Indulging in Heartfelt, Heady, Conservative Banter ... In An Attempt To Put The Light Back Into America ... And Perhaps Some Life Back Into This Frost-Bitten Mitten State Turned Blue ...
I am semi-retired after spending 30 years turning cartwheels in the backyard of Corporate America. I'm happily married, and between my wife, Andrea, and I, have 8 children and 9 grandchildren. I recently released 12 songs on the Touch Em All Production's CD "The Passion's Back". For info please visit: http://touch-em-all.net/. This blog, "Rouge Revival", pertains to my core belief that our nation's founding father's had it "right" and that the success of the auto industry was one of the many direct results of their vision. "Rouge" is French for the color "Red", which also symbolizes the color indicator for Republican states. Rouge is also the name of an historic river, here in SE Michigan, as well as, the name of the largest integrated factory complex in the world, which at one time employed 100,000 Ford Motor Workers. The "Revival" is my vision for both a successful rebound of the auto industry, along with a Republican Party led State of Michigan and Country!
Oh yeah, and I hope to have and share a bit of fun within the process ...
In the words of former baseball broadcasting legend Jack Buck: "I don't believe what I just saw!"
After watching the fiasco that took place, yesterday in the sacred house chambers, I am proposing today that we, as a nation, change the term "Representatives" to "Individualists."
As the feds prepare their case to throw former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in jail, on charges that he schemed to sell or trade the Senate seat once held by President Obama, as well as, used his power to illegally pressure political campaign donors ... many Democrats from Bart Stupak all the way up to (and including) Obama have in essence committed the same crime.
The list of those confirmed to have made some sort of "deal" to sell their yes vote to Obamacare continues to grow. Here is just a sampling:
Ben Nelson, NE
Mary Landrieu, LA
Bart Stupak, MI
Gary Peters, MI
Allen Boyd, FL
Suzanne Kosmas, FL
John Boccieri, OH
Peter DeFazio, OR
Here in Michigan, I have made it my mission throughout the remainder of 2010, to donate much time and money toward securing the defeat of Bart Stupak. I urge others, both here and across this country, to do the same.
To those interested, Dan Benishek will be running against Stupak this November. You can contact his campaign directly at:
They have not only attacked her personally; they have attacked her husband, her children, her values, and her beliefs with far more slings and arrows than any political figure has ever had to endure. Yet through it all, she remains above the fray in representing the heart and soul of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
"They" include the mainstream media, the left (I know that's being redundant), and even some within her own party. "They" sense a unifying force; "They" see a renewed hope; "They" hear inspiration; and so "They" feel threatened!
"They" include:
Andrew Halcro - who lost the 2006 gubernatorial race to her: "If she is thinking that leaving her term 16 months early is going to help her prepare to maybe go on to bigger and better things on the political stage, I think she's sadly mistaken. You just can't quit."
Larry Sabato - Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics: "I think it eliminates her from serious consideration for the presidency in 2012."
John Weaver - former senior strategist for John McCain's presidential bid: "If this is her launching pad for 2012, it's a curious move. She has no real accomplishments as governor."
Phillip Elliot - Associated Press: "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's abrupt and unscripted holiday resignation is an odd way to launch a potential presidential bid and certainly no help for a party battered by scandal and fighting for relevancy."
The New York Times - A liberal rag: "We can't get over how she convinces a general election audience how quitting on her constituents is a good thing."
The Daily Kos - A Radical Web Site & unOrganization: "You have proven yourself an able contortionist, twisting circumstances to your convenience and naively believing that your self-serving yelps of success will drown out the shocking volume of your ineptitude."
The Huffington Post - An Internet Newspaper: "Palin's vision of politics is so profoundly radical that even performing the duties of office becomes unimportant."
Bill Maher – HBO Political Host and former comedian: “She’s nothing more than a Retarded Flight Attendant.”
ABC News -Obama's State Run Television News Bureau: "If she thinks she’s had it so tough … two words … ‘Hillary Clinton’. Mrs. Clinton has been savaged with nasty criticism.”
To all of those listed above, as well as to the far too many more of you to list, I offer this shiny most recently released State Quarter and advise you to:
"BUY A CLUE!"
Where was all the scrutiny, not to mention the on-going vicious personal attacks, on Hillary Clinton? And we're not talking about her (in the words of country singer Patty Lovelace): lying, cheating, cold dead beating, two timing double dealing, mean, mistreating husband.
Mrs. Clinton, with no experience as a politician other than being married to one, ran a popularity contest for Senator of the very "blue" State of New York ... and wins. In her eight years as Senator the majority of her time was spent laying the blueprint and planning her run at the Presidency of the United States. Her entire second term was spent, largely, on the road in setting up her campaign strategies, personnel, offices, support, etc.
For her entire last two years as Senator, Mrs. Clinton devoted 99% of her time to becoming President, with no serious dedication to the tax payers of New York who paid her salary.
Sarah Palin was no longer going to allow the false accusations and attacks, as well as her future political aspirations and travel, hurt the state and people she loved. Sarah Palin truly cares about the State of Alaska, its citizens, and its future. As much as she cares about the United States of America.
With Hillary Clinton it was all about her, the Democrat Party, and most importantly power. With Sarah Palin it is absolutely about practicing what she preached (as she did throughout her brief run for the Vice Presidency): "Country First."
