The Michigan Partisan

New Laws We Don't Need

2011-11-04T08:25:00.003-04:00

There's a new law being voted on in the Michigan Senate. According to the Mackinac Center, the new law will require bowling alleys to post a notice they wont be liable for slip and falls from people tracking in debris with their bowling shoes.

There are a few problems with this, first the belief we need a law to force alleys to post the concerns over liability, second, and mentioned in the article, is this is brought about by the smoking ban. The state used power of law to force private businesses to ban smoking, thus resulting in people walking outside, which in turn causes debris inside with an increase of slip and fall. So if I'm reading this law properly, we'll need bowling alley inspectors to check to see if this new law will be followed.

Mackinac Center on Flint and Biden

2011-11-01T11:39:00.002-04:00

Hide Your Kids! Hide Your Wife!: The truth about Flint crime and the jobs bill.[...] More: Hide Your Kids! Hide Your Wife!

The key take away:

If the union were less intransigent, or if the city were able to act unilaterally to get its finances in order, police officers might have been willing to accept wage freezes and a transition to a defined-contribution retirement plan in order to prevent layoffs and keep more officers on the streets. As it stands, new legislation will effect a wage freeze, at least until a new contract is signed. And a emergency financial manager, if appointed, will probably take a very close look at the city’s pension and other benefits and will be able to act without permission from the union. But this will come too late for those officers already let go — or for the victims of crimes that might have been averted with a stronger police force.

Cities and states will continue to crash upon the rocks as long as they are committed to long term benefits for people whom they no longer employ and/or those people have paid little or nothing into their pension fund.

Life is Confused with Satire

2011-11-01T07:13:00.002-04:00

Once again, The Onion's story on bad parenting hits close to home for some people.

Election laws tightening in GOP-run states

2011-11-01T06:59:00.000-04:00

Election laws tightening in GOP-run states

Although the quote of making the right to vote harder by the GOP state sen. shouldn't have been said, the overall town of the article is more absurd. In short, voting shouldn't be easier than renting a video. The Democrats treat their constituents as naives who are incapable of navigating life without their divine help. There's a big difference between making the right to vote, and the right not having your vote stolen by illegal voting, than making the voting rights more secure.

Detroit and America's Future?

2009-12-22T07:03:00.001-05:00

Big Hollywood has a great piece on Detroit, well worth the 13 minutes it'll take to get through it:

"Gonna let that one slide."

2009-12-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

Funding Degenerate Organizations is an Entitlement

2009-12-12T10:03:00.000-05:00

A Federal judge in NYC ruled the government cannot cut off funding for ACORN without a "trial."

"The question here is only whether the Constitution allows Congress to declare that a single, named organization is barred from all federal funding in the absence of a trial," Gershon wrote in a 21-page decision.

How is that the question? Which Constitution is this judge reading? Congress has the right to cut off funding for anything which it is funding, receiving money from the government doesn't give a "due process keep giving me money" card.

We know ACORN is a Democratic organization run by degenerates (and here)who use federal money to register, legally and not, Democrats to vote. If not for federal money and the money of rank-and-file union members this organization wouldn't exist. What is sadder than tax payers funding this group is the millions that have come from union paychecks(here and here), most of whom I'll wager don't even know it.

Shatner Gets Served By Palin (12/11/09)

2009-12-12T09:37:00.001-05:00

Flint Abortion Case

2009-11-21T09:41:00.000-05:00

FLINT, Michigan — A teenager is accusing a Flint abortion doctor and his assistant of holding her down and covering her mouth as the doctor forced her to have an abortion after she screamed for them to stop.

Reading the story I wonder how tightly these procedures are watched by any medical review board. I may be woefully ignorant, but I would wager not at all. I also wonder how teens are barred from buying aerosol whipped cream but can have an abortion?

The More One Finds Out About the Ft Hood Shootings...

2009-11-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

From Dallas:

Fort Hood massacre suspect Nidal Malik Hasan sought to have some of his patients prosecuted for war crimes based on statements they made during psychiatric sessions with him, a captain who served on the base said Monday. Other psychiatrists complained to superiors that Hasan's actions violated doctor-patient confidentiality, Capt. Shannon Meehan told The Dallas Morning News. One day after the Nov. 5 attack that killed 13 and wounded 29, a Fort Hood official said she had never received complaints about Hasan's job performance. Col. Kimberly Kesling, deputy commander of clinical services at the base's Darnall Army Medical Center, also said he was a "hardworking, dedicated young man who gave great care to his patients."

When things go wrong in the military, they go REALLY wrong. There were signs which were ignored, there were superiors where were ignorant. About par for the course for the US Army lately.

Army Suicides

2009-11-18T08:37:00.000-05:00

Very timely.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"We love death more then you love life!"

2009-11-10T08:41:00.000-05:00

A few things struck out with me when I heard of the shooting at Ft. Hood. One was it wasn't surprising that it was possible for such carnage on a military installation given the stringent controls on firearms and ammo. Though it lasted a few minutes, the shooting may have continued longer without quick action from police.

The second thing was if it was a Muslim, I felt it was 100% possibility this wasn't out of the blue for him. Of course, it was a Muslim, we know this now, but we also know now that the FBI and fellow Soldiers had "issues" with MAJ Hasan. Apathy, political correctness, and lobotomizing which the Army achieves through countless sensitivity training, produced this shooting, and this man.

At Ft. Benning, I helped in the training of over a thousand new privates. Privates were immediately kicked out of the service or started the process of having the tattoo removed had they had gang tattoos. Tattoos ranging from urban gangs such as Crips and Bloods, to white racists ones as KKK, to numerous Mexican gangs, were immediately seen as affiliation of gang activity. Now we learn that MAJ Hasan has advocated the cause of America's enemies, said beheadings were justified, and warned against Muslim Soldiers fighting back. And still no one did anything and this man was allowed to be a Major in the US Army espousing those views. One of his final slides stated: "We love death more then you love life!" (Perhaps not only did the Major not have a firm grasp on Islam, but English as well.)

Why if we would discharge a private for having a gang tattoo we would let a man such as this reach Major? I would say this perfectly illustrates one of the many problems of the US Army.

MA vs. MI

2009-11-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe has an interesting article on Michigan's tax incentives and how they are luring businesses away from "Taxachuettes."

The question remains, Can Michigan sustain the loss of money in incentives until the revenue resulting in the diversification of the industry within the state begins to produce results?

Morale dips for American marines in Afghanistan - Times Online

2009-10-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

Something to think about tonight...

Morale dips for American marines in Afghanistan - Times Online

Hopebama Strikes Back

2009-10-09T07:43:00.000-04:00

I assume awarding the Nobel Peace Prizes is a lot like awarding a trophy for showing up: President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

All this talk of Obama being a cross of Johnny Appleseed and Jesus is beyond the scope of comprehension for lowly mortal men. Just look at the peace he has brought to Afghanistan, and between Israel and Iran. Look at the peace on the streets of Chicago.

The safe money will be on Obama going down in history as two past "winners," Carter and Wilson.

Michigan's Budget Train Wreck: A National Lesson - Henry Payne - The Corner on National Review Online

2009-10-02T15:01:00.001-04:00

Well said, it's about lack of revenue leading to cuts and no tax increase will magically make revenue increase enough for a sustained time.

Michigan's Budget Train Wreck: A National Lesson - Henry Payne - The Corner on National Review Online

Shared via AddThis

Subject: Olympics Take

2009-10-02T14:48:00.001-04:00

Subject: Olympics Take

Shared via AddThis

Top 10 Reasons Chicago Didn't Get the Olympics [Rich Lowry]

An e-mail:

10. Dead people can't vote at IOC meetings
9. Obama distracted by 25 min meeting with Gen. McChrystal
8. Who cares if Obama couldn't talk the IOC into Chicago? He'll be able to talk Iran out of nukes.
7. The impediment is Israel still building settlements.
6. Obviously no president would have been able to acomplish it.
5. We've been quite clear and said all along that we didn't want the Olympics.
4. This isn't about the number of Olympics "lost", it's about the number of Olympics "saved" or "created".
3. Clearly not enough wise Latina judges on the committee
2. Because the IOC is racist.
1. It's George Bush's fault.

HPV Vaccination Does More than Improve Your Daughter's Dating Life

2009-10-01T00:03:00.000-04:00

COVENTRY, UK, September 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Natalie Morton, a 14-year-old girl who attended the Blue Coat Church of England School in Coventry, died today, hours after being given Cervarix - the controversial cervical cancer vaccine manufactured for the UK market by Glaxo SmithKline.

The HPV virus is compeltely avoidable. The choice is I give my daughter the information to know about avoiding HPV which may make her less popular with the boys, or I give her the shot which may kill her. Death toll in US is 45. Hmmmmm.

MSU professors link hunting with sexual violence

2009-09-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

The following was printed in The University of Michigan-Flint's The Michigan Times November 2005. Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh read it on air a few days after.

MSU professors link hunting with sexual violence
By: Page W. H. Brousseau IV
Posted: 11/7/05

Three female Michigan State University professors studied the magazine "Traditional Bowhunter," and concluded that hunting is a form of sexual violence with animals substituted for women. They describe hunting as, "erotic heterosexual predation, sadomasochism, restraint for aggressive sexual energy, and allied with the abuse of women." I think I need to take up bowhunting.

The article entitled, "Animals, Women and Weapons: Blurred Sexual Boundaries in the Discourse of Sport Hunting" was published by the Society & Animals Forum. The genesis of the article was the 2003 video "Hunting for Bambi," which reached national attention that year when many news-outlets reported a group in Nevada was selling "hunts" which men paid thousands of dollars to shoot naked women with paintball guns. The producers of the DVD later admitted the hunters and women involved were actors. Like in high-budget porn, the star is only an "actor" and really cannot fix the cable.

