Thursday, May 14, 2009

Gulf Coast of Florida

Ooh yeah!!

Muskegon Democrats | Home


Muskegon Democrats
05/11/2009 QUOTE OF THE DAY:
'In the past year, despite a vice presidential nod that rocketed her to stardom, Sarah Palin's favorable ratings in her state have plunged from 86 percent to 54 percent. Jeez, you reveal yourself to be a connivin', scandal-dodgin', logic-twistin', ignorance embracin', witch doctor-lovin', bridge-to-nowhere thankin' then no-thankin', stimulus money rejectin' hypocrite and people just turn on ya. Oh well, at least Russia loves ya, ma'am. Look---they're wavin' at ya now.' Bill in Portland, Maine"

This is our Muskegon County democrat party official site.

They must be so proud!

Palin: Obama believes same thing as anti-gay beauty queen

Palin: Obama believes same thing as anti-gay beauty queen
“What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe — marriage is between a man and a woman,” Palin said."

Muslim Demographics

It's coming, folks!

Pension issue isn't just about the teachers

Pension issue isn't just about the teachers
"it's against the law in Illinois to reduce the retirement benefits for any public employee -- a violation of Illinois' Constitution actually. You can't undo that without a Constitutional amendment, which nobody is proposing."

Aren't laws that public employees make for themselves great!

Granholm to Supreme Court? Serious tax issues fit Obama pattern

Granholm to Supreme Court? Serious tax issues fit Obama pattern
"The Ivory Tower reports this morning that Michigan's very own Governor Jennifer Granholm has landed smack dab on the Obama administration's short list of potential nominees to fill outgoing Justice David Souter's seat on the United States Supreme Court."

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

What The EPA's Ruling Means For Business - Forbes.com

What The EPA's Ruling Means For Business
"The decision on CO2 emissions is likely a boon for cleantech; critics fear huge risk to the U.S. economy.

The Environmental Protection Agency ruled today that carbon dioxide, a suspected cause of global warming, is an air pollutant that it is legally bound to regulate, a decision likely to have a vast impact on the U.S. economy and the way American companies do business. It is also a boon for cleantech, and may turn investors away from carbon intensive industries for good.
Lisa Jackson, the EPA administrator, signed a so-called endangerment finding, stating that carbon dioxide and five other products of fossil fuel combustion are harmful to both the environment and to human health. As a result, the EPA could begin regulating automotive CO2 emissions as soon as June. The ruling also gives the EPA broad power to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from industry and electric power utilities for the first time."

This is disturbing-"Mission Accomplished" deleted.


I posted this back in 2007 when a friend told me "Bush landed on the aircraft carrier, said "Mission Accomplished" and told the world that the war was over".

http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/2007/05/msm-keeps-repeating-democrat-lie.html

It is an oft told lie, made up by Bush-haters and the liberal MSM (redundancy alert!) so when I saw it again on the web I went back to my original post and clicked my link to the US government website http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rm/20203.htm and found, voila! gone, deleted, out-of-there!
The US government had deleted the link and any mention of what President Bush said that day.

I even went to youtube and found only hate-Bush, misleading or shortened to the point of meaningless links to videos.

The entire Bush speech on video is nowhere to be found.
So the lie will be perpetuated and the truth buried.
Our brave new world with our great leader and his acolytes.

An aside:
My friend is an elderly gentleman who had no internet connection, so I went to the US government website and printed out the entire Bush "Mission Accomplished" speech on the USS Abe Lincoln.

He read it and responded, "you got this from the internet, right? Anyone could have written that. I don't believe things from the internet".

He gets most of his "news" from TV and Time magazine.

He had comfortably settled into his belief and no more information was needed.

State a lie often enough and people will see it as the truth.


MuskegonSummerCelebration to offer "Early-In Passes" $135




MUSKEGON, MI, May 13, 2009
The Muskegon Summer Celebration, ...., announces a chance for patrons to avoid the line and enter the Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge (Obama) Main Stage venue early for this year’s event, June 25 – July 5.
Up to 1000 patrons will be allowed into the concert venue beginning at 5:00 PM each day. Those patrons will either have purchased a special Sappi 11-Day Pass good for early entrance each night or a special ticket upgrade good for that particular night. There will be 400 Sappi 11-Day Early- In Passes available for $135 at the Downtown Summer Sampler/Sappi Pass Party, May 15 – 17, and 600 individual early-in upgrades for each night selling for $10 each.

This is a good idea.
Wait for the howls of angst from those who want free stuff!

US Speeding Towards Financial Crash

US Speeding Towards Financial Crash
"a warning from a top credit rating agency that the nation risked losing its triple A rating if it did not start putting its finances in order, is coming back to haunt us.
That warning from Moody’s focused on the exploding healthcare and Social Security costs that threaten to engulf the federal government in debt over coming decades. The facts show we’re in even worse shape now, and there are signs that confidence in America’s ability to control its finances is eroding."

Recession Drains Social Security and Medicare

Recession Drains Social Security and Medicare
"the Medicare fund that pays hospital bills for older Americans is expected to run out of money in 2017, two years sooner than projected last year. The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2037, four years earlier than predicted"

And just where is this "Social Security TRUST FUND"?

In someone's lockbox?

Yeah, right......

Oh, our youth are just wild about big spendin' BarryO.

Wait till they realize the bill is theirs.

Was It a Sucker's Rally?

Was It a Sucker's Rally?
"You can have a jobless recovery, but you can't have a profitless recovery. Consider: Earnings are subpar, Treasury's last auction was a bust because of weak demand, the dollar is suspect, the stimulus is pork, the latest budget projects a $1.84 trillion deficit, the administration is berating investment firms and hedge funds saying 'I don't stand with them,' California is dead broke, health care may be nationalized, cap and trade will bump electric bills by 30% . . . Shall I go on?"

