Honoring Those Who Serve

Freedom isn't free. Whatever your politics and beliefs may be, take time this day to honor those whose service allows us to enjoy the blessings of liberty and freedom.

For the Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

For the Fallen
by Laurenc Binyon

Ninety years ago today, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the guns fell silent in Europe. The armistice ending the Great War (World War I) was signed between Germany and the allied powers including England, France and the United States.

For much of Europe, November 11 is still Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day. Regardless of which title one uses to commemorate the day, it remains a day to remember the Great War and those lost during the conflict. For the United States World War II was the defining conflict but for much of Europe the horrors of the Great War left a deeper and longer lasting psychological scar. Those soldiers who served were the "Lost Generation" - entire cities and towns losing all of their young men sometimes in a single battle. Those who did return were many of them never the same - either from physical injury or from the trauma of having lived through the war. The legacy of the Great War had an impact on every facet of European culture, and so one begins to see why the day that commemorates its ending still has such resonance for the nations of Europe.

And yet I would wager that most Americans today know nothing about World War I. I doubt I could find 2 people out of 10 that could place the war in the correct decade, let alone understand any of its causes or its larger impact on the course of history. And though this does no absolve us of our ignorance or our forgetfulness, the simple fact is that for most Americans World War I had little impact, especially compared to the scale of involvement in World War II. It happened "Over There", so why worry about it?

I admit that for myself, I only know what I know of World War I because of my background as a history teacher. And even what I know is woefully inadequate in comparison to what is owed the lost generation.

What the Next 8 Years Will Look Like

Welcome to the New America under President Obama. For the next two years, expect nothing to change except higher taxes. Oh sure, a lot of "ideas" will be thrown around, and a lot of money will be spent pursuing these false starts. And though none of them will work, and nothing will change in a positive direction, not for one second will the media criticize President Obama. No, instead we will get in depth analysis and commentary on how he is waging a valiant struggle against the legacy left by the previous administration. In short, Obama's entire first term will be a free pass.

Of course, behind the scenes the Democrats will feverishly be working between now and 2010 to ensure that they do control the House and Senate with a Supermajority following the 2010 midterm elections. They'll consolidate their power base, slowly and subtly rewriting the election policies to guarantee a stranglehold on power for the foreseeable future. This will all lead in to Obama's second term in 2012, when with the support of a Liberal Supermajority in Congress, the real rubber stamping of his agenda will occur. Without having to worry about reelection, and with a 100% Democratic government from at least 2012 - 2014, expect a flurry of activity the likes of which we've not seen since 1933. Massive government entitlement programs, the complete dismantling of our armed forces, exponential tax increases, and enough red tape to go from the Earth to the Moon a dozen times over... and all just to ease your guilty, self-righteous Liberal conscience.

As a fun little exercise, take all of your paychecks from the month of November and cash them at the bank. Take that cash and just drive down the street dropping hand fulls of bills out the window. Then take your paychecks in December, cash them, and just light the cash on fire. After doing these two things, your monthly budgets should be ready for Obama's inauguration in January. Whatever doesn't fly out the window or burn up in the fire is what you can expect to actually take home from your paycheck. But don't worry, I'm sure you're glad to be "chipping in" and "doing your part".

Mark my words - Things will change. But none of it will be the change you wanted.

A Preview of Things to Come?

The text below comes from the October 17 issue of the Wall Street Journal. I'm not quite sure which is scarier - the actual content of the article, or the fact that most of you will probably read through it and think "Hey, that sounds great!"

A Liberal Supermajority

Get ready for 'change' we haven't seen since 1965, or 1933.

If the current polls hold, Barack Obama will win the White House on November 4 and Democrats will consolidate their Congressional majorities, probably with a filibuster-proof Senate or very close to it. Without the ability to filibuster, the Senate would become like the House, able to pass whatever the majority wants.

Though we doubt most Americans realize it, this would be one of the most profound political and ideological shifts in U.S. history. Liberals would dominate the entire government in a way they haven't since 1965, or 1933. In other words, the election would mark the restoration of the activist government that fell out of public favor in the 1970s. If the U.S. really is entering a period of unchecked left-wing ascendancy, Americans at least ought to understand what they will be getting, especially with the media cheering it all on.

The nearby table shows the major bills that passed the House this year or last before being stopped by the Senate minority. Keep in mind that the most important power of the filibuster is to shape legislation, not merely to block it. The threat of 41 committed Senators can cause the House to modify its desires even before legislation comes to a vote. Without that restraining power, all of the following have very good chances of becoming law in 2009 or 2010.