As radio talkshow host Rush Limbaugh commented over the weekend: "When you have so many establishment types; inside the Beltway elites and media, be it Republican, Democrat ... it doesn’t matter, just so eager to destroy this woman ... it means they’re still scared to death of her."
A recent news article I read told the story of how in March 2006, a group of soldiers (from the 101st Airborne Division) with their faces concealed and wearing black long underwear, descended upon a farmhouse some 20 miles south of Baghdad. Once inside they gang-raped a teenage girl, shot her in the head, then killed her younger sister and their parents as well. The soldiers then tried to burn the bodies by setting fire to the house. One of the soldiers was recently convicted of the crime and could face the death penalty for his actions.
Unfortunately, many reading this same news account will wrongly assume that this is a common occurrence during warfare. Nothing could be further from the truth!
As a United States Army Chaplain, I served in Iraq from 2006 through 2007 during the time of extreme IED (Improvised Explosive Device) activity throughout the Al Anbar region. Enemy activity was at its zenith. There were over 160 attacks, per month, on U.S. soldiers.
One night, I was approached by my executive officer and was asked if I would fIy, by helicopter, to one of the Army outposts near the Syrian border to minster to a unit which had just lost two of their men in a firefight with the enemy.
Early the next morning I boarded a Navy Sea Stallion chopper and arrived at the outpost. I was greeted by the commanding officer and was given the details of the horrific battle that occurred the day before.
I was asked to minister to four men who survived the encounter. These men were no strangers to warfare. They had been in Iraq before and the sights, smells, and sounds of battle were commonplace.
All of the men were deeply grieving the loss of their friends and questioning why they had survived while their friends had died. In particular, the platoon sergeant of this unit, was having a most difficult time processing the death of these two soldiers. I came to discover that one of the slain soldiers was a very close personal friend of this platoon sergeant.
I also learned that, once the firefight had ended, he was part of the team that had captured the aforementioned insurgents who had inflicted the mortal wounds upon their friends.
The platoon sergeant told me: “Chaplain, I had those two guys on the ground and my weapon was pointed at the back of their heads. For just a moment, I saw the face of my friend and the faces of the wife and children he left behind. Part of me wanted to pull the trigger and end the miserable existence of these two bastards and yet another part of me knew that such actions were wrong.”
After listening to him relate the awful events of that day, I told him that he had done the right thing and that his honor was still intact. This soldier could hold his head high knowing that he had acted morally.
This is not an isolated incident. Our combat forces face these kinds of moral dilemmas daily. I can attest to you the truth that the vast majority of our servicemen make the right choices and perform their duties with distinction, valor, and character.
I am so very proud to serve with troops like these.
This Blog Post provided by: Chaplain (MAJ) Daniel Petsch
In the early hours of February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, along with, The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), and Ritchie Valens, who had all been performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, took off from the local runway in nearby Mason City, on its way to the next show. The plane crashed soon after takeoff, killing all aboard.
This event was later eulogized by folk singer Don McLean in his famous song, "American Pie", in which the death of these '50s icons serves as a metaphor for greater changes within American society as a whole.
What most people may not know is that country music legend Waylon Jennings' act of kindness that fateful night, saved his life.
"The Winter Dance Party" was a tour that was set to cover 24 midwestern cities in three weeks. A logistical problem with the tour was the amount of travel, as the distance between venues was not a priority when scheduling each performance. For example, the tour would start at venue A, travel 200 miles to venue B, and travel back 170 miles to venue C, which was only 30 miles from the original venue A. Adding to the disarray, the tour bus used to carry the musicians was ill-prepared for the weather (its heating system broke shortly after the tour began).
Drummer Carl Bunch developed a severe case of frostbitten feet while on the bus and was taken to a local hospital. As he recovered, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens took turns with the drums.
The Surf Ballroom in Clear City, Iowa was never intended to be a stop on the tour, but promoters, hoping to fill an open date, called the manager of the ballroom at the time and offered him the show. He accepted and the date of the show was set for February 2nd.
By the time Buddy Holly arrived at the ballroom that evening, he was frustrated with the tour bus and told his bandmates that, once the show was over, they should try to charter a plane to get to the next stop on the tour, in Moorhead, Minnesota. According to those close to the tour, Holly was also upset that he had run out of clean undershirts, socks, and underwear. He needed to do some laundry before the next performance, and the local laundromat in Clear Lake was closed that day.
Flight arrangements were made with Roger Peterson, 21, a local pilot who worked for Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City, Iowa. A fee of $36 per person was charged for the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza B35 (Registration N3794N). The Bonanza could seat three passengers in addition to the pilot.
Richardson had developed a case of the flu during the tour and asked one of Holly's new bandmates, Waylon Jennings, for his seat on the plane. Jennings, feeling sorry for the Big Bopper, kindly agreed to give up the seat. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes." This exchange of words, though made in jest at the time, haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.
Ritchie Valens had never flown in a small plane before, and asked Holly's remaining bandmate on the plane, Tommy Allsup, for the seat. Tommy said "I'll flip ya for the remaining seat." Contrary to what is seen in biographical movies, that coin toss did not happen at the airport shortly before takeoff, nor did Buddy Holly toss it. The toss happened at the ballroom shortly before departure to the airport, and the coin was tossed by a Allsup near the rear entrance to the hall. Needless to say Valens won a seat on the plane.
