Tag: Featured
I Really Didn’t Want To Write About 50 Shades Of Grey
In May of 2012 I wrote a post about 50 Shades of Grey called 50 Shades of Agony. I admit to not finishing the book because, well, I couldn’t stand it. It was, without a doubt, the worst thing I’ve ever read. But I was clear that if the book “worked” for you, then enjoy. That’s the thing about fantasies, they’re personal and usually private.
I haven’t seen the movie, but will probably “hate watch” it once it lands on HBO. There’s simply too much talk for me not to watch it. My curiosity is probably due to the million or so articles written about movie – and I don’t think that number is too far off the mark.
So what prompted me to finally write about 50 Shades of Grey? It began with a post over at Delaware Politics (Yes. I know.) by David Anderson titled: 50 Shades A Failure of Modern Feminism.
50 Shades just brought to light what in form or another is normal behavior for millions. What is more interesting to me is that it tears to shreds the emasculation of relationships by modern feminism. 50 Shades is not what I would call the road map to healthy relationships, yet it is popular to near record levels not scene since (ironically) the Passion of the Christ.
I found intriguing this article by frequent guest author, Jon Moseley. His premise is that 50 Shades are a perversion of the natural yearning of many women for real men. It speaks to the void in our society created in the last 70 years of the attempt to cleanse society of “a man’s strength and leadership”. He contends that it is a perversion of the healthy original filling the void left by remake of society by the left.
That’s quite a leap, and one not based in reality.
Game of Thrones, Episode Three: The Understudies for the Role of Understudy
From Top to Bottom, Left to Right, New Castle County Council President Chris Bullock (D), 2014 Democratic Treasurer Nominee Sean Barney (D), Senator Brian Pettyjohn (R-19th SD), former Sussex County Register of Wills Greg Fuller, Sr. (D), Senator Bryan Townsend (D-11th SD), Senator Bethany Hall Long (D-10th SD), Senator Ernesto Lopez (R-6th SD); Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Brad Eady (D), Senator Gerald Hocker (R-20th SD), Senator Nicole Poore (D-12th SD), Representative Quinn Johnson (D-8th RD), and Representative Jeff Spiegelman (R-11th RD).
The office of Lt. Governor is so unimportant, with no imperative and necessary duties assigned to it, that it can, and will, remain vacant until January 20, 2017. When former Lt. Governor Matt Denn resigned to be sworn in as Attorney General, there was some talk about passing a new law to address the vacancy (to allow the Governor to appoint a replacement or to allow a special election), but that talk has died down, and the likely scenario is that Secretary of State Jeff Bullock will remain next in line to the Governorship until one of the people above is sworn in.
Yet, this office is a platform is for future ambition. You don’t run for Lt. Governor so you can just preside over the Senate and cast tie breaking votes. You run to advance issues and make a name for yourself, usually for a future race for Governor.
Come inside to find out whom I think is running.
Game of Thrones, Episode Two: Volunteers for Exile in Washington
There will be a lot of potential candidates for an open Congressional race, and there is a good reason for it. If John Carney were to vacate this congressional seat for a run for Governor, this would be the first truly open race for Delaware’s At Large Seat in 40 years, since 1976. Think about it. When Representative Pete du Pont retired from Congress in 1976 to run for Governor and was succeeded by Tom Evans, there has always an incumbent or a far and away favored frontrunner. Evans held the job until he was defeated by Treasurer Tom Carper in 1982. Carper held the job until he and Governor Mike Castle traded jobs in 1992. Castle held the job until he retired to run for Senate in 2010, but that year, everyone expected John Carney to run and win.
Game of Thrones, Episode One: Rules of the Game and the Governor.
The rumblings have started. The game of musical chairs begins as potential candidates start eyeing a particular chair and then nervously eye each other while the music plays.
So in working through this, let’s make some assumptions:
1. Governor Markell will not be a candidate for any of these upcoming races. This is because I assume, no matter who wins the Presidential election, Markell will be in the Cabinet. He is the perfect Democrat a Republican President would chose for Secretary of Education or Secretary of Commerce, and I can see President Hillary Clinton likewise tapping him for Commerce, Education or Treasury.
2. Treasurer Ken Simpler is not running for Governor, but for reelection in 2018.
3. In the same vein, and much to my personal chagrin, Attorney General Matt Denn will not be running for Governor either, but will run for reelection in 2018. For you see, Mr. Denn is the most progressive statewide official and has been since his arrival as Insurance Commissioner back in 2004. But, and this goes for Simpler too, two years on the job is not enough of a platform to run for a new one. Beau Biden recognized this back in 2010, back when he had been on the job of AG for 4 years, but spent 18 months of that in Iraq. And it is a shame too, since that was likely his last chance at higher office. But I digress. For Denn, and I am sure he is aware of this, a run for Governor so soon after a switch of office to AG from LG, coupled with his history of jumping from IC to LG after one term, an uncomfortable reputation might emerge.
4. Insurance Commissioner Stewart and Auditor Wagner will not leave their respective jobs voluntarily until they die. They will not retire. And they cannot be defeated in a primary. For Wagner, having an elected statewide Republican is still a rare enough thing that I am not sure another Republican can be found to challenge him. For Stewart, the only way she can be defeated is if you limit her primary challengers to 1. If she has more than 1 primary challenger, her 32% inexplicable base support in the party will allow her to win. But that will never happen because Tom Gordon and Dennis Williams will step again with their City-County-Stewart unholy tripartite alliance and save him with one or more primary challengers.
