Month: July 2014

It is official: Sheila Jackson Lee’s rude insanity now infects her entire staff. Allegedly

This isn’t unprofessional.  This is nega-professional: if it ever touches any professionalism then Ohio will abruptly become an Atlantic beachfront state*. 

Short version if you haven’t heard it yet: Sheila Jackson Lee announced on Wednesday that Democrats had never tried to impeach the President, despite the fact that she was a co-sponsor of a bill to impeach the President. PJ Tatler called up to inquire about that, and the results were apparently epic:

I was transferred to a gentleman on Lee’s staff. When I again asked him about the contradiction and stated that perhaps I was confused, the man said “Oh look it here, we have one of those right wing, tea-bagger nut jobs on the phone taking his cues from FOX News.”

He then accused me of being un-American, raising his voice at me while asking me to calm down, and telling me that I am just on some mission to destroy our country. When I calmly asked for his name, he said “I don’t have to give it to you because I don’t want to show up on some right wing blog and be on your Twitter account.” Keep in mind, I never said who I was – he just made assumptions and attacked me. When I reminded him that he gets paid by our tax dollars, he said “I doubt you even pay taxes and the IRS will find you soon enough,” and hung up on me.

Continue reading It is official: Sheila Jackson Lee’s rude insanity now infects her entire staff. Allegedly

Ventura County Dem chair David Atkins screams for Julia Brownley (D) to give back ‘stolen’ money.

Point:

Counter-point:

The Ventura County Democrats apparently believe that Julia Brownley’s  $235,000+ in salary and investment income, which puts her in that top 4%, is the product of theft…

Continue reading Ventura County Dem chair David Atkins screams for Julia Brownley (D) to give back ‘stolen’ money.

What happens when Republicans take the Senate? I’ll tell you, @voxdotcom.

Somewhere between half and two-thirds* of the Democratic staffers that talk to Vox right now won’t have jobs on Capitol Hill anymore. No jobs, no access to power, and all chasing the same stopgap employment opportunities.  It won’t be pretty: why, some of ’em might even have to move back home.

Ain’t it a shame.

Moe Lane

*I assume that Vox talks disproportionately to the ones who haven’t figured out yet that they probably shouldn’t talk to Vox.  Mind you, those are the first you downsize, so I guess it all works out, nu?

Quote of the Day, I WANT TO BELIEVE edition. (Guardians of the Galaxy)

I really want this movie not to suck. From Thom Dunn’s Tor.com review of Guardians of the Galaxy:

But if you’re anything like me, and somehow haven’t gotten sick of the ironic juxtaposition of 70s pop music set against the backdrop of a technicolor Mos Eisley, I’m here to tell you that Guardian’s of the Galaxy is the greatest remake of Footloose that you will likely ever see.

I really, really, really want this movie not to suck.  For both noble and ignoble reasons.  The thought of Hollywood being just the slightest bit scared of Marvel amuses me.

Moe Lane

HA! My Secret Map made the Tor.com blog! @tordotcom

Like this? Check out my Patreon!

[UPDATE]

cause-of-death

Without attribution, but that’s my own damn fault: I didn’t slap my website info on the thing. So there was no way that either Tor.com nor Thom Dunn could know where it came from, but I’m glad they enjoyed it.  And, besides…

…I kind of ripped off Slate myself, remember? Continue reading HA! My Secret Map made the Tor.com blog! @tordotcom

Democrat in Ohio-GOV losing ground among people who… know who he is?

Wait, what?

I almost don’t want to write about this.

Ed FitzGerald, the Democrat running against Gov. John Kasich, is somehow less well known today than he was a few months ago.

A Quinnipiac University Poll out Wednesday shows 65 percent of registered Ohio voters didn’t know enough about FitzGerald – who announced his campaign in April 2013 – to form an opinion. (The numbers are within the polls’ margins of error.)

That’s actually up from a similar poll in May, when 63 percent said they didn’t know enough about him.

I mean, I have professional pride.  And while I do certainly have tendencies towards cruelty I also have a bad habit of being a big softy when the chips are down.  How do you snark on that?  What can I say about whatshisname that is actually worse than the news that after three months of campaigning people remember him less?   Continue reading Democrat in Ohio-GOV losing ground among people who… know who he is?

Wisconsin Supreme Court finds Act 10 labor union reforms constitutional.

Can we be done with this, now?

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld the 2011 law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers, sparked massive protests and led to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election and rise to national prominence.

Thursday’s 5-2 ruling is a victory for Walker, who is considering a 2016 run for president and is seeking re-election this year. It also marks the end of the three-year legal fight over the union rights law, which prohibits public worker unions for collectively bargaining for anything beyond base wage increases based on inflation. A federal appeals court twice upheld the law as constitutional.

I mean, this tantrum has been going on for going on four years.  It has wasted the money, effort, and time of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Wisconsinites – both the ones on the Right (who have my sympathies) and the Left (who, admittedly, do not).  The people who hated the idea of ending mandatory dues for union workers have tried every possible trick to overturn it known to man, and none of it ever worked.  But let it be over, OK? The US Supreme Court isn’t going to overturn this case*.  They may not even hear it. Continue reading Wisconsin Supreme Court finds Act 10 labor union reforms constitutional.

In the Mail: Tales of the Crescent City (Call of Cthulhu).

That was the Kickstarter from earlier in the year: it’s a New Orleans-themed sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu, and is all full of Yellow Sign goodness.  If that designation is applicable in this context.  Backers are getting our books from Golden Goblin Press now, so if you got in on this you’ll probably be getting your copy soon.

…And I just got hit by a huge wave of tired, and will probably take a little nap now.  Yes, I might not wake up before tomorrow morning.