Disqus - Latest Comments for LoRayne Apo-Joynt

Re: Leapfrog: NH Still Waiting On MI

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:08:35 -0000

BREAKING NEWS: Appeals court finds Primary Act Unconstitutional Per Michigan Messenger Fellow Todd Heywood:

LANSING -- Plaintiff Mark Grebner announced moments ago that the Michigan Court of Appeals has declared the controversial public act which created a January 15 presidential primary unconstitutional.

According to an email from Grebner, the Court ruled 2 to 1, with Judge Whitbeck dissenting.

No further details available at this time.

Re: WELCOME TO MICHIGAN MESSENGER!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:04 -0000

Hey, thanks!! And do stop back -- often!!

Re: WELCOME TO MICHIGAN MESSENGER!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:42:18 -0000

It's not maize It's orange and pumpkin.

More like Detroit Tigers, 'k?

Re: WELCOME TO MICHIGAN MESSENGER!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:58:54 -0000

Oh dear, here comes the flame war... Thanks, Nirmal. Much.

;-)

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Michigan and the Unification Church, Part One

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:15:34 -0000

Thank you for your comment Mr. Brayton is a participant in the Center for Independent Media New Journalism Pilot Program. However, all of the statements, opinions, policies, and views expressed at his personal site are solely Mr. Brayton's. His web site is not a production of the Center, and the Center does not support or endorse any of the contents on Mr. Brayton's site.

Thank you for visiting.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Michigan and the Unification Church, Part One

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:04:51 -0000

Mr. Fafarman Your concerns will be shared with Center for Independent Media. I am the coordinator for this site, and as such have advised you of our policy.

Please keep your comments constructive so as not to impede the free speech of others who may wish to comment on the subject matter of this post.

Thank you.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Michigan and the Unification Church, Part One

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:22:28 -0000

The Center was notified about your concerns. Please also refer to the site's Comment Policy.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Michigan and the Unification Church, Part One

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:24:24 -0000

Thank you for your comment Your concerns have been taken under advisement.

Please note the site's Comment Policy, which will be enforced.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:27:49 -0000

Thank you for your comment Please be sure consult the site's Comment Policy.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:32:22 -0000

Comment deleted for non-compliance Please refer to the site's Comment Policy.

Comment threads are meant to continue and discuss the topic in the post. Anything that does not advance the topic will be deleted without notice. We ask that you please adhere to these rules so that all of our audience can enjoy reading our stories.

Personal attacks will not be tolerated. Thank you for your cooperation.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:57:46 -0000

Thank you for your comment Please be sure consult the site's Comment Policy.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:10:29 -0000

As the author noted, there is an investigation under way Thanks very much for your concern; we are taking this matter very seriously.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:58:36 -0000

Comment deleted for non-compliance Please refer to this site's Comment Policy, reiterated here for benefit of new commentors:

-- Keep comments on topic: We welcome discussion on any of our stories. We do, however, ask that discussion stay on the topic of the post. Posts that do not relate to the topic will be deleted with no notice.

-- Keep discussions respectful: There are many different viewpoints represented both by the reporters and our audience. Different viewpoints and opinions are welcome, but personal attacks are not. Personal attacks on the writers, other commentors, or other attacks will not be tolerated, and those posts will be deleted with no notice.

-- No spamming comment threads: Spam will be defined as any repeated comment, as well as any off-topic comment, including commercial spam or comments not advancing the current topic. All comment spam will be deleted without notice.

-- Comment threads are meant to continue and discuss the topic in the post. Anything that does not advance the topic will be deleted without notice. We ask that you please adhere to these rules so that all of our audience can enjoy reading our stories.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Re: MSU hate group has ties to white supremacy movement

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:35:13 -0000

Comments deleted for non-compliance Please refer to this site's Comment Policy.

Re: MSU hate group has ties to white supremacy movement

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:35:48 -0000

Thank you for your comment Please refer to this site's Comment Policy.

