Tuesday SOTU Open Thread [2/12/2013]

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President Obama is delivering his State of the Union Address tonight and the usual suspects are spinning up expectations and related goo. DD covered a report from Politico that noted that President Obama won't be extending any olive branches to Republicans this year, and I have been listening to NPR a decent portion of the morning and they are repeating the same thing. What I don't hear is WHY the President should be extending olive branches to a party who works hard at not cooperating in the business of government. I suspect it is the same old -- Democrats are supposed to cooperate and Republicans get a pass on obstructing (with the excuse of sticking to their principles). Anyone else noticing this narrative?

The Olympics are bullshit – this seals it

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Because the United States needs another gold medal in wake boarding - the IOC has cut wrestling. You wouldn't know it from our crappy TV coverage of wall-to-wall beach volleyball, but in London 29 countries won medals in wrestling. It is a popular, truly international, sport. But they needed space to add indoor rock climbing to the lineup.

Kinder Morgan Starts Talking

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Kinder Morgan is making its proposal to privatize the Port of Wilmington to the Diamond State Port Corporation today. We'll hear more about this (I hope) in tomorrow's news, but wanted to take a look at this deal via what we know already. The most recent information has come from a few NJ articles -- Deal to lease Port of Wilmington at risk; Delaware's Port of Wilmington plan includes expansion; andKinder Morgan seeks new challenge in Del.

Monday Daily Delawhere [2.11.13]

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When the highest point in our state is only 447 feet above seal level, and the vast majority of the state lies on a coastal plain, it stands to reason that there will not be many caves here. And that is true. There is only one known cave. The Beaver Valley Cave is located near the intersection of Beaver Valley & Beaver Dam Roads in Chateau Country, just 100 feet away from the Pennsylvania border. The entrance is 24 feet wide and 5 feet high, and the main chamber is 16 feet deep, with a crawl space continuing another 40 feet further in. Lenni Lenape Indians used the cave as a resting spot and shelter when fishing in the nearby Brandywine River.

How’s That Good Guy With a Gun Thing Working Out For You?

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Seriously -- have you been following the story of the ex-LAPD officer who went on a shooting rampage? It is a horrific story -- a fired police officer who decides that he is working out his perceived injustices on other officers or their families. This is a story of a previous good guy -- one trained to use guns by the government -- who is now just a guy with a bunch of guns seemingly seeking revenge.

Sunday Open Thread [2.10.13]

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It is too nice of a day to unpack this many layers of stupidity....
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Sunday that the sequester must be avoided and conceded that he might be willing to raise some revenues in order to strike a deal and avert sequestration. "We've got to avoid it, we've got to stop it," McCain said on "Fox News Sunday." "Would I look at some revenue closers? Maybe so. But we've already just raised taxes. Why do we have to raise taxes again?" Democrats want a budget that raises revenues by closing tax loopholes like oil subsidies, while Republicans have argued that the tax increases in the fiscal cliff deal in January mean no additional revenues are necessary.
We are ruled by idiots.