- Medicare for all. When HillaryCare cratered in 1994, the Democrats concluded they had overreached, so they carved up the old agenda into smaller incremental steps, such as Schip for children. A strongly Democratic Congress is now likely to lay the final flagstones on the path to government-run health insurance from cradle to grave.

Mr. Obama wants to build a public insurance program, modeled after Medicare and open to everyone of any income. According to the Lewin Group, the gold standard of health policy analysis, the Obama plan would shift between 32 million and 52 million from private coverage to the huge new entitlement. Like Medicare or the Canadian system, this would never be repealed.

The commitments would start slow, so as not to cause immediate alarm. But as U.S. health-care spending flowed into the default government options, taxes would have to rise or services would be rationed, or both. Single payer is the inevitable next step, as Mr. Obama has already said is his ultimate ideal.

- The business climate. "We have some harsh decisions to make," Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned recently, speaking about retribution for the financial panic. Look for a replay of the Pecora hearings of the 1930s, with Henry Waxman, John Conyers and Ed Markey sponsoring ritual hangings to further their agenda to control more of the private economy. The financial industry will get an overhaul in any case, but telecom, biotech and drug makers, among many others, can expect to be investigated and face new, more onerous rules. See the "Issues and Legislation" tab on Mr. Waxman's Web site for a not-so-brief target list.

The danger is that Democrats could cause the economic downturn to last longer than it otherwise will by enacting regulatory overkill like Sarbanes-Oxley. Something more punitive is likely as well, for instance a windfall profits tax on oil, and maybe other industries.

- Union supremacy. One program certain to be given right of way is "card check." Unions have been in decline for decades, now claiming only 7.4% of the private-sector work force, so Big Labor wants to trash the secret-ballot elections that have been in place since the 1930s. The "Employee Free Choice Act" would convert workplaces into union shops merely by gathering signatures from a majority of employees, which means organizers could strongarm those who opposed such a petition.

The bill also imposes a compulsory arbitration regime that results in an automatic two-year union "contract" after 130 days of failed negotiation. The point is to force businesses to recognize a union whether the workers support it or not. This would be the biggest pro-union shift in the balance of labor-management power since the Wagner Act of 1935.

- Taxes. Taxes will rise substantially, the only question being how high. Mr. Obama would raise the top income, dividend and capital-gains rates for "the rich," substantially increasing the cost of new investment in the U.S. More radically, he wants to lift or eliminate the cap on income subject to payroll taxes that fund Medicare and Social Security. This would convert what was meant to be a pension insurance program into an overt income redistribution program. It would also impose a probably unrepealable increase in marginal tax rates, and a permanent shift upward in the federal tax share of GDP.

- The green revolution. A tax-and-regulation scheme in the name of climate change is a top left-wing priority. Cap and trade would hand Congress trillions of dollars in new spending from the auction of carbon credits, which it would use to pick winners and losers in the energy business and across the economy. Huge chunks of GDP and millions of jobs would be at the mercy of Congress and a vast new global-warming bureaucracy. Without the GOP votes to help stage a filibuster, Senators from carbon-intensive states would have less ability to temper coastal liberals who answer to the green elites.

- Free speech and voting rights. A liberal supermajority would move quickly to impose procedural advantages that could cement Democratic rule for years to come. One early effort would be national, election-day voter registration. This is a long-time goal of Acorn and others on the "community organizer" left and would make it far easier to stack the voter rolls. The District of Columbia would also get votes in Congress -- Democratic, naturally.

Felons may also get the right to vote nationwide, while the Fairness Doctrine is likely to be reimposed either by Congress or the Obama FCC. A major goal of the supermajority left would be to shut down talk radio and other voices of political opposition.

- Special-interest potpourri. Look for the watering down of No Child Left Behind testing standards, as a favor to the National Education Association. The tort bar's ship would also come in, including limits on arbitration to settle disputes and watering down the 1995 law limiting strike suits. New causes of legal action would be sprinkled throughout most legislation. The anti-antiterror lobby would be rewarded with the end of Guantanamo and military commissions, which probably means trying terrorists in civilian courts. Google and MoveOn.org would get "net neutrality" rules, subjecting the Internet to intrusive regulation for the first time.

It's always possible that events -- such as a recession -- would temper some of these ambitions. Republicans also feared the worst in 1993 when Democrats ran the entire government, but it didn't turn out that way. On the other hand, Bob Dole then had 43 GOP Senators to support a filibuster, and the entire Democratic Party has since moved sharply to the left. Mr. Obama's agenda is far more liberal than Bill Clinton's was in 1992, and the Southern Democrats who killed Al Gore's BTU tax and modified liberal ambitions are long gone.

