... It's only too bad it costs them $400 at times.
Dearborn, notorious for rigid police enforcement of traffic laws, just had an embezzlement case heard that uncovered the activities of an ex-officer, who tried to bribe ticketed drivers into paying $400 to have their offenses wiped clean. Unfortunately, the officer pocketed half the money along with an accomplice, who agreed to testify in exchange for probation.
Many people are worried that police departments are not out to protect them, but to protect their own bottom line. Drivers constantly worry about speed traps and safety belt zones, and they claim there's good reason to worry. This is an unfortunate example.
Speaking of the seat belt law, we have increased enforcements here during holiday weekends. My co-worker Theresa was nailed in one of these zones, but they didn't pull her over until she was already a mile north of the zone. She was incredulous, wondering how come they didn't pull her over right in the zone. I told her they want to make you feel comfortable, thinking you got away with it, while at the same time nabbing you anyway.
Seat belt use comes naturally for me, thank goodness. I'd almost feel naked without it.
---------------------------------------
My likes for music have officially expanded to 2009, as I heard "1-2-3-4" by the Plain White T's. The link to the official video on YouTube is here.
What a beautiful song and beautiful video in a world that doesn't seem so beautiful. Hats off to the Plain White T's as well for bringing acoustical rock back to the forefront. It's nice to hear someone not from the cookie-cutter of Hip-Hop, rap or reality every once in awhile.
June 4, 2009
Kilpatrick: Clouding a liberal's viewpoint
I never fully understood any argument punctuated by stances from the left and right. Nor does a clear line draw between liberals & conservatives. I know the division itself is great, and I know voters overwhelmingly sent a message to change the conservative tone last November.
It makes a perfectly confusing forum when the resurgence of ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick dominates the headlines.
We already know his story. Now, wouldn't a criminal's possibilities of prison time look much more appealing if the end result is like Kilpatrick's? The man makes Detroit a laughingstock, is jailed for a miserly ninety days, then walks out from incarceration and right into a a $120,000/year job for Convisint, given all the perks that he enjoyed here - including a Cadillac Escalade.
How he deserves the automatic job right out of prison, nobody knows. A slap on the hand, a scott-free spring is what it amounts to. And the arrogance never stopped for one moment. Only able to pay six dollars per month restitution towards Detroit with all the money he's making? Insisting that a proposed visit to Dubai is for business? What business does he know how to conduct in Dubai, and how would he be perceived? He just wants a getaway outside his parole limitations.
That's how I perceived it, and in November I voted for "change". Wouldn't those be liberalistic views? If Kilpatrick is nailed for these actions, wouldn't I want the bum to stay in prison this time? Absolutely!
Yet the blogger response on the Free Press assumes the liberals want him out of prison if he's put back there. Shall we cloud the parties' stance even more?
From what I've seen, liberals choose to take an activist stance, quick to point out things wrong and, like the term implies, take action. It would appear to me that the conservative view would be "give the guy a chance". At least from my perspective. But then, check out these quotes on the response blog:
"Another liberal tact telling people to look the other way as criminals roll all over them!" To me, such an action would be inaction. Am I wrong?
"Then let all the stupid liberals hold candelight vigils outside his cell." I thought conservatives "turned the other cheek". They term it the "compassionate conservative". Wouldn't compassion for the man in this case involve releasing him from prison again, citing an "oversight"?
Maybe I really should consider myself "middle of the road", politically speaking. Then I could enjoy my time in the clouds.
-------------------------------------------
Reprieve #12 this year regarding the house: the utilities are actually safe from now, and we could get a $100 per month savings on restoring internet to the house. Supposedly, any moves to a motel or other smaller place now seem useless. Please tell me if this is another string-along. By Friday, I'll bet the story changes.
If anyone calls me "cynical", it will be because I've earned the title over the past year.
It makes a perfectly confusing forum when the resurgence of ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick dominates the headlines.
We already know his story. Now, wouldn't a criminal's possibilities of prison time look much more appealing if the end result is like Kilpatrick's? The man makes Detroit a laughingstock, is jailed for a miserly ninety days, then walks out from incarceration and right into a a $120,000/year job for Convisint, given all the perks that he enjoyed here - including a Cadillac Escalade.
