Too heavy, too light, too black or too white, too wrong or too right...

So in my semi-sheltered life I've never been to a real concert.

Yes, I realize I haven't blogged in months.

Back to my story.

So in my semi-sheltered life I've never been to a real concert. So when the Labadie Pig Gig came to town and two bands I really like were headlining the main concert, I decided I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

If you don't know what the Pig Gig is, it's a huge BBQ festival that they do in Bay City every year. I know that my Aunt sampled some of the ribs, and I had some of the ribs and brisket. I made a poor choice, though, because mine was not that impressive.

Anyway, so we went over to the concert to find that Sponge was just starting. They sing one of my favorite songs ever, so here it is.




This is the picture I got with my phone.



The lead singer was a riot. The whole band was very professional and fun to watch. They weren't as exciting as I had hoped with their non-radio music, but still pretty quality.

The next band definitely stole the show.

Seven Mary Three is a grunge, or post-grunge band that has two huge singles on the radio. It wouldn't surprise me if you've heard one or both of them before. But maybe not.

This is typically their biggest song, called Water's Edge (my favorite)

I know the video is shoddy, but the good one had the embedding disabled.



Their most popular song in this area is called Cumbersome. This is the acoustic version, which isn't as good, but it's the best video I could find.



All in all it was a phenomenal show. This is the picture I got of Seven Mary Three.




I would say that Sponge has my favorite song out of the two bands, but Seven Mary Three was definitely more entertaining. They were just awesome live. I had a good time and some decent food. I will definitely be making it back to the Pig Gig next year.

What to do with homemade red sauce?

I was out to fill a craving for some sort of pasta dish today. Armed with some homemade red sauce from the Father, I decided to go with something easy and always tasty. Baked pasta with italian sausage meatballs.

The basic ingredients:



We'll start by browning the italian sausage:



Then add onions and green peppers:



Then, of course, the red sauce:



Finally, add the noodles. I used Pene Rigate noodles, but pretty much any noodle your little heard desires would suffice:



Then put it all in an oven-safe dish, and cover with cheese. I used mozzarella:



Yum!




All in all, a very good dish. I would have to give it 5 forks out of 5! The red sauce was very good indeed.

A Sign of the Times

This is a paper I wrote for my PSC 101 class. I know it's on my other blog, but I also know that some of you refuse to follow me on Facebook because of politics, let alone my blog about politics.

The United States economy goes through periods of rapid growth, and rapid contraction. In the short history of the U.S., free market capitalism has dominated the marketplace. Recently, we have seen a populous outcry for more regulation, especially on banks. Some policies that have been enacted have done much to expand government power in the economy, and introduce moderate amounts of nationalization and socialism. The American public is very divided on how they want the government to balance regulation and free market principles in weathering this economic storm.

In the first days of October 2008, the Dow Jones Industrial Average evaporated around 20% of the nation’s wealth. Investor confidence waned on news that lending institutions were no longer stable, due to the sub-prime lending market collapse. Mortgage backing giants, and government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, lead the charge of economic uncertainty. The American public was blood thirsty, and wanted to know who was responsible for regulating these industries.

Coming off the back of insolvent banks, George W. Bush authorized $700 billion worth of funds to be allocated to the United States Department of Treasury. Under the command of Hank Paulson, the Treasury Department was to inject liquidity into major baking institutions that were no longer seen as viable. This TARP (troubled assets relief program) plan was a plan to thaw credit markets in order to spur economic development in the short run, and turn into sustainability in the long run.

George W. Bush always touted free market capitalism throughout his 8 years as President. The American public generally accepted capitalism, and his approval numbers did not fluctuate much after the economic collapse. According to Rasmussen Reports, then President Bush’s approval rating was 34% in August 2008, compared with 33% in October of 2008 (Rasmussen 1). In a second poll by Rasmussen Reports, they examined a specific clip of a George Bush speech. “In mid-November, 44% of adults agreed with President Bush’s statement that ‘free-market capitalism is far more than an economic theory. It is the engine of social mobility - the highway to the American Dream.’ Twenty-two percent disagreed, and 33% were undecided” (Rasmussen 2). This demonstrated a plurality of support for capitalism.

