Two Out of Three

It has been said that good and bad things happen in groups of three.

This week, the bad incidents are occurring more often.

The first notice of sadness is the Flint Journal announcing it will only be printing three editions a week – Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays – starting in June. The Journal has chronicled life in the Flint area throughout our entire lifetime, as well as the parents of us baby boomers (since 1876).

It is even sadder after hearing a third of the Staff either will be or has been laid off. I wonder what will happen to those of us who foolishly paid for a year’s subscription three months ago.

This is not the only newspaper casualty in Michigan. The Journal’s sister papers, The Saginaw News and Bay City Times, also will cut back on production. In addition, the Ann Arbor News recently announced it will publish its final edition in July.

The second event was the passing of baseball legend George Kell. Although I was not old enough to have watched him play, I did grow up listening to his voice on the radio and enjoying him on television from 1959 through the 2000’s.

Kell and Ernie Harwell are the voices of our generation for the Detroit Tigers.

Well, the third shoe will drop before the end of the week. Let’s just hope it is not a bad heavy thud.

Choking on Words

Senator Carl Levin is as two-faced as a politician there is, sitting on the mount and preaching his stupid rhetoric. Our dear senior Senator is discussing his outrage over the AIG bonuses.

Please remember, Levin voted “yes” to all of these bailout packages which allowed the money to flow like mercury (with the same toxic effects). He now expresses his dismay that $165 million is being misused.

Levin has the audacity to compare AIG with the automakers’ plight all in the same breath. He just needs to hang on. For in the next year, we will receive notice as to how the banking industry is misusing the windfall.

Below is a quote from a man who needs to be ousted from office with lightning speed:

“I recognize that my disgust with this situation is not unique. But I want to briefly discuss the appalling double standard that has been revealed by the treatment of hundreds of thousands of honest autoworkers who are victims of the current financial crisis, compared to the treatment a few hundred over-paid financial executives whose poor judgment and greed helped cause AIG’s and our nation’s financial crisis.”

The man is an idiot if he truly believes the billions of dollars he and his co-conspirators have given away will be used prudently.

Term limits, on all elected officials, is in order. Please remember this politician and his brethren (including Chris Dodd) when the next election comes around. Exorcise these demons who are the real villains in this American tragedy.

Friday's Rambling

Every computer I have ever worked with, up to and including this one, whether at work or home, has had glitches. Does anyone else have the same issues?

There have been times when the only use I see for the future of certain machines is as a boat anchor. This particular version of my discomfort is an HP Pavilion w1907 with Vista Home Premium.

Constantly, I find myself rebooting for proper Internet connection. It did not matter if it was cable or our new high speed DSL connection. When the Internet works, it is marvelous. As the situation goes awry, I want to pick the computer up and throw it through a window.

This blog has exhausted my fertile imagination to a dried up prune. Having stated that, I am going to scale back from an every day article and write as inspiration strikes me. I supposed that will occur two to three times a week, depending on issues that arise in the world. Anyone who would like to be a guest blogger is welcome to submit articles by e-mail (jasperjack.pressure@gmail.com) or through Facebook, where a majority of you have my contact information.

Until next week, have a wonderful weekend and hug someone close to you, preferably someone in service to our country.

Mind Your Manners

Today’s world has witnessed the smallest amount of manners go by the wayside. There are numerous people that are in such a hurry it seems a modicum of common courtesy is lacking. Maybe I am just plain old fashioned, or somehow, the lessons my father taught me have stuck throughout the years.

When it comes to women, the acts of always holding a door, chair or even their coat, as they put it on, have lost their place in society. The glares from people in a public setting, as I hold my wife’s coat for her, are of disbelief. Holding doors for another person always has been the normal gesture for me, as well as a lot of my friends.

These common courtesies should carry over to everything you do – from telephone etiquette to driving an automobile.

Rather than flipping someone off just because they fail to practice your same values, courtesy and patience behind the wheel of a car will get you farther down the road.

Telephone pleasantries have become things of the past with personal people skills being lacked by most of the machines we all try to converse with daily. A simple “Hello” or “May I please speak with Mister or Mrs. Smith?” is all too uncommon. Instead, you are assailed with “yeahs,” “yos,” “ahs” and other assorted guttural sounds.

If a person you know acts in a way you find manner less, go ahead and remind them they will be treated the same way they treat other people. It’s the simple Golden Rule.

Bishop “International” Airport?

Why does Bishop Airport find it necessary to refer to itself an international airport? The farthest you can fly is Las Vegas, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers (in season) all located in the foreign countries of Nevada, Georgia and Florida.

To my knowledge there has not been an international flight in over 30 years. Even then, I believe it was from Mexico. MBS (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw) International Airport, formerly Tri City Airport, is another case of misinformation.

After researching the subject, answers suddenly appeared. By definition, an international airport is a facility equipped with customs and immigration services able to handle international flights.

Some airports, especially in smaller United States cities, such as Flint, in fact have no scheduled international airline passenger service but do have customs and immigration capabilities, which are only available with several hours advance notice. Another example is the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

A few, such as Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indiana, are in fact not international airports at all. Instead, they aspire to become such in the future and have added the “international” status as a marketing tool.

Finally, other airports, which previously served international flights and now only provide domestic options, retained the “international” designation in their name.

Now you will have to fly to Detroit Metro or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to arrive anywhere close to an international destination.

Someone in the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) should have to explain why an airport, the size of Bishop, needs 10 agents on duty for four flights. I am positive that in Atlanta or Detroit, they need 20 times as many. I witnessed a man drinking a large soda, from a McDonald’s cup, told he was not able to bypass the first security checkpoint. The result was a large gulp, followed by an even larger belch.

Just proves our taxes are being used to the maximum effectiveness.

Mac Attack

A review of the Sunday night Fleetwood Mac concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills is in order.

Let me begin with the seats my bride and I were assigned. Although we saved close to a hundred dollars on the tickets through eBay, they left something to be desired. Our floor seats, the most expensive in the house, were neither on the floor, for we had chairs, nor were the seats of any use, as we stood up for the entire entertaining two and a half hour performance.

Mick Fleetwood, now at age 61, along with fellow band mates, founding father John McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocal specialist Stevie Nicks, put together a tight performance of hits through the years. It was a nice change not having to listen to a new album with selected cuts no one has heard before.
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Fleetwood's and McVie's solid rhythm, as well as Buckingham's splendid no-pick finger playing were a delight to the ears. The vocals from Lindsey and Stevie were spot on as they showed some of their old personal chemistry.

They thoroughly left the crowd satisfied with two encores, a superb three quarter arena stage set-up and excellent lighting. Fleetwood Mac is a must see if you are a fan and have the opportunity.

LOL----BRB----BFF

As promised to an avid reader – a short discussion on text messaging. First, let me make it clear I do not practice the art form. My daughter derides me for never learning the proper method of typing, yet she has the fastest thumbs in our house.

What is the difference between my chicken pecking on the keyboard and her two thumbs texting? I believe we will keep up this style of communication to the point of having our opposable thumbs evolve into an entirely new appendage.

As far as the assassination of the English language, there will have been new dictionaries written for the expressed purpose of deciphering this coded form of language. Wnt Tht B Gr8? The best one I have seen is *Ss (Starbucks). Eventually, classes like Ebonics will be taught in schools just for young children to learn the new dialects being transmitted on the small portable screens.

All of this comes at a price, as many parents are becoming aware. Service with unlimited text messaging is a must for anyone supporting a child with a phone under your roof. Text message rates on some services, for those of you with a child and active thumbs, can run into the hundreds of dollars.

As with talking on a cell phone while driving, a person texting while operating an automobile is the most dangerous behavior I have ever witnessed.

In the immortal words of my hero Winnie the Pooh, “TTFN.”

Friday's Rambling

Pride in a job well done has become a lost art for employees working for other people. You will not find this to be true if a person is self-employed.

While having insulation work done this week, I was forced to listen to the head of the crew deride his employer, who happens to be a friend of mine. You would think a person would be happy just to have a job in the Flint, Michigan area, rather than spending work time complaining constantly about the boss and the job conditions. Sure, it is outdoor work, but the temperature was above freezing – deal with it!

The legislature will turn into an extremely ugly and stupid morass if things don’t turn for the better in the next six months. I predict this as a warning to all of the still sane people holding on to their collective breaths.

Whatever we do as citizens of America, we must present a united front in our demeanor and actions. The enemies of this country will swoop like buzzards on road kill at the first sign the American spirit is breaking. Panic is not an option for the times and the path that lies ahead for all of us.