In both 1933 and 1965, liberal majorities imposed vast expansions of government that have never been repealed, and the current financial panic may give today's left another pretext to return to those heydays of welfare-state liberalism. Americans voting for "change" should know they may get far more than they ever imagined.

Weekly Update

So as you can see, I had some other things to talk about in the posts below this. So in addition to those rants, this has been a long week.

I've had extra meetings or events every night this week in addition to my regular schedule. Monday night I had to get presidents of the fraternities and sororities together to come up with a list of questions they wanted to ask the University Police Department at a meeting later in the week. Tuesday night I had to get my House Council together to make sure we had everything set for our Halloween Party on Friday.

Wednesday was when things got really busy, though. I had to go shopping for decorations and such for the party at 3:00, and then had a faculty and staff reception from 4:30 - 5:30, followed by a Residence Life Program that I was co-presenting from 6:00 - 7:00, and then the aforementioned program between Greek Life and the University Police from 7:30 - 9:00 with a Greek Chapter President's Meeting topping things off at 9:15. I got through all of them, and they all went well, but it was more than a little stressful.

Thursday was another busy day with my regular staff meeting at 4:30 followed by the children of University faculty and staff Trick-or-Treating through my building from 6:00 - 8:00 and then my judicial board hearings from 9:00 - 11:00. And of course, after all that, I got a phone call from my RAs at 1:45 in the morning for what ended up being a marijuana bust in my building.

Friday ended up being a long day just because I had to go out and do all the rest of the shopping for our Halloween Party before 5:00 when we started getting things set up. And of course I had to run all over town because one single place didn't have everything I needed. It ended up being worth it, though, because we had more kids come through my building on Thursday for Trick-or-Treating and we had like 100 residents show up to the party on Friday compared to 25-40 in other buildings.

I got an e-mail from one of the Assistant Deans telling me my programs went really well, and that "My work is being noticed". So all in all, for a really busy week, apparently it's been worth it.

Wake Up People, Before It's Too Late

In the past my blog has been chock-a-block full of political commentary and rantings on various goings-on within the political sphere. I kept quiet this year, knowing that I was one of very few around me who could tell the emperor was naked in Obama's campaign. As the election draws near, I'm getting more and more nervous. As Obama has gotten more and more support over the last few months, his rhetoric has gotten more and more radical. And yet the more radically left and socialist he has openly become, the more people love it.

I then began to realize, Obama has long since stopped being a candidate and turned into a demagogue. It's not about the party, or the platform, or the issues, it's purely about the man. Obama has become a cult of personality, a messianic figure. Nowhere is this more clear than in the campaign posters and imagery. This is what scares me the most.

The idea of one man as a symbol of hope, progress and change for a nation is nothing new to history. By combining the image of that individual with a single word or idea, you make it easier for the people to remember and believe.


Soon, instead of having to explain yourself or give evidence to support your claims, all you have to do is chant a word like "Change" or "Hope" and the people will do whatever you want.



Mark my words, if Obama is elected you will start hearing plans for "Great Leaps Forward" and "Five Year Plans". Just like FDR before him, he will create a new system of government sponsored programs that will soon be entitlements that no government after him will ever dare question just like Social Security and Medicare.

Take a minute right now to look at your paycheck stub. Now take that number, and subtract 60-70% of it. That's your "redistribution of wealth" to the new Obama Nation. You're doing your part for the motherland.

Wait, what's that? You don't like paying 60-70% of your income to government sponsored programs and handouts that you'll most likely never benefit from? Too bad, that's progress. You hoped for change, and this is it.

Just remember, I warned you. This day, November 2, 2008. Think long and hard now before you head out to vote, otherwise in 2012 the political posters are likely to look something like this:

Obamunism

This coming Tuesday when you're out voting, remember that a vote for Obama is a vote for socialism.

Weekly Update

Not much going on right now. The University is on Fall Break this weekend, so most students were gone by Thursday afternoon. It's been quiet, which is a good thing, though I haven't taken advantage of the time to catch up the way I needed to. I've still got a bit of time, though...

I decided to get a haircut this week. It's one of those things that once the idea pops in to you head, it's hard to get rid of. My hair had gotten a little long with only minor trims since about last March, and as I thought about it I couldn't really remember what I was going for with letting it grow out. It was at the point that all it really did was hang without and shape or style, so it was time to go.

