Author: susie

Maybe Sean Hannity can explain this

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

Where on earth was this gentleman exposed to such extreme ideas that he was moved to do this? Hmm.

Larry McQuilliams had “let me die” written in marker across his chest when he fired more than 100 rounds in downtown Austin early Friday morning.

McQuilliams, who Austin Police officials called a “homegrown American extremist” with ties to a Christian identity hate group, was shot dead on Friday by a police officer outside the department’s headquarters.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters on Monday that officers who searched the gunman’s home found a map with 34 targets, including two churches. McQuilliams had fired bullets into Austin police headquarters, a federal courthouse and the Mexican consulate in downtown Austin on Friday. He also tried to set the Mexican consulate building on fire.

Previously, police said they had not yet determined the motive for the shooting, which left only the gunman dead, but speculated that the current immigration debate could have been a factor. On Monday, federal investigators said the gunman didn’t leave a note that outlined his motive, but that he had previously told friends he was upset he couldn’t find a job, even as immigrants to the United States receive assistance.

Mitch to ditch campaign finance rules

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

The Daily Show --There have been rumors...

Sure wish these craven tools weren’t in charge. Oh well!

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is trying to use a massive appropriations bill to loosen campaign finance rules.

The Republican leader’s office is attempting to attach a policy rider to the omnibus bill that would effectively end limits imposed on coordinated spending by federal candidates and political party committees.

Currently, coordinated spending by candidates and political parties is limited based on a series of formulas for different offices. For example, the total amount presidential candidates may coordinate with political parties is calculated as the national voting-age population multiplied by two cents — a figure that is adjusted for the cost of living each election cycle.

The McConnell rider would allow parties to consult with candidate campaigns on advertising or other electoral advocacy without having the resulting spending count towards their coordinated limit, so long as the spending is not “controlled by, or made at the direction of” the candidate. The change would create a loophole essentially making the coordinated limits moot.

How to handle a woman

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

I was watching an old movie I never heard of, and when I looked it up, I found this New York Times review. Yes, I know it was written in 1940 — but I’m still shocked:

If ever a woman needed a beating—but good—that woman is the Susan Trexel of Joan Crawford in “Susan and God,” which arrived yesterday at the Capitol amid much jubilation of the Crawford fans, and the fact that she doesn’t get it after almost two hours of steady meddling in the lives of other folk—plus the fact that her pitiful husband, a wan and submissive Fredric March, permits her to go on and on giving him the needle while she flings her own ego around—comprises the most disappointing letdown of a generally disappointing film. In this case it certainly seems that poetic justice should have managed a violent laying on of hands. Susan spoils for it.

H/t David Benowitz Attorney at Law.

Chris Rock interview

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

chris rock

With Frank Rich. Go read it, it’s one of the most incisive things I’ve read in a long time:

So, to say Obama is progress is saying that he’s the first black person that is qualified to be president. That’s not black progress. That’s white progress. There’s been black people qualified to be president for hundreds of years. If you saw Tina Turner and Ike having a lovely breakfast over there, would you say their relationship’s improved? Some people would. But a smart person would go, “Oh, he stopped punching her in the face.” It’s not up to her. Ike and Tina Turner’s relationship has nothing to do with Tina Turner. Nothing. It just doesn’t. The question is, you know, my kids are smart, educated, beautiful, polite children. There have been smart, educated, beautiful, polite black children for hundreds of years. The advantage that my children have is that my children are encountering the nicest white people that America has ever produced. Let’s hope America keeps producing nicer white people.

Oh look

~ susie ~ 4 Comments

npmunson_CMCSA_Comcast_logo_si-2779639734-O.jpg

After seven Colorado counties voted in favor of municipal broadband in the recent election, Comcast suddenly announced it was going to double their speeds:

Comcast is doubling Internet speeds at no extra cost for most of its customers in Colorado.

The Philadelphia-based cable TV and broadband provider has a history of upping speeds every few months for hundreds of thousands of its customers in Colorado. Starting some time next month, they should see noticeably faster downloads.

Customers subscribing to Comcast’s “Performance” package of 25 megabits-per-second downloads will get 50 Mbps downloads after the change, while “Blast” package customers’ download speeds will jump from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps.

This makes me really, really angry

~ susie ~ 4 Comments

Grundy, VA

The Department of Health is claiming there was no way for this to happen safely, but how did they manage to work around it in so many other states? This is just unconscionable:

(Reuters) – New York state health officials have stopped a nonprofit group from providing free medical care to thousands of patients lacking health insurance during a four-day dental conference that starts Friday.

The nonprofit, Remote Area Medical, had raised $3 million and enlisted hundreds of volunteer doctors and other medical workers to offer a range of health services, including dental care, new eyeglasses and other services. The group had planned to treat about 7,000 patients at the New York Sate event.

In September, the New York State Department of Health told the volunteer group, founded in 1985, that it could not treat patients at the conference unless it partnered with an established, state-licensed medical organization.

Despite last-minute efforts, the partnership could not be arranged in time, and the nonprofit group said it found out this week that the state would not waive the requirement.

“This was incredibly disappointing and will mean that thousands of patients won’t get the care they desperately need,” said Stan Brock, the founder of Remote Area Medical.
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