Concluding that men turn bows and firearms into phallic symbols, the researchers point to terms and jargon found in the magazine in order to reaffirm their belief of displaced sexual drive. "Climax," "big'uns," and "homely cow" are but a few of the many terms with which they took issue. Two things, first, using terms out of context allows anyone to make them sexual. Second, we are talking about hunting, not sex.

The "study" fails to see the subject matter as merely hunting. The outrageous links between sexual violence and hunting would cause sensible readers to scoff, but remember, the authors are members of MSU faculty, which makes this paper all the more scary.

Apparently, the woman-is-an-animal argument is only valid until the kill. "When alive and being chased in a sport of hunting, animals are given human characteristics…but when dead and displayed as a trophy, anthropomorphism is no longer necessary…and the animal is simply dead." Why would anthropomorphism be necessary in the first place? Furthermore, why is it not necessary in the second place?

Indeed, their argument is that men are violent creeps who beat up on poor, cuddly animals because there are no women running around the woods. "Violence against animals and women is linked by a theory of 'overlapping but absent referents' that institutionalizes patriarchal values…animals often are the absent referents in actions and phrases that actually are about women-and women often are the absent referents for animals." You get that? Therefore, when men are hunting they do so because there are no women present, conversely, when men are with women they are doing so because there are no animals present. I imagine the three authors suffer from a very low level of self-esteem if they envision their lovers would rather be committing bestiality.

Absent from this study is where the millions of female hunters fit. Is "Displaced-Lesbianism" a theory? For that is the only logical conclusion of the animal-is-a-woman and woman-is-an-animal thesis. Not far removed from their illation would be to say women obtain sexual gratification from hunting but actually wish they were sexually abusing women, or maybe themselves.

What would an "academic" study be these days without a conclusion that points to racism? I was not shocked to read that hunting is one of many, "cultural messages that validate and exacerbate white male dominance and power." I surmise they mean a white man hunts deer because he cannot hunt a black man. The argument of racial oppression and hunting goes out the window because one can only shoot one Black Duck a day as apposed to five of another species. Perhaps we are not to take this tomfoolery too seriously.

When read in its entirety, the absurd syllogistic argument takes on the seriousness of a Mad TV skit. This paper is enough to give Rush Limbaugh enough material to rail against "Femi-Nazis" and their plan for world domination for a solid three hours.

Wait a minute, maybe it is "Traditional Bowhunter" that is laying the groundwork for world takeover. Once again, the paper's authors come through and leave the reader not disappointed. They warn that, "[T]he underlying messages of the sexualizing of women, animals, and weapons in Traditional Bowhunter cannot be dismissed simply as a hoax. They are resilient popular culture images that celebrate and glorify weapons, killing, and violence, laying the groundwork for the perpetuation of attitudes of domination, power, and control over others."

Karl Rove strikes once again, MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

The Alexandra Affair

2009-09-30T20:21:00.000-04:00

The following is a research paper I completed in 2003

The Alexandra Affair:How the South Defeated the North in England and Still Lost
By Page W. H. Brousseau IV

During the American Civil War, the South tried mercilessly to entice England and France to enter on her behalf. The Queen quickly declared her country's independence, even though she did not recognize the South, she stated that her country would view both North and South the same. While the North was blessed with money to increase production in its iron and ship works, the South was in the unenviable position of having to defend an immense sea coast against a great navy. The South's only hope remained in purchasing vessels in foreign counties to harass United States ships. The South dispatched Captain Bullock to England to acquire ships for the Southern Navy. While being extremely open, Captain Bullock and his associates contracted with shipbuilders to create ships for the South. It was a violation of the English Foreign Enlistment Act of 1819 to build of ships for a nation at peace with England. The United States protested but Southern sympathizers within the English government sat on their hands while building was completed.

Two ships, the CSS Florida and CSS Alabama, managed to escape into the seas before the government acted. One ship was yet to be completed, the Alexandra, that according to the July 10, 1863 New York Times was to be renamed the CSS Alexandria. The Alexandra was seized, and five men were put on trial in June 1863 for violating the Foreign Enlistment Act.

One would think that with the past British indifference to the Foreign Enlistment Act, the Crown would present a weak effort, but according to the July 10 1863 New York Times, the Attorney General made a "forcible reply" for the Crown. The Lord Chief Baron asked if the Crown thought it was legal for a ship builder to build a ship that could be turned into a ship of war, for another power with which England was at peace. The Attorney General responded that the only thing it alleged, "is that the ship was built with the intention that it should enter the service of another Power at war with a Power with which" England was at peace.

The New York Times reported, "The learned counsel then adverted to the great national importance of observing strict neutrality between two belligerent States, with both of which this country was at peace, and it was one of the objects of the Foreign Enlistment Act to provide against the mischievous intermeddling of a subject with either of those belligerent States." According to the Crown, the purpose of the Foreign Enlistment Act was to deny warships to warring powers; in this case, both countries were at peace with England. Even though the Crown had yet to officially recognize the Confederate States of America, the Foreign Enlistment Act could apply to de facto governments.

The Attorney General then entered into evidence that Captain Bullock, "a Confederate agent," was, "often in the yard, giving directions as to the construction and equipment of the vessel." He then brought a witness that acted as a purchaser on the Alabama who admitted an agency existed between Captain Bullock and others in the Navy Confederate States of America. The Attorney General said this trial was not about the Alabama, but the Alabama left without armaments and was followed by the Bahama, which took Captains Semmes and Bullock to meet the Alabama at Nassau, where Captain Semmes assumed command. The Times said that the Attorney General "believed that, after the jury had been informed of all the circumstances, they would come to the reasonable conclusion that the Alexandra was intended to be used for a hostile purpose, and that the Crown was justified in seizing her."

Captain Englefield of the HMS Domestic was brought to the stand for the prosecution. He stated he had been inspecting the Alexandra since her seizure and also that she was a strong ship but, "certainly not one likely to be used for mercantile purposes." He added she was "quite capable of being converted into a man-of-war," but at the time he saw her, "she had no appearance as of fittings for guns." According to the captain, such fittings would be, "bolts in the side, and plates on which the pivot guns would run."

A Mr. Da Costa was called to the stand on June 23, 1863 and gave witness to the claim that the Alexandra was to follow the Alabama and the Florida. He said during his conversations with the ship builders he was told the Alexandra "was in unison with the Alabama and the Florida."

Defense attorney Sir H. Cairns addressed the jury on behalf of the defendants on June 24, 1863. He gave a dire warning to the jury that if a verdict for the Crown was returned it would, "paralyze the commerce of the country...hamper and drive ship-builders and their trade to another country, and...encourage spies." He further implied that the Crown was acting on behalf of the English Foreign Minister or United States diplomats. Undoubtedly that was true, the United States had been putting pressure on England since the start of the war to restrict Confederate access to English goods.

The Attorney General replied by saying, "The interest of a few persons in Liverpool were not to be consulted in preference to the good feeling which it was desirable should be maintained between this country and the United States." Then he denied, as The New York Times put it, that "[t]he Government had been in the slightest degree influenced or coerced," by US representatives.

The Lord Chief said all previous decisions indicated that a shipbuilder has as much right to build a ship and sell it to either of the belligerent parties as the maker of gunpowder or of muskets or any other warlike implements has to sell any of those articles to the same parties. The Attorney General responded by saying he did not deny the point but denied he was raising it.

The Lord Chief said in closing that the question was whether or not it was a liable seizure, since the Attorney General had conceded the point the Alexandra was not armed at the time of her seizure. During his closing comments to the jury, the Lord Chief expressed anguish at the Foreign Enlistment Act. He protested "against the doctrine that no man is to be convicted of any crime if there is any possible solution of the circumstances by an imagination of his innocence." After that, he went through a history of the Foreign Enlistment Act; he said since its passage in 1819, it has never been put to test in a court of law. However, in the United States it had come before a court, and then the Lord Chief read various comments from American legal followers on neutrality laws.

He continued by saying that under the Foreign Enlistment Act, ships are no different than munitions arms and gunpowder, all of which are not covered under the Foreign Enlistment Act. It was of his belief that the Foreign Enlistment Act was originated to prevent "His Majesty's subjects to serve in foreign armies, and to prevent the fitting out and equipping, in His Majesty's dominions, vessels for warlike purpose, without His Majesty's license." He ended with, "I shall put to you is whether you think that vessel was merely in course of building to be delivered in pursuance of a contract that was perfectly lawful, or whether there was any intention, in the port of Liverpool, or any other English port, that the vessel should be fitted out equipped, furnished and armed for purposes of aggression."

The Lord Chief compared the Alexandra to the Alabama. The Alabama was built for the Confederate States of America, and like the Alexandra, she was just a ship when she sailed out of English waters. The fact that she was outfitted and armed in Teccira in the Azores is of little consequence since it lies out of English waters, therefore, out of purview of the Foreign Enlistment Act. He ended with saying to the jury if they thought the ship was to be armed at Liverpool that was one thing, but if they thought, "the object really was to build a ship in obedience to an order in compliance with a contract, leaving those who bought it to make what use they thought fit of it, then it appears to me that the Foreign Enlistment Act has not been broken." It was already established the there was no intent to arm the Alexandra at the port of Liverpool, a fact the Crown agreed to, therefore it was not surprising that the jury immediately returned a verdict of not guilty.

The most surprising thing about this case may be the way the English papers handled it. Most applauded the verdict but wished for a more powerful Foreign Enlistment Act that would specifically prohibit ships like the Alexandra from being built in English ports.

Many excerpts from London papers were reprinted in the July, 10, 1863 New York Times. The June 25, London Star worried that unless the "astonishing decision be corrected," the Atlantic would be quickly "covered with Confederate privateers." The Star said it believed in the verdict of not guilty, but saw it only a matter of time before someone saw the Foreign Enlistment Act as irrelevant and openly violated it. The London Star wished that a higher court weigh in on this and that English harbors are not about "to become the licensed birthplace of war-ships preying upon the peaceful commerce of a friendly nation."