Capitalism works by allowing markets to adjust to where they can be sustained. It’s a natural reaction to a simple economic theory of supply and demand. N. Gregory Mankiw compares The Wealth of Nations, a book that was written by Adam Smith, to the Declaration of Independence. He says, “…the two documents share a point of view that was prevalent at the time: Individuals are usually best left to their own devices, without the heavy hand of government guiding their actions” (Mankiw Pg. 11). Mankiw also hits on a point that can pull the U.S.’s capitalistic system out of the current recession. It is the basic economic concept that people respond to incentives (Pg. 9). Once producers lower their prices to where consumers will again be able and willing to purchase said goods, the economy will begin to produce at levels seen before the economic collapse.

Consumer confidence is a key in weathering any economic storm. Consumers must feel comfortable in spending their money, or savings will pile up – leading to smaller amounts of economic output. A recent Gallup Pole suggests that consumers are starting to gain confidence in the economy. 15% of Americans were optimistic about the economy during the first weeks of February, compared with 32% at the end of March (Gallup 1). With this level of up-tick in optimism among consumers, we may see retail markets bounce back, followed by many other sectors of the economy.

Recently, signs of frustration from the American public have come in the form of low support for capitalism. In a recent Rasmussen survey, only 53% of Americans believe capitalism is better than socialism. However, only 20% of respondents said they felt socialism was better than capitalism (Rasmussen 3). This seems to be a gauge of how frustrated the American people are.

Socialism stems from the belief that the government should step in to monitor and regulate businesses and marketplace interactions. The government also plays a larger role in making sure income is evenly distributed throughout the population. Western Europe has fallen into this sort of behavior with their socialized healthcare system. Healthcare is provided for each citizen, regardless of ability to pay for it. Teemed with a progressive tax system, this healthcare is often financed by the upper class. Americans have been reluctant to give the government this much power, due in large part to our founding fathers’ beliefs in a small government that should be restrained by the people.

Partisanship can be a key factor in deciding the attitudes of American citizens in regards to the economy. Typically, the Republican Party is more favored toward free market capitalism, where Democrats favor tougher regulation, and sometimes socialism. Democrats typically believe the government can solve the problem, whereas Republicans often believe government is the problem. In the Rasmussen Reports poll, Republicans favored capitalism 11-to-1 over socialism. Democrats still favored capitalism, but only 39% said it was better than socialism, while 30% supported socialism over capitalism (Rasmussen 3). Independents played their part as well. “As for those not affiliated with either major political party, 48% say capitalism is best, and 21% opt for socialism” (Rasmussen 3). The key factors of the ideological split in both parties come from each party’s respected leaders. Democrats tend to follow the ideological path of Barack Obama and Barney Frank, who believe that tougher regulations need to be put in place in order to correct the financial systems. Republicans, however, are more divided. Some favor complete free market principles penned by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), where many others believe in a moderately regulated system touted by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina).

One thing is clear in this situation: the American public is very divided on how they want the government to balance regulation and free market principles in weathering this economic storm. The United States is a country that remains to lean center-right on economic principles, and it shows with some of the wide gaps with independents asked about the capitalism vs. socialism dispute. In conclusion, these polls show that although Americans are reluctant to champion the likes of capitalism in these tough economic times, they are not anywhere near embracing socialism.








References

Gallup. 2009. “Economic Perceptions: Personal vs. National.” Gallup Polls, April 9.


Mankiw, N. Gregory. 2008. Principles of Macroeconomics. Mason, OH; Cengage
Learning.

Rasmussen Reports 1. 2008. “44% Agree: Free-Market Capitalism is Highway to
American Dream.” Rasmussen Reports, November 18.