Dion DiMucci of Dion & The Belmonts, who was the fourth headline performer on the tour, was approached to join the flight as well; however, the price of $36 was too much. Dion had heard his parents argue for years over the $36 rent for their apartment and could not bring himself to pay an entire month's rent for a short plane ride.
The plane crashed at 1:06 a.m. Central Time on February 3, shortly after it took off from Mason City Municipal Airport. Around 1:05 a.m., Jerry Dwyer, the owner of Dwyer Flying Service, could see the lights of the plane start to descend from the sky to the ground. At the time, he thought it was an optical illusion because of the curvature of the Earth and the horizon.
The pilot, Roger Peterson, was expected to file his flight plan once the plane was airborne, but Peterson never called the tower. Repeated attempts by Dwyer to contact his pilot failed. By 3:30 AM, when the airport at Fargo had not heard from Peterson, Dwyer contacted authorities and reported the aircraft missing.
Around 9:15 a.m., that morning, Dwyer took off in another small plane to fly Peterson's intended route. A short time later Dwyer spotted the wreckage in a cornfield belonging to Albert Juhl, about 5 miles northwest of the airport. The manager of the Surf Ballroom, who drove the performers to the airport and witnessed the plane taking off, made the positive identification of the performers.
Thank you for all you have done to preserve, protect, and defend me, my family, and my fellow countrymen from terrorism.
It has been over seven years since we were attacked and three thousand of my fellow Americans were killed. I am truly grateful for the way you have handled one of the most profound crises my country has ever faced. As commander-in-chief, I could not have felt more secure with anyone other than you at the helm.
The events of September 11, 2001 changed the face of America forever. Immediate decisions had to be made, addressing every aspect of securing our land and its people. It's beyond shame that hardly anyone has ever given you the credit deserved for having to have made those incredibly difficult decisions.
You have somehow endured the slings and arrows of the mainstream media, along with, many of those that swallowed their propaganda. All the while as you led the way on national progress, not for ideology, fame, or votes. You found compromises that would move the nation in constant step with our Constitution - which is exactly how it should be done in a democracy. You did not play dictator and force everyone to conform. You were a man of faith and always of your word.
I will miss your wisdom, and your conviction of faith, which will be all the more painful given all the reminders of those that now surround us and lead the national debates.
Thank you for being a man of integrity and an inspirational leader. America is safe because of you. May God bless you and Laura.
I decided to take a break, over the long Christmas holidays, from all social and political commentary. Although the new year brings with it much hope and transformation (I know you all can't wait for the 'change'), I am not surprised, as I return to the world of news and blogging, to find the same old Harry Reid at it again.
Just two days after Harry Reid proclaimed to the world that "His" senate would never ever sit Illinois Senate designate Roland Burris, Reid pulled an about face by actually allowing Burris inside the sacred front door of the United States Senate chamber.
Harry Reid has totally caved. Dick Durbin has totally caved. On Sunday and Monday of this week they were clearly stating that the Senate and only the Senate will determine a solution, and further more, that they were not seating him. Ah ha ... and then something strange happened on Tuesday.
People began to focus on the racial aspects. The press strategically photographed Burris as this poor, bedraggled black guy surrounded by attorneys, barred from the U.S. Senate, an all-white men's club, and then giving the appearance they forced him out into the rain.
You add to that the situation with the secretary of state in Illinois, Jesse White, who said: "I'm not signing this, I'm not signing the paper necessary to make this happen," then you really do have a problem. So what does Reid do, amongst the mounting pressure, he retracts his statement by saying: "We have nothing to do with this. This is all about the secretary of state of Illinois. The secretary of state of Illinois has to sign the certification form here." So Reid is pretending that he never, ever said anything about not letting Burris into the building or even sitting him for that matter.
Are you surprised? You shouldn't be, but in case you are, let me remind you of some of Reid's top retractions:
Just recently Senator Retract stated that "I don't work for Obama," and added "Democrats must be “very, very careful” to avoid overreaching and will not rubber-stamp President-elect Obama’s policies." He later retracted by saying he didn't work for and with Obama until the 20th of January.
And what about the long running State of Minnesota Senate Side Show (Al Franken v. Norm Coleman)?
"Coleman will never ever (there's those words again) serve," stated Reid in arguing that Norm Coleman’s career in the Senate is finished. “Norm Coleman will never ever serve [again] in the Senate. He lost the election. He can stall things, but he'll never serve in the Senate.” These statements have been made in light of the growing facts that there is substantial evidence of voter fraud and a lawsuit pending.
Reid has fretted over how fossil fuels like coal 'makes us sick.' Never mind that life expectancy, largely, fueled by industrialization and its accompanying higher living standards, continues to climb. In each case, the consequences to Reid's political career have apparently been minimal.
And who can forget this past fall when Reid said that visitors to the Capitol "stink!"
"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."
Recently, Senator Retract announced that a 'major insurance company' is on the verge of bankruptcy. His comments caused life insurance stocks to plummet. For example, MetLife (NYSE: MET) fell by more than 15% and Hartford Financial Services (NYSE: HIG) fell by approximately 35%. He retracted his statement by claiming he had been led to believe that, under the current financial climate, it could happen soon, but that he was not actually aware of any company being in danger of bankruptcy.