Re: Hate group won’t chill free speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:15:42 -0000

Comments deleted for non-compliance Per site Comment Policy, comment threads are meant to continue and discuss the topic in the post. Anything that does not advance the topic will be deleted without notice. We ask that you please adhere to these rules so that all of our audience can enjoy reading our stories.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Re: UAW and GM talks continue Friday night

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:46:22 -0000

Thanks for your comment I'm sure the reporter will see your feedback; we'll discuss it in our next editorial meeting.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon’s Religious Ideology (Part 2 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:55:43 -0000

Thank you for the feedback That's an excellent point; I'll have to add links for the other parts at the end of each article in his series. Will make this change as soon as possible.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon’s Religious Ideology (Part 2 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:53:37 -0000

Please refer to the site's Comment Policy - Keep comments on topic: We welcome discussion on any of our stories. We do, however, ask that discussion stay on the topic of the post. Posts that do not relate to the topic will be deleted with no notice.

-- Keep discussions respectful: There are many different viewpoints represented both by the reporters and our audience. Different viewpoints and opinions are welcome, but personal attacks are not. Personal attacks on the writers, other commentors, or other attacks will not be tolerated, and those posts will be deleted with no notice.

-- No spamming comment threads: Spam will be defined as any repeated comment, as well as any off-topic comment, including commercial spam or comments not advancing the current topic. All comment spam will be deleted without notice.

-- Comment threads are meant to continue and discuss the topic in the post. Anything that does not advance the topic will be deleted without notice. We ask that you please adhere to these rules so that all of our audience can enjoy reading our stories.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon and the Religious Right (Part 3 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:38:41 -0000

Thank you for your comment You'll note that based on your feedback following Bad Moon Part 2 that we added links to both previous parts at the end of the story.

Ed has plenty more on Rev. Moon, stay tuned!

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon’s Religious Ideology (Part 2 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:59:49 -0000

Thank for your feedback We're still in "soft launch"; there are features you'll notice being implemented which should make management of comments more effective.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon and the Religious Right (Part 3 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 06:10:55 -0000

Comment deleted for non-compliance Please refer to this site's Comment Policy.

Re: GOP presidental forum begins on Mackinac Island

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:05:31 -0000

Thank you for your feedback We'll make a correction.

Re: Bad Moon Rising: Moon and the Religious Right (Part 3 in a series)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:08:05 -0000

Comment deleted for non-compliance Please refer to this site's Comment Policy.

In a nutshell:

- Comments on topic

- Respectful discussion

- No spamming to obstruct discussion

- Advance topic of post

Note that stalking contributors for the purposes of harassment will be deemed a violation of the Comment Policy.

Re: Bad Moon Rising, Part 4: Moon and Conservative Politics

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:45:50 -0000

Escaped the queue Very sorry for that; we'd originally planned for this piece to appear on Tuesday as part of our weekly story budget.

This piece was accidentally posted early and was pulled back to be reposted in its originally planned slot. You'll note that the next part in this series is scheduled for Thursday this week.

Nothing changed in the article save for a typo and the addition of the photo.

Thanks for watching our site so closely!

Re: AIDS Walk Michigan East Lansing-Lansing this weekend

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:48:34 -0000

Thanks for your enthusiasm Nice to such positive passion in thread here, Frankster.

Re: Blackwater and the Michigan Conservative Establishment

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:26:16 -0000

Wow, excellent link collection Thanks for sharing that, lots of content to dig through.

Re: Structural deficit persists, says Governor Granholm

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 06:41:24 -0000

Email sent Please check your email, chetly. Thank you.

Re: Legislator health benefits uncommonly generous

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:20:14 -0000

Thanks for your comment Certainly begs the question whether the MI Senate majority leader is acting in good faith; is he trying to protect a carve-out for himself and his fellow legislators in an apparent conflict of interest, or is it his intention to continue to drain the state's resources by not putting this on the budget cutting table?

Re: Why Muslim Women Veil - Part 1

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:27:26 -0000

Thank you for your feedback We'll be sure to discuss this issue during our next editorial meeting.

Re: Why Muslim Women Veil - Part 1

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:31:02 -0000

Additional reply Very sorry, meant to include this in previous comment.