Rasmussen Reports 2. 2009. “President Bush Job Approval.” Rasmussen Reports,
January 5.

Rasmussen Reports 3. 2009. “Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism.”
Rasmussen Reports, April 9.

Happy Easter!

Feeling Down?

Watch this! It always seems to get my skin crawling again.

To All My Valued Employees

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed,
Your boss

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to WORK and give to those who are NOT. ~Thomas Jefferson

They Were Right

They told me if I voted for McCain, the nation's Hope would deteriorate,
and sure enough there has been a 20 point drop in the Consumer
Confidence Index since the election, reaching a lower point than any
time during the Bush administration.
They told me if I voted for McCain, the US would become more deeply
embroiled in the Middle East, and sure enough tens of thousands of
additional troops are scheduled to be deployed into Afghanistan.
They told me if I voted for McCain, that the economy would get worse and
sure enough unemployment is approaching 8.8% and the new stimulus
packages implemented recently have sent the stock market lower than at
any time since the 1980's.

They told me if I voted for McCain, we would see more "crooks" in high
ranking positions in Federal government and sure enough, several recent
cabinet nominees and Senate appointments revealed resumes of bribery and
tax fraud.


Well I ignored my Democrat friends in November and voted for McCain.
And they were right.... all of their predictions have come true.

Yet Another Blog!

I've started blogging for the Michigan Republican Party today. My posts are featured on the Michigan GOP Youth website at www.gopyouth.org. I will try and notify you when I have a new post. I posted my first blog today about the funding cut for agriculture in Michigan. You can find it here:

http://gopyouth.org/granholm-to-cut-agriculture-spending

Enjoy!

Off I Go!

I first want to remind you all that the reasons I don't update much on here are:
A) I've become obsessed with Twitter, and to most of my updates on there. www.twitter.com/jporterGOP
B) I have another blog in which I rant and rave about whatever I feel like, via video or blog. www.rightwingreform.blogspot.com
I really encourage you all to read my other blog, even if you hate politics, hate me, or hate what I have to say. I don't even care if you use the comment box to say "John you're an idiot, and here's why." In fact, I encourage it.

Well, it's just about spring break here at CMU. I have one last exam in about an hour that will cover factoring polynomials (boring). After that it's off to Michigan's sister state, or at least I like to think of it as that. Yes, other students will be going to warm places like North Carolina (although it hasn't been too warm there lately), Florida, Mexico (watch out for the drug cartels and violence!), and Texas. I will be in lovely Wisconsin. That's OK with me, though. I need a nice quiet place to get started on my new job. I've recently taken a position as a salesman for a political consulting company. That means I get to be one of those annoying telemarketers. Oh well, everyone has to start somewhere. I hope everyone is doing well. I'm pretty excited that tomorrow I will be in Wisconsin via Amtrak! (Another branch of the gov't that hasn't exactly performed well).

A Very Strange Coincidence

Do you ever have something happen to you and wonder how the hell it worked out that way?

Let me be blunt. Tonight is not a good night. Today was a day I was looking forward to for a long time. However, due to a couple of circumstances, it's not what I wanted it to be. Originally, I was supposed to be on a plane to DC, only to be surrounded by thousands of the top Republicans in the country. You see, this weekend is the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC). It's the biggest event of the year for Republicans and Conservatives. Now, I'm limited to Twitter feeds and phone calls from 10 of my best friends here at CMU - our College Republicans Chapter.

So, let's get to the really strange part. On a night that I literally cannot get anything done because I have to think about how some of my best friends are in my favorite place in the whole world - not to mention they're with some of the people I want to meet most - my necklace that I got from a man in DC a year and a half ago broke. That's right. Out of all 500+ days that I had it, it happened to break tonight. Coincidence?

