New graduation requirements offer flexibility

New graduation requirements offer flexibility
"The 2006 law that established the graduation requirements allows students to ask for a 'personal curriculum' that would allow them to waive some of the required courses. They can waive part of the dreaded algebra II requirement as well as some of the other required courses in social studies, physical education, health or arts.
Schools can develop a customized personal curriculum for transfer students, students who have disabilities, or whose career paths would be better served by taking more of a different core class."

Huh?

Free discount prescription drug card offered to Michigan residents

Free discount prescription drug card offered to Michigan residents
"In an effort to reduce health care costs, the Michigan Retailers Association is offering a discount prescription drug card program that can save an average of 30 percent on many prescription drugs.
Free to all Michigan residents, the Michigan Retailers Free Rx Card has no income restrictions, age limits or applications to fill out. The card is accepted at more than 50,000 national and regional pharmacies in Michigan and around the country.
Members can download a card by visiting http://retailers.com"

Michigan News

Michigan News
Bankrupt ethanol maker VeraSun Energy Corp. will mothball its ethanol plant here until it finds permanent financing to fund its operations."

Michigan gets more federal home heating aid

Michigan gets more federal home heating aid
"The federal government earlier this year released $5.1 billion in fuel assistance to states, nearly doubling federal money to help poor people cope with high home heating bills expected this winter."

A "double" here, a "double" there and pretty soon we're talkin' some real money, eh?

Mechanisation Photo Gallery by Malcolm Niekirk at pbase.com

Mechanisation Photo Gallery by Malcolm Niekirk at pbase.com

Army cadets take trash-talking to new heights - wtop.com

Army cadets take trash-talking to new heights - wtop.com: "Perhaps bothered by losing the last six Army-Navy football games, a few Army cadets took trash-talking to a whole new level this week. College football's most storied rivalry just got a bit more personal."

UNC libraries to forgo Christmas trees

UNC libraries to forgo Christmas trees
"The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kept in storage this year at the behest of Sarah Michalak, the associate provost for university libraries.
Michalak's decision followed several years of queries and complaints from library employees and patrons bothered by the Christian display, Michalak said this week.
Michalak said that banishing the Christmas displays was not an easy decision but that she asked around to library colleagues at Duke, N.C. State and elsewhere and found no other one where Christmas trees were displayed."

Proposed fee on smelly cows, hogs angers farmers

Proposed fee on smelly cows, hogs angers farmers
"For farmers, this stinks: Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law.
Farmers so far are turning their noses up at the notion, which is one of several put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases emitted by belching and flatulence amounts to air pollution."


And just who will ultimately pay these fines?

It looks like we'll all soon be tithing to "The Church of Global Warming/Cooling/Climate Change...whatever...".

To repair Rhode Island roads, report calls for new tolls, taxes and higher fees | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

To repair Rhode Island roads, report calls for new tolls, taxes and higher fees
"To fix its crumbling roads and bridges and rescue the state’s financially challenged public transit system, a draft report made public yesterday says the state should consider charging tolls at the state line on every interstate highway and creating a new tax for each mile a vehicle is driven."

Gwinnett residents could face $500 fine for not recycling

Gwinnett residents could face $500 fine for not recycling
"We don’t intend for this to be the garbage gestapo, running around, looking in people’s garbage about what’s there and what’s not there,” said Connie Wiggins, executive director of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, which is administering Gwinnett’s waste disposal program. “I believe the fine applies to all categories, and certainly, if we saw excessive abuses of materials being thrown in the garbage.”"

Maybe not a "gestapo" but certainly a police state.

I imagine Christmas giving to your local Sturmabteilung ... I mean garbage man, will increase this year.... massively.

The Harbor Theater

The Harbor Theater:
"Muskegon's Only Source of Independent and Foreign Cinema"

I've been critical of The Harbor's marketing in the past but I somehow got signed up for their excellent e-mails of movies and events at The Harbor.

Well worth your visit.

Plus they have a blog!

http://harbortheater.blogspot.com/

E-mail Brendan if you want to be on their E-list.

brendanpelto@comcast.net

Do it!

The Volokh Conspiracy - -

The Volokh Conspiracy - -: "Why Isn't Ohio's Indoor Smoking Ban Reducing Smoking? In 2006, Ohio voters approved a ban on smoking indoors, including bars and restaurants. The ban took effects in December 2006. One would think that the prohibition would reduce smoking rates, right? After all, the prohibition increases the costs of smoking quite significantly for many smokers (particularly in the winter). Yet according to this story, the smoking rate in Ohio has increased by three percent since 2007. What gives?
48 Comments"

Jobless rate up less than feared

Jobless rate up less than feared
"Muskegon community leaders and economic developers were bracing for the worst with the release of the local October unemployment figures from the state.
But despite the meltdown in the national economy and continued woes in the state's automotive industry, Muskegon County's unemployment rose to only 9.8 percent in October, from 9.3 percent in September."