How he deserves the automatic job right out of prison, nobody knows. A slap on the hand, a scott-free spring is what it amounts to. And the arrogance never stopped for one moment. Only able to pay six dollars per month restitution towards Detroit with all the money he's making? Insisting that a proposed visit to Dubai is for business? What business does he know how to conduct in Dubai, and how would he be perceived? He just wants a getaway outside his parole limitations.
That's how I perceived it, and in November I voted for "change". Wouldn't those be liberalistic views? If Kilpatrick is nailed for these actions, wouldn't I want the bum to stay in prison this time? Absolutely!
Yet the blogger response on the Free Press assumes the liberals want him out of prison if he's put back there. Shall we cloud the parties' stance even more?
From what I've seen, liberals choose to take an activist stance, quick to point out things wrong and, like the term implies, take action. It would appear to me that the conservative view would be "give the guy a chance". At least from my perspective. But then, check out these quotes on the response blog:
"Another liberal tact telling people to look the other way as criminals roll all over them!" To me, such an action would be inaction. Am I wrong?
"Then let all the stupid liberals hold candelight vigils outside his cell." I thought conservatives "turned the other cheek". They term it the "compassionate conservative". Wouldn't compassion for the man in this case involve releasing him from prison again, citing an "oversight"?
Maybe I really should consider myself "middle of the road", politically speaking. Then I could enjoy my time in the clouds.
-------------------------------------------
Reprieve #12 this year regarding the house: the utilities are actually safe from now, and we could get a $100 per month savings on restoring internet to the house. Supposedly, any moves to a motel or other smaller place now seem useless. Please tell me if this is another string-along. By Friday, I'll bet the story changes.
If anyone calls me "cynical", it will be because I've earned the title over the past year.
June 3, 2009
A rather flimsy pedestal
Today's Detroit Tiger boxscore was clicked on, and immediately clicked off in disgust. Their performance the past couple days show that first place may not be theirs for long. Since Monday, their play has been wretchedly 2008 again: they can't hit, pitch or field.
Continuing my recent rants on the legitmacy of response blog accuracies, I find it funny to see how many fair-weather fans will go to such extremes: Lose one game, fire everyone. Win one game, GO TIGERS! Win, and new pitching coach Rick Knapp looks like a genius. Lose, and old pitching coach Chuck Hernandez must still be giving the pitchers bad pointers from the other dugout.
I originally took offense at local columnist Terry Foster, and even Mitch Albom to a degree, when they complained about regular people blogging sporting events. They claim that the average fan knows nothing about the teams, and that any argument, from any stance, is baseless. We are to rely on the paid sportswriter if we are to read anything believeable.
Responsible people are out there blogging, guys. Feverish fans know what they're talking about. Ultimately though, Foster & Albom do have a point, as the blogs are overloaded with fair-weather fans. You can spot their posts a mile away.
Realists such as myself post realistic blogs, trying to allow a little wiggle-room for someone to logically debate a differing view. Citing pitching coach Knapp, people lauded him a genius last week when the Tigers took the AL ERA lead. But now I know I'll be reading buckshot in the blogs tonight saying he's worse than Hernandez ever was.
"Jim Leyland's got the fire!", followed by "Leyland's too old," followed by "Leyland's on top of his game," followed by "Leyland smokes too much." This is why I don't take offense at the named columnists anymore. You don't need a stat sheet with winning & losing streaks to find out if the team is winning or in a rut.
Keep plugging away, Foster & Albom. Perhaps your view has merit, and you can provide solid pedestals those other bloggers can't.
Just don't forget the credit to those who are knowledgeable, unjudgmental, and calls them like they see them. Wish the response blogs had more of them.
Continuing my recent rants on the legitmacy of response blog accuracies, I find it funny to see how many fair-weather fans will go to such extremes: Lose one game, fire everyone. Win one game, GO TIGERS! Win, and new pitching coach Rick Knapp looks like a genius. Lose, and old pitching coach Chuck Hernandez must still be giving the pitchers bad pointers from the other dugout.
I originally took offense at local columnist Terry Foster, and even Mitch Albom to a degree, when they complained about regular people blogging sporting events. They claim that the average fan knows nothing about the teams, and that any argument, from any stance, is baseless. We are to rely on the paid sportswriter if we are to read anything believeable.
