Tuesday, October 02, 2012

MSU Math Professor Breaks Down, Removes His Clothes In Front of Class

MSU Math Professor Breaks Down, Removes His Clothes In Front of Class
An "eccentric" Michigan State University math professor had what appears to be a nervous breakdown during class this afternoon, removing all his clothes and screaming obscenities at students.

Read the comments!

In History—the Obsession with Race, Class and Gender

In History—the Obsession with Race, Class and Gender
(Uof)Michigan is an extreme example of a broader pattern, one that’s been evident for more than a decade—the academy’s conscious decision to narrow the range of questions explored about the American past, to conform to campus racial, pedagogical, and ideological concerns.
The mission of training future citizens can take a back seat.

Government assistance down in Muskegon County, but one-quarter of households still receive some

Government assistance down in Muskegon County, but one-quarter of households still receive some | MLive.com
Still, more one in four Muskegon County households, or 25.7 percent, received some form of government assistance from April to June this year.

Helicopter Parents Hover In The Workplace

Helicopter Parents Hover In The Workplace : NPR
Michigan State University surveyed more than 700 employers seeking to hire recent college graduates.
Nearly one-third said parents had submitted resumes on their child's behalf, some without even informing the child.
One-quarter reported hearing from parents urging the employer to hire their son or daughter for a position.
Four percent of respondents reported that a parent actually showed up for the candidate's job interview.

Instapundit.com -Chicken

Instapundit.com -: January 14, 2004

"RECIPEBLOGGING: I had the opportunity to spend the day working at home today (rare lately, with all the appointments committee stuff going on) so I cooked something that takes a little time. It's not much work: you just have to start it earlier. It's somewhere between roasted chicken and coq au vin.

Ingredients: 3 large baking potatoes; 3 sweet potatoes; two large onions; one fryer hen; assorted spices

Preheat an oven to 350. Start with a nice fryer hen, about 3 lbs. Clean and then mist with olive oil. (If the InstaWife isn't around to object that it contains fat, also rub with one tablespoon butter, which doesn't add many calories, but does add a lot of flavor). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika (lots), garlic, and a bit of sage. Place in a large, covered roasting pan.

Now chop the onions into quarters, and add to the roasting pan. Slice the potatoes (both kinds) into inch-thick sections and add to the pan as well. (Some peeled baby carrots are nice, too, but the InstaWife is allergic to carrots, so we skip those). Next, in a measuring cup add two ounces each of worcestershire, teriyaki, soy, and whatever wine you have around (I used the last of a bottle of Reynolds Merlot tonight). Pour over the chicken and vegetables, then cover the pan.

Put in the oven for about two hours and go do whatever you want -- you're done cooking. Two hours later, serve the chicken, which will be wonderfully tender and succulent, on a platter. Remove the vegetables and serve separately in a large serving bowl. Total prep time is about 15 minutes, there's not much to clean up, and as a nice side effect, the house smells wonderful when your family gets home."

posted at 07:26 PM by Glenn Reynolds

Analysis: China slides faster into pensions black hole

Analysis: China slides faster into pensions black hole | Reuters
Policy makers and economists have long been worried about the financial burden of China's expanding patchwork of pension schemes, but those concerns have recently escalated as its rural pension scheme took off in the past three years.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Let me explain why this is different than previous bias.

Ace of Spades HQ
"Let me explain why this is different than previous bias.
Previously, the press has been both biased in a partisan way and an in an ideological way, but usually the partisanship was driven by ideology.
As you may have noticed, the press are great fans of gay marriage and abortion, and they shape their coverage to put the best possible face on these positions, and the worst possible face on opponents. (To the extent they feature contrary voices at all.)
That's bias, of course. We've gotten used to that.
But in the Benghazi debacle, there is no possible ideological grounding to explain their bias.
There is, I trust, no ideological movement that advocates for intelligence failures and the deaths of good-guy diplomats.
There is no ideological movement in favor of reckless incompetence bordering on malice in providing security for consulates abroad (which, as a legal matter, are considered US territory).
There is no ideological movement -- or at least there was not before -- championing the government's right to lie to the public about its failures in order to avoid accountability.
There is no room here where one can say, "Ah well, they can't help but be pulled a bit to the left by their own beliefs."
Because no one champions the right of government to let people be murdered and then lie about it.
This isn't ideological bias, then.
This is pure advocacy for a political party.
Obama's embarrassment is not an ideological issue -- or should not be.
 I hope we can all agree that a president should attend security briefings -- especially as 9/11 approaches -- and provide adequate warning and security for US government personnel.
I hope we can all agree that the government does not suddenly gain a Right To Shamelessly Lie about its failures, simply because it finds it politically advantageous to do so.
But, as Nina Totenberg's chuckle indicates, the press now in fact believes exactly these things -- so long as the president we're talking about is Democrat, and Obama in particular."