WOW!
"Experts" had "feared" for worst.
And were wrong AGAIN!

Can anyone tell me why anyone listens to "experts" who are so consistently wrong in their expectations, fears, prognostications, bla,bla,bla?

And isn't it interesting that the focus of this story is on the "experts" and not the awful 9.8% unemployment!

City manager warns of possible layoffs

City manager warns of possible layoffs
"City Manager Natasha Henderson recently notified city employees of the pending financial crisis by memo.
'I am sure that you are aware that the City of Muskegon Heights is facing severe economic challenges,' Henderson wrote in the Nov. 19 memo. 'As a result, we may be forced to make some difficult decisions relative to reductions in our work force.'
Her memo indicates that no decisions have been made on which employees might be affected. But the 'possibility of layoffs' presumably includes police and fire officers."

Why not?

The old "if you don't give us more money we'll fire police, cops, road crews" threat ALWAYS works.

"There's a sucker born every minute" has been the backbone of support for big government.

Ain't gonna change soon.

New jobless claims drop unexpectedly:

New jobless claims drop unexpectedly
"New claims for jobless benefits fell unexpectedly last week but the number of people continuing to receive government aid reached a 26-year high and large companies announced more job cuts Thursday."

Good golly!
This is really getting OLD!!!
EVERY piece of good economic news is "unexpected" and accompanied by a negative economic sound bite contrived to appear as "new" news.

And the MSM wonders why we turn them off?

Clueless Amazon?

Nothing says "city-in-decline" like a major sign with lighted letters out.

Our Amazon Building (in the "NEW downtown!") has 1/3 of its rooftop lights out.

How many thousands of Shoreline Dr. motorists drive by each day?

And what message are they getting about Muskegon from The Amazon?

Obama "holiday mug"

Barack Obama and Joe Biden: Change We Need
Barack Obama Donate Contribute:
"This holiday season, celebrate our historic victory with a limited edition Obama coffee mug."

How festive!
And that warm glow of Christmas cheer just radiates without even having to mention Christmas!
Ummmm, Christmas warmth without the need to mention Christmas... ummmmmm.......

Hoekstra will announce he's not running for Congress before he commits to governor's race

Hoekstra will announce he's not running for Congress before he commits to governor's race
"U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra will not seek re-election in 2010, according to a Lansing news service.
MIRS, an online Capitol newsletter, reports Hoekstra will soon form an exploratory committee for a gubernatorial campaign, the result of a trial balloon floating for months."

Governor Pete?

Sounds pretty good to me.

And GREAT for Michigan!

Metal prices fall further than during Great Depression - Telegraph

Metal prices fall further than during Great Depression
"Kevin Norrish, the bank's commodities strategist, said the average fall in the price of copper, lead, and zinc has been roughly 60pc since the peak in July this year"

The massive building for the China Olympics were the reason for the jump.
The 8-8-08 Olympics started on ...... 8-8-08..... and the prices fell when?
Right after the Olympic spending binge ended.
Who'd of guessed!
(much like the Y2K tech binge ended on..... Y2K.)

Karzai Agrees to Cluster Bomb Treaty

Karzai Agrees to Cluster Bomb Treaty
"In a surprising last-minute change of policy, the government of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan agreed on Wednesday to join about 100 nations in signing a treaty banning the use of cluster munitions, a senior Afghan official said.
.....Representatives of about 100 nations began signing the ambitious treaty formally renouncing the use of the bombs, typically anti-personnel weapons that eject dozens of explosive bomblets when detonated. But some of the world’s biggest military powers, including the United States, China and Russia, reject the pact and many of the signatories expressed concern that the treaty they were signing fails to bind the countries most prone to military conflict. ...
Disarmament activists are already looking beyond the Bush administration and are calling on President-elect Barack Obama to sign the cluster munitions treaty and send it for ratification soon after he takes office. For good measure, they want Mr. Obama to sign a 1997 treaty banning the use and sale of anti-personnel landmines.

S.C. gun tax holiday: Shops see sales boom

S.C. gun tax holiday: Shops see sales boom
"Business was — you might say — booming this past weekend, as the state’s first sales tax-free weekend attracted throngs to gun shops.
“It was a tremendous incentive,” said Ronnie Thrailkill, manager of Shooter’s Choice, a West Columbia gun shop."

Jeeze, reduce taxes and increase revenue!

Who'd of guessed?

Study: Algae blooms do billions in damage

Study: Algae blooms do billions in damage
"Nutrient pollution that causes noxious algae blooms to blanket lakes is more than an environmental nightmare -- the problem also reduces lakefront property values and causes billions of dollars in other economic losses, according to a new study.
Scientists at the University of Kansas concluded that algae blooms fueled by excessive concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in surface waters across the U.S. cause at least $4 billion damage annually. Most of the damage comes in the form of reduced lakefront property values, degraded fisheries and other recreational activities and the loss of biological diversity."