The reader can almost feel the sigh of relief from the writer of the June 25, London Times. If The Foreign Enlistment Act, The London Times wrote, had barred rifles and gunpowder instead of ships, the Confederates would have tried to purchase these items as well. If that were to happen the Crown would have to employ men to, "watch these questionable proceedings." They added, "Work of this kind is distasteful to very scrupulous men, and it follows that it will generally be carried on by persons of easy conscience and unenviable character." The men involved in the Alexandra affair acted in the open because the men did not rely "on their ignorance, but on the character of the transaction" while they conducted business. The London Times went on to say the Court was not disposed to "favor illegal privateering, but that a law against equipping privateers in this country must be a dead letter so long as they can be built here and equipped at sea or elsewhere." The reading of the law leaves the moral question of arming either side where it was before the case, and the importation into, "jurisprudence a new principle, which the Americans, of all nations, have the most reason to deprecate."

The June 25 London News asked its readers to imagine that England was at war with the North and peace with the South and Northern ports were blockaded by English ships. Then The London News asked, "With what temper would the merchants of Liverpool receive the intelligence that... (commerce)...was paralyzed by these Alabamas issuing from neutral ports? Would it be any satisfaction to be told that these Alabamas had no guns on board when they left the neutral harbor?" The London News wrote that the Foreign Enlistment Act was "nothing but a dead letter," and ended the article with this warning: "the duties of neutrality are reciprocal. One nation is not bound to it more than any other nation. And it may safely be predicted that on future occasions the Americans will not be loth (sic) to take advantage of so convenient a doctrine."

There was indeed outrage, though not surprise, in the United States over the verdict. The November 19, 1863 New York Times interpreted the verdict as meaning that an individual would be not guilty of violating the Foreign Enlistment Act unless he personally intended to use it.

During November 1863 the case was appealed and the verdict was upheld. The December 8, 1863 New York Times wrote that the entire case was decided by semantics. Sir H. Cairns attacked the "equipping, fitting out and arming," of vessels in the Foreign Enlistment Act. He claimed the Foreign Enlistment Act's only purpose was to stop England from being the point of departure of ships "equipped for aggression" against neutral countries. After consulting a dictionary, the Lord Chief said "equipping" meant "furnishing with arms" while "furnishing" meant "equipping." The New York Times was understandably enraged and wrote that it was now possible for the South to build an entire fleet in England then sail three miles out to arm her ships.

The final aspect about the trial the New York Times commented on was the lawyer for the defendants. He openly admitted they were evading the law, and since they were not violating the law, only the spirit of the law, his clients must be found not guilty. The Times reasonably concluded the Lord Chief should have acted on the comments by Sir Cairns. Leaving the issue open to whether someone can violate the spirit of the law and avoid punishment is a risky proposition.

When the Alexandra Affair was finally settled, the United States had compiled impressive battlefield victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. The result of the American Civil War was no longer in doubt; the only mystery was how long the South could hold out. The prospect of United States victory undoubtedly tempered English will to assist the South. The English government had to think of dealing with a post Civil War America and repairing diplomatic relations with the United States. The Alexandra Affair was a battle between the United States and the Confederate States, and like so many of the battles between the North and the South, the South won this one, and yet still lost the war.

Saturn Setting

2009-09-30T18:54:00.000-04:00

When GM created Saturn it was envisioned to that brand would lead the company as "a different kind of car." Well, in any event it was an affordable car (though not best built GM auto), now GM has terminated it after a buyer backed out.

Flint was Built on Capitalism

2009-09-27T23:28:00.000-04:00

I was born, grew up and lived in Flint, MI. To say Michael Moore is wrong would be less than truthful. He's right, Flint isn't a pretty place, it doesn't take more than 15 mins of driving or looking at crime stats to see that.

The Deal Maker: How William C. Durant Made GM is a book that not only illustrated the life of William C. Durant and the creation of GM, but also the rise of Flint from a lumber town of a couple thousand to a leading industrial town of many tens of thousands. The story of Durant is littered with names people living in Flint would recognize, Sloan, Dort, Kettering, AC, Whiting, Whaley, Chevrolet, Dodge, Chrysler, Ford and the list goes on.

Durant was a 100% capitalist, almost the kind you would see in character in a movie. He wasn't ruthless with his workers, just his competition. Instead of beating them head to head he would buy them out, those that didn't sell faced a shrinking market with increased difficulty buying goods. Ford became his strongest competitor, however, Ford stuck with the Model T which he said, "They can have any color they want, as long as it's black." Meanwhile GM threw every new innovation on every new product line. Causing Ford to retire the less loved T after 10,000,000 sold.

Durant at one point was one of the richest men in America lost his GM to the DuPont family. He started Durant motors and invested heavily into the stock market. As fellow heavy investor, Joe P. Kennedy had the common sense to get out in summer 1929, Durant stayed in, pumping million after million in to sure up his stocks (which had worked before) only to see his assets whipped out and him left in bankruptcy.

The great man he was he didn’t flinch when his estate on the Jersey shore was sold off, he went back to Flint and built bowling alleys. Durant signed off on the first marketable fridge, the Frigidaire. The self starter, inflated tires, enclosed chassis and that list goes on.
Durant put Flint on the map by following the money, being a torn in the eye of Henry Ford, the DuPont brothers, and Wall Street, men as such don’t come around often, but when they do, they need to be remembered.

Holy Macaroni

2009-09-23T18:16:00.000-04:00

30-point buck would scare me if I saw it in the woods.

A Year Late

2009-09-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

This article was link to from Drudge, highlighting the "libertarian" direction Sarah Palin might be moving. I, however, was taken aback that this article actual is positive, and quoted people praising her, not so much for what she had to say, though that's there, but an actually Obama supporter said, “She was articulate and she held her own. I give her credit. They’ve tried to categorize her as not being bright. She’s bright.”

I seldom remember reading such words printed in the New York Times a year ago.

I couldn't let this one go

2009-09-21T07:41:00.000-04:00

This clip from the "Today Show" is a week old or so. However, it's not something I could easily forget having seen it. It shows the true nature of the combined effort by liberals and Democrats to paint those disagreeing with them as racists. Now, good Dr. Dyson hardly represents a majority view, he's a "10" on a 1-10 scale of seeing racism behind every tree, but you get the idea. The man has a Spidey Sense and can hear all sorts of racism from Rep. Joe Wilson's two words, "You lie." Frank Luntz seemed quite stunned by it and maintains his demeanour, I'm not sure if Matt Lauer really believes the claptrap he heard because he didn't offer too many follow-up questions. Either way, it's worth a look how a "respected" commentator is leading the "racism" charge.

Adventures in Camping

2009-09-20T10:52:00.001-04:00

My wife and I took a couple days out of our life to travel up "the thumb" and spend a night at Port Crescent State Park. Like many of Michigan's state parks it was truly beautiful. And despite the temperatures in the 30s it was enjoyable, that is until we awoke to find our two coolers missing. The fact someone swiped our coolers produced little hatred in me compared to the fact our breakfast was contained therein. Eggs, sausage, etc. were all ensconced in the coolers. Why would someone swipe our food and leave the $150 grill sitting untouched? The coolers were between our car and our tent so I thought everything was relatively safe.

After a drive around the park which produced no leads, I filed a report at the office. The lady behind the counter asked if we had beer in them, originally we had none but on a whim I bought some Sam Adams which the coolers contained 4 bottles. She then said, "Teenagers walk around at night looking for beer and alcohol." At that time my wife called me and said our coolers were found on the beach by some other campers. No good teenage punks.

All this leads to some questions.

1: What parents let their kids wonder around a campsite at night pilfering stranger's coolers for booze?

2: What kids think this behavior is acceptable?

3: What would they have thought had I heard them considering I had my 9mm with me in the tent?

On the last point my wife asked why I needed to bring my pistol, my first response was bears. However, I do remember Yogi was into pic-a-nic baskets, and considering we never caught the culprits the jury is still out.

Everywhere a Czar!

2009-09-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

When was the first use of "czar" for "advisor" in America? How exactly has that become acceptable? Would we use "reichsfuhrer for for eduction" someday? Alas, video of the day:

From TNOYF

Question of the Day

2009-09-20T10:31:00.000-04:00

"If you knocked your brother down, would you urinate in his mouth?"

That's the question a NH teacher assigned to her class, which inevitably led to administrators ducking for cover. Certainly gets a "10" on the creative charts.

ht: NRO

Brits adopt US Style Helmets

2009-09-19T21:50:00.001-04:00

An army that refuses to correct its mistakes is an army that will not improve.

The 'GI' helmet that will help our troops to shoot straighter Mail Online

Shared via AddThis

Obama: Legalize illegals to get them health care - Washington Times

2009-09-18T10:31:00.001-04:00

In the Bizzaro World in which we live the president can deny illegal immigrants health care by making them legal. And run for reelection in 2012 on the mantra of "Eliminating all illegal immigrants from the country."

Obama: Legalize illegals to get them health care - Washington Times

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Millions go to signs flagging stimulus projects - Washington Times

2009-09-18T10:27:00.001-04:00

Since this spring I've wondered how much those roadside signs about "Putting America Back To Work" along the road have cost. I saw dozens driving to and fro from Georgia and many sets here in Michigan. I can't help but think of the absolute waste politicians can create when they want.

Millions go to signs flagging stimulus projects - Washington Times

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I Can Think of No Other Reason That Will Cheer Me More Today

2009-09-02T08:45:00.000-04:00

Jim Traficant is a free man. As I like to say Jim TrafiCAN! I like my politicians a tad nutty, and none could approach the former Congressman from Ohio. No one perhaps in the history of congress could speak as well as he can: "Madam Speaker, California businessman Johnny Chung gave $300,000 to the Democrat National Committee. Chung said he got the money from a member of the Chinese army. Surprise. This is the same guy Chung who said, my donations are subway tokens for a train ride to the White House. Train ride, folks. How about a free ride? Maybe a joy ride. Let us tell it like it is. This is not about tokens, coffees, the Lincoln bedroom, Bill Clinton, Democrats or Republicans. This is about national security, folks. And Americans did not give their lives in foreign wars to have the Chinese Communists buy our freedom. Beam me up. Congress must investigate this Chinese connection. I yield back what national security I have left."

