Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Aide's pay: $149,000 -- plus $100,000 pension

Aide's pay: $149,000 -- plus $100,000 pension
"James Dencek was 54 when he retired in 1994 from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Not quite three years later, Dencek landed a new job.
Under a $100,000 consulting contract, he was hired to be chief of staff to the district's new president, Terrence J. O'Brien, who used to work for Dencek at the agency.
Dencek's one-year consulting deal has stretched into 13 years.
His annual contract is now worth $149,374 -- nearly double O'Brien's salary as part-time president.
He also gets a $100,392 yearly pension from the district -- which he couldn't collect if he had come back as an employee of the district rather than a consultant."

This is happening EVERYWHERE in our country!

vegemite-contest-draws-protests



"It all began in July when jars of caramel-brown Vegemite mixed with cream cheese began appearing on supermarket shelves with brightly colored labels inviting consumers to “Name Me.”"

Editorial: Here's our endorsements

Editorial:
"Editorial: Here's our endorsements"

My golly, they can't even get the grammar correct.

Mum hid bomb kit in her burka | The Sun |News

Mum hid bomb kit in her burka The Sun News: "A MUSLIM woman who had a 'DIY terrorism kit' hidden in her burka was jailed for two years yesterday.
Houria Chentouf, 41, was carrying a computer pen-drive containing 7,000 documents, including a detailed explosives manual and extreme religious material.

House ... where she was arrestedAnd investigators later found letters in which the mother of six admitted she had considered using herself and her children as suicide bombers."

House Democrats bristle at more bailouts - Washington Times

House Democrats bristle at more bailouts - Washington Times: "House Democrats are balking at an Obama administration plan that would put taxpayers on the hook for up to five years to dismantle any giant financial firm whose failure could repeat last year's Wall Street collapse."

Robert J. Samuelson - Robert J. Samuelson on whether America could go broke - washingtonpost.com

Robert J. Samuelson - Robert J. Samuelson on whether America could go broke - washingtonpost.com

Controversial New Video of Obama’s Pastor

Controversial New Video of Obama’s Pastor: "A new video of Jeremiah Wright has surfaced, showing Barack Obama's pastor of 20 years praising Marxism and discussing his ties to communists in El Salvador and Nicaragua and the Libyan government. Equally important, Wright is being introduced in the video by Robert W. McChesney, co-founder of Free Press, an organization which has come under scrutiny for its links to the Obama Administration and dedication to the transformation and control of the private media in the U.S."

Monday, November 02, 2009

Poster Girl

Oh my golly!
This woman's beautiful anthem from the begining of the war will live forever.

BLACKFIVE: Beccy Cole - "Poster Girl" on the Wrong Side of the World

BLACKFIVE: Beccy Cole - "Poster Girl" on the Wrong Side of the World

Another re-post of Beccy Cole's beautiful song.
A song that supported our coalition victory for the freedom loving people of Iraq!

You go Beccy!

Lindsey Graham's Sordid Self

Lindsey Graham's Sordid Self
"Today, Graham is little more than the ever-eager turn-to guy whenever the hard left needs a squishy sycophant to carry its water through the corridors of Congress.
As evidenced most recently by his teaming up with liberal totem John Kerry to co-author a New York Times op-ed endorsing the highly controversial, disastrously costly cap-and-trade legislation.
As the green web site Grist.com breathlessly enthused:
“It’s hard to overstate the significance of this joint declaration.
It ensures that the Senate bill will be bipartisan.
It demonstrates that there is a pathway to 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
And it establishes comprehensive energy and climate legislation as the next item on the Senate agenda after health care reform, meaning there is a very real shot at Senate passage prior to Copenhagen.”
In short, in one fell stroke, Graham betrayed scores of his Senate colleagues and tens of millions of Americans who know that the cap-and-trade bill will paralyze American industry and cost the average household as much as $3000 a year"

WHO: nearly 5,000 swine flu deaths worldwide


WHO: nearly 5,000 swine flu deaths worldwide
"Nearly 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday."

This is a "pandemic"?
This is a FRAUD!

Chris Christie's Next Case: Who Stole My Election?


Chris Christie's Next Case: Who Stole My Election?
"Meanwhile, the Democratic Party in New Jersey is taking advantage of a new loosely written vote-by-mail law to pressure county clerks not to vigorously use signature checks to evaluate the authenticity of absentee ballots, the only verification procedure allowed.
The state has received a flood of 180,000 absentee ballot requests.
On some 3,000 forms the signature doesn't match the one on file with county clerks.
Yet citing concerns that voters would be disenfranchised, Democratic Party lawyer Paul Josephson wrote New Jersey's secretary of state asking her 'to instruct County Clerks not to deny applications on the basis of signature comparison alone.'
Mr. Josephson maintained that county clerks 'may be overworked and are likely not trained in handwriting analysis' and insisted that voters with suspect applications should be allowed to cast provisional ballots.
Those ballots, of course, would then provide a pool of votes that would be subject to litigation in any recount, with the occupant of New Jersey's highest office determined by Florida 2000-style scrutiny of ballot applications."