And the hits just keep on coming ...
Remember when he attacked our troops and General Petraeus, telling them they can't win and that the war is lost? He retracted those statements by stating he meant that if the Bush policies continued as they were. Hmmmm, didn't the President's policies include the successful surge in Iraq? And now Senator Retract tries to make himself out to be a super patriot. It's not flying, Senator.
And let's not forget these other two things about Senator Retract, when he told schoolchildren in Nevada that George Bush, the commander-in-chief, was a loser. Then he essentially called Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas illiterate. He was asked what he thought about Thomas, and replied: "He's not very good; his opinions don't make any sense; they're not written very well,"
Then there was that infamous Senator Retract statement during the height of the debate on Illegal Aliens. "We will hopefully bring to final passage a comprehensive bill that will strengthen our border security and bring 12 million undocumented Americans out of the shadows." Undocumented Americans, are you kidding me?
Senator Harry Reid, majority leader of the United State Senate, is actually the head of a party which cannot survive on the basis of its ideas. Liberalism cannot triumph openly in the arena of ideas. It can only triumph by destroying, via character assassination and other things, its opponents. They don't dare come join us in the arena of ideas for open debate on issues. And if they do, it will soon descend into personal assaults and attacks.
That is of course until they retract those assaults and attacks.
It appears that Separation of Church and State, in essence means, the Separation of Human Kindness and Medical Professionals.
As of last Thursday, if you're in a serious car accident, or your stuck inside your home as it catches on fire, or perhaps your choking on some food at a local restaurant, then don't expect help from a Good Samaritan.
The California Supreme Court decided last week that if you choose to be that Good Samaritan, by trying to do the right thing, you can be sued. It was ruled that a young woman who pulled a co-worker from a crashed vehicle isn't immune from civil liability because the care she rendered wasn't medical.
The divided high court appeared to signal that rescue efforts are the responsibility of trained professionals. It was also thought to be the first ruling by the court that someone who intervened in an accident in good faith could be sued.
What ever happen to the Good Samaritan? It’s roots trace back to a parable which appeared in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25–37.
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead with no clothes. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
Jesus asked: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
It appears that those on the California Supreme Court, instead of following the lesson of the Good Samaritan, chose to follow the jackass.
This month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (of Kali-fornia) warned of financial Armageddon, as California faced a potential $40 billion deficit that threatened jobs, roads, schools and public safety. At the same time, he's pushing some of the world's toughest environmental laws to make California a leader on (get ready for the new buzz word, since 'Global Warming' continues to be proven for the hoax that it is)"climate change."
When Schwarzenegger announced to the UN delegates, gathered in Poland at the The Climate Group's second annual States and Regions Climate Leader Summit, that he would lead the "Green Challenge", I actually thought it was a promotional gimmick for a new movie entitled:
"The Terminator vs The Hulk."
As it turns out, the Governator was referring to Green rules and regulations in which he personally feels will help both the climate and the economy.
"States and provinces have long been at the forefront of developing green technologies and protecting our economy so that they are setting great examples for our federal counterparts."
I'm sure what he meant to say was that: "States and provinces have long been at the forefront of misleading people, that is, those that are very green when it comes to reality, as to the history and true condition of our environment and planet."
His audience was international environment ministers and regional government leaders from around the world, who were in Poznan for the annual United Nations climate conference. They are negotiating a successor agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions to theKyoto Protocol,which expires in 2012.
Ah, you remember the Kyoto Protocol, don't you? Oh sure you do. The Kyoto protocol is nothing more than the world's attempts to get its hands into our wallets.
Even the "self proclaimed" environmentalist experts and scientists have conceded that Kyoto will have no impact. Yet they believe in Kyoto, despite the fact the green groups (at a past U.N. climate summit in Buenos Aires) once called President Bush immoral and illegitimate for not supporting Kyoto, the groups themselves concede the protocol will only have a symbolic effect on climate ... because ... they believe Kyoto's too weak.
Kyoto is an international treaty which seeks to limit greenhouse gases of the developed countries by 2012. The problem is that China's exempt from it and China is on its way to becoming the #2 greenhouse gas producer. If China's exempt, then tell me what Kyoto is all about. And then it is claimed that Kyoto will have no impace. The key phrase is that "it will only have symbolic effect."
'The Symbolic Effect' is all that liberals (and RINOs or Republicans In Name Only) are interested in for terms of persuading people. We are never to ask the results of their work, only their intentions. We're never supposed to dig deep to find out how their ideas work or fail.
It's always about the "Greenhouse Gases".
So let’s talk about greenhouse gases. Water vapor is earth's most effective and abundant greenhouse gas, accounting for 95% of the greenhouse effect. In terms of weather, we refer to water vapor as humidity. Depending on where you reside, many of you know the effects of high humidity. On a warm, humid summer day, you can't move about outdoors without beads of perspiration breaking on your brow. On those same nights the water vapor laden air seems heavy and the temperature has a difficult time dropping to comfortable sleeping levels. This is because humid air tends to hold its temperature. What you are witnessing is the greenhouse effect doing what it's supposed to do. Retain Heat!