So, I have one year to fulfill my next goal in life. I'm going to earn money for CPAC and put it away. I will be going to CPAC next year. I don't care if there is no CPAC next year - I'll hold my own damn CPAC. When I first learned that I had 3 exams this week I thought that I wouldn't miss DC too much. But now that I'm sitting here while they're sitting there, my stomach doesn't feel like it will stay in my body.

Next year, I will be blogging from the Omni Hotel in Washington, DC.

Cheers.

Why I'm A Republican

Macroeconomics

Hey all.

Everything is going pretty well here at CMU. I've been rather busy because State Convention is this weekend, and I will be spending my weekend volunteering for and networking with the Michigan GOP. I figured I'd take the time to post one of my papers I recently wrote for my Macroeconomics class. You are encouraged to think like an economist and solve problems in the world around you. You're supposed to make a connection with cost-based analysis. Enjoy!

Why Wouldn’t Tim Geithner Pay His Taxes?

If marginal cost exceeds marginal benefit, it is unworthy of doing. Confirmed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner did the entire math he needed to in order to decide not to pay his taxes. One factor could be his opportunity cost of giving up this $34,000 worth of tax money. Another reason could be his protection from the IRS, given his tight-knit bond with some of the nation’s top decision makers. Another reason could be his confidence that it would go unnoticed. Whatever the reasoning, Tim Geithner felt his marginal benefit outweighed his marginal cost of not paying the taxes.

It’s no secret that Geithner has been around some of the top legislators for a number of years now. This could lead to him knowing the ins and outs of not only the tax system, but also the economic situation. Instead of sending this $34,000 to the government to use on social programs, Geithner could have invested it. People making huge profits don’t just allow their dollar and cents to collect in a bank account. Geithner could have done a number of things such as invest in a collect deposit, a Roth IRA, mutual funds, or even stocks and bonds. Hopefully, for Mr. Geithner, he managed to avoid going though Bernie Madoff. The interest Mr. Geithner would collect would be more than the interest he’d have to pay back if he was to be caught.

Tim Geithner has been involved in the legislative process indirectly for about a decade. This leaves him with a lot of close friends that could have gotten him, and apparently have gotten him, out of a substantial amount of trouble. He knew this when he refused to pay his taxes.

When you look at some of the filing errors Mr. Geithner made, they are “under the radar” type things. He was able to say that he had “overlooked” them, and that they weren’t prominent issues. This seems contradicting since he had signed papers acknowledging that he hadn’t paid Social Security taxes, only adding to the presumption that Mr. Geithner knew exactly what he was doing.

As you can see, Mr. Geithner played the odds. His marginal cost of paying the taxes seemed to outweigh his marginal benefit of peace of mind. He chose to take his money and invest elsewhere, only to find out that he probably collected more interest on his investments than the government demanded in return. Should everybody think like this? No, few have the connections and ties that Mr. Geithner do. One exception is Tom Daschle, but that is a whole other story.

Holier Than Thou

"Before you judge me take a look at you
Can't you find something better to do
Point the finger, slow to understand
Arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand."
-Metallica

Last weekend I went out in search of a place to worship. Many Americans use churches not only as a conduit between themselves and their deity, but as a place of reason, moral truth, and socialization. A church is a safe-haven that provides stability and familiarity with one's life. My first option was a Christ the King Lutheran Chapel. Upon first glance it looks like a traditional conservative based Lutheran chapel. Truer words were never spoken. It was the epitome of tradition. This scared me off a tad - due to my moderate tendencies when it comes to religion in general. The service was long and monotonous. It seemed like something out of an old movie. It was an OK experience, other than the crying baby section that I was apparently in. (Which is funny since I'm complaining about the church, maybe I did belong there.)

I will probably not be going back to the Lutheran church soon - but it does not mean it will not be the one I settle on.

Next up, St. Mary's Catholic Parish.

A Must See

Datelineee

Is anyone else sick of all these Obama cabinet choices not paying their taxes? What happened to the 'different kind of politics' and 'ethics reform' he based his campaign on. This is hardly the 'change we need'. Sorry, that sort of stuff is for my other blog - but I'm just irritated as hell with President Obama. But I digress.