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Chrysler Walks Away from Lemon Laws | The Truth About Cars

Chrysler Walks Away from Lemon Laws The Truth About Cars: "When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade (or glazed strawberry lemon streusel muffins). When Chrysler gives you lemons, you’re SOL. Since April 30, Judge Arthur Gonzales has to approve payment on claims against Chrysler incurred before C11. That includes “lemon law” settlement checks to customers who bought defective Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep products. Not happening. “San Diego attorney Ellen Turnage represents a client who reached a settlement with Chrysler over a 2006 Dodge Magnum with a bad suspension. The car has been returned to Chrysler, but the automaker’s check bounced. ‘Now he’s got no car and no money, so he can’t go buy a new one,’ Turnage said of her client. ‘He’s stuck. We’re hanging on to a glimmer of hope that at some point this will all be resolved.’” As the LA Times reports, Turnage’s pessimism is well-justified. Instead of saying, sorry, we’ll expedite this, the new Chrysler is telling aggrieved customers to FO&D.
The company said it had no plans at this point to ask the bankruptcy judge to approve payments to settle lemon law complaints. ”This is a complex process and there are a lot of issues being discussed,” said Chrysler spokesman Mike Palese. “This could be one of those issues that comes up in the course of the bankruptcy, but I can’t say that we have any plans to present it at this time.”
Chrysler advises customers with pending lemon law complaints to file a proof of claim form with the Bankruptcy Court and join the ranks of the automaker’s unsecured creditors.
“In that case, you’ll be lucky to get pennies on the dollar,” [Atlanta attorney Alex]"

SPINNING PLANT CLOSINGS

SPINNING PLANT CLOSINGS
"Democrats, despite their being just as surprised as LaTourette and Ryan. Theirs is a partisan silence, with their opinions known only because this reporter asked.
Would Democrats have been so quiet if President George W. Bush's administration had announced that no plants would close, only to be boldly contradicted within 24 hours?"

And how would our "unbiased" MSM have responded?

CONVERSATIONAL SUGGESTIONS for Pelosi and the troops.

CONVERSATIONAL SUGGESTIONS for Pelosi and the troops.
Nancy Pelosi’s waterboarding questions No. 67 and 68. “These are just a few of the questions Pelosi needs to address; I am sure my Capitol Hill colleagues have their own. Until the Speaker does a better job of answering them — in the words of the Southwest commercial — she might not be free to move about the country without being hounded.”"

John Morris: Unmedicated: Pension Tsunami

John Morris: Unmedicated: Pension Tsunami
"John McCain came up with a great phrase when he used the term Generational Theft to describe what our government has done."

Soda Tax Weighed to Pay for Health Care

Soda Tax Weighed to Pay for Health Care
"Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system."

The first few waves of the giant tsunami of taxes planned by the demo-socialists and their Great Leader.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Video Warning of Pitfalls of Consumption Is a Hit in Schools - NYTimes.com

Video Warning of Pitfalls of Consumption Is a Hit in Schools - NYTimes.com: "Which is one reason “The Story of Stuff,” a 20-minute video about the effects of human consumption, has become a sleeper hit in classrooms across the nation.
The video is a cheerful but brutal assessment of how much Americans waste, and it has its detractors. But it has been embraced by teachers eager to supplement textbooks that lag behind scientific findings on climate change and pollution. And many children who watch it take it to heart: riding in the car one day with his parents in Tacoma, Wash., Rafael de la Torre Batker, 9, was worried about whether it would be bad for the planet if he got a new set of Legos."

Sunday, May 10, 2009

DIJONGATE: What have we learned? “Congratulations to Professor Jacobson. Traffic at his Legal Insu…

DIJONGATE: What have we learned?
"but rather that MSNBC and other major media are no longer in the news business. They’re doing public relations for the Obama administration and the Democratic Party. . . . Obviously, reporters didn’t think ‘Dijon mustard’ fit the narrative the White House wanted, and so they fudged the quote — and NBC even edited its own video — to omit the offensive French phrase. Jacobson pointed this out, and it was like showing a Rorschach inkblot to Charles Manson.”"

Barack Obama Prepares Country For Liberal Newspaper Bailout

Barack Obama Prepares Country For Liberal Newspaper Bailout
"The notable thing in context is that Obama primarily in the speech talks about newspapers, with other media outlets being mentioned second (collectively), or when making a joke (for example, noting that Jefferson hadn’t seen Cable News.) It would appear from the speech clearly that Obama holds the mainstream media, and particularly newspapers above online media. It is clear that when he talked about “tough and vibrant media” that he is referring to mainstream media, and newspapers in particular.

He concludes with the line that the problems in the media industry are “problems worth solving,” which sounds an awful lot like the final word that there’s going to be a newspaper bailout.
Last week White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said there would be no bailout for newspapers. "

More of our tax dollars for "TARP" $$$ to the failed liberal newspapers of the past?

What Republicans need is a mutiny

What Republicans need is a mutiny
"Two major debates face conservative Republicans about the future of the party. The first, rekindled by Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party, is whether the GOP should move further leftward. The second is whether conservatives should tone down their advocacy on social issues. History is on the side of outspoken conservatives in both debates."

We've already had a mutiny and the party leadership is holed up under the poopdeck and has no idea they've lost control of the ship.

The problem is that no one else has control of the ship....

Group declares war on incumbents

Group declares war on incumbents
"A new political force calling itself Tea New York was unveiled in downtown Buffalo Saturday afternoon, and leaders promised to make things uncomfortable for incumbent officeholders."

Pension Tsunami

Pension Tsunami

Read it and weep!

