What about the children?

I'm confused. DeVos isn't elected to any office and he's criticized for not ending the strike? Granholm is criticized. "Children's education" is reasserted as paramount? But there is no mention that this strike is illegal and the teachers are breaking the law? Liberal-think. It's a scary thing.

Chronicle editorial:
disgrace: "Governor needed to intervene in strike
This being an election year, no politician wants to irritate special interest groups friendly to the cause. However, the Detroit teacher's strike wasn't about politics, it was about children's educations.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm was pretty much a non-player in the ongoing dispute, which passed the two-week mark before a judge stepped in and ordered teachers back to work. She needed to knock some heads together early on.
Nor did Granholm's opponent this fall, Republican candidate Dick DeVos, do much better. After days of silence, the DeVos campaign released a candidate statement late last week calling on the Legislature to change the laws on teacher strikes to allow a single parent in any school district to trigger sanctions. That was an extreme overreaction in our book, but at least it was a reaction.
Granholm's reluctance to engage the combatants in this fight could have had unintended consequences. One of the options before Wayne County Circuit Judge Susan Borman was to rule the current state law unconstitutional, leaving districts all over the state once again vulnerable to teacher walk-outs.
With forced negotiations now under way, it's better for teachers, districts and the children they serve to resolve this mess. And the governor needs to stand ready to help out. "

Classic liberal response from The Chronicle

Mayhem on the football field was a local disgrace: "A big problem turned out to be the lack of any security at the field, which should have been a requirement even if there had been no hints of the violence to come. Adding security at public events is a common-sense approach to avoiding potential problems, and is used by most organizations."
No blame to, or even mention of, the parents and thugs. Just blame to the "organization". "Organizations cause riots, not people".

Gas price conspiracy!

Some gasoline price facts for you conspiracy nuts. In every election from 1988 to 2004 (Presidential and off year) gasoline prices increased from June 31 to Oct 31. Except 1988 (no change) and Bush's election in 2000 (big decline in gas prices but not to anyone's real benefit since neither Bush or Gore were incumbents).
See the pattern? Neither do I.

Thank God for experts!

Let's see. Four months ago the experts told us "no way" gas prices will go down. I can't wait till their next prediction.....
Gas prices: No relief in sight - May. 19, 2006: "But given that the economy grew at a robust 4.8 percent in the first quarter, it's unlikely that $3 gas will lower demand enough to push gasoline prices back to $2.50 anytime soon."

A serious case of "don't get it".

Maybe it's because it's their job to make those decisions?
Message to editor: Don't insult readers: "GOP, Van Woerkom don't trust the voters
I don't think our state Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom trusts me, and neither do his fellow Republicans in the Senate. In fact, they don't seem to trust any of us. Why else would they suddenly decide to repeal the Single Business Tax (without much discussion or making any provisions for replacing the money) instead of putting it before the voters?
The SBT made up a large chunk of the state's operating fund, giving money to the public services we all use and depend on. This wasn't the first time the Republican-dominated Legislature has pushed through legislation that may or may not be a good idea.
I want a state senator in Lansing who is working for us, caring about us, acting on behalf of constituents, not in lieu of them. I'm voting for Julie Dennis in November.
Gordon Gutowski
Muskegon "

What a combo!

My Way - Sports News: "Roger Federer and Tiger Woods broke open two bottles of Dom Perignon and toasted - to a growing friendship, greatness and Grand Slams.
With his new best pal watching from a corner box, Federer rocketed a final forehand past Andy Roddick, then fell to his knees and flopped onto his back. He'd won his third straight U.S. Open title in convincing fashion, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 Sunday.
When it was over, Federer returned to the locker room, cracked open the champagne and spent an hour with perhaps the only other athlete on the planet who understands such sheer domination. "

Didn't see this in the Chronicle

Dick DeVos For Governor: "While Alticor makes products in Michigan and sells them in 80 countries and territories around the world, Governor Granholm's Small Business Jobs Recruiter owns a factory in China that exports products to the U.S.
Under Governor Granholm, Michigan buys Chinese-made Keno pencils for the Michigan lottery. (Detroit News; 6/26/05)
The Governor also supports MEGA grants that give incentives to Ford and GM while they are expanding operations overseas.
Because she has no political motivation to attack these Michigan companies, she only attacks Dick DeVos and Alticor. "

ITB Graduation Speech by LTC Randolph C. White Jr.

