Bits of Tid: February 19, 2011

More Power Edition

• You know how Republicans are supposed to be against tax hikes? Well, not anymore. At least not on seniors and poor people.
• On Daily Kos they're talking recalls in Wisconsin. Perhaps we should consider a recall or two in Michigan - or at least organaize a campaign to recall someone, even if it comes nowhere near getting on the ballot. One benefit of the low turnout in 2010 is that the threshold for recalls is lower. It would only take 19,895 signatures to force Dave Hildenbrand to face a recall. Recall drives must start at least six months after a lawmaker's term begins, so we could start gathering signatures on or after July 1. If we campaign to get a recall on the ballot, we can at least use it as anm opportunity to educate voters.
• Be sure to follow the the Michigan, My Michigan group on Daily Kos! Let me know if you'd like to be added as a member of the group.
• Sad news: West Michigan Rising is closing.
• Happy news: I have been elected to three things in the past ten days! Earlier this month I was elected to the Kent County Democratic Executive Committee, filling one of a few vacancies. Last weekend at Cobo Hall, I was also elected as a member of the Michigan 3rd District Democratic Executive Committee. Then on Thursday, Dad and I were elected as Council 4362's two delegates to the Michigan Knights of Columbus State Convention in May. Delegates from our council are usually the current Grand Knight (currently myself) and a past Grand Knight (Dad was Grand Knight in 1999-2000). Dad was previously a delegate to the 2000 and 2003 conventions.
• What a difference 17 days makes. On February 2, nearly every school in West Michigan was closed, as were most businesses, due to one of the biggest blizzards to hit the area in many decades. Now, there's almost no snow on our deck and very little on the ground. I hear Mother Nature is going to do something about that tomorrow.

Bits of Tid: December 19, 2009

• My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of State Rep. Mike Simpson. Simpson represented the 65th State House district, which includes part of the Jackson area stretching up to Eaton Rapids. Simpson, just 47, died yesterday of a heart attack.
• What do I think about this healthcare reform debate at this point? To be honest, I'm conflicted. The bill as it stands in the Senate does not include a Medicare buy-in or a Public Option, but it would offer some improvements over the current 'system' we have now.
• Another thing to keep in mind: The House-passed version does include the Public Option. So nobody should assume that the Public Option is dead yet. Far from it.
• The word "Sexy" made its way to the White House blog - it was spoken by the President himself.
• From the Times of India:
  

  A ray of hope for some slum-dwellers has come all the way from the US. Students of Central Michigan University (CMU), US, which will be adopting slums in Ahmedabad as part of their CMU Clean Water Initiative (CMUCWI). Under this project, the students will bring in the HydrAid water filtration system to 500 urban poor in selected slums for a decade.
  
  Students of CMU have identified slums near Bombay Hotel, Dani Limda and Vatva for the unique project, which will start from the first quarter of 2010.

• Go to your local library or bookstore and get Ted Kennedy's True Compass. You will not be disappointed.

Bits of Tid: November 19, 2009

• Today is World Toilet Day, Use Less Stuff Day, and Have A Bad Day Day. If you are anywhere near me, please only celebrate Use Less Stuff Day. Maybe World Toilet Day, depending on how you commemorate it.
  
• Is marriage itself illegal in Texas? I'm not just talking about gay marriage. I'm talking about marriage in general.
  
• Someone made this comment on one of my earlier posts:
  

  How do you like your change now? Idiot.

  First of all, I do like my change. It's kind of nice to live in a country that is admired on the world stage and whose President cares about the average working person as much as he cares about anyone else. And for you to call me an idiot? Well, for a conservative to say that to me, is such a high compliment!
  
• "Unfriend" has been named the 2009 Word of the Year by the Oxford Dictionary.
  
• Speaking of which, it's almost "that time of year again" - time for the Lake Superior State University Banished Words List! If you have a word or phrase you'd like to see banished, now's your chance to nominate it!
  
• Not to make any of you jealous, but I get to see Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., AND Jennifer Granholm at CMU today!

Bits of Tid: July 27, 2009

• US home sales went up in June. We're not completely out of the woods - not by a long shot - but things may have bottomed out.
• Pollution does wonders for your IQ. Which is to say, you wonder why your IQ is so low.
• Speaking of which: Sarah Palin in late-night comedy.
• Tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on Judge Sotomayor's nomination.
• Are you a hunter? If so, you might be interested in this.
• Facebook users: Follow the instructions and post this as your status:

  Facebook has agreed to let 3rd party advertisers use your posted pictures without your permission. Click on SETTINGS up at the top next to the log out link. Select PRIVACY. Then select NEWS FEEDS AND WALL. Next select the tab that reads FACE BOOK ADS. There is a drop down box, select NO ONE. Then SAVE your changes. (REPOST to let your friends know!)

• Five years ago tonight:
  

Bits of Tid: June 24, 2009

• For the first time this year,the weather in Michigan is hotter than the Governor of Michigan!
• Speaking of Governors, South Carolina's Mark Sanford (a possible 2012 hopeful) went missing; apparently hiking on Naked Hiking Day.
• As imperfect as Obama is, I don't quite agree with Bill Maher on his criticisms, which have been the source of much discussion. Even so, few people can make a point better than him. From the "it-would-be-funnier-if-it-wasn't-so-true" file:
• Ismael Ahmed has a storied career of working to improve the quality of life for Michigan citizens. Now he also has a blog.
• Another cool blog: The Positivity Blog. It's got tips on things like being social, productive, and better at what you do.
• Tigers' magic number: 88.

