The Platters to perform in fundraiser at Muskegon's Frauenthal Theater

The Platters to perform in fundraiser at Muskegon's Frauenthal Theater
"A fundraising campaign for celebrations this summer to commemorate Muskegon County's sesquicentennial has landed doo-wop legends The Platters for a concert next month at the Frauenthal Theater.
Bob Scolnik, a spokesman for the event, confirmed that the '50s music act has signed a contract to perform 7:30 p.m. March 21.
The concert is part of Scolnik's campaign to raise money to pay back the county's $10,000 pledge for sesquicentennial celebrations this summer.

Scolnik is a member of the county board, representing District 11.

The county's 150th anniversary of becoming a governmental unit is July 18."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Platters

1955: The Platters hit #1 on the R&B chart and #1 (2/18/56) on the pop chart with the Mercury single “The Great Pretender.”
1956: The Platters reach #1 with the Mercury Records release “My Prayer.”
May 19, 1956: The Platters hit #4 on the R&B chart and #4 on the pop chart with the Mercury Records release “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch.”
May 13, 1957: The Platters hit #5 on the R&B chart and #16 on the pop chart with the Mercury Records single “He’s Mine.”
April 15, 1958: Twilight Time (The Platters) was a hit.
April 21, 1958: The Platters hit #1 on the R&B chart and #1 on the pop chart with “Twilight Time” and #3 on the R&B chart and #1 (1/19/59) on the pop chart with “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.” Both singles are released on Mercury Records.
January 13, 1959: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (The Platters) was a hit.
1990: The Platters are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

National Socialism?

Bloomberg.com: Opinion
"But the bill goes further.
One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions"

Judges tentatively order Calif. inmates released

Judges tentatively order Calif. inmates released
"A special panel of federal judges has tentatively ruled that California must release tens of thousands of inmates to relieve overcrowding.
The judges say no other solution will improve conditions so poor that inmates die regularly of suicides or lack of proper care.
They say the state can cut the population of its 33 adult prisons through changes in parole and other policies without endangering public safety."

Let's get those judge's names and addresses and remember.

» 2009 Federal Income Tax Brackets

2009 Federal Income Tax Brackets (Projected)
Here’s what they projected for the income tax brackets for 2009, compared to 2008 figures:"

Pensions in Detroit out more than $2 billion

Pensions in Detroit out more than $2 billion
"Detroit's public pensions lost more than $2 billion, 30% of their value, in an 18-month period ending in December — which may eventually require the deficit-ridden city to double contributions to the plans."

General Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil Operations -- Money to Come from U.S. Rescue Program

General Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil Operations -- Money to Come from U.S. Rescue Program
"General Motors plans to invest $1 billion in Brazil to avoid the kind of problems the U.S. automaker is facing in its home market, said the beleaguered car maker."

White House Census Power Grab May Violate the Constitution

White House Census Power Grab May Violate the Constitution
"Here's an argument that it's unconstitutional for the president to take over the Census from the secretary of commerce.

It goes like this: Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution provides for an 'actual enumeration' and a statute passed by Congress provides that the duties under this clause are to be performed by the secretary of commerce.

Article I (as Joseph Biden didn't know in debate) is about the legislative, not the executive branch.

Hence, it is argued, the president can't substitute a sampling for the enumeration required to be done by the secretary."

And the outrage from the liberal media............

State retirement costs may ’skyrocket’

State retirement costs may ’skyrocket’
"As schools and health and welfare programs face deep and painful cuts in the new state budget, spending on retirement costs for state workers will increase 10 percent.
Most retirement costs are locked in by labor contracts, making them untouchable by budget negotiators."

Recession Info Center: Summary of employment

Recession Info Center: Summary of employment
"The United States has experienced several episodes of high unemployment in its modern history:

1933-1934: The years 1933-1934 saw the unemployment rate reaching close to
25%, which gradually went down to 15% by 1940.

1957-1958: Unemployment rate reached 7.5% for a short period.

1975-1976: Unemployment rate maxed at 9%.

1981-1982: Unemployment rate peaked at 10.4%.

1986-1987: Unemployment peaked at 7.2%.

1992-1993: Unemployment peaked at about 7.9%.

2002-2003: Unemployment rate reached 6.3%.