Our Fellows work in different editing applications; when they post to the Michigan Messenger platform, the content often does not appear as it did in the original format. We generally try to perform a technical edit to improve readability, but this piece was posted later than our technical editor could work (that would be me, sorry).

You'll note the piece has now been edited for readability.

We are expecting a change to our posting process in the near future, so that all posts are made in the same editing platform, ready for you to read at time of publication.

Thanks for your feedback and patience.

Re: Student hate group bringing ultra right wing conservative leader from England

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:14:34 -0000

Thank you for your comment Please note our Comment Policy:

Re: Two more UAW locals reject UAW-Chrysler agreement

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:55:54 -0000

Thanks, Celeste I've been thinking about setting up a chart displaying all the voting locals and the percentages by which the agreement won/lost...

Re: Voter project aims to increase the power of Michigan nonprofits

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:58:33 -0000

And now you have help I suspect you could contact this group and let them know your workplace is opportunity for registering new voters.

We get what we vote for -- unfortunately, more of us vote for American Idols than quality governance.

Re: LiveBlog with Neeta Delaney, ArtServe Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:10:06 -0000

Thank you for joining Michigan Messenger today, Neeta Glad to have you here with us.

Re: LiveBlog with Neeta Delaney, ArtServe Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:47:07 -0000

Question for Neeta Many Michigan residents and taxpayers are not conscious of the kinds of programs that their tax dollars fund. Can you name for them a few of the most successful programs that receive state funding?

Can you also name those that have received the most state funding?

Thank you.

Re: LiveBlog with Neeta Delaney, ArtServe Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:09:09 -0000

Thank you for the reply, Neeta. Another question For many people it's all about the numbers -- not just how much they are paying each week or month for taxes, but what the return is on their tax dollars.

Does ArtServe have any statistics about the return to communities related to expenditures on the arts? Matrix Theatre, for example; is there a dollar amount identitifed that the their work returns to the community?

Re: Media Bias

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:28:55 -0000

Freep? Thanks for stopping in and commenting, dj. Could you clarify the identity of "Freep"? Many of our readers may not be able to distinguish "Freep" between the Detroit Free Press, the Free Republic website, or the Free Press website.

Great to see you here!

Re: Book says term limits are partly to blame for Michigan’s budget mess

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:32:45 -0000

Thank you for your comment We will take your feedback under advisement.

One of the objectives of this site is to cover the under-covered news and perspectives that do not surface in mainstream media. The perspective in this particular article has not received the same volume of coverage that the opposing viewpoint has received since 1991. There are numerous web and news sites that promote the status quo of highly limited terms and little to promote a more moderate perspective.

Re: Gary Peters goes after Knollenberg

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:44:25 -0000

Thanks for your comment This particular profile piece is about Peters, not about any other candidate or incumbent.

I'll point out that you made no such complaint about Brandon's previous profile on Skinner. One might think you have a preferred Democratic candidate.

Re: LiveBlog: Nick Griffin speech at MSU Friday night

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:46:04 -0000

Questions for you Have you ever provided services to any individuals affiliated now or in the past with YAF-MSU? with YAF anywhere in the state?

Re: Gary Peters goes after Knollenberg

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:21:32 -0000

Taken under advisement First, this is NOT an MSM site. Simply because mainstream media has adopted particular practices does not mean that we will do the same thing.

Secondly, we note you are very selective about what you comment upon (or respond to) at this site. Providing a link to any other article that you've already passed up is not likely change your reading habits, or your criticism for that matter.

Lastly, you are mistaken about this being "another advocacy site", as mistaken as others are in claiming we are supporters of one particular presidential candidate. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are not happy with the product at the site, by all means, visit MSM sites that produce product with which you are more comfortable. We may simply be serving a different constituency of which you may not be a member.

Re: Gary Peters goes after Knollenberg

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:50:38 -0000

Advise others of your conflict You are a consultant for conservatives. You are paid to obtain the best coverage for your clients, current and future. Asking this site to provide links to conservatives is a conflict, not merely a personal request of a casual reader.

This thread has now veered quite a way from the topic and does not further analysis of the same.

Re: WJR’s Beckmann balks at being rated among most-biased

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:08:16 -0000

43 respondents... But many more readers, and that's the real rub.

