The state of Michigan should send its first Hollywood welfare check to the television studio willing to provide in depth coverage of Detroit's local government scene and turn it into a reality based television series.
The latest installment could star Monica Conyers who is apparently auditioning for the next vacancy on The Bad Girl's Club.
Is it any wonder why John Conyers is such a frustrated and bitter man?
Barack Obama and his staff are trying to recover from statements he made in San Francisco that painted small town Pennsylvanians and Midwesterners as resentful, gun lugging Bible thumpers. And they hate babies and puppies too. And Mexicans.
What Obama is backtracking from is not, however, a misstatement of his beliefs. He said what he meant, he just didn't mean to say it the way that it came out. What those backpedaling staffers believe is that Obama should have spoken what he thinks in a way that hides what he thinks, at least in venues where Hillary moles are certain to infest. Finally, all these years after Iran Contra, Democrats are figuring out what "plausible deniability" means.
As the Obama story goes, after decades of counting on the government to provide solutions to problems that it has no ability to solve, us hicks got tired of waiting on government and decided we'd rather just grab us a Bible, a pistol, swear at an illegal or two, and tell the government to butt out.
This, of course, is a lot different that Black Liberation Theology, where the proper course of action would be to grab a Bible, a pistol, swear at some white folks, and tell America to be damned. We would call that, in the very rural and unsophisticated Midwest, projection.
Now, unfortunately for Obama, because he was unwise enough to utter what he meant to an audience that wasn't quite as private as he thought that it was, he has been painted an elitist by very conservative Midwesterners like Bill and Hillary Clinton.
"If I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that" said the Harvard educated lawyer clearly apologizing for any offense his truthfulness might have created for those too stupid to be unoffended by what he meant in the first place, or unable to understand an intellectual Ivy Leaguer's need to soothe our redneck frustrations by getting us some socialism, and maybe some potato chips.
Yada, yada, yada.
We hicks were smart enough to know exactly what Obama meant to say in the first place, and whatever offense that has been taken by us uneducated country folk has been richly deserved. But, this was no shock. Heck, we've known Obama and his America hating wife to be elitist snobs since their very early days on the campaign trail. Ever since then they have been blathering on about their centrally controlled socialist agenda and how it could benevolently lord over every facet of our human existence.
For what its worth, he should have been apologizing all along.
An Italian woman on a hitchhiking journey to the middle east to promote world peace, has been found murdered, apparently after confronting someone not as worthy of her trust in the locals as she would have hoped.
Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo and her partner in the "Brides on tour" endeavor, separated in Istanbul but planned on reuniting in Lebanon, where their tour was scheduled to end.
The two were dressed as brides for the journey.
Ms. Marineo's sister, Maria, told Ansa:
"Her travels were for an artistic performance and to give a message of peace and of trust, but not everyone deserves trust."A lesson we hope that naivety prone western governments around the world will soon learn.
It didn't take long for Absolut Vodka to pull the plug on its advertising campaign that envisioned a North American continent with redrawn political borders--new borders that would result in Mexico absorbing vast areas of the US southwest and west.
That, of course, is old news.
However, if Absolut thought that pulling the plug on those incendiary advertisements would get them completely off the hook they might be mistaken. An American vodka maker is taking aim at the Swedish-owned Absolut's desire for a larger Mexico.
Michelle Malkin reports on the response by San Francisco's Skyy Vodka.
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican-America War (1846-1848). With the signing of this treaty, the United States gained control of what was to become the Golden West, including California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Today, SKYY® Vodka, the number-one vodka produced in the United States, spoke out against suggestions by Absolut® Vodka to disregard that treaty, as well as the joining of Texas to the Union in 1845, as depicted in Absolut’s recent advertising.It might be wise for Absolut to learn an elementary lesson so well taught in areas of the great American southwest. Watch what you step in.
“Like SKYY Vodka, the residents of states like California, Texas and Arizona are exceptionally proud of the fact that they are from the United States of America,” said Dave Karraker, SKYY Vodka. “To imply that they might be interested in changing their mailing addresses, as our competitor seems to be suggesting in their advertising, is a bit presumptuous.”
In the ad, an “Absolut World” is depicted where the map of North America is re-drawn with Mexico claiming much of the Western United States, negating the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, as well as the Gadsden Purchase (1853), and the independence of Texas (1836).
“Don’t get me started on the Gadsden Purchase,” continues Karraker. “I think the folks in Tucson and Yuma would be rubbed the wrong way if they hear this landmark deal was somehow nullified as suggested by Absolut, a Swedish-owned brand.”
