Nice story about Michigan State Women's Hoops!

The MSU gals not only won the regular season, they won the tournament and this coach has done wonders on a campus that reveres the men's coach, Izzo. Kudos to Coach McCallie and her team.
It wasn't too long ago that the MSU women's coach left E Lansing for UM. That gave Joanne her chance. Pretty cool.

The State News - www.statenews.com: "McCallie named Coach of the Year
Haynie, Bowen and Shimek also garner honors
By CHRIS BARSOTTI

MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie shared the honor of Big Ten Coach of the Year after she led her team to a record of 25-3, an MSU record for wins."

BBC NEWS | Africa | Niger cancels 'free-slave' event

If there was ever a better proof that the US main stream media (MSM) and the UN are corrupt and worthless, it is that you read this on a blog and not on Dan Rather or the Chronicle front page.

BBC NEWS Africa Niger cancels 'free-slave' event: "Niger cancels 'free-slave' event

The government of Niger has cancelled at the last minute a special ceremony during which at least 7,000 slaves were to be granted their freedom.
A spokesman for the government's human rights commission, which had helped to organise the event, said this was because slavery did not exist. "

Don't forget, he was the only GOPer convicted in the .....

..... billion dollar Keating/Saving & Loan scandal in the 80s. He took dirty money in the past. He's back to his old tricks.

boortz.com: Nealz Nuze Today's Nuze: "JOHN MCCAIN UNDER FIRE

If you listen closely, you just might hear the sound of John McCain's 2008 presidential hopes slipping into the ether. Maybe not entirely...after all, many other Senators have done worse, including The Poodle. At any rate, this bit of scandal seems to involve an area where the saintly John McCain was thought to be untouchable: dirty campaign contributions. Here's the deal:

Cablevision is a large cable company that wants the federal government to require cable operators to offer channels on an a la carte basis. For those of you educated in government schools, that means being able to buy individual channels, as opposed to an entire package. So, for instance, if you have no interest in sports or cooking or whatever, you wouldn't have to buy those channels. Most cable operators are opposed to the idea, except Cablevision. Enter John McCain.

Cablevision made a $200,000 donation to a tax-exempt group that McCain co-founded. A bit odd, isn't it, that at that very same time McCain was pushing Cablevision's cause with federal regulators. McCain says he was in favor of a la carte channel pricing before Cablevision donated the money, and he says he wasn't directly involved in the group that took the money. Draw your own conclusions.
Is it influence peddling? Maybe. Time will tell. There will no doubt be an investigation. By the way...that's not a bad idea...being able to buy individual channels. After all, why should you be forced to pay for Animal Planet if you don't watch it? And while we're at it .. they ought to pay US to watch all of those government access channels."

Yes Virginia....

... there is a Santa Claus. Here is a great example between the GOPers and the Donkeys. If you want the UN to continue its past "success" vote demo. Georgie wants change.

boortz.com: Nealz Nuze Today's Nuze: "So what makes Bolton such a hard-liner?

He led the charge against the International Criminal Court, referring to the day he withdrew the U.S. signature on the treaty as 'the happiest moment of my government service.' So far, so good. Next, he is being criticized for traveling to South Korea and calling the communist gargoyle of the north, Kim Jong-Il a 'tyrannical dictator' who made North Korea a 'hellish nightmare.' That sounds about right to me! I wonder why it upsets the Euro-wimps so much.

Then there's this quote, another zinger about the UN: 'If the U.N. Secretariat Building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.' Truer words have never been spoken. Sounds like just the man the United States needs representing us at the United Nations."

Go to this site with a kleenex.

What wonderful men and women!

NPR blogging

Here in Muskegon MI (flyover country) I'm watching the PBS presentation of "Broadway's Lost Treasures". It IS excellent. Wonderful TV. Too bad PBS pays no taxes and gets its bandwidth (or whatever they call free access to our television) for free. It still seems to me that if there can be tax-paying, job creating, good old capitalist TV stations that show "Girls gone wild", "Howard Stern", "The Golf Channel" etc. ad nausium, there can be enough support for PBSish programming without my forced tax dollar. But, golly , Patti Lupone is amazing!!!!!

This is what socialism and strong unions get a country.

Somehow, the Chronicle missed this. I hope our governor didn't.

BBC NEWS Business German jobless rate at new record: "The figure of 5.216 million people, or 12.6% of the working-age population, is the highest jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy since the 1930s"

Wall Street Journal advice on party conversation!

Slow news day for Muskegon. How 'bout some verbal intercourse advice?

