Friday, March 28, 2008
Census report: Motown lost more people than any city
Census report: Motown lost more people than any city: "Detroit lost more than three times as many people as any other metro area -- its population declined more than 27,300"
Granholm signs levy zoo tax bill
Granholm signs levy zoo tax bill: "Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed legislation allowing voters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to decide whether to use a property tax to help fund the Detroit Zoo.
The measure gives counties the power to form zoological authorities that will seek voter approval of a tax to support local zoos."
The measure gives counties the power to form zoological authorities that will seek voter approval of a tax to support local zoos."
Gore's Message To Climate Change Skeptics, Tells 60 Minutes That Doubting Global Warming Is Man-Made Is Akin To Believing Earth Is Flat
Gore's Message To Climate Change Skeptics, Tells 60 Minutes That Doubting Global Warming Is Man-Made Is Akin To Believing Earth Is Flat
"Al Gore says those who still doubt that global warming is caused by man - among them, Vice President Dick Cheney - are acting like the fringe groups who think the 1969 moon landing never really happened, or who once believed the world is flat."
"Al Gore says those who still doubt that global warming is caused by man - among them, Vice President Dick Cheney - are acting like the fringe groups who think the 1969 moon landing never really happened, or who once believed the world is flat."
Tri-Valley's leaders lash out
I'm a fan of charter schools but these MEAP scores tell a pretty sad story.
Grade 7
Reading 60% have not met standards
Writing 86.7% have not met standards
Math 86.7% have not met standards
There doesn't seem to much educating going on at Tri-Valley
Too bad the Chronicle chose to keep these scores out of the article.
Tri-Valley's leaders lash out
"Tri-Valley board President Nelson Miller said GVSU's actions amounted to lack of support for Tri-Valley's low-income and minority children. Miller said he plans to report GVSU's charter schools office to the university's vice president for inclusion and equity.
'GVSU has not lived up to its commitment to diversity,' Miller said. 'My concern is that the charter schools office shows a correlation between poverty and student achievement, and it has chosen not to serve children on that basis.
'We have done what is appropriate to educate the children, and I think we should have a conversation on that.'"
"Tri-Valley board President Nelson Miller said GVSU's actions amounted to lack of support for Tri-Valley's low-income and minority children. Miller said he plans to report GVSU's charter schools office to the university's vice president for inclusion and equity.
'GVSU has not lived up to its commitment to diversity,' Miller said. 'My concern is that the charter schools office shows a correlation between poverty and student achievement, and it has chosen not to serve children on that basis.
'We have done what is appropriate to educate the children, and I think we should have a conversation on that.'"
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Hillary's Minister Problem
"If you've never heard of The Fellowship (also known as The Family), it will sound like some shadowy organization in a John Grisham novel. (Indeed, as a Google search will demonstrate, critics consider it a cult.) The group was formed in the 1930s to minister to political and business leaders throughout the world, modeling itself as a kind of Christian Trilateral Commission."
NM school leaders get praises, raises - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com
NM school leaders get praises, raises - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com: "Weaver's evaluation was completed last week during a closed meeting of the board of education. Using a scale of 'commendable,' 'meets expectations,' and 'requires improvement,' he received 'commendable' ratings in the areas of relationships with the board, community relations and personal and job performance qualities. He received 'meets expectations' in the categories of business and finances, and superintendent-staff relations."
New Montague superintendent gets high marks
What a wonderful "rainbow" of specific areas!
I was kinda lookin' for another "specific area".....
..... like, maybe......
......"kids gettin' edjukated".....
Like an adult analysis of how the Superintendent is delivering his most important product.
An educated child!
I guess not too important when the, obviously, real goal is to impress his employees, the teacher union members.
Imagine a company that employed this same analysis...... oh, the Big 3 auto unions of so many years ago......
... and how well that worked!
New Montague superintendent gets high marks
"Based on a written evaluation submitted by the school board as a whole, high marks were issued in the six specific areas of his job --
board and superintendent relationships,
superintendent/staff relationships,
community relations,
business and finance,
educational leadership
and long-range planning.
