Michigan primary election will be held August 3rd and so the attack political ads have been relentless; you cannot hide from them and the “robo-calls”?
Michigan has some serious economic issues that need to be addressed and you would think that candidates for office would concentrate on those issues but NO, they have to play the abortion card and it is just infuriating.
I really don’t care if you are for abortion or against abortion; I just don’t want people telling me what I may or may not do with MY life and MY family’s life. I am fiercely PRO-CHOICE because I believe in EVERONE’S FREEDOM TO CHOOSE and since it is the law of the land, I resent people tampering with the law of the land; go suck a lemon!
Anyway, we are so bloody divided on the “choice” issue and the issue is SO EMOTIONAL to so many people, it can and is being used by politicians to garner votes and/or to attack their opponents using this issue and NOT bread and butter issues like JOBS and the ECONOMY and what are we going to do about them.
On the Democratic side Bernero, who is pro-choice, is attacking Dillon who claims he is anti-choice. Bernero’s ads tout this difference and ads that Dillon even voted against allowing abortions in cases of rape or incest which usually means you are doubly stupid preferring to save unwanted fetuses over the wishes of the people that have been raped.
BUT my point is not to argue about something that is the law of the land (legal) but about the use of this issue to sway voters and sway it will which is a crying shame.
I will not be voting for Bernero even though he is pro-choice for a number of reasons but one of them is because he is using the abortion issue and Dillon is not. Bernero is also a union lackey which is the last thing this state needs and he appears anti-business since he is also attacking Dillon because he was once a businessman?
Dillon on the other hand, appears to be an independent thinker, neither Democrat nor Republican; someone who will do what is needed and not follow some lame party ideology.
On the Republican side, COX is touting that he is PRO-LIFE (Anti-Choice) so he is a Republican type of Bernero BUT he would never get my vote because he is one of those holier than thou conservative Republicans that is a TOTAL HYPOCRITE like many of them. Cox cheated on his wife (family values) and only confessed when some one found out about it. He portrays himself as a tough Marine and a tough prosecutor but I bet when Yatooma finally gets to the bottom of the Tamara Greene murder / Manoogian Mansion party / Kilpatrick fiasco, Cox will somehow be implicated.
So this primary election I know for sure who I will NOT be voting for and that is Bernero or Cox, depending on what party I pick to vote in.
Views on current topics affecting Detroit, Michigan, United States and the world. We are living in interesting and scary times. There is a clash of cultures going on. Are we going forward or backward? Let us talk.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
2ND AMENDMENT: Supreme Court got it wrong again - why?

The decision was not unanimous which means that these brilliant constitutional scholars do not see eye to eye on a very short amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (1787).
Note: I am not against people owning guns although I think we need strict(er) rules as to who may purchase one and rules mandating proper training as to use and storage of said guns.
My concern here is the interpretation of the Constitution and how these judges can openly and unabashedly interpret the Constitution in a way so as to conform to their belief system or ideology.
As I have stated on many blog occasions, one has to look at what the writers of the 2nd Amendment actually meant in 1787 in using the words that they did.
It is very clear that they were talking about a “well regulated militia” that each state had and which was composed of individuals (with guns) that could be called on in an emergency. In those days, a state militia was vitally important since the federal government was not strong enough or near enough to protect each state. I have over-simplified this explanation but go into much more detail in past blogs (search: 2nd Amendment).
In 1903, Congress passed the Militia Act which did away with the old state militia and established a “National Guard” for each state.
In a nut shell, since we no longer have state militias, the 2nd Amendment is a dead amendment because it pertains to something that does not exist anymore; state militias. In this case, the right to bear arms is no longer a federal issue since it is a constitutionally moot point, and must become a matter for each state to decide.

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Saturday, July 24, 2010
END TIME: Hospice and other options...


Last Thursday afternoon, my father-in-law (92) passed away. He has been staying at our house for three (3) weeks after it became apparent that the end was near. My wife made the decision to allow him to die at our house with the help of the Hospice Department of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor.
I have never experienced the work that people at Hospice centers do but I will tell you they are a special, special lot. The nurse in charge of our case was Sister Mary; a small but very powerful and caring person. She cared for the dying and those that cared for the dying; us.
Everyone was so over-the-top sensitive to all of our needs and concerns that I was totally blown away; and they do this over and over and over again.
We could have never been able to do what we did without their help. I feel that, in our case, this was the right way to handle this situation BUT…
We both feel that there should be an option of assisted passing. I, myself, would like the opportunity to pick my end-time. If I know I have a finite time remaining because of my condition, I want to pick the time and place of my exit and I feel mad that this option is not available to us and why not?
If there are enough safeguards in place, like in Oregon, assisted suicide is a compassionate option that should be made available to all who desire it.
I hope the next generation is a little more progressive AND compassionate to make this happen.
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- BHA news : A compassionate law on assisted dying is urgently needed (humanism.org.uk)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
INTERNET: Are we using it as a weapon?