Obama Likes Wanda Sykes Joke About Rush Limbaugh death— ‘I Hope His Kidneys Fail’

Obama Likes Wanda Sykes Joke About Rush Limbaugh — ‘I Hope His Kidneys Fail’

Yet, delicate libs whine when Americans (and Rush) work for and hope that Obama and his socialist agenda fail.

The sad, ignorant libs in the liberal MSM seem to have forgotten the lib's support of those murderous monsters who would kill our brave troops.

Cheney on Powell v Limbaugh: 'I'd Go with Rush Limbaugh'

Cheney on Powell v Limbaugh: 'I'd Go with Rush Limbaugh'
"From the Sunday, May 10 Face the Nation:

BOB SCHIEFFER: Rush Limbaugh said the other day the that the party would probably be better off if Colin Powell left and just became a Democrat. Colin Powell said Republicans would be better off if they didn't have Rush Limbaugh speaking for them. Where do you come down?
DICK CHENEY: Well, if I had to choose, in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh I think. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican.
SCHIEFFER: So you think that he's not a Republican?
CHENEY: I just noted he endorsed the Democratic candidate for President this time, Barack Obama. I assume that that's some indication of his loyalty and his interests.
SCHIEFFER: And you said you take Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell?
CHENEY: I would, politically."

Too funny!

Uber lib Schieffer doesn't realize that a democrat supporter is a democrat.

And I'll take Rush over most GOPers any day.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Pensions at risk: Who will pay?

Pensions at risk: Who will pay?
"Under such circumstances, millions of Americans with no pensions of their own would wind up paying higher taxes to maintain pension benefits for autoworkers."

What Congress Knew - WSJ.com

What Congress Knew - WSJ.com: "These days, Speaker Pelosi insists she heard and saw no evil. 'We were not -- I repeat -- were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used,' she told reporters late last month. 'What they did tell us is that they had . . . the Office of Legal Counsel opinions [and] that they could be used, but not that they would.'"

Job losses slow, but is it from government hiring? | McClatchy

Job losses slow, but is it from government hiring? McClatchy: "April's net job loss total actually was somewhat misleading: Private-sector employment actually fell by 611,000 jobs, but government hiring, which added 66,000 jobs, mostly for the upcoming census, offset some of them"

CHRYSLER WALKS AWAY FROM LEMON LAWS

CHRYSLER WALKS AWAY FROM LEMON LAWS.
“Since April 30, Judge Arthur Gonzales has to approve payment …:
"CHRYSLER WALKS AWAY FROM LEMON LAWS. “Since April 30, Judge Arthur Gonzales has to approve payment on claims against Chrysler incurred before C11. That includes ‘lemon law’ settlement checks to customers who bought defective Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep products. Not happening.”"

"Currahee" - The New Editor

"Currahee" - The New Editor

MPs' expenses: minister Kitty Ussher used allowances for £20,000 house make-over

MPs' expenses: minister Kitty Ussher used allowances for £20,000 house make-over
"Her two-page note details 12 separate major repairs she hoped to have carried out on the home in South London, including the removal of a “bad taste” Artex ceiling.
Miss Ussher is one of 12 MPs from three political parties whose expenses under the second home allowance will be revealed in detail in tomorrow’s Sunday Telegraph."

A government with zero media oversight will test the limits every day.

Some Muskegon County commissioners are spending travel dollars with no media exposure.

MuskegonPundit is on it.

Friday, May 08, 2009

Michigan State Police cut of 100 troopers likely will hurt response times in West Michigan's rural areas


Michigan State Police cut of 100 troopers likely will hurt response times in West Michigan's rural areas
"'It's been my dream to be a trooper,' said Miller, who has worked for the last six months out of the Wayland Post making the hour-long drive to a job he just found out is slated to be dropped as part of a budget-cutting move from Lansing.
'I came to the state police because I thought it was a place to have a career,' said the 41-year-old father of two from St. Joseph. 'Now, here I am.'"
Jenny shoots us citizens in the head again.....

Postmaster presses Congress to act on retiree bill - DMNews

Postmaster presses Congress to act on retiree bill
"The agency is on track to lose about $6.4 billion this year, despite efforts to target $5.9 billion in cuts for fiscal year 2009, which ends September 30, and anticipates an additional lost of $6 billion next fiscal year,"

And these folks tell us the very SAME government can run our entire health care system?

Tea Party Toolbox


Our Muskegon "Tea Party" rally:

http://www.muskegonpatriots.com/
Muskegon Rally:
May 23, 2009
Veterans Park (in between the N Muskegon Causeway
10:30am-end (aprox. 1 hour)

National Event:
July 4th 2009 in Lansing at the State Capital.



"Declaring our independance from reckless spending"

Caravan decorationg party before we leave here in Muskegon!
More info to come.

Great "Toolbox" info from Jack McHugh at the Mackinac Center

Friends -

Since the Tea Parties, the questions that everyone has been asking are "what next?" and "what else can we do?"

The Mackinac Center has posted three important tools with some answers. All three are now live on
Mackinac.org.

The first is "
Tea Party Activists have Attitude," and it describes the 'tude they should have to change the incentives on members of the political class.
(First item: "Tea Party activists aren't impressed that their politician is a 'nice guy.' They're all 'nice guys' - get over it, and hold them accountable for their deeds rather than their smile.")

The second installment is called "
Ten Minute Tea Party Activist" and it lists 10 specific actions activists can do.
These are more sophisticated than the usual "civic creed" nostrums - I think you will like. This list is now live on
Mackinac.org (and will be the featured Current Comment on Monday).