This is the plan for the ACORN-democrat party EVERYWHERE!
Imagine the nice old ladies at the polling places in ...Detroit or Muskegon Heights et al disputing the signature of a brotha or sista.
It won't happen.
Precincts that used to have 2% turnout are now showing 50%, 97%, 110% turnout.
When will America fight back?

Can This P-38 Be Saved?


Can This P-38 Be Saved?
Lockheed P-38 Lightnings brought many a pilot home.
This pilot would like to return the favor"

Public school nurses give swine flu vaccine to kids without parents' OK, sends child to hospital

Public school nurses give swine flu vaccine to kids without parents' OK, sends child to hospital
"School nurses mistakenly gave the swine flu vaccine to two students who didn't sign up for it - including a Brooklyn girl with epilepsy who wound up in the hospital."

This is government supplied "health care".

Ebling: The Cold, Cruel Reality -


Ebling: The Cold, Cruel Reality

All football losses aren’t the same.
All L’s on the scoreboard aren’t even losses. Some are lessons with long-term payoffs.

Saturday night’s 42-34 whipping by Minnesota was more than a setback for Michigan State.
It was a statement of gross inadequacy - in many ways, the most alarming defeat in Mark Dantonio’s three seasons as head coach of the Spartans.
The long knives are out!

Sunday, November 01, 2009

TaxProf Blog: Chicago Property Taxes Increase 9.6%; Obama's Property Tax Increases 1.0%

TaxProf Blog: Chicago Property Taxes Increase 9.6%; Obama's Property Tax Increases 1.0%
"Chicago Property Taxes Increase 9.6%;
Obama's Property Tax Increases 1.0%"

US admiral concerned about China military buildup

US admiral concerned about China military buildup
"'When we see a military growing at that rate, we're interested in transparency and the understanding of the uses of that military,' said Donegan"

Earth Talk now part of Chronicle

Column: Earth Talk now part of Chronicle
"It is only in recent years that we have begun to take a serious look at the toll those items of convenience have taken on our environment.
And whether one believes that man is contributing to the pillage of the Earth with the irresponsible choices we make is a matter of great debate."

"man ...pillage...of the earth"

This woman is an idiot!

Marijuana growers upend hard-luck California town

Marijuana growers upend hard-luck California town
"But locals in Trinity say California law is so permissive that almost anyone can get a doctor's 'recommendation' needed to grow their own marijuana or buy it at dispensaries.
ID cards -- which patients can use as proof they have a physician's recommendation for medicinal cannabis -- are voluntary.
And because state guidelines aren't hard and fast, some doctors recommend that their patients be allowed to grow many more plants than the suggested ceiling."

Mona Shores voters face ballot issues

Mona Shores voters face ballot issues
"Furthermore, if a requested five-year Headlee Amendment override isn’t renewed, Mona Shore could lose nearly $300,000 the first year in nonhomestead property tax collections, according to ballot language. Districts where overall property values rise faster than inflation cannot levy the full 18 mills unless voters agree to waive the effects of the Headlee Amendment, which restricts property tax collections to the rate of inflation.

Mona Shores is asking voters to approve a renewal of 18 mills on nonhomestead property for five years, which would raise $5,430,232 the first year.

The separate Headlee override, levied only as needed, would permit the district to levy up to 1 mill for five years. It would raise an estimated $294,076 the first year."

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Revealed: Lockerbie bomber defies doctors' prediction of death

Revealed: Lockerbie bomber defies doctors' prediction of death
"The health of the Lockerbie bomber has 'not deteriorated' since his release from prison three months ago – despite doctors' assessments that he would have died by now, a senior source has told The Sunday Telegraph."

If my family member had died on that plane, I'd find and get the "doctor" who provided the go-free card.

Dearborn Shoot-Out Opens a Window into Homegrown Terror

Dearborn Shoot-Out Opens a Window into Homegrown Terror
“We're not any fake terrorists, we're the real terrorists,” Abdullah (aka Christopher Thomas) once bragged to an undercover informant, according to an FBI affidavit."

Multiculturalists diminish 'rough beast' ravaging IslamFree Press

Multiculturalists diminish 'rough beast' ravaging Islam
"Paraphrasing William Butler Yeats, Mansur contends that Islam is in the grips of a 'rough beast' that has let loose anarchy upon the world.
He traces the problem back to the earliest days of Islam, when perverse Muslim rulers renounced the peaceful teachings of the Qu'ran by slaughtering each other in a bloody struggle for political power following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632."

French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality - NYTimes.com

French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality
"Just as Le Corbusier’s white cruciform towers once excited visions of the industrial-age city of the future, so Vélib’, Paris’s bicycle rental system, inspired a new urban ethos for the era of climate change.

Renters of Vélib' bicycles in Paris say it can be a challenge to find functioning ones among those that have been vandalized.

In Paris 80 percent of Vélib' bicycles are stolen or damaged.