SKYY Vodka was founded in San Francisco in 1992 and continues to be produced in the United States. Premium SKYY Vodka is made from American grain carefully selected from the Midwest and 100% pure filtered water. SKYY’s proprietary four-column distillation and three-step filtration process consistently ensures exceptional quality. SKYY Vodka products include luxury SKYY90® and new SKYY Infusions™, a unique, all-natural infused experience made with premium SKYY Vodka and succulent real fruit.
At Dhimmi Watch, Robert Spenser points to a case in Yemen where an eight year old girl is forced to seek a divorce from an abusive man 22 years her senior.
I'm sure its ALL FOR THE CHILDREN!
Ah yes, that famous liberal battle cry that has unceasingly emanated from the steaming yaps of government busybodies ever since socialist do-gooders decided they could use their elected power (along with a good dose of taxpayer money) to take matters into their own hands.
Today's "all for the children" moment is contained in a bill sponsored by State Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Big Brother, that would require the parents or guardians of home schooled children to register that child with the superintendent of the local school district at the beginning of every school year.
From the Lansing State Journal:
State Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, said the bill will help address questions of truancy, as school officials will know if students are being home-schooled or simply not showing up to school.Give me a freaking break, Joan.
"I think it's reasonable that we know where and if our children are being educated, whether it's in a public school, private school, or at home," said Bauer, who co-sponsored the bill. Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, and Rep. Mike Simpson, D-Liberty Township, are also co-sponsors.
Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, who said his grandson is home-schooled, called the registration the first step down a slippery slope that would see parents denied the right to home-school their children.What really rots my socks here is that I'm a believer in what public schools could be. That is, a public school system that is run by local people with the state and federal government butting out. In my dream of "could be schools" the state and federal governments would not control the purse strings and therefore could not force local school districts into compliance through the threat of withholding funding.
"The goal is to regulate home schooling out of existence," he said.
The UK is clearly in a death spiral with its government too lethargic and uncaring to do much about it.
What can we expect in the US if multi-culturalists are allowed to turn America into a country that spurns the melting pot while at the same time the Utopian socialists are allowed to redistribute the wealth of a welfare state?
It might look something like this.
h/t Little Green Footballs
Encroaching Islam is making western nations rethink many of their strategies that combat poverty, illiteracy, housing, finance, family relationships and even crime. Islam prohibits many things that are casually accepted in the west, and often it isn't until these practices directly confront Islam that the west finds itself stuck in a difficult situation, balancing uniform public policy with many of Islam's archaic beliefs.
The UK may soon find itself in one of these proverbial pickles as it testily navigates its way through the process of judging whether a sex offender is likely to be a repeat offender and therefore unworthy of parole. The UK's ability to assess such prisoners depends on systematic counseling, not only in individual settings, but also in groups. These counseling sessions provide authorities with information it feels it needs to make a safe and accurate assessment as to whether a prisoner would be capable of handling freedom without endangering others. This seems reasonable.
But, as you may have guessed, many Muslims believe that discussing their crimes with others is against the teachings of Islam. These Muslims also believe that being denied parole on the basis of their strict adherence to Islam is religious discrimination.
Rather than drawing a line in the sand, the religiously oversensitive sweating bullets.
As Robert Spencer says:
Because sensitivity and not getting sued by a prisoner is so much more important than evaluating and attempting to rehabilitate criminals, and preventing future crimes.
Finally we have discovered the depths of ghastliness that an unrepentant hater must achieve before Barack Obama will willingly cut the cord.
And Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski, an Obama supporter, blew through that barrier on Saturday, faster than Dr. Jeremiah Wright could call Judaism a gutter religion.
From the Chicago Sun-Times:
On Saturday, two neighbor children were playing in the tree next-door to her house.Once again we can see ourselves creeping ever closer to the day when it will not be the intent of what is spoken that is most important, but rather the interpretation of those words, however fouled up that interpretation might be. Literally, every uttered word could be the sword on which you have to fall.
Ramirez-Sliwinski "came outside and told the children to quit playing in the tree like monkeys. The tree was not on Ramirez-Sliwinski's property," Carpentersville Police Commander Michael Kilbourne said.
Ramirez-Sliwinski admitted she used the word "monkeys," but said she did not intend racism. She said she was only trying to protect them from falling out of the tree.
"Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski said she saw the kids playing in the tree and didn't want them falling out of the tree and getting hurt. She said she calls her own grandchildren 'monkeys,' " Kilbourne said. The mother of one of the children did not see it that way, noting she and Ramirez-Sliwinski have clashed before.
"She felt it was racist because of the fact the children were African-American," Kilbourne said.
Michigan bureaucrats have decided that their financially strapped state is so needful of an "economic impact" that they are willing to lose money to get it. Not my words, mind you, but those of our esteemed lawyer-Governor, Jennifer Granholm, as she commented on Michigan's newly signed legislation that offers corporate welfare to the movie making and television industries--industries that will likely remain anchored to their current Hollywood community for their more important permanent jobs, while offering scrap-craving dog states such as Michigan their no-commitment transient work.
I suppose I should be thankful that the good governor hasn't decided to go out and break a leg or two because of our need for more health care.
Am I kidding? Not a chance.
State officials said the amount of state spending on movie and TV production credits will depend on the number and size of qualifying projects. The initial estimate on the cost to the state in the 2009 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, is about $19 million, said Deputy State Treasurer Scott Schrager.Conversely, if that work was not done here the state might save $19 million. By all means, lets get as much of that work as we can!
Although an analysis by the state Senate Fiscal Agency suggested the incentives are so generous the net effect could be a decline in state tax revenues, Granholm insisted the immediate economic impact from filmmakers is worth it.
"Without the tax credit ... (the) work just wouldn't be done here," she said.
I am only a modest proponent of the death penalty, which is to say, I can understand some of the arguments that are posed by opponents to the practice of putting to death the most hardened of criminals.
One of the arguments that I do not understand, however, is the adamant proclamation that prisoners held for life are suffering a fate worse than death.
These Casablanca terrorists do more for my argument than I ever could.
My 17 year old son has Asperger syndrome.
I had a discussion with him this weekend over his performance on the ACT test that he took just a few weeks ago. We still do not have the results back yet but I was interested to see what his impression was. He was quite adamant about the test being "opinionated." This was a word I would never have associated with a test that strives to be gender, race and socioeconomically neutral.
Despite all the best efforts of these high-level test designing educators, their test had achieved a resounding "thud" with my son. He was not impressed.
In the discussion I discovered what it was that had my son so decidedly put-off by the ACT. In vast swaths of the test, there are multiple choice questions where the person taking the test must provide the best possible answer of the choices provided.
This sort of question and answer does not fly with my son because he does not process information in that way--he is extremely literal. My son could simply not understand why the testers did not include the right answer in so many of these multiple choice questions. As far as he was concerned, if he could think of a better answer for the question, even one that was not provided, he was being forced to choose from four or five answers that were equally wrong. How he did on those questions is anyone's guess.
These are the types of unanticipated encounters that a parent must face when gently lifting a child with Asperger syndrome into adulthood. Had I been able to anticipate this little speed bump in the road, perhaps we could have navigated around it together.
This weekend I will be traveling to Grand Rapids to visit with what were, many years ago, enthusiastic college roommates. Now they are balding, overweight and slightly less enthused.
Posting will be light or non-existent until Monday. Posting about anything interesting will probably be many months away. I'm pacing myself.
This article from Dhimmi Watch highlights the sort of thing that torques me off.
Criminals are behind bars for a reason. They were found guilty of committing a crime and a crime that was serious enough that they were not given probation or a suspended sentence. When someone goes to prison he loses some basic rights. He cannot walk around freely. Privacy? Prison ain't Vegas, baby. And anyone going to the slammer can pretty much forget about the second amendment thing for a while too. Don't look to me, as a non-convicted felon, to feel too sorry for prisoners over the consequences of their poor judgments and current living situation.
Logistically speaking, prison is a place where accommodating every desire of every inmate is not only uncalled for, but simply impossible. When prisons start swimming in cash perhaps then they can assign a personal staff member for every inmate--someone to clean their cell, wash their clothes and rub their feet. Until that time prisoners can just suck it up.
So, you don't like meals being served at prayer time? Stay out of prison and you can eat whenever you want.
I know it is day-old news, but I was wondering if Kwame's $300 million stimulus package for Detroit might include one-way windows and sound proofing for the Manoogian Mansion. Holding parties in that drafty old barn is getting pretty darn expensive.
A little home improvement could perhaps save the city a cool $6.5 million over the remainder of Kilpatrick administration.
