Frye on the News

Political talk

2012-01-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

Obama wants colleges to get their costs under control to reduce student debt. Republicans are talking about colonizing the moon.

Hmmm.

Holy Tax Returns, Mitt Romney

2012-01-24T05:27:00.000-08:00

Wow, $21 million a year without working.

That'll cure what ails this grand old country, but it may hurt the party. I know Newt vs. Obama would have provided for some good old fashioned sparks-a-flying debates, but I can't wait for Mitt vs. Barack and the president delving into the tax returns of the super rich.

How much is enough for someone who does not want to pay a dollar more in taxes than he has to? Where will the American people fall when it comes to this fight? I'm guessing Romney is not going to get too much sympathy from regular folks, considering NBC put his two year income (without working) at $43 million. Must be nice!

Newt, You dirty old dog you

2012-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

Newt, we had no idea, but the can of worms is opening. Best reason to watch tonight's interview with the second Mrs. Newt? When asked about the interview, his only answer on Today was to say his daughters had asked ABC not to air it.
Is it unethical to do so now, some wonder.
Of course it is ethical to air anytime. Should they wait until after he's president?

Is this funny?

2012-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

The photo is from rapper 50cent, who tweeted it out and restarted a feud with rap mogul Jay-Z, who had boasted about how proud he was of the baby he and Beyonce had this week.

While Jay-Z has been very public about his joy with fatherhood, 50cent's Photoshopped this twitter picture and sent it out to his five million followers.

In a very hasty and informal poll taken in the offices of TheOaklandPress.com, we rule this FUNNY with several chuckles, a couple hard laughs and one added, "Kinda creepy."

What do you think?

Personally, I think the baby looks kinda ugly, but as a father of three, I can say most babies are a little bit freaky or even ugly. They don't begin to look cute for a few months or even a year.

I just hope no one gets shot over this twitpic.

Fake penis leads to termination, lawsuit

2012-01-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is not about a drug test.

This one was weird, but just shows how the world is filled with different people.

According to a report out of the Philadelphia Daily News, a Pennsylvania woman is suing her former employer — a frozen pop maker — because she feels they fired her for wearing a fake penis to work.

Really.

She had told people she was wearing it, explaining that she was considering a sex change, according to the report's review of the lawsuit. She also said a man had been allowed to wear some women's clothes as he also took hormones; he was not fired.

Ok, I admit, when I first saw the headline, I thought this had to do with beating a drug test, and I'd love to see the woman take the jar, head to the toilet and stand there and fill up the sample. But this sounds like a social and gender issue, something more medical and psychological.

However, men are not allowed to talk about their penises at work, something I believe is appropriate. In fact, it's wrong, I believe, to even reference anything to do with your junk, and that is where she seems to have erred. She said the fake penis was concealed, yet people knew about it. She's learning about the complications that come with one of those.

What do you think? Was she wrongfully targeted just for her different lifestyle? Or is she just seeking an easy payday?

Butt cocaine?

2012-01-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

Keep in mind, this scenario was dreamed up in the back of the police car, but it's a shocking situation out of South Carolina, reported on in the NYDailyNews.com.

With one brother holiding the cocaine and facing another "strike," meaning a possible life sentence, he looked for a way out. His younger brother agreed.

So after the two brothers had been handcuffed and locked in the back of a police car in November after a traffic stop. The younger brother leaned over and consumed the cocaine that his brother pulled out of his hiding spot, within his buttocks.

The problem? It was an ounce of cocaine and proved deadly for the 20-year-old who was trying to save his brother a lengthy prison sentence. Now the 23 year old faces involuntary manslaughter charges.

In Michigan, a new law — delivery of narcotics causing death — is about the same as a second-degree murder conviction, meaning they can get up to life in prison.

MLive mocks domestic violence?

2012-01-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

I know Twitter is supposed to be different than your standard news format, whether newspaper, TV or radio.

Twitter can be conversational. It can used to question what people think about a topic. For instance, we at The Oakland Press, one of Michigan's last daily delivered newspapers, asked what people thought of the government being the ones who set standards for broadcasters.

Twitter can also be a place to have fun. I know many 'stupid criminal' stories that are perfect for the 140-character Tweet format. But mocking domestic violence? It's unfortunate that it's so easy to fire off a Tweet without thinking too much about what you're saying (see the Lion who told fans to go back to be broke and poor.)

At about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, MLive tweeted about a man biting off a woman's nose, saying: "Well that's one way to solve a disagreement."

It seems rather flippant and insensitive to a story that occurred within one of mLive's communities, Grand Rapids. John Agar's story doesn't make fun of the situation, which to me sounds extremely serious. The story notes the woman, 44, will need reconstructive surgery. It also indicates that a Michigan woman who did the same thing was recently sentenced to 4 years in prison. Police could not describe the relationship between the man and woman, Agar's noted. But it appears to me that they at least knew each other, attending a party together. The 56-year-old man is jailed.

Perhaps the chaos of the scene police encountered amused the Twitter author, police finding a part of the nose after the woman called from a pay phone. To me, it sounds terrible, a woman fleeing from a residence in the cold of the night, running from a man who had just viciously attacked her.

There's nothing funny about domestic violence (or an attack against a woman, if it turns out there was no relationship between the pair). It happens again and again, and sometimes, it leads to murder. Locally, a story about a firefighter killed in a traffic accident turned as investigators learned the man was a subject of a domestic violence investigation with his wife hospitalized. The death has been ruled a suicide.

Families can destroyed by domestic violence.

Last year, too many times we reported on murder-suicides, one of which included the couple's two young children as victims of homicide. And domestic violence does not need to involve a death to be serious business.

At The Oakland Press, we report on plenty of crime. Sometimes the crimes are strange; sometimes gruesome; and yes, sometimes funny. I don't think this is the sort of story to have fun with when Tweeting.

Teen mom defends home with gun

2012-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

Michigan is one of the state's apparently with a protect your castle law, allowing for deadly force if you believe you are in danger with someone who is uninvited in your home.
Good.
The map came up during the NBC Nightly News, discussing the case of the Oklahoma teenage mother who blasted an intruder with a shotgun on Christmas Day.
He died.
She didn't get charged.
His accomplice, who smartly ran from the home, was later found and has been charged with first-degree murder. Good. That's the way the cookie crumbles.
If you are committing a felony and someone dies (even your partner and friend at someone else's hand), you are on the hook for first-degree felony murder. In Michigan, that's automatic life.
Usually, they plead to second-degree, especially if not heavily involved.
But with a dead leader, prosecutors like for someone to go to prison. And if they want a trial, which sometimes is a good way to reevaluate society's values, no deal.
It's tough but fair.
That's why you don't commit felonies, as someone may die and you don't want to responsible for a first-degree murder. So many felonies are committed with the 'no one' was to be killed plan, defendants later say.

Saints held their ground

2012-01-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Saints held their ground and crushed the Detroit Lions in the end on Saturday night, shattering dreams of all those who had dared to believe.
Oh well, easy come and easy go; it was fun, and it was a blast to finally be able to care about the Lions.
And they didn't blow it. No bad penalties. No crazy sub-par performances by stars. No terrible turnovers. No real stupidity. They were beat by a talented team that didn't let them win.
I had hoped that the Saints would implode and give the Lions an opportunity, but they didn't.
Will the Lions return to form and finish 5-11 or 6-10 next year, making the playoffs again two years from now. Wayne Fontes rode that cycle for a decade.

Lions can win

2012-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, the Lions can win on Saturday, but will they?

I think they will and here's why:

They are due. Of course, they've been due for a while and making the playoffs is a nice step forward after a dozen years away, but it would be a surprising jump to win a game and I think they will do so.

The Saints have blown it before and they'll blow it again. They had a nice progressive run, losing in NFC finals before winning the Super Bowl after a history that was worse than the Lions. Then they stumbled in Seattle. Another roadbump is possible.

It's Saturday night. Strange stuff happens. The full moon hits at 12:34 a.m. Sunday, an hour or so after the Lions shock the Saints. I wanted to say shock the NFL, but everyone knows the Lions can score and everyone knows that anything can happen in the NFL. nuff said.

This is why I love soccer

2012-01-05T13:39:00.001-08:00

Anything can happen at any time. It just takes a bit of patience and you'll get to see something magical.
<a href='http://foxsports.com?vid=fac369d7-cda9-4662-a062-1b4b3af67df7&amp;mkt=en-us&amp;from=sp^foxsports_en-us_videocentral&amp;src=FLPl:embed::uuids' target='_new' title='GOTD: Howard scores amazing Goal' >Video: GOTD: Howard scores amazing Goal</a>

More with less

2012-01-05T12:54:00.001-08:00

Everyone, it seems, has been asked to do more with less, and now that the military has been brought into this realm, it seems that we will have to continue this trend.

Anyone who complains about this and does not support any sort of tax hike is ignoring reality. We all are doing more with less, or at least most of us are. And considering that the military is one of the biggest expenses, it must do more with less.

Ok, perhaps a cell phone isn't too outrageous for a 7 year old

2012-01-05T11:02:00.001-08:00

She's known as the Human Barbie, so this shouldn't surprise anyone.

Yet, there is still a shock value in hearing that Sarah Burge gave her young daughter, Poppy, an $11,000 voucher so one day she could get liposuction, according to a report in the HuffingtonPost.com. It's all part of making her daughter's dreams come true, she said.

Read the Closer here.

Read the Huffington Post piece here.

Burge knows some think this gift is inappropriate, but she defended her decision in an interview with the UK tabloid, Closer, saying: "She asks for surgery all the time. She wants to look good and liposuction is one of those procedures that will always come in handy."

Wow. I have a 7-year-old daughter. I guess this makes it easier to get her that cell phone.

Oh and if you think this gift is going too far. The mom, who is known as a surgery addict herself, has already bought her daughter a new set of boobs, with a voucher for breast augmentation that can be redeemed when she turns 18 - if she wants the new pair.

I wonder, is there a place for the state to step in? Is she setting her daughter up to hate her looks? I always hesitate to bring in the state in parenting issues, but this seems so extreme. The daughter is a believer, happy to be able to change herself if she's not happy.

New Cobo

2012-01-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Again with Cobo.

This time, there's not much of a fight over funding, and I've yet to hear any details, but I've long thought that the Detroit water system should get its billion-dollar upgrade before any kind of massive upgrade to Cobo just for the auto show.

It appears this upgrade is for about $300 million, which is more reasonable. It's ok to improve the venue, and they get the auto show, which is nice for Detroit, for another five years. And they call it what they want, but in January, downtown Detroit is not vibrant. It's cold and miserable. Now, in the summer, perhaps vibrant.

Let's just not forget the water system.

The other American football

2012-01-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

Politics. Is it too late for Christie to join up after all?

All of 2011 seemed geared towards 2012 and here we are. Mayans be damned (I hope).

No surprise that Romney fared well, but Rick Santorum came out of nowhere, except, this was the first vote so it's not fair to say out of nowhere. You can't count the polls.

With Michele Bachmann out and Herman Cain blasted out of the water, it's back to a good old boys club with Newt and Perry continuing onward. I wonder if Huntsman is hanging on for a long haul and a surprise win or two to pit him as a third once the 'real' conservative is anointed.

However, I will still say that this collection of loose nuts and screwballs (as they seem at times) will not be able to beat the most unpopular president in a long long time. Both Bushes actually seemed better liked personally than Obama near the end of their first terms, even though H.W. ended up losing in 1992.

I don't know if it will be a conservative or a polished politician (Romney), but a Romney-Obama matchup is like a Packers-Saints match up in the NFL, a good looking offensive show. I don't think Romney can out-Obama Obama. Plus, Obama's been consistent.

Idiot kickers

2012-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

No, they are not idiots and I'll start out my Happy New Year blog with a call for great quarterbacks everywhere to make sure they are teammates with a great kicker.

Andrew Luck had set his team up for a nice New Year's Day win when, oops, his kicker blew it. Georgia's kicker helped MSU finally win a bowl game for Mark Dantonio. And Virginia Tech's third-string kicker almost completed a heroic turnaround but then...he blew it, allowing U-of-M an 11-win season and a big-time bowl win.

And U-M is usually the team with the great QB but terrible kicker.

Which leads us to poor Jason Hanson, who is a great kicker and has long been a great kicker. He's teamed with a pretty good quarterback, Scott Mitchell, who flamed out quickly. Hanson played along side the great RB Barry Sanders but together, lacking a good defense and a consistent passing game, they could win no championship. Now, Hanson has Matthew Stafford, but it is late in Hanson's career. Hanson missed a should-have kick on Sunday in Green Bay. It may have changed game at end, but who knows.

This year is tough, but a championship is possible with a strong passing game, some defensive strong play and good luck. But they have to hurry, before Hanson ages too much more.

Love the hangout on Google+

2011-12-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

I love the hangout feature on my news social media site, Google+, so much so that it is the primary feature that draws me to the service.