The board approved the evaluation Monday."
I was kinda lookin' for another "specific area".....
..... like, maybe......
......"kids gettin' edjukated".....
Like an adult analysis of how the Superintendent is delivering his most important product.
An educated child!
I guess not too important when the, obviously, real goal is to impress his employees, the teacher union members.
Imagine a company that employed this same analysis...... oh, the Big 3 auto unions of so many years ago......
... and how well that worked!
New Montague superintendent gets high marks
"Based on a written evaluation submitted by the school board as a whole, high marks were issued in the six specific areas of his job --
board and superintendent relationships,
superintendent/staff relationships,
community relations,
business and finance,
educational leadership
and long-range planning.
The board approved the evaluation Monday."
Muskegon Film Festival declines because of global cooling?
Muskegon had an event in the winter and the apologists at The Chronicle blame the lousy attendance on inept publicity and one day of Michigan winter?
How 'bout the idiotic lack of convenient parking and the Chernobyl-like atmosphere of the few parking areas available?
Film Festival on track?
"Plenty of time to get film fest on track.
The numbers are in for the Muskegon Film Festival, which has become a hallmark winter attraction. The numbers weren't good, but the good news is, there's plenty of time to get things back on track for the next fest.
For the second year in a row, attendance has dropped for the independent film exhibit, which takes place at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Muskegon. The 2,000 in attendance this year was not an improvement over the approximately same number who attended in 2007. Those figures represent a big drop-off from the film fest's best year in 2006 and 2005 when the numbers were almost double.
It seemed then as if the festival was about to take off, but the attendance falloff has dashed such hopes. Nonetheless, the show will go on, according to organizers: 'Our plan is to keep going. We're already jumping on it. Our intention is to have one,' Mat Moore, the fest's president, told The Chronicle.
Part of the problem may be that the festival committee was hampered by a lack of publicity compelling enough to convince fans to come out in what was, at least for one of the dates, really rotten winter weather better for staying home and popping in a DVD. Organizers are looking at moving the festival to a nicer season, perhaps in June. Whatever works, we say."
How 'bout the idiotic lack of convenient parking and the Chernobyl-like atmosphere of the few parking areas available?
Film Festival on track?
"Plenty of time to get film fest on track.
The numbers are in for the Muskegon Film Festival, which has become a hallmark winter attraction. The numbers weren't good, but the good news is, there's plenty of time to get things back on track for the next fest.
For the second year in a row, attendance has dropped for the independent film exhibit, which takes place at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Muskegon. The 2,000 in attendance this year was not an improvement over the approximately same number who attended in 2007. Those figures represent a big drop-off from the film fest's best year in 2006 and 2005 when the numbers were almost double.
It seemed then as if the festival was about to take off, but the attendance falloff has dashed such hopes. Nonetheless, the show will go on, according to organizers: 'Our plan is to keep going. We're already jumping on it. Our intention is to have one,' Mat Moore, the fest's president, told The Chronicle.
Part of the problem may be that the festival committee was hampered by a lack of publicity compelling enough to convince fans to come out in what was, at least for one of the dates, really rotten winter weather better for staying home and popping in a DVD. Organizers are looking at moving the festival to a nicer season, perhaps in June. Whatever works, we say."
Obama to double capital gains tax?
Ben Smith's Blog: "“Right now, as you know, the cap gains tax is at 15 percent. He has yet to give us a specific number. How high he wants that number to go? He has said, and he told me today, that he won't go above 28 percent. So we are talking about the possibility of a doubling in the capital gains tax. He was averaging at about 25 percent.”"
The Truth About the Tuskegee Study
If we're going to have a discussion on "race in America" maybe we ought to get the accurate facts.
The Truth About Tuskegee: "Anthropologist Richard Shweder of the University of Chicago has just published a detailed analysis of the Tuskegee study in which he shows that virtually every popular assumption about it is false. (Tuskegee re-examined, January 8, 2004)"
the original article is here:
http://www.amren.com/news/news04/01/22/tuskegee.html
the original article is here:
http://www.amren.com/news/news04/01/22/tuskegee.html
funnies from Lucianne
Lucianne.com News Forum:
"Clinton Insists Dems Race Is a ‘Long Way’
From Over, Looks Toward Convention
We can't wait for her arrival in Denver. Talk about a corkscrew landing under sniper fire!!"