guess everyone has heard the Shirley Sherrod story; black woman speaking to the NAACP 24 years ago, caught on tape talking like a racist but actually not – if you watch more of the tape.
The big story here is really the internet and the reactions to stories posted on the internet. We all know that we have to take EVERYTHING on the internet with a grain of salt. Bloggers don’t have to tell the truth; they can lie their asses off.
We have seen video that has been doctored or cut just a certain way to make people appear to be doing something bad; in politics, they do that all the time AND get away with it.
This is not exception; a conservative blogger wanting to show the NAACP as a racist association finds a 24 year old clip, cuts it just so and bingo – you have a black woman speaking racist words at the NAACP.
First, is it not a crime to falsely damage a person’s reputation? Is that not defamation of character? I think that person (Andrew Breitbart) needs to be sued big time and made an example of.
Second, the NAACP condemned this woman without looking or listening to her entire speech which would have shown them this was not a racist speech. Since when is the NAACP so ready to admit to black racism? Usually they deny black racism even exists.
Third, the White House or more specifically the US Department of Agriculture, firing her instantly without even asking her to defend or simply explain herself which the media obviously let her do after which the blogger, the NAACP, the USDA and the White House are made to look like total bozos falling all over themselves to apologize to her – except the blogger, he cannot incriminate himself.
Have we all lost our minds? Can any jackass blogger put something up on their blog and it is automatically accepted as the Bible Truth? Has hell frozen over?
I hope Ms. Sherrod sues the hell out of everybody that smeared her good name. Only by making people PAY for their stupidity will we be able to control these type of situations in the future…
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: Another Extension?
Recently, Democrats have been trying to extend unemployment benefits again, this time till November 30 and retroactive to June 2, 2010. It appears they have the votes to pass this extension.
Republicans have been complaining about yet another extension this time for an additional 34 Billion dollars going to 2.5 million unemployed Americans. They complain that the 34 Billion is not funded by cuts in the budget or new revenues; it basically is just added to the deficit which is in the TRILLIONS.
The Republicans are also complaining that if the unemployment benefits keep getting extended, people will quit looking for work and just sit on unemployment and wait for more and more extensions. Some economic surveys actually support this theory.
The Democrats are calling the Republicans heartless fools…
I have not entered this particular fray because I know jobs are hard to find and I also know that the jobs available can not even come close in offering the pay and benefits that workers were used to in the past, especially union workers. I also understand that those jobs, high pay for little skill, as in auto jobs, are gone for good and the sooner we adjust to this reality, the sooner we get out of this mess.
This troubles me and if we are just a microcosm of the country; many employers are probably experiencing the same as I am experiencing. Now this is not to say that every unemployed person would rather sit than work but I must believe that a goodly portion probably would; why work for what you can collect by not working.
Is the government prolonging our economic malaise by propping up job expectations that no longer exist? I am starting to believe that and the welfare has to stop somewhere. It is job creation (any job) that is fundamental to getting us out of this unemployment hole and people need to start taking available jobs.
My father worked three (3) jobs to support us and he was proud as hell to be able to work period and do a good job at that.
I think we have been spoiled by easy living for too long and we need to re-establish the work ethic that made this country great.
Republicans have been complaining about yet another extension this time for an additional 34 Billion dollars going to 2.5 million unemployed Americans. They complain that the 34 Billion is not funded by cuts in the budget or new revenues; it basically is just added to the deficit which is in the TRILLIONS.
The Republicans are also complaining that if the unemployment benefits keep getting extended, people will quit looking for work and just sit on unemployment and wait for more and more extensions. Some economic surveys actually support this theory.
The Democrats are calling the Republicans heartless fools…
I have not entered this particular fray because I know jobs are hard to find and I also know that the jobs available can not even come close in offering the pay and benefits that workers were used to in the past, especially union workers. I also understand that those jobs, high pay for little skill, as in auto jobs, are gone for good and the sooner we adjust to this reality, the sooner we get out of this mess.
On a personal level, we have been hiring at our plant for some time now and we had more job openings (basic production labor) still to be filled. We found a gentleman that would fit the job description well (we offer medical, profit sharing 401(k) contributions and annual bonuses). This gentleman accepted our offer but on the day he was suppose to report for work, he called and said that since his unemployment benefits have been extended, he would not take the job.

Is the government prolonging our economic malaise by propping up job expectations that no longer exist? I am starting to believe that and the welfare has to stop somewhere. It is job creation (any job) that is fundamental to getting us out of this unemployment hole and people need to start taking available jobs.
My father worked three (3) jobs to support us and he was proud as hell to be able to work period and do a good job at that.
I think we have been spoiled by easy living for too long and we need to re-establish the work ethic that made this country great.
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Monday, July 19, 2010
VATICAN: Follow up on new policy release...