Without the greenhouse effect, the earth would be a ball of ice void of life. It's astounding how today this life-dependant atmospheric factor has become the environmental bad guy. We are always told that "Greenhouse gases are killing us,"
Curiously, research I’ve gathered from the Department of Energy fails to list water vapor as a greenhouse gas. This is incredibly disingenuous, given that, in reality, water vapor is the 600 pound gorilla in the greenhouse. After water vapor, the remaining five percent of the greenhouse gases are, in order of concentration: CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and a variety of other minor gases, including ozone, carbon monoxide, and chlorofluorocarbons.
However … and stay with me on this one … it must be noted that methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 when it comes to retaining the sun's heat, and nitrous oxide is 310 times more effective than CO2. Carbon dioxide is actually a part time (on the sidelines) player in the greenhouse game.
Since the Department of Energy and other government climate gurus choose to ignore the mighty greenhouse effect of water vapor, for the sake of the following proposition, then so shall I. Let's eliminate water vapor from the equation for a moment and focus only on the remaining five percent of greenhouse gases. Human contribution to the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is realized primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, but also through important processes like manufacturing cement (the chemical reaction necessary to its production releases CO2) and even farming (plowing a field exposes microscopic organic matter in the soil, causing the carbon-laden organisms to die, thus releasing CO2 into the atmosphere).
Accounting for the individual concentrations and potencies of the other greenhouse gases (minus water vapor), the contribution of carbon dioxide emissions created by human activity accounts for only 2.33% of the earth's greenhouse effect. Now, when we reconsider water vapor into the math, humankind's carbon-dioxide footprint is reduced to .117% of the greenhouse effect (that reads one hundred seventeen thousandths of a percent).
To say we're being handed a line of green bull is an understatement.
There is no planetary emergency caused by an abundance of carbon dioxide. And even if the CO2 created by our activities was an issue, the earth has mechanisms in place to accommodate. Just like the water vapor that eventually returns to earth as precipitation, working its way into a deep ocean or subterranean aquifer, airborne carbon dioxide is absorbed by large repositories called "sinks" which include everything from the atmosphere itself to the oceans to the plants, rocks and dirt.
If anyone is in denial, it's those who still believe in global warming.
Now how about it Hollywood … The Terminator vs The Hulk?
Al Gore using a flame thrower to expedite melting of polar ice caps
Al Gore, creator of the Internet and Founding Father of the Higher Order Religion on Global Warming, has done everything humanly possible to prove that G.W. (no, not George W.) will lead to the extinction of Planet Earth.
Well it appears as if the Holy Gore may have to relinquish both his Nobel Peace Prize and his Oscar, for that Science Fiction thriller "An Inconvenient Truth".
Apparently someone high up at CNN, in wisely spending some of their limited advertising dollars, has finally decided to buy a clue.
The attached video below was an exchange between CNN's Lou Dobbs, their top Meteorologist, and a scientific expert on the Global Climate. Please watch and sing along:
The Detroit Media Partnership announced today a first-of-its-kind plan in the struggling U.S. newspaper industry — emphasizing more online delivery of news and information and cutting back home delivery days.
The Partnership, which runs the business operations of both the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, will be eliminating home delivery on all but their most lucrative days, which are Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Printed "Express" issues will still be available at newsstands daily, but will be trimmed back from their current size, and the papers will encourage readers instead to check out daily digital editions available on their web sites.
The two papers, which are run through a joint operating agreement, are looking to save money on print and delivery costs, which have shot up over the past year with the rise in ink and gas prices. At the same time, circulation and advertising have dried up nationwide, and that’s been especially true in Detroit, home of the Big Three automakers who are seeking a federal bailout to continue operation in the midst of a devastating recession.
The Free Press, which is owned by Gannett, and the News, which is owned by MediaNews Group, have already bought out dozens of workers over the past two years. Circulation at the papers has plummeted by double-digit percentages since 2003.
This next step is a drastic one, and it’s unclear whether it will work. After all, the internet has been one of the main culprits in the decline of American newspapers, who have yet to figure out how to leverage new media advertising in an effective manner. Forcing readers online to get the paper could turn out to be a foolish strategy.
One of the advantages of paid newspapers has always been home delivery, a fact the free Examiner chain has recognized and used to its great advantage, giving it the ability to sell a more upscale demographic to its advertisers.
The print retreat will be a defeat that would alienate older readers, a key demographic for newspapers, who are unlikely to go online or even to the local newsstand to get their daily read.
Despite the amount of time I spend on line, researching and blogging, I still enjoy having the newspaper delivered to my door every morning. There's something therapeutic in enjoying your morning cup of coffee along with the daily news and sports. It's an American tradition that dates back to the days of Benjamin Franklin.
Starting now, my current subscription to the morning Free Press, will arrive each day in my email mailbox in the form of a password. With that daily password, I will then be able to link to the Free Press site where I can then access the digital paper.
So what happens when, one morning, the password misses the mailbox and lands in the bushes?
That'll be one call, to the circulation department. I can't wait to make.
A foul plan was afoot in Iraq today as an Iraqi Journalist hurled his shoes and an insult at President George W. Bush, causing the Commander In Chief to 'bob and weave' like a prize fighter. The President managed to dodge the podiatridic projectile, but not the insult, nor the foul odor.