Residents here can rent a sturdy bicycle from hundreds of public stations and pedal to their destinations, an inexpensive, healthy and low-carbon alternative to hopping in a car or bus.
But this latest French utopia has met a prosaic reality: Many of the specially designed bikes, which cost $3,500 each, are showing up on black markets in Eastern Europe and northern Africa.
Many others are being spirited away for urban joy rides, then ditched by roadsides, their wheels bent and tires stripped.
With 80 percent of the initial 20,600 bicycles stolen or damaged, the program’s organizers have had to hire several hundred people just to fix them. And along with the dent in the city-subsidized budget has been a blow to the Parisian psyche."

What do you bet this "brilliant" idea is coming to a US city near you soon.....probably with "stimulus" dollars.

H1N1 Vaccinations To Be Offered To Guantanamo Bay Detainees

H1N1 Vaccinations To Be Offered To Guantanamo Bay Detainees

Obama-nation.....

Thursday, October 29, 2009

If we're going to cap those outrageous payments ...

If we're going to cap those outrageous payments
"The eighth annual study by National Taxpayers United of Illinois of the state's top 100 government pension payouts.

It reveals that scores of administrators or teachers in the state public education and higher education systems could receive larger retirement checks than the senior executives carrying the burden of repairing the nation's banking system.

Wow, indeed."

Cash for Clunkers costs taxpayers $24,000 per car

Cash for Clunkers costs taxpayers $24,000 per car
"A total of 690,000 new vehicles were sold under the Cash for Clunkers program last summer, but only 125,000 of those were vehicles that would not have been sold anyway, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the automotive Web site Edmunds.com.
Still, auto sales contributed heavily to the economy's expansion in the third quarter, adding 1.7 percentage points to the nation's gross domestic product growth.
Is the economy really getting better?
The Cash for Clunkers program gave car buyers rebates of up to $4,500 if they traded in less fuel-efficient vehicles for new vehicles that met certain fuel economy requirements. A total of $3 billion was allotted for those rebates.
The average rebate was $4,000. But the overwhelming majority of sales would have taken place anyway at some time in the last half of 2009, according to Edmunds.com. That means the government ended up spending about $24,000 each for those 125,000 additional vehicle sales."

Mainstream Media Ignores Juicy ACORN Nuggets - Townhall.com

Hannah Giles : Mainstream Media Ignores Juicy ACORN Nuggets
"The “Pimp and Pro” story, exposing ACORN’s willingness to advise a prostitute on tax evasion and child sex trafficking, hit America a few weeks ago.
There were a myriad number of angles to report, yet the Mainstream Media's favorite approach seems to be the method in which James O’Keefe and I orchestrated and gathered the information."

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Guantanamo prisoners to get swine flu vaccine

Guantanamo prisoners to get swine flu vaccine
"Even as some Americans await the arrival of their swine flu vaccines, the Pentagon has decided to vaccinate both soldiers and terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."

Kinda like Obama prefers terrorists to your grandma?
Yup!

We Now Have A Total Gangster Government

“I will never rush the solemn decision of…hand me the 5-iron, would you?”


“I will never rush the solemn decision of…hand me the 5-iron, would you?”
"AN ADDRESS TO THE TROOPS, GOOD SPORTS THAT THEY ARE"

Michigan's debt to federal government for unemployment claims: $2.8B and counting


Michigan's debt to federal government for unemployment claims: $2.8B and counting
"Michigan has been borrowing from the federal government to pay out unemployment insurance benefit claims since mid-2008, when its own trust fund became insolvent, and now owes the feds $2.8 billion.

The total is expected to grow higher.......There is no estimate for when the state might be able to fully repay the debt, Isotalo said."
When will it be paid?

NY23 Hits Its Tipping Point

NY23 Hits Its Tipping Point
"The official GOP nominee -- Dede Scozzafava, a very liberal New York Assemblywoman -- now trails her Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, and the Conservative Party nominee, Doug Hoffman, according to a survey released Monday by the Club for Growth.
The survey shows Hoffman surging into the lead with 31 percent, to 27 percent for Owens, with a fading Scozzafava drawing just 20 percent of the vote, and 22 percent of the voters still undecided."

Washington's Suicide Mission - WSJ.com


Holman Jenkins: Washington's Suicide Mission
"It's no exaggeration to say the Senate health-care bill taking shape is the equivalent of climbing aboard a train about to plunge into a canyon and deciding what it really needs is a bomb on board."
The problem is that it's us in the suicide belts.

LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe: MSU short two running backs

LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe: MSU short two running backs
"MSU short two running backs
MSU announced Wednesday that Caulton Ray and Andre Anderson are no longer on the team's active roster. Here's the release from associate athletic director John Lewandowski:
'Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio confirmed Wednesday afternoon that running backs Andre Anderson and Caulton Ray have been removed from the active roster.'
That's it. Lewandowski also said this is not a legal issue. Looks to me like a playing time issue, and it's somewhat surprising that it took this long for someone to bolt (or be 'removed,' as the statement makes clear).
No word on possible destinations.
For the rest of the season, MSU is now down to its freshmen, Ashton Leggett and A.J. Jimmerson."