With 9-11 anniversery coming up how can we not feel safer knowing these fine men will protect us. Pass this one on.
Infantry Videos
I've watched it many times. What a leader!

Special election to fill DeLay seat set for Nov. 7

Sounds like the GOPers trumped the happless Demos once again.
Special election to fill DeLay seat set for Nov. 7: "Gov. Rick Perry ordered on Tuesday a special election for the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay to coincide with the general election Nov. 7, when only two months will remain on DeLay's term."

They wonder why we don't trust them any more...

Not the hole truth Herald Sun: "It's bad enough that friends of Hezbollah terrorists could trick so many journalists with just a tall story and a rusty Lebanese ambulance.
Worse is that some of those journalists seemed so eager to believe this ambulance was indeed wickedly blown up by an Israeli missile fired straight through the big red cross on its roof -- leaving not even a scorch mark.
But worst is that even now that this hoax has been exposed, none of the countless writers and commentators who fell for it have admitted to passing on as fact the propaganda of terrorists. "

"Hey, it's just a first draft!"

The Worst Analogies Ever Written in a High School Essay: "From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and 'Jeopardy' comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30. "

Granholm, terrorist enabler?

Chilling! Read the entire report.
Debbie Schlussel: "That is, unless you believe tourists take a bevy of photos of grates of a bridge, showing the bridge supports below, as reported by skilled WJRT-TV Flint investigative reporter Jeff Piechowski. Tourism photos? Hardly. So why did the Michigan State Police Chief lie? All politics. He works for Michigan lefty Governor Jennifer Granholm, who is in the back pocket of Michigan's Islamofascist community"

Another dumb #%^&%** pilot...caught on tape!

Be sure to have the sound on and watch all the way to the amazing end as this corporate jet becomes a jet-boat!
YouTube - Citation Runway over shoot into Atlanta Bay

Ethanol a fraud?

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BLOG - Solar-Energy-Wind-Power.com: Is Ethanol / E85 Fuel the Solution?: So is E85 fuel the answer to America's (and the world's) addiction to oil?"

American Taliban

Inside Higher Ed :: Throwing in the Towel: "The constant calls, the people frightening his children, and the demonstrations in front of his home apparently became a little too much."

Broder "Thanks a lot, Democrats"

"What was lost [with the new Democratic plan for early primaries in Nevada and South Carolina] was any sense of public deliberation about the choice of the next president. In the general election, people have two months or more to evaluate two or maybe three candidates. In the early primaries, eight or 10 people may be vying. What is most needed is time -- and a place -- for them to be carefully examined. Historically, New Hampshire has fulfilled that responsibility. Voters there -- in both parties and especially among the numerous independents who also vote in the primary -- take their role seriously. They turn up at town meetings and they ask probing questions.... [But now] the country will be forced to witness the huge field of candidates flashing by in perpetual motion during the December holidays and the frantic first weeks of January, not standing still anywhere long enough to be measured for the job they are trying to win. Thanks a lot, Democrats" -- Washington Post columnist David Broder on the Democratic Party's plan to increase "diversity" by scheduling a more crowded slate of early primary races.

No Hoosegow Honeys here

MLive.com: Newslogs: "Two inmates commandeered a garbage truck Thursday and drove through a fence at a state prison in Muskegon during a failed escape "

It's not just looks!

iowahawk: Miss Hoosegow 2006: "So please review the cavalcade of incarcerated corn country cuties, and vote for the one that sets your heart a-twitter."

This is big!

WSJ.com - Scientists Use Gene Therapy To Shrink Malignant Tumors: "For the first time in the history of treating cancer, gene therapy has apparently succeeded in shrinking and even eradicating large, metastatic tumors."

Harley vs Honda

Turn up the sound!
http://www.bmcycles.com/harleyVShonda.swf

Ebonics 101

Underground HipHop 4 Dummies: Rap Lyrics Translated / Rapping For Dummies / How to Rap for Dummies: "Lyrics:

And my jam knock in the Mitsubishi

Girls pee pee when they see me, Nava-hoes creep me in they tee pee

As I lay down laws like I lay carpet

Stop it - if you think your gonna make a profit

TRANSLATION:

I enjoy playing my music loudly on my car stereo. Apparently, women enjoy this also because they become sexually aroused when they see me driving. Oddly enough, when I visit the Native American reservations, some of the more sexually promiscuous Indian women attempt to seduce me in their homes. Their intent is to divest me of my earnings. Such actions are unacceptable."