Lately I've been really busy, which is why I haven't updated much. I've read all of your blogs, though. I've also fallen in love with Twitter - it's such a fast way to update people on different things. I'm doing pretty well in school. I've gotten 100% on my first three quizzes of the semester (MTH 105, Micro, and World Politics). I'm on my way to my first test right now for Macroeconomics. So I have to get going, I'll try to update you all on my Church experience soon!

*Edit*
I had to share this with everyone, especially Sarah. I tend to get on Wikipedia when I'm bored and read about things, and I found this about Charlie Weis - it cracked me up!

"Because of Weis's morbid obesity and the history of heart disease in his family, it is only twice as likely that he will be fired before dying, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers."

Fixed Comment Box

I fixed the comment box on my other blog. You should all be able to comment away now. I'm sure that was the only thing stopping you! :D

New Position

Elections were tonight for College Republicans and we elected a new Chair. (This is the leader of the group, the chief executive) We elected a very trustworthy candidate that has done a lot of work in the past month to get us on the right track. I won my election for Vice-Chair. I'm extremely excited to get to work and dig in on how we can make our group better here at CMU. That's all I have for tonight - it's late!

CommUNITY Breakfast

As you are all aware, today is a day to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More so, however, it is a day to honor diversity, equality, and respect in all walks of life. Today I celebrated by attending the CommUNITY Breakfast at CMU. At 7:30 this A.M., we all gathered in the UC Rotunda on campus. This year's guest speaker was none other than my soon-to-be boss Representative Bill Caul. I will be doing an internship in the State Capital this fall with Mr. Caul. He is a great man who delivered a fitting speech for the occasion.

Afterwards he had some time to chat with myself and a few of my College Republican friends.

CM-Life Article

So I was recently appointed to a committee in College Republicans for public relations. I got my first interview tonight from the CM-Life, and it was to reflect on the Bush Administration, along with his farewell address. The whole article follows, but if you just want to get straight to my interview, it's near the end. Enjoy!




President George W. Bush's farewell speech Thursday was his final opportunity to shape his legacy.

The 43rd president of the United States chose spreading peace abroad and fighting terrorism as his main messages, although he said there are things he would have changed.

"There are things I would do differently if given the chance," he said. "Yet, I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right."

Bush warned Americans that the nation will face more challenges, but expressed his confidence in its ability to overcome them.

The president rejected isolationist policies and encouraged the nation to continue the fight for freedom and democracy around the world.

"This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth," he said. "Advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our citizens."

Bush noted the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the transformation of the military, the intelligence community and FBI, a new Medicare program and the bailout among his accomplishments as president.

The once-Texas governor noted changing the Afghanistan and Iraq governments to democracies as other successes of his presidency.

"There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions," he said. "But there can be little debate about the results."

The President acknowledged those who disagreed with many decisions he made, but hoped they would agree he made tough decisions.

Serving the nation as president was an honor, Bush said, but the title of "citizen of the United States of America" means more to him than any other.

Aside from molding his legacy, Bush wished President-elect Barack Obama good luck, saying his presidency is "a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation."


Student Reaction

Central Michigan University students have had mixed reactions about Bush's eight-year tenure.

Caro junior Zachary Raymer and Waterford senior Kyle Gentges find Bush to be an inadequate president, and neither agreed with his decision to invade Iraq.

"I don't really think he knew what he was doing," Gentges said. "After 9/11, we started going after Iraq and Iraq got in the way of catching Osama bin Laden."

Raymer said the economic bailout was a necessary decision, but does not like how it has been handled.

"There has not been enough oversight with what we've done with the money," he said.

Instead of throwing the money at the problem, Raymer said, the money should have been used to create jobs and investments that will pay off in the long run.