Please always remember those brave and courageous men and women in service to our country. Hug a soldier,airman, sailor or, if you are brave, a Marine.

Enjoy a great weekend. See you on Monday.

Further Trials of House Husbands

Let’s being this dissertation by discussing our walk-in closet. The enclosure measures 5’x 6’ with three five-foot racks for hanging of clothing articles. Compressed, I get 30 inches out of 15 feet. In my 30 inches, I have to hang two coats and all my shirts and pants.

My darling bride, of 36 years, has made use of the remaining rack space. In addition, there are shelves around the back and sides, all filled with everything from pajamas to shoes, which are all hers.

The basement laundry area also has been converted into racks of work scrubs, coats, and oh yeah, hangers full of drying brassieres. Out of 15 total drawers in the master bedroom, I am allocated six, all of which are stuffed, crammed and piled with my seldom or unworn clothing. After all, us guys all have items of clothing we will not or are unable to wear.

Shoes – good heavens where do you being to describe the difference between men and women and their shoes. I personally own four pair of shoes – two dress (black), two pair of athletic shoes (one black, one white) and two pair of boots (winter/work)which live in the garage.

Between the two women residing here, they must own at least 40 pairs of all shoe types. Our daughter owns at least eight pair of flip flops (useless footwear in my mind). My dear wife has athletic shoes for all occasions – treadmill, YMCA, walking, gardening, mowing the lawn and those special occasion shoes. She also has pumps, flats, sandals, and the list goes on and on.

Every spring, summer and fall, they are off to Payless for additions to the collection,cannot pass up a chance for buy one get one half off(BOGO). To accommodate the variety of shoes, we even purchased a special cedar chest. Now, the top on this furniture piece will barely close due to the over abundance of unworn footwear.

Blood pressure low – more to follow.

Please--- Lose The Insanity

AIG (American International Group) has lost $61 billion in three months of business, in addition apparently to the government’s $150 billion bailout. They are now asking for $30 billion more in bailout funds

Is this insanity with AIG ever going to cease? When will the fools on the hill quit spending themselves rich? In America, by definition, we are far from even practicing socialism.

In order to classify our society as socialists, the people would require a share in the proceeds. The United States government is busy subsidizing all of these failing, greed-ridden corporations. The American people are neither benefiting nor receiving any of the so called “returns” of this mass wealth distribution.

Once again, the taxpayers, in all wealth brackets, are shouldering the burden of overzealous greed mongers. This makes my blood boil, as each day the stories keep being hurled at us with the velocity and lethal force of winter time ice balls. Our economy will wait until 2011 to turn around, just in time for the next election, with both sides of the political spectrum taking the credit.

The democratic President’s plan has worked, and the right wing will spout had we not banded together to straighten this out, we would be mired in the same rut.

There will be a slight improvement for the mid-term elections, but it will only be a fraction of what we as American citizens will need to stave off the depression we are surly facing.

Where Are We Headed?

It was President Thomas Jefferson who once said:

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the other Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) recipients are all guilty of not protecting their customers’ assets. They and their counterparts, who have fed from the federal money buffet, have lost touch with reality of personal financial dealings.

Bank of America’s CEO, using a $5 million Gulfstream G5 jet, at the cost of $5,000 an hour to fly to and from Washington D.C. to testify to the fools on the hill, is right out of “The Wizard of Oz.” He should just click the heels of his ruby Gucci loafers and save the taxpayers millions of dollars. Better yet, ask the Wizard for a brain, a heart and a soul.

The insanity is only going to increase until the government quits shoveling money on the fire. The banks have no fiscal responsibility what so ever and need to be broken until they are able to show the American taxpayer they deserve our assistance.

Possibly, they could take Jefferson’s quote to heart, uttered over 200 years ago.

Pressure is boiling over at the thought of this situation.

Phone Etiquette

Back in the day, when one rotary phone served the entire house full of people, unless there was a death in the family, talking on the phone was not appropriate during dinner times or when company was visiting.

Now, it seems as though talking on a phone is perfectly okay under all circumstances.

While enjoying or trying to enjoy a quiet dinner with your spouse or family, the sounds of ring tones going off every five seconds invades your conscious thought pattern. If that wasn’t enough, the people, who just cannot go five minutes without communicating with the outside world, talk loud enough making you feel like you are being dragged into their conversations.

Numerous times, I have had the urge to ask those people, spending at least 30 minutes of their time on the phone, if they have a preference as to which body part they would like permanently attached to the phone.

It’s not only disconcerting, it’s downright rude. Certainly, employers feel the same way toward their employees who find it necessary to talk half a shift away.

In addition, driving and cell phones do not mix. Unless you are the passenger, all phone use should be outlawed (and the varmints hung) in all jurisdictions. Also, a driver’s decision of wearing/not wearing a seatbelt should be an individual choice. But eliminate their rights to talk on the phone, text or even play Tetris.

Friday's Rambling

For all of you whom are working and searching for a new job, good luck. Just remember to make yourselves as valuable to your current employer as possible.

The job market, as you are discovering, is flooded with at least 100 applicants for every position being filled. The point being, hang on to the sure thing. And reach for the moon in search endeavors.

The City of Flint’s political scene has somewhat returned to normal with Michael Brown, a competent man, at the helm. The “Don” Williamson refuses to die a whimpering death, much to the amazement of the taxpaying public. Twenty-two Michigan cities require residents to pay income taxes. Flint is one of the few requiring the non residents, who work inside city limits, to pay a half percent incoming tax. The strange part is while you pay the half percent, you absolutely have no say in the City’s economic decisions. Talk about taxation without representation.

Sports sponsorships are taking a major hit. Companies having received Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) Funds are cutting back on sponsoring major events, most notably PGA Tournaments. Among these entities were the Royal Bank of Scotland, Wachovia and other government fund recipients. Someone must have realized a portion of the biggest financial deals have been brokered on golf courses throughout the world.

I would like to take a moment to thank this blog’s senior editor for guest writing for a couple of days. After all, he has the talent which makes this somewhat readable. He previously was an editor-in-chief for two college newspapers, as well as a reporter with two daily publications.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything will be okay – recovery is just around the corner, yada, yada, yada!

Heal the Sick

Currently, 46 million Americans are without health care. Countless others maintain the bare necessity health coverage. In other words, one week of intensive care will place those individuals and their families in debt for the rest of their lives.

A general surgeon earns approximately $6,000 for a one-hour procedure, such as a tonsillectomy or gall bladder removal. One can only image how much a heart or vascular surgeon makes for a three to eight-hour procedure. Health care professionals must consider all additional expenses, from a disposable glove to the CEO’s cut on each and every visit to a care facility.

You have all read about the retired auto employees starting to lose the benefits they worked a minimum of 30 years to receive. Stop and look at hospital employees, where everyone, from department heads to registered nurses to housekeepers, have no guaranteed health benefits upon retirement. There is no pension additives available to defray the costs of the decent insurance they enjoyed while working in their respective medical fields.

This is not just an isolated instance. It happens to be the norm at hospitals and care facilities throughout the United States. In some way, this trend affecting all Americans must be reversed. Please also consider the optical and dental industries in the equation, for they continue to prosper right along with the medical institutions.

How many times have you been in an office, where you are lined up like sheep in what I refer to as the mill mass production process of medical or optical care? Eight rooms available – have a seat, the doctor will be in to spend his allotted five minutes with you to discuss your problem(s). You leave their offices with your head spinning and blood pressure on the rise!

Treat the symptoms with a pill or a cream, and be on your merry way. Oh, don’t forget they will want to see you again in two to three weeks for a follow-up mill trip.

Down in “Jungleland”

Guest blog by Christopher “Skippy” Miller, Senior Editor

Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 hit greatly details life in “South” Florida. Notice the word “South” in quotes? That’s because we reside in a completely different country. It’s as if this area, consisting of three counties, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, succeeded from the remaining Florida territory.

Let’s take a quick look at the dynamics of South Florida. As of 2007, the three counties had a combine population of more than 5.5 million people. The number constantly fluctuates, as we live in an extremely transient area.

In addition, South Florida boasts a highly diverse community with the population coming from a large portion of Latin America, especially South America, Central America and the Caribbean islands. To name a few places, residents hail from Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, and other countries across the world.

Another large factor includes the residents who were former snowbirds from the Northeast cities, such as Boston, New Jersey and New York. Many of them come from a variety of age-ranges, mostly retirees, and tend to be Jewish-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, Puerto Rican-American, and so forth.