FOLLOW UP ON “VATICAN: Sexual Molestation just as bad as Ordaining Women”.
I was appalled when I read that the Vatican, in releasing a new policy statement on the handling of clergy sex abuse, equated the ordination of women by priests with priestly pedophilia; both being “grave offenses”.
In this Sunday’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd wrote “ROME FIDDLES, WE BURN”, a brilliant column taking the Vatican to task for again, avoiding what it needs to do to protect children from abusing priests which is a zero-tolerance policy which the Vatican just cannot seem to get itself to embrace.
Maureen Dowd, educated at Catholic University, grew up Catholic like many of us and like many of us is embarrassed by and mad at, the Vatican for ignoring and mistreating its own Church members. She writes, “The Church still believes in its own intrinsic holiness despite all evidence to the contrary”.
She writes about “tactical contrition” which means that “Church leaders are merely as penitent as they need to be to protect the institution”.
She also cites a recent investigative study that concludes that the now Pope Benedict, then Cardinal Ratzinger, was also part of the “culture of non-responsibility, denial, legalistic foot-dragging and out right obstruction. He could have stopped these crimes against children and he chose not to and this fact now “threatens to consume his own papacy”.
She talked about Gary Wills of The New Republic and his struggle to come to terms with the sins of his church. Jesus said ‘Whatever you did to any of my brothers, even the lowliest, you did to me’ which to Wills means that priests were raping Jesus.
To Dowd, the Vatican cares more about the predatory priests than it does about the victims and in so doing, disqualifies itself as a follower of Jesus.
It is here that I think she makes her greatest point because to me, when the holy fathers make decisions based solely on the need to protect their jobs and the institution that gives them those jobs; they are no longer holy or fathers, but greedy, selfish, stupid old men now stripped naked, exposing their diseased bodies for all to see.
I was appalled when I read that the Vatican, in releasing a new policy statement on the handling of clergy sex abuse, equated the ordination of women by priests with priestly pedophilia; both being “grave offenses”.
In this Sunday’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd wrote “ROME FIDDLES, WE BURN”, a brilliant column taking the Vatican to task for again, avoiding what it needs to do to protect children from abusing priests which is a zero-tolerance policy which the Vatican just cannot seem to get itself to embrace.
Maureen Dowd, educated at Catholic University, grew up Catholic like many of us and like many of us is embarrassed by and mad at, the Vatican for ignoring and mistreating its own Church members. She writes, “The Church still believes in its own intrinsic holiness despite all evidence to the contrary”.
She writes about “tactical contrition” which means that “Church leaders are merely as penitent as they need to be to protect the institution”.
She also cites a recent investigative study that concludes that the now Pope Benedict, then Cardinal Ratzinger, was also part of the “culture of non-responsibility, denial, legalistic foot-dragging and out right obstruction. He could have stopped these crimes against children and he chose not to and this fact now “threatens to consume his own papacy”.
She talked about Gary Wills of The New Republic and his struggle to come to terms with the sins of his church. Jesus said ‘Whatever you did to any of my brothers, even the lowliest, you did to me’ which to Wills means that priests were raping Jesus.
To Dowd, the Vatican cares more about the predatory priests than it does about the victims and in so doing, disqualifies itself as a follower of Jesus.
It is here that I think she makes her greatest point because to me, when the holy fathers make decisions based solely on the need to protect their jobs and the institution that gives them those jobs; they are no longer holy or fathers, but greedy, selfish, stupid old men now stripped naked, exposing their diseased bodies for all to see.
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
CATHOLICISM: Follow up on why people are leaving...




FOLLOW UP TO MY BLOG “CATHOLICS IN THE NEWS” about U.S. Catholics leaving the Church, especially young people.
There were quite a few letters to the editor about “Why many faithful are leaving the Catholic Church”.
Actually, I did not find any surprises in the many letters and in fact, I was pleased to see that many agree with my take on why people are leaving and there was one that said ‘good riddance”. The letter writer believed the pope when he said that the Church will become smaller as it rids itself of the doubters and only the true believers of “everything” the Church teaches will remain – blind and mindless sheep, I presume.
One blamed it squarely on the handling of the priestly sex abuse scandal calling it an abomination and saying he will no longer give money to the Church just to pay abuse settlements.
Another called the Church “out of touch” with the young or the old for that matter. He criticizes the Church for not allowing priests to marry or women to become priests.
One letter caption read “Jesus was never this dull”. He blames the refusal to allow women to become priests for all the foreign priests that come over to the U.S. which no one can understand. He also says that many priests cannot formulate a good and informative sermon and therefore bore everyone in attendance to death.
And finally one letter hit it on the head when it stated that the problem is the disconnect between the hierarchical Church and the people who make up the Church, especially in the U.S. where the Church’s position on social issues is derided by many Catholics here.
There you have it…
There were quite a few letters to the editor about “Why many faithful are leaving the Catholic Church”.
Actually, I did not find any surprises in the many letters and in fact, I was pleased to see that many agree with my take on why people are leaving and there was one that said ‘good riddance”. The letter writer believed the pope when he said that the Church will become smaller as it rids itself of the doubters and only the true believers of “everything” the Church teaches will remain – blind and mindless sheep, I presume.
One blamed it squarely on the handling of the priestly sex abuse scandal calling it an abomination and saying he will no longer give money to the Church just to pay abuse settlements.
Another called the Church “out of touch” with the young or the old for that matter. He criticizes the Church for not allowing priests to marry or women to become priests.
One letter caption read “Jesus was never this dull”. He blames the refusal to allow women to become priests for all the foreign priests that come over to the U.S. which no one can understand. He also says that many priests cannot formulate a good and informative sermon and therefore bore everyone in attendance to death.
And finally one letter hit it on the head when it stated that the problem is the disconnect between the hierarchical Church and the people who make up the Church, especially in the U.S. where the Church’s position on social issues is derided by many Catholics here.
There you have it…
Friday, July 16, 2010
MUSLIM DRESS: Burkas Banned in France!