I'm on Twitter and Facebook and even LinkedIn but adding one seemed an alright idea because it is tied to Google, a company I happen to like because it is not steered me wrong before. Gmail is a great product. GoogleNews is a complete look at what's going on.

Today, we at The Oakland Press, with our partners at The Macomb Daily, interviewed the governor via Google Hangout, all on video and all connected electronically and digitally.

Gov. Rick Snyder loves this stuff, and using new tools and new innovations to save time and money are essential to improving government and business in Michigan.

As always, Snyder had plenty of good things to say. He had his wit, his strong quotes, and his firm opinions on what Michigan's needs. About many things, he was right, and he took all the questions and addressed them.

Some more Lions

2011-12-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm getting excited for a Detroit Lions playoff game. Wow, can you believe it could really happen? They've already accomplished the winning season, and already, that's not enough. Hope the chips fall so the get the post-season spot, because once there, you never know.

As for a successful season, making the playoffs along with a non-disastrous end is good enough for me. (i.e. Wayne Fontes trip to Philadelphia.)

A critic

2011-12-14T05:51:00.000-08:00

It's nice to see we're being read here at TheOaklandPress.com, enough so to have our critics.

This article, or blog posting, here notes that mlive staffers enjoy mocking our tabloidesque features of finding water cooler type of crime stories, such as this story about The Grand Rapids Press' top sports columnist and his marijuana grow house bust.

Of course, mlive's owners, Booth Newspapers, while cutting staff greatly and cutting salaries of staffers who survive, allowed Mayo to continue working, showcasing a classy organization. They also continued the move of daily papers cutting daily delivery, allowing The Oakland Press to become, I believe, Michigan's largest daily delivered newspaper.

But yes, we have fun finding stories that readers like to read, share and comment upon. We know there are different audiences online than home delivery. If there's a teacher having sex (with a student) or a sports columnist growing DA BOMB (or the medical mary), we will share those exploits with our readers online for sure, and possibly in print.

Mr. Wattrick should consider himself lucky to work for such a fine organization that would keep on a convicted felon. Of course, another fine and longtime sports columnist, Greg Johnson, is being dismissed from The Grand Rapids Press, not for any kind of felonious activity, other than drawing a salary, which was apparently too big to keep paying.

It's a tough time in this state, in country, in this industry and at times within our respective companies. We should enjoy the opportunity to work as we do while we still can.

Probation fair

2011-12-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Several suggested that Democratic party leader who created the fake Tea Party candidates, or helped facilitate the fraud, should have gone to jail or prison.

Instead of jail, he was given probation, which is fair. Why? So many cases involving first-time crimes end up with probation, a special case should be made because this crime happens to be politically motivated. The crime still embarrasses the party. The crime could ruin the accused, who pleaded no contest.

But in court, it should always be fair. If a first-time fraud case is generally something that brings probation, then that should stay the same. Even when politics is involved.

No hazing charges

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Of course, there are no charges related to the hazing because the witnesses and the victim are not going to get into the nitty gritty details, and as long as everyone says the event was fun, then no crime was committed.

But now that we know there's no crime, how about letting us see the video???? The prosecutors say the victim was not a victim and told police that he was laughing and could get loose anytime. Ok, great, let's see the video. It doesn't sound that bad.

Because I'm wondering why so much was made of this by the people who did see the video, such as school going into full lock down mode with the wagons circled and coaches (assistants, not the head coach, the one in charge of the program) suspended.

Hmm. Seems like different opinions about the video. Let the viewers decide.

Suh dodges police report issue in Oregon

2011-12-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

1. Police won't look further in the Ndamukong Suh accident in Portland, Oregon, because alcohol was not involved.

OK, that's fair...except two people who were hurt were allowed to leave the scene. Later, they call police and say they were hurt. Sounds like it might be a problem for Suh later if they Sue, or perhaps it's a problem for them because Suh could deny they were there. Either way, it seems like it's a crime when the police are deceived and something more happened.

Now as for Suh, it's not a problem, this accident, except he's out at 1 a.m. riding around with ladies near a club while he's on suspension. Plus, it sounds like he's a terrible driver.

Should the Lions be concerned? Perhaps not, except off-the-field problems can lead to on-the-field absences. And Suh doesn't get the Lions to the Super Bowl if he's suspended or injured.

At least he wasn't drunk!

2011-12-05T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ndamukong Suh kept his name in the headlines this weekend, when he missed the Detroit Lions primetime game against the not-so-long-ago Super Bowl champs New Orleans Saints.

He missed the game, but that 2-game stomping suspension gave the second-year pro time to go home to Oregon where he chummed with a couple of friends before crashing his 1970 Chrevrolet Coupe into a tree. He wasn't hurt and he wasn't drunk. It was early Saturday morning, but it appears the only damage is to Suh's pride and to his classic Chevy.

Actually, Suh hit a curb, light pole, a drinking fountain and then a tree. Ouch. (That ouch goes out to Suh's pride).

As for his Lions, their loss to the Saints did not really hurt the team. Of course, a win would have put them into a strong position for a home playoff game. But they are still in the playoff hunt as the Dallas Cowboys (7-5), the NY Giants (6-6), Atlanta (7-5), and Chicago (7-5) all lost. The 7-5 Lions still control their own destiny, which is all you want in football.

Sunday Night Exposure

2011-12-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

I thought NBC might regret picking the Lions-Saints game tonight after Suh's suspension, but I think it's still one of the top games to watch today.

Furthermore, it gives the announcers plenty of controversy to discuss during the game, so it's a nice newsy event for them.

Now if only the Lions could get a season without a Suh suspension and without a Stafford injury. Playoff run?

Marijuana laws draw comments

2011-12-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

People care about the marijuana laws. On our comments section, many vilify medical marijuana and have a grand old time making fun of those who endorse medical marijuana or legalization. Equally passionate, and equally mean-spirited, the proponents of legalization or medical use also comment harshly about the other side.

It's a very adversarial topic, which surprises me.

Today's story about the possible removal of the schedule one classification drew actual comments that consider the issue and not just hate between each side. Sure, you see a bit of the animosity, but this one is a good debate, considering the topic.

I mean if you're against the drug, do you still hate the user? And if you're for the drug's use, do you have to despise those against, considering it's been banned as a schedule 1 drug for decades, or almost a century.

I would think immigration would be a topic like this, and it is, but not medical marijuana. I'd think the pension tax would have people more up in arms, so perhaps these cultural divides are greater than I thought. Is it generational, too? Maybe a bit, but I think it's more where you stand in our culture.

Personally, it's a shame all the money spent fighting a war that will never be won, and this money is very important to a whole society of lawyers, cops, administrators and government people. Yet, teachers are the ones who are hated? If you hate teachers and their money, why not hate all the money spent on this war?

Here's a sample of comments on our latest story, and please note, these comments are the best and most constructive I've seen on a story about marijuana:

BigBoss-Osaurus wrote on Dec 1, 2011 5:18 PM:

" Time for the old guard to ride off into the sunset.
Its coming. "

Report Abuse

rd rge wrote on Dec 1, 2011 5:27 PM:

" trying to find a way to tax it. but as easy as it is to grow, might as well tax the tomato plant in the garden. so changing it to a number 2 drug is a bit away. but the war is over. they lose. "

Report Abuse

greedISbad wrote on Dec 1, 2011 6:19 PM:

" Oh, heck!! There's gotta be a better, quicker way than to wait for the government to OK pot. How about a good ol' fashioned revolution, eh! REVOLT!!!! "

Report Abuse

thoughtful blogger wrote on Dec 1, 2011 6:32 PM:

" The only one hallucinating is Patterson when he doesn't get his required overdose of alcohol. I think they call it the hebee jebees. "

Report Abuse

rd rge wrote on Dec 1, 2011 6:35 PM:

" how about a vote by the people? no,? i suppose that is against our national law. and unconstitutional! "

Report Abuse

TheBoss wrote on Dec 1, 2011 9:39 PM:

" I am here to let you know that we've had multiple votes by the people. Every time a brave and noble warrior for justice like Bouchard, Snyder, or Schuette was elected, the people spoke loud and clear. We don't want this poison in our communities and we will persecute those who traffic in narco-terrorism. "

Report Abuse

OldDog wrote on Dec 1, 2011 9:42 PM:

" Jessica Cooper, the C*** states: "But she said reclassification of marijuana would allow for manufacture by pharmaceutical companies, prescriptions from doctors and dispensing from pharmacies, just like any other medicines.

"Then we have what the people of this county and this state wanted," Cooper said. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> The people of this county and state voted on this and have no need for a change to please you and law enforcement. What the people wanted ?, what an un-flushed toilet you are Jessica. "

Report Abuse

gps wrote on Dec 1, 2011 10:23 PM:

" I have smoked a fair amount of pot in my lifetime and never once have I hallucinated.
Reclassification should also include removing this label. "

Report Abuse

TheBoss wrote on Dec 1, 2011 11:28 PM:

" You just THOUGHT you weren't hallucinating, which in itself is a hallucination. "

Report Abuse

GrEeDiSbAd wrote on Dec 2, 2011 12:02 AM:

" The sign-in is not case-sensitive. Nice! It seems we have another 'Boss' here, spouting the same crap as 'BigBoss', and the same twisted loyalties for stoopid government members. I dunno, what part of "minority" does 'Boss' NOT understand? Democracy, which is what our government is based on, means 'majority rule'. Or, as good ol' Abe Lincoln put it > government of the people, by the people, for the people. Right? "

Report Abuse

Nacho Panza wrote on Dec 2, 2011 6:48 AM:

" A DEA administrative judge already ruled marijuana safe back in 1988- this was the last time the federal government allowed a fair trial in regard to setting marijuana policy.

Legislators are only now catching on to the idea, mainly because the majority of the population has been taking measures into their own hands. L. Brooks Patterson indicates an obvious lack of education on cannabis.

http://www.ccguide.org/young88.php
DEA judge ruling marijuana "safe and therapeutic"

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page3
National Cancer Institute's history of marijuana as medicine

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/11/kalamazoo_marijuana_signs_say.html
Kalamazoo lowers marijuana priority to improve public safety "

Report Abuse

TheBoss wrote on Dec 2, 2011 7:47 AM:

" I support democracy, which is why I believe in what Bill Schuette is doing. He was elected in a democratic election by a majority of the people. His actions are just the manifestation of the will of the citizens of Michigan. It is clear we, the MAJORITY (aka the people who voted for Bill) don't want this dangerous and deadly drug in our communities. Too many kids are killing themselves these days, something that did happen in years past. Is it any coincidence that all these kids started dying right around the time people started flooding our schools and playgrounds with deadly "medical" marijuana? When you have dope dealers who are also coaching football, you know there's something wrong! Thank goodness that problem solved itself. "

Report Abuse

BigBoss-Osaurus wrote on Dec 2, 2011 10:49 AM:

" The voters go duped on your beloved AG.
We won't be duped again. "

Charie Sheen Dead? No, another hoax.

2011-12-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

I wrote a story today about a Twitter trend about troubled actor Charlie Sheen, as people wondered if he had died in a snowboarding accident in the Swiss mountains.

I normally wouldn't have written such a piece but I couldn't ignore it, I felt, because many of the Twitter questions stemmed from a Detroit radio station's questioning of the information. They didn't report it as fact, but they talked about it and that led to other people talking about it. I felt something needed to be said to clear it up and I quoted some of the better Tweets about the issue.

Normally, I wouldn't write about a false rumor because then you're promoting the rumor, and these Internet death hoaxes aren't any fun at all. They make it so can't report that someone died, not as a news agency but simply as a person wanting to pass along a RIP to someone.

But something I've noticed, if I see something not in the news trending, I wonder if they are dead. That happened with Terry Crews, the actor and former football player. He was trending and I hadn't heard of anything he's doing just today.

katerz1 tweeted:

I love Terry Crews and I got askeered when I saw he was trending cuz I thought he was boo-boo dead. :-\ #NotDead #Yay

Exactly, katerz1, exactly.

I also think they die if I heard a block of songs on the radio (except for Tuesday on the WRIF). Then it'll turn out to be a block party weekend and I say, ahhh, Keith still lives.

Good news month!

2011-12-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well, actually it's November that ended with the good news, but I'm hoping that all this good economic news the last two days leads to a positive month that in turn leads to a great 2012.

We should could use it.

Chrysler auto sales are up 45 percent. GM is not too bad either, up 7 percent.
Employment is on the upswing; I just hope it's not all temporary.
The Dow jumped nearly 500 points after the world's central banks tried to give Europe some time to fix its mess; some work needs to be done or else Europe will just start sucking down the rest of the world's economy eventually.
Black Friday broke a record, meaning people are spending.
Cyber Monday was even better than last year, so people are still spending online.
New sales of homes are on the rise, and wow, fixing the economy's albatross could go a long long way.
Construction spending increased for a third straight month; people are spending money to build stuff, hiring as they do so.
Mortgage rates are still at about 4 percent, inspiring those with jobs to perhaps buy a house. Just don't buy too big.
And it looks like that payroll tax cut will be extended. Funny thing, Republicans thinking they can argue against millionaires being taxed as a reason to increase taxes on all of us. Hm.