Bits of Tid: May 22, 2009

• Hey, traditional media, it's me, Scott. How's it going? Good? Alright. I just thought I'd remind you of something: DICK CHENEY IS NO LONGER VICE PRESIDENT!!!!! Got that? Alrighty. See you later.
• In case you're wondering, while the President gave a major national-security speech and signed two pieces of legislation this week, Biden has been touring the Balkans.
• You probably know that the White House has a YouTube channel. So does the US Government as a whole. Talk about bringing government to the people!
• I strongly encourage you to chip in a few bucks for the Michigan Democratic Party Youth Caucus and College Democrats of America. The stronger we can keep the youth movement, the better - and let's be honest, money helps!
• After that, do yourself a couple of favors by visiting 43things.com (which revolves around setting goals for your life) and futureme.org (wherein you can write letters to your future self that will actually be emailed to you on the day you choose).
• The Tigers' magic number is 120 after they completed their second straight series sweep. Can they keep up the mo' against the Rockies, who are last in their division? And can the Wings do their own sweep?
• Sheesh. It's already graduation time for East Kentwood!
  

Bits of Tid: June 30, 2008

• Have you seen Barack's new ad?
  
  
• Here are three things you might want to tell those of your friends who aren't yet in the Obama camp.
• Whaddya know, it's June and they already have a tentative budget deal in Lansing.
• I'm on PartyBuilder!
• Did you hear that sprinter Tyson Homosexual set an American record in Olympic qualifying in the 100 meters? Actually it was Tyson Gay, but not according to a far-right news website.
• This credit card advice could save you a bundle.
• Can you believe that were are almost halfway through 2008?

Bits of Tid: June 19, 2008

• Someone made an error in judgment and refused to allow two Muslim women on the stage during Obama's rally in Joe Louis Arena the other night. Obama himself called the women and apologized.
  
  This is part of what I like about Obama. He's not claiming to run the perfect campaign and trying desperately to cover this up and denied this ever happened. Instead, like a good leader, he is confronting it, accepting responsibility, and taking the initiative to apologize. Why won't more people in politics do that?
  
• Obama is hitting the airwaves in Michigan and 17 other states this weekend. He's off to an excellent start:
  
  


• Congrats to two Michigan bloggers on winning scholarships to Netroots Nation in Austin! I hope to attend a Netroots Nation event in the near future, although this year I won't be able to.
  
• As you may know, I am the Wednesday night editor of Daily Kos's Overnight News Digest. My most recent edition leads off with three stories of diplomacy.
  
• What's your ecological footprint?
  
• We are now fewer than 200,000 minutes away from 7AM on November 4, when polls will be open on Election Day in Michigan.
• As it turns out, my cousin was named valedictorian at her high school!

A problem most campaigns wouldn't mind having

Home page of BarackObama.com, 12:30 AM, February 13, 2008:



Later on (probably after work Wednesday afternoon) I'll update the pledged delegate totals on the right-hand side of the screen.

1,000 barrels of oil pumped PER SECOND - and other astounding stats

When's the last time you heard someone say, "Every ___ seconds someone is diagnosed with cancer," or "Every ___ seconds someone dies of ___ disease"?

The World Clock is an eye-opening website that estimates several vital statistics, including the earth's temperature, population, incidences of disease, and more. Open the website, and you will see constantly updated stats for many categories for this year. Clicking each of the buttons at the top will give you data pertaining to this month, this week, and today.

• The earth's temperature rises by one billionth of a degree every three seconds.


• One thousand barrels of oil are pumped every second.


• We lose a hectare of forest about every 2.5 seconds.


• More than fifty species have become extinct today alone.


• The world's population has grown by more than five million this week - nearly the population of Colorado.

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

Just three days from now, voters like me (and you?) will be partaking in primary elections. I, for one, will be doing a lit drop today.

Meanwhile:

Congress:

• AP: Senate passes Bush terorism spy bill. Sometimes in life, it is best for one to bite one's tongue. I will do so in this case, except to say that thankfully, Carl and Debbie voted no.
• Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: Who does Mike Rogers Really Work For: Part XXVIII. How much does it cost to be a Congressman these days? Click to find out!
• Vote No on Joe: The New "Ask Joe" Feature. You folks in the Ninth can have fun with this - but you only have seventeen months to use it!!

State budget:

• Monroe News: Senate moves to create efficiency panel. Let me do some of the panel’s work for them: State lawmakers ‘earn’ some $80,000 per year. It would've been considerably lower if not for Republican Dan DeGrow deciding not to let the Senate vote down a massive pay hike in 2001. How about slashing lawmaker pay?
• WKAR: House chair claims progress on cost-cutting. According to Rep. George Cushingberry (D), $300 million has been cut. "He says that is being ignored in the debate over tax increases."

Odds and ends:

• Detroit News: Ron Gettelfinger (UAW): Union auto plants beat competitors. Read this gem and arm yourself with talking points to use when you run into someone whoo isn't all that pro-union.
• Mount Pleasant Morning Sun: Great Lakes aren’t priority for Bush. Given the Administration's committment to the environment, aren't you just shocked? {/sarcasm}
• Blue Chips: Dodd-1, O'Reilly-0. Watch Billo get pwned.

Oh, and one more thing:

• AP: Blogs make their political mark. Heck yeah we are!

So how's life in your corner of the state?