Finally, a "
Candidate Quesionnaire for Tea Party Activists" provides "hard-to-dodge questions that suggest whether a candidate for the Michigan Legislature actually supports limited government principles."
Emphasis on "hard to dodge" - these go way beyond the "Do you support tax and spending cuts?" that they all say "yes" to, and which tell you nothing.

Please don't hesitate to spread these tools far and wide.

Thanks for all you do.

Regards,
Jack McHugh
Links:

http://www.mackinac.org/10508
http://www.mackinac.org/10509
http://www.mackinac.org/10510

Thursday, May 07, 2009

CIA Says Pelosi Was Briefed on Use of 'Enhanced Interrogations' - Capitol Briefing

CIA Says Pelosi Was Briefed on Use of 'Enhanced Interrogations' - Capitol Briefing

Millions, Billions, Trillions - Political Punch

Millions, Billions, Trillions - Political Punch
"$17 billion is without question real money, and it means something, though within the context of the president's budget it's less than one half of one percent of the total budget.

And it's about 1.4 percent of the projected deficit for 2010 of $1.17 trillion.

And as the Wall Street Journal points out, the president's proposed 'cuts are outweighed by proposals to spend more on an array of programs and regulatory functions.' The budget for the Federal Railway Administration budget is increased, for instance, from $1.8 billion to $2.7 billion.

Whether or not $17 billion is a lot of money in spending cuts depends, of course, on what one compares it to -- and who's doing the comparing."

"Great Leader" must assume we voters are economic morons or...... "Great Leader" is an economic moron.

I vote.

I'm not an economic moron.

"Great Leader" is and he's misjudged Americans.... I hope!

Gov't Attempting to Seize Smith & Wesson

Gov't Attempting to Seize Smith & Wesson
"a clause in the 2009 Stimulus Bill calls for the federal government to seize industries and companies that are essential to the economy or 'government function.'

The Treasury Department contacted the company in March 2009, asking to buy shares at $10 above market price. However, this offer was sharply rebuffed.

Similar offers have been made to Remington."

This government is out of control!

Records violations ensnare housing nominee

Records violations ensnare housing nominee
"President Obama's choice for the government's No. 2 housing job is embroiled in the largest fine in U.S. history for 'blatant violations' of open records laws after the Washington State Supreme Court chastised his office for withholding documents detailing taxpayer costs for a new professional football stadium in Seattle"

Does Obama know ANYONE who is not a crook?

STATE CANNOT AFFORD COSTLY UNEMPLOYMENT EXPANSION PASSED BY THE MICHIGAN HOUSE

STATE CANNOT AFFORD COSTLY UNEMPLOYMENT EXPANSION PASSED BY THE MICHIGAN HOUSE
"“House Democrats took the easy and short-sighted route to $138 million in one-time federal money, while turning their backs on the job providers who will be left to foot the bill of the $69.7 million per-year expansion of the 100 percent employer-financed unemployment insurance system.”
The Democrats’ action today will permanently increase costs and further strain the unemployment system and the ability of the state to fulfill its commitment to those who are currently eligible for unemployment benefits.”"

Click the link to see how really, really bad this democrat supported bill is!

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Powell Says Shrinking GOP Should Return To The Center

Powell Says Shrinking GOP Should Return To The Center: "Powell told corporate security executives........ The party must realize that the country has changed, he said. 'Americans do want to pay taxes for services,' he said. 'Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.'"

Huh?
And this guy said he was a republican?

Chrysler: The Next Pension Crisis?

Chrysler: The Next Pension Crisis?
"But for the PBGC, and for Chrysler employees, it's quite possible that all that's been done is to delay the inevitable. Chrysler's pension plans are $9.3 billion underfunded."

Monday, May 04, 2009

The President Who Hates His Country

The President Who Hates His Country: "In just the first 100-days of his tenure, Obama’s words and actions have demonstrated that he is no friend of the country he leads. This is only a smattering of what happened on his recent three-continent trip abroad and to Mexico:"

WHO says highest pandemic level possible - Las Vegas Sun

WHO says highest pandemic level possible
"WHO says highest pandemic level possible
The Associated Press
Mon, May 4, 2009 (7:33 a.m.)
A World Health Organization spokesman says the agency may raise its pandemic level to its highest alert, signifying a swine flu pandemic.
WHO uses a six-level scale to assess the world's risk. Last Wednesday, the agency raised the level to 5. Level 6 means a global outbreak of swine flu is under way."

WHO?
What?
Whatever.....

Poll: Most Jewish Israelis back attack on Iran

Poll: Most Jewish Israelis back attack on Iran
"A large majority of Israeli Jews support military action aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a survey sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League"

Interesting they would specify "Jewish" Israelis as seperate from "Israelis".

Sunday, May 03, 2009

FREE MICHIGAN: Film Office Chief Omitted Figures - Senators Seeking More Transparency



"The Michigan Film Office is accused of omitting figures that show the impact of the film rebate idea in the state.
But some new numbers released show that, for example, “a total of $15.2 million spent and 140 jobs created by the production of 'High School,' shot primarily at the Howell Public Schools Parker Campus in Marion Township.
'Youth in Revolt,' part of which was filmed in Livingston County, spent $12 million in Michigan and created 130 jobs.”
We aren’t math geniuses here – we had an algebra tutor in high school and still can’t figure out what the square root of x is – but his seems like quite an expenditure for very few jobs."

Allergy of Dread




Allergy of Dread
"I saw my first case of a panic reaction to someone sneezing in public. Two people looked shocked and afraid that someone sneezed.
The look they had was not one of annoyance or one that said they thought the “sneezer” was impolite.
They were not close to the “sneezer”, and the “sneezer” turned, lowered his head and put his hand over his mouth.
The non sneezers actually looked afraid or at least threatened.
Joe Biden seems to think that any confined space should be declared what, a “sneeze free” zone?
What should we do to the offenders?