Here's to a splendid December, folks.

Nightly frightly news

2011-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, the news wasn't scary but watching it certainly was.
We tuned in at dinner to The Nightly News with Brian Williams when a fire alarm went off, and not one in the house but in the offices of NBC News. Hats off to Mr. Williams for the professionalism to mostly deliver the news straight-faced without any irritation while a booming alarm sounded in the background. It stopped a couple of times, enough to keep us watching. It was irritating, but I kept watching to see how he handled it.
And he handled it gracefully. And he reminded viewers it was them, not us, who was beeping. Initially, my family wondered what was going on.

Suh got lucky

2011-11-29T11:41:00.001-08:00

His reputation is just about cemented, helped by this video, but Ndamukong Suh was lucky to get just a two-game suspension. It could have been four or five easily, and it should have been based on his initial denial and then lame first apology.

I've said before, usually to my daughters, that it's not crime but the (not coverup in this case) denial and refusal to apologize that most impacts people. If you get heated, angry and flip out for a minute, then immediately apologize, criticizing yourself more harshly than others, then people will immediately forgive.

Ultimately, though, this incident most reveals the patience of Coach Jim Schwartz, except I don't value this patience. He should have taken the bull by the horns and suspended him for three games and said that the team is first and with the team on the verge of winning, we don't need one player losing his head. If the coach wouldn't, then I think management should have.

Unless, they know how volatile he is and they know they have to appear to back him no matter what. Then the Lions are in trouble.

Christmas miracle?

2011-11-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

So, will the NBA actually start on the date that casual fans - or at least the national media - starts to pay attention annually? Yes, I'm thinking of the annual Christmas Day double- or triple-header.

According to reports, the players and owners have agreed to a deal that will allow for a 66-game season this year, starting on 12.25.11.

Good for them, though I haven't missed the NBA at all. Don't have time for it. I may have missed it, say, come June. Some of the playoff matchups are fun to watch.

But the league was smart enough to avoid labor trouble at the end of the year, forcing fans to miss a playoff, as both baseball and hockey did. The damage to both leagues was incredible, though baseball rebounded strongly with steroid-driven home run derbies.

Many fans turned their backs, though, and it seems impossible for a league's history to include DNP (labor) just like some leagues took time off for something truly monumental, such as World War II.

I think the true NBA fans will be quick to forgive and casual fans will not have noticed, so the negative feedback from fans will be minimal. There's going to be a champion and there's going to be a playoff, meaning all is just about as it should be.

More Suh

2011-11-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

The suspension should have been two games, after the stomping. However, with the lying and arrogance after the fact, it'll be easy to hand down a four- or five-game suspension.

Only in Detroit would anyone cry foul.

He should have apologized to his team and fans after the game. Doing so later on Facebook, after his denials, he should have apologized to the Packers and the player he stomped. He could have gotten away from the complete apology on Thursday afternoon, if he acknowledged what he did and admitted he cost his team. Now, the heat of the battle is gone and a day later calls for complete apology. But can he apologize for lying? I don't think we'll see that.

A stomp is a stomp and so forth

2011-11-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ha. Only he and the 'man upstairs' knows what was in his head and whatever we think is wrong.

Sounds like crap an agent would come up with .... especially as he repeated the BS word for word.

Ndamukong Suh lied about the stomp, I presume. He's now apologized, kinda, it seems, on Facebook, something the earlier agent likely realized needed to be added to the mix. Reading the apology was difficult, with his presumed commitment to winning and being a professional, as he still couldn't admit to what he was apologizing for. Run for office, if you want to play games like that.

I like, as Lions fan, having a player who shakes things up, who takes a penalty when playing all out and tough. Hey, lots of championships have gone to jerks, cheaters and do-anything-to-winners. You want those guys on your team.

But having to listen to his garbage after the fact.... no, I'd rather listen to presidential candidates recalling paychecks, justifying sexual harassment payoffs and explaining away prior hiring of illegals. Getting thick in here!

But if Suh is going to keep losing his cool and costing his team, they have to decide if he's worth having around and if he's worth having to keep explaining away his actions and his troublesome recollections. And speaking for what the 'man upstairs' knows or doesn't know? Leave that to the Sunday morning preachers and focus on tackling quarterbacks.

Proud day for police?

2011-11-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

Watching video from the University of California Davis demonstration that was highlighted by the seemingly thug officer dousing peaceful protesters with pepper spray shows that the students were exceedingly peaceful.

As soon as the pepper spraying ends, as the remaining video shows, the officers gathered in a circle as the students had become truly enraged, yelling, SHAME ON YOU. It's almost comical, these overdressed goons not incurring any violence, just a chant that rang so true. One officer smiled at a news cameraman, not relying on a helmet and face shield. He seemed to know his audience, his community.

However, the sprayer, Lt. John Pike, has now been targeted by the hacking group Anonymous, looks like a thug by spraying the pepper spray onto the sitting students, who made no move to escape or fight. They simply had arms linked. They had gathered, assembled peacefully, much as our Bill of Rights promises us the freedom, the right to do. Now Pike looks like the posterboy for police who do not represent the community they are supposed to protect. He looks like a hired goon.

In fact, if the police wanted the protest to continue, only expanded, then the police actions accomplished their goal. What kind of training tells an officer to shoot a chemical weapon at a sitting person when there is no violence occurring?

Other police agencies have refused to remove protesters, fearing accurately that they would cause more problems than they would solve, such as happened in Albany, NY. That seems like reasonable thinking: Why start a riot if I have a crowd out here not yet rioting?

At U-C Davis, first the officers, if you continue watching the video, realize they are outnumbered and they gather into a circle and walk backwards away. Still, no violence, even though they could accused of inciting it if it had occurred. Later, another protest occurred, this one bigger, louder and clearly calling for university heads. Heads should roll.

And if the police want these protests to expand, then they know what to do.

Justin Verlander wins AL MVP

2011-11-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

He deserved it, but I must say that if he was to lose to anyone, Curtis Granderson would be that man.

But what a season both men had - Justin Verlander dominating from the mound and Curtis Granderson, a favorite former Tiger, dominating from the batter's box for the New York Yankees.

Both were Tiger favorites, and Verlander's popularity has only grown with his successes and domination.

I thought the trading of Granderson was questionable, but seeing how he has blossomed, it was a good idea to trade him. Meanwhile, we wonder what will Verlander do next, two no-hitters in a season, consecutive no hitters, a perfect game. Playoff success? That's what we really want, but for now, we're happy he gets another trophy (considering we made the playoffs and won a series.)

Congrats to both.

NBA over?

2011-11-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to the big story announcing the end of the NBA season.

Why? Not because I hate the NBA.

I like the occasional Pistons game. I like rooting either for or against Boston and always against the Lakers and now the Heat.

I enjoy the Pistons in playoff contention.

I don't like watching the slow-to-end games, the hype, the trash talk, the endlessness of the season. I swing back and forth when it comes to the entertainly annoying Mark Cuban.

But mostly, I'm hoping 2011-2012 is flushed so that we are further removed from both the NHL lockout and the MLB strike that cost the Indians a real shot at a World Series. People hated those two for so, as some fans can be so unforgiving.

The damage the NBA will do to itself will last for years, especially for fairweather fans who resent the fame and fortunes of so many of the jackasses who are talented hoopsters.

Plus, with no NBA season, no underclassmen from college will be in a hurry to leave. Now, if we could only legally pay the NCAA hoopsters....

More on Sandusky

2011-11-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

So who benefited from the Sandusky, Penn State child sexual abuse scandal story?

I know that that judge in Texas who beat his daughter silly disappeared pretty quickly.

But my, that Sandusky story has legs, wheels in fact. That audio interview with Bob Costas was fascinating, especially the pauses and language used by the one-time defensive coordinator, trying to mix the truth with the omissions that will land him in prison for the rest of his life.

He touched their legs....but without sexual intent. He is passionate about young people, especially boys.

These are very carefully worded confessions, I feel.

I think he actually believes that he is normal and that his actions are only misunderstood.

I also must say I am in no way offended by Sandusky-inspired humor. I've heard of someone raising eyebrows by naming their bar trivia team "Touched: The Jerry Sandusky story." Funny.

SNL's bit on even the devil being offended was funny.

And somewhere, I think on Facebook, I saw a reference to Joe Paterno death watch. That's funny. You know how occasionally long time married grandparents will die one after the other, sometimes just days apart. Wonder how Paterno will live without football.

At least he won't be like Jon Gruden, annoying television viewers as another ex-coach thinking a second profession is easy.

I would like to see Oprah get Paterno in the hot seat, though. Not just to listen to but to watch him squirm.

SNL and the campaigns

2011-11-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

It's the funniest five minutes of TV often, the one media-rich moment that gets the ultimate mock up treatment by the fine folks at "Saturday Night Live," perhaps the only reason the show is still on the air.

This week's moment was predicted, Gov. Rick Perry's meltdown.

Here's the video from Hulu as the SNL crew revisists the OU debate and Perry's memory.

Oh, and it's a good thing they had Perry's gaffe, as Joe Paterno and Penn State would have been a huge gamble to lead the show on Saturday night. The news segment was the best place to poke fun of this terrible story, and having the devil himself even offended is pretty darn funny(This is college football; not the Catholic Church). Also, nice, the devil getting his news from Ashton Kutcher's Twitter account.

Matt Millen sympathetic figure?

2011-11-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Some speculation has arisen that dares to wonder if Matt Millen could be considered a sympathetic figure in the Detroit area, after having watched him cry like a baby about the state of our world, crimes against children, and the crumbling fortress around his school, Penn State.

Hm. Let's see. NO.

Hey Matt, child sexual abuse has been going on for a long time. While you were in Detroit, hundreds or maybe thousands of children were molested in Michigan, often by a boyfriend or male figure brought into the home by the mother. Many times, the mother didn't want to acknowledge the problem for fear of losing a male figure and potential support. Nothing new here, except for laws changing on how to punish such offenders and how to present evidence to juries about these crimes.

Crying like he's just learned about this makes him seem more unlikeable, someone immune to life's problems because of a sheltered existence. Crying because it's finally arisen at his beloved Penn State makes him seem like a hypocrite, like now the rest of society's problems are staining my shirt.

I still dislike Millen for what he did to the Lions, mostly for his refusal to admit that he was the worst at his job. Hey, the losing is the owner's fault, but this clown couldn't own up to what he couldn't do. Still hate hearing his voice talk about football. And I'm sickened watching this guy cry like a baby. Grow up.

Circling wagons doesn't always help

2011-11-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Perhaps Joe Paterno would still be planning next year's practices if he had come out earlier and said something. But the wagons were circled over the Penn State administration's inability to report a suspected pedophile to police.

The wagon circling didn't help the situation, especially due to the speculation that more boys had been assaulted due to the failure to notify, which is not just a policy problem but an actual crime. Others above Paterno are being charged, but he's the face of the department, and people aren't buying that he did enough just to pass a bit of information along about his own defensive coach.

Will this be how JoePa is remembered? Probably not, but it'll be a long lesson for anyone who thinks that institutional protection is stronger than a public demand for justice.

Now, I am reminded of another recent circling of the wagons over an allegation of hazing, which is nothing compared to the Penn State situation, except that a longtime popular coach is hoping a problem with go away without ramifications. Coming clean is always the best option, even if means stepping aside.

Hazing popular

2011-11-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

It's not a popular activity, I hope, but it is a popular story. On Saturday, the story about the reader reaction was the most-read on our website.

Reaction to that story included many in favor of reinstating the coach.

However, what is most interesting to me is the negative reaction to the coach comes not so much from our story but from hearing himself describe the situation as he begged for his job back. Listening to him, many people were turned off by what he said he knew and didn't know.

People speak out against hazing

2011-11-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

In the first days, most of the comments about the hazing in Walled Lake were negative, against the victim. Things said included criticism of today's man, how they are more wuss than man because of the elimination of bullying and hazing.

Well, now that readers have gotten a taste of the circled wagons in Walled Lake, the tone is changing. This is from Facebook today, and I must note that the part at the end about being man enough to accept responsibility brings me back to the team's head coach, who has been very silent about the issue. (I personally think a true leader in the head coach position would offer to resign but keep assistant coaches and players on the team. Kim is right about true accountability having a longer lasting impact.)