Maybe only 43 people signed up for an account and took the time to vote in the first poll you ran, Kevin.

But 4000+ people have been to this site since the poll ran, reading 2-3 pages on the average on arrival.

Who knows how many people will read that poll and accompanying article in the next year? or over the amount of time (read: years, decades) that the internet archives that article and poll?

43 respondents may be all that's ever needed to encourage the public to look more closely at Michigan's excessive media consolidation and the narrowing of voices heard in that media.

What's really funny is that Beckmann was exploring media bias with Saul Anuzis only the week before Michigan Messenger ran its poll; you can imagine their spin on the topic. Why is it they ignore that media in this state and the entire country is overwhelmingly owned by conservatives? How is it a liberal media when it's owned by conservatives? And if it's a liberal media, why is Frank part of it? Wouldn't a solid conservative be forced to find something else to do in another line of work if the media was so doggoned liberal?

Re: WJR’s Beckmann balks at being rated among most-biased

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:45:05 -0000

Readers' opinions reflected The poll numbers represent the number of readers who chose to respond. The results have been clearly posted as our respondents' opinions.

Over time there will likely be more polls in which readers may participate, and the number of readers may be larger at that time, and the results will be posted as readers' opinions as they have been here.

After reading your comment I wonder whether you have also questioned the voting process by which Mr. Beckmann received two awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Persons in the broadcasting industry from outside the state of Michigan judge the entrants; does this truly represent the perspective of Beckmann's audience? At least our 43 respondents represent a cross-section of our predominantly Michigan readership at the time of the poll, and not the opinion of industry cohorts in an entirely different state. Have you also questioned why it would take the MBA so long to post the results of their 2006 awards to their website? We produce fresh content every single day -- why can't we vet Mr. Beckmann's claims by simply checking their website?

Re: Michigan Messenger » White Supremacists Rallying Around Ron Paul’s Presidential Campaign

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:12:02 -0000

Thank you for your comment I suspect that the lack of comments in general might have something to do with the registration process and comment policy at this site.

It seems to discourage a lot of folks who might otherwise post flames and drive-by spam-type comments -- although it doesn't appear to discourage ALL of those kinds of comments.

Re: Michigan Messenger » White Supremacists Rallying Around Ron Paul’s Presidential Campaign

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:13:20 -0000

Do you have a copy? I'd like to see a copy of the "talking points." It would be newsworthy.

Re: Michigan Messenger » White Supremacists Rallying Around Ron Paul’s Presidential Campaign

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:35:01 -0000

Warning Your comment is in violation of this site's comment policy.

Please re-acquaint yourself with the terms of the policy; the next violation will result in comments being deleted without warning.

Re: Michigan Messenger » White Supremacists Rallying Around Ron Paul’s Presidential Campaign

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:13:33 -0000

*Every* conservative or Republican is accused...? I don't believe that's happened at this site.

Cite examples, please.

This particular article addresses the endorsement by and donations from white supremacists to a single Republican candidate, who has not to this date repudiated or distanced himself from the actions and ideologies of white supremacists. That's a very long way from accusing *every* conservative or Republican of being racist or a hater.

Re: Lights on in the State — an art and community renaissance powers up in Traverse City

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:18:27 -0000

One also needs to ask... how many working class heroes put their money where their mouth is and assist with financing $850,000 of theatre improvements for the benefit of a community?

I suspect those $1000 tickets are part of that financing and sustaining process (the part that keeps the cost of popcorn down, perhaps), but these $1000 tickets don't make a dent in $850K.

Re: Former Congressman Schwarz leads stem cell research discussion panel

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:13:04 -0000

And of course you are clearly disclosing your position ...as a consultant to conservatives who might have a vested interest in your critique of Baum.

Re: Report: UM merchandise made in Chinese sweatshop

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:02:18 -0000

Seems like reasonable response ...compared to the non-denial denial you've received from other entities.

Look forward to hearing more about USC's audit.

Re: Dingell-Anuzis push presidential primary plan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:14:29 -0000

What a freaking mess Did they consciously try to find a way to make things worse? The first rule to getting one's self out of a hole is to stop digging, isn't it?