Coleman freshman John Porter, a member of the College Republicans, said Bush's speech was honest and sober. He praised Bush's honesty, even though many people may not have agreed with his policies.

"We cannot question the man's integrity and honesty," he said.

Porter thought Bush's greatest accomplishment was preventing a terrorist attack for seven and a half years.

Porter said Bush's expanded AIDS treatments in Africa were another great accomplishment.

"No one has ever done more for the continent of Africa than George W. Bush," he said.

Bush was put into an unprecedented situation, Coleman said, and dealt with it well.

"His record speaks for itself. He saw 54 months of job growth... even Barack Obama can't change some of Bush's policies," he said.

New Blog

Started a new blog, it's purely political, and not politically correct. If you think you'll be offended, feel free to ignore it. I'm going to keep this blog to family related stuff for you guys, and use the other for my soapbox and right-wing movement.

www.rightwingreform.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Semester Schedule

This is my schedule for this semester, I'm excited! I'm trying to get into a Math 105 class as well, leaving me at 18 credits!

BUS 100
Essential Business Skills | Monday, Wednesday 5:00P - 6:15P | Kayla M Slezak

ECO 201
Principles of Macroeconomics | Tuesday, Thursday 2:00P - 3:15P | Tao Peng

ECO 202
Principles of Microeconomics | Tuesday, Thursday 11:00A - 12:15P | Gregory A Falls

PSC 150
World Politics | Monday, Wednesday 3:30P - 4:45P | David Jesuit

PSC 151
The U.S. & The World | Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:00P-12:50P | David Jesuit

Millen Hiding Behind Camera

Millen hiding behind camera
He owes Lions fans explanation for his role on 0-16 season
BY DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • JANUARY 4, 2009

Matt Millen doesn’t get off the hook that easily.



NBC should insist that the erstwhile Lions chief executive wear an 0-16 stamp on his forehead for future network appearances. It should introduce a segment for its three-day Super Bowl pregame show, “How to Build an NFL Door Matt with Matt Millen.”

Here’s a novel concept. Why not demand that Millen do his job as a studio analyst? His role as a “football expert” is to explain what occurs beyond the range of public eyes, breaking down what went right and what went wrong with simple clarity.

But when he broke his public silence Saturday during the network’s “Football Night in America” show, he told NBC’s Dan Patrick that it wasn’t as easy as merely blaming himself.

“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Millen told Patrick. “I could give you excuses. I could give you reasons. To me, that’s just an excuse after the fact. You take the hit and move on.”

Millen blew it again. Detroit deserves a detailed explanation for what went so horribly wrong from those who perpetrated the deed. Simply saying that you’re responsible for the disaster doesn’t make you accountable. That requires serving a penance. If Millen truly seeks atonement, he must delve deeper into those additional “reasons” of which he spoke.

Was there a lack of uniformity between Millen and his front office, Millen and his coaches? Was there an even greater lack of organizational confidence within the locker room than what already has been documented? Did ownership interfere even more than what already has been reported?

I’m really tired of the Lions’ “There’s nothing more to say” defense regarding past failures.

Coach Rod Marinelli tried it during his farewell. It didn’t work.

Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew tried it during their introduction. It didn’t work.

Millen tried it in his nationally televised mea culpa. It really didn’t work.

Millen remained in seclusion on his Pennsylvania farm following his firing Sept.24, never returning phone calls from local media. But he called NBC back when the network approached him about returning to the television studio.

A network spokesman said Saturday that NBC kept Millen’s playoff pregame appearance under wraps until the last instant. Millen apparently was worried that, with enough advanced notice, there might be a flock of Detroit reporters waiting for his inevitable exit at the doorsteps at Rockefeller Center in New York.

He sounded subdued, certainly not the gregarious sort that endeared him to television viewers during his days as Fox’s No. 2 game analyst. How can anybody watching him not crack up laughing? Millen’s 31-84 record (not counting the other 13 losses after his dismissal) as president hardly makes him a credible voice when questioning another team’s decision making.