Here's what readers said:

George Piliouras No way. The crowd wants their football team back to win, that's it. Mob mentality at it's best. His lame excuse about sending mixed messages about tying a principal to a pole is nonsense. That would be supervised fully. Great example dad, where's the accountability?
35 minutes ago · · 1Loading...
Cathy Phillips Having been a teacher and coach in the district for many years, he knows the rules, he is there to enforce them and he not only didn't it was done at his home so I say no he should not be reinstated. Boys need to learn to grow into compassionate men, not neanderthals. Bullying is bullying no matter the name attached to it and every school, teacher, coach and parent should have a no tolerance policy for it.
11 minutes ago ·
Kim Davis Eller
First of all I think the assistant coach should take his punishment. Even if it was all in "good fun" letting that happen in your home is just plain wrong. We all make mistakes and we all have to pay the consequences. It shows more chara...cter to stand up and take responsibility than to blame the school because they didn't train him. I haven't had any formal parenting training but I know if my kids are duct taping someone to a pole it isn't a good thing. He should acknowledge his mistake, take responsibility and set an example that these boys will remember long after they hang up their jerseys.

Hazing, where is the evidence?

2011-11-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

This hazing controversy at Walled Lake Western High School is very simple.

The entire thing started, according to the story as I've read and heard it, when someone reacted to an online posting of a video of the event.

The video was taken down.

A report was made to the police. The boy hazed hired a lawyer (very smart move; no one else is looking out for this guy's interest....absolutely no one in the district, that's for sure). Two assistant coaches were suspended or fired. Five players were suspended for just two games, allowing them back in time for the valued playoff run.

Now, we zip all over in the press and at a public meeting. Fake letters are sent out. Perhaps the boy is coerced into signing a letter. Perhaps some class warfare reveals itself. Wagons are circled. Denials are made. Mouths are zipped.

But here's what we know: A video exists.

Many people have said that nothing much happened and that this wasn't assaultive, hazing, bullying or even hurtful. It was just fun. It was consensual, some have said or hinted.

So, show the tape.

If it's not that bad, and if no crimes were committed, no rules broken, no policies violated: SHOW THE VIDEO.

But there's no video being shown. What's that tell me? That the video is of something assaultive, against the policy, violating of rules, and perhaps even criminal.

That's the only reason any evidence is hidden.

The players who supposedly did nothing wrong have the evidence to clear themselves.... unless they actually did something very wrong.

Click here to read on this continuing story. Oh, and I'm still waiting to hear from the 'man' in charge of the program, the head coach. The silence is deafening.

Judge beats daughter, debates why she released it

2011-11-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

The judge who savagely beat his daughter with a belt several years ago, when she was 16, says she has released the tape now on YouTube because he was to cut her off and take her car away.

So?

He still beat her savagely. I say savagely because I have daughters and I can't imagine beating them, or anyone, like that. I've gotten mad at dog and have whacked its bottom, but even with him, a 100-lb lab, I couldn't beat it with a belt. I feel bad if I have to yell at him after he barks at people.

The beating is lengthy and filled hateful-sounding anger. There is no control to teach a lesson. It's a bully session, with the wife stepping in to back up the crazed papa, who fitting with Texas' reputation holds an elected position of respect.

How backwards.

And again, he says the tape is out because he cut her off. She kinda regrets releasing it. I don't care about any of that. The proof is in the pudding. And this tastes like crap. It's good to see how it really happens, and how some people - probably more than you or I would ever guess - have this sort of capability within their souls.

One other thing, this kind of violence.... sorta thing you hear about when it comes to hazing. Seeing a tape will show whether it's violent or overblown.

Real tales drive story

2011-11-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today's top story is a simple one, a home invasion and robbery of an Oxford woman.
The story is efficiently told by Carol Hopkins, who took a call from a reader who wanted share her experience as a crime victim. She and a friend were robbed by three men, one of whom pointed a gun at her and the friend. They took off with $2,000, plus a phone and computer.
Gone was the feeling of safety and security.
Gone was the rent money.
Most often, these stories come straight from the police without the specifics and details from the victim.
Today's story has been read nearly three times more than the second-ranked story, showing that readers are attracted to such reports.
I look forward to the follow up on an arrest and later convictions.

Again, worthless news

2011-11-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I don't care about Kim Kardasian and I won't cover the marriage, divorce or anything not involving jail. However, someone notes that her marriage is barely half as long as the lock out of the NBA, speaking of another story that we don't need to hear about.

LaRussa steps aside - on top

2011-10-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

Tony LaRussa is retiring from managing baseball teams, leaving with an improbable, well, really unbelievable, championship with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, his second with the team and third overall.

He should have leaked somehow that he wants to go where Albert Pujhols will be playing....and add a touch about calling his friend Theo. Blaahhh.

But if he stays retired, he's going down as one of the best ever. This season proved all the praise tossed his way as being true, starting with the 10.5 half game deficit to the Atlanta Braves in September in the American League East. The Braves didn't make it to the post season. The Cards first beat tv's favorite NL team, the Phillies of the East Coast, and they also reeked new havoc on the team they bested in 1982 - the Brewers.

Then they played the game for the ages, making up for their blown call at first in 1985 to the Royals, making this 2011 model of game 6 bigger than both the '85 and '86 versions.

So let's hear it for the old coach. He may not have won as many as he could have with the Bash Brothers in the 1980s, winning only one title. But the two in St. Louis give him three championships and with one in each league, too.

But nothing tops leaving on the top. Let's just hope he stays gone. But if he pops up in a Cubs uniform, it will make for some great stories.

What's going on in Ohio?

2011-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Don't mean to be the snooty neighbor to the north, but what in the Dickens is going on down south, south of the Michigan-Ohio border that is?

Ohio's news has been weird, disturbing and exceptionally negative lately.

First, there's the exotic animal escape, which is wrong in so many levels. 1. Having so many exotic and dangerous animals. 2. Committing suicide. 3. After having RELEASED the animals. 4. Shooting and killing so many wonders of nature.

Now, I'm not critical of the shooting and killing. It had to be done. But what was that nut thinking? Did he intend to free the animals to live free? Did he intend to have them nearly all killed? Did he intend to kill or terrify his neighbors? So destructive and wasteful. And now the wife wants the couple that survived???? What are they drinking in that state?

Second, there's the nearly naked lady drunk and running from the police. Real classy, Ohio. Our strippers can walk a straight line (generally) and know to wear a coat when driving.

Third, there's the sexed up teacher, convicted of having sex with multiple male students. We in Oakland County have seen this story plenty of times, about a half dozen just in the past year or so. Men, women. Drama teachers, coaches, regular teachers. We know that this happens. But our teachers don't plead insanity; they just cry before they're sent to prison. And this lady in Ohio got just four years for something like five boys, victims really, while some our's get the same for contact with one victim.

Fourth, the deer getting rowdy at a bar. Enough said. We shoot our deer; we don't over-serve them.

Fifth, Joe the Plumber. Psst. His name's not Joe; how you gonna know how to vote for him?

Sixth, Jim Tressel and the fact that people in Ohio don't see what was wrong. Hey, we've got Kwame Kilpatrick and now Wayne County government, but the residents love watching the corruption busts and prison sentences. We are never stunned to learn of corruption and we enjoy the perp walks. We don't cry about losing a corrupt leader and lament his departure.

You can't blame all of this on LeBron James leaving.

NBA, just give up on the year

2011-10-26T11:20:00.001-07:00

There's been a couple significant instances of 'big news' coming out due to the NBA lockout, such as the cancellation of the preseason, or games into the regular season.

It's not breaking news; it's expected.

Breaking news about the NBA would be if there's a resolution and any part of the season is played. Of course this thing is going to last. There's no group of people, I think, more out of touch with regular folks than players in the NBA. These guys can't even relate to NFL offensive linemen, who share with them the classification of professional athlete.

And in the fight between millionaires and billionaires, no one making less than $200,000 a year has any sympathy for either side. (I have to think where ESPN stands in this, having brought the NBA into its fold at the expense of hockey, the NHL, which underwent its own de-fanification.)

No sport is as obnoxious about its wealth, its posturing and its out-of-touch views than the NBA, so I say let them cancel the year, let's let this go into the following season and let's see how few people actually miss it. The whines from players over the years has increased to the point of it being unreal how clueless these guys are. They've ruined the golden egg, the one sport with no masks, the best face time, and absolute most money to share (with only 12 players per team, versus say the NFL and their massive rosters).

As the more evident it becomes that people don't miss the NBA, both sides will have to continuously lower their demands, and we can lose these $20 million-a-year guaranteed salaries for people who don't contribute that much.

Baseball has high salaries, yes, and the Yankees abuse the system, it seems, but no one has seemingly been as arrogant and greedy as NBA players.

Cost of police reports?

2011-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

So what are they spending their money on in Farmington? The police chief did not wish to share information on a story involving a 71-year-old woman who was caught having sex with a 54-year-old man in a car near a pizzeria and bar one night.

The chief reported that we could only get a Freedom of Information Act request for a report and that the report would cost $25.

However, it cost only $10 for a report out of Bloomfield Township on Ben Wallace's drunken driving arrest.

Perhaps Farmington could find someone to do the work cheaper in their office. Perhaps Farmington Hills could provide the same police coverage at a much smaller cost for the small city, which is surrounded completely by Farmington.

Farmington Hills police generally do a great job, and they have a very professional staff with training and equipment seemingly at a high level.

Now, over in Troy, they have all the tools and they wanted $100 for a video of a drunken driving arrest, but they let us film the screen for just $18. I don't know yet what I think about that, except they could find less senior staff to manage some of these more typical tasks.

When you put a dollar amount on a task, you open yourself up to criticism, very fair criticism, from others who can do the job cheaper, and in the case of city government, usually much much cheaper.

Farmington Hills police hide identities

2011-10-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Farmington Hills police told The Oakland Press and other media outlets that they would not report the names of the victims of this weekend's murder-suicide of a man and his son, Bruce Serven, 34, and Lucas Serven, who was just 22 months old when his father shot him.

Why, I wonder, would Farmington Hills reverse policy and not offer the names of deceased members of the community?

They have released names before, including of minors and of domestic violence victims.

Of course, in this case, it appears that officers waited outside for 3 hours after the shots were fired. I wonder if a life could have been saved.

Well, I wondered enough to check, and according to medical examiner's staff, nothing could have saved the child once he was shot in the chest. A tragedy, such a shame.

But don't minimize the death by protecting the name of the father and hoping the story goes away.

Law enforcement is supposed to provide detached professionalism, so please just share the information with your community and don't try to act as public censor.

Failed trade, a new hope

2011-10-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

What a miracle if Jerome Harrison is saved from his brain tumor by early detection due to this week's failed trade!

I'm pulling for Harrison and I hope he recovers quickly.

Schwartz hissy fit, an omen of what's to come?

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

So Mr. Fist Pump didn't like the excitement that Jim Harbough, winning coach of Sunday's Lions-49ers game, showed during their post-game handshake?

Perhaps, but I'm not one to listen to the rumors as to the why when it comes to Sunday's post-game on-field near brawl.

Perhaps a swear word was uttered, something that would shock even me. Probably not, though.

I'm guessing that Schwartz lost his cool when confronted by a guy he wanted badly to beat. But what does this mean for the rest of the season?

It's up to Schwartz to prove this was either planned, to get attention off his ailing 2-minute offense, or just an aberration that he will recognize needs to be corrected. He's a young coach, so he can have his moment. Jon Gruden had his drunken driving arrest. Wayne Fontes had the little cocaine question. It doesn't have to define a season, and this season has been a remarkable campaign so far for the long-lowly Lions.

If you're a Lions fan, you have to hope this is something out of the ordinary as the season has been going so smoothly. A few losses, though, and all that changes. But a hot head who can't back down from a slight....oh my. Just wait for the press conferences.

It would be better than the 'your daughter should have married a better defensive coordinator' (still the best comment to sum up the entire Matt Millen era). It would top, PLAYOFFS? It would outdo Marty driving off on his motorcycle. It would equal a drunken rant in a Southfield restaurant (Sorry, Gary, I had to go into your college career as your pro career's only blemish was a missed field goal.)

Let's just hope that Schwartz will keep the headlines for his quarterback, his defensive line and his team's won-loss record, and not on his short temper and his sensitive nature.

Schools of choice or not?

2011-10-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Not much choice if you're forced to be a schools of choice district, hm? It seems that local control should involve some kind of control of one's district on a local level. That seems reasonable, right?

We still elect school boards to manage our schools, so many do not want the governor to take away the issue, but readers bring up many good points. We asked this on Facebook:

A bill in the Senate would open all schools to Schools of Choice, allowing for parents to enroll students in any district that has space. What do you think? Do you support this, or do you think schools should remain community-based?

Lake Orion board members, parents and teachers form group opposing Senate’s Schools of Choice bill W

www.theoaklandpress.com

Under the bill, a student would be allowed to enroll in any district in the state, as long as the student was a resident of Michigan.