How is this more effective or more representative of the people's choice? How is this more little-d democratic?

The worst part of this entire mess is that the people who set this in motion and continue with it fail to grasp that states like ours get our turn to set things right with the number of electoral votes. Little puny states like NH and IA with less than 2 million people won't make a difference in November of 2008, just as they really didn't in November of 2004. It came down to the most populous states and their double-digit electoral votes.

Re: Wednesday Economic Roundup - 05-DEC-07 Edition

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:38:54 -0000

More feedback about the cuts at Dow An employee who wishes to remain unnamed said that the 100 targeted employees have been given six months to find another position within the company; if they are not placed, they will be released.

Another secondary announcement was made internally at Dow to a percentage of the Human Resources department in Midland; they were told their jobs are "safe" for two years, until their functions are fully transitioned to India.

The employee said that many staffers are quite annoyed with Dow's ad campaign, "The Human Element", because of the cuts to personnel that have been made over the last several years, along with declining assistance to employees.

Re: 200 Rally To Urge Hate Crime Charges Against Central Michigan Student

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:23:45 -0000

A follow up article is in the works Many readers aren't aware that there are a sizable number of hate groups in Michigan, let alone which groups meet criteria as a hate group. We seek to inform the public on this issue.

At Michigan Messenger we report the uncovered or underreported; the news part of this piece was that New Black Panthers, an organization labeled as a "hate group", attended a demonstration against both perceived prosecutorial problems and hate speech symbols. It's likely no other media outlet noticed this.

Re: Smoking ban passes the House but may get butted in the Senate

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:25:01 -0000

Democracy = freedom Clack is the duly elected representative for her district.

Why do you have a problem with the representative government we use in this democracy?

Re: Write-In Plan Adds New Twist to Jan. 15 Michigan Primary Drama

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:14:24 -0000

So who would you pick as a Republican in the general Let's assume a Republican of your choice wins their primary -- who is it and why?

And how will that person be an improvement on trade?

Re: MDP releases guidelines for presidential primary

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:17:30 -0000

It's all about the benjamins A long-time party activist suggested crossing party lines and voting for the candidate that would most likely cause the Republicans to spend more money than they budgeted.

Hmm...now what Republican candidate might that be?

Re: No More Ice Skating on the Bay?

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:53:18 -0000

One factor not mentioned There's one factor that Andy Guy didn't mention as a possible reason behind the reduction in freeze-over. Pollution could affect the freezing point of the Bay, setting the temperature lower; it would have to be very polluted, but in concert with possible increases in average winter temps, it's not improbable.

Re: Budget shortfall threatens toxic cleanups

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:43:14 -0000

Still boggles my mind I read this in draft 48 hours ago and it still freaks me out that they sprayed dioxane over property or injected into a well to dispose of it.

* shudder *

Re: At CMU, a Candid Dispute Over Turning a Video Camera on Others

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:23:02 -0000

Response to Mr. Zarko's complaint As emailed to Mr. Zarko, Michigan Messenger Fellow Ed Brayton has addressed the specific concerns regarding the missing linkage. Upon investigation, it appears this was a transposition error not picked up in copy editing since the links appear in original draft and subsequent final version prior to posting in the publishing platform.

If readers have any concerns regarding errors in the content posted at Michigan Messenger, they are asked to leave a comment at the subject post and/or email MichiganMessenger@gmail.com. We will attend to them as promptly as possible.

In regards to Mr. Zarko's comments regarding my editorial response: the comments Mr. Zarko has left on specific posts at Michigan Messenger were not unbiased and did not convey to other readers his motivations and potential conflicts as a paid conservative consultant. At Michigan Messenger we are clear about the drivers that motivate our work; we're going to be equally clear about the motivations of others who have a vested interest in critiquing our work.

Re: Have you been robocalled? Tell Michigan Messenger!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:50:47 -0000

Any chance you have a phone number? Do you have caller ID and if so, was there a name and number on the display? That will help a lot. Thanks for sharing!