Federal perks enough to make you sick


Federal perks enough to make you sick
"Buried deep in the $680 billion military spending bill sitting on President Barack Obama's desk is a sweet morsel that lets federal workers count unused sick time in calculating their pension benefit.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that change, over 10 years, will cost $343 million — and even more after that."
This theft by our elected leaders happens EVERY day!
When are we going to rise up?

Rocco's Modern Life

Rocco's Modern Life:
"It would be hard to pack so much ignorance into one short paragraph if one were really trying.
We can deduce that Landesman doesn't even have to try."

A MUST READ!
Very scary the people our president surrounds himself with.

The ins and outs of Chapter 9 | Detroit


The ins and outs of Chapter 9
"After watching a recent debate among candidates for Detroit City Council, it has become apparent that Detroiters need to be educated on the application of Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to Detroit's financial mess."

Detroit is going down..but who else will they bring with them?

Thomas Sowell On Economics Of Medical Care

Thomas Sowell On Economics Of Medical Care:
"Dr. Sowell has granted IBD permission to run one of the chapters of 'Applied Economics' — 'The Economics of Medical Care' — in its entirety.
We are doing so because of its relevance to the debate over health care reform.
The chapter will run in nine parts over the next week and a half.
The first part starts below and continues in the Issues & Insights section, where the other eight parts will appear"

Click the link and wrap yourself in brilliance.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=510506

Efficient Market Theory and the Crisis

Jeremy J. Siegel: Efficient Market Theory and the Crisis
"in the 61 years from 1945 through 2006 the maximum cumulative decline in the average price of homes was 2.84% in 1991. If this low volatility of home prices persisted into the future, a mortgage security composed of a nationally diversified portfolio of loans comprising the first 80% of a home's value would have never come close to defaulting. The credit quality of home buyers was secondary because it was thought that underlying collateral—the home—could always cover the principal in the event the homeowner defaulted. These models led credit agencies to rate these subprime mortgages as 'investment grade.'
But this assessment was faulty. From 2000 through 2006, national home prices rose by 88.7%, far more than the 17.5% gain in the consumer price index or the paltry 1% rise in median household income. Never before have home prices jumped that far ahead of prices and incomes.
This should have sent up red flags and cast doubts on using models that looked only at historical declines to judge future risk. But these flags were ignored as Wall Street was reaping large profits bundling and selling the securities while Congress was happy that more Americans could enjoy the 'American Dream' of home ownershi"

WHAT WASHINGTON DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOWs

WHAT WASHINGTON DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW

THE EVER-EXPANDING University of Phoenix.

THE EVER-EXPANDING University of Phoenix.
“In the world of for-profit higher education, and higher education in general, the University of Phoenix has historically been viewed as the 800-pound gorilla.
As of Tuesday, it may be more like a 1,000-pound gorilla.
As Phoenix’s parent company, the Apollo Group, reported its fourth quarter and annual earnings Tuesday, it announced that the university’s enrollment of degree-seeking students grew to 443,000 as of August 2009, up 22 percent from 362,000 in August 2008. . . . About two-thirds of the university’s new students as of August are female, 27.7 percent are African-American, and about half are 30 or over.”

How Dems outmaneuvered GOP on ACORN

How Dems outmaneuvered GOP on ACORN
"Although the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency -- designed to deal with issues like mortgages and credit-card fees -- has nothing to do with community organizing, Democrats offered an amendment that could allow ACORN and groups like it to participate in the new agency."

Read it all. It's pretty disgusting.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tax refugees staging escape from New York


Tax refugees staging escape from New York: "New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in alarming numbers -- and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars, a new study shows.
More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy.
It was the biggest out-of-state migration in the country.
The vast majority of the migrants, 1.1 million, were former residents of New York City -- meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out."
I'm sure the democrat governor is happy that millionaire Rush Limbaugh is already gone.....right?

Nerobama


Sadly, nuff said....

DC sniper Muhammad set to die by lethal injection

DC sniper Muhammad set to die by lethal injection
"The mastermind of the 2002 Washington, DC-area sniper attacks will die by lethal injection next month, Virginia officials said Tuesday.
John Allen Muhammad declined to choose between lethal injection and electrocution, so under state law the method defaults to lethal injection, Virginia Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Traylor said.
Muhammad is scheduled to be executed Nov. 10 for the October 2002 slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station during a string of shootings."

It will be a great day in America!

Pardon Me, but Your Sycophancy Is Showing

Pardon Me, but Your Sycophancy Is Showing
"Take Rocco Landesman, the new head of the National Endowment of the Arts.
In a speech in Brooklyn last week, he said of Barack Obama,
“This is the first president that actually writes his own books since Teddy Roosevelt and arguably the first to write them really well since Lincoln.”

Oh, dear, where do I begin?
Well, let’s start with grammar. It’s “the first president who,” not “the first president that.”

Second, he implicitly accuses Presidents Clinton, Bush 41, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Truman, Hoover, Coolidge, and Wilson of having had their memoirs, autobiographies, and other works ghosted."