Read This While You Can

Blog: Read This While You Can
"Read West's insightful column in its entirety.
 Her conclusion is chilling: "I can't think of another instance in which an American president has publicly uttered such a rank betrayal of American principles.
And the media censored it!"

Ottawa County Patriots | West Michigan Patriots – Standing for individual rights

Ottawa County Patriots | West Michigan Patriots – Standing for individual rights

Muskegon County - Economic Vitality Incentive Program

Muskegon County - Economic Vitality Incentive Program

Super Gonorrhea Here to Ruin Blow Jobs Forever

Super Gonorrhea Here to Ruin Blow Jobs Forever - The Cut
Antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea have been showing up in Japan and Europe over the past three years, according to a terrifying story in this week's New Yorker.
The Neisseria gonorrhoeaeis bacteria is now showing decreased sensitivity to the most powerful antibiotics in 21 countries in Europe.
While drug companies are slow to develop new antibiotics (drugs that cure people quickly are much less lucrative than lifetime prescriptions for cholesterol or ADD), gonorrhea is mutating and spreading quickly owing to its spacious new digs in the back of our throats.

Hundreds of thousands of war vets still waiting for health benefits

Hundreds of thousands of war vets still waiting for health benefits - CNN.com:
Confusion is 'monumental'
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it is on track to process 1 million disability claims this year.
With the war in Iraq over and the one in Afghanistan winding down, the VA is sorting through a backlog of more than 860,000 disability claims from American veterans.
More than a quarter of those vets -- 228,000 -- have been waiting for a year or more.
Rioux has been trying to get his disability claim fully processed since January 2011, shortly after he returned from Afghanistan.

The Next Subprime Crisis Is Here: Over $120 Billion In Federal Student Loans In Default

The Next Subprime Crisis Is Here: Over $120 Billion In Federal Student Loans In Default | ZeroHedge

Muskegon meeting-MONDAY!


WHY IT MATTERS: Social Security

My Way News - WHY IT MATTERS: Social Security
In 1960, there were 4.9 workers for each person getting benefits.
Today, there are about 2.8 workers for each beneficiary, and that ratio will drop to 1.9 workers by 2035.

To Encourage Biking, Cities Forget About Helmets

To Encourage Biking, Cities Forget About Helmets - NYTimes.com
In the United States the notion that bike helmets promote health and safety by preventing head injuries is taken as pretty near God’s truth. Un-helmeted cyclists are regarded as irresponsible, like people who smoke. Cities are aggressive in helmet promotion.
But many European health experts have taken a very different view: Yes, there are studies that show that if you fall off a bicycle at a certain speed and hit your head, a helmet can reduce your risk of serious head injury.
But such falls off bikes are rare — exceedingly so in mature urban cycling systems.
On the other hand, many researchers say, if you force or pressure people to wear helmets, you discourage them from riding bicycles.
That means more obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
And — Catch-22 — a result is fewer ordinary cyclists on the road, which makes it harder to develop a safe bicycling network.

EyeOnMuskegon 9-30-2012


Muskegon County unemployment down, but labor force also shrinks

Muskegon County unemployment down, but labor force also shrinks | MLive.com
Muskegon County’s unemployment rate fell by a full percentage point in August, but the number of people with a job also fell.
Muskegon County’s unemployment rate dropped to 9.1 percent in August, down from 10.1 percent in July and 10.0 percent a year ago.
At the same time, 1,290 people left the labor force and 945 fewer people were listed as employed.
The labor force is the number of adults working or looking for a job.
In August 2012, 898 fewer people were unemployed than in August 2011 and 448 fewer people had jobs.
Statewide, the unemployment rate fell from 10.3 percent in July to 9.2 percent in August.

In Ottawa County, the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent to 6.7 percent from July to August.
The county posted a small increase in the number of jobs, but apparently most of the jobless rate decrease came from unemployed workers ending their search for a job.

