Something to hide?-------Scramble for an administrator in Muskegon County after top manager leaves a week early

Scramble for an administrator in Muskegon County after top manager leaves a week early | MLive.com:

A top Muskegon County official who left more than a week early sent county commissioners scrambling to find a replacement.

Heath Kaplan, the county's interim administrator -- previously its finance and management services director – left the building Tuesday, Aug. 5.

Kaplan had another job lined up and had already given Muskegon County notice, but his last day was supposed to be Aug. 13.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Ken Mahoney said he and the other board members hadn't asked Kaplan to leave early.

"It was kind of a mutual decision," Mahoney said. 

In a committee meeting Thursday, the board decided to vote on a new interim director, and a proposal to give the county treasurer's office oversight of its finances at its upcoming meeting Aug. 12.

Widening the gap of non-elected staff leadership, two other top administrators have left recent months. Grants Coordinator Judy Kell retired effective June 24.
Muskegon County Administrator Bonnie Hammersley's last day of work in the county was June 20, after accepting a new job in North Carolina.
Kaplan's absence was felt at a two-hour meeting on Thursday, just as a draft budget document, thick as a telephone book, arrived on the commissioners' desks.
One item was pulled off the agenda for the Thursday committee meeting because of his departure. In a second case, Commissioner Bob Scolnik said he wanted more information about a project's cost but didn't know where to turn.
"I don't have anybody to ask," he said. "I'm just concerned.""

Water and air are all you need to make one of world’s most important chemicals

Water and air are all you need to make one of world’s most important chemicals | Ars Technica:
Researchers have developed a method to produce ammonia starting only with air and water. 
Not only is it more energy efficient than the century-old Haber-Bosch process that’s currently in use, but it’s also greener.
The ability to mass produce Ammonia—made up of three parts hydrogen and one part nitrogen (or NH3)—has had a momentous impact on society.
Without the ready availability of this chemical, it is estimated that as many as a third of us won't be alive.
This is because its main use is in fertilizer production, which has helped improve crop yields and sustain a large population.
...Licht's method claims to use only two-thirds of the energy of the Haber-Bosch process.
Along with the elimination of the need to produce hydrogen from natural gas, the overall carbon emissions are reduced quite significantly.
The whole process also takes place at milder conditions (Haber-Bosch needs 450°C and 200-times atmospheric pressure).
....And yet, if something more efficient can replace the Haber-Bosch process, it would lower the energy input of the production of one of the world's most important chemicals and lead to a notable reduction in global CO2 emissions.

History for August 12

History for August 12 - On-This-Day.com:
Cecil B. DeMille 1881, Jane Wyatt 1912, William Goldman 1931,





Parnelli Jones 1933, George Hamilton 1939, Pete Sampras 1971 

1676 - "King Phillip's War" came to an end with the killing of Indian chief King Phillip. The war between the Indians and the Europeans lasted for two years. 


1851 - Isaac Singer was issued a patent on the double-headed sewing machine. 


1865 - Disinfectant was used for the first time during surgery by Joseph Lister. 


1867 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson sparked a move to impeach him when he defied Congress by suspending Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. 


1877 - Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording. 


1898 - The Spanish-American War was ended with the signing of the peace protocol. The U.S. acquired Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Hawaii was also annexed. 


1918 - Regular airmail service began between Washington, DC, and New York City. 


1953 - The Soviet Union secretly tested its first hydrogen bomb. 


1985 - A Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 crashed into a mountain killing 520 people. 


1992 - The U.S., Canada, and Mexico announced that the North American Free Trade Agreement had been created after 14 months of negotiations. 


1993 - U.S. President Clinton lifted the ban on rehiring air traffic controllers that had been fired for going on strike in 1981. 

Nation Whose Leader Says Israel Is ‘Keeping Hitler’s Spirit Alive’ Evacuates Wounded Palestinians from Gaza | TheBlaze.com

Nation Whose Leader Says Israel Is ‘Keeping Hitler’s Spirit Alive’ Evacuates Wounded Palestinians from Gaza | TheBlaze.com:
“What is the difference between what Nazis and Hitler did and what this Israeli administration is doing now?” Erdogan asked, reported IBT. “Israeli genocide is reminiscent of Hitler’s holocaust because of acting with the same immorality as Hitler.”


REALLY?

If You Think Obama's Support For Radical Islam Is Bad, What He Just Did Is A New Low

If You Think Obama's Support For Radical Islam Is Bad, What He Just Did Is A New Low:
"I’m of course speaking of the first ever African Summit held by the Obamas in Washington. The U.K.’s Daily Mail printed this headline earlier today: Obama’s monsters ball: How the White House opened its doors to some of Africa’s most evil dictators and homophobes and turned blind eye to their human rights record."