Federal Health Care for You

2009-08-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

From the UK: "A paedophile with a 30-year history of abusing children is being prescribed Viagra on the NHS - and there is nothing the authorities can do to stop him.
Roger Martin, 71, merely has to visit his GP to obtain the libido-enhancing drug, even though experts warn it will enable him to continue preying on children despite his age."

There are two issues here, first is that fact this is happening. Second is the complete robotic response from the government officials. These are the same type of people who kept boats and ice away from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "There-is-nothing-we-can-do."

Creepy

2009-08-18T08:09:00.000-04:00

I haven't seen District 9 yet, but it holds a lot of promise. Here is a short film which that is based:

Headline I Didin't Think I'd See Today

2009-08-18T07:59:00.000-04:00

"Girl aged 17 knifes 30 men to death"

I still say it could be a faked confession, but in this day and age you never know.

The schoolgirl told how she always used the same knife - butchering one man for throwing a glass of brandy in her face in a bar row.
But police were last night still unclear about what drove her to keep on killing.
Sources said one theory is she was hired by gangland bosses as an assassin because she was so innocent-looking. The teenager's sensational confession came after she was arrested over a Sao Paulo street fight.

RIP: Lillian Mason

2009-08-18T07:49:00.000-04:00

I was able to know Lillian Mason during the school board campaign here in Grand Blanc this year. She was classy. My prayers are with her family

Palin Poetry

2009-07-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

Conan O'Brien points out Sarah Palin has some talent...as an artist reciting poetry, and gets William Shatner to do what he does:

Alien Stompin' Fun

2009-07-28T20:09:00.000-04:00

Peter Jackson + aliens = District 9

On the Way to the ATL

2009-07-18T18:13:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted, hard to come up with something original about MJ, BHO, and Palin or other events in the news.

MJ: He was a great performer, and possible a child molester that parents let their children hang out with to make money.

BHO: He's making FDR look constrained in comparison. Funniest thing I've seen in a long time is him talking about "victory" in Iraq, and how America is "on the right side of history." Where was he on this issue while in the Senate or running for president? Now in office he sounds like GWB? No one in the news or on the Left calls him out on this? He's taking credit for this? Makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

Palin: I quite ambivalent on her. Unlike everyone in the media and those on the left, and some on the right, I don't judge her by her two disastrous interviews last year. She sounded like a high school freshmen when asked about supporting McCain even while she maintained opposing views on many subjects. Who could defend or try to explain John McCain other than John McCain? Does she articulate policy in a matter which I would rush to vote for her, no. On certain subjects, federal and state spending, and energy she's quite articulate. Macro speaking she's right with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Micro she needs a lot of polishing, which one Sen. Obama did starting out late 2006. I don't think she's retarded, nor the savior of the party. But she can assume that role with work. She quit, yes, but if she can make the case she had Democratic crosshairs on her and quitting made sense for the people of Alaska, well she'll come out like righteous individual instead of a party pooper whose taking her ball and going home.

As for myself, I'm on my way to Atlanta for a week Army course. I'm not sure what they hope to teach us in Atlanta for a week but I'll enjoy it, thanks tax payers! Then I'm off to Fort Benning for my two-week Annual Training. Nothing I love more is 90% humidity at 0500! I'm not sure how much I can update, but I know there's a lot of time on the rifle range, which is fun, thanks tax payers!

I Should Start a Collection for This Father

2009-06-30T17:42:00.000-04:00

Just a day in Flint Town:

Bedside Gun Rack

2009-06-30T17:16:00.000-04:00

At first I laughed at the bedside gun rack called the "Back-Up." At the end of the commercial I was thinking, "That is pretty sweet."

"There's been prostitution on Dort (Highway) since time began"

2009-06-30T16:40:00.000-04:00

I hate to say Dort Hwy has a reputation but that quote sums up everything I've known about the stretch running south of I-69 to Bristol Road since I grow up just a couple miles from it. One day my mom pointed out the hookers who would walk the Small Mall/Dort Mall/What they Call it Mall Now that the highly overly dress women there were "working."

Headline I Didn't Think I'd See Today

2009-06-30T16:29:00.000-04:00

"Oklahoma City woman trades sex for case of chips"

As is the case with most prostitutes, her looks factor on her price, aggregate demand curve and all. You have the Gov. Spitzer $1,000 an hour types, and then you have your Frito-Lay types.

ht: NRO

Grab the Airsickness Bag

2009-06-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

I'm all for making a buck in America, including prying on peoples "hopes" and "feeling of change." If anything Hopebama has given us is a line of cheap merchandise, like here or here, thus creating more jobs than his stimulus if my calculations are correct.

Now Amazon has created a Obama Time Capsule. For just $34.95 you can follow 3 steps to blowing $34.95:

STEP 1 Purchase THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE on Amazon. One order per personalization. Within 3 hours of authorization an email will be sent to you so that you can begin personalizing your book.

STEP 2 Personalize your book. Our web site will guide you through a simple process to input your name and photos. Check out the How to Make a Book page to see all the fun ways you can personalize your book.

STEP 3 Receive your personalized copy of THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE, which weaves President Obama's extraordinary journey together with your own name, photos and thoughts.

The video itself is quite something, a showcase of ACORN voters with an Army soldier thrown in to prove Obama's support with the military.

Goldberg Nails It

2009-06-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

Jonah Goldberg over on NRO sums up the coverage overload which we all knew would inevitably com:

And while we’re at it, his relatively early death wasn’t “tragic.” He was one of the richest people in the world. He spent his money on perpetual childhood and he was perpetually with children not his own. Meanwhile, in the last ten days, we’ve seen or heard of remarkable people who’ve given their lives for freedom in Iran. We’ve heard of innocents killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the last decade, America has lost thousands of heroes in noble causes and thousands of innocent bystanders who were denied the simple joys of life through no fault of their own. Those deaths are tragic, and we're hard pressed to think of more than a handful of names to put with the long line of the dead.

Quick, how many names of the 4316 who have died in Iraq can you think of? How many names of the 711 who died in Afghanistan can you name?

Of those 5027, some have had schools and government buildings named after them, but the public at large is extremely ignorant on the heroism of those men and women, and those that serve and return. Hollywood used to whip off movies at amazing speed about those that died in war, now nearly 90% of the movies I've seen (and I think I've seen them all) are about the US armed forces committing atrocities in Iraq or Afghanistan. Or they take a "neutral" approach not "wanting to take sides" in the conflict, poor Tojo and Hitler, not only did they have to fight the Allies, but Hollywood as well, and comic superheroes from Superman to Captain America took on the Axis, plus Bugs Bunny had a go at them!

Just for the record, we've lost 88 members of our military in Iraq since Obama was sworn in as president. If the war was as made up and wrong and immoral as he claimed why has no news organization mentioned this? Why after campaigning on "ending the war" his plan calls for leaving 50,000 "non-combat" troops in Iraq 15 months from now and labeling that an "end," does no one call him out on this? But let the media and public denouce SC Gov. Mark Sanford as a hypicrate, which he is. Bizzaro World.

Russia Fills Our Void and Some Names Don't Translate Well

2009-06-25T23:19:00.000-04:00

The BBC is reporting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Nigeria signing deals for gas pipelines and establishing a new joint venture with the Nigerian government called "Nigaz."

China is also busy in Africa: "Russia is not alone in seeking to secure energy deals overseas with commodity-rich nations. Separately on Thursday, Chinese oil refiner Sinopec has made a $7.2bn bid to acquire oil exploration and producing firm Addax, which focuses on Africa and the Middle East. If the deal is approved by regulators it would be the biggest foreign takeover by a Chinese firm." That's enough to make you sleep soundly.

Because our president is by fiat and intimidation forcing US firms to "green" themselves, Africa is being exploited, I use that in a good way as in an exchange of resources for money, by other countries. Namely Russia and China.

ht: Zero Hedge

RIP: MJ

2009-06-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

I just wonder why, once again TMZ broke the news of Michael Jackson's death a good hour and half before other outlets? I could say because TMZ doesn't have standards, but really in compared to mainstream media? Needless to say he was an icon, a decade ago, his strange interview a few years ago, 2003 (where he talked about running out of the hospital with his newborn and the placenta still attached), and his molestation trail of 2005 signaled the world to more or less ignore him. He gave the world some awesome music, such as the great "Thriller", and Jesus Juice, which proves Jesus saves, but Jesus Juice doesn't. Don't forget to add his "death photo" to your stock of dead famous people.

I just wanted to point to this quick article announcing his death from AP. Near the end is a quote from Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, who says, "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died." Let me do my math... that would've made Mr. Harris -10 when he heard of Kennedy being shot. Perhaps this time traveler just let the cat out of the bag? So is he just jumping around to get a feeling of "being there"? I'm on to you "Michael Harris"!

A Politician with Integrity

2009-06-25T15:36:00.000-04:00

I salute his honestly:

Congressman Offers Preemptive Apology For Extramarital Affair

ht: NRO

Nixon Wanted to Abort Obama

2009-06-24T19:36:00.000-04:00

I've never used Richard M. Nixon as a yardstick of moral turpitude, but he has the ability to come out against something (abortion) then backpedal on himself saying it's ok for interracial children.

I think Nixon's term as president will look increasingly better as time goes on, the man himself on the other hand, well, in a way his tapes remind me of my grandfather, crude and totally clueless on how others saw him.

However, now we can add to the Democratic list of ways Nixon destroyed America is his Nostradamus ability to support abortion in the case of Obama, because everything is about Obama.

Fascinating

2009-06-24T16:50:00.001-04:00

This may be the strangest segment I've seen on "The Factor."