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  Eric Mende I support the premise of it but would have to know all the paticulars on it.
  9 hours ago ·
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  Eric Mende Note to school boards: get your junk together and become competitive with the prefered school districts in the area
  9 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
- Jeannie Thibault Parents have the RIGHTS to place their children where they believe the children will get the BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION!
  8 hours ago ·
- Metro Detroit Mommy Positive: parents can choose their school and no longer be bound by their economic boundaries that tie them to low performing schools.
  Negatives: School that are not doing so well will die out and that process is really tough on the students and staff members that are left. The SOC is only really available to students whose parents care enough to seek out an alternative school and arrange for transportation each day. What happens when all the seats are filled at the "best" schools? Will they be forced to open new school?
  7 hours ago ·
- Susan Averbuch Break down those walls, Governor Snyder! Break down those walls, including the private school, Green Hills, where you send your children. If it's good for public, it's good for private! Tear down that $20,000 economic barrier that prevents other parents from attending Green Hills. Here we come, I'll personally drive the bus to drop off the kids at Green Hills.
  7 hours ago ·
- La'Salle Beatriz Surely separation of education is not the answer, but on the other hand, students being allowed to attend non-public schools or public schools in an enriching environment may find it difficult to understand that this transition is more complex than most care to discuss.
  6 hours ago ·
- Brandon Pricopio So I work hard everyday and pay more taxes so that my children can go to a good school. Yet someone who doesn't work at all can send there child to the same school? Whatever happened to working hard for what you have? I went to a terrible school in the slums! I promised myself I wouldn't let my kids do the same. SO I WORKED FOR IT.
  5 hours ago ·
- Brandon Pricopio Also our property values are low enough. This would kill them
  5 hours ago ·
- Joan G. Berndt Good for Lake Orion. I support them. This sounds like such a simple solution for kids to get a better education. It isn't. What will happen is that the "good" schools will be overburdened, and their taxpayers will end up footing the bill for all the new kids who come into the system with only their foundation grants, the so called "poor" schools will be devastated with only those left whose parents don't care about the education their kids get, and in the end there will be no outstanding schools left in MI and the overall educational quality everywhere will suffer.
  5 hours ago ·
- Sharon Chilson I believe that children should attend schools in their own communities. Saying that means I also believe that all schools in all communities should be good schools. Bussing/driving childen to schools outside of their communities in order for them to attend a better school
  leaves the children who can't afford to be bussed/driven in schools that are inadequate and therefore those children will receive poor educations. Improve the schools that are failing, that's the ticke.
  5 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
- Brian Kitchin Keep the kids where their parents live. 49% of Detroit kids didn't go to school the 1st day. Is another school going to help? If the parents are losers and the ones that do go to school want to be rappers and thugs then why send them to schools in communities where the taxpayers care? Politically correct? NO. But sadly it's true. Fix their schools. They are certainly getting enough taxpayer dollars.
  4 hours ago ·
- Cassadega Gold COMMUNITY BASED!!!!
  2 hours ago ·
- Jo Nielson The problem is that these kids can't wait for their poor performing schools to be fixed. They need better choices now. How many years have we been talking about this? How many people in our region can't read or do simple math? There are legitimate economic reasons why we need to help these kids have a better future. Companies won't set up shop here if they can't find employees that can read/write/do basic math.
  
  Inaction has consequences. At this point, I'd prefer that the generation we are raising doesn't turn out as badly as mine did.
  
  Failing schools shouldn't be open. They aren't serving their primary purpose. Schools aren't open for adults to have jobs, but to educate our kids. If the kid has behavior problems in the new school, there's nothing to say that they can't be expelled. A lot of the opposition seems to be fear-based and there's nothing scarier to me than leaving another generation of kis to learn about life from the streets.

Reader comments on Foxy Knoxy

2011-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'll always know her as Foxy Knoxy, though the name can no longer apply as she is no longer a convicted murderer but now a freed political prisoner. OK, perhaps not directly a political prison, but politics certainly played a role in the case. If she is innocent, I'm happy Amanda Fox is freed.

Could she be guilty? Certainly. Lots of gruesome crimes occur without evidence left, but I believe in our system,which requires evidence, real evidence - whether DNA or eyewitness testimony - for a conviction to stand.

We asked a good question today on Facebook, and I'm impressed with the answers, looking at age and beauty (and hence, background) in how courts and jurors perceive defendants.

Here it is:

Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox - two attractive women. Do you think this helped them in their court cases?

- Gerry Thomas it makes the news easier to watch thats for sure.
  4 hours ago ·
- Michael Abbott It certainly gets them more media coverage.
  4 hours ago ·
- L.t. Strickland it sure didnt hurt em!
  4 hours ago ·
- Pam Laidlaw Bischoff we had a White school teacher run over a Hispanic Child in a cross walk and kill her last week out here in Ca.. The driver was NOT cited and released at the scene. Later police reports that the driver had been previously cited for 'Driving while distracted' and a second charge of 'Excessive speed', I wonder if it was a Hispanic driver, and a white child what would have been the action at the scene...So, YES, I believe it DOES matter, and I am ashamed for it.
  4 hours ago ·
- Linda Whitehead no. one was guilty, the other not.
  4 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
- David Lally Sr Is this the best the Oakland Press can some up with as news today?
  4 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
- Heather Eagling ha! If attractiveness mattered, OJ would be in prison.... just sayin
  4 hours ago ·
- Jennifer Jones Kienutske Eww... Who ever said Casey Anthony was attractive?
  4 hours ago · · 3 peopleLoading...
- Ralph Chambers ‎"two attractive women"? How? in what way? To whom?
  4 hours ago · · 3 peopleLoading...
- Neil Parsons Neither are attractive, one is a whore the other is just ugly.
  4 hours ago ·
- Brigitte Cremer Wow , Neil yah for Amanda but Casey should be punished for keeping the death of her child a secret
  3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
- Neil Parsons Yes, yah for Amanda, down with Casey however neither are attractive. God only knows why Casey walked, it's definately not cause she looks good! Same goes for Amanda, doesn't look good and is home now, great. That's like saying OJ got off cause he's good looking. Haha! (this all coming from a fellow ugly person by the way)
  3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
- Brigitte Cremer Looks are inside and out , we are all created by god ,
  3 hours ago ·
- Laura Eisenhardt Do you people not feel compelled to actually have FACTS to base your opinions on???? LOL Amanda Knox didn't "walk" because she was attractive. READ something people... opinion without facts is just ignorant.
  3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
- Michael Abbott Laura, the question didn't ask if they walked because they were pretty, it asked it their looks were influential in the decision. Posting without actually reading is just....
  about an hour ago ·

Appropriate find

2011-10-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

I find it very very funny that on the day Forbes declares Detroit and metro Detroit the most dangerous place in America, someone also finds a cannon in the Detroit River.

Nuts from the same jar

2011-09-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

I've recently seen clips of interviews of two sets of parents, both of them so fascinating because of their insistence in believing their child-killing children.
Of course, one is Dr. Phil's interview of Casey Anthony's parents, which have been replayed in parts by Drew and Mike on WRIF, 101-fm.
But even worse, or more outrageously entertaining, are the parents of John Skelton, the man who is being sentenced today for unlawful imprisonment, the charge he pleaded to in exchange for prosecutors dropping a charge of parental kidnapping of his sons. The three boys are presumed dead, having gone missing a year ago.
My, what parents will go through to believe their child is not a monster. Great interview by Seven's Tom Wait, especially getting their explanation of why Skelton has searched for "neck breaking" on the internet (2 min. in):

Skelton's story of delivering the three to a secret organization is laughable. It's too bad no evidence has been found yet to provide some closure to this case, and more importantly, to charge someone with a crime.
Kudos to Channel 7, WXYZ-TV, for tracking the grandparents down at an airport as they arrived into town for the sentencing of their adult son. This story is just too odd to believe his account, and I don't know how his parents can.
And here's an interview with the suspect's pastor:

Still looking

2011-09-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

We still haven't found that scoundrel from Libya. Seems like we need some closure, so let's get at it. Where could he be hiding.

I hope he goes to trial, as his testimony and denials will be very entertaining.

Something STINKS in West Bloomfield Twp.

2011-08-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

I think I've figured this out... maybe.
There is favoritism in West Bloomfield Township, which is no way to run a community. Everyone should be equal under the rules and if someone is allowed a little extra equality, well, trouble arises.
And once you're proven to be unfairly gaining from special access to the system, then nothing you can say about other benefits can really be believed. Integrity is an easy thing to surrender.
Why does something stink with Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste and her ride home by a police officer who pulled her husband over late on night (he got a ride home, too)?
Because at the first meeting when the public could comment, she started public comment by firmly warning that people only had 2 minutes to comment.
First up? Her husband and a multi-paged letter that took more than 6 minutes to read before the supervisor finally asked him to stop. Ouch. She knew he was first; she knew what he had to say; she had to know how long it took to read.
Yet she felt the need to state the firm time limit.
My rules do not apply to me. OUCH. No way to run a township, and I'm happy for the people who called her and her husband out as he continued to read his lengthy rant.
Whatever his blood alcohol content that night, that little glimpse into how things are in West Bloomfield is proof enough for me that some rules only apply some of the time.
The video can be found here.
Oh, and about the actual issue itself, the supervisor and her hubby (who sounds very snotty in his defensive tone, not helping their case, in fact, hurting it) continued to insist that she innocent of any wrongdoing.
Her husband used phrases such as "no facts, no case....no wrong doing, never charged, no evidence" in showing that there is no proof that he had been drinking or was drunk. (The police report indicated that his preliminary breath test result was a 0.11 percent, but this is not admissible in court.)
He keeps saying all these things as to why they are innocent, but there was no investigation, no official inquiry, and THAT is the problem. The evidence was not collected, and it may have shown him sober. But the elected official and her husband got SPECIAL treatment, treatment that the rest of us do not get.
And with that time limit violation, they've proven their guilt in believing in special treatment for leadership. Americans do not like that, which is why the media does love these kinds of stories.
If only they had paid the slightest bit of attention to L. Brooks Patterson, who apologized, went to court, and submitted to a traffic violation. He did not hide behind denials, and he was forgiven.

Where's waldo, I mean Gahdafi

2011-08-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

I wonder where they'll find him. In one sense, you can just hope that they, the rebels, parade him around dead; that way, you'll know it's done and life can go on.

Somehow, I sense, the "maddog of north Africa," is that how Reagan called him?, will pop up here and there and continue to make trouble. It would be nice to stability on the fast track over there.

Nice for all of us if that were the case.

MNF

2011-08-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

So, the Detroit Lions have sold out their Monday Night Football game and all is well with Detroit football. Sorry, I can't see it that way.
Sure, Matthew Stafford is not yet out of the season, awaiting his first body slam. Then we will see what this team and its QB are made of.
I am not buying the high expectations of the season, just as I'm not buying that Monday Night Football is a return to glory for the Lions.
Primetime football is best on Sunday....on NBC, not ESPN.
Sorry ESPN and the tradition of MNF, but that boat has passed. Not just because MNF is now on Cable, but the night features plenty of other viewing opportunities. Also, the announcers and production are just not as good. SNF is the prime football broadcast. They have the players, they have the prime matchups, and they have the talent in the booths.
I'm reading the biography of ESPN's start and losing the SNF to NBC while gaining MNF was not a winning moving. According to the interviews, SNF came with the prime flex schedule and with the traditional MNF schedule, Super Bowl winners and high market teams. MNF is now the old Sunday Night Football.
So we in Detroit should not be acting like MNF is the old MNF.

Rick Perry picks the right fight

2011-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

I don't necessarily agree with him, but Rick Perry, the accented governor from Texas who accused the fed of treason, has picked a winning fight. Even if he's completely wrong, it works, because it pits him against the president in a CNN-declared WAR OF WORDS.
Meaning?
Forget the primary, it's Perry versus Obama. If this carries on, Americans will buy it, too.
It may be good practice for Obama, but it really must be bumming out Michelle Happy-Birthday-Elvis Bachmann and Mitt I'll-Spend-My-Money-Later-and-Not-in-Iowa Romney.
Great speech, Governor.

test

2011-08-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

We were wrong

2011-08-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was a minor thing, but we were wrong when we reported in a story that a Farmington Hills woman had murdered her husband and then killed herself. The story is here.
The woman, according to police, had killed her husband. It's a homicide, not yet a murder, which is a legal distinction. A prosecutor can charge one with murder, and it up to a jury (or a judge or a defendant, if they plead guilty or no contest) to determine if it is murder.
Funny thing, though, is I still think of these cases, really these tragedies, as murder-suicides. I can't find a better term. Murder-suicide just flows. I'd call it a murder-suicide, but I would not say that the woman murdered her husband.