Isis suicide bombing instructor blows up his own class by accident

Isis suicide bombing instructor blows up his own class by accident - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk:
"An Isis commander at a terrorist training camp north of Baghdad accidentally detonated a belt packed with explosives during a demonstration in front of a group militants on Monday, killing himself and 21 nearby trainees.
The accident was a source of dark humour for locals, with suicide attacks in public spaces having become an almost daily occurrence in Iraq."

Is the Media Biased Against Israel? S.E. Cupp Battles ‘Condescension’ of Arab American Institute President | TheBlaze.com

Is the Media Biased Against Israel? S.E. Cupp Battles ‘Condescension’ of Arab American Institute President | TheBlaze.com:
"TheBlaze’s own S.E. Cupp engaged in a war of words with the president of the Arab American Institute on CNN’S “Reliable Sources” Sunday morning.
Cupp contended that the media displays tacit anti-Israel, pro-Hamas bias every time the Gaza conflict is covered and reporters don’t mention a crucial fact: the Hamas charter calls for the destruction of the state of Israel."

Our government at war with its citizens---------Carrying a gun way worse than beating your wife

Carrying a gun way worse than beating your wife: Column:
This is the loopy view of one New Jersey judge and prosecutor.
When Ray Rice beat his wife unconscious in an elevator, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Michael Donio and New Jersey District Attorney Jim McClain agreed to put him in a diversion program for 1st-time offenders to keep him out of jail. 
But when Pennsylvania single mom Shaneen Allen was pulled over for a traffic violation and volunteered to a New Jersey police officer that she was carrying a legally-owned handgun with a Pennsylvania permit, the response of Donis and McClain was to deny her the same opportunity as Rice.
Allen lives in Philadelphia, right across the river from New Jersey. She has a Pennsylvania permit to carry a handgun. She thought it was recognized in New Jersey, just as it is recognized in over 30 other states. She was wrong. When she told the officer that she had the gun, she was arrested.
Now she faces a felony conviction and a mandatory 42 months in prison. Both Donio and McClain have been unwilling to dismiss the charges, or send Allen to a pretrial diversion program. They seem to want to make an example of her.
The problem is, she's being punished for something the Constitution says -- and the Supreme Court has agreed -- is a constitutional right. And the super-stiff penalties and abusive prosecution she's experiencing are pretty clearly intended to chill people from exercising that right. 
The Washington Post's Radley Balko quotes anti-gun activist Bryan Miller gloating over this result: "Fortunately, the notoriety of this case will make it less likely Pennsylvanians will carry concealed and loaded handguns in New Jersey, thereby making them and the Garden State safer from gun violence,"
Well, no. Shaneen Allen wasn't committing gun violence, and civilians with gun permits are a very law-abiding bunch, who have passed a background check and undergone training; no sensible state would want to discourage them from visiting.

Ain't gonna need birth control soon------California debates 'yes means yes' sex assault law

California debates 'yes means yes' sex assault law - New York News:
SAN DIEGO (AP) - College students have heard a similar refrain for years in campaigns to stop sexual assault: No means no.
Now, as universities around the country that are facing pressure over the handling of rape allegations adopt policies to define consensual sex, California is poised to take it a step further. Lawmakers are considering what would be the first-in-the-nation measure requiring all colleges that receive public funds to set a standard for when "yes means yes."
......Legislation passed by California's state Senate in May and coming before the Assembly this month would require all schools that receive public funds for student financial assistance to set a so-called "affirmative consent standard" that could be used in investigating and adjudicating sexual assault allegations. 
That would be defined as "an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision" by each party to engage in sexual activity.
Silence or lack of resistance does not constitute consent. 
The legislation says it's also not consent if the person is drunk, drugged, unconscious or asleep.

The Man Who Said the Constitution is a Flawed Document Now Suggests This

The Man Who Said the Constitution is a Flawed Document Now Suggests This:
"It’s no secret that Barack Obama views the Constitution as a flawed document that gets in the way of implementing his far-left, Marxist based agenda. After all, he has said as much himself. But, now, he is doubling down on vocalizing his disdain for anyone and anything that attempts to hold him to the confines of the Executive Branch as designed by our Founders in our system of government."