Just after setting foot in Iraq earlier this morning, Bush side-stepped the issue on troop withdrawel, choosing to toe the line on the success of the surge. He then leaped into discussions on running a tighter command. He also skipped questions on his reason for jump starting soul searching meetings with arch rival leader Nuri al-Malikihis immediately.
After a short hike from the airport to the Iraqi leaders offices (which of course were a mere hop, skip and a jump away), the two leaders began their joint press conference, echoing Bush's earlier comments, while adding that "the time had come to heal."
The Iraqi Journalist, Muntazer al-Zaidi, then took matters into his own hand. Two size ten matters that is, or as Ed Sullivan would say, they were 'really big.'
Soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. After Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled in Baghdad in April 2003, many onlookers beat the statue's face with their soles.
Keeping in-step with proper protocol, some Iraqi journalists stood up to apologize to Bush. The President replied: "Thanks for apologizing on behalf of the Iraqi people." Playing down the incident, the president later added: "I don't know what the guy's cause is, but I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."
The incident may very well sum up the George W. Bush presidency in one sentence:
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man (who says the President-Elect is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth), serious doubt and legitimate concerns continue regarding the actual birthplace of the Chosen One, Barack Hussein Obama.
At the time of his birth, his mother (the Virgin Ann), was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject. There appears to be evidence that the President-Elect was indeed born in Kenya, then moved to Hawaii. Other reports indicate that the Messiah Obama may have been born in Indonesia.
The U.S. Constitution, Article 2, “Executive Branch”, Section 1, “The President”, clearly states the following: ‘No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.’
Fuel to the fire came from Obama’s campaign, during his run for the Presidency, when it was proven that the birth certificate document presented (claiming he was born in Hawaii), was indeed a forgery. According to many legal scholars, although the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to take the case, Obama still may face serious challenges.
Meanwhile, in a related story it appears that a team of researchers, headed by Australian astronomer Dave Reneke, claim that a bright star which appeared over Bethlehem 2,000 years ago pinpointed the date of Christ's birth as June 17 rather than December 25. The researchers claim the 'Christmas Star' was most likely a magnificent conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which were so close together they would have shone unusually brightly as a single "beacon of light" which appeared suddenly.
The team used complex computer software to chart the exact positions of all celestial bodies and map the night sky as it would have appeared over the Holy Land more than 2,000 years ago. It revealed a spectacular astronomical event around the time of Jesus's birth. Reneke says the wise men probably interpreted it as the sign they had been waiting for, then followed the 'star' to Christ's birthplace in a stable in Bethlehem, as described in the Bible.
Generally accepted research has placed the nativity to somewhere between 3BC and 1AD.
Using the St Matthew's Gospel as a reference point, Mr Reneke pinpointed the planetary conjunction, which appeared in the constellation of Leo, to the exact date of June 17 in the year 2BC.
Mr Reneke, who is editor of Sky and Space magazine, said: 'We have software that can recreate the night sky exactly as it was at any point in the last several thousand years”, and adds, 'We are not saying this was definitely the Christmas star - but it is the strongest explanation for it of any I have seen so far.”
Following the release of this incredible historic finding, a brilliant proclamation was made by members of the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London, when they concluded that: “If the Australian team is correct, it would mean Jesus was a Gemini, not a Capricorn as previously believed.”
While the sitcom “Welcome Back Carter” prepares itself for it’s premier on January 20, 2009, even as we all got a sneak preview yesterday in Chicago, there is an urgent need for two critical issues to remain front and center.
The fear is that, as in the days of Jimmy Carter, critical decisions that will affect the very existence of this country well into the future, will either be completely ignored or grievously miscalculated.
As we head into a new administration, the fear is that the entire issue of open borders and Illegal immigration will once again fall off the radar.
Reforming immigration policy fell to Ronald Reagan after fumbling attempts at reform by Carter. “This country has lost control of its borders. And no country can sustain that kind of position” claimed Reagan at the start of his Presidency.
However, nearly 27 years later, uncontrollable numbers of illegal aliens continue to pour into this country at an alarming rate. There have been far too many examples, most recently with the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, where we have failed to take advantage of lessons learned.
We can only hope that President Elect Obama, and the Democrat led Congress, react to the opinion of 84% of ‘We The People’, and seal up our borders, now!
The second critical issue, as we discussed briefly here yesterday, has to do with rising fuel prices and the absolute need to refocus our energy on America’s own natural resources.
Opening up more land and off shore sites for exploration is the answer to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. The outer continental shelf, ANWR, and similar places should have never been placed off limits in the first place. That was national economic foolishness in order to appease tree huggers who want us to revert to a nineteenth century way of life.
We need to ‘drill here and drill now!’ Do it responsibly and hygienically, but do it yesterday. And by the way, just because an oil company has a lease on land doesn’t mean there is oil there. Stop with the smoke and mirrors rhetoric. Congress needs to get out of the way and let the professionals decide when and where to drill.
Leave the strategic oil reserve alone. It is for real emergencies, not false ones created by extremists who purposefully decreased our oil supply by making it harder to get and refine our own crude oil.
And real emergencies with nations who hate us are coming due to this Congress backstabbing President Bush and our troops in a time of war, and thus emboldening our enemies.