OPINION: Readers sound off on Kwame, Jalen Rose and the debt ceiling

2011-08-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

You had plenty to say about the news yesterday. Here's a sampling of what you think, taken from comments on our online stories, from Facebook and from Twitter:
- S4Hubbard on Twitter: "Kwame's out of the joint & on his way to TX. Unfortunately the courts will force him to come back re: racketeering & corruption. Good-bye."
- rachelk on our editorial about apathetic voters: "We should let our voices be heard when election time comes and even in between, like when the person we elected disappoints us. Last night we caught a glimpse of what democracy is all about when Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, in the midst of intensive rehabilitation for the head wounds she sustained, took the difficult journey to D.C. to make sure that she can vote. Yes, each vote counts. I recall how we in West Bloomfield voted en masse for the renewal of our public library and because of that collective effort our library continues to serve us and brought us much pride when it received a national award. Don't forget how fortunate we are to live in a Democracy, I sure don't."
- cookiepro, commenting on the story about the Troy library vote: "I don't understand the big deal that the anti-tax extremists are stirring up. Obviously, the Troy Library needs to be taken out of the equation by giving it separate funding."
- Dave Lambert on Facebook, where we asked for prediction on the Troy library vote: "Hard to predict. Most Troy voters love the library but distrust government at all levels. Whichever feeling is uppermost in the mind of the voter when he/she enters the polling place will probably determine the outcome."
- Cougar, commenting on our story about the jailing of the former U-M basketball star: "I can promise you Mr. (Jalen) Rose won't receive any more tickets for the next 20 days."
- Torch Harrison on Facebook about the debt ceiling being passed: "Mad. Boiling mad. And folks might not wait for the 2012 elections to show it."
- Dave Lewandowski on the same Facebook question: "I gave up paying attention what they are doing in DC anymore I just do my own thing and stay happy."
What do you think?
Share your thoughts and you could be featured in our OPINION column. You can post a mini-column — up to 250 words — on our Facebook page or email it to allan.adler@oakpress.com. If you have a quick thought on a current topic, post a comment on our online story. You also can send us a Tweet @TheOaklandPress or answer our daily questions on Facebook. We want to hear from you.

OPINION: Readers fed up with dangerous driving

2011-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

After an accident in Waterford was caused by a wrong-way driver, we asked readers on our Facebook page to share examples of bad driving.
You had plenty of examples and thoughts to share:
- Pauline Schillo: I had someone go around 5 cars and me in the oncoming lane to go around, and that is just the beginning of the moronic moves.
- Vicki Jackson Brewer-Lambert: We were just discussing this recently. It seems that drivers no longer know what a double yellow line means!
- Debbie Engelhard Wagner: Don't understand it at all. Between passing in a no pass zone and tail-gating. Is it really that important to get to your destination a few seconds earlier?!
- Elizabeth Kelley Huff: Got to say - the DUMBEST thing I've ever seen was last year. My daughters and I were in the car when we noticed a man had missed the entrance to the store he wanted to go to and, instead of SAFELY turning around - this guy actually put his car into REVERSE on Rochester Road - in a 50 mile per hour speed zone at 1 p.m. on a Sunday! It was by the Grace of GOD that no one was killed that day!
- Hugh Gains: I was doing 55mph in a 45 mph zone on M-59, pickup truck passed both lanes of traffic in the center lane @ 75 mph+. Lets also not forget our wonderful citizens who REFUSE to use their turn signals, speed excessively, tailgate, talk on the phone and drift from lane to lane, go into a daze at red lights and sit through a green, and many, many more. The skills and courtesy of drivers has gone SERIOUSLY downhill over the last 10 years and surprisingly, its NOT the younger people that are to blame.
- Colleen Egan: Please don't drive like people from Ohio. The left lane on the highway is for passing — not for camping out with your cruise control set at 5mph over the speed limit while shaking your fist as people passing you on the right. Get out of that lane unless you are there to pass someone and move on.
- Emily Machelle Cramer: Yesterday a guy on a croch rocket speeding behind me, tried to cut between me and the car in the next line. He almost lost control of the bike and slowed down when he regained control. If he'd had skidded out I would have ran him over in my truck cause he was that close! n Christine Page: I have to pick ONE?? Every day I see people do the dumbest traffic maneuvers. Wake up... You are NOT the only car on the road and you are definitely not the most important. Pay attention & follow the rules!
What do you think?
Share your thoughts and you could be featured in our OPINION column. You can post a mini-column — up to 250 words — on our Facebook page or email it to allan.adler@oakpress.com. If you have a quick thought on a current topic, post a comment on our online story. You also can send us a Tweet @TheOaklandPress or answer our daily questions on Facebook. We want to hear from you.

Amy Winehouse fun

2011-07-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, it's not fun that she died, but when I saw the news cross that she had indeed passed on, I wondered about the recent stories about her tour cancellation following a debacle performance in Europe.

And like any good meltdown, it was YouTubed and I had a bit of fun using the youtube videos within stories about the show and subsequent call off of her planned tour.

I wondered, should I feel bad. In short, no, I don't. She knew — or should have known — what she was doing. When the world mocks you for your addiction, perhaps it's a sign you should watch out. She didn't. She lived in the limelight and stayed there, going to court, being hunted by the tabloids. So, though she was talented, she still was an addict who fed her addiction instead of seeking help, and she, like thousands others, died. Every week in Oakland County, one, two, sometimes a few, die of drug overdoses. Every week, a body is found by sheriff's deputies and the person is well known as having spent years or decades abusing alcohol and drugs.

Such a lifestyle is not going to help one keep on living, and she just burned out a bit quicker than most.

I still think the trainwreck videos are funny. Here's a sample from Belgrade:

Rosa and the lawyers

2011-07-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

I kept saying that I thought that Pat and Dick in ole DC would have a better shot at reaching a deal on the debt limit than the NFL players and owners would have to get the season going. Sorry for being so blind to think that greed would stop two sides from making THEIR money. It's their money so they'll make it and not leave it on the table.

However, when it comes to OUR money, it's going to be easy for Dems and Republicans to keep it on the table and then flush it - along with our country's good credit and reputation - down the drain.

Easy come, easy go with the economy.

The Verdict

2011-07-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, we all hated the verdict and sure they may have served the justice system by voting how they felt.

It's too bad they needed more evidence, because I'm a believer in lying serving as proof of misdeeds. Otherwise, why lie? And it should teach people not to lie.

But the best story I saw the issue was "Nightline" on the night after the verdict. Not too much sensational coverage but a lot of quality analysis. Great viewing, and I wasn't even staying up to watch it; my wife had it on and I was reading.

I was shocked to hear the juror who said the first vote was 10-2 to acquit. I didn't hear all the evidence, but prosecutors can make too much of some stuff without focusing on the crime itself. Too bad, as justice could have been better served.

Negotiate

2011-07-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Negotiate means to fight for what you want, up against someone else who wants something different. By meeting and seeing what you can do and what they can do, you compromise.

In the end, a decision has to be made. Sure, there might be a winner and a loser, especially if people are drawing lines in the sand.

But I'm sick to death of the dragged out fights lately, thinking specifically of the NFL and the Debt Ceiling. Just figure it and go on from there, once your compromise is reached. Dragging it out and then losing only makes one look like a bigger loser.

If you have to give up something, say a tax hike, doing it early and being proactive is better than caving at the last minute.

Just do what you're hired to do... lead.

As for the NFL, it seems they let the lawyers have the lead role, meaning that these pricey hours of negotiations are necessary for the billing.

As for the political leaders, isn't there anything in the great nation that we can agree upon?

Greek chaos; education vs immigration

2011-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

As I waited breathlessly for the vote in Greece on austerity measures that would determine the direction of the U.S. markets this week, listening to CNBC and driving into work, I caught the end of an interview with Michael Dell of Dell Computers.
The one-time kind of computer companies has struggled of late, though their cash reserves are heavy and their optimism of the future remains publicly strong.
In talking about the health of the American company, they ended with a bit on the jobs market, perhaps the most important part of the U.S. economy right now. Dell said that it's not easy getting the skilled employees. They questioned him about that, noting the high unemployment. Dell noted that yes there's unemployment, which is why for a 100 jobs in a warehouse, 10,000 people will show up.
However, when needing to find educated employees to filled highly skilled positions, it's a struggle to find the qualified candidates. Did they talk about reforms that could help? You bet ya. Dell said it may be helpful to have some kind of immigration reform to help companies find the employees that will help them thrive in their fields.
Education reform? Not a mention. Of course, Dell has a company to run now and such a long-term solution helps him not at all, but with all this chatter nationwide about teachers, tenure, the waste of money spent on schooling and education, well, it seems like we're not going to find smarter workers if we keep cutting on education.
Here's some of the comments on the story about MEA officials feeling that teachers are being attacked when tenure is targeted.
In the short-term, we may need some kind of reform to get the skilled workers into the jobs that will help companies grow and succeed. Success in one area breeds success in others, just as auto companies doing well means suppliers do well, meaning jobs create jobs as long as jobs are boosting the economy.
Here's a story on the lack of skilled workers in the U.S. This is a real problem, and it doesn't fit into the current political arguments to keep immigrants out and to cut as much out of education as possible. It's like we (or some of us) are shooting ourselves in both feet.
But to get past this problem, we'll also need long-term solutions to boost and improve our education system. We need smarter workers.
Oh, and great coverage on CNBC about world's markets reacting to the fighting in the streets outside as inside the Greek parliament voted on drastic cost cutting, something we here may face one day.

Misspoke...about John Wayne, so what?

2011-06-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

I just don't get it. Someone, yes a presidential candidate announcing their candidacy, misspeaks about a long-dead Hollywood star. Sure, John Wayne is one of the biggest stars, but remembering where he was born more than a century ago while giving a speech is not a big deal.

And playing gotcha this way backfires, if people think that talking, writing, blogging, pontificating about this would change minds. No, it makes people feel sorry for her.

Now, I am more interested in misstatements on or about financial issues, such as receiving federal money for a family farm while boldly saying that you don't receive such help. That could be something, but if you link it together with a slip about John Wayne's birthplace, then the financial statement gets lost in what is really a petty attack. Must not be that serious, if they're lumping it together with John Wayne. More gotcha, lacking completely in any substance.

This attack (I'm using the word her supporters or general media-haters) on Michele Bachmann (read the AP story here) only helps her, I'm afraid. I don't like her ability to misstate facts about the war in Libya or oil drilling permits, but those substantial, true policy mistakes get lost when making fun references to John Wayne and John Wayne Gacy. It appears that the Fox News host, Chris Wallace, asking about her being a "flake" (a great moment of morning political talk news, I feel) has now swayed how others cover her.

Detroit budget

2011-06-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Detroiters, guess what, I don't know the details of all the budget fights, but I have a single thought about the process: Go with the budget that cuts the most!

Why? Well, it's only going to get worse, and the longer you delay the cuts, the more difficult it will be on down the line. The city's schools are already run by the state-appointed emergency manager, just as the City of Pontiac is run.

With a dwindling population base, massive unemployment and almost non-existent property values, Detroit's budget woes are only to worsen in coming years — until someone on the private side invests money to build some industry and provide some jobs. City, county and school jobs cannot maintain an economy, as we learned in Eastern Europe.

It's only going to get worse for all us in Michigan, it seems, so to get through this recession (or this slow-to-develop recovery), we must cut what we can now in order to figure out what we can live with and what we can live without in coming years.

When revenues go up, the budgets can be expanded or any new taxes can be ended.

Soft on crime? Juvenile defendant protected by system

2011-06-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Wow. A 17-year-old is basically gutted, stabbed to death, on a West Bloomfield street.
West Bloomfield is a nice community, only a couple of other homicides in the past decade, one case involving domestic violence and the other still a mystery (a woman killed in her garage on Saturday morning).
Click here to read the story about the killing of Jonathan Rickman, 17.
It's a shocking crime due to the violence and the scene, a quiet neighborhood street. But it also is shocking because police say a 15-year-old acquaintance of the victim is the suspect.
What is surprising to me is the extent that leaders in Oakland County are going to protect the accused. The young man is charged with open murder.
I know everyone is presumed innocent, but we live in an open society and we are allowed to know what the state is doing. When the juvenile court referee (essentially, a judge) David Barnes ordered reporters to not name the accused, otherwise barring them from the open courtroom, that seemed to reach too far in protecting the accused killer.
I know the referee can bar photographers, so in allowing them in, he can ask or demand that they not photograph the accused; that's fair, because the camera does not have a right to be in the courtroom (yet!, but that's a different beef).
We can debate whether the prosecutor's office is soft on crime or appropriately sensitive in not charging the youth as an adult, instead leaving it up to a judge down the road. That's the right of the prosecutors in determining charges.
However, the entire handling of the case gives the appearance of caring more about the young man who, according to police, stabbed another human being to death. Used to be, we would see who the culprit was and we would be debating whether it was fair for a 14-, 15, or 16-year-old to face life-in-prison without parole, because they were charged as an adult.
And in Oakland County, traditionally the people, especially the voters, like the tough-on-crime model. We don't approve of stabbing people to death on our neighborhood streets.
Pictured: Referee David Barnes

Ouch, headlines bring pain

2011-06-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, these two headlines active right now on the freep.com are bringing back painful memories.

First is the obvious kick to the gut of everything decent in public life: Sam Riddle, convicted of corruption and serving time for his role in a bribery scheme in Detroit and Southfield, will be teaching an ethics course in federal prison.

Second is one that hurts the heart, as Matt Millen — he who boldly led the Lions through their darkest decade in what has been a half century of mostly misery — is declaring that many NFL teams would be interested in Ohio State's troubled QB, Terrelle Pryor. Avoid him like the plague if Millen would be interested!

