El Somnambulo

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R. I. P. Clarence “Big Man” Clemons

Filed in National by on June 19, 2011 3 Comments

The Boss, the Big Man and the E Street Band have been an integral part of my life since I graduated college. I am just so sad to hear of the passing of the Big Man, Clarence Clemons. Hope this helps us all get through it: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDHmWjLBHic&feature=related[/youtube] “Spirit In the Night” [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbvB5HSIf4I&feature=related[/youtube] “Raise Your Hand” […]

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up For June 15 & 16

Filed in National by on June 17, 2011 34 Comments

Unless they’re corporate giveaways or tax breaks for the ‘financial services industry’, bills can run into trouble this time of year. Especially if (a) they cause turf wars or alleged turf wars between different state agencies; or if (b) they pose a threat to the Delaware Way. Hence,  HB 75(Schwartzkopf), which would have put an […]

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No Post-Game/Pre-Game Today: A Musical Apology

Filed in National by on June 16, 2011 1 Comment

Can’t do the report today. Why?: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Typp86uij9E&feature=related[/youtube] And if that opening riff sounds just a wee bit familiar: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb1VoCirpPw[/youtube] Coming tomorrow: A super jumbo-sized Post-Game Wrap-Up. Unless Time the Avenger intervenes. Gotta go to work. Almost out of time.

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 15, 2011

Filed in National by on June 15, 2011 1 Comment

The big news is that the Budget Bill, HB 190, has been introduced, certainly the earliest introduction of the Budget that I can ever recall. Feel free to peruse it (especially the Epilog Language, where a lot of the sneaky stuff gets buried, or, at least, did when Nancy Cook controlled the process). I plan […]

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Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues. June 14, 2011

Filed in National by on June 14, 2011 10 Comments

Casey Stengel, upon surveying the inability of his first-year expansion New York Mets to perform even the simplest of baseball tasks, once asked, “Can’t anybody here play this game?” He might as well having been talking about Delaware education officials who somehow, some way, managed to greenlight a charter school founded by a criminal with […]

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HUGE Story: Tigani Pleads Guilty to Election Charges

Filed in National by on June 9, 2011 37 Comments

The Delaware Way is beginning to crumble. The indictment and guilty plea of Chris Tigani, all taking place within a matter of hours this afternoon, could well hasten its demolition. First, read the story, it’s that important. Here’s a key excerpt: Prosecutors said Tigani, who made headlines for a series of legal battles with his […]

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 9, 2011

Filed in National by on June 9, 2011 7 Comments

Cue the music: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi6wNGwd84g[/youtube] Here’s something I’ve never seen before in all my years in Dover: DOVER – State Sen. Michael Katz caused a stir in Legislative Hall on Tuesday after he accused Rep. Bryon Short of plagiarizing his legislation related to the accreditation of medical facilities. After Katz issued a press release and called […]

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 8, 2011

Filed in National by on June 8, 2011 31 Comments

We’re a tiny step closer to the popular election of the President of the United States today. The House mustered up 21 votes to pass HB 55 (D. E. Williams), which would establish a state compact that would provide for the popular vote nationally to determine the disposition of state’s electoral votes. The debate in […]

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Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 7, 2011

Filed in Delaware by on June 7, 2011 7 Comments

Never let it be said that, when it comes to millionaires, the members of the General Assembly don’t keep their word. While Medicaid assistance, college scholarships, and services to protect the social safety net hang in the balance, millionaires can breathe easier knowing that the top rate in Delaware will be cut from 6.95% to […]

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 2, 2011

Filed in National by on June 2, 2011 17 Comments

It doesn’t take much of a roadblock to derail a bill once the General Assembly calendar turns to June. When the NRA, which has at least half the legislators in its  sights pocket, lays out the slippery slope card canard, legislators either cower and/or hold out their hands for campaign cash. And so it came […]

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General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 1, 2011

Filed in National by on June 1, 2011 5 Comments

Catch-22 author Joseph Heller spent the bulk of his writing career vainly trying to come up with something that captured the public’s imagination like his seminal anti-war novel. Upon releasing a novel late in his career entitled Something Happened, a critic dismissed it with this two-word review: “Nothing happened.” Which, according to the Legislative Council […]

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Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 31, 2011

Filed in National by on May 31, 2011 30 Comments

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, I hope that Tony DeLuca enjoyed a terrorist-free Memorial Day weekend, and I hope that Monsignor Greg Lavelle stopped crying about ‘gerrymandering’ long enough to spout inanities about what it means to be patriotic. Well, crying has never stopped Lavelle from spouting inanities. He can and […]

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R. I. P. Gil Scott Heron

Filed in National by on May 28, 2011 2 Comments

One of our true visionaries. Never was able to successfully defeat his demons, although he tried. And tried and tried. Some samples of his genius: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcHOq8i5Pyk[/youtube] ‘Winter In America’ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upKsTCKYm4E&feature=related[/youtube] ‘The Bottle’ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRPRwG1_ayk[/youtube] ‘Johannesburg’ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD_9Ph8KiVM&feature=related[/youtube] ‘Ain’t No Such Thing As A Superman’ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV_astp3BjM&feature=relmfu[/youtube] ‘I’m New Here’

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