DL Open Thread: Friday, June 3, 2022

General Assembly Tries ‘Do-Over’ On Gun Bills.  You know, after the Kop Kabal destroyed the assault weapons bill and buried the background check bill in committee.  Someone even woke up John Carney, who had been characteristically AWOL on the issue, to make a statement. Or maybe they just wrote it and sent it out, figuring he’d never read it:

“We have an obligation to do everything we can to prevent tragedies like we’ve seen across the country from happening here in Delaware,” said Carney. “This is a historic, meaningful package of legislation and I look forward to seeing these bills on my desk this session.”

Speaking of the Kop Kabal, check out this story from Blue Delaware.  That’s why the bills remained buried.  The cops bitching about Kathy Jennings (who just filed for reelection yesterday.) Until now.  Val wrote what she wrote to please her Cop Masters over at the Delaware Police Athletic League, where she has a bullshit job as Executive Director.  That is the Real Val.  If you read her Facebook, she’s all about mental health awareness and women’s rights.  But she’s nothing but a bully who demands loyalty from her Caucus members.  She finally outed herself. Openly,  BTW, perhaps it’s just me, but she’s been using that ‘Valerie Maglio Longhurst’ monicker recently.  For some reason, and I’m sure it’s just me, I can’t get the image of a husband chained to a radiator out of my head.  Here’s my favorite tidbit from the article:

Fourth, Debra Heffernan, who is in a primary fight, liked this post. That is a mistake. [Update: I have been informed that Representative Heffernan did not intend to “like” the post and has removed the “like” on Facebook.]

Of course she intended to please her boss and ‘like’ the post.  You know, the boss who just passed legislation placing Heffernan, as the House Bond Committee chair, on the Ft. DuPont Board so that state funds will keep flowing to the project. The mistake is/was the potential political fallout in her primary battle with bona-fide progressive Becca Cotto.  BTW, Bobby Byrd has been openly bragging to anyone who will listen that he’s gonna provide a shitload of campaign cash to Heffernan.  Meaning, if you’re wondering who Heffernan represents in Dover along with Buccini/Pollin, here’s the list.  His daughter, who has followed in her father’s footsteps as a fixer, has an identical list of clients.  She is on Heffernan’s district committee. Cotto, OTOH, has forsworn corporate contributions.  Just thought you’d like to know.

The irony of this package is that, once again, half the bills start in the House and half in the Senate.  Just like what happened last year.  The House passed its two bills, the Senate passed the House bills and they went to the Governor. The Senate passed the two Senate bills and–the House destroyed one and buried the other.  No doubt the Senate now understands that the Kop Kabal does not bargain in good faith. ‘Don’t trust–verify.’

How Wilmington’s Serial Slumlord Used Lawyers To Screw Tenants And Avoid Punishment.  Award-worthy journalism from Delaware Call.  Need I remind everybody that Stephanie Bolden has chosen serial slumlords over those renting from serial slumlords?  Did I mention she has an opponent?

This will do double duty as the Political Weekly.  Too much stuff on my plate today.

Did Trump’s Census Sabotage Backfire?  Possibly.  BTW, didja know that Delaware was ‘overcounted’?:

The bureau reported that it significantly undercounted the population in six states — Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas — and overcounted the population in eight — Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah. Arkansas’s undercount rate topped 5 percent, while Hawaii’s overcount rate was nearly 7 percent. Nevertheless, the law requires that these numbers determine the distribution of congressional seats among states.

It may merely be a matter of cunning linguistics, but I suspect ‘overcounted’ means ‘less undercounted’.

Why Do Star Wars Nerds Hate Black People?  I’m not a Star Wars nerd, so I don’t know.

You’re Not A Hot Mess. You’re Not, You’re Not.  I generally stay away from ‘self-help’ stuff, but this one resonates with truth:

We are generally unforgiving of our own weaknesses and thus keep them hidden. At the same time, we are blasé about others’ shortcomings, and even find them attractive. Some psychologists call this the “beautiful mess effect.” We incorrectly think that others will judge us harshly for admitting to a mistake or for asking for help, when in reality people see vulnerability as sweet, or as a mark of character.

If you let these very human tendencies go unabated, your reward for self-awareness will be a lifetime of miserable self-sabotage. Fortunately, two strategies can give you a lot of relief.

Accurate self-perception and metaperception require knowledge of your biases. Left to your devices, you might find it easy to think of yourself as messy in comparison with others. But being mindful of the errors that lead you to that conclusion can help you reevaluate. Next time you feel ashamed of your inadequacies, meditate on two facts:

1.              You are the only person who sees inside your head.

2.              Others are suffering inside their head, just like you.

Once you have internalized these truths, you can follow the second meditation to its next logical step: showing compassion for others for the suffering they are likely hiding by sharing your own feelings. If every time you feel insecure or anxious you assume that others are as well, then you can use your own weakness as a bridge. Admit to others that you have negative emotions and ask them about theirs. It is remarkable how this opens people up, facilitates deep communication, and makes everyone feel better.

From The Atlantic. Just one more reason to subscribe.

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