2008-2009: ???"

Flint spends $87,219 on vehicle repairs in 2007 and 2008 without seeking competitive bids

Flint spends $87,219 on vehicle repairs in 2007 and 2008 without seeking competitive bids
"The administration has sidestepped its own procedures -- and the City Council -- when repairing city vehicles over the past two years.

The city spent $87,219 in 2007 and 2008 repairing vehicles without getting competitive bids and without following other procedures outlined in city ordinances."

Same old, same old...... we'll be "bailing out" Flint soon.

Will anyone follow the money on this?

Yeah right....

Blow-up Doll Party

Blow-up Doll Party
"A Florida man was arrested yesterday after he was spotted fondling and making out with a pair of blow-up dolls in a supermarket parking lot."

Hey!

We gotta have some fun...... don't we?

Keep The Pressure On, Spread The News, Kill The “Stimulus”

Keep The Pressure On, Spread The News, Kill The “Stimulus”
"The CBO claims we will work our way through this recession before this bill’s pork even begins to role out of DC. We clearly don’t need this bill to avoid catastrophe - it IS a catastrophe. It is a lame attempt by the liberals in DC to appear like they are doing something useful. It is a naked power and money grab.
When I see someone in DC taking massive loans out in the name of my family (debt raising bills) I expect them to be serious about it and use it well. Otherwise I will be spending a lot of time exposing them as the liars they are. If the Democrat Party continues down this path it will not only consume all the federal dollars the mind could imagine for the next 50 years, it will have consumed all its political capitol and good will."

The CBO says we don't need this porkapalusa?!!!!!

Where is the wonderful liberal media on this?!!!!!

House and Senate ‘Spendulus’ Bills: Hunt for the Bacon!

House and Senate ‘Spendulus’ Bills: Hunt for the Bacon!
"House and Senate ‘Spendulus’ Bills: Hunt for the Bacon!
At more than 1,500 pages, the House and Senate versions of the economic stimulus bill aren’t exactly a light read"

This has links to both the house and senate porkapolusa bills.

All of the thousands of pages!

Isn't our gov'ment great!

Arizona Rancher Who Stopped Illegal Immigrants at Border Now Fighting $32 Million Lawsuit

Arizona Rancher Who Stopped Illegal Immigrants at Border Now Fighting $32 Million Lawsuit
"An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals — seeking $32 million in damages — who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border"

Who is paying for this lawsuit!!!!!!!

Kent, Ottawa County assessors brace for appeals from property owners as values jump past market worth

Kent, Ottawa County assessors brace for appeals from property owners as values jump past market worth
"At the same time, most property tax bills will show a 4.4 percent increase in taxable value based on last year's Consumer Price Index, or inflation rate."

Frauenthalians Cage Fight!

Roll over Rachmaninov; Frauenthal gets ready to rumble
"Cage fighting is a mixture of martial arts, wrestling and boxing in which. The fight takes place in a large metal c the winner is determined by knockout or submission by one competitor or a referee's decisionage."

Wow!

What a perfect metaphor for the cage fight between our Frauenthalians and us poor taxpayers!

Of course, the "decisionage" in Muskegon tax matters is a millage vote, congenitally supported by our lone newspaper (and soon to be dead) TheChronicle, in the frost of February, voted upon by 10% of the citizens with a 51% approval.

Making us the perfect "6% solution" for ripping off us taxpayers.

Muskegon revokes tax break for restaurant developer

Muskegon revokes tax break for restaurant developer
Earlier this month, Promised Land Associates, 3355 Merriam, which once proposed a $1.2 million restaurant and nightclub for 709 Terrace, missed the last of a series of city-imposed deadlines for showing financial means to develop the project."

When will there be an analysis of the "success" of these endless tax breaks for Muskegon commissioner's friends?

The Spectator

The Spectator: "President Obama has had, by general consent, a torrid First Fortnight. To put it another way, it has taken precisely two weeks for the illusion that brought him to power to be exposed for the nonsense that it so obviously was. The transformational candidate who was going to sweep away pork-barrel politics, lobbyists and corruption has been up to his neck in sleaze, as eviscerated here by Charles Krauthammer. Despite the fact that he came to power promising to ‘ban all earmarks’, his ‘stimulus’ bill represents billions of dollars of special-interest tax breaks, giveaways and protections -- which have nothing to do with kick-starting the economy and everything to do with favouring pet Democrat causes"

OBAMA ON AFGHANISTAN

OBAMA ON AFGHANISTAN: “Now he’s asking questions?”
Mr. Obama. It’s beginning to seem that your policy positions undergo drastic revisions when it actually comes time for you to take responsibility, as opposed to standing on the sidelines and criticizing someone else.”"