One To Look Forward For

2009-06-22T21:42:00.000-04:00

With a complete dearth of good war movies lately, I have to think back to The Great Raid, of 2005, The Pacific seems to be the Band of Brothers of 2010.

A Day in the Life in Flint

2009-06-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I was presenting at a military funeral at a cemetery near the corner of Pierson and Saginaw Streets in Northern Flint. While a sergeant and myself were waiting in the parking lot talking over how we were going to conduct the ceremony, there was two rapid "pop pop" across Saginaw St. behind a building. He thought it was fireworks, I told him I've heard in my time in military hundreds of thousands of rounds fired and those most likely were 9mm. Unlike most places in America, including most of Flint, there were no police driving by, and likely no one in the neighborhood placed a concerning call to 911. I understand those that fired their guns were long gone, if they was just shooting into the ground or just "target practicing" makes little difference, violent crime grows because of apathy, neglect and intimidation.

About 40 minutes passes and we begin the funeral and in the middle of the flag folding I can hear behind on Saginaw St. chanting, horns, people on loud speakers and some Gospel music. After I presented the flag to the veteran's next of kin I could see some sort of rally/march but was unable to make any of the signs out. Afterwards I asked the funeral director what it was, he said it was Stop the Violence March. The route of the march took them within 30-50 meters from where those gun shots were going off less than an hour prior.

I saw some of the signs the marchers were carrying on TV that night, one, however, said, "$ for guns NO ? asked" I'm not sure about you, but turning the government into a fencing operation for criminals isn't going to help. And lack of ways for criminals to dispose of their firearms isn't the real problem Flint is facing.

The Photoshop Dictatorship

2009-06-18T07:54:00.000-04:00

Is there a reason a oligarchy has to photoshop its crowds of supporters? Couldn't they just say, "show up or die"? Click link for details.

ht: NRO

Jackson Says Guns are Made for Killing, Really?

2009-06-17T21:59:00.000-04:00

The great Jesse Jackson has on op ed in Chicago Sun-Times stating the shooting last week at the Holocaust Museum was just the opening salvo of a right-wing-gun-crazed-racist mob. "The reasons are clear. The election of Barack Obama may demon- strate progress toward a post-racist-society to many, but to others it's a threat and a betrayal. The economic downturn has been particularly brutal on manufacturing workers, veterans and low-wage workers. Many of these people feel abused by their government, threatened by low-wage immi- grants and angered by civil-rights ad- vances." Really, back to saying vets and McCain voters are on the verge of writing their own Turner Diaries?

He continues, "This hatred is fed by the extreme rhetoric of our politics -- as Republicans accuse Obama of promoting "fascist" policies and call Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a racist. Right-wing radio host Glenn Beck charged that Obama's lifting of the ban on stem-cell research was designed to create a new "master race." Rush Limbaugh accused the Obama administration of actively seeking to destroy America as we know it. All this speech is protected by the First Amendment, but that doesn't make it any less reckless." Well Obama did say he wanted to remake America, Sotomayor did say a lot of corny things dealing with race, and it's not such a far leap from stem-cell research to cloning (I'm not saying that's the only road, but merely one).

Jackson goes on to offer the strawman argument that you don't need an assault weapon to deer hunt, but venison jerky isn't the purpose of the 2nd Amendment. He should also look to the facts not towards one crazed man to make a judgement. Yes guns are made for killing, but they kill bad guys, gays use them against bigots ("Armed gays don't get bashed.") Americans of every color use guns to protect themselves because in Jesse Jackson's America only law abiding citizens would follow restrictive laws and regulations.

GCRP Press Release

2009-06-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

During the Genesee County Republican Party's meeting this month, we passed a resolution opposing SB 250. This bill has many things wrong with it, in short, it creates a new agency and moves funding from Veteran's Service Organizations to the state, leaving the VSOs competing for state financing.

The bill passed the State Senate on a party line vote. I can only speculate as to why the GOP senators voted for this, maybe stand with Sen. Garcia? Maybe thinking the Dem House will stop this and they won't receive any flak over this? I have issues with standing with Deb Cherry and the other Dems in the Senate on an issue, but I'm sure their reasons are quite different than mine, or the GCRP's. We don't have full faith and confidence in the government at this time to produce the results they say they will produce.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2009

HOUSE MEMBERS URGED TO DEFEAT VETERANS AFFAIRS AMENDMENTS
Veteran Service Organizations Must Continue to Receive Funding at Current Levels

( Flint , Mich. )- Following Governor Jennifer Granholm’s Executive Order No. 2009-22 which slashed the budget for Veteran Service Organizations (VSO), Senate Bill 250 proposes to decapitate the VSOs in this state as leaders in serving Michigan’s veterans. If enacted, SB 250 will create a new state agency, the Veterans Affairs Directorate, which will be overseen by a political appointee who will have sole responsibility for distributing the $4 million which the state currently uses to fund VSOs.

VSOs have a solid history of pursuing and maintaining benefits here in our state for over 75 years. If SB 250 were to become a reality, a political appointee, beholden only to the governor, could issue money not according to Veteran’s needs, but future electoral gain or payback for electoral help. As it stands now, the non-partisan VSOs are independently audited, overseen by state and national committees and are held responsible for their actions by their members and finical contributors. The Veterans Affairs Directorate will quickly submerge under the government bureaucracy which has ruled Lansing for way too long.

Here in Genesee County we have seen the results of governmental involvement reaching down into daily lives of citizens. Broken promises have been the order of the day for quite some time now, SB 250 will put the same individuals responsible for Michigan ’s disastrous economic policies since 2003 in charge of doling money and support to the bravest of our state. Politicians cannot do a better job than veterans at serving veterans, just as politicians cannot run businesses better than business leaders. If reform of veteran’s services funding is needed, it would be better to maintain the current program until the state has the recourses and leadership capable of administering such an overhaul with confidence.

The Genesee County Republican Party has formally opposed SB 250 by unanimous vote with Resolution 09-01, and calls on State Representatives and State Senators to maintain funding of VSOs and oppose injecting politicians into the distribution of money to Michigan ’s Veterans.

For more information contact the Genesee County Republican Party at (810) 691-5975.
###

Limbaugh vs. Flint vs. Kildee vs. The Journal

2009-06-17T12:14:00.000-04:00

The Flint Journal reported on Rush Limbaugh's comments about Dan Kildee's plan to bulldoze parts of the city. So we have a plan by a local politician to tear down the dilapidated parts of the City of Flint (which sounds like a great idea), picked up by an international news agency, talked about by a national radio broadcaster. Then the local paper says it's Limbaugh's plan to "bulldoze the city"? Could this be the reason the Journal prints three days a week?

I've lived in and around Flint all my life, and what you'll read in the Limbaugh link is exactly right, it has been dominated by one party going on 30+ years and the results are in nearly every neighborhood.

MySpace vs. Facebook

2009-06-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

The LAT has a quick look on how MySpace locked themselves into a business strategy that left them open to the more nimble Facebook. In short, be quicker with innovation.

You know it's a Sign of the Times When...

2009-06-17T11:22:00.001-04:00

The largest P2P site is backing the good guys and gals in Iran over the dictatorship, at the same time our president says it's not America's place to be involved (Israel is different apparently).

New GM Ad

2009-06-11T13:04:00.000-04:00

Lord, Mr. Ford

2009-06-11T11:06:00.000-04:00

My taste in music are quite boundless, and I find it fitting that with Obama Motors, or Government Motors, and the whole rigmarole going on with the Big 3, that Jerry Reed's "Lord, Mr. Ford" has been bouncing around in my head and on my mp3 player. If you never heard it, it's quite a classic,

SB 250 Blowback

2009-06-10T18:40:00.001-04:00

A little while ago I posted my thoughts on SB 250 and EO 2009-22. Some well thought out individual has picked up the ball and ran with it at Tea Party of West Michigan. The more I hear of SB 250 from people (veterans) within the system the more I dislike it. For the record here is Sen. Garcia's response.

Thanks to everyone carrying out the fight. The Genesee County Republican Party formally passed a resolution last week opposing this bill, more on that to come...

Cash for Clunkers Bill

2009-06-10T17:07:00.001-04:00

Congress has passed a bill dubbed "Cash for Clunkers" its purpose is to get "old" non fuel efficient cars off the road by giving owners of "clunkers" between $3,500 to $4,5000 voucher for a new car. As the Detroit Free Press points out, this will apply mainly to trucks and all vehicles "surrendered" (that's the phrasing used) will become property of the Federal Government and then be destroyed.

But some of those readers commenting on the bottom bring up great points, what are teenagers going to drive? Should the govt really be in the business of buying trucks beyond their value? (My dad has a '89 Suburban someone offered $600 for he's thinking of using under this program.)

Lastly, does anyone really think this program will work as intended? I support ways of "jump starting" domestic auto sales, but the federal government has a "death touch" when it comes to these programs. Just think of the HDTV conversion. This government run program was announced in 2005, by the time it came for the "big switch" in Feb. 2009, millions still didn't have a converter box (Congressmen see it their duty to keep voters watching TV), stations weren't ready, and the plan was hundreds of millions of dollars over budget. About par for the government. So I'm sure this "Cash for Clunker" program will do everything promised.

Here's a cheaper way of jump starting the domestic auto companies, make doing business in America cheaper and give people more of what they make. Then again, if they did that Congressmen couldn't take credit.

Morality of Pole-Dancing?

2009-06-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

Ah, the weighty issues that face Orion Township, "Some Orion Township residents and officials are concerned that a new pole dancing studio is a bad fit for what they consider a family-friendly town."

One citizen calls it "immoral" but the clerk certifies it is legal and will, *ahem* "monitor the facility to ensure that everyone stays dressed." Just like "monitoring" those Asian massage parlors, I bet the police will put in some overtime on this. The own says she "isn't training strippers." Where do they train then? Biggest surprise there is a U.S. Pole Dancing Federation . If you go to the USPDF site you will see just some typical middle-aged women "working-out." What a country.