The other bit of self-improvement this week is that I finally set aside the funds necessary to get my gym membership. The University workout facilities consist of a laughable collection of outdated treadmills and other weight machines sitting in the middle of one of the racquetball courts at the athletics building. That, coupled with the fact that the hours this facility is open are ever changing without any sort of predictable schedule means that this facility is totally useless. Of course the athletes all have their own weight rooms and fitness equipment, but students and staff aren't allowed near those.

The other option is a nice gym across the street from campus, but this option required a membership fee as well as the first month's membership up front. I asked the benefits manager if there was any way I could use money from my health care coverage to pay for such a membership, and she informed me that this was not an option. Heaven forbid health care money be used to promote activities that may keep one healthy. No, I'm sorry, health care only covers the cost of prescription drugs used in an attempt to counter poor lifestyle choices. If you want to try to live a healthy lifestyle, you're going to have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

So I did. Hopefully the fact that I am paying for it will hold me to going on a regular basis.

The New Vision of Star Trek

So it's no secret that I'm a huge dork. Also no secret is my love for Star Trek. As a big Star Trek fan I have been very cautious since the announcement that J.J. Abrams would be helming the attempt to revitalize the Star Trek franchise. At first I was fundamentally opposed to the idea of other actors taking on the iconic roles of the original cast, but as casting announcements were slowly made and initial teaser images have been released, I have grown more and more comfortable with the idea and even begun to be excited by it.

I know there are a lot of Star Trek purists who consider any minor infraction into the established franchise to be heresy, and while I too hope that things do not stray too far from what has come before, I can also appreciate the notion of a new interpretation and creative license. I look to Batman Begins and Casino Royale as evidence of taking things that are long established and breathing new life in to them with what initially seemed to be a radical departure from expectation but in the end held truer to the fundamental nature of the characters and the stories than many other recent attempts. Long time fans appreciated them and the broad appeal of the movies brought in a whole new group of fans. Both are things Star Trek needs right now.

Make no mistake, I loved Enterprise. But, I can concede to many of the critics that most of Voyager, and the movies Insurrection and Nemesis were just kind of phoned in instead of capturing the same qualities that made Star Trek so cutting edge in terms of its story telling and overall presence in comparison to other science fiction.

All that being said, Abrams has kept the production of the new Star Trek movie under extremely tight security. After all the months of secrecy, Paramount has finally released publicity images of the cast in costume and on the set. The first real trailer is supposed to be in front of the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace on November 14.


Here's most of the crew - from left to right Chekov, Kirk, Scotty, Bones, Sulu, and Uhura. The uniforms look good to me - pretty faithful to the originals but with an updated look. The remind me a lot of Spider-Man and Superman's costumes in their movies with the slight texture to them. I like them.


And here's the first look at the bridge of the Enterprise. As much as I love the original design from the 60's, it does represent a 1960's vision of what the future might look like that no longer seems futuristic to us today. This new bridge design keeps the iconic and stylistic elements, but is futuristic by the standards of technology in 2008. It's not perfect, but I do kind of like it. It holds true to the essence of what it should be.

Really, that's what it all comes down to. A lot of Star Trek fans are denouncing everything simply because it is new and different. As much as I'd love to see a 100% faithful recreation of what's come before, I'm also excited about seeing new things and a more promising future for the franchise. All the interviews I've read seem to get it - the actors, writers, production team and everything else is doing something new but paying tribute to what was done.

It's new Star Trek, and that's what matters.

Weekly Update

I haven't kept up on the old bloggy blog because I feel like I never have anything insightful or deeply important to convey. So, instead of stirring up controversy or inspiring thoughtful reflection, I'll just regale you with the minutiae of my weekly happenings.

My staff has to write a weekly report to me, I write a weekly report to my boss, so I figured I might as well give you all one too.

This past weekend I went back to GVSU for Homecoming. A good time was had by all. I didn't get to see some of the RAs that wanted to see me, but I saw everyone else who I wanted to. One of the best parts of the weekend was the trip out to Yesterdog at 1:30 AM, a tradition that is always fun.

If you've ever seen American Pie, you may remember that it takes place in "East Great Falls" Michigan, otherwise known as East Grand Rapids. That's where the writer was from. The characters always go to a hot dog restaurant called Dog Ears, which is actually Yesterdog. Of course they filmed the scenes at some nicer restaurant probably in Los Angeles, whereas the real Yesterdog is old and kind of shady in the best possible way.