Excellent article.

And why do we have a "head" of the NEA who is a ignorant political hack?!!!

Agencies see an increased need for warm clothing


Agencies see an increased need for warm clothing

Didn't AlGore promise things would be warmer?

Didn't Gov. Granholm promise things would be better?

Isn't President Obama promising the same things?

Shouldn't we all be weary of promises from politicians?

Don’t bring a knife to a coffee fight



"I politely demurred by hurling a cup of hot Starbucks at him while fishing my Beretta Jetfire out of the stupid pocket holster it was riding in.

After taking a face full of Columbia’s most popular legal export and confronted with a counter offer of bullets to his previous barter exchange concept, the young gentlemen decided that discretion was the better part of valor and made all due haste in a westerly direction"
Our new national weapon of choice?
How soon should we expect a "Brady" bill to restrict macho males from indiscriminately splashing innocent children?

Granholm CELEBRATES 100,000 residents in job training


Granholm CELEBRATES 100,000 residents in job training

Read this and fear for Michigan's future.
A compliant MSM is all she needs....and she's got 'em!

Postal strike: union warns of more disruption over £7 billion pension deficit - Telegraph

Postal strike: union warns of more disruption over £7 billion pension deficit - Telegraph

Canada Single Payer Health Care System Hurts People [Mackinac Center]

Canada Single Payer Health Care System Hurts People [Mackinac Center]
"What Canadians Want You To Know About Their Health Care System"

Detroit Free Press circulation down almost 10%

theblogprof: Detroit Free Press circulation down almost 10%
"No surprise here.
It's pretty uniform across the major print publications, except for the Wall Street Journal, which is actually up!
What's the difference?
The WSJ is center right, the others (including the freep) and rabid far-left.
A correlation?
Cause-effect?
Kind of the same thing happening in cable news where everyone, including liberals, are flocking to FoxNews and leaving CNN, MSNBC and the other alphabet soup networks.
Could it be that a liberal slant keeps the liberal MSM from reporting important news?
Van Jones?
Hello?"

Monday, October 26, 2009

BACK TO THE FUTURE: 1978 all over again?

BACK TO THE FUTURE: 1978 all over again?
“Why did things go south for Carter so fast?
Because America’s enemies had taken measure of the man during his first, change-filled year in office.
They saw weaknesses they could exploit. In the second year, they made their move.”
I’d say that at this point, a Carter-rerun is a best-case scenario."

Flying Imams Victory

Flying Imams Victory
"A suspect Islamist group is gloating that a cash settlement in the so-called Flying Imams case is a 'victory for civil rights.'
If it's a victory, it's one for future hijackers."

Obama wins world chess championship

Obama wins world chess championship
"The World Chess Federation today announced that Barack Obama had become the world chess champion, nudging aside former undisputed champion Viswanathan Anand of India.
The news surprised some in the chess world, because Obama has never participated in tournament play.
But FIDE officials said they felt certain Obama could become world champion if he ever decided to try"

If you work hard, anything is possible!

Excellent simplicity!

An e-mail from Paula V:

Probably just another exercise in futility but here's what I sent to our two senators:

"I do not support the current legislation being considered by congress as part of an effort to "reform" health care.
I am basing my decision to oppose the legislation based on my disinclination to involve the federal government in further regulating health care delivery.
Please "reform" Medicare and Medicaid before trying to interfere with anything else. Otherwise, why don't you just give all Americans the same health plan that you and all the other congressmen have?
Paula V"

If they could answer Paula's question they'd win? ...........yeah right!

But more powerful is her request that Medicare and Medicaid stop their hemorrhaging before we dump a tsunami of our children's credit on another new swindle.

Isn't anyone listening?

RightMichigan.com || An Auction in Detroit


RightMichigan.com An Auction in Detroit
"Of the 9,000 Detroit properties put up for auction by Wayne County officials, more than eight in ten went without a single bid, this despite a required low minimum bid of $500."

Yes, we can!
Right?

Will U2 be able to fill MSU stadium for its June 30 concert?

Daily Grit by Wes Thorp: Will U2 be able to fill MSU stadium for its June 30 concert?
"Detroit Free Press says this morning that U2 and Bono are coming to Spartan Stadium on June 30.
That's really a big deal for mid-Michigan.
Did you know that this Irish band played a concert at Dooley's Bar in East Lansing in the early 80s?"

click the comment below...Doug brings truth to this link.....party pooper!

I'd get one of these signs 'cept my whole block is packin'.....

.....except the nice teacher, two doors down, with the electric mower and Obama sticker on her car.

(click photo to biggify)


This used to be BIG news!


President Obama ties George W. Bush on golf
"President Barack Obama has only been in office for just over nine months, but he's already hit the links as much as President Bush did in over two years."
Well the liberal (REDUNDANCY ALERT!) MSM certainly doesn't care any more.
Maybe Barry needs golf more than Georgie...... is it a cultural thang?