FRANCE BANS THE WEARING OF THE MUSLIM BURQA / BURKA / NIQABS IN PUBLIC.
When I “searched” my blog to see how many times I have blogged about “Muslim Women” and issues about their dress, I was astounded; I guess the subject just keeps popping up all the time.
Before, we just talked about the issue but now we have a law banning the wearing of a specific type of clothing, punishable by a fine; forcing someone to wear a burka mandates jail time and a very stiff fine ($38,000). This law was unanimously supported by the French government, parliament and a majority of the population; I am sure more countries will follow suite.
Just to be clear, the piece of clothing in question is the full burka (only a slit for the eyes) and not the myriad styles of veils (see picture above).
Reviewing my past opinions, I would have to say I was conflicted but tended to side with the popular negative view of why women wore the burka. I guess my conflict was with the legal and constitutional ramifications.
In my early days, nuns that taught me in school had a “habit” on and I guess you could call it a type of burka but with hands and face showing (how else could they teach?). I don’t remember anybody thinking there was anything wrong with what they wore and in fact, that is what nuns wore – period.
I strongly agree that laws must be passed mandating an open (uncovered) face on ID cards, in court, and all instances where a view of the full face is needed but while on the street or shopping…
A friend speculated that crooks could start donning burkas as they robbed banks, stores, people on the street and then what would you do; start arresting every one with a burka on?
As you can see, I am still conflicted…
When I “searched” my blog to see how many times I have blogged about “Muslim Women” and issues about their dress, I was astounded; I guess the subject just keeps popping up all the time.
Before, we just talked about the issue but now we have a law banning the wearing of a specific type of clothing, punishable by a fine; forcing someone to wear a burka mandates jail time and a very stiff fine ($38,000). This law was unanimously supported by the French government, parliament and a majority of the population; I am sure more countries will follow suite.
Just to be clear, the piece of clothing in question is the full burka (only a slit for the eyes) and not the myriad styles of veils (see picture above).
Reviewing my past opinions, I would have to say I was conflicted but tended to side with the popular negative view of why women wore the burka. I guess my conflict was with the legal and constitutional ramifications.
In my early days, nuns that taught me in school had a “habit” on and I guess you could call it a type of burka but with hands and face showing (how else could they teach?). I don’t remember anybody thinking there was anything wrong with what they wore and in fact, that is what nuns wore – period.
I strongly agree that laws must be passed mandating an open (uncovered) face on ID cards, in court, and all instances where a view of the full face is needed but while on the street or shopping…
A friend speculated that crooks could start donning burkas as they robbed banks, stores, people on the street and then what would you do; start arresting every one with a burka on?
As you can see, I am still conflicted…
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
SARAH PALIN: Leader of the fearful and naive!

Now on a milder topic let me just say up front that I consider Sarah Palin as a member of the dumb fringe of the Tea Party and I also agree that the message put up by this fringe group that I mention in my last blog is applicable to Palin “RADICAL LEADERS PREY ON THE FEARFUL AND NAÏVE” but I also believe that she knows exactly what she is doing and will be a political force to contend with in 2012.
BRISTOL PALIN & LEVI JOHNSTON ENGAGED; ran the headline. Do you really believe this is the result of true love between some lustful teenagers who disparaged themselves in the very public media or do you detect the hand of a master political spinner?
Now the teenage parents say they will abstain from any sexual activity until they are formally married (my ass) as they should have done in the past, the past where they were having sex in the home of the very, very proper parent and conservative believer in abstinence, Sarah Palin, the next presidential candidate in 2012.
The danger here is that skillful manipulator Palin can spin any story and make her thousands of FEARFUL AND NAÏVE supporters buy into anything she spins: DANGER, DANGER!
BRISTOL PALIN & LEVI JOHNSTON ENGAGED; ran the headline. Do you really believe this is the result of true love between some lustful teenagers who disparaged themselves in the very public media or do you detect the hand of a master political spinner?
Now the teenage parents say they will abstain from any sexual activity until they are formally married (my ass) as they should have done in the past, the past where they were having sex in the home of the very, very proper parent and conservative believer in abstinence, Sarah Palin, the next presidential candidate in 2012.
The danger here is that skillful manipulator Palin can spin any story and make her thousands of FEARFUL AND NAÏVE supporters buy into anything she spins: DANGER, DANGER!
TEA PARTY: Need to get rid of the assholes!