So, getting back to work this week I have felt like I'm still catching up. That's always the danger of being gone for a weekend in Residence Life. Most of the week is spent dealing with things that happened over the weekend even when you're here, so being gone for a weekend means a lot more catching up on Monday. I think I'm about caught up for the week now, so it all works out.

Really, the most exciting thing going on this week is that today in the cafeteria is the Pretzel Bar. It only happens about once every 3 weeks, so for me it's kind of a big deal. I know getting excited about pretzels sounds kind of lame, but you forget how much I love pretzels. Last time they had a marinara stuffed pretzel with Parmesan cheese baked on to it and regular cheese stuffed pretzels. I've cleared my calendar for the lunch hour today to make sure nothing stands between me and pretzels.

Otherwise, I've decided to stay out of political discussions this election season. In 2004 this blog was a constant rant against the crazy liberals and Captain Flip Flop himself John Kerry. This year I know that I'm one of the only Republicans around who will admit to it, and I'm tired of trying to argue against those who have already deified Obama. When they ask why I don't support him, which to the Obama cult is blasphemy, I simply tell them that I'm not a socialist.

And because he's a Care Bear.


Think about it. He believes that sunshine, rainbows, and happy thoughts will solve all of our problems. He's got the Care Bear Stare. He lives up in the clouds, far away from reality. It makes a lot of sense. I'm not voting for a Care Bear.

That's about all from me. Hopefully this weekend is quiet and without incidents in the building. I've got episodes of Heroes and The Unit to catch up on this weekend, but after that no big plans.

Ode to the Focus

Fer-Cus!

 

While not a picture of the actual Fercus, The Captain asked me to write a tribute to the Focus as he has sold it and bought a new car.  I was supposed to write this a while ago, but as I started writing two of my RAs came to my apartment telling me that someone had shattered the glass front door of the building.  

Sigh.

Moving on, then.... the question was as to whether or not there was anything worth remembering or paying tribute to in regards to the Focus.  The best story I can come up with is the road trip from Grand Rapids to Atlanta in the winter of 2007 when I helped The Captain move down there.  We left Michigan scant hours before a huge blizzard hit that shut down large parts of the Grand Rapids area for a few days.  

The trip was fueled by little more than Red Bull, nicotine, and beef jerky.  We drove through the night, and when we finally got to Atlanta the two of us were both only vaguely coherent.  I know that personally, I had to take a piss about every 15 minutes because my body could not metabolize all the Red Bull and nicotine, and it just wanted to flush it all out.  And of course, once we got in to the apartment, we weren't done.  All I wanted to do was sleep, but it was insisted upon that if we stopped moving we'd never get moving again.  So, we powered through the day.  

At some point we were talking about heading somewhere to pick something up, and in my half-asleep stimulant induced state I accidently said "Fercus" instead of "Focus".  And thus, the car's official nickname was born.  

The Fercus made a few road trips in its time - the journey to Atlanta and the exodus a year and a half later being the most prominent.  Along the way there were trips between Holland and Chicago, Holland and Traverse City, and the most recent trips to and from Fort Wayne.  

Despite what he says, I don't think The Captain hated the Fercus - he just never loved it.  I remember thinking he should have held out for a week or two when he bought it to get a model with the features he wanted, but I also know he wasn't sure if his GTI would make it through that waiting period. 

So in the end the Fercus served its purpose.  It won't leave a legacy like the Quantum, the Byack!,  Los Escort, or that damned Grand Am, but it did its job.  

I Hate Sportscasters

I've never been a big sports guy.  I can't rattle off the starting lineup of the 1984 Mets or tell you anyone's passing yards.  And while I will never flip through the channels to see if there's a game on just so that I have some sports to watch, I have become devoted to a few hometown teams over the last few years.  The only sports teams that I follow, per se, are the Wolverines, Redwings, and Tigers. 

You know what the hardest part of watching these games is?  It's not the Redwings playoff losses, or the Ohio State game, or Verlander making errors in the World Series.  As annoying, frustrating, angering, infuriating, and disappointing as all of those things are, they pale in comparison to the true bane of televised sporting events.  

The commentators.  

I don't know what it takes to be a sportscaster.  I can imagine that it is a very competitive field, with every armchair and monday morning quarterback thinking they could do a better job.  But that being said, I really hate a lot of the announcers, commentators, sportscasters, or whatever they're all called.  