To put it simply, there are a lot of freaking people living in a thin strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades in the west.

For the past nearly three years, the City of Sunrise remains our temporary home. It’s only temporary because we rent an apartment. The price of housing has skyrocketed over the years. Here, the “American Dream” is owning a two-bedroom condominium or townhouse (otherwise known as glorified apartments) for no less than $250,000.

My wife and I laugh every time we drive past the four empty high-rise complexes, located by the BankAtlantic Center (home of the Florida Panthers). The word “empty” sticks out only because each suite starts at no less than $750,000. What a waste of money constructing these vacant residential towers!

Can you imagine the type of housing a single family can afford elsewhere for the same amount of money?

Luckily, property values are decreasing, but only thanks to continuing increase of foreclosed homes. However, as a middle class family, we still are unable to afford a “house,” featuring our own “yard” with “space” between the neighbors.

Fortunately, we are not considering South Florida as a permanent home. Besides, Broward County is frequently featured as a location for the hit show “Cops.”

Thanks to our faith, immense family values and through our church Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale, India Summer Jean Miller will never possess the “I won’t ever see you again, so why should I care?” attitude so many South Floridians consider as “normal” behavior toward all mankind.

"A Taste of Homesickness"

Guest blog by Christopher "Skippy" Miller, Senior Editor

It’s February and 73 degrees outside. My wife, nearly two-year-old daughter and I just got back from a walk, of course in our shorts. Unfortunately, it’s not quite warm enough to run the air conditioner. Hence, the windows are wide open, allowing fresh air to fill our apartment.

Yet, this former Michigander still, in a sick, twisted way, misses the cold, snowy weather.

Don’t get me wrong, you can keep the unbearable driving conditions associated with winter. However, I am highly fond of and thrive well in the “cold.” It’s quite similar to my immunity to eating a favorite food enhancer, hot sauce.

This coming July marks four years since Heather and I decided to move to Florida. At the time, it was an opportunity for us to try a new place, featuring an essential element – jobs.

She quickly was offered a teaching contract in Broward County. I shortly found employment as a Public Relations Director for a nonprofit agency which provides services for the elderly. We have since maintained the same positions.

All things changed on April 29, 2007. Our daughter, India Summer Jean, was born. The yearning to be closer to family grew even more than before. We had hoped India was able to see and experience her grandparents more often. But, it’s difficult being 1,500 miles away.

Sure, we visit Michigan, and they come to Florida. But, living closer would equal an abundance of free babysitting opportunities. There is only one major issue for us moving closer – a lack of jobs. During the past year, I continued to apply for open positions to destinations elsewhere in Florida, Michigan and even North Carolina. I have had a handful of interviews, but no takers.

One big issue in Florida, particularly South Florida, is my inability to speak a second language. Most employers seek bilingual candidates. Unless Cyborg is considered a second language, I’m up a creek.

The problem in Michigan is too many other, more than qualified people are applying for the same posting. One job yielded over 120 applicants. I was one of them.

Heather is another story. Teaching jobs are even harder to come by. It took a close friend, after college, five years to land his first teaching gig. Even if Heather was hired, there is no guarantee she would keep the job in a year or two. School districts constantly are creatively managing budgets, including ousting experienced instructors.

In our case, we must stay put, or just follow the wisdom of the great Red Green, “Keep your stick on the ice.” We continue to pay our bills, raise our daughter and make the most of the situation. Do we regret moving here? Nope, but homesickness does occur more often.

Negative Feedback

Many readers of this blog have expressed their feelings by e-mail, instead of using the comment feature. I have chosen not to copy and paste them as comments. My only hope is, in the future, your responses would be posted in the comment forum.

It does not matter if they are negative or positive. I will publish those just the way they are sent, without editing.

It seems the e-mails all have been negative. To paraphrase a majority of them, people have said this blog is too depressing to read. That is fine, if you feel that way, although, I have taken strides to cover a variety of topics. I will continue to express my opinions regarding current events. If they are heavy handed, well, so be it.

Often, current events are not happy go lucky topics to discuss. The political scene can be depressing, but should be brought to light, as the decisions these clowns are making will affect the future our great, great grandchildren.

On a much more light-hearted note, Sunday’s Flint Journal reported former Flint mayor “The Don” Williamson has asked for his $500,000 salary to be paid in full. So much for our dollar-a-year mayor. He undoubtedly will go down in Flint history as one of the wackiest mayors ever to hold office.

May the good Lord have mercy on us if he were to ever be elected Governor of Michigan.

Friday's Rambling

R. Allen Stanford, Bernie Madoff and the list will continue to grow as long as greed rules the land.

Stanford, charged with an $8 billion fraud scheme, has gone as far as attempting to charter a jet the last few days to leave his mess behind. U.S. Marshals seized control of his company’s offices Tuesday, including all documents pertaining to Stanford’s particular scam.

These individuals are to blame. Even more to blame are the investors who were just as greedy, jumping at the chance to make twice the money on their investments as with conventional measures.
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Stanford Financial cooked the books throughout the 1990’s to show non existing profit margins on investments. This includes, as late as November, citing the ability to produce a 5.35 percent rate on a $100,000 CD, when the national average was just over 3 percent.

In 1996 and 1997, Stanford boasted an identical return of more than 15 percent on investments. Anyone who has an investment portfolio with any sense knows this identical year-to-year return is an impossible scenario.

As long as we can unearth the greed of people, “Mad Dog” Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scam and people like R. Allen Stanford will continue to exploit the situations created by greed on both sides of the fence.

Common sense, as well as the ability to remain for the long haul at a slow and steady growth, will pay off in the end – the old tortoise and hare tale.

Time

The only thing different from childhood to being an adult is the passage of time.

As a child, events take forever to arrive and last an extended period of time. During adulthood, anticipated events still take an inordinate amount of time , and then seem to pass in a flash. The older we baby boomers are the faster time seems to slip away. Days turn into weeks, weeks into years, etc.

Now, a three-week vacation, which has been planned for nearly a year, takes forever to arrive. Then, before you are able to blink, it has passed, and you are back to the daily grind waiting for the next momentous opportunity planned in your own little world.

Can anyone remember sitting in a classroom, watching the clock and wondering how long it would take for 55 minutes to pass? Even more frustrating was taking a test, in the same room, and then realizing your 55 minutes quickly have expired.

A 30-hour visit with my family Monday and Tuesday reminded me just how fast time, especially with loved ones, flies. Here for a brief fleeting moment, then gone, but not forgotten.

The point being made is obvious – please make the most of each precious second you have in your lives. For the quickest way to squander time is doing nothing, such as watching hours of mindless television. It’s the best way I know to lose track of time.

Go – Do – Be

What Honeymoon?

The sweet, harmonious marriage of ideals ended in less than two weeks. President Obama has tried everything from cocktail parties to talking tough, or at least trying. It truly is amazing to see the right wing conservative Republican unify – a concept they failed to grasp during the last eight years under “King” George II. I suppose all it took was some good Democratic cattle prodding to spur them into unification.

What in the name of Reagan (the Republican equivalent of God) are the politicians trying to accomplish, except running the American people, especially the middle class, into oblivion?

We are not in a recession or a depression. We are heading into the land of suppression under the weight of bureaucracy.

Now that these fools on the hill have come to some sort of agreement, the trillions of play money required to fix our economic problems is anyone's guess.

The financially sound will not stimulate the economy, only hoard the riches they have acquired, leaving the economically challenged society to fend for themselves. These nouveau rich will not get off a dime unless they profit from it. This attitude exemplifies the greed which is rampant in the United States.

When will it end? In five, ten years? Will it take a repeat of World War II to jolt the economy back to its feet? Or will it take the rich getting hurt very badly for a little trickle down effect to have any hope of help?

Again, please address your lawmakers, jam their phone lines, and overload the servers they use with your concerns! Maybe they will get the idea they work for us and not the 100 plus voices helping them get re-elected every term.
Term limits for all lawmakers should be a law, especially Senators. Plenty of veteran lawmakers have overstayed their welcome. Let a new breed of corruptible souls in every six or 12 years.

The Tune Of Life

After the last 100 years, and maybe for eternity, one thing holds true – the gift of music. With this gift, you have the unique opportunity to introduce a child to the wonderful world of music.

I never have met an instrument I did not try to play, most with modest success. This comes from someone with one of the tinnest ears ever to grace our planet. I have no clue what life would
have become if not for the gift of music which my parents allowed me to experience.