Democrats quash free speech!

Tapscott’s Copy Desk: "With a 3-3 vote featuring Democrat commissioners supporting the silencing of political speech against congressional incumbents and Republican commissioners in favoring of allowing it, the Federal Elections Commission has now made it official - As required by the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, there can be no paid political broadcast ads criticizing incumbent Members of Congress for the two months prior to the Nov. 7 election.
This is the ultimate form of Incumbent Protection Act, short of repealing elections.

More insight

Airdisaster.Com Forums -Plane crashes at Blue Grass Airport: "About human factors... "

Interesting insight

Airdisaster.Com Forums -Plane crashes at Blue Grass Airport: "There are a myriad of reasons they should have identified this as being the improper runway. "

"You want undercoating with that?

#176113: "Dealership probe finds allegations of fraud
An investigation that has focused on the Discovery Ford dealership in Whitehall Township has uncovered what authorities described Friday as "widespread fraud. "

Granholm catering to the murderer lobby

Come on. Seven years is a long time. Heck, she only murdered him. I bet her husband was a real ass....probably deserved it....they only used an ax.......
Dying prisoner must wait a month for hearing: "Gov. Jennifer Granholm asked the parole board to reconsider its earlier vote against releasing Ringleka. The board set the hearing in September, Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said, because someone objected to the governor's request that it waive the usual 30-day waiting period....
Ringleka, 56, has served seven years of a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to second degree murder in the 1999 death of her husband, Howard, of Stanton.Ringleka, 56, of Stanton, was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison in October 2000 after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of her husband, Howard. Her father and stepmother said she was abused by her husband. Her lover, Weldon Mosby, and a hitman they hired, Eric McMurtry, of Detroit, are serving life in prison for the ax murder. A third man, Jerome Gass, of Detroit, is serving 9 1/2 to 15 years for his part in the slaying.

A religion of peace....

This "religion of peace" will surely overcome any nation of appeasers.
click on the link below. It takes a bit of time but worth the chilling result.

http ://www.youtube.com/v/-HlaVpqUXF0

I'm wonderin'....

Would The Chronicle's editorial be so.....understanding, if a GOPer was governor? Yeah, right....
Eagle-Ottawa had long, proud history in Grand Haven: "While some might decry the shutdown as a sign of Michigan's weakness, the plant's owners forthrightly admitted that nothing could have kept the production lines rolling. Company officials told union leaders that neither restructuring of wages nor benefits would have saved the plant. "

Clueless?

WSJ.com - Great Alaska Shoot Out: "Alaska is among the most Republican states in the country, and maybe that explains why incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski finished third in Tuesday's GOP primary, with a mere 19% of the vote. We're hard-pressed to remember an incumbent anytime, anywhere receiving that small a share of the vote, and it's a warning to office holders everywhere about the sour public mood."
Let me help you out. 4 incumbents dumped. 2 GOPer, 2 demos. 3 of the 4 moved left. GONE! This isn't anti incumbent (as the leftist MSM touts), it's anti-leftist politician. Leiberman will beat his leftist opponent in Connecticut to complete the sweep. America remains on course!

Nifty AirFair 2006 photo

P-38 Lightning & F-16 Fighting Falcon

The new Neville Chamberlains!

Kudlow's Money Politic$: "'The price to pay for racial profiling is too high,' Dennis Parker of the American Civil Liberties Union told a news conference. 'All people should be treated in the same way regardless of their race, their ethnicity or their religion.'"

Canadians want "American Style Health Care"?

Kudlow's Money Politic$: Privatized Canadian Health Care?: "Canadian doctors have given their blessing to patients having the option of purchasing private health insurance as a possible solution to the problem of not getting timely medically necessary treatment in the public system..."
"You can get that MRI in two years, eh. Of course a funeral might be less expensive, eh."

There they go again.......

United Press International - Russian scientist predicts global cooling: "A Russian scientist predicts a period of global cooling in coming decades, followed by a warmer interval. "

Hey, Howard Dean and Fat MikeMoore can't blow hot air forever....

Anyone think...

Anyone think these "events" by "innocent" muslims are just moles testing our system? And does anyone think our security folks are following them back into their holes? Can't do that! Profiling, you know.....
2 Jets Diverted for Security Reasons: "We're responding to determine the cause of the diversion. It's going to take a number of hours for passengers to be interviewed,' Marcinkiewicz said. "

Bush's fault?