If he ever says that a team needs a wide receiver, Bob Costas’ immediate retort should be “Well, you ought to know about that Matt since you drafted one in the first round three straight years. By the way, Matt, how many of those guys are still in football?”

Millen: “Charles Rogers is starting now for his prison team, Bob. And Mike Williams is a third alternate on the Jenny Craig Pro Bowl team.”

Cue the rim shot.

Millen will turn his Detroit experiences into a joke. He’ll smile through his misery knowing that he already has collected $38 million for those 31 wins and is still owed $12 million from William Clay Ford Sr. for the final 2 1/2 years on that five-year contract extension.

Laugh, clown, laugh.

But it’ll only ratchet up the local anger even more that Millen, who once openly questioned the toughness of one his players, didn’t have the guts to stand before his harshest critics one final time as Marinelli did just hours after the Lions fired him last Monday.

Millen instead hid behind the plumage of the peacock.

Happy Honda-Days

It was 9:00AM on this day and I had set out for Shepherd Road. I met the old man at the door and we said our good mornings. It was much like the other days, except much earlier. It was much like the other days, but this time we wouldn't be sticking around the farm for long. We had a mission. Armed with paperwork and pamphlets, and a copy of Consumers Report - the Grandfather and I saddled up in the '97 Ford F-150 and didn't even hesitate leaving the house. Our journey took us to the expressway, and past Midland. We didn't stop until we had arrived here, at this joint:



Grandpa and I were car shopping. As we drove around the lot, we were looking for a CR-V, black, with black leather seats. We couldn't find one, and the salesman who came to greet us said that they currently had none in stock, but could get one from a nearby dealer. We sat down at the salesman's desk and Grandpa already had his first question ready.

"What the hell are you charging me $227 in fees for?"

Salesman: "You see, when we file paperwork through the state we can legally charge you up to $250 between state fees and our own labor to file the paperwork."

Grandpa smiles and pulls out his copy of Consumers Report.
"Read this", he says to the salesman.

"Mr. Porter, we don't charge you 'Prep-fees' here, other dealers may, but we don't. We are only charging you for filing papers."

Grandpa: "Well you must not have read what I just showed you! Consumers Report says not to pay any fees you try to hit me with."

Salesman: "Mr. Porter, they say 'prep-fees', we're not charging you a prep-fee."

Grandpa: "I'm not buying then. There are ways you can take those off."

Salesman: "We can't charge other customers one rate and you another."

Grandpa: "Well I don't see why you're charging them for this either!"

Salesman: "I'll tell you what, we'll knock that $227 off the sticker price, but they still have to show up on the bill."

Grandpa: "I want a set of fog lights on there for free, too."

Salesman: "That I have to ask my sales manager about, I'll see what I can do."

At this point the salesman leaves and Grandpa looks at me and laughs and says, "I'm about to get one hell of a deal if they give me those lights and wave those fees. You see, I must have been reading what I WANTED that article to say, because he's right - it says prep-fees right here..."

The salesman returns and says, "Mr. Porter, we're going to wave the $227 dollar fee by knocking it off the sticker price, and we will pay half of the package and installation on the fog lights. They cost $430, so we pay $215 and you pay $215."

Grandpa turns and smiles at me and says "Looks like I'm just gettin' one fog light then."

The salesman can do nothing but laugh hysterically. Needless to say, this was a good enough deal for even a stubborn Porter. We then move to the financing portion. Until January 5th, Honda is doing 1.9% financing on 11 models, and one happens to be the CR-V. Now, if you know anything about a credit union, you know that money kept in there collects interest of just above 3%. That means that you're actually making more money by financing your car at 1.9% and leaving the other money in the bank.

So, tomorrow, the eldest of our family will own a 2009 CR-V EX-L, black, with black leather seats. Not to mention he's getting fog lights installed for the low, low price of -$12.



Happy Honda-Days!