10 WAYS GOVERNMENT HURTS THE POOR


10 WAYS GOVERNMENT HURTS THE POOR
"From the Illnois Policy Institute.
1. Minimum Wage If you charge more for something, you sell less of it. Labor is no different than any other commodity for sale...."

click it to see the prescription for the destruction of an economy.....prescribed by the demo-crooks and rino-crooks we elect to govern us.

Report: Michigan workers who finished retraining get, keep jobs


Report: Michigan workers who finished retraining get, keep jobs
"Most of those who completed job retraining during the first 18 months of Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind program either kept their jobs or gained new employment, according to a state review.

Of the nearly 34,360 people who finished training between August 2007 and February 2009, about 24,700, or 72%, either retained work or got a new job, while about 9,660, or 28%, were still looking for a job, according to the report being released Monday. It found more than 16,840 kept their jobs and about 7,860 found new employment.

No Worker Left Behind offers up to $10,000 over two years to workers who attend community colleges or other training programs. It’s overseen by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, which compiled the review."

A few questions from a Michigan citizen and taxpayer:

1. This has been pretty big news today on local radio, NPR, newspapers and media web sites.
But the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth hasn't made the full report public.

I just spent an hour searching their site and the web.
Shouldn't they be SO proud that they'd publish all the magic economic wizardry that confirms the brilliance of the "No Worker Left Behind" program?

And the original report is "disappeared" as far as us citizens/taxpayers are concerned.

Why?

2. The "report" tells us that more than 16,840 graduates (out of more than 102,000 who got the money and "training") from this state funded program "kept their jobs".

Was there any control group to compare non-grads keeping their jobs?

What jobs did they "keep"?

3. 7860 nice workers were able to enter the workforce. How nice!

But that is less than 8% success in job creation (even if we don't know what jobs were created).

Is 8% the success rate we should expect from the Democrats and Jennifer Granholm?


4. What is the cost of providing this nifty $10,000/per worker edu-plunder and the state employees who administer it?


5. If this program is SO successful, wouldn't our Dear Leaders in Lansing put up bill boards (just like the cool highway billboards) touting their successes? With a nifty web-link for proof?


6. Are today's "journalists" so dull and uninterested in asking tough (any!) questions that they simply repeat every state generated synopsis and go home?

7. Does ANYONE really believe this garbage?


Newt mulls 2012 run


POLITICO CLICK: Newt mulls 2012 run
"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that he hasn't ruled out a 2012 run."
Are the GOPers that dumb?

Minors may no longer be required to submit to breath tests in the city of Kalamazoo


Minors may no longer be required to submit to breath tests in the city of Kalamazoo
"City officials said enforcement provisions of Kalamazoo’s current ordinance mirror laws in the cities of Troy and Bay City that failed recent court scrutiny.

In the Troy case, Robinson said the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that a preliminary breath test constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, requiring either a search warrant or “unequivocal, specific, and freely and intelligently given” consent from the suspect.
In that case, the court dismissed the charges, ruling that the minors’ consents were not voluntary because Troy officers told them the breath tests were required by ordinance."

Great news! .......... for drunk kids and those who yearn for the destruction of "The American Way".
Do we really want our country to go down the drain this quickly?
Maybe we ought to spend more time on who we elect to our Michigan court of appeals?
Meebee.....

Chicago property tax: Bigger bills headed this way

Chicago property tax: Bigger bills headed this way
"In Chicago, the increase in the total property tax burden is even higher -- a little more than 6 percent."

And their sales tax is tops too!
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2008/03/chicago-gets-hi.html

This is how preposterous California pensions are: They're featured on "News of the Weird"

This is how preposterous California pensions are: They're featured on "News of the Weird"

That money is washing away


That money is washing away


"The basic problem is that pension funds created to finance retirement benefits for thousands of public employees -- teachers, police officers, firefighters, and state, city and county workers of every description -- lack sufficient funds to meet their obligations.........
....Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak brought the scale of the situation home in his budget address last summer.
He reported that nearly two-thirds of an 11.3 percent property tax hike next year would go to fund the city's pension obligations."

Wayne's Voodoo 2009 Wright Patterson USAF Museum


This is pretty cool.
I sent out the Wright Patterson USAF Musium invite last month and my friend Wayne replied below:
"I won't be there, but place a reverent hand on the nose of the F-101 that resides there because I flew that mf.......placed the Red Hawk on the tail my own damn self.
"

I did rub reverently the nose of Wayne's bird.
Note the artistic talents of the geezer fly-"boy".

In downtown Muskegon Heights


Tear down a building and uncover a bit of history.
Ironic that the Heights is arguably the most segregated city in Michigan.


Another 12 Insanely Titled Books




Another 12 Insanely Titled Books
"How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men

'Written by an Asian with Asian men in mind within the context of a western society.
Provided inside are the knowledge, framework and tools necessary for an Asian man to understand, to plan and to put into action the steps to successfully date a white woman.'"

Sunday, October 25, 2009

family loses home, possessions in fire

family loses home, possessions in fire
"around 10:30 or 10:45 p.m. Saturday, the couple took the children, Christopher Smith, 15, Austin Van Avery, 11, and 9-year-old Jaydean Van Avery, to visit the landlord. “They said everything was OK when they left,” he said.