5. Beau Biden will not run for any office in 2016. His announcement that he was foregoing a 2014 reelection race and would instead run for Governor in 2016 was a smokescreen, a place-holding statement to preserve his political capital and position in the Party and politics should his health and/or prognosis improve. It was a wise, smart move on that front. But it is not our reality. Beau Biden is not running for Governor, or any office. And I am not going to pretend that he is. If he starts making public appearances, if he starts speaking at these public appearances, and if he releases information as to his health scare, treatment and prognosis, then I will take him seriously as a potential candidate.
6. Tom Carper has a one more election cycle in him before he turns into Bill Roth and someone Carpers him. And I say that wanting Carper to retire to the Florida beach with Castle with every fiber of my being.
So, having said all that, let’s look at who are the candidates for Governor first, because the candidates for this highest office will determine, in a trickle down that actually works, the candidates for the other offices.
DDOE Tells Christina To Close Or Restructure (Charter/Privatize) Its Priority Schools
There are actually three choices on the table: Closure, Charter Conversion/Privatization… and handing all 5 of Christina’s city schools to Red Clay. No matter what, Christina loses these schools.
The Christina school board must choose by Feb. 27 whether to close its three Priority Schools or hand them over to charter schools or other education management organizations, the Department of Education said in a letter to district staff Tuesday.
The letter leaves one possible alternative: If Christina works with the state on the possibility of redistricting schools so that it no longer operates city schools, it could be removed from the Priority Schools saga altogether.
The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) is very good at closing down schools. Go speak with anyone at these six Priority Schools and ask them when DDOE showed up to “help” them. Surely DDOE has been in these schools for years – since these six schools have been struggling for a long, long time? Surely, DDOE can point to all the support they’ve given these schools over the years? I hear that DDOE didn’t step foot in these schools or offer assistance prior to Governor Markell’s Priority School announcement last fall. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe DDOE has been working with the six priority schools for years and drastic action was needed because they exhausted all other options?
This Houston Transplant Apologizes for No Child Left Behind
Sorry Delaware, for all the mess created for public schools by fellow Houstonians which has the local blogsphere on fire over so called school reform and charter schools and the like.
Vote Tracker for February 4, 2015
We are starting to get some serious legislation now. Rep. Helene Keeley’s Marijuana Decriminalization Bill was introduced last week. As HB 39, the purpose of the bill is to decriminalize the possession or private use of a personal use quantity of marijuana, or more specifically, persons who possess one ounce or less of marijuana shall be assessed a civil penalty that will not become part of a criminal record and must forfeit the marijuana. These persons will also not be subject to incarceration. In other words, you will get something similar to a traffic ticket. Section 2 of the bill treats public use or consumption of an ounce of marijuana or less shall be considered an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a $200 fine or imprisonment of not more than 5 days, which is in line with the penalty for possession or consumption of an open container of alcohol. Current laws make possessing one ounce or less of marijuana in the First State a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail, a criminal fine of up to $575, or both.
Republicans have also introduced their Estate Tax Repeal. Currently, the Delaware Estate Tax only applies to estates worth more than $5.43 million. So let’s all be honest and call this bill the Making the Rich Richer Bill.
Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up: January 27-29, 2015.
As a would-be oligarch, Jack Markell introduced a proposed budget that will make him a welcome guest at Chateau Country’s finest soirees. As a putative Democrat, his budget is disgraceful and indefensible. Guess whose taxes will increase? Seniors who get a modest tax break on their homes. That’s it. You know why that break was implemented in the first place? To make seniors less likely to oppose public school referenda due to the impact it would have on their fixed incomes. For Markell, it’s a two-fer: Screw seniors on a fixed income and make it harder for public school districts to raise funds. BTW, it’s time we face reality. We really are an oligarchy and not a democracy. Take some time to read this, and then come back.
Nancy Pelosi Stands up to Theocratic Error and Hate
Theological error from none other than Nancy Pelosi’s highly credentialed (by his organization) Canon Law expert in the Diocese of San Francisco.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: January 27-29, 2015
I would first like to thank the meteorologists for making this article necessary. Was this the new ‘faith-based’ meteorology? Rest assured I won’t be watching the insipid smile-meisters on the Weather Channel to find out what went wrong with their model. Don’t have the time. (Personal to Al Roker: Eat something, willya? The human shar pei look is disconcerting.)
I’m now assuming the General Assembly will meet today, so you’re gonna get the Full Monty weekly preview. The last preview before the six-week break for meetings of the Joint Finance Committee meetings. Which reminds me, the Governor will submit his proposed budget later this week, which, of course, plays a central role in the work of the JFC.
Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Show: Week of Jan. 20-22, 2015
OK, I’ve been putting it off long enough. I suppose I should briefly discuss Governor Markell’s State of the State Address. Markell states in the address that he is open to all sorts of proposals for bridging the infrastructure funding shortfall, but he’s not gonna lead on this, he’s gonna wait until the General Assembly comes up with something, um, concrete. He also embraced Matt Denn’s proposals for addressing crime and its causes, particularly in Wilmington. And he supported a (wait for it) fact-based task force (as opposed to other task forces). Well, a ‘commission’, not a task force. So commissions are fact-based. Task forces are not. Got it.
The Vote Tracker, January 23, 2015
The Vote Tracker is a joint project between Delaware Liberal and the Progressive Democrats for Delaware (PDD). Each week we will be keeping track of how our General Assembly votes on bills of progressive or liberal interest. Now, this chart does not follow all the legislation that has been filed. We don’t report on perfunctory […]
Proof: Republicans Incapable Of Leading
Barely starting their majority rule in this new Congress, the Republicans, not satisfied with a visionless, utterly barren domestic policy are now usurping the Constitutional powers of the Executive branch in foreign affairs/policy.
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