Monthly Archives: November 2019

Happy Thanksgiving.

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

You Betcha! (17)Nuh Uh.(0)

Maybe Bat Guano?

Mike Shirkey forgot to use the dollar sign for his 's'

It is what it is.

Mike Shirkey, Michigan’s Republican Senate leader said what he felt at the time, but forgot that triggered people trigger.  Obviously his position is one of institutional respect, and the branches of our governmental authority must work together for the benefit of Michigan.  But straight out calling the governor and her Democrat counter parts a bad name?  Heaven forbid we continue our word oppression of the overly sensitive progressive.

It started earlier this month with Shirkey’s spokeswoman saying the governor “has proven herself untrustworthy” following a series of public events where Whitmer supported an organization — and then vetoed their state funding in her budget standoff with Shirkey and the GOP.

Then Shirkey spouted off in a speech before a group of College Republicans at Hillsdale College, reportedly painting Whitmer and her fellow Democrats as being “on the batshit crazy spectrum,” The Hillsdale Collegian student newspaper reported Thursday.

Oh crap, now he did it.

You Betcha! (10)Nuh Uh.(0)

ICYMI Tlaib Ethics Issues

Did Rashida Tlaib convert campaign funds for personal use?

Did you know you can be paid to be a candidate?

Rashida (MOFO) Tlaib, former Michigan Sate Representative from the 13th district and now congress critter sensua de-luxe was on the payroll of her own campaign.  As if she was a staffer, the guttural grandstander received wages to be a candidate.

And it was completely legit.   To a point.  As explained in a fairly recent ethics probe candidates need to eat too:

The Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) explained that “payment of a salary to a candidate is not a prohibited personal use as defined under Commission regulations since, but for the candidacy, the candidate would be paid a salary in exchange for services rendered to an employer.” See Using Contributions to Pay Salaries to Candidates, 67 Fed. Reg. 76961, 76971-73 (Dec. 13, 2002). In reaching this conclusion, the FEC explained: “[B]ecause many candidates must forego salary in order to conduct the business of the campaign, a candidate who is dependent on an income is put at a severe disadvantage compared to an incumbent who is free to campaign at all times without any reduction in compensation or to an affluent challenger, who can afford to campaign without receiving any compensation.” Id. at 76971. Put differently, “candidates without significant resources might not be able to forgo salary payments in order to run for Federal office.”

Thus a social worker who couldn’t work her regular job was introduced to an overflowing campaign kitty.

You Betcha! (12)Nuh Uh.(0)

Remember Them

This is a day of memoriam, not of celebration . . . “happy” does not EVER apply.

I originally published this article back on the previous version of this site, eight years ago, and thought it overdue for a republish. My source material at the time was an interoffice email, circa 1998, from a shipmate (with whom I’m still in touch), whose letter I’d still had in my digital files, but have since lost. At least to me, the original author is unknown.

As the graphic below illustrates, a mere seven percent of the total American population have ever served in military forces of the United States. (I remember reading somewhere that only 1% of the total American population is currently serving.) To make this number a tad more practical, if you were to door-knock any random twenty houses in your neighborhood, statistically only one of those households would contain someone who’s active duty, a reservist, a guardsman, a retiree, or other veteran.

On a day dedicated to national memoriam, we do well to properly remember those who’ve served, even if we cannot personally name even one of them.

You Betcha! (10)Nuh Uh.(0)

Just Arrived

Vintage 2016

Gift bottles for all my favorite #DTS sufferers.

I’ve heard there was a version for Hillary supporters, but I would have to think they only wanted sour grapes.  No thanks!

2016 was sweet, and red.   Hoping the 2020 Vintage is just the same!

Have a great weekend!

You Betcha! (11)Nuh Uh.(0)

Lying liars lying (yet again).

Multiple media outlets in Detroit are reporting that the Detroit Institute of Arts will renege on their pledge made after the passage of their Regional Art Tax (aka “Art Institute Authority”) in 2012 and seek a renewal on the March 2020 ballot, two years ahead of its statutory end.

Yeah, I cannot wait to see how they’ll justify spending even more money on “art”?

I’m currently running on very little sleep, but more details to follow…

 

 

You Betcha! (4)Nuh Uh.(0)

Off To The Races

Super PAC fires first shots on GND.

AOC and her ‘crew’ has friends in the Senate, right?

Restoration PAC today announced a new statewide TV ad buy in Michigan asking incumbent liberal Senator Gary Peters to clarify his position on the Green New Deal.

Peters told the Detroit News he supports “many aspects” of the radical plan, but has been cagey about specifics.

“Considering the Green New Deal is the most radical, far-reaching planned destruction of the American economy in our lifetime, the least Gary Peters can do is spell out what he likes and what he dislikes about the plan,” said Restoration PAC founder Doug Truax.

The :30 ad airs across Michigan starting today and costs $879,294.

Restoration PAC was formed in 2015 and since has become one of the most effective conservative SuperPACs in America. It has focused primarily on U.S. Senate races but has also launched TV and digital advertising in the 2016 presidential race and several House races.

It’s ad will be one of the first salvos aiding the removal of Peters and hopefully adding another R to the Senate roster in 2020.

You Betcha! (15)Nuh Uh.(0)