Apparently Daniel Van Avery was going to get a tattoo from the landlord,"

No money for insurance but lots for a new tattoo!

MSU-Iowa "rain & pain"


Our last moments of happiness.....


First Daughters Not Vaccinated Against H1N1


» First Daughters Not Vaccinated Against H1N1
"President Obama's school age daughters have not been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk."

If we take the Obamas at their word (always a poor take) Barry and 'Chelle would love to protect their kids but..... the government directed vaccine program hasn't produced enough to be available to the Obama kids.

The world has been hyperventilating "pandemic" about this for a year!
Omama has promised that his version of health care is WAAAAY better.

If government can't take care of the President's family....what do you think we're gonna get.....

This is Obama-care folks!

"The bogus death statistic that won’t die"



"The bogus death statistic that won’t die"

Kausfiles :So You Think You Have Swine Flu?


Kausfiles : So You Think You Have Swine Flu?

So You Think You Have Swine Flu?
Am I the only one--besides Michael Fumento--who finds reports like NBC's last night on the spread of swine flu ("galloping its way across the country") to be wildly unconvincing?
The NBC piece claims "90 dead" last week under the rubric "swine flu cases." [See about 1:10 in]
This is almost certainly BS.
As this CDC report makes clear, that figure includes both the swine flu and the regular annual flu. Indeed, NBC promiscuously conflates a) swine flu (H1N1); b) regular flu and c) "flu like symptoms" which may not be any kind of flu at all. ... That may be because the CDC itself has decided to conflate at least the first two categories, as noted in this seemingly damning CBS story and confirmed in the CDC report itself:
This new system was implemented on August 30, 2009, and replaces the weekly report of laboratory confirmed 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations and deaths that began in April 2009. Jurisdictions can now report to CDC either laboratory confirmed or pneumonia and influenza syndromic-based counts of hospitalizations and deaths resulting from all types or subtypes of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. [E.A.]
I think this means the CDC does not really know how many cases are swine flu and how many aren't. (The regular flu kills many thousands of people every year.) ...12:43 A.M.

Friday, October 23, 2009

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I BRING YOU GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I BRING YOU GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE
"Shortages, delays, long lines, rationing.

Just a small preview of what the government has in store for you...."

Experts Puzzle Over How Flight Overshot Airport

Experts Puzzle Over How Flight Overshot Airport
"Federal investigators intensified their efforts on Friday to determine why a commercial jet carrying 144 passengers and five crew members over the northern plains of the United States on Wednesday night overshot its destination by 150 miles."

Like they fell asleep, duh....
We sure need more experts don't we!
Meebee we need some experts to tell us why so many experts are so dumb?

Canon S90


Canon S90
Wired.com Product Reviews:
"The S90 is the best compact camera I've ever used."

ummm, new camera craving growing.....

GOP calls Granholm's move to increase Michigan student funding cut to $292 per student 'fear mongering'

GOP calls Granholm's move to increase Michigan student funding cut to $292 per student 'fear mongering'
'The Legislature put a balanced budget on the governor's desk,' said state Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin, the House Republican leader. .
'Clearly, she's using fear mongering to set the stage for her tax increases.'"

S&P 500's PE Ratio of 139 Isn't Sustainable


S&P 500's PE Ratio of 139 Isn't Sustainable
"For investors a PE ratio in the 25 to 30 range means it will be difficult to find bargains, as you cannot expect an expansion of the PE ratio to contribute a higher level on the S&P 500 index.
Moreover, there is a risk the S&P PE ratio could contract, causing the level of the S&P 500 index to fall.
A drop to 20 on the S&P 500 PE ratio gives us a high of 917 on the S&P 500, assuming earnings does not change from its forecast.
Going forward investors need to keep in mind that the risk of a PE ratio contraction is a possibility.
A rise in the S&P 500 PE ratio is unlikely"

Romer: Impact of stimulus will level off


Romer: Impact of stimulus will level off:
"top White House economist says spending from the $787 billion economic stimulus has already had its biggest impact on economic growth and will likely not contribute to significant expansion next year."

Not a surprise to most. It never was a "stimulus", just an enormous pork dump on Barry's favored comrades.

The semi-bright side of this debacle might be that the world has seen just about every socialists economic-trick and they don't work.

Maybe some will start to get the message?

California Treasurer Lockyer: pensions will ‘bankrupt’ state « Calpensions


California Treasurer Lockyer: pensions will ‘bankrupt’ state
"State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who sits on both the CalPERS and CalSTRS public pension boards, got the attention of his listeners during a legislative hearing yesterday.

“It’s impossible for this Legislature to reform the pension system, and if we don’t it will bankrupt the state,” is the Lockyer quote jotted down by one observer.

“My general view of the pensions is that the current benefits that have been promised are probably hard to maintain and the (retiree) health benefits that have been promised are impossible to maintain,” he said."

What will a bankrupt California mean for the rest of our country?