Responsible people are out there blogging, guys. Feverish fans know what they're talking about. Ultimately though, Foster & Albom do have a point, as the blogs are overloaded with fair-weather fans. You can spot their posts a mile away.
Realists such as myself post realistic blogs, trying to allow a little wiggle-room for someone to logically debate a differing view. Citing pitching coach Knapp, people lauded him a genius last week when the Tigers took the AL ERA lead. But now I know I'll be reading buckshot in the blogs tonight saying he's worse than Hernandez ever was.
"Jim Leyland's got the fire!", followed by "Leyland's too old," followed by "Leyland's on top of his game," followed by "Leyland smokes too much." This is why I don't take offense at the named columnists anymore. You don't need a stat sheet with winning & losing streaks to find out if the team is winning or in a rut.
Keep plugging away, Foster & Albom. Perhaps your view has merit, and you can provide solid pedestals those other bloggers can't.
Just don't forget the credit to those who are knowledgeable, unjudgmental, and calls them like they see them. Wish the response blogs had more of them.
Read the definition of the word carefully
News items of note from yesterday:
* Detroit mayor Dave Bing accepted the sudden resignation of his chief communications officer, Robert Warfield, without having known of his past criminal history. In 2002, Warfield was charged with cocaine possession and sentenced to six months' probation. He likely took the position thinking the charge would be off the record after five years, but to no avail. Warfield acknowledged the transgression, but Bing was obviously never told about this.
It's good this resignation came quick. You can tell Warfield would have been a horrible communications officer -- because he didn't communicate his past to his superior! Who knows what could (or couldn't) have turned up had he stayed in the office for very long? We know the old tale that transparency in politics isn't a realistic thought. This is just another obvious reminder.
* The last vestiges of Tiger Stadium will mercifully be torn down starting in about two weeks.
The restoration of the sliver that remains has dragged on in the news for months. A conservancy was to raise the funds for its restoration into a museum, commercial complex and youth baseball field. But judging by the lack of press on the project over the past month or so, knowing deadlines were looming, I didn't really feel this project would take off.
This may not yet end without a fight, as proponents of the restoration argue that the city cannot clear the property without a buyer ready to take over. However, the actual order for the demolition has no city say-so.
It's a shame there ended up being no use for a historical structure, but it's been a damn shame it's been hanging in the wind for months; just another eyesore in the Corktown area, which needs all the luck it can get.
* Interesting article about the prices of milk sliding recently. Kroger advertises a gallon for $1.77. At the gas station, a quart goes for $1.49, so it seems to make sense to buy in bulk.
The price slide appears to affect all dairy farmers directly. Notice I said "appears". I went to Calder's two weeks ago, and a quart of chocolate milk is still $2.49. Nothing against the owner, who's a good guy and who produces delicious milk, but I wonder how he's being shielded against these price cuts, and stays in business with the same amount of loyal customers as before. Maybe he has a different business formula that most dairy farmers are unaware of.
* And the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotamayor are underway. One thing critics can't claim is that she's indecisive. After all, she was the arbiter whose judgement ended the 1994 baseball strike and kept us from having to watch replacement ballplayers.
I still laugh at the one snippet from back then when two replacement players barked at the major league manager to hurry up the tryouts, as they "still had two refrigerators to deliver".
At least Sotamayor has a track record, but whether or not this will help the confirmation proceedings remains to be seen.
* Detroit mayor Dave Bing accepted the sudden resignation of his chief communications officer, Robert Warfield, without having known of his past criminal history. In 2002, Warfield was charged with cocaine possession and sentenced to six months' probation. He likely took the position thinking the charge would be off the record after five years, but to no avail. Warfield acknowledged the transgression, but Bing was obviously never told about this.
It's good this resignation came quick. You can tell Warfield would have been a horrible communications officer -- because he didn't communicate his past to his superior! Who knows what could (or couldn't) have turned up had he stayed in the office for very long? We know the old tale that transparency in politics isn't a realistic thought. This is just another obvious reminder.
* The last vestiges of Tiger Stadium will mercifully be torn down starting in about two weeks.
The restoration of the sliver that remains has dragged on in the news for months. A conservancy was to raise the funds for its restoration into a museum, commercial complex and youth baseball field. But judging by the lack of press on the project over the past month or so, knowing deadlines were looming, I didn't really feel this project would take off.