When I lived in Ann Arbor I used to watch Redwings games on Hockey Night in Canada because we got the CBC.  Compare that to the coverage during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs on US stations, and it's night and day.  The best compliment I could think of to pay a sportscaster is to not notice that they are there.  You get the score, you get the recaps, but they aren't filling the airwaves with their mindless chatter and biased speculation.  You know that the NHL desperately wanted Pittsburgh to win the Stanley Cup so that Sidney Crosby could be the hot young poster boy for the NHL.  Nobody wants to see Detroit win - they're just a bunch of anonymous old veteran players who work hard as a team without a flashy superstar.  When I say nobody, I mean nobody except the entire state of Michigan and millions of other displaced Hockeytown residents around the country.  

And so, what this is all building to - the crux of the argument - I think the sports world hates Detroit.  Despite being named the best sports city in the country, I don't think that the "professionals" in the sports media got the memo.  

This rant is the result of watching the Twins at the Tigers this afternoon and listening to the atrocious Fox commentators do nothing but lavish over the Minnesota Twins.  At one point during the Tigers at bat the entire inning was focused on an interview with Twins pitcher Joe Nathan (a douchebag) with off hand mentions of what was going on during each at bat.  All we heard all game was about the Twins players that were going to the All Star game which, in case you didn't know, will be the last All Star game played at Yankee stadium.  This fact has only been mentioned every 4 seconds, so you may have missed it.  

I hate the Yankees.  It's not like the stadium is behind on the rent and the team is getting evicted.  No, it wasn't as big and as new as the Yankees think they deserve, so they're building a new one that they can make more money from.  That's it.  End of story.  It's not about all the history and tradition of the old stadium, it's about George Steinbrenner making a bit more money next year.

Oh, and I hate the Red Sox too.  

Guess What... Obama is full of Crap.

To be fair, let's count this as flip-flop number 1.  I'm sure he's already done an about face on an issue or policy, but I'll give him a clean slate to start with.  But now, after pledging to campaign with publicly funded money, Obama has now decided instead to reject that money and rely on private funding instead.  

Why?  Because the public funding tops out at $85 million and he wants to be able to raise more money.  In fact, he's shooting for $500 million to campaign with.  He's already confident he can raise over $250 million based on his fund raising in the primaries, so what's another few hundred million dollars?  

All this coming to you straight from the Chicago Tribune, the same Chicago Tribune that has already printed its Obama inauguration edition.  

So libtards, take a guess where that $500 million is going to come from.  It's not coming from the average American worker that you so quaintly believe still represents some noble facet of American idealism.  Sure, a few thousand, maybe even a hundred thousand dollars, might come from the sheep who really believe they're helping to bring about change with their $50 donation on Obama's website.  But at the end of the day, the majority of that money is going to come from......... 

Survey says: Lobbyists and Corporations!  

That's right.... Obama is going to suckle up to the same evil and greedy sources that you claim are ruining this country.  Because, whether you can admit it, believe it, or even understand it, capitalism is still the way the world works.  You need money to do everything, and hope is cheap.  

Barack Obama - selling to the highest bidder.   

The State of Michigan

See, this post's title is a double entendre... it's about the current situation, or state, of Michigan, which is a state. 

 

Sorry....

Anyway, I read this and it made perfect sense to me.  I love Michigan, but I'm getting the hell out of here until someone can fix things.  If it doesn't make sense to you, I'd like to know why.  

MOVING MICHIGAN FORWARD

Are you as tired as I am of the continued partisan politics as usual in Lansing while our future, like our roads this spring, continues to crumble? Are you as saddened as I am to see a continued denial about the reality of the condition of our beautiful state? Are you ready to do something about it?

After having travelled to every corner, and I mean EVERY corner, of this state over the past few years, I have come to the conclusion that we have an amazing state with wonderful people... but maybe Lansing isn't the real problem. Maybe Lansing is a reflection of our current state culture... a culture that still wants to go back to the good old days at the risk of ignoring the reality of the world today.

It appears that over the past few years, many of us were drawn in by grand plans, empty promises and wishful thinking in the hope that we could avoid the harsh reality of change. I understand that feeling, and it isn't new for us either... how many years have we discussed at this conference grand plans to revitalize Downtown Detroit, empty promises to improve transportation and wishful thinking about regional cooperation... only to go home to the reality that nothing changes... so we discuss the same issues the next year in the same rooms, at the same hotel, on the same island.

By the way, the attitude is not limited to this conference. We saw years ago the steadfast denial that foreign car companies would ever make a dent in the US market, but now Toyota is on track to be #1. We heard regular denials that our Detroit Public Schools were failing our children, but today if you are a freshman student at DPS your chance of graduating hovers around 25%. We assured ourselves that high costs of doing business here in Michigan wouldn't drive employers out of our state, but apparently no one told Pfizer, Comerica, Ryan Homes, or Electrolux, so now we are leading the nation in unemployment and have been for 12 months and also now have 5 of the 10 worst American cities for business (according to Forbes magazine) right here in Michigan. We actually believed that Michigan workers had some special right to always enjoy great wages... but if present trends continue, even Alabama will have higher average wages than Michigan in only 3 more years.