I will admit that I do not know who The Tea Party is composed of, all I know is that I agree with some of their premises and tenets. I do know that some of the members of this loosely organized political action party are ignorant morons and jerks.
I heard from this “fringe” group of the party as they made racist remarks and held racist signs at the Capital building in Washington, DC.
Now I see the same moronic crowd, that obviously have money, putting up billboards that make one’s blood boil.
The above billboard equates Obama with Adolf Hitler and Lenin as all individual that were CHANGE proponents. I guess at the most basic level the authors of the billboard message were correct in saying that those three (3) men, all called for a change.
A poll of the U.S. population revealed that the majority of people do not know history; not their own or that of the world; many cannot even name the last three (3) presidents and yet they feel competent enough with their historical knowledge to equate Obama with Hitler and Lenin – expletive!!!
I heard from this “fringe” group of the party as they made racist remarks and held racist signs at the Capital building in Washington, DC.
Now I see the same moronic crowd, that obviously have money, putting up billboards that make one’s blood boil.
The above billboard equates Obama with Adolf Hitler and Lenin as all individual that were CHANGE proponents. I guess at the most basic level the authors of the billboard message were correct in saying that those three (3) men, all called for a change.
A poll of the U.S. population revealed that the majority of people do not know history; not their own or that of the world; many cannot even name the last three (3) presidents and yet they feel competent enough with their historical knowledge to equate Obama with Hitler and Lenin – expletive!!!
As far as the message that RADICAL LEADERS PREY ON THE FEARFUL AND NAIVE, well in some cases that is very true as in a lynch mob type of mentality. Hitler used virulent anti-semitism to fuel anger, Lenin used anti-royal / priveleged to fuel a class war and many religious leaders use the ignorance of people to fill their minds with silly superstitions (repent, the world is coming to an end) but Obama? Who is preying on the fearful and naive are those that put up signs like the one above. No person with a brain cell to his name would ever buy into the crap these people spew so who is left?
I feel the Tea Party has something good to say about how we should conduct the business of this country but first they really need to distance themselves from the assholes in their party if they are to be taken seriously by anyone.
I feel the Tea Party has something good to say about how we should conduct the business of this country but first they really need to distance themselves from the assholes in their party if they are to be taken seriously by anyone.
DETROIT: Same old shit!



Well, there seems to be a lot of stuff to rant about these days but let me start with a common thread I have had for a long time now and that is Detroit and its black culture of corruption and incompetence.
Recently I have seen a glimmer of hope with the election of a serious and competent mayor in Dave Bing and I had high hopes for the NEW Detroit City Council which seems to be genuinely interested in resurrecting the city and helping its inhabitants, at least those that are left. Well, I spoke too soon…
The story begins with the totally corrupt and inept and now, perverted Detroit Public School Board. I have called for the abolition of this elected body of crooks that have enriched themselves on the backs of poor school children for decades. The call went out to allow the mayor of the city to take over the school system.
Many citizens of Detroit agreed with the idea of the mayor’s office being in charge of the school system and signed petitions to do just that (30,000+) which required voter approval at the nearest election date. Well, it seems that the City Council needs to approve the measure before it goes on the ballot and they are saying NOT SO FAST. Some on the council are saying the issue is DEAD – WHY?
It appears that the black culture of corruption and incompetence is a hard animal to kill. Logic dictates that the school board, for all the damage it has done to the city and its children, needs to be put out of it’s misery and logic also tells us that the voters of Detroit can’t seem to elect an honest board because maybe only the dishonest people vote?
One objection is that the mayor may get too much power and the city council does not like that; they want some power too? Some decry the loss of citizen power to elect a school board yet they advocate not putting the referendum on the ballot so citizens can vote their preference?
I smell the same ole’ culture of corruption and incompetence smelling up the city again this time by the poor council members (literally financially poor) asking what is in it for me, what do I get out of this; hell with the children of Detroit – and so it goes, on and on and on…
Recently I have seen a glimmer of hope with the election of a serious and competent mayor in Dave Bing and I had high hopes for the NEW Detroit City Council which seems to be genuinely interested in resurrecting the city and helping its inhabitants, at least those that are left. Well, I spoke too soon…
The story begins with the totally corrupt and inept and now, perverted Detroit Public School Board. I have called for the abolition of this elected body of crooks that have enriched themselves on the backs of poor school children for decades. The call went out to allow the mayor of the city to take over the school system.
Many citizens of Detroit agreed with the idea of the mayor’s office being in charge of the school system and signed petitions to do just that (30,000+) which required voter approval at the nearest election date. Well, it seems that the City Council needs to approve the measure before it goes on the ballot and they are saying NOT SO FAST. Some on the council are saying the issue is DEAD – WHY?
It appears that the black culture of corruption and incompetence is a hard animal to kill. Logic dictates that the school board, for all the damage it has done to the city and its children, needs to be put out of it’s misery and logic also tells us that the voters of Detroit can’t seem to elect an honest board because maybe only the dishonest people vote?
One objection is that the mayor may get too much power and the city council does not like that; they want some power too? Some decry the loss of citizen power to elect a school board yet they advocate not putting the referendum on the ballot so citizens can vote their preference?
I smell the same ole’ culture of corruption and incompetence smelling up the city again this time by the poor council members (literally financially poor) asking what is in it for me, what do I get out of this; hell with the children of Detroit – and so it goes, on and on and on…
Monday, July 12, 2010
CATHOLICISM: In the News!