Perhaps we can auction off credits of say $1 per sneeze in public; a kind of “cap and trade” in the mucus membrane industry."

from Conservative in Muskegon
Read it all!

SUNDAY HOT READ: THE BULLY PULPIT


SUNDAY HOT READ: THE BULLY PULPIT
"Glenn Reynolds wonders how the White House press corps will feel about being used as an arm of the administration to beat its opposition into submission.

My guess? Enchanted, with just a couple of exceptions.

He also wonders whether they will show the slightest inclination to ask about these allegations.

So far, it looks like the Sounds of Silence on the WHPC dial rather than We’re Not Gonna Take It."

Chrysler to launch 'building a new company' ad campaign, offer new incentives as bankruptcy process begins -


Chrysler to launch 'building a new company' ad campaign, offer new incentives as bankruptcy process begins
"Executives for the Auburn Hills-based company said Friday that Chrysler will run full-page newspaper ads on Sunday and Monday announcing the campaign, titled: 'We're building a new car company. Come see what we're building for you.'"

Hmmmm.... "a new car company" might be nice for some.... but wouldn't it be better to tell folks they're building better cars and trucks?

Or is this new campaign aimed at Obama's taxmen and their ability to steal more taxpayer billions for union thugs and failing businesses.... to follow their other $billions of our tax dollars down the drain?

Kings Firecrackers















This will get you going!

These girls could easily replace coffee as a picker upper!

(click the link below to see how old these kids are)


Next click this link to see who these girls really are:

Friday, May 01, 2009

Emergency Rooms Fill With Record Numbers, but Many Aren’t Ill, Just Afraid - NYTimes.com


Emergency Rooms Fill With Record Numbers, but Many Aren’t Ill, Just Afraid
"Some hospital emergency rooms have seen record-breaking numbers of patients this week as those with coughs, sore throats and fevers — and sometimes no symptoms at all — have sought reassurance that they do not have the deadly H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu."

Why not?
It's a free break from the monotony.
Plus you get a cookie!

Air Force One, Flaps Up!


Air Force One, Flaps Up!
"I was amused when the White House announced that it was going to look into the whole flap surrounding the buzzing of The Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan by Air Force One a few days ago.
The White House announced that it was unaware of the plan to scare the pants off of half of one of America’s busiest cities and had “just found out about it.”

Really, is someone out joyriding in the president’s plane around New York without permission?
What if there had been a national emergency and he had to rush out to Edwards AFB.
“Hey, where is my ride?”
“We’re not sure, Mr. President” but we are looking into it and should have a reasonable idea within three weeks.”


They also failed to tell the Mayor and other city and state safety departments about their antics. I wonder if they clued in the FAA. Air traffic control may have been having a bit of a heart attack too. Two unidentified fighter jets and a 747 dropping down to 1000 feet isn’t something they see every day. Maybe Maverick and Goose hijacked the plane and buzzed the tower without permission.
The White House said it was going to have a thorough investigation into how this happened and should have some results in two weeks. Though it may not seem so, this is really good news for the Bush Administration officials caught up in the “torture” witch hunt. If it is going to take the Obama Administration two weeks to find out who gave the thumbs up to barnstorming Wall Street I’m guessing the torture investigations will wrap up sometime around 2023.

I think I could get to the bottom of this in about two hours.
I would call the pilot who flew the plane and say something like, “Who told you to go fly around the Statue of Liberty?” He would give me a name and I would work my way up the chain of command until I found the Rhodes Scholar who dreamed up this plan.
Here is the kicker. The Obama team prides itself in how they are so, twittered up, tech savvy and Internet geeky but apparently none of these folks have ever heard of a little think called Adobe Photoshop! Forget flying around New Your Harbor. I could have shown The President’s jet sitting in the middle of the Rose Bowl, buzzing Kim Jong Il’s palace or pulling the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders water-skiing across Crater Lake!
If you’re going to go for a photo op why not just put the President in the pilot’s seat doing his own flying. Maybe we could also Photoshop him flying the bird to the middle class taxpaying public when they are trying to send him a message. Wait, he’s already done that!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO


Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO
"A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.
Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease."
I just heard on TV that 196 people were dead..... never mind.....

Swine flu: 'All of humanity under threat', WHO warns - Telegraph

Swine flu: 'All of humanity under threat', WHO warns - Telegraph: "Swine flu: 'All of humanity under threat', WHO warns
The World Health Organisation has warned that 'all of humanity is under threat' from a potential swine flu pandemic and called for 'global solidarity' to combat the virus."

WHO to stop using 'swine flu' name to avoid confusion over risk from pigs

WHO to stop using 'swine flu' name to avoid confusion over risk from pigs
"WHO also reported the number of confirmed swine flu cases rose to 257 worldwide Thursday, with cases in Mexico rising to 97 from 26, with seven deaths. The WHO confirmed tally from the United States now stands at 109, with one death."

Yikes!
This "pandemic" just (barely!) beat out Ted Kennedy's back seat, Three Mile Island and Club Gitmo for total deaths!

8-year-old Saudi girl divorces 50-year-old husband - USATODAY.com

8-year-old Saudi girl divorces 50-year-old husband

"An 8-year-old Saudi girl has divorced her middle-aged husband after her father forced her to marry him last year in exchange for about $13,000, her lawyer said Thursday."

I can't believe what a bitch she is!

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape
"'That wasn't me,' President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One.
It actually was him - and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years - who shaped a budget so out of balance.
And as a presidential candidate and president-elect, he backed the twilight Bush-era stimulus plan that made the deficit deeper, all before he took over and promoted spending plans that have made it much deeper still."