Please take a moment to read about a brave young man whose wish of becoming a soldier has come true.
h/t to McQ at QandO Blog
Absolut Vodka is owned by the V & S Group. Up until three days ago the V & S Group was wholly owned by the Swedish state. So, does it say anything about Sweden's attitude toward the United States when it launches an advertising campaign that includes this updated map of Mexico? 
I'm not much of a drinking man myself so my one-man boycott of Absolut will do zero to impact their bottom line.
I do, however, have email.
Michelle Malkin gets the credit and provides the following contact details:
Jeffrey Moran
Director of Public Relations and Events
The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.
1370 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
USA
Phone, direct: +1 212 641 87 20
E-mail: jeffrey.moran@absolut.com
I am no fan of the Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, and have criticized her repeatedly over the past couple of years for being wrong on nearly every issue concerning economics, employment and defense.
But on the most recent issue to grace the front page of the Detroit News, I am solidly on the side of the Senator, or will be, depending on what she decides to do with that cheating bum of a loser husband of hers. You know, Thomas Athans, the liberal co-founder of Democracy Radio and the man who once served as its CEO.
Perhaps no press conference will be forthcoming with Stabenow's husband because he holds no public office. In many ways this will make it worse on Stabenow because some will be looking to her, as the established politico, to respond, unlike the musical chair governors of New York who at least deserved the negative scrutiny their own wanton peccadilloes created.
I do hope though, for Senator Stabenow's sake, that Athans does get his moment in front of the camera.
And if he does, I hope Stabenow does not stand on any stage beside that philandering political creep if he makes an appearance. I do not want to see her nod in quiet agreement and fight back tears when he acknowledges that he did something wrong and is deeply sorry. I do not want to see Stabenow's sullen presence acknowledge that she understands his personal problem and supports his recovery from whatever evils haunt him. What I do hope that Debbie Stabenow does is let that worthless bastard stand on stage all by himself and explain how his carnal needs were allowed to transcend the needs of his family.
Call me judgmental.
I want to see him stammer all alone and bear the burden of his selfishness as an individual. In truth, I'd much rather see Debbie Stabenow knock that son of a bitch bloody with her purse than to see her ease his embarrassment one small portion. Let her accept his apology after the stitches have been pulled out of his swollen head.
I know, I know, this is a personal matter and the family will have to deal with it in the manner that they see fit, but the very least that that irresponsible and self-centered jerk deserves is a bloody lip and a black eye. And Debbie Stabenow, the wife, deserves the honor of giving it to him.
There are conflicting stories coming out of Mancelona today over why some 300 jobs at the Dura Automotive plant in that Antrim County city will be lost when the factory closes sometime before the end of the year. The conflict is between management and the union who continue to snipe at each other over the reasons for the closure.
This is a huge loss of jobs for Antrim County that can only boast a population of a little more than 23,000 people.
From the Traverse City Record-Eagle:“
Today, following the conclusion of discussions with the union, Dura has regretfully announced to employees the decision to cease all operations and close the Mancelona site,” said a statement issued by Theresa Skotak, vice president and chief administrative officer for Dura.Moot echoes of this argument might very well haunt the closed Mancelona factory for many years, long after displaced employees try their luck at finding work in states less choked by regulations, in companies lead by progressive management, and where they might be surrounded by other staff members who see themselves as an integral part of a financially healthy company rather than its adversary.
“While several factors were considered, a critical part of the decision was the inability of the company and the union to reach an agreement that would result in an economically viable business capable of remaining competitive in an extremely aggressive global supplier landscape.”
UAW officials objected to the company’s attempt to blame the union. They said the average pay rate at the plant is less than $14 per hour and more than a hundred Dura executives received bonuses during its financial problems.
“They just keep getting richer, but the workers have to pay to give them bonuses,” said Rob Naugle, international representative for union.
All you folks feeling sorry for Michigan and Detroit for being last in everything can relax a bit for Detroit has reached the pinnacle in at least one major educational measurement, 5.6% higher than its closest rival, Indianapolis.
And, whoever said that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is having a major negative impact on Detroit, and that the city would soon become recognized as a city of chumps and losers (if it wasn't already,) should be ashamed. Ooops, I guess I am a bit ashamed of myself at that.
Well, not to be too far distracted from the story at hand, Detroit has muscled its way to the top of the heap for the distinction of being the city whose public schools have the highest dropout rate among the 50 largest school districts in America. More than three quarters (75.1%) of all students entering Detroit public schools as freshmen drop out before graduating.
And that, my friends, is something you can build on.