Schultz response.
GOP Looks to ‘McCain Democrats'
Number crunchers show there are more McCainocrats than Obamacans.
"Clinton Insists Dems Race Is a ‘Long Way’
From Over, Looks Toward Convention
We can't wait for her arrival in Denver. Talk about a corkscrew landing under sniper fire!!"
Schultz response.
GOP Looks to ‘McCain Democrats'
Number crunchers show there are more McCainocrats than Obamacans.
American Axle chief: Jobs can be moved
Are Michigan's Big Union bosses going to bring us back to our own permanent depression?
'We are fighting for the absolute survival of AAM in America,' Dauch said in an interview one month after a walkout by 3,600 hourly workers at AAM plants in Michigan and New York.
'We have the flexibility to source all of our business to other locations around the world, and we have the right to do so,' Dauch said, in a not-so-veiled threat. AAM has plants in Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia.
'We will not be forced into bankruptcy in order to reach a market-competitive cost structure in the United States. If we cannot compete for new contracts in the U.S., there will be no work in the original plants,' Dauch said, referring to operations in Detroit, Three Rivers and in the New York towns of Tonawanda and Cheektowaga."
'We have the flexibility to source all of our business to other locations around the world, and we have the right to do so,' Dauch said, in a not-so-veiled threat. AAM has plants in Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia.
'We will not be forced into bankruptcy in order to reach a market-competitive cost structure in the United States. If we cannot compete for new contracts in the U.S., there will be no work in the original plants,' Dauch said, referring to operations in Detroit, Three Rivers and in the New York towns of Tonawanda and Cheektowaga."
Investigation at MSU exonerates 2 student groups
Investigation at MSU exonerates 2 student groups: "But a 126-page report from the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, which was released to accused and accusers alike last week and obtained Tuesday by the Lansing State Journal with student names redacted, said the alleged conduct, 'even if true, does not meet the level of actionable harassment or discrimination contemplated by the courts.'"
A victory against voter fraud?
The way I read this is that voters in Michigan primary elections will have total secrecy.
No party or other entity will have the list of primary voters.
No one will have a list of voters to give to phony "No ID required" scab-voters.
Michigan primary voter info law struck down:
"A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a Michigan law that allowed only the Republican and Democratic parties access to voter information from the state's Jan. 15 presidential primary."
No party or other entity will have the list of primary voters.
No one will have a list of voters to give to phony "No ID required" scab-voters.
Michigan primary voter info law struck down:
"A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a Michigan law that allowed only the Republican and Democratic parties access to voter information from the state's Jan. 15 presidential primary."
Obama-The impotence of Power
The impotence of Power: "I think you'll find it to be most illuminating. I think that Power's answers serve as a window into far more than just the foreign policy positions of the Obama campaign. The listener should come away with a clear view of the mindset which seems to be present in many of the people that surround the candidate.
This is a good description of the program. I would add only that the final 15 minutes of the program, when Morris corners Power, really provide the payoff. Audio of the show is accessible here."
http://wgnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40174&Itemid=99999999
This is a good description of the program. I would add only that the final 15 minutes of the program, when Morris corners Power, really provide the payoff. Audio of the show is accessible here."
http://wgnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40174&Itemid=99999999
"Diamond water paradox"
The Volokh Conspiracy - -:
"Oddly enough, the objectively reasonable price is always above what the buyers paid for it, after commissions.
The Abbotts paid $583,425 for their house last April. The market in Las Vegas has tanked since then, with prices down 20% from January 2007 to January 2008, according to the Case-Schiller index. I don't think it's the buyers who aren't being realistic. More generally, as famously explained via the solution to the 'diamond water paradox,' the value an item has in the marketplace is solely what the highest bidder is willing to pay, based on subjective valuation"
"Oddly enough, the objectively reasonable price is always above what the buyers paid for it, after commissions.