Oh well, at least I can read Kwame Kilpatrick's autobiography and fell better about myself as I watch society wash down the drain.

Weather and hockey

2011-05-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the NBA Finals are starting before the hockey finals. I haven't seen that before, or at least haven't noticed it before.

It pretty much means that hockey will end after basketball (partly because I'm fearing a Heat sweep). It used to be that NBA players played into July.

Oh well, May is proving just as hot at July, with 90-degree highs today, making the broken AC in the office my new nemesis.

Media storms

2011-05-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm back, as Oprah has gone quietly into the night.

So a while back I wondered about the next big media explosion, and it turned out to be a couple of slowburners. Neither the flooding of the Mississippi nor Oprah Winfrey's final episode completely dominated the news, but combined they kept the newscasters and bloggers busy for a week or two, as the water slowed moved southbound and Oprah moved her army of wellwishers through the couches and chairs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunning double life and admitted affair almost surpassed the royal wedding....oh, nevermind, nothing came close to covering that affair, but Arnold gave it a good go. What's so amazing about that story is how the media MISSED it for more than a decade. It was a juicy story before the political career started but both Hollywood paparazzi and the nation's political reporters had no clue about the love child. How did Arnold get the free pass? Perhaps because he played with the media and didn't run from them, so they had little reason to dig.

How impressive that he kept the child and affair hidden. It almost came out because he (or really, his wife) decided it was time to come out with the separation.

What's next?

2011-05-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's been a spring-into-summer news period for the world.

Will there be any rest for the nightly news anchors, the cable news hosts, or any other face of the news who has to travel to every big story, I wondered last month.

Yes, there was. And then came and went the Weiner story, a nice rest from the real news of tornadoes, earthquakes, crumbling economies and ecosystems....ok, I added the ecosystems for dramatic effect.

I count the Arnie and Weiner stories together, they came and went at the same time and almost at the same pace, climaxed by the hurried following of Anthony Weiner to his presser announcing his resignation. But like Arnold in Terminator, He'll Be Back. I'm sure of it.

His sin is forgivable and he had a lovable, though creepy appeal. Why? He stood in there and took it for so long. He answered the questions early on, over and over again.

Cheering death

2011-05-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

It takes a special man to be the person who gets Americans to dance and cheer a death.
And Osama bin Laden was the man, a mass murderer who spread hatred across the globe.

Images of people in the Middle East hitting the streets and cheering deaths are not uncommon to hit the TV, but that is not something you see in the U.S. We go out and cheer World Series wins, Super Bowl victories. Sometimes, I'm looking at Lansing, we go out and dance and cheer when our teams lose.

But over someone dying? That's not something we see every decade. In fact, when notorious killers are executed, even child killers, there will be protesters out, objecting to capital punishment. There may be counter-protesters, happy with the execution but not cheering death. It's political activism that got them out.

People may have been happy that Timothy McVeigh was killed, but I don't recall cheering and dancing.

When wars start, we don't rush out to cheer and dance; rather, we go inside and watch the news. When the first Gulf War started, people either ordered or stole cable to watch CNN.

We comment, complain, support, question. We cheer when our troops come home.

Osama bin Laden was just a man. But what he did, what he supported, and in some way, what he started, well, that got our attention. And we waited patiently and we rejoiced when we learned that justice had been served.

No complaints that it took so long. Minimum disbelief. No arguing about methods and overall objective. Makes that birth certificate issue seem quaint, silly and ancient.

Ooops! Obama-Osama. What's in a name?

2011-05-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

A Fox affiliate in California had to explain an on-screen typo that declared "REPORTS: Obama bin Laden dead." As the rush to get the news out that Osama bin Laden had been killed by American forces, a few mistakes were made, several regarding the president's similar sounding first name.

The Fox40 channel in Sacramento had the mistaken phrase typed on its screen. But in apologizing, it noted that the Fox affiliate in San Diego had made a similar but verbal mistake, according to a report in blog.zap2it.com.

Some have complained that these mistakes were intentional. What do you think? Are the names close enough for the mistakes to be honest due to hasty, frantic work late at nght? Share within our comments. (And all typos will be forgiven.)

Tornado videos

2011-04-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's an incredible story developing in the South with the wide areas damaged by tornadoes this week.

What is most amazing, just as with the earthquake and tsumani in Japan, are the videos that show the destruction. It really opens up my eyes, even though you can measure the damage in lives lost, homes damaged and dollar amounts. But seeing what people lived through, wow, that is eye opening.

Quick reaction for Obama's birth certificate

2011-04-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

The comments came in fast and furious and they were informative, informed, sharp and pretty much on target. Two postings on our Facebook page results in about 20 comments, and two versions of the AP story on Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate brought another 20 comments.

I liked the variety of comments from the community, a real highlight to my day.

Kenya? No. It looks like it's Hawaii.
Readers were split on Wednesday's release of the president's birth certificate, a hot button topic in the cable news political arena.
Barack Obama said he hopes the "silliness" of this debate ends so he and other leaders can focus on real problems, such as jobs, the economy, and the national debt.
But others believe that the subject of Obama’s Hawaiian birth, and subsequently his nationality, are real issues. Even Donald Trump, the possible Republican candidate and NBC reality TV star, claimed victory, pronouncing his pleasure at having finally convinced the president to release the long version of his birth certificate.
Here, though, is some of what you had to say, both on our story page and on our Facebook page:
- Liz Scott Waters: "Trump is a joke."
n Maria Christina Gusmano-Tomasino: "Nothing more important going on than this silly issue? I'm embarrassed and saddened by our priorities today."
n Venus Long: "It's a shame that we can not take the word of our president and he has to show proof!"
- Mark Steven: "Obama’s Dad was born in Kenya ... so Obama is not a natural born citizen. People don't even know what the Constitution says."
- Vq Videos: "Trump is NOT part of the political establishment and doesn't give a rat's behind what the media wants to say about him, AND HE GOT IT DONE ... FINALLY someone who's willing to stand up to the "get-along" political establishment."
- Vq Videos again: "How come "Mr. Transparency" has fought this simple, trifling matter for this long in the first place? Because he and other politicians think they don't REALLY answer to anyone?"
- Melissa Behm Marra: "It's really a shame when the president has to tell the politicians to stop being so immature."
n Diana Clark Davis: "If he wasn't hiding anything he shouldn't have had a problem with it."
- Ed Fisher: "I just wonder how many presidents have been harassed regarding their birth certificates? Is it because he is bi-racial, admitting to his father being from another country? Just curious is all."
- Joan G. Berndt: "I don't know what took him so long, but the whole matter is irrelevant. Let's get the economy solved and the dollar shored up. Since his mother is a native born American, the whole debate is absurd."
- rd rge: "To me it is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Why he would have waited so long? Let's just hope no more taxpayer dollars are WASTED!"
- Big Boss: "If there was no doubt, it would have taken just a few days at best to produce, not a few years. Why did it take so long to show a birth certificate if the Obama camp knew this was going to be an issue?"
- Jim: "It's just more proof that Obama is a wimp who caves to right-wing idiots and extremists at every opportunity. He needs to grow a pair and fight instead of constantly begging the GOP to stop hurting him. "
- gg10: "I would rather see Donald Trump's tax statement and see how much money he hides in overseas banks or how many of his businesses have overseas addresses."
Stephen Frye is online editor at TheOaklandPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @stevefrye or @TheOaklandPress. Email him at steve.frye@oakpress.com. He also writes this blog.

Readers react to Independence Township dustup

2011-04-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

The story from Independence Township in Tuesday's paper seemed to be about a fight between a boss and an employee as well as about a baseball bat and workplace aggression.
But it all started with a tractor donated to the township's parks and recreation department in the 1970s and a policy about returning donated property the township receives.
Readers, though, saw the real point of the story within unions and local governments.
Here's a look at some of the comments posted on theoakalndpress.com about this story about an employee filing a grievance about an alleged threat made with a baseball bat by Township Supervisor Dave Wagner.
n big Al: "This is priceless. Where else but in government would you be able to hire an investigator for not more than $1,000 to locate an old tractor probably worth not more than $100."
- wrobinso: "And you wonder why the Unions have no place in the workplace? This Supervisor should have been fired on the spot and arrested."
- waterfordmike: "If you have worked with union employees, you know the frustration of working with people who believe less work, more pay."
- GABBY12: "This goes to show just how out of control Independence township really is.... I, for one, am glad it made the papers. Too much is getting swept under the rug and the public never finds out about."
- rob neighborhood: "Open meetings, open government, open the books, open the back rooms, open the files, get to the truth. Somewhere in this collection of accounts lies the truth, and all these closed doors allow lies."
- Katie F.: "I hope The Oakland Press doesn't feel it was singled out by Mr. Wagner. He doesn't return any of our calls either."

Stephen Frye is online editor at TheOaklandPress.com. Contact him at steve.frye@oakpress.com or follow @stevefrye on Twitter. Please, join the conversation online.

Lions, MNF and Bears

2011-04-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, we Lions have finally made it.... to the second-tier level of popularity?

Everyone is excited about the Detroit Lions playing a real Monday Night Football game, in October and against the Bears. I'm afraid, though, the people who should be most happy are from Chicago, as they can travel a short distance to see their team. I don't know if the Bears will crush the Lions, but based on recent years, early bets are the Bears. As for the night of the week, it's not that big a deal anymore.

But hey, it's still a night game, so a little bit of primetime celebration is in order.

I was at the last Monday Night Football hosted by the Lions, back in 2001 when a young Marty Mornhinweg was 0-2 and ready for his first win. New team president Matt Millen was ready to reinvent team leadership. I didn't watch the game; didn't need to, it turned out. However, I covered the fans excitement over being on the real MNF on ABC. It was the team's last season at the Pontiac Silverdome, so I ended up covering a few finals .... final Thanksgiving tailgate, final night game, final game.

The Lions ended up getting smoked by Mike Martz and Kurt Warner, 35-0, I believe. They would lose 10 more games before Marnhinweg got to celebrate a victory as a head football coach in a professional league. He didn't ride his Harley to practice to celebrate after that eventual win.

Of course, Mornhinweg's inaugural season ended 2-14. He improved with a 50 percent increase in wins in 2002, the first season in Ford Field in downtown Detroit, ending his career with a 5-27 record for a .154 winning percentage - lower even than Rod Marinelli's .200 career record with Detroit (which included the infamous 0-16 record).

Mornhinweg went on back to Philadelphia, where he leads the Eagles' offense. The Lions went downtown, where they have wowed the world with losing.

And MNF, well, it went to cable, where it is now the second-tier NFL showcase. Not to knock ESPN, but, they aren't like ABC or NBC. Instead of all the rowdy friends coming over on Monday, they come over on Sunday's now, where NBC has led a successful reinvention of how America watches football. It's not important on Monday; it's Sunday that is "football night in America."

But like every Lions fan believes, this is a new season. This could be the year. However, MNF isn't any kind of 'making it' or show of respect. That comes if we're still playing in January.

Uh oh, are we doomed to get dumber in Michigan?

2011-04-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, the budget it short and the economy stinks, but we are in trouble if we sacrifice learning in Michigan.

I read an interesting piece last year, I believe in Time magazine, about the importance of giving value to smart children, the over-achievers. They will be the ones who invent new technologies, develop new practices, find new cures or vaccines. They will be the leaders who help keep America the number country in the world.

Except, we don't value them. We've emphasized including everyone of making sure the dumbest people can do the basic things. We have larger classes. We slow down the learning to make sure everyone can pass the same simple test.

And it will only get worse in Michigan, where education is not valued, it seems.

The Trenton Patch reports today that Trenton schools are considering doing away with the AP, advanced placement, courses due to budget cuts. So the smart students you do have get less education. AP courses are one of the significant benefits of a good school system, as if you have a strong elementary and middle school years, you can let high school cover some of the basics of college, giving an opportunity to jump ahead in the first years at university.

Ouch. Not something you'd want to cut.

In Troy, they want to close the library to save money, knowing that the public safety unions will ensure that is the last area cut. No one working in city hall really wants to cut the perks of city hall, so the library is first to go. I understand cuts have to be made, but it would be better if they were spread out equally, not targeting a single entity.

Meanwhile, the state's leadership has targeted education again, and again learning will suffer.

Again, I know cuts need to be made, but education is an investment in a society's future. There's little point to staffing and filling prisons to keep us safe if we're only going to need more prisons because there's less chance for the state's economy to improve. We've already suffered a brain drain, and we're not teaching our children as well, it will only get worse.

Oh well, at least we have casinos.

Snow

2011-04-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's just a little snow. Sure, I could have joked about having to dig out the snowthrower, or perhaps, asked if I could just mow the snow off the driveway, but there was not snow on my driveway as the warmth has kept things pretty normal while yards and trees get covered.

The snow does not bother me.

However, a reporter rumbling that we may not have a summer as cool weather will linger until end of May and will not be overcome with excessive summer warmth leaves me wondering, why am paying for a pool membership this year?