Not to Union Bash, but...

2009-06-09T23:03:00.001-04:00

While I was over at my dad's place watching the Wings blow game 6 in order to win the Cup at home on Friday, my dad told me a quick story I want to share.

When he was working for GM/AC/Delco/GM (the plant was bought and resold and renamed many times) there was a guy on his shift who would hit the bar at lunch, most the time was able to finish work, sometimes had to take a quick nap before punching out. Any other job he would be fired but UAW protects its members. If the guy was scheduled for overtime, he would get so hammered at lunch he would literally pass-out at his working station. Then my dad would be ask to cover his overtime, which he did. My dad said this happened quite a few times. Then he learned that the union covered for him so not only he was not fired, but he was paid for the overtime he missed because he was passed out. So the company was paying two people for the single job. This went on for some time.

Needless to say this guy didn't have many friends. Well one day he's driving home after spending his paycheck at the Raincheck bar, which the shoprats called "Paycheck," and runs over some lady getting her mail. The car behind him follows him to his house and asks the neighbor to use the phone to call the police. The cops show up and this dude is sitting on his couch, beer in hand and blood and clothing in his truck grill.

Common sense would tell say you might go to jail for a while, but he actually said in court he made "too much" money to go away long, and, this is the kicker, he pulled only a year in county jail, not prison, and he still worked at his GM job 5 days a week! He said he made too much to not be able to work, and the union did what it could to keep a "good" dues paying member working.

So this drunk kills a woman in a hit and run, gets a year in county and still works his GM job 5 days a week. Then after that he moved home. My dad said everyone had finally wised up and would set this guy up to be fired, but the union had him transferred to another plant, after all that's one more dues paying member whose job they saved.

My dad had another story he used to tell, when he first started working his stamping press, the line was shut down. So he took some initiative that he learned in the Navy and started sweeping around his press. A committeeman walked by and said, "If I see you sweep again I'm going to write you up, and if you do it a second time it could lead to termination because you are taking a job away from a brother in the union." "Fine," my dad said and he didn't lift a finger to do anything that was outside of running his stamping press over the next 30 years. He didn't do this because he was lazy, or hated his employer, but because the real power in the plant was with the UAW. They decided who was promoted, laid-off, or fired. Of course merit weighed little into any decision. Because of the UAW thousands of idled workers weren't shifted to other jobs when the line would shut down. They would read or work on a hobby, my dad made fishing lures at work while earning his full pay because the union said the only thing he was allowed to do was work his stamping press. Stamping press not working, he didn't either. He told me stories of workers using multi-million dollar GM equipment to make baseball bats or furniture if they weren't working.

The UAW has done a lot of great things, but it really is covering up for people like that drunkard, dictating actual work for employees and using union dues to fund politicians without member's vote or even the politician's stance on labor (the UAW backed NAFTA supporter Al Gore over Ralf Nader or Pat Buchanan in 2000) only because he or she was Democrat. Because of this they bear a lot of responsibility for destroying GM.

My dad is one man who worked in only two plants over his 30 years, both of which were located in Flint, but now they have both been razed to the ground and those acres which used to make cars and trucks sit deserted, like the pictures of Hiroshima around late summer 1945. I'm sure other workers in other plants run by UAW not GM could tell similar stories. GM did a lot of "shooting themselves in the foot" over the past 20 years, but a union which controls the production is too large to keep a business successful. Now UAW owns a sizable chunk of GM on paper, which they will use to control the company officially, not just "on the inside."

Next week is Fathers-Day and my dad's birthday, he said his greatest gift to me was working his "ass off" so I wouldn't have to set foot in the shop. And some of my fondest memories of him is when we took a cross-country trip in the late 1980s and he would have to point out to people who we met along the way who drove certain GM vehicles that their dashboard in their car or truck "might've" been made by him.

For America's next GM look towards our public schools. God save our Republic.

Rather Humorous

2009-06-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

Bizzaro World

2009-06-08T20:39:00.001-04:00

I can't believe this was broadcasted on NBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Great Story

2009-06-08T12:25:00.000-04:00

Goodrich principal, David St. Aubin, who is overseas serving in Iraq, addressed the Senior class graduation this weekend via teleconference, truly great stuff. Click to watch.

You Might Be a Heterosexist if...

2009-06-03T23:18:00.000-04:00

In my Education class my professor told me I had to resubmit an assignment. This was a very active week and we had about 9 assignments, this one was check off so I submitted something, but didn't save it. Thus I had to start from scratch. Good fortune was with me because I had to find an electronic source for a class room instruction (at least that's what I think the assignment was, these Education class make little sense to me as my grades demonstrate), and I found this site about quizzing the students, providing a "springboard" as they say, about "heterosexism", a term I had never heard. I thought surely this was some sort of Stephen Colbert type made up word, it's very real.

I had to do some research for the answers, the results are quite disturbing:

1. What is the difference between heterosexism and homophobia?
Answer: Sort of six of one half dozen of another.

2. Can homosexuals change their sexual orientation if they want to? And if so, can heterosexuals do the same?
Answer: If homosexuals can change their orientation, wouldn't that make them heterosexuals? What's the deal with prison?

3. Why do researchers generally recommend using the term "sexual orientation" rather than "sexual preference"?
Answer: See answer "2".

4. Should discrimination based on sexual orientation be outlawed to the same extent as discrimination based on race and sex?
Answer: This question does have merit, I have no witty answer, "maybe"?

5. Are equal rights possible when homosexual behavior is illegal?
Answer: This question may be outdated since Lawrence v. Texas of 2003. However, is this the definition of "equal rights"?

6. If people believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, is it prejudiced for them to...

· regard homosexual behavior as sinful?
· view homosexuality as an abomination before God?
· support the death penalty for homosexual behavior?
Answer: I'm Catholic, I regard most things in life as sinful, but where are the Christians stoning gays? That's right, it happens in like Iraq, who knew al-Sadr was such a bible thumper?

7. If a heterosexual person has a homosexual experience, would you describe that person as homosexual? What about two experiences, or three, or four? That is, at what point is someone homosexual?
Answer: 6.

8. Should lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults be allowed to marry and/or adopt children?
Answer: No, LGB adults should not be allowed to marry children.

9. Is it heterosexist for gynecologists to ask a new patient whether she uses birth control during sex?
Answer: This is tricky, answer is "yes" if he is gay and she isn't, but "no" if she is and he is a she.

10. Is it okay for people in the gay community to use terms such as "fag," "dyke," and "queen" while at the same time criticizing the use of these terms in the straight community?
Answer: yes, saying "Queen Amidala", "walk across that dyke" and, asking someone for a "fag" to smoke is sooooooooooooooo hetro.

11. How is homophobia psychologically similar to antifat prejudice?
Answer: It's just more flamboyant? This is like asking: "How is our sun related to Beetlejuice?"

12. In light of the fact that millions of people are born intersexual, is it prejudiced to behave as though "female" and "male" are the only two sex categories?
Answer: When the robots take over they'll create many sexes, in the meantime it's one or the other.

13. If a male-to-female transsexual were to undergo gender reassignment surgery, become female, and later marry a male, would you regard such a marriage as homosexual, heterosexual, or something else?
Answer: Stephen Hawking couldn't figure this out!

14. How have the gay community and gay rights movement improved the life of non-homosexuals?
Answer (two-parter): 1. Music, 2. Hollywood and Broadway.

15. How have heterosexism and homophobia hurt non-homosexuals?
Answer: See answer "2".

After all that I think I might be a heterosexist. I root for "my team," does rooting for the Red Wings harm Penguin fans?

Are these questions really used in America's schools? The entire website made me think it was some sort of joke-site, like msnbc.com. My favorite question: Are beauty contests such as the Miss America Pageant a form of pornography? If they were their ratings would be much higher!

Back to the News Future

2009-06-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a 1981 report of "online" newspapers. Up do 5-hours for a download of the day's news copy...that'll never catch on.

And this is too good to miss:

h/t: NRO

Sen. Garcia's Response

2009-05-29T16:16:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about Republican Sen. Vlade Garcia's bill, SB 250. At the time I had serious issues with it. A) It creates a new State agency. B) It puts a political appointee in charge of doling out State money for veterans. And more importantly C) It shifts money directed from VSOs to the State.

I called Sen. Garcia's office and received the response posted below. In short he believes money is too tight not to be more efficient with it. He's right, but the return rate is astronomical from money given directly to the VSOs, there is no evidence that a new State agency will improve on this. (What was the last new governmental program that performed at cost and as expected?) Growing the State's government isn't exactly conservative politics anyways.

We'll see how it plays out in debate, thus far I'm not sold.. I do respect him for the timely response (I spoke to his staff, you would think by voice they would address it as Mr. not Ms. but anyways.)

Canadians Tackle the "Gayness" of Figure Skating

2009-05-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

From broadcast TV news this piece is one of the best in-depth reporting I've seen:

The Future Will Be Made of People

2009-05-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

The first State sponsored "assisted suicide" took place in Washington this past week. I could go into my views of assisted suicide here, but with my mother-in-law in her last days I wont. But I am thinking that if death of the elderly, sick, or in someway handicapped is just an "everyday" occurrence, where will the line be drawn?

Like the gun control debate, it really is a slippery slope, once assisted suicide is legal who will pressure patients to "opted" for that? Doctors? Family? Insurance Companies? The government?

If you haven't seen Soylent Green I urge you to check it out. Like many sci-fi movies, the 2022 view of the future is quite current to recent debates. The 1973 movie handles many current issues, electricity, censorship, unemployment, population, immigration, pollution, assisted suicide, and "ahem" a change in climate. Like many of Charleton Heston's movies, it carries strong codes of morality and just plain kick-assery. Anyways, what brought upon me thinking of this movie was the State encouraged people to just off themselves when they were sick, old, or even bored. Food reasons and overpopulation were the primary reasons. A real reason you should watch it is to see Chuck Heston being manly with a neckerchief.