So, I have a simple suggestion... DENIAL ENDS TODAY and REAL CHANGE BEGINS TOMORROW... and I have a few specific ideas to offer too:

-Our state government is a reflection of the way our state does business. The rest of the world has done a lot more with a lot less. State government needs to stop complaining and start setting the example.

-Local governments aren't islands any more. Consolidation or Cooperation are your only two options so get to work.

-Public education is too important to our future to trust to any one monopoly. No parent should EVER be forced to send their child to a bad school. It's time to empower parents with choices and students with a real education.

-Taxes do matter. People and businesses with money to invest hate high taxes and will go elsewhere. We may not like it, but that's reality...  so we better fix our tax system now to be attractive, not repulsive, to job creators.

-Fear and violence in our cities is simply unacceptable and having 2 of the 5 most dangerous cities in America right here in Michigan must change. Yes, we have too many non-violent prisoners in our prisons, but we have too many violent criminals on our streets... and it doesn't need to "get a little better"... it needs to end! Our citizens deserve it and if we want families to stay and others to come to Michigan, we simply MUST become a safe place.

-The UAW is a significant force in this state, but if you keep working against companies and not with them, you broadcast another damaging vision of Michigan, and more significantly you will continue to hurt the very members you claim to serve as jobs continue to leave.

-Business leaders need to view foreign countries as opportunities, not threats. So long as we treat them like threats, they WILL CONTINUE to threaten us. You can NEVER win when you only play defense.

-It's time for you to step aside, Kwame. You did some very good things for the city and we are grateful, but you are hurting us, not helping us now.

-No more excuses, just fix our roads. A manufacturing state needs to get its workers to the job and our products to market. This is a critical issue for all of us.

The only question remaining is if we have the courage to stand up straight and look reality in the eye. I believe we do. The people of the Michigan I grew up in had courage to spare, and I believe we have that same kind of courage today. Change is hard, but the results can be very, very good.

Let's envision a Michigan that is so attractive that our children want to stay and find their futures here... and the best and brightest from around the world want to join us. A Michigan where our schools are recognized as the best in the world and are celebrated because EVERY child has the opportunity to learn in a school that excites them to learn.

Let's imagine a Michigan where business men and women travel the world selling their products and telling everyone they meet what a great place Michigan is to start and grow a business. A Michigan that is growing, protecting its beautiful environment and is truly sustainable for future generations.

Michigan has come back before and so have other states. But it takes determination, leadership and an ability to work together. It won't be easy, but we cannot turn our back on our future. Let's find our courage and go for it. The results could amaze the entire world!!

I Should Have Been British... Then I'd be a Whovian

I've gone on about my love for the British before, but now I've got another reason to love them.  I was flipping through the channels one night a few weeks ago and couldn't find anything on, so when I came upon an episode of Doctor Who on PBS I figured I'd give it a shot.  Even as a sci-fi geek I knew nothing about Doctor Who save for a few random references in the context of other science fiction discussions.  

But ever since that episode I've been hooked.

The episode was "The Girl in the Fireplace".  Since then I have Tivo set to record episodes, and just yesterday there was a mini-marathon on Sci-Fi.  It is so quintessentially British, and I love it.  Watching other British TV shows and movies it is clear that Doctor Who is a mainstay of British pop culture, but unfortunately I know most Americans are completely oblivious to it.

Of course I myself am not a true, dedicated Whovian (Doctor Who fan - like Trekie).  The only episodes I've seen have been with the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, and so I don't know if I would be able to see any of the episodes of the previous 9 Doctors with the same affinity.  Britons who have grown up with Doctor Who may not even like David Tennant's portrayal compared to other Doctors of the past... I don't know.  

The real question, though, is between Rose Tyler and Martha Jones....

Here's Rose Tyler, The Doctor's companion in the first episode I saw.  When the BBC brought Doctor Who back in 2005, Rose was the Doctor's companion through the first and second series.  Like the 10th Doctor, she was the first companion I got to know, and so when I started seeing episodes from series 3 with a new companion I was initially comparing her to Rose.  I didn't like her at first, but after a while I started to like her.  The second companion was Martha Jones, who has since been replaced with Donna Noble in the 4th series.  Donna isn't even competition for Rose and Martha. 