Look for this report in The Chronicle.....yeah, right....
Global warming boost to glaciers: "warmer winters and cooler summers, combined with more snow and rainfall, could be causing some mountain glaciers to increase in size. "

Voodoo economics?...

I don't know if the Whitehall teachers are underpaid or overpaid. The real amount is a secret from the taxpayers. But I do recognize voodoo when the witchdoctor starts pokin' me with his/her spear....
How 'bout this. We taxpayers will OK the 2.5%/per year raise if 50% of the highschool seniors can compute what 2.5% compounds up to over 3 years(*). Shouldn't be too tough given the stellar job our teachers are doing, right?
Teachers' pact includes 2.5% raise, sharing of health costs: "The tentative contract calls for 2.5 percent salary increases for teachers in each of the three years of the contract, including retroactive to the 2005-06 school year, and 177 student days and 185.5 teacher days for the next two school years. The number of student days remained the same as the 2005-06 school year and the number of teacher days was reduced by one.
Teachers will keep their union-affiliated MESSA Supercare I health insurance, but they will share in some of the costs for the low-deductible Blue Cross plan. "
(*7.7% increase over 2 year's ago. Not too bad for 185.5 days work...less sick days. personal days, etc.)

Junk science on the march!

Clock's ticking for phosphorus on Ottawa lawns: "Commissioner Jane Ruiter of Ferrysburg spoke in support.
'It's very reasonable,' she said. 'A more comprehensive plan would be desirable, but it is a good start.' "
They are warning us. Are we listening?

Another reason we should privatize as much as we can!

Imagine how this would be reported if a private company had allowed this series of sewage spills....
Sewage spill contaminates Mona Lake, Little Black Creek: "The Muskegon County Health Department has advised residents to avoid contact with Mona Lake and Little Black Creek west of Getty Street, following a Thursday evening sewage spill at a county wastewater pump station. "

Please pardon my lack of compassion....

Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: TRAPPED ON FLIGHT 63: "The flight was due to leave Gatwick for Havana "

Interesting letter to the Chronicle

not likely to get published. Free speech for me...but not for thee....
They can't handle the truth!

Mr. David Kolb,

James Q. Wilson, (teacher at Harvard, UCLA, and Pepperdine) in the Wall Street Journal of August 21, says that even if the wiretapping is considered against the FISA act, it is definitely not unconstitutional. The Constitution was never intended to be a suicide pact and the ACLU has no standing to bring the suit unless they can prove they were adversely affected. The FISA act can easily be righted by passage of another law by Congress.
If this is unconstitutional in time of war, then how can we open mail, detain suspected terrorists, and inspect any packages or baggage of people entering this country?

Now you have to get on the case of Christians for not getting up in arms about the persecution of same by Chinese Communists. If you would read Christian publications like "World Magazine", you would know that this subject has been brought up time and again over the years by them and other Christian publications.
It was because of the ceaseless reporting of the atrocities against Christians by Muslims in Africa that it was finally picked up by the mainstream media and was finally then determined to be a real problem.
"World" has also stated that at this time in history, more Christians are being persecuted and killed for their faith than at any time in history. I haven't seen that reported in the mainstream media either.
So maybe if you would get your nose out of the liberal hate blogs and read something else you could come up with more balanced editorials.

Sincerely,

Stephen H. Sikkenga

The people have spoken!

Alaska Governor Latest Incumbent Ousted: "The defeat of Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski in Alaska's GOP primary may have resulted from missteps throughout his first term - but vulnerable incumbents should take heed, political observers said Wednesday."
Classy commentary by "political experts". The moke finished last in a 3 way race and this "journalist" suggests he may have pissed off his constituents? Brilliant analysis........

Another giant ripoff of citizens by the education establishment

Jeepers, how tough would it be to find out why these worthless books cost so much? Maybe the monopoly and educator's ethics out of whack?
SCRIMP AND SAVE 101: Students battle book prices
By the numbers
$75= Average cost of a college textbook.
$801 to $904=Amount the average student spends on textbooks each year.

Is a safer HumVee in the offing?

Breast implants save Israeli woman The Daily Telegraph: "ONE Israeli woman has received an unexpected boost from her breast implants during the Lebanon war "the silicone embeds saved her life during a Hezbollah rocket attack, a doctor said today."
Hey. Just wonderin'....if they save just one life.....?