DigitalRoom.net has an essay called "How to Win an Argument," and its first bit of advice is "Drink liquor":
Suppose you're at a party and some hotshot intellectual is expounding on the economy of Peru, a subject you know nothing about. If you're drinking some health-fanatic drink like grapefruit juice, you'll hang back, afraid to display your ignorance, while the hotshot entralls [sic] your date. But if you drink several large shots of Jack Daniels, you'll discover you have STRONG VIEWS about the Peruvian economy. You'll be a WEALTH of information. You'll argue forcefully, offering searing insights and possibly upsetting furniture. People will be impressed. Some may leave the room.
The essay concludes with "Compare your opponent to Adolf Hitler":
This is your heavy artillery, for when your opponent is obviously right and you are spectacularly wrong. Bring Hitler up subtly. Say: "That sounds suspiciously like something Adolf Hitler might say" or "You certainly do remind me of Adolf Hitler."
OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today: "

Iraq/Iwo Perspective

Vodkapundit reminds us of some specifics about our history and how it repeats itself. Well done!

Vodkapundit - Perspective: "Iwo gave us the uplifting vision of the Marines hoisting the flag on enemy soil. Iraq gave us the uplifting vision of eight million first-time voters planting the flag of freedom on their own soil."

Inducements offered for downtown home-buyers

If "homes in downtown (Muskegon) are a great investment right now" why do we need to spend tax dollars to induce folks to buy them? The problem for Michigan in general and Muskegon in particular is our high tax rates and wasted tax dollars on programs like this. People and businesses will stop leaving Muskegon when Muskegon provides an incentive to stay that does not involve "freebees" that aren't free. Like good schools, low crime rates, low taxes, low cost of doing business and a business friendly local government.

Inducements offered for downtown home-buyers:

"Homes in downtown Muskegon are a great investment right now,' program manager Jessica Elsey said. 'The neighborhood is full of beautiful historic and modern homes that are undervalued in the current real estate market.'"

State needs to tell dummies sensible stuff!

Pardon my paranoia, but this editorial from our beloved Chronicle scares the goobers out of me. I've always known that the editorialists were socialist leaners, but "positioning unified government to make the most sensible planning decisions for the greater good of the community" simply means taking away the rights of the citizens of those communities and giving the power to an unelected bureaucratic morass. And this is after those communities have rejected that "sensible" usurpation of their own rights. I guess us locals aren't nuanced or sensible enough to make our own decisions. Jeeze.

State has to take the lead role on consolidation:

"Greater Muskegon community, and to a lesser extent North Ottawa, have in the past tried to move toward consolidation. Why? Because it is perhaps the ultimate step to eliminating bureaucratic overlap, deleting repetitive jobs, enjoying serious cost-savings in purchasing and other combined functions, and positioning
unified government to make the most sensible planning decisions for the greater
good of the community"

The pirates of eminent domain

This has stopped creeping and is beginning to gallup into every community. Scary!

Jeff Jacoby: The pirates of eminent domain:

"Every home, church, or corner store would produce more jobs and tax revenue if it were a Costco or a shopping mall, he says. If state and local governments can force a property owner to surrender his land so it can be given to a new owner who will put it to more lucrative use, no home or shop in America will ever be safe
again."

A must read!

Fascinating view of the new world we must deal with. Read the last 2 sentences.

Book Review: What
Went Wrong? by Bernard Lewis:
"The Muslim world's stubborn embrace of slavery further eviscerated its
predominance. He explains the religion's duplicitous regulation of the slave
trade. Islamic law stipulates humane treatment of slaves, but not surprisingly,
the policy was only sporadically followed. Mr. Lewis relates how it was Western
pressure that eliminated or at least severely curtailed slavery through Islamic
regions. Realized threats of reduced or cancelled commercial intercourse forced
a discontinuation of the brutal practice, but damage had already been done by
lost trade. The abolishment happened against the will of strict Islamic
adherents because as Mr. Lewis writes, 'From a traditional
Muslim point of view, to abolish slavery would hardly have been possible. To
forbid what God permits is almost as great an offense to permit what God
forbids.' "

Social Security idiocy

Thomas Sowell is one of the great thinkers of our day. In three sentences, he destroys the "higher taxes today equals security tomorrow" debate.

Raising Social Security taxes today will not leave a dime more to pay pensions
to future retirees. Right now there is more money coming into the system than is
going out -- and the difference gets spent on other things. Higher taxes now
would mean a bigger excess to be spent on other things, leaving nothing more for
the future.

Thomas Sowell: Random thoughts

Carmens' lesson?

Take paradise and put up a parking lot? A major reason for the current Muskegon troubles is the policy of getting rid of taxpaying businesses and replacing them with public ownership. Now, and what a surprise, Carmen's is going to move into a building that is tax subsidized. Good luck to Carmen's, but when will someone recognize this self-destructive policy?
Smell of hash browns will fill old building

In October 2003, the popular downtown diner was forced to abandon its long-standing location in the Medical Arts Building at Clay and Second Street, when the building was demolished for added parking for the Muskegon Museum of Art. The new location is two blocks east of the old one.
Smell of hash browns will fill old building

Hillary the Holy Grail?