There were two articles in the Sunday papers concerning Catholics and Catholicism that I found interesting.
The first was about a 2008 Pew Forum study that found more Catholics leave their faith than any other faith or denomination; 32% of people raised as Catholics, leave the religion. The Detroit Free Press article “An exodus of youth from Catholic Church” talks about what the Archdiocesan of Detroit (1.3 million Catholics) is doing to keep members in their 20s and 30s from leaving the fold.
They talk about camping trips, fireworks, Tigers games, movie nights, etc. mimicking some of the mega churches that offer more than just a boring mass; the same mass over and over and over again.
In the past, young adults that left the Church usually came back when they got married and had children but, we are told, that does not happen anymore. I know of a few couples who initially intended to raise their kids in the Catholic faith but with all the negative things that have been going on in the Church, one’s own intelligence becomes challenged and exposing one’s kids to that nonsense just seems hypocritical on your part and potentially harmful to the kids who will ask questions you will not be able to answer honestly.
You can try to entice young people to join the Church or remain in the Church by entertaining them but the bottom line is that the Church has to make itself relevant in people’s lives and right now the Church is only an embarrassment; forced to defend itself on a daily basis from serious charges of misconduct and mismanagement.
The other news item was in the New York Times obituary page. It reported the death of the Reverend William R. Callahan (78) who was a dissident priest that challenged the Vatican mainly on the issue of ordaining women as priests. The paper described him as “A fierce advocate for change in the Catholic Church and society”. I salute him and his life.
The first was about a 2008 Pew Forum study that found more Catholics leave their faith than any other faith or denomination; 32% of people raised as Catholics, leave the religion. The Detroit Free Press article “An exodus of youth from Catholic Church” talks about what the Archdiocesan of Detroit (1.3 million Catholics) is doing to keep members in their 20s and 30s from leaving the fold.
They talk about camping trips, fireworks, Tigers games, movie nights, etc. mimicking some of the mega churches that offer more than just a boring mass; the same mass over and over and over again.
In the past, young adults that left the Church usually came back when they got married and had children but, we are told, that does not happen anymore. I know of a few couples who initially intended to raise their kids in the Catholic faith but with all the negative things that have been going on in the Church, one’s own intelligence becomes challenged and exposing one’s kids to that nonsense just seems hypocritical on your part and potentially harmful to the kids who will ask questions you will not be able to answer honestly.
You can try to entice young people to join the Church or remain in the Church by entertaining them but the bottom line is that the Church has to make itself relevant in people’s lives and right now the Church is only an embarrassment; forced to defend itself on a daily basis from serious charges of misconduct and mismanagement.
The other news item was in the New York Times obituary page. It reported the death of the Reverend William R. Callahan (78) who was a dissident priest that challenged the Vatican mainly on the issue of ordaining women as priests. The paper described him as “A fierce advocate for change in the Catholic Church and society”. I salute him and his life.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
VATICAN: Sexual Molestation vs. Ordination of Women?




The Vatican is about to release new guidelines to address the ever growing priestly child abuse scandal. This is something that should have happened a long time ago and even now, according to some Vatican critics, it does not go far enough since Bishops that tolerated and hid the abuse, do not get punished. It is a shame that these representatives of Christ on earth had to be bullied by mere mortals to do the right thing BUT…
In the new “penalties for priests” or the new “norms” policy, the Vatican lists the sexual abuse of children as a most serious crime and includes the sexual abuse of mentally disabled adults in the same category BUT TO INCLUDE THE ORDINATION OF FEMALE PRIESTS as somehow a most serious crime on the same level as sexual abuse of children is IMBECILIC to the highest degree; I cannot think of a higher form of absurdity.
I hope this will show Catholics just how senile and out of touch with reality their leadership is but also this should be reason enough to challenge the very basis of their divine authority?
The Vatican (Church) presents itself as “divinely guided” and therefore all Church pronouncements MUST BE OBEYED.
“We cannot trust our own ideas and our own thinking because they are not inspired and can become corrupt by suggestions from the evil one” reads one Catholic web site, “so we MUST obey even if we DO NOT AGREE.”
Officially, the Church states that it does not have any authority to ordain female priests but it does have authority to ordain male priests because Jesus ordained males as his followers (Apostles) but not female followers – bullshit!
Number one, Jesus did not write or record a single word so there is NO evidence what Jesus really did or even what he thought; we have only the words of people that invented Christianity and therefore had Jesus say and do whatever fit their agenda.
Even if you believe some of the Gospel stories may have a modicum of historical truth; Jesus looked to Mary Magdalene as his first follower (Apostle) – who did he reveal himself first to after he resurrected and told her to tell the “rest”?
But I am getting too deep so let me just say that if the pope was divinely inspired to equate the sexual molestation of children by priests to the ordination of women by priests then the divine inspirer they take their cue from is incompetent at being God, should be deposed and a new God invented in His/Her place.
In the new “penalties for priests” or the new “norms” policy, the Vatican lists the sexual abuse of children as a most serious crime and includes the sexual abuse of mentally disabled adults in the same category BUT TO INCLUDE THE ORDINATION OF FEMALE PRIESTS as somehow a most serious crime on the same level as sexual abuse of children is IMBECILIC to the highest degree; I cannot think of a higher form of absurdity.
I hope this will show Catholics just how senile and out of touch with reality their leadership is but also this should be reason enough to challenge the very basis of their divine authority?
The Vatican (Church) presents itself as “divinely guided” and therefore all Church pronouncements MUST BE OBEYED.
“We cannot trust our own ideas and our own thinking because they are not inspired and can become corrupt by suggestions from the evil one” reads one Catholic web site, “so we MUST obey even if we DO NOT AGREE.”
Officially, the Church states that it does not have any authority to ordain female priests but it does have authority to ordain male priests because Jesus ordained males as his followers (Apostles) but not female followers – bullshit!
Number one, Jesus did not write or record a single word so there is NO evidence what Jesus really did or even what he thought; we have only the words of people that invented Christianity and therefore had Jesus say and do whatever fit their agenda.
Even if you believe some of the Gospel stories may have a modicum of historical truth; Jesus looked to Mary Magdalene as his first follower (Apostle) – who did he reveal himself first to after he resurrected and told her to tell the “rest”?
But I am getting too deep so let me just say that if the pope was divinely inspired to equate the sexual molestation of children by priests to the ordination of women by priests then the divine inspirer they take their cue from is incompetent at being God, should be deposed and a new God invented in His/Her place.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
IMMIGRATION: Secure our borders first!




