It’s day 85, and it’s turning into a very busy day. I am not a fan or supporter of Comcast, but for my building, I have two choices for broadband, that or my current provider Clear. Clear has been purchased by Sprint, and they just raised their prices. In addition, their service has dropped off. I used to get 7 Megabits consistently, and now I’m getting 5 on a good day. As much as I hate to do it, I can actually save money with Comcast and get 120 Megabit service. I’m waiting for the installer to come. That means that two of my five main email addresses will change, and I’ll have to inform a lot of suppliers.
It’s in. Damn it’s fast!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 5:09 (average 5:34). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: The "Anti-Commandeering" Rule: In 1997, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court, created an "anti-commandeering" rule, which bans Congress from ordering state officials to carry out federal duties. The case was brought by two county sheriffs, who did not want to do background checks for firearm sales as ordered by the Brady Act. The new rule led to holes in the database that would allow persons prone to violence, like the killer in the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting, to get firearms. Stevens notes that the "anti-commandeering" rule could also cripple other Congressional acts, from routine administration of federal programs to emergency responses to national catastrophes or acts of terror. His fix adds four words (in bold below) to the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges and other public officials in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
This is just one of six proposed Constitutional Amendments written by retired Supreme Court Justice, John Paul Stevens, to help fix the damage done to America by the Fascist Five Republican Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD). Click through for the other five.
From The New Yorker: In a historic Oval Office ceremony on Thursday morning, President Barack Obama signed an executive order closing Congress, effective immediately.
The President said that the move would dramatically increase the efficiency of the federal government, noting how much he had accomplished since he stopped working with Congress in November.
Additionally, he said, the elimination of Congress would result in annual savings of more than five billion dollars, which Obama said would be refunded to American taxpayers.
Acknowledging that “some sticklers” would argue that the Constitution calls for three branches of government, the President said, “All this order does is reduce that number by one.”
The initial public reaction to the President’s decision appeared to be overwhelmingly positive, as news of the executive order sent his approval rating soaring to seventy-nine percent.
Bad, Andy!! Bad!! How dare you tease us with such a beautiful idea?!!?
From NBC: U.S. regulators on Thursday raised the standard for high-speed Internet, voting that only connections with download speeds of 25 megabits per second or faster will qualify as broadband. The Federal Communications Commission’s previous definition of broadband was a download speed of at least 4 Mbps. The change, opposed by Internet service providers and Republican FCC commissioners, means nearly a fifth of Americans and more than half of those living in rural areas now lack access to high-speed Internet. The change is not expected to immediately influence how competitive the FCC formally views the broadband market. But it could give the agency more of a bully pulpit to push Internet service providers to increase connection speeds and support competitors formed by municipalities.
Excellent idea. This article is what set me off.
Cartoon:
27 Responses to “Open Thread–1/29/2015”
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Close-up of the inside of a tulip plant, red, yellow, petals, six – 6:57
I guess that will fix it… 😆
Glad you have better speed for the nonce TC (pending FCC decision natch). Kudos on 85.
Stevens makes marvelous sense and starts a democratic republic dream yet again…and AB provides the wind beneath the sails for the dream to gain speed and power.
I didn't think this FCC had that much gumption! Makes me more hopeful on other decisions to come.
I know he dreamed of raising the gas taxes, yet some real bipartisan leadership is crafting a repatriation of off-shore corporate funds deal to take care of funding transportation for years to come…just hope they don't incentivize it too much and rip us off.
Betcha they do!
We have Comcast for our internet and are very happy with it ~ hate to admit it, but it's true. I decided I had better reply here instaed of on care2 because of all their issues. Very annoying posting stories again today!
Care2 can turn 120 Megabits to mud.
5:19 average 5:41
Daily Kos – Yes, Stevens' ideas are quite good. Which of course means don't hold your breath.
New Yorker – Beautiful dream.
NBC – Good news – but the best news of the day is your other article.
Cartoon – Yup.