Reduce electricity usage

Reduce electricity usage
"The economy is beginning to show glimmers of recovery. But it will continue to drag for months.
You've probably slashed your budget. Luxuries are in the rearview mirror.
But savings are still possible. For example, look at your electricity bill. Maybe you can cut that.
Many electronics go into standby mode when they're not in use. That means they continue to draw power.

Unplugging them can save you money each month. This may seem like a lot of trouble. But you'll be surprised how much electricity they use.

That's what today's Cool Site shows. It also has tips to help cut standby power. Your wallet will thank you!

standby.lbl.gov
"

I guess Obama knows about the Tea Parties *now*

I guess Obama knows about the Tea Parties *now*.
"Obama targets tea bags at town hall

At his 100th-day town hall meeting in St. Louis Wednesday, President Barack Obama took direct aim at the anti-tax “tea party” demonstrations that have cropped up over the last month and took a veiled shot at the Fox News Channel, the cable news network closely associated with the protests.
[snip]
“Those of you who are watching certain news channels on which I’m not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around, Obama said, “let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.”"

Yeah right....

Gettelfinger Motors - WSJ.com

Gettelfinger Motors
"The biggest losers here are GM's bondholders. According the Treasury-GM debt-for-equity swap announced Monday, GM has $27.2 billion in unsecured bonds owned by the public.
These are owned by mutual funds, pension funds, hedge funds and retail investors who bought them directly through their brokers.
Under Monday's offer, they would exchange their $27.2 billion in bonds for 10% of the stock of the restructured GM. This could amount to less than five cents on the dollar.
The Treasury, which is owed $16.2 billion, would receive 50% of the stock and $8.1 billion in debt -- as much as 87 cents on the dollar
.

The union's retiree health-care benefit trust would receive half of the $20 billion it is owed in stock, giving it 40% ownership of GM, plus another $10 billion in cash over time. That's worth about 76 cents on the dollar, according to some estimates.
In a genuine Chapter 11 bankruptcy, these three groups of creditors would all be similarly situated -- because all three are, for the most part, unsecured creditors of GM. And yet according to the formula presented Monday, those with the largest claim -- the bondholders -- get the smallest piece of the restructured company by a huge margin."

Why would ANYONE invest in an American corporate bond today?

Is capitalism truly dead?

Danger: Narcissistic Political Class

Danger: Narcissistic Political Class

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Talking Michigan Politics Podcast: Huntsman civil union debate, Bouchard rumors in Michigan governor's race, and Hoekstra's air time - Talking Politics

Talking Michigan Politics Podcast: Huntsman civil union debate, Bouchard rumors in Michigan governor's race, and Hoekstra's air time - Talking Politics: "In the 'Guess who's not invited to Kent County edition of the podcast...', Grand Rapids Press Politics Editor Jeff Cranson and Press Editorial Page Editor Ed Golder discuss ...
• The controversy that erupted when Kent County Republican Chairman Joanne Voorhees uninvited Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to town because he came out in favor of civil unions.
Huntsman, a likely"

THE OBAMA DOCTRINE - New York Post

THE OBAMA DOCTRINE - New York Post: "AFTER a mere 100 days, the 'Obama Doctrine' for our foreign and security poli cies has emerged. And it's terrifying.
The combination of dizzying naivete, dislike of our allies, disdain for our military, distrust of our intelligence services and distaste for our own country promises the worst foreign policy of our lifetimes.
That includes President Jimmy Carter's abysmal record of failure."

Jenkins: The Truth About Cars and Trucks - WSJ.com

Jenkins: The Truth About Cars and Trucks - WSJ.com

Phoenix leads nation in home price declines in February - Phoenix Business Journal:

Phoenix leads nation in home price declines in February
"Phoenix home prices fell 35 percent from February 2008 to February 2009, according to the new S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. That’s the largest decline of any of the 20 largest cities in the U.S. In addition, Phoenix home prices are down 51 percent from their peak."

I guess they didn't check out Muskegon.

Bummer homeowners.

Air France crew refuse to board flight to Mexico


Air France crew refuse to board flight to Mexico
"An entire Air France crew and several individual flight attendants have refused to board flights to Mexico since Saturday because of the outbreak of swine flu, airport sources said Wednesday."

Is it genetic?

Step Away From the Vehicle: The Supreme Court imposes long-overdue limits on car searches.

Step Away From the Vehicle: The Supreme Court imposes long-overdue limits on car searches.
"Last week the U.S. Supreme Court said police may no longer routinely search the vehicles of recently arrested people"

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES FOR BARACK OBAMA

100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES FOR BARACK OBAMA

Kent County Republican Party cancels speech by Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman over his support of civil unions

Kent County Republican Party cancels speech by Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman over his support of civil unions
"Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a rising Republican star and presidential aspirant, will not be speaking to the Kent County party faithful Saturday, after all.
Why? Two words: civil unions.
After reading in Sunday's Press that the Mormon governor of one of the country's reddest states supports civil unions for same-sex couples, Kent County Republican Party Chairman Joanne Voorhees pulled the plug.
In an e-mail sent to party members Monday, Voorhees said she canceled his appearance at a fundraiser Saturday morning after conducting further research on his positions on issues."

Friday, April 24, 2009

Women's ski jumping lawsuit wraps up in Vancouver

Women's ski jumping lawsuit wraps up in Vancouver: "All or nothing
The women are seeking a court declaration that VANOC must either hold women's ski jumping in 2010 or no ski jumping events at all."

Americas-Most-Dangerous-Cities

Americas-Most-Dangerous-Cities
"The news has been bad for decades, but there may yet be hope for Detroit. The city's new mayor, Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr., assumed office on Sept. 19, 2009--and hasn't committed a single felony."

any guesses what the top 5 most dangerous cities share?