Holiday travel on a budget

Holiday travel on a budget
"visit Airfare Watchdog http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/. It lists deals from all airlines.
Don’t stop with the airlines, though. You can often find better deals on aggregator sites and other travel sites. Here are a few of the best:"

Excellent list of travel sites.

Chart of the Day: S&P500 P/E Ratio


Chart of the Day: S&P500 P/E Ratio
"As a result of the recent plunge in earnings and recent stock market rally, the PE ratio spiked and just peaked at 144 – a record high.
Currently, with 97% of US corporations having reported for Q2 2009, the PE ratio now stands at a lofty 129."

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Audit of Home Tax Credit Shows Errors and Abuses

Audit of Home Tax Credit Shows Errors and Abuses
"Just as Congressional leaders are calling for an extension of a popular $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, or even an expansion to all home purchasers, government investigators reported Thursday that their audits suggest widespread abuse and errors in the program."

I'm shocked, shocked to see ...bla, bla, ad nausium....again...and again....

Former Phillips School building may house homeless

Former Phillips School building may house homeless
"Housing for the homeless, and not substance abuse treatment, now is the plan for the former Phillips School, according to officials with West Michigan Therapy, which is hoping to take ownership of the shuttered building."

Another government (non-tax paying) entity providing free housing in Muskegon!

Don't we have hundreds of empty appartments and houses already?
Why spend tax money for more housing when we've already got too many empty homes and appartments!

Some Coopersville parents question district providing laptops to middle-school students

Some Coopersville parents question district providing laptops to middle-school students
"A few parents are not thrilled with every Coopersville Middle School student getting a laptop computer this year.
At a Board of Education meeting this week, one parent said children who use the school’s resource room for challenged students, such as her eighth-grade son, should not have received a laptop.
“It’s a lazy way of learning,” she said, referring to the laptops’ spell check and other automatic services. “How educational are these for the kids?”
Two other parents complained about the $30 liability fee that families are charged for students who want to take their laptops home."

Good grief!

The elite world of public employees

The elite world of public employees
"It is hard to make a case for going to work in the private sector anymore because government employees just have it better.
Even now, when the private sector is facing major cutbacks and layoffs, government, at the state and federal levels, still offer unparalleled perks, benefits, and salaries – even in the face of seemingly insurmountable budget deficits.
There is something terribly wrong with this picture"

Could Los Angeles Go Bankrupt?

Milken SOS: Could Los Angeles Go Bankrupt?
"Here’s a sobering thought: could the City of Angels go bankrupt?
Following up on recent comments by former LA Mayor Richard Riordan that Los Angeles was on the way to bankruptcy unless it got concessions from unions..."

So many dominoes, so many left to fall....

Cat 5 Hurricane Rick threatens Mexico resort city

Cat 5 Hurricane Rick threatens Mexico resort city
"Hurricane Rick, the strongest eastern North Pacific storm in more than a decade, raged across open seas on Sunday, but forecasters said it could veer into resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula by midweek.
The track of the Category 5 hurricane threatened to disrupt a major sport fishing tournament scheduled to start Wednesday in Los Cabos, where hundreds of fishermen - mainly Americans - were gathering.
The hurricane's winds were still a howling 175 mph (280 kph) Sunday, down slightly from a peak of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. But it was projected to move over cooler waters and weaken to around Category 2 status with winds of around 98 mph (156 kph) before hitting land."

I saved this from last week.
....never mind

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

HMM: “Voters in this small city decided overwhelmingly last year to do away with the party affiliat…

HMM: “Voters in this small city decided overwhelmingly last year to do away with the party affiliat…
"HMM: “Voters in this small city decided overwhelmingly last year to do away with the party affiliation of candidates in local elections, but the Obama administration recently overruled the electorate and decided that equal rights for black voters cannot be achieved without the Democratic Party.
The Justice Department’s ruling, which affects races for City Council and mayor, went so far as to say partisan elections are needed so that black voters can elect their ‘candidates of choice’ – identified by the department as those who are Democrats and almost exclusively black.”
If this is an accurate report, it will only strengthen claims that the Department of Justice has been politicized under Eric Holder, particularly as the decision was “made by the same Justice official who ordered the dismissal of a voting rights case against members of the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia.”"

Imagine the MSM response if this was a republican administration.

Muskegon, Shoreline Inn to give valuation dispute to referee

Muskegon, Shoreline Inn to give valuation dispute to referee
"The city and hotel owner will agree to accept the property value determined by the independent appraiser, avoiding a lengthy and costly property tax appeal, city staff said.
The city would have to pay for legal fees and appraisal services if the hotel property tax case were taken to the Michigan Tax Tribunal, they said."

Big surprise that an entrepreneur doesn't trust the city to accurately value their property....right

Monday, October 19, 2009

Persistent criminals could escape trial under new CPS guidelines

Persistent criminals could escape trial under new CPS guidelines
"Hundreds of offenders may escape charges because court action would not be deemed “proportionate” to their crimes, under guidelines that set out the most significant changes to prosecution principles in 90 years"