The Abbotts paid $583,425 for their house last April. The market in Las Vegas has tanked since then, with prices down 20% from January 2007 to January 2008, according to the Case-Schiller index. I don't think it's the buyers who aren't being realistic. More generally, as famously explained via the solution to the 'diamond water paradox,' the value an item has in the marketplace is solely what the highest bidder is willing to pay, based on subjective valuation"
AT&T CEO says hard to find skilled U.S. workers
AT&T CEO says hard to find skilled U.S. workers
"Stephenson said he is especially distressed that in some U.S. communities and among certain groups, the high school dropout rate is as high as 50 percent.
'If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down,' he said."
"Stephenson said he is especially distressed that in some U.S. communities and among certain groups, the high school dropout rate is as high as 50 percent.
'If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down,' he said."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Saddam Paid for Lawmakers' Iraq Trip
Saddam Paid for Lawmakers' Iraq Trip: "the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California."
Big Belly Boosts Risk of Later Dementia
That's got to end AlGore's hopes for President.
Big Belly Boosts Risk of Later Dementia: "Having a big belly in your 40s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests."
Big Belly Boosts Risk of Later Dementia: "Having a big belly in your 40s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests."
Millennium Park plan calls for 12,000-seat amphitheater
Loot the "rainy day fund"?
I thought the state was out of money?
Millennium Park plan calls for 12,000-seat amphitheater
"All the planned 12,000- to 14,000-seat amphitheater in Millennium Park needs is financial help from Lansing."
"All the planned 12,000- to 14,000-seat amphitheater in Millennium Park needs is financial help from Lansing."
Lawmakers in Lansing are being asked for a $10 million outlay, .... and possibly bond funds making up costs not covered by the state.
But bringing home the bacon might prove difficult, since the project and millions of dollars in other similar requests are being tied to using money from the state's budget stabilization, or "rainy day" fund.
But bringing home the bacon might prove difficult, since the project and millions of dollars in other similar requests are being tied to using money from the state's budget stabilization, or "rainy day" fund.
Enviro-Harassment
IBDeditorials.com:Enviro-Harassment: "'Let me say it plainly: The environmental movement has been taken over by anti-capitalist radicals who are using it to wage war against capitalism and campaign for liberal Democrats,' he said. 'Protecting the environment is now number three, or lower, on their list of priorities.'"
Muskegon city income tax
I won't get into a city income tax vs. increased property tax vs. new business taxes/fees vs. increased spending on grant writers/lobbyists or other begging-for-money- from- government schemes.
Though that would be an interesting subject.
A city income tax has one benefit, increased revenue.
It is critical that revenue be thoughtfully invested or the net result for a city will be negative.
As it has been for Muskegon.
Unfortunately, there are some serious negatives that arrive with a new or increased city income tax.
(Read the rest of this in the "comments section")
Though that would be an interesting subject.
A city income tax has one benefit, increased revenue.
It is critical that revenue be thoughtfully invested or the net result for a city will be negative.
As it has been for Muskegon.
Unfortunately, there are some serious negatives that arrive with a new or increased city income tax.
(Read the rest of this in the "comments section")
"Tonya Harding" option?
Political Punch: "She will have to 'break his back,' the official said. She will have to destroy Obama, make Obama completely unacceptable.
'Her securing the nomination is certainly possible - but it will require exercising the 'Tonya Harding option.'' the official said. 'Is that really what we Democrats want?'"
'Her securing the nomination is certainly possible - but it will require exercising the 'Tonya Harding option.'' the official said. 'Is that really what we Democrats want?'"
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hillary on 60 Minutes: 'Voters Are Tired of People Who Lie to Them'
This is precious!
"Now that the major media have acknowledged en masse that Hillary Clinton lied shamelessly about landing in Bosnia to sniper fire, it seemed like the right moment to remember Mrs. Clinton’s claims about honesty and truthfulness in the famous Steve Kroft 60 Minutes interview in 1992 – not the part that aired in 1992, mind you, but a different set of snippets that aired on February 1, 1998, twelve days after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke."
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