Does this Democrat/MSM love affair with the Hillary-For-President juggernaut remind anyone of their same infatuation with Teddy Kennedy back in the 60s and 70s?
Both from Democrat "royalty".
Both related to "Camelot" Presidents.
Both with prickly issues in their past.
Both with a compliant MSM tossing softballs so that any tough questions/issues won't be addressed until after the nomination, a la Kerry.
Both so far ahead in the polls that serious candidates dare not stand up to the Royalty.
Both had/have Hollywood frothing with hopeful glee.
Not a whole lot different from the MSM's love affair with the McCain-For-President pipe dream except the GOPers won't bite.
Serious democrats must be getting a serious sense of uncomfortable deja vu.

Another outrage from the French!

Betsy reports the news the MSM ignores. The blogs rule again. Sad that this is how we get the news today.

Andrea Levin in the Jerusalem Post highlights another journalistic
outrage, one that hasn't received the coverage and reaction from the television
network, France 2, that it deserves. Remember those pictures of a Palestinian
boy and his father cowering during a firefight in the Mideast. Remember how the
implication was that the Israeli soldiers had killed the boy. http://betsyspage.blogspot.com/2005_02_20_betsyspage_archive.html

Fox News Poll!

It's President's Day and FoxNews found this of import during their "News Break": (I'm paraphrasing) "A new poll just out names President Lincoln as America's best President. The poll also shows that if he (Lincoln) were to run against Bush, Lincoln would win by 20%."
Golly, I wonder how Bush would do against Spiderman. The Pope. A really olden times, dead Pope. Which Beatle would do better against Bush?
ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, NPR, CNN, E, MTV wouldn't surprise. I expect more from FoxNews.

Millage

Real specific on where they will spend the new money. Not so specific as to how they spent the old money.

Superintendent
focuses on getting out vote for millage
Sunday, January 11, 2005

ByTeresa Taylor Williams

CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
When Mona Shores Superintendent Terry Babbitt gave an impassioned speech about the need to pass an upcoming millage to the audience at Monday's school board meeting, one would have thought he was preaching to the choir.
After all, the audience was comprised primarily of school district staff.

Chronicle avoids the bull's-eye

Ya gotta "love" how the Chronicle editorial writers waffle between endorsing Bush's actions and just observing. Kind of gutless on their part.

President George W. Bush, in his historic 2002 State of the Union message
that set the tone for U.S. foreign policy in this young decade, singled out an
"Axis of Evil" that included Iraq, Iran and North Korea. He did not mention
Syria, but he might just as well have made it four of a kind....
How will this all play out? Our guess is that Syria is right up there on the Bush hit
list.
Syrian
role in terror places it right in bull's-eye

Mona Shores measures would go toward school repairs, busing system

This from the Chronicle. All in all, not a terrible article but they just happen (by mistake, of course) not to mention that the total amount per student is up 61%from 10 years ago.
http://www.monashores.net/future/Future.htm
They've taken in an enormous amount of money and it is all gone! Maybe we ought to address the phrase that "none dare speak" ...... What is the total compensation package (salary, benefits, retirement, buy-outs, etc.) that the teachers earn and how has it grown in the last ten years? If everyone is afraid to even address teacher compensation the cost of local education will continue to skyrocket. 61% increase/student in the last 10 years! and they're out of money?

Mona Shores measures would go toward school repairs, busing system
Sunday, February 20, 2005

By Teresa Taylor Williams CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
Seventh-graders Molly Jensen and Jordan Tejchma say they are "embarrassed"
at the condition of their school. When it rains, many students and staff at
Mona Shores Middle School find themselves dodging drips from the ceiling, and
pails on the floors of several classrooms and in hallways. A couple of
ceiling tiles are turning black and moldy, like those in the choir wing and one
in Lauri Williams' eighth-grade English class. Tejchma said two ceiling tiles
fell in from the weight of rainwater in two different classes. "It's bad
because when other people come here, they probably think we can't afford a new
roof," he said. The 20-year-old deteriorating roofs at Mona Shores Middle
and Ross Park Elementary schools, along with new buses, are the big-ticket items
that school officials are asking the community to finance in the district's
millage proposal that will be before voters Tuesday. The middle school roof
alone costs $900,000, and school officials hope to spend $600,000 on new buses
over the next five years. .....
......In the past three years, the school board has slashed $3.2 million from the general fund, including more than 30 staff positions. Cutbacks have been the order of business for most Michigan public schools during the past few years. The last three years, school boards have been promised an increase in state per-pupil funding, but the amount Michigan schools receive from the state has been
stagnant. The cost of health-care benefits for staff is rising, and has
become a source of heated contract negotiations in some districts.
MonaShores measures would go toward school repairs, busing system

Tsunami uncovers ancient city!