Dem Congressman: ‘Nobody in This Country Realizes That Cap-and-Trade is a Tax’

Dem Congressman: ‘Nobody in This Country Realizes That Cap-and-Trade is a Tax’

Seriously!
No one has a clue what awaits!

Pontiac brand reportedly will be dropped by GM -

Pontiac brand reportedly will be dropped by GM
"General Motors Corp. is preparing to eliminate its Pontiac brand, according to several industry news sources."

Ba Bye..
Sort of surprising story since it's been reported months ago.

A New Federal Tax You Could Choke On

A New Federal Tax You Could Choke On
"A New Federal Tax You Could Choke On
My congressman, Jim Moran of Virginia, has introduced 'the Plastic Bag Reduction Act of 2009 which would place a 5 cent fee on grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, take-out food bags, retail bags and service station bags, starting January 1. Under the proposal, that fee would escalate to 25 cents starting January 1, 2015.'
No plastic bags for takeout? He deserves to be pelted with last week's Chinese."

West Michigan Strategic Alliance supports new Web site to help students find internships

West Michigan Strategic Alliance supports new Web site to help students find internships
"Announced simultaneously in Grand Rapids and Detroit this morning, www.interninmichigan.com was created using $2.4 million in public and private funds, including grants from the U.S. Labor Department."

Another $2.4 million well spent.... right....

Public Outcry Leads Defense Department to Reverse Spent Ammo Directive

Public Outcry Leads Defense Department to Reverse Spent Ammo Directive
"“The distressing part of it was that the government was going to lose money,” Shipley said. “They were going to lose $2 a pound and accomplish nothing.”

Spent shell casings usually sell for between $2.30 and $2.50 per pound, allowing the government to recoup a good amount of their ammunition expense budget. However, once the brass is mutilated, it has no added value and a product that was worth about $2.50 becomes worth only about 50 cents, Shipley said.

“We felt like it was just an option to bring in ammunition control rather than gun control,”"

Holdouts for Humble Bulb Defy a Government Phase-Out

Holdouts for Humble Bulb Defy a Government Phase-Out
"In the United States, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. effectively bans the sale of almost all incandescent bulbs by 2014, although last year Representative Michele Bachman, a Minnesota Republican, introduced the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, a bill that would overturn it."

Waterboarding!

The Corner on National Review Online
"How many times have you read and heard in the mainstream media that terrorists were waterboarded more than 180 times?

It turns out that’s not true.

Muskegon Tea Party website

Muskegon Tea Party website
"Welcome to the new home of the Muskegon Patriots"

Finally!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The ride of a lifetime


The ride of a lifetime
"EAST LANSING - Lorene Shinsky delivered her son, John, to an orphanage when he was 8 years old.

Edmund Shinsky had just died of a heart attack, robbing Lorene of a husband, John of a father and the household of an employed steelworker.

John then started a fire in their small house in a rough neighborhood in Lorain, Ohio. Trouble was already finding him, so off Lorene sent him to Parmadale Orphanage in Parma, with a toothbrush and a bag of clothes."

An incredible story!

READ IT!

and try not to cry....

Obama Slow rolling......

OBAMA'S MESSAGE TO THE CIA
"Keep your head down. Duck assignments that carry political risk. Stay away from counter-terrorism.Devastating read from the WaPo's David Ignatius.

At the Central Intelligence Agency, it's known as 'slow rolling.' That's what agency officers sometimes do on politically sensitive assignments. They go through the motions; they pass cables back and forth; they take other jobs out of the danger zone; they cover their backsides."

The Administration’s Pathetic Piracy Policy


The Administration’s Pathetic Piracy Policy.
“Indeed, as I’ve recounted elsewhere, since the beginning of the piracy epidemic last summer the United Nations has passed five Security Council resolutions on the subject– all under its binding Chapter VII authority. No other issue, not even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (to say nothing of the bloody civil war in Sri Lanka or the ongoing genocide in Darfur) has commanded as much of the Council’s attention. Yet the piracy epidemic has only increased apace.

In the days after Obama announced that the U.S. would be getting tough on pirates, as if to mock his words several more vessels were seized, including another American ship.”"

Video: How to end corruption in federal government

Video: How to end corruption in federal government

"In other words, as long as we keep aggregating so much of our money in one spot, corrupt people will flock there like seagulls on a garbage scow.

What’s more, we’re the ones providing the incentive.

We demand federal action, we elect people for bringing home the bacon, and then we sit in dazed wonder when corruption ensues from having trillions of dollars up in the air in one place for people to grab.

Here are some hard truths to life:

Want to lose weight?
Eat less and exercise more.
Want to have more cash?

Work harder and spend less.
Want to end corruption in Washington DC?

Cut the budget and the size of government.

Few people really want to hear those truths.
They want magic pills for all of their concerns instead of acting out of common sense.

If we send less of our money to DC and move responsibilities back to the states and local communities, we won’t have to worry about whether we get our fair share back from DC.

Instead, we can use our own money to solve our own problems without hiring lobbyists to get it back, and we can address our own issues in the manner we like.

Our founding fathers knew all of this.

We’ve forgotten it in the vain attempt to find magic pills in a swamp"

WATCH THE VIDEO!

AND SEND IT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

The Big Party! Muskegon Summer Celebration, June 25 - July 5, 2009

The Big Party! Muskegon Summer Celebration, June 25 - July 5, 2009

RFK Jr: Obama an ‘indentured servant’ of coal industry


RFK Jr: Obama an ‘indentured servant’ of coal industry
"environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who calls President Barack Obama and other politicians who commit taxpayer money to develop it “indentured servants” of the coal industry."

We'll now that i think about it..... Kennedys can say ANYTHING they want without MSM criticism.

Ain't royalty great?

