Cruise Critic Readers Pick Another Fight -- and Win It - Celebrity Cruises

Here They Go Again: Cruise Critic Readers Pick Another Fight -- and Win It - Celebrity Cruises
"In Celebrity's case, within 24 hours of the new ads launching, loyal Celebrity cruisers flocked to the boards to protest the campaign, saying it was sending the wrong message. Member PartyAllDaTyme summed up what hundreds of posters were articulating.

'I believe much of the consternation on the part of Cruise Critic members stems from the mistaken belief that Celebrity intends to relax or even eliminate many of the traditional 'rules,' such as the excellent smoking policy, any semblance of a dress code for formal nights, and worse, in favor of attracting a younger, more rebellious clientele,' he wrote.

One week later, Celebrity President and CEO Dan Hanrahan held a virtual Q&A in an effort to clarify the line's aim with 'X the Rules.'
And after some careful consideration, he returned a week later and posted the following:

'I want to thank you all again for the candid dialogue and questions on the boards last week about our new ad campaign. Your feedback encouraged us to do some additional research…[and] we have decided to move away from the 'X the rules' ads.'

Read the whole story of how Celebrity loyalists 'X'ed the marketing campaign."

This is only for cruise folks but coincidentally, our last cruise ended Jan. 17, the day before this new dictate was to be enforced.
If you cruise, you MUST get familiar with Cruise Critic.
You will save lots of moolah!
And learn other cool stuff.

60% Recognize That Government Spending Has Increased Every Year Since 1954

60% Recognize That Government Spending Has Increased Every Year Since 1954 - Rasmussen Reports™

The stark reality is that despite candidates who promised lower spending and taxes winning just about every election for the past half century, total government spending has kept going up every year since Bill Haley was topping the charts with Rock Around the Clock and a young singer named Elvis Presley made his first commercial recording.

That’s the same year the very first edition of Sports Illustrated was published, the Milwaukee Braves welcomed Hank Aaron as a rookie, and the shot clock was invented for the new National Basketball Association.

Union Boss John Gage Calls Those Who Believe in Cutting Spending "Mental...

New posts at MuskegonTaxpayersAlliance

http://muskegontaxpayers.blogspot.com/
Big union contract voted by commissioners
Searchable database: "waive hiring freeze"
City sidewalks not cleared-even near the Frauenthal!
and more!

Apple Is Most Valuable Company on Earth: Analysts - CNBC

CNBC's Fast Money: Apple Is Most Valuable Company on Earth: Analysts - CNBC
"at least five firms have raised their 12-month forecast on the stock to an average price of $467, or a 32 percent increase from here.
At that level, Apple’s market value would total $433.7 billion, flying past Exxon Mobil’s current market value of $423.2 billion."

AMAZING!

Robot Jet Fighter Takes First Flight – Aiming for Aircraft Carriers in 2013

Robot Jet Fighter Takes First Flight – Aiming for Aircraft Carriers in 2013 (video) Singularity Hub
"It’s not a spy, nor a single-target hunter-killer, it’s a complete jet fighter.
The 60 foot wingspan, 40,000 altitude, and 2100 nautical mile flight range, not to mention 4500 lb weapon bays, speak of an aircraft that would be a high end component of the military of the future.
It will have more range (though less firepower) than the F-18 Hornets"

Obama’s Claim That He Did Not Raise Taxes Is Rejected As ‘Blatantly False’ by Taxpayer Watchdog

Obama’s Claim That He Did Not Raise Taxes Is Rejected As ‘Blatantly False’ by Taxpayer Watchdog CNSnews.com
"President Obama’s assertion on Sunday that he “didn’t raise taxes once” is “blatantly false,” a taxpayer watchdog group says.
Obama made the claim in his pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.

According to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), President Obama has signed into law at least two dozen tax increases.
The first one – a federal tobacco tax hike – came just 16 days into his presidency."

The problem is that a liar who lies ALL the time eventually stops becoming news when he lies again....and again....and again.....

Stabenow Blowing More Taxpayers Coerced "Government Money"

RightMichigan.com Stabenow Blowing More Taxpayers Coerced "Government Money"
"In football lingo... Michigan's Senatorial Fullback of William 'Refrigerator' Perry proportions is running the alleged 'green jobs' ball up the middle for Team Obama and his Government Motors Volt."

Too funny...and real sad that Big Deb is our senator.