I don't expect any traction on those ideas.
Daily Kos: Justice Stevens is a wise man, but his amendments are never going to pass with this Congress.
The New Yorker: It would certainly be a good idea for this Congress, but imagine that happening under Dubya.
NBC: I have had to reboot three times tonight trying to read Open thread. I am all for this proposal.
Cartoon" Yes it is, and my fellow Kentuckians who were dumb enough to vote for him deserve it. I , however, do not.
I hope you have good service from Comcast.
Well, the wrote down the wrong userneme for me. I still have many hours' reconfiguring to do.
The New Yorker:
We can only dream…
But, what if a GOP/TP/Koch Party were POTUS…
What then…
NBC:
Wait and see for me on this.
I'm not holding my breath.
Cartoon:
Bought Bitch Mitch wants to do more than raise taxes on the middle, low class
people. He wants to carry out his "agenda" or should say the Koch Bros. agenda.
He isa Koch sucker!
3:43 Talk about seeing red!
3:30 I tip-toed through the tulip.
4:05 Beat by the ladies again. At least I am in good company.
My hand was too sore to move the mouse.
Puzzled — 3:43 Talk about seeing red!
Daily Kos — Most of the ideas seem good which means, with so many Republicanus/Teabagger states, getting ratification will be prolonged and probably not achievable.
I had never heard of Stevens so I googled him. Given the tenor of the proposed amendments, I thought he must be a Democrat. But surprise, when he was sworn in, he was a registered Republican . . . obviously "your grandfather's Republican Party". However, when "[a]sked in an interview in September 2007 if he still considers himself a Republican, Stevens declined to comment." Gerald Ford commented in 2005 "He is serving his nation well, with dignity, intellect and without partisan political concerns."
The New Yorker — I thought that was why the Congress was away 213 (?) days . . . to test the theory that the cost of government could be reduced and efficiency raised with one less branch to deal with.
NBC — This is very good. I wonder what this will do to the net neutrality argument.
Cartoon — McTurtle makes me positively ill! I'd like to kick him so hard that he turns inside out . . . permanently!!! At least then we wouldn't have to look at his smirking face and we'd be able to confirm he is full of shit!
I'll be in later. I'm teaching my first English Second Language session this afternoon.
Stevens was a surprise. They thought he was gping to goose step. He surprised them.
TY TC – am exhausted, ill and dyslexic – but v glad your new broadband is working so well!
I hope you feel better.
Daily Kos ~ When Retired Justice Stevens wrote his book "Six Amendments", he went on the usual book tour of the major networks and I was able to catch quite a few interviews with him. All six amendments make a lot of sense and he knows they will never fly with the current political atmosphere in Washington. It's too bad he retired so soon. He had his reasons though.
New Yorker ~ I agree, Tom. Andy shouldn't tease us like that.
NBC ~ I would love to see it happen. I am paying way too much for Roadrunner which is supposed to be the fastest. Guess what? It's not! But it's the only game in town beccause I'm in a rural area. I can't get satellite here either but they can a mile down the road. All the other services are available about a mile away because. Funny that's where my TeapublicanT congressman lives. Yesterday my service was so slow it took me forever to type my comments.
Cartoon ~ Surprised, anyone?
Nope!
Few thoughts TC. The Kochs spending a billion to Buy Govenment!How much,I wonder,did it cost them to buy the Roberts court for Citizens United?
Romney accuses Hillary Clinton of being timid,re.Foreign affairs.!This from a "man" who supported both the Vietnam war and the Draft,then ran off to France,not to return until 3 years later, when the draft was cancelled by, I believe Nixon.
The "man " is an ABJECT COWARD.Who is "he" to throw the first stone??
It was Rove the bought Roberts,and Alito.
I just had to share this today. It's about Comcast.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/29/1360900/-Comcast-changes-customer-s-first-name-on-bill-to-Asshole?detail=email
I hope Brown is a Republican.
Paid to Comcast Sucks Weenie. 😆