And here's Martha Jones.  By the time I watched a few episodes and got to the one where Martha left and Donna came on board, I was sad to see Martha go.  And now that I've been watching episodes out of order as they've been on Sci Fi and PBS, I miss Martha when Rose is there and I miss Rose when Martha is there.

If anyone is looking for Birthday or Christmas gift ideas, series 1 - 3 are available on DVD....

My Birthday is in July... 

A Job I Don't Hate... How Novel

My contract technically ended on May 23rd, but I've still been working for the university.  The agreement is I work 10 hours a week and I get to stay in my apartment for the summer.  10 hours a week of work for free rent - can't beat that. 

My supervisor left for vacation last week, and so I am running the building in his stead.  I'm coordinating all the maintenance work and logistics that need to be done before a summer camp arrives this weekend, and even though those are the parts of my job I enjoy the least I am still enjoying it.  

In a little over a month I'll be in my new position in charge of a building of my own.  I like the position, I like the school, and I like all of my colleagues that I've met so far.  

Maybe all my work has finally paid off.  

Life Update

Firstly, I'm not dead.

I make no excuses for another 6 month absence from the blogosphere.  Last time this happened, I spent most of those 6 months lying on the couch in my living room hating my job, hating my location, and more or less hating my life in what I can only describe as the most depressed I've ever been.  For those keeping score, that was North Carolina.  This time around I wasn't depressed, I was just focused on everything but ye olde blogger.  A week without posting becomes a month, a month becomes a semester, and we end up here. 

So, in the intervening months since my last posting I have done a number of important things.  I wrote my master's thesis... Men's Identity Development in College: A Conceptual Model with Recommendations for Intervention.   I finished my master's degree and graduated from graduate school with a Master's of Education.  And, starting August 1, I will have a new job at Valparaiso University. 

That all sounds well and good, but it now way can explain how much work all of those things required.  First off let me say that grad school wasn't that hard... certainly no more difficult than most of my undergraduate coursework.  But this last semester was rough.  I basically wrote a chapter of my thesis each month, chapter 1 due at the end of January, chapter 2 in February, and chapter 3 in March.  The final finished thesis was due in mid-April, and I think I ended up with three drafts of each chapter through the editing and revisions process.  All the while I was applying for jobs and interviewing at 2 conferences - one in Wisconsin and one in Boston at the end of February and early March.  Not to mention still having to do my job and taking two other classes.  It wasn't hard, it was just time consuming.

All through this, my world became very small.  I've always been one to live in my own head at times, and being so focused on things this semester meant the rest of the world outside of my thesis and other grad school work kind of passed me by.  But, here I am, done now.  I'm moving out of my apartment next weekend, unfortunately to temporary storage and my parents' house for a few weeks until my apartment is ready in Valparaiso.  

I'm in the rather enviable position of graduating from college (again) without having to leave.  I'm just off to another university.   

Quote of the Day

I saw a quote in someone's office today that I really liked:

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."

Leave Some Children Behind

So I'm sitting here looking over resident's contract cancellations that they filled out in order to move out of the residence hall. Just one more argument in the case for this generation being completely worthless. As I've said before, some children need to be left behind.

Why are these students moving out? Answer - they suck at life.

"I've had a rough semester." Really? As a first semester freshman? Two months of college was just too much for you so you've gotta throw in the towel? Maybe I'm an intellectual snob and the reason that U of M gets its arrogant attitude, but if GVSU is too hard for you than you need to take a long hard look at your mental faculties and wonder if mindless repetitive tasks isn't a better route for you.

"I need a change of scenery." Translation - I'm moving in with my new boyfriend.

"My room is too small." Well, they may be dumb but at least they're honest.

"I'm moving back to community college because this was too far away from home." If an hour and a half is too far away from home then you need to learn to wipe your own ass and cut the cord.

"I think that having my own room off campus will help me focus on my academics better." Or, it will help me not get caught by my RAs when I'm drinking.

Seriously - millennial generation you need to give us something to work with. Some redeeming qualities, some glimmer of hope. Right now you're just an entire demographic of whiny, self-centered, naiive little children who have this inexplicable sense of entitlement that we're all supposed to indulge. Newsflash - the world doesn't care. The world may in fact hate you, and you need to find a way to deal with that.

Reemerging

Par for the course... I got crazy busy during the last month, so I didn't even read other people's blogs let alone write in my own.

But I'm on break between semesters for a few weeks now, so I'll try to get back in the habit.