Just a few more words on Obama’s challenge to Arizona’s immigration law.
Our federal government is suing Arizona for passing an un-constitutional law. Reading the fine print, Obama’s challenge says that the federal government wants to find and deport “dangerous” illegal immigrants and not “peaceful” illegal immigrants; whereas the state of Arizona makes no such distinction, i.e. illegals are illegals and need to be found and deported.
To me this is an absurd distinction because you cannot make illegal immigrants somehow legal if they behave.
From a politician’s viewpoint, votes are votes and if the “growing” American Latin community wants (non-criminal) illegals left alone, then hey, we aim to please.
BUT the main point in this whole issue is not what to do with illegal immigrants currently residing in this country (11 million) but what can states like Arizona do to stop illegals from crossing the border which is a federal government responsibility and which Obama is neglecting BUT is willing to challenge states that take it upon themselves to do something about the problem.
I am very disappointed in Obama for playing politics instead of doing what he said he was going to do when he campaigned for the presidency; secure our borders first then tackle the immigration issue.
Our federal government is suing Arizona for passing an un-constitutional law. Reading the fine print, Obama’s challenge says that the federal government wants to find and deport “dangerous” illegal immigrants and not “peaceful” illegal immigrants; whereas the state of Arizona makes no such distinction, i.e. illegals are illegals and need to be found and deported.
To me this is an absurd distinction because you cannot make illegal immigrants somehow legal if they behave.
From a politician’s viewpoint, votes are votes and if the “growing” American Latin community wants (non-criminal) illegals left alone, then hey, we aim to please.
BUT the main point in this whole issue is not what to do with illegal immigrants currently residing in this country (11 million) but what can states like Arizona do to stop illegals from crossing the border which is a federal government responsibility and which Obama is neglecting BUT is willing to challenge states that take it upon themselves to do something about the problem.
I am very disappointed in Obama for playing politics instead of doing what he said he was going to do when he campaigned for the presidency; secure our borders first then tackle the immigration issue.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
IMMIGRATION LAW: Obama is pusillanimous (look it up)




I was very disheartened to hear Obama is challenging the Arizona Immigration Law in federal court.
Obama promised to submit a national immigration law for Congress to debate and eventually act on. Bush tried it when he was in office BUT he could not get his party to even look at a law since it was too dangerous for the politicians because Americans were and are so divided about the immigration issue.
Obama was suppose to be above the politics and all about what is right or wrong but he did not have enough political balls to submit an immigration bill so what does he do…he goes after a state (Arizona) for having the balls to put in place an immigration law since Obama was not going to do it…shame on you!
And what is his basis for going after the Arizona law? That the law somehow is unconstitutional because it MAY deprive some people of their Constitutional rights. Well hell, has anyone complained about being deprived of their Constitutional rights? Have the cops been stopping people and depriving them of their Constitutional rights? Hell all this is based on conjecture!
The problem is that the federal government has been unable to stop immigrants from coming to this country illegally. Why not? Any and all immigration laws are worthless if people can just cross the border whenever they want to; states cannot do this on their own, it requires federal government intervention, so what the hell are you doing about the open borders Obama?
Once the borders are controlled by us, we can start talking about what to do with the millions of illegals residing in this country and that is a totally different matter BUT we cannot even start the discussion till you control the borders! Kapish?
Obama promised to submit a national immigration law for Congress to debate and eventually act on. Bush tried it when he was in office BUT he could not get his party to even look at a law since it was too dangerous for the politicians because Americans were and are so divided about the immigration issue.
Obama was suppose to be above the politics and all about what is right or wrong but he did not have enough political balls to submit an immigration bill so what does he do…he goes after a state (Arizona) for having the balls to put in place an immigration law since Obama was not going to do it…shame on you!
And what is his basis for going after the Arizona law? That the law somehow is unconstitutional because it MAY deprive some people of their Constitutional rights. Well hell, has anyone complained about being deprived of their Constitutional rights? Have the cops been stopping people and depriving them of their Constitutional rights? Hell all this is based on conjecture!
The problem is that the federal government has been unable to stop immigrants from coming to this country illegally. Why not? Any and all immigration laws are worthless if people can just cross the border whenever they want to; states cannot do this on their own, it requires federal government intervention, so what the hell are you doing about the open borders Obama?
Once the borders are controlled by us, we can start talking about what to do with the millions of illegals residing in this country and that is a totally different matter BUT we cannot even start the discussion till you control the borders! Kapish?
Monday, July 05, 2010
GOP: Steele needs to go!