The doors opened for a child are endless, whether it be a saxophone, trumpet, or just a beautiful voice. Wouldn't you reather hear your child practicing and participating in a world of music, instead of some of the alternatives provided by society's youth? There is nothing wrong with computers, iPods, and the gaming world we reside in today. All that is suggested is give them other opportunities to enrich their minds and souls.

Some of the youthful readers with young students tend to complain about the cost of instrument rentals, music lessons, etc. Compare the price of a new laptop, gaming system, and a Blackberry. Music may be the cheap alternative. A fourth or fifth grader has access to a computer, if not your home system, at least a majority of schools may offer the service.

As far as an expensive gaming system, most children have friends who possess the latest – Wii, Xbox, or even a vintage Nintendo system.

The Blackberry and related cell phone equipment is cannon fodder for an entire other blog.

“Music has charms to sooth the savage beast.” Giving it a try will lower your blood pressure to a manageable calm and allow you or your child to discover talents you never imagined existed.

Friday's Rambling

The late Steve Goodman said it all in one of his songs:

You better get it while you can. You better get it while you can. If you wait too long, it'll all be gone and you'll be sorry then. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, and it's the same for a woman or a man. From the cradle to the crypt is a mighty short trip, so - you better get it while you can."

These lyrics may be interpreted in two ways. The first being the way very greedy corporate and political figures have taken what they can while the taking is good – only with thoughts for themselves and no one else in their narrow, greedy hearts.

Or, you can view it as making the most of every opportunity available – to positively interact with people and situations encountered in everyday life. The latter is the path which will garner the greatest rewards in life.

The adage of reaping what you sow always seems to hold true, at least it has to this writer.

Goodman was the man responsible for the hit “City of New Orleans.” For years, he battled leukemia until his untimely death at the early age of 36. I urge you to explore his music – common songs by a very uncommon man and one of the finest guitar pickers you will ever hear.

The news from the Flint Mayor Don Williamson’s office has been mighty strange over the last two weeks, culminating in his retirement announcement on Monday. Mike Brown, recently appointed City Administrator, will assume the reigns as mayor until a special election is held in August.

This whimpering political death to one of Flint’s more fiery characters is not the end most people expected, especially after Williamson recently repeated, “I plan to be the mayor for another eight years.”

The Don may be sick, as he also has removed his picture from Patsy Lou’s newspaper ads. Williamson announced Thursday that he would rest for eight months and continue his run for governor.
This blog will be on hiatus to celebrate President’s Day on Monday. In addition, my Senior Editor and family are coming for a 24-hour visit. Talk to you again on Tuesday, and don’t forget to support your Presidents!

Desolate Wasteland

The desolate parking lot remains empty in front of Factory #36 at Buick Motor Division. But for all who worked in that motor plant, the memories remain alive and vibrant.

Plant #36 is all that is left of the once mighty Flint Buick factory complex. The rest, including the blood, sweat and tears of thousands who worked throughout the Buick complex, has been removed and bulldozed into history.

Personally, I know two men from my childhood, both supervisors, who were carried out dead from heart attacks during the middle of the shift. Men and women sacrificed and left a lot of themselves in those factories – all in the name of providing a living for their families.

Chevrolet in the hole, as it was known, is a desolate wasteland. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)will never allowe anyone to build on these factory sites without complete clean-up of everything toxic that lies underneath the concrete slabs.

My grandfather spent more than 35 years working for Chevrolet, learning his welder/repairman skilled trade. Funny thing is he said although the union provided him with a good living and a comfortable pension, he always thought a man should be able to work one-on-one with the employer without a middle man.

He was raised in an orphanage in New York City, where the survival of the strongest ruled in the early 20th Century.Society amongst men was bully based. Working out one’s problems was a task unto itself. This philosophy carried over to farm life and then to the factory floor. He always said things were rough; however, there was never a day when he was asked to do more than he was capable of handling. Before the sit down strike, many Flint workers felt a union was unnecessary. Of course, I am relaying this information secondhand, as my grandfather relayed it to me.

My father worked both sides of the fence and pretty much felt the same way as an hourly rate employee and as a supervisor, he always felt more at ease working one-on-one with management, as well as with the laborers under his oversight.

We should never look back in anger or despair at the demise of Flint’s factories – only with admiration for the countless thousands employed. Let our spirit always look forward to what we can do in Flint, not what someone or a company can do for us.

Factory Demo Derby

Alvar K. Ternstedt, a native of Sweeden, is best known as the inventor of the first practical car window regulator. In 1911, Ternstedt applied for a patent on his invention. It was finally granted in 1916.

Now, instead of a plant site in Flint, Mich., named after Ternstedt, as well as the Fisher Body, sits a storage facility for parts gondola. The Fisher plant was named after the seven Fisher brothers, four of whom were on the company’s Board. They were all sons of Lawrence Fisher, a carriage maker in the late 19th and 20th Centuries.

This once bustling factory, where several of our neighbors and friends worked, slowly left the General Motors family as GM dissolved Fisher Body in 1984.

Albert Champion would be amazed if he only could see what became of his beloved firing kilns used to fire the ceramic spark plugs and tiles his company once produced. Originally, he sold it to Dallas Dort, and then gained back control when Dort’s health failed. Eventually, Daddy GM bought Champion out and the rest is history. The Harriet Street plant was raised in 1975, until the Dort Highway and Flint East operations ceased after Delphi failed.

This, along with numerous others in Flint, are but wispy memories and future archaeological dig sites for scientists 2,000 years from now. “Wow, will you look at the size of this bolt I found.” “You should see this ceramic piece I discovered, must have a primitive eating utensil.”

All of this is just a rambling piece of trash, unless we remember that General Motors is in business and does not owe Flint one single job or any more plants. One should reflect on the countless thousands who thrived and raise their families through the oversight of GM. And please don’t criticize the slogan of “Generous Motors,” for I have heard the term throughout my life. It’s as true now as it was when I was a young lad.”

Tomorrow: Chevy in the hole (Delphi West) and Buick City.

Press “1” for English

Are you sick of automated phone systems treating you as a non-entity? A majority of large, well-known companies are notorious for leading their customers through these systems. AT&T probably is the worst. Immediately, you are directed to answer a machine questioning whether your call is regarding phone services, Internet, mobile services or television.

After you have said “yes” a half dozen times, and the computer generated voice tells you he (or it, as the case may be) will connect you to a live person. That is if one is available, and you are not subjected to being placed on “Ignore” while drowning in elevator Bach music.

Upon talking to a live person, you are lucky to be able to understand someone who barely has grasped the basic rudiments of English – a second or third choice of dialects. This person will then direct you to someone who may or may not help, but will be able to provide you another 800, 877, 866 or 888 number to repeat the entire talking to a machine routine.

You also get the systems which require you to punch in several combinations of numbers in order to contact a real live person. By the time you have dealt with all the nonsense, you are ready to bite the head off anyone breathing on the other end of the phone. Such as, “The heck with you, give me your supervisor, I need to vent.” For a hoot, call your local Lowe’s and listen to the 20 options you are given just to address someone about your warped 2x4 kayak paddle.

AT&T probably is the grandfather of these automated systems we have learned to accept as normal speaking to anyone about any potential business issues. They now own 11 of the original Bell Companies with 150 million customers. Was it not the intent to break up good old Ma Bell in 1984? Similar to pay phones and the 10-cent phone call, telephone operators have become a thing of the past. This is why I believe they are unable to find enough people, who speak fluent English, to answer the calls.

It will not be long before 911 is automated. Wouldn’t that be fun, especially when you are dying of a high blood pressure-related heart attack?

Mere Suggestions

Countless times, I have witnessed school buses, police cars and of course, other drivers traveling 10-15 mph over the posted speed limits. In the case of school buses, what sort of example are they exhibiting for those students who just received their licenses in the last year?

As for police vehicles, it was proven to me, by a judge in a Grand Blanc court, officers are subject to the same laws as everyone else (got out of that ticket because two witnesses testified the officer had broken speed limit laws). The exception is if the car’s lights are flashing and/or a combination of both siren and lights.

Law enforcers constantly are speeding, passing on the right, abusing their status to get through red lights, and countless other offenses a normal person would be fined for, as well as lose points on driving records – double standards in place at all times.

As for the rudeness and manner of the general public, behavior behind the wheel is reprehensible. From Florida to Michigan and Maine to California, you witness daily the witless tactics of motorists. I thoroughly am convinced cell phone use, eating, drinking, smoking of anything, etc. should be outlawed while a person is behind the wheel and heading down our streets.

How many times have you witnessed a driver reading, texting, putting on make-up or all these things at the same time? That’s quite a balancing act.