This may not yet end without a fight, as proponents of the restoration argue that the city cannot clear the property without a buyer ready to take over. However, the actual order for the demolition has no city say-so.
It's a shame there ended up being no use for a historical structure, but it's been a damn shame it's been hanging in the wind for months; just another eyesore in the Corktown area, which needs all the luck it can get.
* Interesting article about the prices of milk sliding recently. Kroger advertises a gallon for $1.77. At the gas station, a quart goes for $1.49, so it seems to make sense to buy in bulk.
The price slide appears to affect all dairy farmers directly. Notice I said "appears". I went to Calder's two weeks ago, and a quart of chocolate milk is still $2.49. Nothing against the owner, who's a good guy and who produces delicious milk, but I wonder how he's being shielded against these price cuts, and stays in business with the same amount of loyal customers as before. Maybe he has a different business formula that most dairy farmers are unaware of.
* And the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotamayor are underway. One thing critics can't claim is that she's indecisive. After all, she was the arbiter whose judgement ended the 1994 baseball strike and kept us from having to watch replacement ballplayers.
I still laugh at the one snippet from back then when two replacement players barked at the major league manager to hurry up the tryouts, as they "still had two refrigerators to deliver".
At least Sotamayor has a track record, but whether or not this will help the confirmation proceedings remains to be seen.
June 2, 2009
Royalty payments with the opposite effect
There are two distinct and obvious groups in the music industry. One are the known superstars -- the Beatles years ago, the Jonas Brothers today. Then there are those who have spent a lifetime trying to crack the charts, gaining airplay and notice.
Airplay & notice can be fleeting sometimes. But under a newly proposed procedure awaiting passage, radio stations will be required to pay out royalties to groups who have their music played.
In this day & age, with cutbacks being the norm, how are radio stations supposed to keep funding the artists when they're working with a small budget to begin with?
Radio, though it's been around longer than TV, is a smaller operation. It used to be gigantic until TV began signing away top radio stars of the day. Add to that the recent expansion of XM and Sirius satellite radio, and traditional stations are losing territory, coverage, advertisers and listeners.
The "Awareness for Fairness" bill will not promote continuous airplay simply because there would be too many songs to pay out for. Radio stations have staffs to take care of and pay for. Radio personalities are very passionate about what they do - perhaps more so than in other fields - but they likewise won't take a pay cut as anything more than a slap in the face.
It seems today's artists are more hungry for money than ever. They put the giving musicians, like U2's Bono, in the background when we should be profiling more of his humanitarian efforts. These artists will make more money in a month than Joe Q. Public will make in years. It makes it hard to understand why they are taxing the actual relief valves that play their music and make them known.
Please note than I am not totally against royalties in music. Songwriters & composers are already compensated (deservedly so, since they actually create the sound). Metallica had a legitimate gripe against Napster many years ago and chose not to have them carry their music. But this almost sounds like punishing a whole batch of apples for one rotten one. Once again, the scales of money distribution continue to tilt one way.
Unbelieveable to me is that Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, is on the panel recommending these payouts. Has she forgotten radio's humble roots, where one would be glad to receive notice?
You have to wonder if this could be the bell tolling for the demise of radio as we know it, if this crazy proposal passes. Rock groups need funding? Isn't that what touring and merchandising is for?
Airplay & notice can be fleeting sometimes. But under a newly proposed procedure awaiting passage, radio stations will be required to pay out royalties to groups who have their music played.
In this day & age, with cutbacks being the norm, how are radio stations supposed to keep funding the artists when they're working with a small budget to begin with?
Radio, though it's been around longer than TV, is a smaller operation. It used to be gigantic until TV began signing away top radio stars of the day. Add to that the recent expansion of XM and Sirius satellite radio, and traditional stations are losing territory, coverage, advertisers and listeners.
The "Awareness for Fairness" bill will not promote continuous airplay simply because there would be too many songs to pay out for. Radio stations have staffs to take care of and pay for. Radio personalities are very passionate about what they do - perhaps more so than in other fields - but they likewise won't take a pay cut as anything more than a slap in the face.