Are we just years away from a "Suicide Booth" on every corner?

Gone Fishing...

2009-05-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

Sometimes government work pays off. I have to cover a funeral up in Bellaire tomorrow, and Saturday just happens to be opening day of Bass season. So I'll be out of the loop, and trying to put this horrible week behind me.

Page

French Navy Kick Some Butt, No Really

2009-05-20T21:52:00.000-04:00

Via Fox News:

From a distance the large ship on the horizon looked like the perfect target, ripe for a successful spot of piracy.
But as Somali pirates sped toward the vessel sailing near the Seychelles Islands on Sunday, they were horrified to see two boats and a helicopter set off from their target and launch their own counter-attack.
They had failed to spot iin the dazzling sun, that the "merchant ship" they thought they were intercepting was actually a French naval ship bristling with cannons, radar technology and armed commandos.

Doesn't really make up for the Battle of Trafalgar or the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir but it's a start.

GCRP Press Release

2009-05-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

Lieutenant Governor John Cherry wants to run for Governor on his record as Lt Gov. Fine, let him answer his half million new unemployed in the past seven years. And let him run on cutting funding for nearly a million veterans. Good luck on that.

Obama Motors

2009-05-19T22:47:00.000-04:00

I'm not altogether convinced that the CAFE standards the Administration is pushing spells the end of the SUV and pick-up. Though it will hammer small businesses, large families, and those that can't quite squeeze two dozen goose-decoys, a dog and the shotgun in a Civic. CAFE besides responsible for tens of thousands of deaths over the years, actually applies to the average within the fleet. To incorporate a workable standard, the government should allow more types of vehicles to fall under their own category. If this large, and quick, increase in MPG is imposed you'll see small cars and trucks, few in between. At least for a few years until technology catches up.

I just reread this great article I wrote for the Michigan Times back in 2001. Many of the predictions are a few years late, but still just a year or two off. This was written well before Hopebama came to save us. Almost a decade ago, the Big Three saw a need of hybrids with competition from overseas. They went to work, and nearly 10 years later they are close, but not there. However, the president says "close enough" and they better make it happened. Because if we wait just 10 more years to get an affordable hybrid in a Yukon there may be no more Yukon left because "climate change" did what it did to it or some such. How lucky we humans are to have a president and Democratic leadership in Congress to be the Radical Democrats to pass through this legislation that doesn't exists but will save the entire world. I foresee the new SUV to have an uncanny resemblance to the one Fred Flintstone took to work. Had plenty of space, and low emissions.

All of this brings me to the funniest review of a car I've read in a while. Jeremy Clarkson calls the Honda Insight out for what it is, "It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more. " Do tell.

The Honda’s petrol engine is a much-shaved, built-for-economy, low-friction 1.3 that, at full chat, makes a noise worse than someone else’s crying baby on an airliner. It’s worse than the sound of your parachute failing to open. Really, to get an idea of how awful it is, you’d have to sit a dog on a ham slicer.
So you’re sitting there with the engine screaming its head off, and your ears bleeding, and you’re doing only 23mph because that’s about the top speed, and you’re thinking things can’t get any worse, and then they do because you run over a small piece of grit.

Well, I'm sure the presidential motorcade will be comprised of these soon!

While I'm at it, Ethanol will destroy your engine while you're losing a third of your mpg.

Until Detroit can build cars that haul stuff, help teen boys pick up dates, and just look cool while sitting in your driveway, this auto economy is going to be on a wild ride.

Of Course He Doesn't Want to Run the Company

2009-05-19T07:34:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing that President Obama has no intention in "running" the US car companies. I mean if he did he would say things like, "Build cars people want to buy, then sell more." That's a sound business strategy, however, most of the Big Three's problems started in DC.

What the President actually said was, " don't want to be -- I'm not an auto engineer. I don't know how to create a -- affordable, well-designed, plug-in hybrid, but I know that if the Japanese can design a -- affordable, well-designed hybrid then, doggone it, the American people should be able to do the same. So my job is to ask the auto industry: Why is it you guys can't do this? And in some cases they're starting to do it..." As you can imagine the green groups are jumping with joy, why convince people to buy higher mpg cars they don't want to buy, or convince Congress to increase CAFE at the cost of the US auto dealers when our mighty president can do it all himself? Why is it the government's responsibly to make the US auto dealers build an "affordable well designed hybrid" (if one could exist)? I'm so glad the White House has no intent on running GM or Crysler. US auto industry makes money off cars people want to buy, and it sells cars because they many are affordable. Besides, GM has 20 car models over 30 mpg! The options are out there if people want to by an "affordable well designed hybrid" if they want, but many don't, so now the government is going to make sure that is the only option, then they'll go after the consumers.

Of course we all know the T-Rex cruising up and down the coast in his Suburban started "climate change" and we all know if there was an "affordable well designed hybrid" out there our climate would never change. Imagine, if only the President and Democrats in Congress can get what they want 5 billion years of Earth's trajectory would end and there would be no climate change again! Cats and dogs would get along. Santa would bring toys to Jews. Hindus would enjoy Bic Macs.

The White House has ordered thousands of dealers to close. These are privately owned, and the cars they hold are not on GM or Crysler's books. Smart move dumping 80,000 cars on the market, that'll kick start the sales, I bet. Wouldn't the goal be to sell more cars if we wanted to help the Big Three? Now those dealers, who in some cases have spent decades with their name attached to either GM or Crysler, will now sell another car. Well played, President. You're as cleaver as a fox. So many moves ahead of the rest of us I can't even see what game you are playing. I would recommend to those nearly 2 thousand dealers to get into the used car business, because after the "affordable well designed hybrids" hit the road there'll be a high demand for used cars that people WANT to drive and CAN afford.

Michigan's leadership has fell for the Obama Jedi-Mind-Trick. The entire Congressional delegation has handed over all authority to the "Auto Task Force" (composed of people who have never run a car company or don't drive domestic cars). I would ask just one of the members of Congress from Michigan (preferably a Republican but I've always respected Reps. Kildee and Dingell) to say something different than what the White House is saying. Michigan's Governor Granholm (and her mid-30s approval) is in DC today to do her best Mamoru Shigemitsu impersonation.

All is not bad in the former "Car Capitol" of the world. The Red Wings are on tonight, and they are only three games away from the Stanley Cup Finals. The Detroit Tigers are in first place. And the Detroit Lions are going to win twice as many games this year as they did last year, I guarantee it!

Cleaning out my "Favorites" Folder...

2009-05-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

I was just cleaning out my "Favorites" folder and for some reason this was saved, can't remember why, but figured I'd pass it along.

Fun with Cats

2009-05-15T16:32:00.001-04:00

My orange cat would've just plowed through but, it's quite funny!

Pic of the Day

2009-05-15T08:57:00.000-04:00

"Army Spec. Zachary Boyd, a 2007 graduate of Keller Central High School, was in his sleeping quarters this week when the Taliban attacked in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan. Boyd rushed to a defensive position clad in his helmet, vest and boxers -- the pink ones decorated with the "I Love NY" slogan."

Charlie may not surf, and the Taliban never show up when you want them to.

Headline I Didn't Think I'd See Today

2009-05-15T06:45:00.000-04:00

"Peeing into Old Faithful gets 2 fired"

The story itself is less interesting than the headline, at least you know what the consequences are now.

Race in America: 2009

2009-05-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

I'm all for people shopping and spending money for items as they will. But I will say it is as wrong to not shop at an establishment based on the owner's race now as it was to deny someone the ability to shop in a store based on someone's race 40 years ago.

A new "Black Empowerment" movement is gaining some steam. Its main focus is to direct black customers to black owned shops. This practice would make sense if non-black owners were discriminating against black shoppers. However, as it stands the EEforTomorrow states its purpose of: "We are ripe and ready for The Empowerment Experiment. The Presidential election has produced a palpable excitement and energy in our community. The new sense of empowerment is at its peak, and can be transferred to and leveraged by the growing Black business and professional sector. The major goal of The Empowerment Experiment is to prove that average individuals and families can generate significant economic growth in the Black community if they were to commit to purchasing from Black–owned businesses and professionals. "

If I may make a point, Barack Obama didn't seek out black voters (and IMO done little for them in the past, but that's another story) while bypassing white voters. So if a Korean opens up an auto repair shop in a high black area it's best for the community to drive (if possible with auto problems) to a black owned business miles away?

I'm not comparing this Marcus Garvey empowerment movement to segregationist of the past, but both reek of un-Americanism. Will businesses that do things like provide jobs, goods and services be enthused to locate in a community embracing this? Would a white customer refusing to shop at a black owned shop and starting a community movement around that be right? Give a store your business and money because shopping there is a pleasant experience, not because the owner's skin color. Then again, it's your money.

What is wrong with this picture?

The Sound of Freedom

2009-05-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

I can't remember who sent me this link, but it's sure enjoyable.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

The State of Michigan is Stripping Veterans of Money and Services

2009-05-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

At my last month's VFW meeting, I was notified of Michigan State Senate Bill 250, which goal is stated as just reorganizing VSO (Veteran Service Organization) payments and create a state entity to oversee state payout. VSOs such as the VFW, American Legion, Marine Corps League, and DAV, among others, received nearly $4 million dollars from the state last year to pursue benefits and help with both medical and legal services for Michigan veterans. The return was over $300 million! They have been doing it since 1921!

Now it appears Senator Garcia his sponsoring a bill to take that money away from the VSOs and give it to a political appointee, who will in turn spend that money as he or she sees fit. That has works SO well here in Michigan *eye roll*. This ''Directorate of Veterans Affairs'' will not be held accountable and will spend money like, well, like a politician. When VSOs spend money, they are independently audited, and care about veterans and not constituency groups. If the Directorate is lead by someone of a particular region of the state money could flow there, instead of now, where all VSO money is spent on veterans across the state.