Competition? We don't need no stinkin' competition!-------Proposed Comcast deal could reshape state cable TV market

Proposed Comcast deal could reshape state cable TV market | Crain's Detroit Business:
"A $45 billion acquisition proposed by Comcast Corp. could completely reshape the Michigan cable TV market — affecting thousands of local jobs, hundreds of thousands of customers, tens of millions of dollars in local asset investments, and various community programs.
The Federal Communications Commission last month started its 180-day review clock on the all-stock acquisition deal for Philadelphia-based Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) to buy New York City-based Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC), and Comcast still hopes to close on the deal by year's end.
But to appease federal regulators, a side deal for Comcast to shed 3.9 million customers and come in below a 30 percent market share among U.S. cable households after the acquisition will mean turning over nearly all its Michigan customers to a new, as-yet unnamed public company formed by St. Louis-based Charter Communications.

Angry Reactions After Town Opts to Rename ‘Kennedy Center’ in Honor of Another President. (Hint: He’s Still Alive.) | TheBlaze.com

Angry Reactions After Town Opts to Rename ‘Kennedy Center’ in Honor of Another President. (Hint: He’s Still Alive.) | TheBlaze.com:
 "A building in a central New Jersey town named after President John F. Kennedy is getting a new moniker very soon."

Prescient? Yup!

Remember how happy the Muskegon libs were when Barry's EPA czar bumped the CO2 regs?------------Agreement: Taxable value of B.C. Cobb plant to drop nearly 80 percent

Agreement: Taxable value of B.C. Cobb plant to drop nearly 80 percent | MLive.com:
"The two sides have been negotiating since September the value of the plant on the shores of Muskegon Lake that is set to close in 2016.
The settlement places the cash value at $24 million in 2014, $20 million in 2015 and $11 million in 2016. That makes the taxable values $12 million, $10 million and $5.5 million, respectively.
The agreement also calls for Consumers Energy to make payments to the city of $100,000 in 2014 and 2015 and $25,000 in 2016 to help pay for "essential services," which are police and fire.
The settlement avoids the two parties' further costs associated with taking the case to the Michigan Tax Tribunal for a ruling on their differences, said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson.
"If we went to tax appeal and lost, we wouldn't have been awarded an essential services fee," Peterson said.
The city commission will vote on the proposal Tuesday, Aug. 12, and then it will be forwarded to the Tax Tribunal for approval.
Earlier agreements set the taxable value of the power plant at $95.7 million in 2009, dropping to $60 million in 2012 and $26 million in 2013.
City assessors had placed the value at $134.5 million in 2009."

Homicide or Accident in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Scandal?

Homicide or Accident in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Scandal? - The Daily Beast:
Three-time champ Tony Stewart is reviled—and beloved—for his take-no-prisoners, borderline-unhinged attitude. But we may never know whether he hit Kevin Ward deliberately.

....The caution flag came out, but an irate Ward, instead of getting back in his car and getting it to safety, headed toward the center of the track, jabbing his finger and presumably looking to challenge Stewart. After nearly being hit by the two preceding vehicles, Ward was clipped by the back wheel of Stewart’s car and dragged and sent flying into the air. Forty-five minutes later, he was dead.

.....The question being asked now is whether there was any intent on Stewart’s part. In the video above, it appears that right before he collided with Ward, Stewart gunned his engine, causing the car to swerve or at least fishtail.

There may be a number of reasons for such a move beyond pure malice. 

Two Republican Leaders Make the Same Dire Prediction: The Caliphate Is Coming to America | TheBlaze.com

Two Republican Leaders Make the Same Dire Prediction: The Caliphate Is Coming to America | TheBlaze.com:
“If you read what they’re saying, we are the enemy, they want to destroy us,” he said. “They are getting stronger all the time. Their goal, as they have stated time after time, is the destruction of the United States of America.”

Race war!------MUST SEE VIDEO, Posts, TWEETS----Social Media Captures a Full Blown Race Riot in Ferguson, Missouri

Social Media Captures a Full Blown Race Riot in Ferguson, Missouri:

"As we reported earlier, the community in Ferguson, Missouri, was outraged after an unarmed teenager was shot and killed by police.

Protests reached a crescendo Sunday night that broke into violence, looting, and reports of gun shots.

Police responded with tear gas, and have arrested many, but for many hours into the evening, several stores were left to the mercy of opportunistic looters.
Social media caught much of the chaos:"

BREAKING!-----Coup underway in Iraq Confirmed. Video added

Coup underway in Iraq Confirmed. Video added « Hot Air:
Iraq’s parliament just chose a new President who refused to rename Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki to a third term. Maliki declared the move unconstitutional and his own State of Law Party pulled support from him. Now his forces are seizing government buildings in Iraq, have closed the airport, and are surrounding the Green Zone.
His speech refusing to step down occurred at midnight and was followed by the military action.