It seems today's artists are more hungry for money than ever. They put the giving musicians, like U2's Bono, in the background when we should be profiling more of his humanitarian efforts. These artists will make more money in a month than Joe Q. Public will make in years. It makes it hard to understand why they are taxing the actual relief valves that play their music and make them known.
Please note than I am not totally against royalties in music. Songwriters & composers are already compensated (deservedly so, since they actually create the sound). Metallica had a legitimate gripe against Napster many years ago and chose not to have them carry their music. But this almost sounds like punishing a whole batch of apples for one rotten one. Once again, the scales of money distribution continue to tilt one way.
Unbelieveable to me is that Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, is on the panel recommending these payouts. Has she forgotten radio's humble roots, where one would be glad to receive notice?
You have to wonder if this could be the bell tolling for the demise of radio as we know it, if this crazy proposal passes. Rock groups need funding? Isn't that what touring and merchandising is for?
You can be a principal if you stay long
Owing to sheer boredom yesterday (25 calls in ten hours), my interest in viewing profiles on classmates.com grew again, so I decided to call up various profiles. It made for an interesting, reflective shift at work that, once again, was rarely interrupted by a phone call.
As expected, many of the people who were God's gift to popularity had the bigger profiles with photos and detailed life descriptions. It's almost like 20 years later, their egos still have to do the loud talking.
I will always remember the principal telling us at our commencement that our class was the "most united" group of students she'd ever seen. Sorry, but as an outsider not involved with the inner circle by choice or chance, I had to laugh. I thought "united" meant the entire class of 195.
Supposedly, we were "united" when the school's SADD chapter put on a scenario where two of our classmates perished in a drunken driver accident. Surprise, they were two of the jocks, the all-everythings, the clique members. Had it been me, the response would have been "Who's he?", and an all-school assembly would not have been thought of (SADD probably would have disqualified me anyway, to conceal hidden truths about how powerful a message to send).
Strangely enough in yesterday's findings, two of the more popular didn't even register anything but a name. No wonderful photos, no familiar stories about how they anchored the wrestling team, no reflections on what contribution they made to the senior class song. No automatic tears or tugs at the heart. This gave me a little gratification. Whether their egos were shot down or they just mellowed, they fell into the woodwork, which I've always been a part of. Who knows come reunion time?
The class branded me "teacher's helper" in the mock elections, which was rather appropriate, since I always got along with them better. So I went searching for some of my old elementary teachers. It turns out four of them became principals in their own right, and one headed the Catholic Youth Camp for 15 years.
The shocker was Ms. McPherson, now principal of a school in Roseville. This woman looked like a scarecrow, and that's how many thought of her. She took a liking to sending me in the hall for any transgression. I hated the ensuing lectures, where my attention turned to her eyes, which would go in circles, left & right, up & down. I couldn't think of a scarier fifth grade thought.
But she, along with the other three principals, were there all eight years I was. They had nearly eighty years' combined experience under the same principal, who was there nearly 25 years. So evidentally, he kept those teachers there because he knew they were good. Looking at the video footage of Ms. McPherson that the school's website provided, it seems like she certainly has mellowed into her role.
The heck with a 20th class reunion, I thought. What about a teacher's reunion? Somehow, the way they share stories would come out interesting, yet quieter, than the loudmouths I'm reading about on classmates.com.
I knew there was something to my formative school years that I was missing.
As expected, many of the people who were God's gift to popularity had the bigger profiles with photos and detailed life descriptions. It's almost like 20 years later, their egos still have to do the loud talking.
I will always remember the principal telling us at our commencement that our class was the "most united" group of students she'd ever seen. Sorry, but as an outsider not involved with the inner circle by choice or chance, I had to laugh. I thought "united" meant the entire class of 195.
Supposedly, we were "united" when the school's SADD chapter put on a scenario where two of our classmates perished in a drunken driver accident. Surprise, they were two of the jocks, the all-everythings, the clique members. Had it been me, the response would have been "Who's he?", and an all-school assembly would not have been thought of (SADD probably would have disqualified me anyway, to conceal hidden truths about how powerful a message to send).