Grand Rapids high school students cannot get failing grade under new policy

Grand Rapids high school students cannot get failing grade under new policy
"No Grand Rapids high school students will find failing grades on their report cards when they arrive this week.
Instead, students who performed poorly will see an 'H' for 'held' and an opportunity to make up the work and earn a passing grade by the end of the next trimester.
Teachers union leaders argue the change is another late-marking period scramble to boost sagging scores and undermines their ability to get students to show up and work hard all trimester.
Superintendent Bernard Taylor said the plan gives students a second chance to overcome problems and be successful.
'We are not watering down standards or lowering standards,' Taylor said. 'We're giving people the opportunity to meet standards when they go astray.'"

Very cool, dude!
An "F" is now an "H" and we all feel better about ourselves!
Why not make an "F" a "B" and we'll all feel even better!

Governing: Vallejo bankruptcy/November 2008

Governing: Vallejo bankruptcy/November 2008: "Are other cities with budget trouble on the verge of asking the courts for relief?
When the town of Vallejo, California, declared bankruptcy this spring, Mayor Osby Davis predicted — and rightly so — that he'd get an earful from his constituents, employees and retirees. What he didn't anticipate was the chorus of phone calls from mayors outside the city, both close by and clear across the country. They told him they were watching Vallejo's bankruptcy proceedings closely, and some of them, he says, indicated that 'they find themselves not too far behind us.'
Vallejo, a city of 120,000 about 35 miles northeast of San Francisco, flat-out went broke this year through a combination of generous public-safety salaries, declining property values and fiscal mismanagement. The city is estimating a $17 million deficit for the current fiscal year.
Previous municipal bankruptcies generally arose from adverse legal rulings or poor investment decisions. But Vallejo's predicament stems largely from economic conditions felt by cities across the nation, namely declining revenues and rising employee costs. And that scares the dickens out of cities, unions and municipal bondholders.
'Vallejo was sort of the canary in the coal mine — the sickest patient goes first,' says Dean Gloster, an attorney representing Vallejo's unions. 'Even better-run cities are going to be facing similar issues as health care costs rise and the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age.'"

My Way News - Rastafarian can sue over Jiffy Lube hair policy

My Way News - Rastafarian can sue over Jiffy Lube hair policy: "A Rastafarian man who refused to shave off his beard or cut his hair to comply with a Jiffy Lube employee grooming policy can take his religious discrimination case to trial, Massachusetts' highest court ruled Tuesday.
The Supreme Judicial Court reversed a decision by a Superior Court judge who had dismissed Bobby T. Brown's lawsuit against a Jiffy Lube franchisee before a trial."

We won't smell the tourists anymore

We_wont_smell_the_tourists_anymore
"The Capitol Visitors Center, which opened this morning, may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found a silver lining for members of Congress: tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore.

'My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway,' said Reid in his remarks. 'In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true.'

But it's no longer going to be true, noted Reid, thanks to the air conditioned, indoor space.

And that's not all. 'We have many bathrooms here, as you can see,' Reid continued. 'Souvenirs are available.'

$621 million well spent."

NBC Exec: Obama's Skin Color Gives Him More Legitimacy Than Any American Leader In History | NewsBusters.org

NBC Exec: Obama's Skin Color Gives Him More Legitimacy Than Any American Leader In History NewsBusters.org: "Imagine that. Because Obama is black, before he even steps into the White House and accomplishes one darned thing he already has more legitimacy around the world than possibly every American president that came before him."

Sex invariably spells trouble, says Dalai Lama

Sex invariably spells trouble, says Dalai Lama
"The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader, on Friday said sex spelt fleeting satisfaction and trouble later"

Well......duh!

Doctors shocked at hostages's torture

Doctors shocked at hostages's torture: "But the bodies of the victims in this attack bore such signs about the kind of violence of urban warfare that I am still unable to put my thoughts to words,' he said.
Asked specifically if he was talking of torture marks, he said: 'It was apparent that most of the dead were tortured. What shocked me were the telltale signs showing clearly how the hostages were executed in cold blood,' one doctor said.
The other doctor, who had also conducted the post-mortem of the victims, said: 'Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again,' he said."

And the sun rises in the east.....will we never learn?

Lawyers call for international court for the environment

Lawyers call for international court for the environment
"Stephen Hockman QC is proposing a body similar to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to be the supreme legal authority on issues regarding the environment.
The first role of the new body would be to enforce international agreements on cutting greenhouse gas emissions set to be agreed next year.
But the court would also fine countries or companies that fail to protect endangered species or degrade the natural environment and enforce the 'right to a healthy environment'."

Did anyone expect less from the enviro-legal-America-hating-world?