Here's to a lovely spring.

The Onion picks on the Pistons

2011-04-11T13:46:00.001-07:00

One group not given to share even a slight amount of hope about the Detroit Pistons after their sale to billionaire Tom Gores are the writers over at TheOnion.com.

The satirical online news site has a story today about the JumboTron no longer caring about the Pistons chances. One joke is that the JumboTron encourages fans to stand up, but not to cheer, rather to walk out and "do something worthwhile with your night."

Read the posting here.

Yes, the Pistons will miss the playoffs, struggling at 29-51, but at least they are better than Cleveland, which has languished without LeBron James at 17-63, tied for last in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

And speaking of LeBron, his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday beat the Pistons, who had won a road game the prior night in Charlotte.

Tiger Blood

2011-04-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

So The Masters went to a man named Charl, but it was Tiger who had to make CBS's day and weekend. Tiger Woods stormed back as Rory McIlroy crumbled, who started the day four strokes up from second but ended out of the large -10 crowd in the final holes.

McIlroy's 80 may be remembered when considering final day slip ups, but Tiger Woods would have dominated the story had he been the one to win.

But just getting onto the leaderboard this late during a major was enough for the TV crowd, I'm guessing.

I'm pleased that the winner was Schwartzel, the South African, because he relied not so much on someone crumbling but because he made the shots when he had to. (Of course, that 8o helped).

NBC not reporting on GE? Of course not

2011-03-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not surprised at the recent criticisms of NBC Nightly News and NBC News in general for not reporting on a fascinating story out of New York, one that indicates one of America's most profitable companies paid no federal taxes.

GE made billions but has found enough loopholes to keep its tax bill to zero dollars. Of course, NBC is owned by General Electric and has little interest in airing its bosses' dirty laundry. Here's a good look at the issue.

I'm surprised they would totally ignore it, as that decision gives Daily Show host John Stewart something to accuse them off. Seems like tossing it in quietly and quickly would have done better. When I bounce between the three 6:30 p.m. national news broadcasts, I see generally the same stories, so it's noticeable if one story is ignored somewhere in particular.

And the news has been used so much as a way to promote network reality shows, that it's hard not to see the corporate shilling that is going on, especially with promotions of Dancing with the Stars, Biggest Loser or Celebrity Apprentice, or else American Idol -- especially when forced down on the local news stations (WXYZ's 7, WDIV's 4 or Fox2).

However, it's not like I'd believe any story at 6:30 p.m. that concerns medicines or other pharmaceuticals, considering that industry seems to pay for the right to get a 30-min worldview wrap up of the day's news.

Video shows truth (w/ strong language)

2011-03-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

The video of medical marijuana advocates Candace and William Teichman meeting with sheriff's deputies about them harassing another officer reveals the patience needed by police officers when doing their job.

Of course, the deputies knew that the tape of running, but still, they showed incredible restraint while the couple proved itself volatile with downright uneducated rudeness.

Good job for the police in this one, but too bad the couple soiled a strong legal and public relations argument for medical marijuana. The fact that voters approved it tends to make most polls, it seems, in Michigan show a support for medical marijuana. But this couple cannot be the mouthpiece for those who feel local leaders are wrong about prosecuting the cases.

Shrewd move, of course, for this video to be removed, but such video shows the truth about who we're dealing with here. Like the NFL, NHL, NBA and even MLB, let's go to the video carries much weight.

What I can't get over is how rude they are to each other. Each one takes turns interrupting and shouting down their partner. Wow.

Boo hiss NFL

2011-03-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the NFL has gone and jumped the shark.
It's admitting that its game is too violent and it is making a move to reduce injuries... and take away from the excitement and fun.
The kickoffs go back to the 35, as they always were when I was growing, and from where they were moved in 1994 when the NFL (smart) wanted to increase the excitement of the game. Moving to the 30 yard line meant more returns, which means more fumbles (good), touchdowns or long returns (good), penalties (bad) and injuries (very bad).
The owners, currently embroiled in a lockout with players as they push for more money for ownership, less for players, as well as a longer season, went and made this move with very little debate and very little public discussion.
But I'm not buying it. If it's to say to the players, see we love you and care about your brains, well, it's opening the door to saying, we need to eliminate all injuries.
HELLO, FLAG FOOTBALL.
SO LONG, HELMETS and tackles and sacks and running backs plowing straight ahead for the first down.
So this is the beginning of the end of football as we know it.
I'm glad I'm getting into the ENGLISH PREMIERE LEAGUE soccer, or emmm, football. It's exciting, even if it's the 1-nil variety. Those guys konk their heads, and they don't wear helmets. And games change on a dime and goalies sure can blow it. I LOVE IT.
But I still would like NFL, my favorite sport.
I've always hated the league, going back to how they treat their television customers, which really is most of their customer base as so much money comes from TV. BUT oh, my, don't let the suck-ass Lions be shown OR ANY OTHER GAME.....(I get so bitter, even now during the off-season, I'd just love to the oversized govt come and hold hearing and get its big toe into the league... JUST END IT.).
But really, I'd like the game I used to love to be on TV this fall, I suppose.
I support the 18-game season. Do away with the playoff bye for the two best teams. Then the league would rock on into another glorious decade before common sense dictated that it end.
However, I also support the players and their quest for guaranteed money and a bigger part of the financial pie.
They need better pensions for older retired players and they need to guarantee money for players.
Then let them beat their f-in brains out, please.

Charlie Sheen is right?

2011-02-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Of course not, when it comes to substance abuse and attempted recovery.

However, I believe Charlie Sheen nailed it on the head when he said on a radio program that he said to his boss, “I've spent the last decade turning your tin cans into gold."

The show, Two and a Half Men, is stupid, so I assume most of the success comes not from the writers but from the team of actors, which is led by Sheen.

I'm guided more to 30 Rock and Modern Family, but I'll give Sheen his due; his show is number one after eight seasons. Reruns earn great ratings. Fans of the show appear to not be getting tired of it. So in the fight between his bosses (network and producer Chuck Lorre) and the star (lit up Tiger-blooded Sheen), I'm taking the star.

Plus, if more people in Hollywood followed his example and worked without a publicist, think how entertaining TV would become, especially the news. Oh my. I can only hope.

Here's to Sheen returning with a $3 million-an-episode contract and proof that not everything has to be so processed and canned.

Boy, falling fast in Libya

2011-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Moammar Gadhafi had a good run, getting off the terrorism list with G. W. Bush and then obtaining freedom of the airline bomber from the UK.

What happened? It seemed like he was out of our hair and free to run his own country as he liked.

Turned out the people didn't care to much for that, and now, as they've done in Egypt and Tunisia, the people are rising up. Of course, Gadhafi is biting back, but if he bites too hard, he'll end up back on our shit list and that won't be good for dominating his Libya.

Just shows how change can be inevitable.

Interesting times

2011-02-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

Budget battles bring out the best in Americans, always passionate for proper resources from their local and state governments but always mindful of property and income taxes. This year is more heated, of course, because, well, it's this year.

But Wisconsin does take the cake. Very interesting stuff over there, if looking at the strategies (RUN!, very Dillengeresque) and the stakes (Huge!).

Too bad places like Libya and Egypt don't have budget battles, where this sort of disagreement could be handled, instead waiting decades for their parties to end and for the streets to replace orderly change.

Oh yes,

2011-01-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, and I was interested in the Orange Bowl for a few minutes last night with a close first half, but upon awaking this morning, I relieved that I hadn't missed anything special.

As a child, I would have loved this extended bowl season, but as an adult, I cannot muster the patience or the time to watch them all.

However, I must say that I'm very excited by the national championship, hoping that Oregon can win with its fast-paced offense. What makes it a great matchup is that I don't think it's going to be easy for them, going up against Auburn's defense and quarterback. But with a month off, perhaps the QB has been busy counting dollars or even spending those 'soon-to-arrive' dollars.

I just hope I can stay up for the game.

A state waits with RichRod

2011-01-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

We're all interested in what is happening with Michigan's most important football job.

It appears that RichRod could be fired, though there are questions about who would replace him as coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines. So maybe he won't be fired, if reports about Jim Harbough - once the favorite for the job - intending to decline it prove true. Harbough may prefer to state in his home and just move on to the San Francisco 49ers, competing against his brother in the NFL.

In other coaching news, the top coach in the state, Mark Dantonio, was spanked by former Spartan coach Nick Saban, who traveled to LSU and Miami (NFL) before winding up at Alabama. Everyone here had hoped this would be the removal of that era if MSU could have beaten the Crimson Tide, but it was not to be.

Meanwhile, Rich Rodriguez remains a top story in the state, even as our auto industry sees significant improvements in sales, as a new governor gets ready to slash away at the state budget as we await a $1 billion-plus shortfall, and we wonder how much misery the next snow storm will bring. Let's not mention the Lions and their four-game winning streak....FALSE PROMISES.

I wonder how long he would have to coach before the news about his job lessons in importance. Perhaps just another season or two, especially with that defense, and then he'll be relegated to the back page.

Districts

2010-12-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the census numbers are coming out and I must say I was not surprised that Michigan was losing people; however, I was shocked that we were the only state to lose people.

Ouch.

Now comes the political fun of watching the fights and complaints over the redistricting that occurs every ten years. A lot of damage can be done, but with everyone having a say (even without a vote), it makes for entertaining politics.

Remember, we talked about this months ago, when explaining why the state senate and house were so important. Locally, we discussed the issue too with local county leaderships. People could have voted, you know.

New phone

2010-12-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's been about a month since I've bought my new phone, a Samsung Continuum.

Due to my Blackberry breaking on Thanksgiving, I decided to venture out on Black Friday and I was rewarded with a good deal and delightful staff at the Verizon store in Great Lakes Crossing.

I lucked out. I've held off on getting a new phone because they change so quickly and I dreaded getting stuck with a phone I didn't like. But I seem to have done alright.

Later, I saw Matt Myftiu's TECH TIME review of the phone.

In the end, I've been happy and I'm doing new things, such as checking out QR codes, playing tetris and shooting more video than ever before.

I returned to Great Lakes this past weekend because I owed the 3-yr-old some fun and had some shopping to do. She was a trooper, but the mall was really too packed; however, I did luck into a parking spot close by without much of a search and after delays on Baldwin, I did evacuate the area fairly quickly.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday and be safe if you're on the road, be calm if you're in the air (or waiting to get into the air), and be happy if you're at home.

Let's hope we have a dynamic but not dangerous Black Friday, though some footage of stampedes might be a tad bit entertaining.

Let's hope that things are OK in the Koreas and that world war doesn't start.

Let's hope the Lions make it into the 3rd quarter within a single digits, which would make the Kid Rock halftime show more spectacular.

And speaking of Kid Rock, let's be thankful to have someone willing to step up and defend the Detroit area and Michigan. He does a lot to help out people around here, and he prefers to do it quietly, on several occasions lending a hand and asking that his name not be included.

Here's to more like him, even with the Waffle House entertainment, too.

And here's to the last calm Thanksgiving for a few years or more for Rick Snyder and his family. From here on, you're expected to make everything better.

I'd also like to thank the readers of theoaklandpress.com, for their input and their passion, for their interest and their insight. They criticize us rightfully when we are wrong, point us in the right directions for stories, and let us know when we're on to something.

I'm also thankful for the many partners we've met and worked with, including CMN-TV in Troy, The Macomb Daily and Daily Tribune, The Morning Sun in Mt. Pleasant, The Michigan Chronicle, Fox2, and WADL. Moreover, we have a great community of contributors, far too many to mention, but you can find many of them on our blog page.

Happy holidays, all.

Calm down with the pat downs

2010-11-22T14:02:00.001-08:00

I just don't see people getting all up in arms about pat downs. I only hope they go quickly. It's the complainers who slow things down.

The TSA workers should have two fundamental jobs:

- No terrorist attack from a passenger
- Fast-moving lines.

Now, those two goals are opposing, so it's the challenge of the TSA to figure out how BEST to do this. It may take some time, but it's got to started, so let them experiment.

Myself, I'd prefer the scanner, as it just seems much much quicker.

An appeal is OK, it's still murder, mom

2010-11-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, there will be an appeal in the Jonathan Belton case. He was convicted today of murdering an Oak Park Public Safety Officer.

Some thought the mother's statement, "It's not over," as he was led out of court and to a lifetime in prison, means that there's a chance of the case being appealed.

Well, it will be appealed. It's automatic and because the teenager has a life to look ahead to, he'll be given an appellate lawyer.

Of course, it doesn't mean he'll win. Geoffrey Fieger complained about the judge's ruling, but he didn't put on a case. He hoped for an argument to win the case and considering the evidence prosecutors had (stolen cell phone used by defendant, lost gun, presumably taken by defendant), well, Fieger didn't have much a chance.

So there'll be an appeal, and he'll get another day in court. But I'm guessing he's not finding much sympathy.

Of course, I can't believe Nancy Seaman is getting a new trial, so who knows?