I read on the CBS news website, Arizona, (in an effort to battle voter apathy) is considering a million dollar prize to be given randomly to a constituent who has voted. It seems, the powers that be have found a way to make voting fun again!
Barry county could also benefit from such a crazy gameshow scheme. We could offer a chance to pick next anointed official! The next time someone has to leave for "personal matters", or suddenly decides they would like to take on "more responsibilities elsewhere" , or they were "just fired for no apparent reason", the anointment patrol would appear on the doorstep of the lucky winner.
The county could lavish the "anointer" with an all expenses paid trip to Ritchies Coffeeshop, where they would be given the special of the day, at half price. They then will be blindfolded and allowed to spin the wheel of anointment!
The wheel would have on it the most common names from Barry county politics. Sure the same names can be used over and over again as they already are. If the wheel lands on an official that has already been elected to some other post, they would then be forced to resign their present position to take on their newly anointed position. A double spin to see who gets their position! After the fun of spinning the wheel and moving elected officials from post to post there will be closed door meetings held to decide what names get placed on the next wheel of anointment.
Is this an answer to our current state of malaise, and voter apathy? No, but it will give me something fun to do in an empty voter line next time!
Lets see ... Who can be anointed next time?....Tune in tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
My father when I was growing up worked two, sometimes three jobs to keep me and my siblings in shoes. He would be up and gone from the house before I saw him in the mornings. In the evenings he would come home after I went to bed, and this went on for years.
My brothers being older could stay up later and spend time with him, and I have to say to their benefit. I hardly knew him as a person and to this day find it difficult to talk to him the way a son should talk to their father. Being the youngest I was more flighty, and probably still am a little more than annoying to a man that worked as hard as he did.
Mom worked part time jobs sewing, and from what I understand was more than competent at it. She would take in jobs farmed out by the local "guru" of home decorating and made a decent wage. When I came home from school for lunches she would clear a spot on our dining room table ( her workspace) for me to sit at, and would talk to me over the hum of a singer sewing machine while I ate.
Things were like this for quite a while in the early seventies, and by today's standards some would say they were "working poor". Although there was always food on the table and us kids always had shoes. As the youngest I must admit my shoes were the fashion of the year before, and as I got older started to tell my brother the style I would like when he outgrew what would end up on my feet.
My clothes would always be last years fashion, as many of you know sidewalk sales meant good savings for children's clothes, as they would always change the patterns every year. I distinctly remember the year bellbottoms were no longer the style, as I am sure my mothers trusty Singer would remember the hours of stitching them to boot cut size. At the price they could not be passed up.
My mothers sewing machine had no fancy programmed stitches. It had two, zig-zag and straight. It was bought with the clear intention of being what it was. A work horse.
My parents scrimped, and saved where they could and bought brand new, if by a forum of the two felt it was a special occasion enough. They would buy things at bargain basement prices , and managed to pay their house off the year before I graduated from school. They had me deliver the final payment to a neighbor two blocks up, as his father had sold it to my parents on land contract. My mother has always told me how she didn't like the house, until it was paid for.
We would have a great Christmas every year, with all the toys a child would want. Clothes would sometimes be too big for us, but if they didn't fit perfectly my mother would have them to size by the end of the week. When we grew larger too quickly for them, we found she had hemmed them in such a way as to be able to let them out by pulling a few stitches. A miracle worker to be sure.
Here is the kicker, the thing I never realized until I had moved out on my own. They did it without a credit card. Sure my parents responded to an application and carried a credit card with them "for emergencies". They layed away, made payments on, and fenagled what they could when they could. But when the credit card company wanted to charge them for simply carrying the card, (because the never used it) my father cut into pieces. With a little hard work, and self restraint I also have ditched the credit card, and now I understand that my family was not poor, my parents were just smart.
Happy Mothers Day, and Fathers Day to all!
My brothers being older could stay up later and spend time with him, and I have to say to their benefit. I hardly knew him as a person and to this day find it difficult to talk to him the way a son should talk to their father. Being the youngest I was more flighty, and probably still am a little more than annoying to a man that worked as hard as he did.
Mom worked part time jobs sewing, and from what I understand was more than competent at it. She would take in jobs farmed out by the local "guru" of home decorating and made a decent wage. When I came home from school for lunches she would clear a spot on our dining room table ( her workspace) for me to sit at, and would talk to me over the hum of a singer sewing machine while I ate.
Things were like this for quite a while in the early seventies, and by today's standards some would say they were "working poor". Although there was always food on the table and us kids always had shoes. As the youngest I must admit my shoes were the fashion of the year before, and as I got older started to tell my brother the style I would like when he outgrew what would end up on my feet.
My clothes would always be last years fashion, as many of you know sidewalk sales meant good savings for children's clothes, as they would always change the patterns every year. I distinctly remember the year bellbottoms were no longer the style, as I am sure my mothers trusty Singer would remember the hours of stitching them to boot cut size. At the price they could not be passed up.