My grandfather said it best as advice he passed on, “It only takes a second of lost concentration for an accident to occur.” This came from a man who never traveled over 55 mph, no matter where he was heading or the condition of the roads. I might add the man never received a citation or was involved in an accident in 55 years of driving.

In regard to highway cruising, Michigan expressway drivers may be some of the worst. It seems 76 mph feels like you are dragging an anchor.

My intelligent daughter-in-law said it best, “Traffic signs, lights and speed limits are mere suggestions for most drivers.”

Friday's Rambling

There are tree murderers out there destroying the beauty of trees in our community. Yes, the limb butchers are cutting the tops and sides out of our neighborhood foliage – all under the direction of mighty Consumers Energy. As you drive through Flushing and outside the city, take notice of the familiar blue dots designated for pruning and the dreaded blue “X” for complete removal.

Now, I am not a tree-hugging type of person.  However, the manner in which these subcontracted “pruners” work has no rhyme or reason. They just spend eight hours a day, lopping and chipping our trees.  You are able to drive through areas where there are whole trees resting on the wires overhead, as witnessed in the Genesee County Park on McKinley Road.

Amazingly, we encountered the same company in Asheville, N.C. in October. These workers, along with their eight trucks, were staying at the Best Western seven days a week courtesy of the utility company Progress Energy, which is headquartered in Raleigh. Similar to Michigan, they were performing the same hatchet job on Asheville’s trees.
Read what Consumers' policy states at the following site:

http://www.consumersenergy.com/welcome.htm?/eninfo/index.asp?ssid=114

The other news this week, something which should come as no surprise, is General Motors and Chrysler offering their highest seniority personnel a new round of buyouts. GM has prepared a cash buyout and a $25,000 voucher toward the purchase of a new vehicle.

Of course, this is done so it can fly back and again take advantage of the federal money buffet. In addition, GM is able to hire new employees at half the pay and benefits. This again makes one believe Ford may have made the wise decision in spite of massive fourth quarter losses. At least they are not dancing to the federal piper.

Featured in a blog next week – the General Motors ruins with photos: a true archaeological dig for the future.

Responsibility

Nadya Suleman, 33, an unwed mother of six children ages 2 through 7, gave birth to octuplets last week. All eight children were implanted embryos from the process of in vitro fertilization. The grandmother currently is watching the six children in the home, and she has informed the new mother she will be gone once she gets home.

Fundamentally as a Christian, I am against abortion; as such this is a touchy subject matter in regard to what should have happened with the woman’s leftover embryos. This mother has done nothing short of completely insuring she will depend on government intervention for the duration of the children’s lives. She will rely on every benefit unknown to the American public for the simple sustenance of the children.

Where was the responsibility of not only her, but the physicians and nurses who agreed to implant that many babies in an obviously disturbed woman? Child Protective Services should have taken control of the situation from the beginning, starting with this woman’s fascination of bearing children as a young teenager.

Where was the common sense the grandmother is now willing to exhibit? What does anyone know concerning this woman’s father? Suleman is not a run of the mill baby machine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent development from Cal State Fullerton and is working toward a master’s degree in counseling. Would you want her counseling your daughter on the aspects of child birth?

In this case, the doctor(s) should be held partially responsible for allowing this woman to conceive another eight children. In closing, at least now she can field any major sports team with the requisite number of players needed.

Open Enrollment

For several years, Flushing Community Schools has been exploring the possibility of introducing an open enrollment policy. As a taxpayer, parent and grandparent, I totally am opposed to any such notion. The district has sighted its need to bolster enrollment figures to offset dwindling funds due to the diminishing number of students.

The current enrollment policy reads: “Non-resident students who have been expelled at any time from any school district will not be considered for admission as tuition students. Non-residents who have been suspended at any time during the past two years may be refused admission as a tuition student.”

You only have to read the current guidelines to realize the only students Flushing would be gaining are those with severe problems Flint and other districts are willing to depart with. All this in search of the almighty dollar, the continuation of extremely high administrative salaries and the perks associated with them.

Is it really worth a few dollars – accepting problem students and all they embody into our district?

What would be so bad about reverting to a Class B school? Would our superintendent have to relinquish being the highest paid administrator in Genesee County? For more than 40 years, as a smaller Class A school, Flushing has struggled to be competitive in sports and other extracurricular activities. For example, 1967 was the last year we competed in basketball at the state level.

While 40 years ago, teachers were grossly underpaid. Now, they have the support of two of the strongest unions and lobbying organizations in the country – the NEA (National Education Association) and MEA (Michigan Education Association).

These organizations should be against a move which would jeopardize the quality of teaching a majority of these decent people provide.

In the last 20 years, Flushing Community Schools has gained much diversity. It is a delicate balancing act to keep harmony in the district without introducing a group of malcontents to upset the apple cart.

Nuts to NAFTA

We currently are in a world of hurt, for we have offended Canada by announcing the United States will not be importing as much steel as in previous years – up to 40 percent from outside our country.

However, American citizens are still flocking to the borders to purchase cheap pharmaceutical drugs. The fact of the matter is a lot of countries are starting to get mad at the “Buy American” plan, being the counterproposal is claiming we are in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement Act (NAFTA). Whoopee – it's about time we got our heads out of the sand!

NAFTA is the worst document ever to be dumped on the American worker. It was a good idea for the major corporations which spent millions getting the treaty enacted, but bad for the auto and steel mill workers who continue to lose work every week.

The key conspirators, with lobbyists in their pockets, not to mention fistfuls of dollars and pesos, were Brian Mulroney of Canada, Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico and Bill Clinton of the United States. The year was 1993, which worked out great for Clinton, who undoubtedly used the windfall to help finance his re-election campaign and continues to profit even today from contributors to his nonprofit fund.

Chinese workers are losing their $120 a week jobs because America is not buying as much of the junk they produce. They are being forced back to the farms to work the land.

Capitalism is a hard mistress, and only the strong should embrace it! Democracy in the business world is not for the meek or weak willed.
Time for a trip to the medicine cabinet.

Undercover?

Last Wednesday, the City of Flint’s new interim deputy police chief, Sgt. Tim Johnson, took control of the new task force recently installed by Mayor Don Williamson. The announcement was made during a story aired on ABC12 News. It was very strange to see two of Flint’s officers, dressed in full uniforms, standing behind the Don and Sgt. Johnson with their faces pixelated because they are undercover police.

These brilliant law enforcers had to know they were going to be on television given they were surrounded by Channel 12 News cameras and lights. You just wonder how bright they could possibly be, or were they just vying for an excellent photo opportunity with his honor and the new chief. “Hi mom!”

I would not trust this new task force to solve shoplifting crimes, let alone anything major. They will be working between 8 p.m.-4:30 a.m. to ferret out the crime problems currently facing Flint. Maybe they should be working undercover, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., throughout our high schools and city streets.

“I’m going to continue to work very hard to suppress the crime that’s actually in this city, to move it out,” Sgt. Johnson said during the interview. “That’s what we’ve been doing. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Move the crime to where Sgt. Johnson? Grand Blanc? Flushing? Clio?

General Motors again stuck it to Flint – pulling the plug on the new Volt engine plant. UAW Local 599, once the organization which held the fate of all Buick workers, has been jolted by the Volt decision. Mayor Williamson and Local 599 President Bill Jordan continue to show its members confidence the engine will still be manufactured in Flint.

GM is equal to a spoiled child. You provide the child with all the cake, ice cream and gifts he or she wants, and they still let you down. Mark this writer’s words – that engine will not be produced in Flint, or even in the United States. Williamson will soon be history, and Jordan, along with his union brothers, will be waiting for their checks in an unemployment line.

Flint needs to realize manufacturing jobs are gone. Get over it, and let’s move in a positive direction. A college community with an emphasis on medical education seems to be a reasonable solution to revitalize downtown, once again making Flint a vibrant, thriving community.

The Premio Dardos Award

This blog has been awarded The Premio Dardos Award. It recognizes blogs that are deemed worthy of acknowledgment.
With it comes a bit of responsibility to pass the award along.

In keeping with the rules of the award:

The rules are:
1) To accept and show the distinct image of the Premio Dardos Award.
2) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.
3) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

Congratulations! The complete list of award winners are listed on my Michigan Quilts! blog.


Caron Mosey


Caron's personal blog: http://blog.caronmosey.com/
Brookside Creations: http://brooksidecreations.blogspot.com/
Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/cmosey/
Michigan Quilt Resources: http://miquiltresources.blogspot.com/

Friday's Rambling

In need of a semi-used jet? Citigroup has two for sale – $27 million is all it will cost you per plane. Seems they won’t need the aircraft after all.