Althouse: "Barack Obama's temperament is famously unflappable."

Althouse: "Barack Obama's temperament is famously unflappable."

Stimulus will lead to 'disaster,' Republican warns

Stimulus will lead to 'disaster,' Republican warns
"Leading Republicans warned Sunday that the Obama administration's $800 billion-plus economic stimulus effort will lead to what one called a 'financial disaster.'"

Remember who called it a "disaster".

How to cause a depression

How to cause a depression
"Tucked within the economic stimulus bill the House passed last week was a clause requiring state and local public works agencies to buy American iron and steel for their reconstruction projects, and the Senate expanded it to all manufactured goods."

Um... the USA is.... was... the world's largest exporter .....

Obama's NSC Will Get New Power

Obama's NSC Will Get New Power
"Jones, a retired Marine general, made it clear that he will run the process and be the primary conduit of national security advice to Obama, eliminating the 'back channels' that at times in the Bush administration allowed Cabinet secretaries and the vice president's office to unilaterally influence and make policy out of view of the others.

'We're not always going to agree on everything,' Jones said, and 'so it's my job to make sure that minority opinion is represented' to the president. 'But if at the end of the day he turns to me and says, 'Well, what do you think, Jones?,' I'm going to tell him what I think.'"

"tobacco.. money"?

Early push positioned states for green jobs now
"Michigan created a $2 billion fund using tobacco settlement money to target four economic sectors, one being alternative energy."

So they are "OUTED" by their own lies.

Mona Shores Millage 2009 ballot

Mona Shores Millage 2009 ballot

click it to "Viagraize" it.!

Just like our taxes!

Spartans' inconsistency shines through vs. Indiana

Spartans' inconsistency shines through vs. Indiana
"Despite a roster that includes three starting freshmen (and nine total on the 14-player roster), Indiana was a constant threat to the far more experienced Spartans throughout the opening 20 minutes.
Despite two errant field-goal attempts and six turnovers on their first eight possessions, the fuzzy-cheek Hoosiers still were an absolute thorn in Michigan State's side during the first half.
And in spite of an Indiana squad that is the least experienced in Big Ten history, returning just 19 total points and only 185 playing minutes from last season -- and ranks either 10th or 11th in pretty much every Big Ten team statistical category -- the Spartans' largest first-half lead of nine points, at 33-24, didn't even occur until Cedar Springs' Austin Thornton hit a pair of free throws with 78 seconds on the clock.

Take away half of the Hoosiers' 12 first-half turnovers and improve their 30-percent shooting for the period just a tad, and IU likely would have led Michigan State at the break.

It wasn't until Kalin Lucas' driving layup with 13:47 remaining that the Spartans were finally able to put up a double-digit advantage (41-30) against the undermanned Hoosiers. That also was part of a 13-1 MSU run that finally gave this game the appearance of a first-place conference team schooling the league's cellar-dweller.

But Michigan State was never able to put away Indiana prior to redshirt senior center Goran Suton's complete inside domination of the youthful Hoosier beginning halfway through the second half. The Spartans, despite their many advantages over a Hoosier squad that pretty much lost everything from last season with regard to coaches and players, never really delivered a legitimate knockout punch inside Breslin Center until Suton took over."

Despite author Howie's screed, this post looks like a 3rd grader's attempt to spite our Spartans, though in spite of Howie's college degree, he seems to be a 4th grader trying to impress his teacher, despite the odds of any educator giving this idiocy a D or worse, in spite of red-shirt-post-grad-soon-to-be-unemployed Howie's spiteful post.

Public Pension Troubles Loom for State and Local Governments

Public Pension Troubles Loom for State and Local Governments
"We have watched with trepidation as the stock market declines and along with it the value of our retirement accounts. Yet with our personal accounts, it’s our own problem. When it comes to public pensions, it’s the taxpayer’s problem."