Proof of the value of our primary election process.

George Allen was my early favorite to snag the GOP nomination. Good thing he was weeded out early.
OpinionJournal - The Western Front: "Mr. Allen himself said, somewhat convincingly, that he didn't know what the word 'macaca' meant when he used it. "
Yeah. Right.... He's toast.

Going around on the internet.

Wasn't President Bush the first to "touch the third rail" of SS reform? And aren't the democrats proud of their obstruction?

Our Social Security
Many years ago in Seattle, two wonderful neighbors, Elliott and Patty Roosevelt came to my home to swim on a regular basis. They were a great couple full of laughter and stories that today I continue to marvel at. Both are now deceased, but their stories remain. During the years of our friendship we had many, many discussions about Elliott's parents (President Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt) and how his father and mother never intended for the Social Security and Welfare programs to turn out the way they are today. Elliott used to say that if his parents returned to earth and saw what the politicians had done to their programs they would have burned all of them in hell.
Here is a story I received today regarding the Social Security Program and I immediately thought of Elliott's comments. I Hope you will read this and think about it.
_____________________________________________
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,
3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,
4.) That the money the participants put into the independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the General operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to "put away" -- you may be interested in the following:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent "Trust Fund" and put it into the General fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically controlled House and Senate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!

Don't forget Abramoff and his democrat friends

Captain's Quarters: "When the Democrats adopted the 'culture of corruption' meme as their campaign theme earlier this year, we noted that the culture hardly respected party lines. The leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, Harry Reid, took contributions from clients of Jack Abramoff and intervened on their behalf at least four times, and Abramoff hired one of Reid's staffers and started holding fundraisers for the Senate Minority Leader in Abramoff's offices."

Down the drain?

(Muskegon Heights H. S. another wallet grabber)
Taxpayers! Grab you wallets on this one! Add up the numbers on this ripoff and they'll have to sell the "condos" for $400,00 just to break even.......Unless Uncle Sam and Aunt Jennie pony up some of your moolah for "subsidies"........
Heights tries to put condos on sewage site: "A former Muskegon Heights city councilman, Lottie was the longtime affirmative action officer for the city of Muskegon. "

Yeah, right.

My Way News - Crash of Russian Passenger Jet Kills 170: "The crash 'was not a terrorist attack,' said Leonid Belyayev, acting director of Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry in St. Petersburg."
Maybe accident. Maybe terrorist. But since Leonid and everyone else has no real clue about what brought the plane down, why do they lie so transparently?

Citicide Detroit-style...

Detroit teachers rally ahead of possible strike vote: "School is scheduled to start Sept. 5 for the approximately 130,000 students in the district, which is the largest employer in the city."
One constant in every story about teachers is the aversion to report any facts about teacher compensation. The liberal MSM always assures us that if teachers want more....well, it is for the children after all, right?

Citicide in Muskegon Heights

Heights city council gives rare 'no' to business breaks: "When asked by Councilwoman Bonnie McGlothin, Dorato told the council that only one of his employees is a Heights resident.
City residents pay a 1 percent income tax. Nonresidents pay 0.5 percent. "
If there was ever any hope for the Heights, it ended when they passed the city income tax. I wonder if the Councilwoman would have voted for the tax break if the employees were residents. Otherwise, why ask the question?

Granholm... pathetic....

Granholm calls for review of state prison health care system: "Critics say the Legislature, governor and correction officials have failed to properly oversee the 190 million dollars a year the state spends on prison medical care."
Can we really afford 4 more years of this gross incompetence?

Unintended consequences?

Anyone think that a whole bunch of small firms that used to cover prescriptions for their employees are gonna drop their coverage. Soon?
Firms must pay for birth control, Michigan Civil Rights Commission rules : "Small businesses that offer comprehensive prescription coverage but fail to cover birth control are violating the state's civil rights act and could be forced to change their policies under a ruling Monday by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission."

The MSM kinda buried this one, eh?

Imagine if Kilpatrick was a white mayor. Would the MSM play it a bit louder?
Feud divides Democrats: "The feud between Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's supporters and opponents remains a festering wound in the Democratic Party that could threaten its ability to deliver a strong voter turnout needed in Detroit to notch wins in statewide November elections."

Men in cell phone case still jailed

Men in cell phone case still jailed: "But the Palestinian-American men now each face one count of conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and carrying out an unlawful activity involving a financial transaction. They each could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the federal charges."