — opting out of the high-stakes standardized tests that are destabilizing teaching and politics. I knew that there were parents working at ending it in some places, but did not know that opting out was it’s own movement. This is from Philly:

Anglin is one of the first, small batch of Philadelphia parents to join a national “opt-out” movement – a grass-roots rebellion against the outsized role that standardized tests like the PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) play in the day-to-day classroom experience, in the closure of urban schools rated as “failing,” and in stressing out both students and their teachers, whose careers may soon ride on the results.

Hillary Makes a Speech On the Unfinished Business of the 21st Century

It’s Hillary Clinton Day here at DL! Last Friday, Hillary Clinton took the stage at the Women in the World Summit in New York to make the case for women’s rights. Global women’s rights. (Am I the only one who really would have liked to have gone to this event?) Calling women’s rights the unfinished business of the century, she reminds us of how much women contribute to their places and how much even first world places like the US still have to go to achieve real equality.

The Daily Beast was apparently a sponsor of this event, and there is plenty of coverage there. This speech (and another upcoming this Tuesday, I believe) are why there is such a big slug of Hillary news and speculation over the last few days. She didn’t really touch on her future plans, except to say,“I look forward to being your partner in all the days and years ahead.” You can see the entire speech (approx 33 minutes, including Tina Brown intro) below.

Conspiracy Theory Poll Report

PPP did their weekly national poll this week on Conspiracy Theories. This is sometimes cringe-worthy, but pretty hysterical. Take a look at the state of mind of Americans:

Easter Open Thread [3.31.13]

Happy Easter, everyone! Have you gotten to the part of the day where you and yours are creating new tortures for those horrifying Peeps?

Late Night Video — The First Honest Cable Company

In honor of the Supreme Court rejecting a class action suit against Comcast for overcharging, let’s take a good look at what an honest cable company might look like

QOTD — Why Is the NJ Still Paying Attention To This Woman?

This question is courtesy of commenter AQC. And the woman in question is Lenore Matusiewicz, the wife of the man who shot their grandchildren’s mother at the NCCo Courthouse. It looks from here that the NJ is basically a venue for pretty much every antic this woman is working on. Today’s antic are claims that the the State of Delaware is withholding her husband’s body from her and withholding the autopsy report. Insert eye rolls here.

Saturday Open Thread [3.23.2013]

So how are your NCAA brackets doing? I was reminded by President Jed Bartlett via Twitter that there is no Federal Disaster assistance for your brackets. Oh well.

What Guest Worker Programs Look Like

Last week, there was a surprise strike at multiple McDonald’s restaurants in Central PA – of student guest workers from Asia and Latin America who are here on J-1 visas. First, though, I’m pretty stunned that these restaurants can’t find workers closer to home. It isn’t as though we don’t have millions of people looking for work, but I’d love to know why it is so difficult to hire American fast food workers.

Kinder Morgan Deal is Dead Part III

Let’s call this part The Secret of the Ooze. Today’s NJ provides a front page followup to the Kinder Morgan aftermath. If you’ve been following this story, there’s a few questions that are unanswered and the News Journal DOES NOT ask them, either.

Let’s start with Speaker Pete noting that the Port Director wants $156M over 10 years to keep the facilities in some competitive position:

Sunday Open Thread [3.10.2013]

It is a gorgeous Sunday, following a gorgeous Saturday. I’m even thinking about working on my yard this afternoon — a thing I try to ignore until the very last minute. In any event, I hope you are enjoying this day!

Kinder Morgan Deal Is Dead

In today’s Open Thread, SussexWatcher points us to the news. Both the NJ and WDEL have reports up providing a summary of what was in the Kinder Morgan letter and some local reaction. EDIT — WDDE has put up their report with some additional detail on why KM walked away. It looks like the deal is off of the table, although the NJ discussion with KM seems to leave a slim bit of wiggle room for everybody.