Re: Ramping up pre-primary coverage: How do you want yours? (poll)

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:56:31 -0000

Poll allows votes on multiple items Go ahead, pick more than one criteria, it'll work.

Thanks!

Re: MSU YAF announces controversial speaker

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:27:19 -0000

Would you rather we didn't mention this event? If we were truly as biased as you make us out to be, we could have spiked this article altogether, don't you think?

Re: MSU YAF announces controversial speaker

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:48:48 -0000

Thanks for your comment First, I note a recurring theme: any perceived criticism of Jared Taylor comes from the left or liberals, and left/liberal is pejorative. Does this mean that Jared Taylor's efforts are representative of the right and/or conservative end of the political spectrum? Would all rightists/conservatives feel comfortable with Taylor's works and embrace them?

Second, I also note that our publication of date, time, location of Taylor's MSU YAF-sponsored event is not seen as a benefit. Hmm. I notice that a fair amount of traffic came here to look for this information, primarily from AmRen. Would those seekers find this information helpful -- and are they rightists/conservatives? Are they finding this same information published in any other Michigan corporate-owned media outlet? Would their minds actually be swayed about Taylor by any commentary supplied here with that information?

Thirdly, I'll point out that Michigan has had mixed government for more than 15 years -- conservative governor, conservative legislature, alternating with a centrist-progressive governor, progressive legislature. Michigan has also had a substantively conservative media, with a majority of outlets owned by corporations headed and owned by conservatives (Gannett, Advance Publications are hardly bastions of liberalism for example). It is not and has not been a strongly progressive state for some time. Is this what you mean by Orwellian? I also note the odd phrasing, "at Michigan" -- does this suggest that you're not a Michigan resident? Do you not know how very conservative a large portion of this state is? Macomb County, with a population of 788,149, went 89.5% for Bush in 2004, the second strongest Bush county in the nation. Perhaps this is what you mean by Orwellian?

Lastly, I detect a subtle threat in your last graf. Further comments that do not stay focused on the topic itself may be deemed in violation of our Comments Policy.

Re: U.S. Says Michigan Can’t Shut Secretary of State Office Over Voter Impact

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:36:43 -0000

The other part of this challenge SoS Land not only wanted to shut down BV's office; she wanted to improve the Bay Road office.

I went into the Bay Road this afternoon; there were 15 clients, and I was the 10th person in line. I'd only been waiting 8 minutes when they got to me. There were a total of 28 chairs,

I went again this evening when they have later hours; same thing, not many people.

What was it she wanted to improve? As far as I can tell, everything's running smoothly. Maybe a few more chairs for rush hour, whenever that is...

Spending more money that might not be needed while closing an office that serves a minority population?

Fishy optics, IMO.

Re: Romney blames Granholm for Michigan’s economic problems

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:32:52 -0000

Comment deleted A comment has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Re: The New Republic finds Paul’s newsletters

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:34:30 -0000

Comment deleted A comment has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Re: ‘Uncommitted’ is a vote for Obama, in Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:36:51 -0000

Comment deleted A comment has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Re: Mitten for Mitt? Huck says “No”

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:34:48 -0000

Shorter Mitten for Mitt? Huck, No.

;-)

Re: Use your primary vote to send a message

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:44:10 -0000

Comment deleted A comment posted here has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Reprinting of full articles may be a violation of original publications' copyright; please snip out and post pertinent excerpts with a link to the original where necessary. Any repeated posting of full articles may be viewed as spamming a thread and will be removed.

Repeated violations may result in banning.

Thank you for helping us assure that comments are pertinent to the content of each post, and further dialog about the topic at hand.

Re: Kucinich campaign makes last-minute play for Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:16:48 -0000

Please see our Comment Policy A comment has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Reposting entire articles or blogposts from other sites will be viewed as spamming comment threads. Please post only excerpts and/or links to the original source article, along with original comments.

Repeated abuse of this sort will be grounds for banning.

Thank you for ensuring our comment threads are incisive and informative for all users.

Re: LIVEBLOG: Live coverage of Michigan’s presidential primary

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:56:56 -0000

Thanks for your comment We appreciate hearing your perspective, especially since we do not have coverage in the Flint area.