I am an independent voter and do not support either Democrats or Republicans. I understand that politicians have to prostitute themselves to get elected and that is why politics is such a dirty business but there are limits…
Michael Steele, chairman of the GOP was overheard at a fund raiser stating that the war in Afghanistan is “…a war of Obama’s choosing” and that our commitment of troops into Afghanistan was a mistake since the war there is unwinnable.
Now, I will be the first to admit that Obama is not doing as well as I thought he would do but the facts are the facts and Steele just like Chaney, cannot be allowed to alter the facts (history) without getting their asses kicked royally.
Bush sent our troops into Afghanistan as a result of the 9/11 attack on us; the attackers were al Qaeda operatives based in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Bush did not finish the job but decided to pull our troops from there and into the totally misguided war on Iraq.
Obama inherited the Iraq War as well as the Afghanistan War, he also inherited the economic disaster; he did not start any of them as some Republicans are trying to suggest.
To be fair, John McCain and many other high level Republicans are calling for Steele’s resignation but a few are actually trying to defend him which is the height of absurdity.
I don’t particularly like Democrats but I could get to really hate the Republicans unless they totally throw that bum Steele out on his keester NOW!
Michael Steele, chairman of the GOP was overheard at a fund raiser stating that the war in Afghanistan is “…a war of Obama’s choosing” and that our commitment of troops into Afghanistan was a mistake since the war there is unwinnable.
Now, I will be the first to admit that Obama is not doing as well as I thought he would do but the facts are the facts and Steele just like Chaney, cannot be allowed to alter the facts (history) without getting their asses kicked royally.
Bush sent our troops into Afghanistan as a result of the 9/11 attack on us; the attackers were al Qaeda operatives based in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Bush did not finish the job but decided to pull our troops from there and into the totally misguided war on Iraq.
Obama inherited the Iraq War as well as the Afghanistan War, he also inherited the economic disaster; he did not start any of them as some Republicans are trying to suggest.
To be fair, John McCain and many other high level Republicans are calling for Steele’s resignation but a few are actually trying to defend him which is the height of absurdity.
I don’t particularly like Democrats but I could get to really hate the Republicans unless they totally throw that bum Steele out on his keester NOW!
Sunday, July 04, 2010
DETROIT: Bad Culture still there!

I have written on numerous occasions about the “corrupt black political culture” in Detroit that has been sucking the life out of Detroit for decades and I also reported that since Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sent away to jail, the voters of Detroit elected a honest, non-politician Dave Bing as mayor and a city council that appears to be fresh, intelligent, honest and caring about the city BUT…
There are vestiges of the former culture that still exist and in this case, in the form of the Detroit School Board which is fighting a loosing battle to preserve that culture of incompetence and corruption.
The school board has been fighting for its very existence with an emergency manager appointed by the state to sweep out that culture and bring Detroit schools to a functioning level. Robert Bobb is a strong manager and does not take any shit from the board and in fact is supporting efforts to do away with the board and give the mayor power over Detroit schools – I wholeheartedly agree with that move but back to the current elected school board.
The president of this school board, one Otis Mathis, was recently exposed as someone who could not compose a proper sentence. Looking into his history, he did get a degree from Wayne State University but only after they removed a graduation exam that tested one’s fluency in the English language. He actually sued the university on the grounds that the graduation exam was somehow racially motivated.
In all fairness, I remember taking the exam but also tutoring some friends taking the exam who were very well versed in math and science but weak in English.
Otis Mathis recently added to his resume a charge of lewd behavior by improperly touching (fondling) himself while meeting with women, specifically with the female school superintendant. He has subsequently resigned, tried to un-resign and then was arrested on a sexual harassment charge.
The Reverend David Murray (Reverend is his first name) who is a member of the school board, defended Mathis (56) as a young man still learning basic rules of deportment – can you believe it.
The school board had a choice for president; a black academic officer at the University of Michigan or Mathis and they picked Mathis, why? Because Mathis is part of their culture and the other guy was not.
The scary part is that these school board members that will soon lose their jobs when the board is eliminated will run for some other elected office to continue living off the city while giving the city nada. I hope Detroit voters remember these bozos in the next elections and make sure they don’t serve the city ever again.
There are vestiges of the former culture that still exist and in this case, in the form of the Detroit School Board which is fighting a loosing battle to preserve that culture of incompetence and corruption.
The school board has been fighting for its very existence with an emergency manager appointed by the state to sweep out that culture and bring Detroit schools to a functioning level. Robert Bobb is a strong manager and does not take any shit from the board and in fact is supporting efforts to do away with the board and give the mayor power over Detroit schools – I wholeheartedly agree with that move but back to the current elected school board.
The president of this school board, one Otis Mathis, was recently exposed as someone who could not compose a proper sentence. Looking into his history, he did get a degree from Wayne State University but only after they removed a graduation exam that tested one’s fluency in the English language. He actually sued the university on the grounds that the graduation exam was somehow racially motivated.
In all fairness, I remember taking the exam but also tutoring some friends taking the exam who were very well versed in math and science but weak in English.
Otis Mathis recently added to his resume a charge of lewd behavior by improperly touching (fondling) himself while meeting with women, specifically with the female school superintendant. He has subsequently resigned, tried to un-resign and then was arrested on a sexual harassment charge.
The Reverend David Murray (Reverend is his first name) who is a member of the school board, defended Mathis (56) as a young man still learning basic rules of deportment – can you believe it.
The school board had a choice for president; a black academic officer at the University of Michigan or Mathis and they picked Mathis, why? Because Mathis is part of their culture and the other guy was not.
The scary part is that these school board members that will soon lose their jobs when the board is eliminated will run for some other elected office to continue living off the city while giving the city nada. I hope Detroit voters remember these bozos in the next elections and make sure they don’t serve the city ever again.
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