I wonder what would be uncovered if we had a tsunami on Muskegon Lake.

Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India
Science
- AP
MAHABALIPURAM, India - Archaeologists have begun underwater
excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple
uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town.
Threads2

Parents say Y vandalism suspects are 'not bad kids'

Notice that the kids aren't really at fault, the parents aren't really at fault but a government supported "activity center" is the answer.

Evens said the area needs more programs like those at the activity
center "to give kids an opportunity to find out who they are." Children "need a
lot more love and a lot more guidance."
Parents
say Y vandalism suspects are 'not bad kids'

The new Democrat chairman!

Already it begins. This can't be making the rank and file democrat too happy.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, requested a media blackout of a debate with top Pentagon adviser
Richard Perle, then quickly changed his mind Wednesday after news agencies
complained.

"DNC Chair Howard Dean has declared a news blackout of his
appearance and requested the media not quote, record, and/or paraphrase his
remarks," event coordinator Gabrielle Williams wrote in an e-mail sent to news
agencies Wednesday morning. "We apologize for the late notice, but we were just
informed of this request."

Less than two hours later, Williams called to
say: "We were told just a few minutes ago that it is now open" for media
coverage. The decision to open Thursday's debate came roughly 30 minutes after
an inquiry by The Associated Press.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S. Headlines

Send this to the Chronicle editors!

Susan Estrich blasts the LA Times for their lack of female voices in their editorials/commentaries. Let the war begin!

"I have been trying, quietly, to force the editors there to address it - but
things have gone from bad to worse under the leadership of the new opinion
editor, Michael Kinsley, who replaced an African American woman, and now has
three men in the top jobs, and 90 percent men writing for his section. Need I
add that none of these men are from Southern California; Michael doesn't even
live here. "

Washington Examiner: Top News

PM: Debunking The 9/11 Myths - Mar. 2005 Cover Story

This is a great reference to counter the myths of 9-11.
PM: Debunking The 9/11 Myths - Mar. 2005 Cover Story

Michael Jackson?

Does anyone think he'll ever last through a full trial? No way.

Does the Chronicle really care about Norton Shores?

Has the Chronicle ever seen a tax increase they didn't endorse? They've certainly let their readers know they fear any city/township with lower tax rates than Muskegon. Is it their compassion for the undertaxed NSers or would they support anything they thought would reduce the advantage of others over the city of Muskegon?

Second Norton charter try had better be good
Sunday, February 06, 2005
The city of Norton Shores is getting ready for another try at raising its
property tax rate to a level where it can continue to provide basic services.

Although voters rejected charter revision once, and specific millage
proposals twice before that, city officials are planning to go back to the
voters this November for approval of a revised charter and a hike in the city's
8.2-mill property tax rate.

We know that no one really wants to cut
services in Norton Shores any more than they already have, and we commend the
city and charter commission officials for reaching out to the people in ways
that haven't been tried before. Second
Norton charter try had better be good

Mona Shores Millage vote

The Mona Shores School system has really, really gotten a big increase in revenue in the last 10 years. Where did it all go? I got the numbers from their web site. Please correct me if I'm incorrect anywhere.

1992-1993 2002-2003 Increase
Expenditures $16,705,000 $31,673,000 89.6%
# of students 3558 4193 17.8%
$ per student $4695 $7553 61%

http://www.monashores.net/future/Future.htm

It seems like an accounting would be warrented before the vote passes

Lifeboat?

The Chronicle implores Norton Shores not kick the City of Muskegon "out of the lifeboat". NS isn't in a lifeboat, Muskegon is. Maybe the Chronicle could advise the real lifeboat residents to cut spending, cut taxes, fire the incompetents who continue to scare business away and scare parents away from their schools.

Legislature is the roadblock to state's economy

"What about other county libraries?

There was some of Greater Muskegon's special brand of provincialism at work in Roosevelt Park's decision last week to opt out of the struggling Muskegon County Library system.

Five of the city council's seven members apparently see better options,
including becoming part of a much smaller library district with Norton Shores,
headquartered in Norton's branch library on Seminole Road.

That might have advantages, financial and otherwise, for the people of Norton Shores and Roosevelt Park, such as "less taxes, better service and total local control," as Norton Shores Councilwoman Vicki Broge says. But it would cripple and maybe kill the rest of the county library system. ...........

We appeal to Norton Shores, one of the county's leading
communities, to recognize that libraries are one of the things that bind our
larger community together, empower its citizens, and better their lives. This is
the time for that city to show leadership, not kick their struggling neighbors
out of the lifeboat."