On Monday, the company announced replacing them with a brand new $50 million Dassault Falcon 7X business jet. Now, up to 12 overpaid executives will enjoy a cruising range of 5,950 miles and luxurious seating. By Tuesday, under government pressure reaching all the way to the White House, Citigroup decided it would not be a prudent idea and decided to rescind the order.

This spending of our tax dollars should make even the calmest of you experience a rise in blood pressure. It was reported the order’s cancellation will result in heavy penalties to be paid to Dassault. It had to be cheaper than $50 million for the new plane, right? With million dollar bathrooms, $100,000 trash baskets and overpriced perks galore, what is next for Citigroup? Then, one could only expect this and other blatant misuse of our tax dollars when the faucet is broken and Joe the Plumber is nowhere to be found.

Citigroup is no stranger to controversy. More than 15 years ago, then Chairman John Reed abruptly fell in love with a flight attendant. This prompted the following quote and joke among Wall Street circles – when the company’s jets prepared for landing, passengers were advised, “Please buckle your seat belt, stow your tray table, and put your stewardess in an upright position.” Not really funny, but you have to find a bright spot in this bleak picture.

Each day, this blog is e-mailed to Senator Carl Levin. I doubt he reads it, but the blog is received. Senator Debbie Stabenow has set up her e-mail to reject it as an “unknown address” or “not coming from a real person.” Several times, I wrote to her explaining I am a person. Maybe she refuses to accept that little fact after she failed to receive my vote in her election.

On Monday, it was reported 71,400 people lost their jobs. That is 9,600 jobs less than have been lost in the Flint area from General Motors and their suppliers in the last 25 years

Unemployment figures are highly misleading. Only considered are the people collecting or filing for benefits. It does not take note there are countless millions who are without hope of work and have exhausted the benefits. These folks have become a non statistic, excluding them from the total count.

Even sadder is most of those people have abandoned all hope of finding gainful employment. You cannot survive with a family of four and one minimum wage job. Desperation sets in, and you either rely on government assistance or turn to crime.

Once again, I strongly urge all of you to please write, call or ambush your legislators with questions and express the outrage at this deplorable situation and abuse of America’s funds.

Trigger Finger

The Second Amendment reads: "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Gun control and the liberals go hand in hand – just as members of the National Rifle Association are in partnership with the right wing conservatives. Debates as to how to curb the gun violence we experience daily in our society rages on and on.

The simple solution lies in the common sense of thinking clearly on the subject.

My personal knowledge of weapons began when I was seven with my first BB gun. It continues today with practice and hunting using weapons of my choice. Education now, as it was 50 years ago for me, is the answer.

The important education from my father, regarding the care and handling of my first firearm, was the best solution. Despite what the urbanites (all races) think, guns are not toys! My father was a stern task master, drilling into us once you pull the trigger, you can’t take it back. From a man who had experienced war and killing first hand, safety always was the first concern. My father-in-law taught his four boys the same values, setting up a range in their basement which instilled responsible respect for the handling of firearms.

One would think people carrying and using weapons, of every description, would learn from the war waged on each other on our streets. You never read stories about responsible gun owners, such as hunters and shooting enthusiasts/professionals misusing their own weapons. The training process can only begin at an early age. Kids, introduced to young hunter safety courses, are not the same children hanging out in school parking lots and our city streets, wielding deadly weapons as if they were water pistols.

The law enacted, known as “one with a gun will get you 10 in the pen,” has not had the slightest effect on the problem,nor has any of the so called gun control laws on the books. No, the satisfactory solution must start in the home. As with any endeavor, responsibility begins and ends with the parents. Right or wrong, I chose not to expose my children to guns. They never expressed an interest or fascination, which was prevalent during my youth.

One final thought: do you often wonder why a professional athlete feels the need to carry a weapon for personal protection? To my knowledge, no pro sports figure has ever been assassinated. One can only imagine what these so called “role models” are conveying to the kids who view them as some sort of god.

Guns in America will never disappear; however, the ignorance should.

Common Sense Discussion

Guest Blogger: Garrett Farmer
(January 7, 2009) To Craig,
There is no such thing as common sense. Common sense implies that everyone has some inherent shared knowledge. This cannot be true as we are not born with knowledge, and we have not all experienced the same things. Even in the event of a shared experience, we all react to things differently depending on our prior dispositions. We all add to our knowledge base separately. We are not a unified consciousness. Saying people lack common sense is silly.

(January 8, 2009) To Garrett,

I have been giving a magnanimous amount of thought to your idea that there is no such thing as common sense. I have to disagree, because if there is no common sense then we have can't have common ground, common bonds, common purposes, or anything else that falls under the disguise of being in common. Your argument will hold liquid only in the fact that everybody perceives things differently, however I use the term in relevance to people exerting good and sound judgment in all of their actions and decisions.

I am sure you have met people with this trait (maybe in your own family).

Hope I didn't make you mad with my warped logic --I seem to have that unique talent recently.

(January 23, 2009) To Craig,
We don't have common purposes and goals as a society. There are a multitude of goals and ideologies that people hold dear. That's why we have government. They listen to the ideas of different groups of people then act for those groups. If we all shared the same common beliefs and goals, there would be no need for government.

Logic. Reason. Judgment. "Good sense." These are not common attributes in people. Most people do not have a background in logic, reason, or good judgment because these things are not taught anywhere close to universally. Good sense is a term relevant to the person with or without it.

To use common sense in argument, as you have, is to make a poor argument. Although it may be true that most people have some "common sense" (it's a bad idea to stick one's hand in a fire), it is unfair to assume that people share common beliefs toward complex problems. For instance, you have no way of knowing how the common American feels about a GM bailout. I would guess that, since it has been such a huge topic of debate, there are many opinions.

Furthermore, even if a large majority did feel one way about a bailout, it is not a good idea to make policy based on that majority's opinion. Most people don't have a background in economics, business, etc. Why should they be trusted to make sound decisions in such matters? Let's say you're in the E.R. with a broken arm, and twenty patients said there was no way to repair the bone. They suggest you amputate it to save yourself from gangrene. There are also three doctors in the room. They say they can put your arm in a cast, and you'll be fine in a month. Whose opinion will you trust here? In the 60's a lot of people said it was common sense that black people were not people- they were animals that didn't deserve the same rights as whites. This was a commonly held belief among a lot of people. I'm glad we got past common sense and looked at the issue more thoroughly.

None of this is meant to say that we should blindly trust in our leaders- I am always of the opinion that we should be questioning the reasoning of government. We should question it based on solid logic and reasoning though- not on what we perceive to the publics’ "common sense."

Thanks again for writing the blog. I read it every other day or so. I enjoy listening to your views and stories.

Army Politics: Left-Right, Left-Right

Today, I am going to tear apart two people – Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olberman.

Rush Limbaugh claims to be the conservative voice of America, and he has the audacity to call his show “Education in Broadcasting.” As you will read, it does not seem possible he remotely is qualified to educate anyone. However, conservatives eat his rhetoric like a diabetic craves candy. These people believe they can quote him chapter and verse.

A college dropout, Limbaugh was lucky enough to draw 175 as draft number, when only 125 birthdays were called during the Vietnam War in 1969. I am positive his 4-F rating, due to either a football knee injury or a diagnosis of Pilonidal disease, and high lottery number kept him from fleeing to Canada. He also was charged with doctor shopping – illegally obtaining prescription drugs hydrocodone and oxycodone in 2003.

This pompous and cowardly man, who sits in this studio, hid behind the microphone with the gall to say to his listeners, three days before the inauguration, “I hope Obama fails.” Thank God our nation gives him the right to say such a thing to a man who was yet to take the oath of office.

As a true, supportive American, who is granted the right to daily spout his nonsense, for three hours nationally, and earn $33 million a year to do so; Limbaugh can afford to be a conservative. A book should be written on all the stupid stuff he pulls out of his (oh, that’s right, I promised to keep this clean). Rush never gives his callers a chance. If he disagrees with their premise, he cuts them off with his constant pooh-poohing and babbling.

Limbaugh’s personal life also has been a mess with three failed marriages. However, he owns a really nice set of golf clubs and smokes quality cigars – two of his passions. In 2007, a survey was conducted, as results showed he held the worst approval rating, with a 2-1 margin against, among 18 talk show hosts. His only true radio competitor is now the junior Senator from Minnesota. Limbaugh should put his money where his mouth is, stand up and be counted, or at least get involved with more than his voice.