Michigan Judge Finds Escaped Prisoner in His Trunk

Michigan Judge Finds Escaped Prisoner in His Trunk
"A Michigan judge says he's learned a lesson about locking his car after a 16-year-old prisoner who escaped from a courthouse cell was found hiding in the vehicle's trunk.
The Macomb Daily reports the teen had vanished Friday after appearing in juvenile court in Mount Clemens on a probation violation.
Sheriff's deputies searched for about an hour until a security officer became suspicious when he saw a picture that had fallen to the ground outside judge's car.
A deputy checked the car and found the boy in the trunk.
Macomb County Circuit Judge Peter Maceroni says the teen likely used a button inside the unlocked car to open the trunk.
The judge says that from now on he will lock the car when he's at the courthouse.

Seriously, let's look at this dufus judge!

Kristin Chenoweth sings "My New Philosophy"

YouTube - Kristin Chenoweth sings "My New Philosophy"

just cuz it's fun!

Black History month!

How Much Michigan Black History Do you know?

by Lisa Diggs

February is Black History Month, so we’re taking a look at a few of the many significant people and events that helped shape Michigan and the nation.

African Americans have been living in Michigan for nearly 250 years, arriving originally as slaves, until the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 banned human slavery, long before Michigan became a state.

In 1836, thirteen escaped or freed slaves petitioned the Michigan legislature for permission to start a church. Their efforts lead to the formation of the Second Baptist Church in Detroit. They purchased a permanent site in 1857, where the congregation still celebrates today.

Michigan residents played a pivotal role in the formation and execution of the Underground Railroad between 1830 and 1860. Station operators provided food, clothing, directions, and shelter to help slaves escape to freedom in Canada.

Nationally, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law forced the return of African Americans who had escaped the horrors of slavery. To counter that, the Michigan legislature prohibited the use of county jails for the detention of escaped slaves and directed county prosecuting attorneys to defend the recaptured slaves.

Fannie M. Richards moved to Detroit with her family in the 1850’s and fought for equal rights. She opened a private school for African American children in 1863, and joined others in 1869 in filing suit with the Michigan Supreme Court, and arguing that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. The court agreed and in 1871 she became the first African American teacher in the newly integrated Detroit Public Schools.

Barber, John Wilson, chosen as Wayne County coroner, became the state’s first African American elected to public office in 1876.

At a time when neither women, nor people of color, were encouraged to express their views, Sojourner Truth emerged. Born a slave in New York in 1797, she was freed in 1828, and moved to Battle Creek in 1856. She traveled throughout the nation preaching about emancipation and the rights of African Americans and women.

In 1864, Detroiter Henry Barns commanded Michigan’s first and only African American military regiment. 895 brave men served in what was eventually designated the 102^nd U.S. Colored Infantry.

Elijah McCoy took a job with the Michigan Central Railroad in 1870, where he invented an automatic lubricator cup that eliminated the previous need for trains to stop along the way to oil locomotive bearings. His patented invention was often imitated, but not duplicated, leading to the term “the real McCoy”. [Andy Comment: McCoy had his shop in Ypsilanti, my home town. I never learned of him until I went to Washington, D.C.]

After being kicked out of a restaurant for refusing to sit in the “colored” section, Detroit native, William Ferguson, filed a discrimination suit. He lost originally, but won on an appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. He went on to become the first African American elected to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1892.

In 1924, a then 10-year old Joe Louis moved to Detroit with his family. By age 19 he was already an amateur boxing champion. He won the heavyweight title of the world in 1937, and then became an icon for democracy and equality in 1938, when he defeated Hitler’s symbol of “Aryan Superiority”, Max Schmelling, in a first-round knockout in their famous rematch.

Songwriter, Barry Gordy opened his own recording company in 1953. The following year, he created Motown Records, and changed music history. The company launched the careers of Michigan natives, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross.

In the nation’s largest civil rights gathering up to that time, an estimated 125,000 people marched down Woodward Avenue in 1963. The march ended at Cobo Hall, where the Reverend Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech for the first time.

Forty-five years later, the United States has elected its first African American president. He stands on the shoulders of these and many other courageous men and women, who have fought for daily evidence of all of our inalienable rights.

To learn more, plan a visit to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.