After being accused of 'lying' to parents, state board looks to raise the bar for MEAP tests

After being accused of 'lying' to parents, state board looks to raise the bar for MEAP tests MLive.com
"The truth is that Michigan has been lying to its residents about how well its students have been performing,” said Amber Arellano, executive director of the Midwest office of the Education Trust, who plans to voice concern at today's meeting..

“That's created a false sense of confidence about how our children have been doing and whether they are prepared for the next level.”"

What an indictment!
Only in government could this continue for as long as it has.

Hamtramck: Giving Raises and Going Bankrupt

Hamtramck: Giving Raises and Going Bankrupt [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"The city also had eight more people on payroll in 2010 compared to 2007 and saw total payroll climb from $7.3 million in 2007 to $7.9 million in 2010, not including benefits.
While Hamtramck considered bankruptcy, it gave its union workers annual raises of 2 to 3 percent, according to Cooper"

Jack Daniels Explains The Deficit

Current Gas Prices and Price History

Current Gas Prices and Price History

Taxpayers Send Teachers To Vegas Resort

Taxpayers Send Teachers To Vegas Resort « CBS Chicago
"The Chicago Public Schools system is suffering from a $700 million budget shortfall.
So why did some educators travel to Las Vegas just days after a travel restriction was ordered?

CBS 2′s Dave Savini and the Better Government Association investigated questionable spending of school tax dollars and how children are impacted.

Former Scammon Elementary School teacher Laura Hoffman is angry that 14 of her Chicago Public School co-workers went on an all-expense paid trip to a Las Vegas resort and spa for a conference last year."

Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming To Mansfield

Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming To Mansfield « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
"Some Students at Mansfield ISD schools could soon be learning Arabic as a required language.
The school district wants students at select schools to take Arabic language and culture classes as part of a federally funded grant.

The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant was awarded to Mansfield ISD last summer by the U.S. Department of Education.

As part of the five-year $1.3 Million grant, Arabic classes would be mandatory at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and Kenneth Davis Elementary School"

Big Government Bozo of the Week: Newt Gingrich

Big Government Bozo of the Week: Newt Gingrich NetRight Daily
"In the 1990s, Newt Gingrich was one of the top Republicans on the scene.
He’s a possible Presidential candidate in 2012, but one might think he’s running as a Democrat because he’s supporting the concept of ethanol!"

South Dakota GOP takes aim at 'Obamacare' with a gun bill

South Dakota GOP takes aim at 'Obamacare' with a gun bill - Washington Times
"If the government can require Americans to buy health insurance, the reasoning goes, then why can’t the same government require them to purchase something a bit higher on the conservative wish list?
That is why five GOP state legislators have introduced a bill that would require every South Dakotan age 21 or older to purchase a gun"

A QUICKER WAY TO IDENTIFY SKIN CANCER.

Instapundit » Blog Archive » A QUICKER WAY TO IDENTIFY SKIN CANCER.
“The device, called the Verisante Aura, is held above a mole, and uses Raman spectroscopy, a technique that distinguishes molecules using their vibrational states, to scan for those whose relative concentrations are characteristic of melanoma.

The device returns a verdict within seconds.

Following a successful small clinical trial, Verisante is now analyzing the results of another trial with 1,000 moles.”"

Honeybunch and I have lost her dad to skin cancer last year.
And we have too many friends and family who we love who are fighting the same pernicious disease today.
This sounds like a vibration of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, They’re Overpaid

Yes, They’re Overpaid The Weekly Standard
The truth about federal workers’ compensation

How To Reform Fannie And Freddie Now Without Raising Mortgage Costs

How To Reform Fannie And Freddie Now Without Raising Mortgage Costs
"But there is an alternative approach that wouldn’t raise monthly mortgage costs — it might even lower them — yet it would induce the private sector to take on mortgage market risk while minimizing taxpayer credit risk.
On top of that, it would preserve the ability of the government to run a countercyclical housing policy to combat downturns and it would go a long way toward rationalizing the foreclosure process."

This is very interesting.
Take a moment to read and understand it.
And send it to your rep. and senator if you agree.
I already did.

MEA freezes salaries, lays off 25 workers after losing 5,000 members

MEA freezes salaries, lays off 25 workers after losing 5,000 members MLive.com

"After giving its executive director a 9.3 percent raise in 2009-10, the Michigan Education Association is scaling back by freezing some management salaries and laying off 25 workers."

Heck of a job you're doing, Iris!