There's no way a jury will ever find Prof. Kwame Kilpatrick guilty of corruption, as the meek and mild former mayor could never have done all that he's accused of...... is one hope, I think, of the defendant's choice of bow tie and glasses as his stare-the-jury-in-the-eyes outfit.

Here is an account of the prosecutor's opening statements, alleging the former mayor's hunger to fill his deep pockets.

Even though most people think the case is a slam dunk, considering his honor's continued arrogance, we know it is anything but a sure win, considering co-defendant Bobby Ferguson's mistrial with an 11-1 hung jury.

My guess is the outfit doesn't work; in fact, it would do the opposite to me, make me wonder what he's hiding. But, again, it just takes one juror.

Photo is courtesy The Detroit News. 

Hey, if the French are going to stick it to the Royals, taking and then publishing topless photos of ole what's her name, they aren't going to let the Muslim world push them around, are they?

The answer, so far, is no.

While seemingly half the world erupted over that so-called movie about the prophet, a French magazine has published cartoons that may be mocking the prophet. It's upset national leaders, who have to deal with their own large Muslim population (having banned the head dresses in recent years and dealing with many poor people unhappy at the joblessness and poverty) and worry about international unrest.

But I for one am happy to see the nation take a stand for free speech and expression. I'm even ready to give them a pass for upsetting the Royals, those strip-teasing leeches. "PUT YER DAMN CLOTHES BACK ON!"

 If Romney really wanted to upset NBC and Matt Lauer, he'd call out the Royals as the worst bunch of freeloading, govt-teat sucking, 'refusing to take personal responsibility' bums that exist.

My, my, how the commenters at TheOaklandPress.com love to argue with one another sometimes.

Here's a new favorite:

"While your at it professor maybe you could take some spelling lessons. It is spelled QUIT no QUITE Moron." It's from Fruity Ragtree.

So who's the moron?

Hehe, well, I won't call someone a moron for misspelling something but I will address them as such for calling someone else a moron for misspelling something and then misspelling something themselves. What?

Anyhow, I can call people morons here, but I don't watch so closely for my spelling as, well, I'm busy.

But I don't tolerate calling each other morons or other names on our website, and I do get to determine what stays and goes.

OK, I know our country, the U.S., is filled with its share of bigots, religious nuts, rabblerousers, haters, and bad filmmakers (as well as those with poor taste in watching movies).

We have people who like to stir up trouble, who like to put people down, who like to hurt.

We've kinda learned to live with it. To each his own. Sticks and stones. They'll get their's in the end.

So someone made a childish, amateurish movie that attempts to make Mohammed look bad to Muslims.

How about the thought, though, that your prophet looks bad only if you let it be about your prophet. I mean, no one in this country knows about this movie, but you get a look at it, and it's time to wage war.

I don't get it. How is this a defense of your religion, your spiritual grounding?

Does Islam mean you have to be the most sensitive creature in the world?  I have daughters; one is in kindergarten. I know about sensitivity.

And my reaction to crying over bullshit is to offer up what I heard as a child, "I'll give you a reason to cry." Go to your room, and come out when you remove your head from your....you know.

So throwing a fit, or a Molotov cocktail, over this piece of crap, almost-non-existent thing some call a movie is an embarrassment, I believe. What kind of man reacts this way to something that really matters not at all in the big picture or the little picture.

The political will that pushes these people to fight us, attack our embassies, is hurting the overall religion and this immensely rich culture and people more than any movie could. The people of this globe will soon find themselves intolerant to this level of intolerance.

Aren't there any reasonable thinking adults anywhere anymore?  These guys are making our political campaigns seem like mature thoughtful processes.

One of my biggest fears as a homeowner with children and a dog is my alarm going off due to oldest kid opening door at night (say, she forgot something on deck). I miss the alarm company's call and a police officer shows up to check on things, and my big stupid dog barks his warning of LET'S PLAY that sounds like, Let's get it on. And the officer shoots the dog.

Now, I would be mad, but I know also that police officers are not going to allow themselves to be bitten by a dog. Luckily, I don't own a scary looking dog, except that the lab is big. People tend to give labs a break, I've noticed.

So in Michigan right now we have one community planning an evening protest of a police officer shooting a family pet, in mid-Michigan's St. Louis. Meanwhile, in West Bloomfield a community will mourn the slaying of 39-year-old Patrick O'Rourke, who was shot to death while responding to a domestic disturbance complaint. He is the first officer killed in the line of duty in West Bloomfield.

Now, we expect our police officers to be professional. Too often, though, people use their dogs for aggressive behavior, guarding or fighting, especially in rougher neighborhoods. Stories of officers shooting family dogs are rare, but when they happen, they hurt, because I can't 100 percent disagree with the officer but I'd wish for less deadly outcome.

But police officers get tremendous power and authority in the community and a fair salary (usually, but they do seem to get the appropriate union protections, thank goodness), so that matches the pressure they are under to ALWAYS get it right.

What happened in West Bloomfield shows what they face every minute of every shift when they are out in the public, not knowing which motorist or homeowner will be a killer but being expected to be polite, courteous and helpful to everyone else. It's a shame that we can't remember their pressures when they do make a mistake. It's heartbreaking when someone shows us the worst part of their job, the risk of not making it home.

It's a shame that another police officer has had to die.

It sounds like Officer Patrick O'Rourke, 39, a father to four lovely young children, was ambushed by a gun-toting man who was distraught over his impending divorce and ongoing financial troubles.

How can we stop this from happening?

Guns are the first thought, but one I don't buy, because we're never getting rid of guns and this could happen any time.


We're not getting rid of marriage or divorce and we can't stop people from making bad financial decisions.

So it's onto the domestic violence part of the situation, something officers know is a volatile time. Police are careful with these situations and with the amount of back up available, it seems like they were taking this situation very seriously and very carefully.

Five officers responded to the report of a shot fired.

It's just bad luck that the bullet so damaged the officer.

I don't know enough of the details to know if anything else could have been done.

But I do know that officers, every day they wear the uniform and work the streets, face such dangers at all times. It can come anytime, and the fact that they work knowing that is a testament to their dedication.

The shame is that officers have to treat all domestic violence situations (including arguments with no physical violence) as being a potential deadly circumstance. That means a lot of people are going to be troubled when they don't have any ill will to police at all. But the police have to make sure their safety is priority one.

No one goes to work ready to die. They are ready to put their lives on the line, but they should be expected to walk into the line of fire.

Policing our communities is a tricky thing, as police want to ensure safety, others want to promote friendliness and cooperation.

Here's to Officer O'Rourke, a hero. My prayers are with his family, left behind without a husband and father.