I called Sen Garcia's office last month and his staff was very patient with me. She then explained it was the Senator's intent to "streamline" the money leaving the state coffers in a more efficient matter. I'd say getting a $300 million return on $4 million investment is doing fairly well. My AL state rep. at my meeting today said that was a load a bull, and reading the bill it sounds like a way for politicians to ensure there are jobs available for them when term limits force them out next year.

I like Senator Garcia, I met him first in 2002. He used to command my Army Reserve Battalion in Flint before he switched over to the MI National Guard. But creating a new state agency is not what Michigan needs. And with the VSOs doing such a phenomenal job at what they do, it doesn't make sense to strip them of their money and power.

Now our great Governor Granholm has taken the budget ax to these organizations using an Executive Order last week. Over $2 million in total were stripped from veteran groups (it's around page 14). It has been said that Lt Gov Cherry is against this, but like those half a million jobs lost over the past 8 years, he hasn't been a force for good.

Here's a write up in the Saginaw News. And some other outrage. I'm attaching to this post a document which I scanned. You can print it off and send it to your state Rep and state Sen (ok the quality isn't great but neither are my techno skills, but it should print off fine for you!)

New Terminator Trailer

2009-05-10T10:40:00.000-04:00

A new trailer for Terminator Salvation is released, they call it a clip, but it's not. So click here and be blown away!

Election is Over

2009-05-06T07:26:00.001-04:00

Now that I'm done with the School Board election I might have some spare time to throw towards TMP.

Here are the results if you are keeping score:

BOARD OF EDUCATION GRAND BLANC SCHOOLS
Vote For Not More Than 2 (WITH 16 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Page Brousseau. . . . . . . . . 437 10.01
Jamie R. Emmert . . . . . . . . 681 15.59
Debbie Hancock. . . . . . . . . 1,151 26.36
Lillian G. Mason . . . . . . . . 1,024 23.45
Renee Peel . . . . . . . . . . 1,068 24.46
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 6 .14
Total . . . . . . . . . 4,367
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 6
Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 373

By far the best race was in Birch Run, I really can't explain it:

BOARD OF EDUCATION BIRCH RUN SCHOOLS
Vote For Not More Than 2 (WITH 1 OF 1 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Gregory Ahejew. . . . . . . . . 1 25.00
Randall Diffin, Sr. . . . . . . . 1 25.00
Ron Johnson. . . . . . . . . . 1 25.00
Elizabeth Matzke . . . . . . . . 0
Jeanette Morrish . . . . . . . . 1 25.00
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 0
Total . . . . . . . . . 4
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 0
Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 0

OK, so the voter can vote for two people, there are no undervotes so only 2 people showed up to vote, which means we know atleast poor Elizabeth didn't vote and 2 other candidates didn't vote! I'm not sure how many are in that district but it all goes to turnout!!!!!!!!

The American Spirit & Coon Man

2009-04-02T08:46:00.000-04:00

I'm not one to quote President Clinton in any form of serious manner, however, he once said, "There is nothing wrong with America which cannot be fixed with what is right with America."

I point you to a Detroit News article about Glemie Beasley, a retired truck driver, and blues playing guitarist, who makes his living trapping and selling raccoon in the urban landscape of Detroit. Not just the pelts, but meat as well. As for taste, he says, "Depends on the seasoning you put on it." By his own admission, "It aint Red Lobsters." In troubled times some people look to others, and others do what they can to get by, and Mr. Beasley knows how to get by. I just hope he has his fur trapping licence or the state will come down on him.

I encourage you to watch the video that's on the website, hilarious. Mr. Beasley and the Det News reporter Charlie LeDuff should have their own TV cooking show.

How Do People Like this Make it Through Life?

2009-04-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WESH) -- A woman locked in her car called 911 on Tuesday.
"It's getting very hot in here, and I'm not feeling well," the caller told the dispatcher.
The woman said nothing electrical was working, so her locks wouldn't open.
The dispatcher calmly told her to pull the lock up with her hand.
"Um, I'm sorry," said the woman, who was not identified, after the lock opened.
And, no, officials say, this was not an early April Fool's Day joke.

Really? How do you make it through life if you are like this woman?

You Thought You Had Bad Luck

2009-03-25T23:29:00.001-04:00

One man survives both atomic bombings in Japan and lives to tell about it at age 93. "Mr. Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on Aug. 6, 1945, when an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city. He returned to Nagasaki, his hometown, before the second attack, officials said." Wow. With all of that radiation and at 93 I think he may never die.

Heads Up on Money

2009-03-23T08:45:00.001-04:00

In the midst's of waking up this morning CBS News ran a segment on Missing Money.com, a clearinghouse of unclaimed cash. I logged in and found 10-year-old insurance dividend for me. This won't exactly slip me into a higher tax bracket, but it's worth checking out.

Details on Michigan's Film Industry

2009-03-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

The Mackinac Center has a detailed analysis on the impact of tax cuts to promote the film industry here in Michigan. Roughly 1,200 full time jobs have been created from $48 million.

Political Art

2009-03-19T18:12:00.000-04:00

Between painting horses, Andy Thomas, found time to paint past Republican and Democratic presidents playing poker, sure beats dogs playing poker.

Horrible Story Continued

2009-03-17T22:09:00.000-04:00

Details are emerging about the fishing accident that claimed the life of three football players. If the survivor can be believed, the details sound eerily similar to WWII tales of naval battle survivors in the vast Pacific.

Around 5:30 p.m., the report said the group ran into trouble: Their anchor was stuck. Schuyler told investigators that he believed it was caught in a coral reef. They tried to free it, but water filled the boat and it capsized.

Tossed into the frigid waters, the men managed to grab their life vests. Schuyler said they held on to the boat for four hours. But as the night wore on, their resolve to hold on appears to have grown weaker and the effects of hypothermia were likely setting in.

Schuyler told the Coast Guard that one of the men “freaked out” and took off his life vest and disappeared that night.

Another one of the men started getting unruly and throwing punches later. Schuyler told the Coast Guard the second man also took off his life jacket, dove under the water and was never seen again. The third man thought he saw land nearly two days after the boat capsized and decided to swim for it.

After some naval battles, men would dive into the ocean convinced they would see a Coke machine, or wave frantically at an imaginary rescue craft, then jump off the raft to drown in the open. If hypothermia because of lack of food doesn't kill you, the lack of water and sugar, with an overload of salt, which is what happens in the ocean produces a dangerous mind set.

Because it's St. Patty's Day

2009-03-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

Another Outstanding Soldier

2009-03-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

With both President Bush and President Obama failing to inspire people to serve in the military, the local recruiters are left to pick from losers suck as Christopher Lanum. I don't even know where to begin with this guy:

NORFOLK - A Fort Eustis soldier who was killed Sunday in a shootout with police was described as idolizing The Joker from "The Dark Knight," and he painted his face during a failed getaway attempt that took him across the state.

I'm not sure about you, but I missed the scene in The Dark Knight where the Joker stabbed and stunned his neighbor. Had our good specialist blown up a hospital I would make the connection. Either way, I'm sure this isn't the first time he's done something like this. In our connected society and even in the Army it's quite sad people like this do what they do.

One Reason to Keep "The Rich" Around

2009-03-12T14:49:00.000-04:00

I was amazed at President Obama during his State of the Union address this year, he pointed out the need for rich to "give" more to the government, then pointed to Leonard Abess who gave away $60 million to his employees.

The same logic has decimated the local art scene (not that there was a lot going on there). The Flint Cultural Center is making cuts citing, "anticipated declines in contributions in the coming year, as well as the proposed elimination of state arts grants," See, the government needs to take from those with money to give to the arts, which leads to less the rich are able to give to the arts and which leads to more money from government needed to keep art programs going, which strains the flow of resources from the government. (Get that?)

The answer to this issue is simple, have more people with more money. Then they, and not government, will be responsible for long term success of community organizations such as the FCC.

Col. Sanders or Ho Chi Minh

2009-03-11T23:09:00.000-04:00

What would a baseball story be in Japan without KFC? "TOKYO – He was covered in mud when pulled from the river, and had lost both legs and hands, not to mention his glasses. But Colonel Sanders still had his trademark smile, 24 years later. A statue of the KFC mascot has been found in a river in Osaka, a city official said Wednesday, nearly a quarter century after being tossed in by crazed baseball fans who felt the image of restaurant founder Harland Sanders resembled a key team member."

Is it me or does the Sanders look close to Ho Chi Minh with hair?

Captain Anti-America

2009-03-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

Thomas Mengesha scammed the justice he deserved by staying overseas while the local prosecutors debated how and if they were going to refile charges. Looking at his website, you see he's a self promoter and in one case misspells his own name. This remind you, is his own website. His blog has the production qualities of a 5th grade class project (and makes this one look good). He has an interview with himself posted there, which is quite a talent. His deployment blog has some other gems as well.

Believe it or not he's a shady lawyer (NO!). Like most wronged women, his wife is standing by her man, “To treat someone for serving his country, sacrificing for all of us, and to be treated this way – it’s not even American.” He still awaits his trail...

Constitution Lives (for now)

2009-03-03T22:53:00.001-05:00

The Congressional Democrats have dropped plans to circumvent the Constitution by giving District of Columbia a voting Representative in the US House. See, the district is not a state and under the Constitution only states can have a voting member.

It's a good day for the Constitution...until something is tried tomorrow.

Not the Way to Serve One's Country

2009-03-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

The newspaper headline says it all: "Army reservist who avoided embezzlement charge by going to Iraq returns to court."

The case, in which prosecutors allege he stole money from a millionaire who hired him to manage his affairs, began in 2005. The case was dismissed a year later when Mengesha said he was called to active duty in Iraq with his National Guard unit.
Prosecutors had planned to refile the charges, but put it on hold when Mengesha was deployed to Iraq more than two years ago.

Why on Earth did prosecutor's office want to wait? I'm sure the Army would've sent him back home ASAP had charges been filed.