Month: June 2014

Tweet of the Day, A Tweet About The Marijuana edition.

I don’t really have an opinion on this stuff in general – except that copyright is copyright, and I can understand why Hershey is protecting its brand – but I saw this:

…and my first response was this:

It just seems so… unsurprising.

Annnnnd there goes Virginia Democrats’ state Senate majority.

Lots of people blinking over this, I reckon:

State Sen. Phillip P. Puckett- D-Russell has resigned his seat, leaving Democrats one vote shy of the majority they need to control the chamber.

Puckett’s stunning resignation throws Democratic budget strategy into chaos and opening the way for Republicans to seize control of the chamber and reorganize its committees with GOP majorities, the Richmond Times Dispatch said in a report issued late Sunday.

Despite brave Democratic rhetoric to the contrary, this puts McAuliffe’s entire Medicaid expansion plan in jeopardy. While the state Senate still technically has a two vote majority (including three Republicans) in place for expansion, the new Republican majority now has a potential tool to reel in recalcitrant members. Given that Puckett was essentially bought off* with a judgeship for his daughter and a nice tobacco commission spot for himself, be rest assured that events will, as they say, continue to proceed.  Should be a thing!

Via

Moe Lane

*Please note that the term ‘bought off’ is not intended to be representative of the moral or legal conditions involved in any deal between state Senator Puckett and the Republican party. Besides,the Democrats do it all the time.

Koch Industries’ $25 million donation to UNCF condemned by people who likely won’t match that gift.

Hopefully, the title will give you my opinion on the subject.

The United Negro College Fund announced a $25 million grant Friday from Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation — a large donation from the conservative powerhouse Koch name that Democrats have sought to vilify heading into the 2014 midterm elections.

The UNCF, known for its iconic motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” supports historically black colleges and universities and provides scholarships.

From the donation, $18.5 million will go toward nearly 3,000 merit-based scholarships to African-American students, and $6.5 million will go toward general support for historically black colleges and universities and the UNCF.

Continue reading Koch Industries’ $25 million donation to UNCF condemned by people who likely won’t match that gift.

Well, it looks like #Obamacare will at least be an issue in the Maryland-GOV race.

Because the Democrats are on-track to nominate the guy most responsible for utterly wrecking their state Obamacare exchange.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown has strengthened his lead in the fiercely contested Democratic primary for governor and enters the campaign’s final two weeks with a 2-1 advantage over his closest competitor, according to a new poll for The Baltimore Sun.

In the Republican race, businessman and activist Larry Hogan is running well ahead of his three opponents, the poll found.

Continue reading Well, it looks like #Obamacare will at least be an issue in the Maryland-GOV race.

New Witcher: Wild Hunt trailer.

As I just explained to my wife – who thought that what she was hearing was this fake movie trailer parody of Moby Dick done all fantasy-like – CD Projekt Red is Central European, which means that their idea of over-the-top is a little bit different than either the American or the Japanese idea of over-the-top. Still gonna buy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, though:

Via AoSHQ.

#Obamacare causing MORE Medicaid recipients to use emergency rooms.

AS John Ekdahl notes, we were told that the opposite was going to happen.  And yet, here we are: “Nationally, nearly half of ER doctors responding to a recent poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians said they’ve seen more visits since Jan. 1, and nearly nine in 10 expect those visits to rise in the next three years. Mike Rust, president of the Kentucky Hospital Association, said members statewide describe the same trend.”  Essentially, what is happening is that people on Medicaid are discovering that having access to a form of medical insurance does not mean the same as access to medical care.  Many doctors do not take Medicaid, and there’s not enough doctors anyway: but the emergency room is always there; as a result, not only are more people using ERs, they’re also using them for a wider range of services than, strictly speaking, emergency ones.

Continue reading #Obamacare causing MORE Medicaid recipients to use emergency rooms.

Barack Obama takes baby steps on the ambassadorship front.

At least the major Democratic donor (Jane Hartley) that Barack Obama is nominating for the ambassadorship to France is reported to actually speak French. I know, I know: it’s a low bar to jump.  Then again, Barack Obama has been having trouble clearing bars that are actually recessed into the floor, so every little bit helps.

Moe Lane Continue reading Barack Obama takes baby steps on the ambassadorship front.