So what does Congress do? They pass legislation to force higher mileage standards for cars and trucks? That does me and my neighbors no good when we can’t afford these new vehicles. Any savings at the pump are eaten up by a big car payment. Besides, these new vehicles will be more dangerous because they will have to be small and light weight to meet the new mileage standards. As a home owner, I have to haul things all the time. How is a battery-powered car going to haul around anything besides two skinny liberals?
What about having stuff delivered? OK, that means added cost and we are back to needing oil to power more diesel engine delivery trucks that can deliver heavy loads. Is there anything even remotely on the horizon of technology that will ever replace the internal combustion engine for hauling heavy loads? I seriously doubt it.
Just take a look at the Nancy Pelosi led Congress three bullet points regarding their accomplishments on this very issue:
1. “Took action to investigate price gouging and ensure that retailers aren’t artificially inflating the cost of gas.”
What about government at all levels gouging us with ever increasing taxes on energy? What about government farm subsidies that artificially inflate the cost of food? I still can’t get over the notion that government forces me to pay taxes and then turns around and gives that money to farmers so that they will alter their actions in a way that drives up the cost of my groceries.
2. “Passed investments in renewable and alternative energy and reduced taxpayer subsidies for oil companies.”
What about getting rid of the stupid ethanol subsidies that are driving food prices higher? Oh that’s right, because ethanol subsidies buy the Democrats more votes from the Corn Belt farmers. So my taxes go to prop up a failed alternative energy source, making my grocery bill higher just so Democrats get more votes.
Wind and solar power are unpredictable. What will we have as backup energy on windless and cloudy days? Besides, they are a visual blight to our countryside. I thought you Democrats cared about the "pristine" environment.
But no, you will throw up these ugly wind generators and solar panels everywhere in the lower 48 states before you will drill for oil in a barren, uninhabitable, desolate place such as ANWR that is in darkness most of the year.
Why not invest in more nuclear and hydro-electric energy generation? France has been generating electrical energy with nuclear power safely for many years now. And the last I checked, the water cycle of rain and rivers is about as renewable as you can get. We need to build more nuclear reactors and hydro-electric dams for power. That will help us bring down the cost of our electric utility bills.
3. “Passed a Farm Bill that makes a historic investment in Bio-fuels made from crops other than grain.”
Oh great, what other food sources are you going to subsidize with my taxes, making less of it available to eat thus driving up our grocery bill further and starving the worlds poor just so you get more votes?
How do you power ambulances, freight trains, and airplanes on carrot juice? Maybe some day alternative energy that doesn’t have to be subsidized, will not visually pollute our landscapes, and will not lessen food sources (and drive up prices) will be available. Until then, we need more of our own oil out of the ground and refined here and now to keep the American economic engine rolling. Let’s do it cleanly and safely, but let’s do it now. Stop wasting our time and money trying to synthesize cheap, magic pixie dust so we can all fly around like Peter Pan.
The Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is the secret that Democrats in Washington don’t want the American people to know: This is a treasure trove of energy that will yield a lot with only minimal intrusion.
For far too long, Americans have been told by the environmentalist left that drilling in Alaska would hurt the abundant wildlife and natural resources there. This is simply not true. ANWR is a small part of the Arctic Circle in northern Alaska. Energy exploration would be limited to a small 2,000-acre lot within ANWR. That is comparable to a postage stamp sitting on a football field.
Exploration of ANWR revealed that almost no wildlife exists in the 2,000-acre area proposed for drilling. It is flat arctic tundra with absolutely no trees in view. Alaskan Caribou and wildlife were nowhere near the possible drilling sites.
Furthermore, we know that nine months out of the year this area is hidden under snow and ice and three months out of the year the area is covered in complete darkness.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that there are 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil in ANWR. And these estimates are based on exploration done in the 1970s. Federal moratoria on these lands have restricted even modern technological investigation of what oil reserves may be available for tapping. Imagine what modern surveying techniques might show. It gets better; the EIA has also stated that the production of this oil would create an estimated 750,000 American jobs. At a time when our nation is hurting because of rising food and gas costs, more domestic energy and new jobs would give the economy a much needed boost.
The fact of the matter is that Congress is standing in the way of $1-2 per gallon gas (as the rule, instead of the current exception). As mentioned, in yesterday’s article, don’t be fooled by the $44 per barrel today. Planned cuts in production (see Jimmy Carter era) will force supply and demand strategies to once again drive up prices, and as early as February 2009.
It is Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats who are refusing to let commonsense energy legislation come to the floor. The American people are hurting and gas prices will continue to spiral out of control. But Congress continues to turn a deaf ear.We have the resources available in areas like ANWR, Colorado, California, and off-shore, to lower oil costs and decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich meeting with Obama earlier this year.
CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce thefiring of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions. As stated in my column on our beloved State Governors, just last week: "... and the hits just keep on coming!" http://rougerevival.blogspot.com/2008/12/give-governor-hurrumph.html U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said today that federal authorities arrested Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich today because the governor went on "a political corruption crime spree" that needed to be stopped. We discussed the corruption in the State of Illinois politics. William Ayers, Tony Rezko, former Gov. George Ryan, Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama (oh no, wait a minute, he somehow snuck under the radar). The list, however, of Chicago 'thug' politicians, and associates, is long.
And here we go again.
Fitzgerald said secret tape recordings showed Blagojevich was attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama recently vacated. Fitzgerald said, "We make no allegations" that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by Blagojevich."