Strangely enough in yesterday's findings, two of the more popular didn't even register anything but a name. No wonderful photos, no familiar stories about how they anchored the wrestling team, no reflections on what contribution they made to the senior class song. No automatic tears or tugs at the heart. This gave me a little gratification. Whether their egos were shot down or they just mellowed, they fell into the woodwork, which I've always been a part of. Who knows come reunion time?
The class branded me "teacher's helper" in the mock elections, which was rather appropriate, since I always got along with them better. So I went searching for some of my old elementary teachers. It turns out four of them became principals in their own right, and one headed the Catholic Youth Camp for 15 years.
The shocker was Ms. McPherson, now principal of a school in Roseville. This woman looked like a scarecrow, and that's how many thought of her. She took a liking to sending me in the hall for any transgression. I hated the ensuing lectures, where my attention turned to her eyes, which would go in circles, left & right, up & down. I couldn't think of a scarier fifth grade thought.
But she, along with the other three principals, were there all eight years I was. They had nearly eighty years' combined experience under the same principal, who was there nearly 25 years. So evidentally, he kept those teachers there because he knew they were good. Looking at the video footage of Ms. McPherson that the school's website provided, it seems like she certainly has mellowed into her role.
The heck with a 20th class reunion, I thought. What about a teacher's reunion? Somehow, the way they share stories would come out interesting, yet quieter, than the loudmouths I'm reading about on classmates.com.
I knew there was something to my formative school years that I was missing.
June 1, 2009
Good for them; it wasn't good for us
*** LATE NEWS: As part of their bankruptcy plan, GM is now welcome to tap into $15 billion in order to help with the reorganization process. Geez, it must be tough being bankrupt!
==========================
It would not have been a surprise to see me experience an auto accident today, laughing to myself as hard as possible. Today was supposedly doomsday for GM, the long-awaited announcement of bankruptcy, and what happens? The Dow Industrials close up over 200 points to their highest close in six months. Was this a collective sigh of relief for the Dow, knowing they no longer have to shoulder the burden of carrying GM among its 30 stocks?
Turns out what GM thought was good wasn't good enough for the country. If this were 25 years ago, I'd be a little more worried about how this would affect the economy. But GM has shown, thru poor products & inept management, that it lost touch with customers on both world hemispheres. What makes it worse, GM gets bankruptcy protection, while all the tax-payer stimulus money directed toward it has been burned up.
There's "special report" coverage all over the radio and TV. Yet I'm still surprised at the sheer force of the coverage, especially when we all knew this move was months in the making.
This reminds me of a time about ten years ago when my father tried to get me into work at Woodhaven Stamping Plant (Ford). I honestly couldn't picture myself working at a factory, and for years he had told me he'd rather not see me go through the intensive labor.
However, the prevailing thought then was the same thought of forty years prior: You get into an auto factory, you're set for life. Locally, it was the same with the chemical companies: Work for Wyandotte, and never worry. Machine shops were plentiful. There were many in a strip along Allen Rd. in Taylor. Get fired from one, just walk next door and there you have it. Anything with a mechanical aptitude was looked at with respect.
Based on historical thought alone, I could understand why my father may have been frustrated due to my lukewarm response to factory work. I now see where, in fact, such a career move would have been a huge error. These layoffs & drawbacks have no safety net; it's just a plunge taken by the victimized worker. And in my mental state, that would've been more catastrophic than anything I've experienced (and called bad) in my life.
Michigan's still going to kick itself regardless of what recovery program GM employs. We do not have a reliable backup industry that can help draw dollars & balance the budget.
What's bad for GM is bad for Michigan, and we have to live it out every day, whether we worked for them or not.
==========================
It would not have been a surprise to see me experience an auto accident today, laughing to myself as hard as possible. Today was supposedly doomsday for GM, the long-awaited announcement of bankruptcy, and what happens? The Dow Industrials close up over 200 points to their highest close in six months. Was this a collective sigh of relief for the Dow, knowing they no longer have to shoulder the burden of carrying GM among its 30 stocks?
Turns out what GM thought was good wasn't good enough for the country. If this were 25 years ago, I'd be a little more worried about how this would affect the economy. But GM has shown, thru poor products & inept management, that it lost touch with customers on both world hemispheres. What makes it worse, GM gets bankruptcy protection, while all the tax-payer stimulus money directed toward it has been burned up.