My mothers sewing machine had no fancy programmed stitches. It had two, zig-zag and straight. It was bought with the clear intention of being what it was. A work horse.
My parents scrimped, and saved where they could and bought brand new, if by a forum of the two felt it was a special occasion enough. They would buy things at bargain basement prices , and managed to pay their house off the year before I graduated from school. They had me deliver the final payment to a neighbor two blocks up, as his father had sold it to my parents on land contract. My mother has always told me how she didn't like the house, until it was paid for.
We would have a great Christmas every year, with all the toys a child would want. Clothes would sometimes be too big for us, but if they didn't fit perfectly my mother would have them to size by the end of the week. When we grew larger too quickly for them, we found she had hemmed them in such a way as to be able to let them out by pulling a few stitches. A miracle worker to be sure.
Here is the kicker, the thing I never realized until I had moved out on my own. They did it without a credit card. Sure my parents responded to an application and carried a credit card with them "for emergencies". They layed away, made payments on, and fenagled what they could when they could. But when the credit card company wanted to charge them for simply carrying the card, (because the never used it) my father cut into pieces. With a little hard work, and self restraint I also have ditched the credit card, and now I understand that my family was not poor, my parents were just smart.
Happy Mothers Day, and Fathers Day to all!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Now I can hear you
Comments are up!
At least this way if you happen upon my blog, I can give you directions to where you meant to be.
At least this way if you happen upon my blog, I can give you directions to where you meant to be.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Response to A Night at the Forum
The following is my response to Pol Watchers' "A Night at the Forum" post (at westmichiganpolitics) the link is now up!
Be more coherent!
There is a need to tighten up your message before even I could join your ranks.
Every time I go to the fire the senate web page I find myself snickering at the pig cartoon smoking a cigar, and I lose interest as soon as I see the "were sitting on a time bomb" header.
If you want to sell this thing you have to make the website appear as though it is more organized. No!, Don't get your blood pressure up because I have now defaced something that someone obviously has spent alot of time on. Realize that if I were tv 8, I would consider your story for one of their old "Tom Van Howe" nightcap reports after seeing such a display. This would only happen if someone didn't steal your thunder by climbing Mt. Rushmore naked! (something I strive to do one day)
Secondly, (at least for now) be godawful thankful that Larry Nienhuas didn't have the opportunity to destroy your message by broadcasting twenty people in a not so small lecture hall,with a quiet and comfortable setting.
The democratic hall would have served nicely, and it was a big mistake to not use it. Shove twenty sweaty folk in there and it would have looked much more like an old time Chataqua! Real hard working folk that have the states best interest at heart, not leisure conscious assmorons with enough clout to tap the school system into spending money for air conditioning. It would have been a plus to see dissenting public officials with sweat on their brow answering staightforward questions from the minions...and yeah , MORE MINIONS PLEASE! Hire some kids to hand out leaflets, get locals interested! advertise advertise advertise! You know some people don't read the Banner?
Thirdly, Don't expect people in the system to stand bye and allow you to tear their way of life apart. Sure there are real hard working people in the House and Senate that may like your idea, But they also know what side their bread is buttered on, and you may just be wrecking their retirement.
That is all for now. Two and a Half men is on!
Be more coherent!
There is a need to tighten up your message before even I could join your ranks.
Every time I go to the fire the senate web page I find myself snickering at the pig cartoon smoking a cigar, and I lose interest as soon as I see the "were sitting on a time bomb" header.
If you want to sell this thing you have to make the website appear as though it is more organized. No!, Don't get your blood pressure up because I have now defaced something that someone obviously has spent alot of time on. Realize that if I were tv 8, I would consider your story for one of their old "Tom Van Howe" nightcap reports after seeing such a display. This would only happen if someone didn't steal your thunder by climbing Mt. Rushmore naked! (something I strive to do one day)
Secondly, (at least for now) be godawful thankful that Larry Nienhuas didn't have the opportunity to destroy your message by broadcasting twenty people in a not so small lecture hall,with a quiet and comfortable setting.
The democratic hall would have served nicely, and it was a big mistake to not use it. Shove twenty sweaty folk in there and it would have looked much more like an old time Chataqua! Real hard working folk that have the states best interest at heart, not leisure conscious assmorons with enough clout to tap the school system into spending money for air conditioning. It would have been a plus to see dissenting public officials with sweat on their brow answering staightforward questions from the minions...and yeah , MORE MINIONS PLEASE! Hire some kids to hand out leaflets, get locals interested! advertise advertise advertise! You know some people don't read the Banner?
Thirdly, Don't expect people in the system to stand bye and allow you to tear their way of life apart. Sure there are real hard working people in the House and Senate that may like your idea, But they also know what side their bread is buttered on, and you may just be wrecking their retirement.
That is all for now. Two and a Half men is on!
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