No allegations yet! The governor has the sole power to pick Obama's replacement under the state constitution. You can't tell me that Obama wasn't making his own recommendations.
"The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," Fitzgerald said, quoting Blagojevich as saying the Senate seat is "a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away. ... I've got this thing and it's bleeping golden." Fitzgerald called the corruption charges against Blagojevich "a truly new low."
Blagojevich wasn't against the corrupt deal for the Senate seat, he was against "being stiffed in the corrupt deal," Fitzgerald said. The remarks came at a news conference to discuss charges against Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris. Blagojevich and Harris are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan.
As Bob Parks correctly stated this afternoon, on his daily 'Black and Right' blog: "After three hours of wall to wall coverage, today on CNN, the coverage included the dismay, disgust, and disappointment of the anchor, the host, and guests. But can any of you tell me the one word I didn't hear ... the one word purposely not spoken?
'Democrat.' I guess we should be appreciative of the fact that CNN saw no reason to interject politics into this sorry chapter in American politics."
And then you had Robert Grant, FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago office, characterizing Illinois' place in the pantheon of political corruption. "If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Grant said. "Even the most cynical agents in our office were shocked."
Shocked? Oh Really! As we clearly stated in our article, from earlier today (see below), Robert Grant, the FBI, CNN and all of the liberal mainstream media need to: "buy a clue!
Sometimes I wonder where liberals come up with their ridiculous notions about life in America. Right here in Michigan we are surrounded by misguided left wing loonies, who desperately are in need for all of us conservatives, to send them each one shiny ‘State of Michigan’ State Quarter.
Maybe then, they’ll buy a clue!
Leading the pack is Queen Loon herself, Obama Economic (pause for laughter) Guru & Prognosticator (I’ll wait), Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
But I’ve picked on the governor enough already this week. It is time we take a look at one of our great leaders (pause for laughter) in Washington - Senator Debbie Stabenow - who claimed earlier this year that rising gas prices were being "fostered" by President Bush and Vice President Cheney because of their former ties to the oil industry. Sen. Stabenow and her Senate colleagues only needed to look in a mirror to find the real culprits.
She has voted against all proposals for new oil drilling. There's tons of oil out there we cannot touch because the environmental movement owns the Democratic Party. Of course, the mainstream media gives these people a pass, but the facts bring out the truth.
Gasoline was high, this past summer (near $5 per gallon) because the world market for oil has been growing, while the Oil supply is static.
Sen. Stabenow and her colleagues are more responsible for the rising price of oil than the oil industry, the president, the vice president, his relatives, their friends, my friends, and your friends combined.
Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), could have had an impact stabilizing the world price for a barrel of crude. Since the environmental movement owns our great State Senator, she had to vote against it.
I believe Stabenow knows many Americans are ignorant about economics and do not understand the law of supply and demand, so she makes ignorant statements and gets away with it. (It also amazes me how illiterate the mainstream press corps is about economics).
Sen. Stabenow wanted the public to put pressure on the Republicans when actually, the public needed to put pressure on the Democrats. They control Congress. They could have slowed or even put a halt to the rising price of oil if they would have opened up the Coast of California and ANWR to oil drilling.
Some say that any chance of her approving such a plan, came to a screeching halt, when she learned last spring that her husband, Thomas Athans, had done a little ‘off-shore drilling’ of his own.
Now that a barrel of oil has fallen to under $45 a barrel, it is no time to even think for a moment, that we are out of the woods.
Prices have dropped significantly based on the pressure from President Bush lifting the ban on drilling in U.S coastal waters, mixed with, the current economic slowdown which has forced many to cut back on fuel consumption.
Economic lesson #1: This is a temporary solution. Production will soon be cut forcing ‘supply and demand’ (look it up libs) to rule the day. Although we may not get back to the $5 per gallon levels (for now), we could be up around $4 per gallon by February 2009.
Happy New Year!
Sen. Stabenow does not agree with that assumption and once again needs to desperately by a clue.
Senator! You need a reality check to exorcise the Pelosi demons from your thought processes. Speaker Pelosi led you astray on the successful Iraq war military surge and now she is leading you astray on energy. The only reason I am taking time to try to help you is that you represent the state I love, which in turns represents the country I adore.
You have been quoted to have said: “The skyrocketing cost of gas is hurting families, already struggling from the automotive crisis here in Michigan. Fuel costs are making it more difficult for families to pay the bills, for community groups to feed the hungry and for local businesses to thrive and create jobs.”
Yes, and Democrats, especially the controlling liberal factions, and environmentalist extremism have played a very large role in creating these circumstances. By placing ‘off limits’ to drilling areas where we know there is oil, you increase our dependence on (what will soon be again) costly foreign oil. Through over regulation, your party has made it ever more difficult to build new refineries. By passing huge agriculture bills full of taxpayer funded subsidies for grain farmers, you continue to drive up the cost of our food. Your party and its supporters are largely responsible for this mess.
In tomorrow’s column, we will discuss here, why places like ANWAR hold the key to our future dependency issues, and why, liberals like Stabenow are attempting to sell us on her, Environmentalist friend’s driven, talking points.
For now, there are two things you can do now to fight back. First, call or email your Senator and Representative, and tell him or her to “Drill Here, Drill Now!”
Posts