There's "special report" coverage all over the radio and TV. Yet I'm still surprised at the sheer force of the coverage, especially when we all knew this move was months in the making.
This reminds me of a time about ten years ago when my father tried to get me into work at Woodhaven Stamping Plant (Ford). I honestly couldn't picture myself working at a factory, and for years he had told me he'd rather not see me go through the intensive labor.
However, the prevailing thought then was the same thought of forty years prior: You get into an auto factory, you're set for life. Locally, it was the same with the chemical companies: Work for Wyandotte, and never worry. Machine shops were plentiful. There were many in a strip along Allen Rd. in Taylor. Get fired from one, just walk next door and there you have it. Anything with a mechanical aptitude was looked at with respect.
Based on historical thought alone, I could understand why my father may have been frustrated due to my lukewarm response to factory work. I now see where, in fact, such a career move would have been a huge error. These layoffs & drawbacks have no safety net; it's just a plunge taken by the victimized worker. And in my mental state, that would've been more catastrophic than anything I've experienced (and called bad) in my life.
Michigan's still going to kick itself regardless of what recovery program GM employs. We do not have a reliable backup industry that can help draw dollars & balance the budget.
What's bad for GM is bad for Michigan, and we have to live it out every day, whether we worked for them or not.
When LeBron does it, it's a good excuse
It's shades of the 1991 Detroit Pistons all over again, and is it any more acceptable now than it was then?
If you're LeBron James, the answer would be yes. But that would also get the Pistons team off the hook.
Sports "experts" still, on occasion, berate the Pistons organization for how they walked out of their final playoff game in 1991 vs. Chicago without even congratulating them. It was the ultimate show of bad sportsmanship and the height of team ego, showing up a harder-working team that deserved their way to the finals. This was perhaps the first sign that there was something lurking behind the smile of Isiah Thomas.
The media didn't give the players much chance to explain. They just reported what they saw: no handshakes for a good series or luck in the future series. The Pistons were seen as brats who didn't want to let go of the "Bad Boys" era.
Flash forward to this past weekend, where King LeBron makes a quick exit from courtside without well-wishes to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. LeBron claims there is an excuse, saying he doesn't believe in congratulating the advancing team (if it isn't his), and there was nothing personal in that inaction.
Why are we supposed to believe it now, just because LeBron and Kobe Bryant are Commissioner David Stern's pair of torches lighting the NBA? Is it because LeBron has Nike endorsements and the Pistons didn't? Or has the atmosphere of political correctness overtaken the NBA, and it's okay not to shake the hands of your opponent, a sign of good sportsmanship?
LeBron's actions are what they are in 2009. But this should also serve to lift the shroud of doubt that's been on an aging Pistons team since that day in 1991. If it's alright now, it should've been alright to walk off the court then, as well.
After all, don't we long for the days of yesteryear in the world, where everything seemed to be better than now?
If you're LeBron James, the answer would be yes. But that would also get the Pistons team off the hook.
Sports "experts" still, on occasion, berate the Pistons organization for how they walked out of their final playoff game in 1991 vs. Chicago without even congratulating them. It was the ultimate show of bad sportsmanship and the height of team ego, showing up a harder-working team that deserved their way to the finals. This was perhaps the first sign that there was something lurking behind the smile of Isiah Thomas.
The media didn't give the players much chance to explain. They just reported what they saw: no handshakes for a good series or luck in the future series. The Pistons were seen as brats who didn't want to let go of the "Bad Boys" era.
Flash forward to this past weekend, where King LeBron makes a quick exit from courtside without well-wishes to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. LeBron claims there is an excuse, saying he doesn't believe in congratulating the advancing team (if it isn't his), and there was nothing personal in that inaction.
Why are we supposed to believe it now, just because LeBron and Kobe Bryant are Commissioner David Stern's pair of torches lighting the NBA? Is it because LeBron has Nike endorsements and the Pistons didn't? Or has the atmosphere of political correctness overtaken the NBA, and it's okay not to shake the hands of your opponent, a sign of good sportsmanship?
LeBron's actions are what they are in 2009. But this should also serve to lift the shroud of doubt that's been on an aging Pistons team since that day in 1991. If it's alright now, it should've been alright to walk off the court then, as well.
After all, don't we long for the days of yesteryear in the world, where everything seemed to be better than now?
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