Outgoing Muskegon County commissioners attending conference, thanks to policy change

Outgoing Muskegon County commissioners attending conference, thanks to policy change | MLive.com
Chairman Ken Mahoney, Lew Collins, Rillastine Wilkins, Ben Cross, Jim Derezinski, Plummer and Longmire voted to change the rule.
\Vice-chairman John Snider, Alan Jager and Marvin Engle voted against the change.

Rick Haglund: While Michigan's unemployment is up, so is job creation

Rick Haglund: While Michigan's unemployment is up, so is job creation | MLive.com#incart_river_default
While the state’s unemployment rate has been rising since May, Michigan added 5,400 payroll jobs in the same period.
That’s not great, but at least it’s an increase.

NYT: More suspicious voter forms found in Fla.

NYT: More suspicious voter forms found in Fla. - politics - The New York Times | NBC News
The number of Florida counties reporting suspicious voter registration forms connected to Strategic Allied Consulting, the firm hired by the state Republican Party to sign up new voters, has grown to 10, officials said, as local election supervisors continue to search their forms for questionable signatures, addresses or other identifiers.

Gold Star Mother's Day for Gold Star Mothers-Today

Gold Star Mother's Day for Gold Star Mothers
On Gold Star Mother’s Day, we come together to honor those who have lost a son or daughter serving in the U.S. military by lighting a luminary on the last Sunday in September.
From the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, mothers throughout America’s history have always seen their loved ones heed the call to duty. And with that duty comes the ultimate burden that these mothers must bear.
Lighting a luminary on Gold Star Mother’s Day lets them know they don’t stand alone.

Never forget!

Muskegon County sheriff, treasurer to take over dog law enforcement, licensing

Muskegon County sheriff, treasurer to take over dog law enforcement, licensing | MLive.com

Romney, MSNBC, and the McGurk Effect

Romney, MSNBC, and the McGurk Effect « Commentary Magazine
It would seem that MSNBC has been caught in an act that can only be called tantamount to journalistic prostitution.
Ace of Spades reports (h/t Instapundit) that the cable news network ran a clip showing an airport rally where Mitt Romney introduces Paul Ryan and the audience starts shouting, according to the chyron at the bottom of the screen, “Ryan! Ryan!” and Romney interrupts saying,
“No, it’s Romney-Ryan! Romney-Ryan!”
This, of course, makes Romney look both churlish and pathetic at the same time.

The only trouble is that the crowd wasn’t yelling “Ryan! Ryan!” it was yelling “Romney! Romney!” when Romney interrupts and graciously insists that his running mate is a vital part of the team–just about the exact opposite.
The video, apparently, came from a left-wing blogger who put the clip on YouTube, including the chyron, and it was just much too good for MSNBC to check.

How does it work?
It’s the McGurk effect, which, I confess, I had never heard of before this afternoon.
Vision rules the human sensory apparatus.
If our eyes tell us one thing and our ears another, the eyes, to coin a phrase, have it.
We “hear” what our eyes tell us we heard.
There’s a fascinating video at Ace of Spades of a professor explaining it.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Top Five Worst Obamacare Taxes Coming in 2013

Americans for Tax Reform : Top Five Worst Obamacare Taxes Coming in 2013
Of the twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare, below are the five worst that will be foisted upon Americans for the first time on January 1, 2013.

As LG Chem imposes furloughs, Pete Hoekstra recalls Obama's putdown at groundbreaking

As LG Chem imposes furloughs, Pete Hoekstra recalls Obama's putdown at groundbreaking | MLive.com#incart_river#incart_river
That “no” vote was justified, said Hoekstra Friday after news surfaced that the factory on 48th Street has not produced a single battery to date and that the plant’s 200 employees have been on “rolling furloughs” since April.

League of Womens Voters president tours Michigan, tells of efforts to stop 'voter suppression' movements

League of Womens Voters president tours Michigan, tells of efforts to stop 'voter suppression' movements | MLive.com
Already MacNamara has made stops in Ohio, Colorado and Missouri and is scheduled to cover Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
These are all states that MacNamara says have had voter suppression attempts from state legislatures or courts.
“It doesn’t matter to us which party is doing it.
Our only concern is that citizens have the right to vote without barriers that suppress their vote,” Holland LWV Co-President Jean McFadden said.