Keith Olberman is the polar opposite of Rush. A Cornell graduate, with a bachelor’s in communications, Olberman is liberal to the point of being fanatical. His nightly, thrice aired show on MSNBC is stated to be a “news show counting down the day’s top five stories.”

Of course, it is nothing of the sort. Olberman turns his chosen stories to pursue his own political platform. Also, he is into name calling – a popular theme among these types of political commentators. The other night, Olberman suggested President Obama should pursue charges against President Bush for abusing those who planned the Sept. 11 attacks. Olberman and Rush are given this privilege through the efforts of President Bush, as well as all men and women who have died to insure they maintain their freedom of speech.

Whenever possible, he seems to enjoy invoking history lessons to compare what the conservatives have done wrong and how things will turn out. He is quite fond of using the Nazis as an example. By the way, Olberman makes approximately $7 million a year, almost enough money to be a conservative.

He should get off his (oops almost did it again) and run for city council somewhere to learn the responsibilities involved in politics. At least Jerry Springer once served as Mayor of Cincinnati!

These two men are counter productive in our society and do nothing but stir their collective cauldrons with askewed views of the situations before them.

Think for yourselves people,draw your own conclusions, and use your brains and the good sense God gave all of us.

Trickle Down Greed

The Latin phrase “carpe diem” translates to English as “making the most of present opportunities” or “seize the day!” This appears to be the case of the middle class over the last 10 years.

Middle class families, with annual incomes ranging from $50,000 to $120,000, were homeowners who were able to secure three and four mortgages on their houses and properties. Instead of paying off credit card debt or making improvements to add value to the homes, they foolishly spent the extra money on trips, cars and other luxuries.

They made the most of the opportunity provided by the housing bubble, taking advantage of inflated property values to secure these loans. Now that it’s time to “pay the piper,” they gather in large numbers before the federal government to seek a piece of the money pie – the old adage of what is good for the goose, etc.

You have to believe while engaging in these home equity loans, at the same time, these people were maxing out three or four credit cards. The concept of living within one’s own means has been lost by the generations of today. The “wants” of these people heavily outweigh the “needs” to a zealot extent.

Take no pity on these people and their situations – for they made the bed in which they now lie. Where was the common sense and foresight to know they would never be able to pay off the debts? My educated guess is the idea was spawn from a higher authority (and I don’t mean God).

Losing one’s job and the idea of losing a home because you have no money to pay off a mortgage is a different situation than the greed driven consumer who over burdened the system with their wants.

Please urge your State Representatives and Senators in Washington to help the needy and forget the greedy, for they deserve what awaits in their financial futures.

Seize the day!

Friday’s Rambling

Last week, Circuit City Stores, Inc. announced it was closing all stores and relieving 30,000 employees of their jobs. This is not a remarkable fact, as several more companies probably will be doing the same in the coming year(s). What is surprising is what the company founder Samuel Wurtzel’s son, Alan Wurtzel, had said.

Alan previously stated Circuit City didn’t take the threat of rival Best Buy Co. seriously enough and, at some point, were too focused on making a profit in the short term instead of building long-term value.

Very strange words from a man, as the family took the money for their company and ran all the way to the bank, leaving the common shareholders to twist in the wind with what will be worthless stock.

Knowing a former Circuit City employee and avid reader of this blog, I hope he feels vindicated in honestly answering customers’ concerns while employed, instead of taking said customers on the “Full Journey” – a term store managers were directed to drill into all employees.

Doesn’t it make your blood pressure boil just thinking about the corporations interested only in short-term gains with no foresight of what that mentality has wrought? Now, and in the future, they will be paying the price for the avarice ruling our economy for the last 20 years.

Speaking of greed, for any of you unlucky enough (such as myself) to own bank stocks, it’s getting close to the time when we are able to repaper the dining room walls. The equities in our financial institutions continue to plummet. Similar to the rest of you, I thought the $700 billion was supposed to fix this problem. It seems the problem was solved when the bank officials and wise fools on the hill needed to assure their wallets were fat enough to cushion the blow of the fall.

As the weekend is upon us, please remember to spend time with others, whether it is your family, friends or neighbors. Let’s hope and pray the key leaders in the new administration be guided with a modicum of wisdom and common sense.

Sloppy Ears

It has been my good fortune to have been associated with three generations of Bassett Hounds.

The hound of my youth, Boompa Aloysius Miller; the hound of my son’s youth, Beauregard “Beau” Henry Miller; and the hound of my daughter’s youth, Generosity “Genny” Mae Miller – all of them proud members of the great organization known as the American Kennel Club.

Yes, they all had proper papers, and each of them were unique in their own way.

Boompa was an engaging animal to say the least. He would engage the leg of any unsuspecting stranger with a multitude of gyrations. He was the only Bassett we would take hunting. Funny dog, Boompa was not afraid of a 12-guage shotgun blast. However, he had the most peculiar hunting style. His method was to follow the last hunter, until he felt it was time to lie down. At which point, the hunter would unload the shotgun, pick up the dog, throw him over a shoulder and carry him home. Great canine instincts had taken over. By the time he was five years old, the only thing Boompa ever managed to flush were cars. This is until one day a van ran him over. My father took him to the veterinarian, and a half hour later, he was back to humping things. Boompa never again chased cars.

Beau was as gentle a soul as I have ever had the privilege to encounter. For the first couple of years, the poor hound was left in a basement all day until we could get home to play and let him outside. He continued to believe our unfinished basement was his personal bathroom the rest of his life, sneaking down there when he felt nobody was paying enough attention to him.

When Beau was two, our son was born. There never was a dog as loyal to a baby as Beau. He would guard him every second, while playing with him during his waking hours. Boy and dog became best of friends, spending many happy hours together. Did I mention I learned from the dog of my youth and had Beau fixed (no humping).

Without a doubt, Genny was the most cantankerous beast I have ever known. Before she was a year old and we had her fixed, she experienced false labor, beginning a life long habit of nesting. Genny was not dumb by any means. She taught herself tricks when mere mortals failed at all attempts. Come, sit, stay and heel were meaningless jabbering to her. She did manage to master opening all doors both inside and to the outdoors.

Funny thing about opening the outside door, she never taught her self the fine art of closing it. Genny easily was able to unwrap Christmas presents and open boxes containing all edible items. “No” was a foreign word to her, as it became to our growing daughter.

After viewing the movie “Marley and Me” the other day, I remembered one of the main reasons we decided to never get another dog. It’s the heartache on a child’s face, when the decision is made to have to put your pet – really a member of your family – to sleep.

In the case of Beau, my son and very young daughter said their goodbyes at the vet’s office. In Genny’s case, her unwrapping of things was her undoing, as she ate an entire $100,000 candy bar – wrapper and all. Her stomach twisted, at the age of 13; there was no chance of recovery. On a Christmas Day, at an emergency veterinary clinic, my son and I said goodbye to our last Bassett Hound.

Alas all is not lost, for we have two of the best Bassett's ever Spartacus and Peanut. They stand vigilant guard in our front yard, of course they are concrete and never need to be fed, walked, or cleaned up after.

After all has been written and said, whether you own dogs, cats, hamsters or turtles, pets are good lessons in life, for any age and generation.

Pressure Idling Nicely No Meds Needed

Missed Opportunity?

President Obama may have used all his verbal ammo too soon. His acceptance speech yesterday lacked that brain grabbing rhetoric of previous soliloquies. He could have addressed the masses with the phrase which would be echoed for millenniums to follow. Alas, I fear he wasted his best words along the campaign trail.

In no way am I condemning Obama’s valiant attempt. It is a necessity Americans can work as one, as pleaded by the new President. The vast majority of us walk in the middle of the road, looking for the traffic signals to guide us on our American journey. It’s the fervent hope all of us will come together in an effort to reunite toward a common goal.

MSNBC reporters laughed when the crowd chanted, “Na-na-na-na, hey- hey-hey, goodbye,” to President Bush's helicopter; and the right wing FOX News began criticizing President Obama before the man could even enjoy his first lunch. This is not the best way to help heal the wounds long suffered in this country.

We all plan to support our new President, just as we backed the men who preceded him. As Americans, that is our duty. We may have the right to disagree with decisions made, but we should resist the attempts to stifle our efforts to unite as one nation.

As Americans, we all have to share our heritages and beliefs, not contemplating what should or would have been the case if we had listened to the right and left wing zealots attempting to guide our thought processes. For the love of country, think for yourselves and do the common good thing for you and your neighbor(s), disregarding their race, creed or color.