Muskegon Heights seeks grant to rehire police officers


Muskegon Heights seeks grant to rehire police officers
"Muskegon Heights is in the running for a federal grant that would allow the city to restore all, or at least most, of the 11 police officers laid off Jan. 1.
Police Chief Clifton Johnson said the city has submitted a grant application for the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services hiring recovery program, also known as COPS. Federal officials have indicated that a decision about the Heights application will be made by September.
'We're hopeful,' Johnson said. 'Nothing is in stone, and many other agencies are going through the same thing.'
The city council in December voted to lay off 11 police officers -- nearly half of its force -- in a budget-cutting decision that is saving the city about $400,000 in 2009. Without the layoffs and cuts in other departments, city officials were projecting a budget deficit as high as $600,000.
Six full-time officers and five part-time officers were laid off.
The city has already received word that it will receive a federal grant this year that will allow the police department to buy new weapons for officers, Johnson said. That grant is worth $115,629."

A perfect example of how the "grant" concept has destroyed our country at every level.

There is money for police guns but not for actual police because each grant has a specific goal.

Target spending as our friends in the democrat party so often remind us.

EARTH DAY TRUTHS

EARTH DAY TRUTHS
"My dear children: You have heard that every day, in every way, the world is getting dirtier. This isn't true.
I can see where you'd think the Earth soon will be covered with trash and you'll have to move onto a spaceship and become a fat blob stuck in a floating chair. 'Wall-E' said it would happen. Good movie; bad information. It's no more real than any of those other shows about how air is turning to poison or rivers are becoming sludge or all the animals are about to vanish.
They're stories meant to scare people — like the 'Twilight Zone,' just less honest. The truth is that in most ways that count, the world you live in is much cleaner than when I was a kid...."

An Effort to Save Flint, Mich., by Shrinking It

An Effort to Save Flint, Mich., by Shrinking It
"The population would be condensed into a few viable areas. So would stores and services. A city built to manufacture cars would be returned in large measure to the forest primeval.
“Decline in Flint is like gravity, a fact of life,” said Dan Kildee, the Genesee County treasurer and chief spokesman for the movement to shrink Flint. “We need to control it instead of letting it control us.”"

Happy Earth Day!
The Green-Dream!
No mention of lower spending, taxes or more efficient government.
No wonder the NYT loves this idea!

National parks to get $750 million today

National parks to get $750 million today
"National parks get $750 million in federal economic stimulus money today to chip into a to-do list that includes repairing historic buildings, constructing trails and increasing renewable energy use from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to Yosemite in California.
'This is probably the most significant investment made in more than a generation,' Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in an interview before the Earth Day announcement."

These fools think they're Santa Clause.... with my credit card.... and my kid's....and their kid's......

Kill the Vice Presidency




Kill the Vice Presidency
"His main reason: it leaves people who would not normally otherwise be considered fit for the job as president, either as direct slot-fillers or as unfortunate legacies."

This is an idea worth considering... except who do we get if the POTUS dies in office?

Excellent Earth Day posts at Carpe Diem

CARPE DIEM: "What About Capitalism Day?"

Earth Day 2009: Air Quality's Better Than Ever

Earth Day 2009: Air Quality's Better Than Ever
: "MP: Consider that since the first Earth Day in 1970, U.S. population has increased by 50.25%, miles driven has increased by 159% and real GDP has increased 203%; and yet air quality is better than ever."

Granholm helps launch wind generator factory

Granholm helps launch wind generator factory
"Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has helped launch a production line in Manistee for making wind turbines. It's expected to create about 120 jobs.
Granholm announced in October the Michigan Economic Development Corp. was giving $400,000 to a partnership between Mariah Power in Reno, Nev., and Manistee-based MasTech Manufacturing LLC."

My golly!
She is gonna "blow us away"!
Along with our paychecks.

Fond memories of 2006

MuskegonPundit: "If a Muskegon coalition of business, government and institutions is successful, crime will be reduced, employment will be up and natural areas will be protected."

How quickly they forget.

And how quickly we give them more and more power!

Muskegon Chamber pushes government cooperation

Muskegon Chamber pushes government cooperation
"'From ordinances to taxes, it is important to the business community that local governments are working together.'"

What evidence does anyone have to prove that allegation?

It's far better for communities to compete with each other.

Does Norton Shores want to run our city like Muskegon?

NOT!

Competition...get it?

Michigan launches enhanced driver's licenses

Michigan launches enhanced driver's licenses
"Standard driver's licenses along with birth certificates no longer will be accepted to return to the U.S. starting June. 1."

Yo Canada?

Results of the Press' 'How Green Are You?' survey

Results of the Press' 'How Green Are You?' survey
"The Press sent surveys to 22 pastors of different faith traditions. Several declined to participate, while others said they were too busy to complete the short survey during the four weeks leading up to Earth Day.
Here are the results from nine who responded:"

The religious embrace the new age uber-religion.

No surprise.... but truly sad.

Summer Cel pass party set

Summer Cel pass party set
"Festival organizers will roll out 'The Downtown Summer Sampler/Sappi Pass Party,' a new three-day event which will be Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 at L.C. Walker Arena."

Why can't students say 'guns' in school?

Why can't students say 'guns' in school?
"• Like old Soviet commissars clapping dissidents into psychiatric hospitals, administrators at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., responded to a student's e-mail criticizing school policy on concealed weapons by suspending him and ordering him to undergo a ``mental health examination.''"

High Court Curbs Power of Police to Search Cars

High Court Curbs Power of Police to Search Cars
"The Supreme Court ruled that police couldn't search the car of a person arrested unless the officer's safety was threatened or there was reason to think the car contained evidence of a crime, reviving a constitutional protection against unreasonable searches."