Rumour mill is spinning wildly in baghdad. people are saying that there was just an explosion in president's compound

— Zaid Al-Ali (@zalali) August 10, 2014

Scary reports from Baghdad. Special Forces out in force, Green Zone shut down. Heavy military presence outside Presidential palace & ISCI HQ

— Hayder al-Khoei (@Hayder_alKhoei) August 10, 2014

Tuition up, support down: Has college finally broken the bank?

Tuition up, support down: Has college finally broken the bank? | Crain's Detroit Business:

	FY 1994	FY 2004	FY 2012	FY 2013	FY 2014	Percent change
Average tuition	3,246	5,973	10,416	10,766	11,142	243.25%
Total state enrollment	215,655	250,841	268,327	267,388	N/A	23.99%
State appropriations per FYE student	5,391	5,714	4,499	4,650		-13.73%
Total state appropriation	1.16M	1.43M	1.21M	1.24M	1.27M	8.84%
Total state appropriation in 2013 dollars	1.85B	1.81B	1.25B	1.26B	N/A	-31.65%
Total university general fund budgets	2.34B	3.79B	5.52B	5.76B	N/A	145.99%
Total tuition/fee revenue going to university GF budgets	1.02B	2.05B	3.88B	4.07B		299.85%
Percentage of total university general fund budgets	43.47%	54.11%	70.25%	70.65%

Sources: Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency; Michigan House Fiscal Agency; Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan.

History for August 11

History for August 11 - On-This-Day.com:
Jerry Falwell 1933, Virna Lisi 1937, Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea 1953 


1874 - A patent for the sprinkler head was given to Harry S. Parmelee. 


1896 - Harvey Hubbell received a patent for the electric light bulb socket with a pull-chain. 


1934 - Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay, received federal prisoners for the first time. 


1941 - The Atlantic Charter was signed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 


1942 - During World War II, Pierre Laval publicly announced "the hour of liberation for France is the hour when Germany wins the war." 


1984 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan was preparing for his weekly radio broadcast when, during testing of the microphone, the President said of the Soviet Union, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you that I just signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." 


1992 - In Bloomington, MN, the Mall of America opened. It was the largest shopping mall in the United States. 


2002 - US Airways announced that it had filed for bankruptcy.

Hamas Rules: Journalists in Gaza Have to Play by Them | CNS News

Hamas Rules: Journalists in Gaza Have to Play by Them | CNS News:
"Also scarce in the major media: stories about Hamas deploying civilians as human shields, storing missiles in mosques and UN schools, setting up command posts in hospitals, using ambulances to ferry terrorists to battle, and children to dig tunnels -- with at least 160 killed in the process. And how many stories have you seen about humanitarian supplies flowing from Israel to Gaza in the midst of this bloody conflict and the hundreds of Gazans treated in Israeli hospitals?
The explanation: Hamas restricts what journalists in Gaza may film, photograph and even write about. "

Conservatives Are Greatest Threat To Nation, Obama Suggests

Conservatives Are Greatest Threat To Nation, Obama Suggests | The Daily Caller:
"“Our politics are dysfunctional… societies don’t work if political factions take maximalist positions,” said Obama, who repeatedly claims to be a moderate stymied by the GOP’s supposed obstructionism and radicalism.
“And the more diverse the country is, the less it can afford to take maximalist positions,” Obama added.
That comment about diversity was likely a warning to conservatives, who are expected by many Democrats to lose power as the nation absorbs more foreigners who do not share conservatives’ small-government ideals.
“Increasingly politicians are rewarded for taking the most extreme maximalist positions… and sooner or later, that catches up with you,” Obama warned.
The GOP was first on the list of causes that Obama blamed for the political divisions that are blocking his agenda, such as increased immigration. However, his list also included a series of subsidiary causes that are actually consequences of underlying ideological conflicts and economic factors.
“While he blamed the rise of the Republican far right for extinguishing so many potential compromises, Obama also acknowledged that gerrymandering, the Balkanization of the news media and uncontrolled money in politics — the guts of our political system today — are sapping our ability to face big challenges together, more than any foreign enemy,” said Friendman, who is an Obama supporter, and a champion of progressive-style expansive government.
Obama and Friedman did not put any blame on the Democratic Party or Obama himself, whose own aggressive use of big-government to promote the progressive goal of social diversity caused voters in 2010 to give the Republicans a majority in the House."