Regardless of political views, please say a prayer for Senator Ted Kennedy. Cancer is a hideous disease. I speak from personal family experience – prayers are all some patients have to hang their hats on.

God Bless and protect President Obama and all those who serve America!

Coffee Break

While out on an early mission of mercy Friday morning, I observed a police convention in progress.

What a sight to behold. In the Mount Morris Township Speedway station, located at the Elms and Pierson Road intersection, were: two Mount Morris Township cruisers; two Flushing City Police vehicles; a Flushing Township Police car; and one Genesee County Sheriff’s patrol car.

The mass of law enforcement vehicles were lined up (maybe preparing for a parade?), as the officers were inside imbibing in life’s simple nectars known as coffee and soda. Amazingly, the parked vehicles were still running. There was no thought to save gas, or heaven forbid, the officers might be late for an actual crime because it only takes a nanosecond to reach over and start a car.

As a law-abiding, City of Flushing and Genesee County taxpayer, one would think these law officials can and should make better use of their time.

Please do not misunderstand this tirade as a denouncement of the police. Just consider it a friendly reminder that citizens overall desire their law enforcers remain awake and on the job, not discussing the merits of a nine millimeter over a 357 Magnum or the girl in her undergarments hanging upside down out of the kitchen window.

Surely, the discussions entertained war stories regarding last night’s drunk drivers, abusive husbands and possibly the occasional stray puppy – which falls under the jurisdiction of animal control.

None of this helped the encounter I experienced with one individual speeding 47 mph in a 35 mph zone or the driver who made a left turn where it clearly was marked “Don’t Do That!”

Having known many police officers, it requires a certain mentality to perform the job duties. Some men and women, especially at a younger age, live the life 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They do seem to mellow with age or promotion.

All of us would feel better, if only they would show some common sense. By the way, you will be pleased to know that particular Speedway Station did not have one drive off or shoplifting incident that morning.

Loyal To The End

Drive anywhere in Genesee County, Mich., and look closely at the vehicles traveling in your vicinity. Notice that eight out of 10 are Detroit products. This County and the City of Flint are loyal beyond reason to American made automotive products.

The same cannot be said for other parts of the country. While traveling in South Florida, I observed the opposite numbers held true. The roads are loaded with Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Lexus and BMW products.

Surely, this is the case in other parts of the United States, where the Big Three (Chrysler, Ford and General Motors) have not sustained a manufacturing base. In addition, people and their communities never have had to rely on the tax base these facilities provide to fund the municipal operations of towns and counties where they reside.

Retail operations in other states, where the automobile plants are not located, find the customers from other walks of life. Why should people living in these areas worry or care what brand of car they drive?

Why has General Motors not been equally loyal to us? In one week, they announced batteries for new vehicles will now be produced by a Korean company, LG Chem, and the gasoline engines, which were to be made in Flint, will be produced in Austria.

Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of General Motors, who has worked for Chrysler, Ford and BMW, said, “You cannot keep importing everything we use and not produce a thing that benefits American workers.” He also stated, “So what if you can buy a DVD player for $19.95, but in the long run, who will buy the product if it’s not produced here in the United States?”

Many people will argue the foreign automobiles simply are superior in quality and overall performance. I would only ask them to strap in and put their foot into a 396 Big Block,426 Hemi, or a 351 c.i. Cleveland to feel what living the American Dream really is like!

Long live the Big Three! My father and others said it best: “What's good for the American Automobile industry is good for America!”

Friday’s Rambling

In a follow up to the blog published Monday, Jan. 5, titled “Crooks in the Backyard,” I have chronicled incidents that have taken place in the last seven days.

It appears Sheriff Greg Bartlett, in Morgan County, Ala., withheld $210,000 earmarked for food purchases for county lockup inmates. Is this what is meant by “living off the fat of the land?”

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted for accepting illegal gifts while serving on both the City Council and during her tenure as Mayor. She allegedly used travel vouchers, fur coats and gift cards intended for the poor to engage in a personal shopping spree. Why would the poor need fur coats? She, like all good politicians, claims ignorance and total innocence.

Flint Interim Plice Chief David Dicks was indicted in federal court for receiveing $46,000 while working for a private security firm connected wiith Career Alliance, I guess being able to be in two places at one time earns you a trip to the federal money buffet.

In other news, President Elect Obama is learning the words to the Ernie K- Doe song “Mother-In-Law.” After it was announced First Lady Elect Michelle's mother, Marian Shields Robinson, will be moving into the White House with them.


Courtesy of Simon and Garfunkel:

“Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)”

At least the Obamas will save themselves some babysitting costs.

The American automotive manufacturers, otherwise known as the Big Three, are singing the old Rolling Stones hit “You Can't Always Get What You Want.” On the other hand, the financial institutions are whistling “We're in the Money,” while the American middle class families are reprising the old depression song (with a new twist) “Brother Can You Spare a Buck.”

Retired General Colin Powell proposed that people should work on Monday, which just happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He then stated a majority of the population plans to take off Inauguration Day, which is Tuesday. Why waste a holiday, when people were already skipping work the following day. Do you really think government employees, post office workers, etc. are willing to give up a paid holiday?

I have the impression a lot of folks will utilize the entire week to celebrate. Of course, that pertains to people still gainfully employed.

News from the Backyard

Flint Mayor Don Williamson has bought the farm.

That's correct, he has let yet another of his minutia filled ideas go up in smoke. Formed in August of 2008, the Political Action Committee (PAC), designed to stop local political corruption, has faced a whimpering death.

The Committee to Stop Corrupt Government, which The Don stated he would sink $8-$10 million of his own money to ferret out corrupt local politicos, is over. Mayor Williamson sought local donations to support his cause. However, the only money ever recorded was the $500 which Williamson contributed himself.

What appears to be the case is “Donald in Wonderland” discovered the Looking Glass – boom, end of search, corruption found.

No one really expected anything else. Williamson promised the PAC would provide up to 20 jobs involving lawyers, secretaries and various law officials. He managed to produce: a Web site (www.thecorruptionmustend.com); some really nice red, white and blue signs; and a large “Elect Mayor Williamson for Governor” sign adorning the headquarters’ front window.

This fiasco of brainless wisdom comes on the heels of what may have been one of the Don’s better ideas – “The Dragstrip,” located by the old Chevy in the Hole on Bluff Street, also known to some as “turn left on blind man's Bluff Street.” The only problem is Williamson used City of Flint funding to repave the one eight-mile strip and install the guard rails.

One can only believe voters will likely recall the Mayor, but don't lose any sleep. He is sure to appear in the news with his next great midnight reform innovation.

On a sad note, Archie Bailey, a man who I have had a personal distaste for nearly 40 years, announced Monday he has chronic leukemia. Personal feelings aside, my thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Internal Combustible

Lord Mr. Ford, you would be pleased the company you started did not feed from the federal money buffet!

It seems there are restrictions galore attached to the funds granted to General Motors and Chrysler Corporations. The Treasury and Congress (aka The Fools on the Hill) finally decided it would be a wise to try and make somebody accountable for billions of dollars.

It appears the liberal slanted Congress created the stipulation – if the UAW goes on any sort of strike, bankruptcy will result in very short order. Does it sound as though they are trying to break the union with such a rule of spending?

Where was the accounting of the $350 billion doled in shovels full to the financial institutions?
Congress has all but tied up the automotive industry this country mostly has relied on for the last 100 years by setting almost unachievable standards to meet in such a short amount of time. Three months is just an impossible time frame to turn around an industry, which despite having made mistakes is still a great manufacturing and job resource in our nation.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger stated he is willing to bargain wages and benefits, which according to the government, are not even close to being in line with similar foreign auto manufacturing working standards.

The CEO's have agreed to do whatever it takes to stay competitive in the world market.

If only the money hungry banks were this closely scrutinized, they would not be at a loss for words when asked, where did it go and who has it now!?

I warned Michigan Senator Carl Levin that when he and fellow conspirators opened the federal wallets, people would come out of the woodwork. Not only the woodwork, but they came from rat holes at the bottom of the walls. Larry Flynt and the Girls Gone Wild franchise jets headed for Washington looking for a $5 billion feast from the buffet.

When the economy continues to decline, the first things to flourish are peoples’ bad habits (yeah, I guess porn might be a bad habit). But drinking, smoking and drug use will increase as the country looks for temporary relief!
One final note, State Lottery sales all over the country have shown a dramatic increase over the last months,this will not solve your financial woes or augment your retirement fund.