Re: Controversial MSU student group tells readers “Vote Ron Paul”

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:06:58 -0000

Comment deleted A comment has been deleted for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy (see link at bottom of page).

Re: LIVEBLOG: State of the Union speech with Brandon Q. White

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:52:48 -0000

Nice work, Brandon I like how much more subtle you were about your snarky observations than we were in the group chat for the other liveblog.

It was probably a good thing that my laptop burped and lost much of our chat; we were getting quite feisty about this rehashed wash list of ideology and buzz words.

What struck you as most egregious in this speech? Was there anything that merited further consideration?

Re: GOP response to SOS promises cooperation

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:25:41 -0000

Oh ri-iii-ght... This bit:

"We must send a clear message that we - Republicans and Democrats - will do everything we can to pursue common sense public policy with the sole objective of making Michigan competitive in the 21st century,"

sounds like something one of my high school boyfriends said.

"But I'll still respect you in the morning. Really."

Sure you will.

Re: Ex-general steps down as public face of Sovereign Deed

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:42:35 -0000

Thanks for your feedback I'll be sure to pass your comment on to our team members who cover Northern MI and MI economy.

The entire state needs to have a more public dialog that is long overdue about the future of Michigan. What does Michigan look like in 5 years? 10, 20, 50 years? Because we have not had this strategic conversation and are only addressing the state's needs on a tactical basis (putting out fires in an economic sense and never actually spending time on fire prevention), we find ourselves driven by the whims of cycle and opportunists rather than by shared values as a state and the resources we have that are open for development by wide consensus.

Wood harvesting gave way to farming, giving way to industry, which now gives way to...??? Shouldn't we find a way to stop the cycle of boom and collapse while answering that next question?

Thanks again, very glad to hear from you.

Re: Economic Roundup — Chrysler versus Plastech edition

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:37:32 -0000

Wow...That's quite the week! I feel so sorry for the folks at Plastech and the affected Chrysler plants; this was a rumble between corporations in which employees suffered the most. Imagine not knowing from day to day whether you're going to be employed and having to read only sketchy details in the local paper...

Re: Stabenow votes for telecom immunity on domestic spying; Levin votes nay

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:36:14 -0000

4 years to shop around Unfortunately, we have 4 years to look for a candidate.

Fortunately, that mystery candidate has 4 years to accumulate cash for such a run.

Re: MSU student government to vote on hate speech resolution Thursday night

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:56:33 -0000

Comment deleted Comments advocating specific acts of violence will be removed without notice for non-compliance with Michigan Messenger's Comment Policy.

Re: Lansing lobbyists spend $32.1 million in 2007

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:55:29 -0000

Thank you for your comment Party ethics embedded in Bylaws are not the same as enshrining them in legislation. Bylaws cover the operation of the party, but they do not regulate the function of elected officials.

The parties must first make transparency and accountability in government platform issues and secondly hold elected officials from their party accountable for actions that deviate from their party's respective platform. Party officials and rank-and-file members must be willing to cut endorsements and campaign funds to those who don't support this platform, or run primaries against incumbents who don't.

The process for Democratic Party, as I know it, would be for local parties to submit resolutions to this end to their resolution committees for approval, and in turn to the local party as a whole. Once passed by the local party, they are furnished to the state party. If there is a critical mass of local party organizations that pass the same resolution, it will be become a part of the party's platform. Timing may also be a factor; when are local parties holding their county conventions, and when is the state convention? Ideally the resolutions will flow upward and be presented to the state party before the state convention. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here; this is my personal understanding.)

Perhaps the real question here should be: what does an effective resolution look like that demands transparency and accountability of party officials, candidates and incumbents, and when will you be lobbying other county parties to pass the same resolution?

Re: Finding a nursing home in Michigan, tips and resources

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:14:17 -0000

Thanks for your comment - excellent advice That will surely be handy to a number of our readers.

Re: Election mood in Ohio: Toledo’s port district voters want integrity

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:16:59 -0000

Ask those responsible They claim they tried to get us an early primary because it would help our economy -- but will OH actually reap more economic benefit from their primary than we did from ours?

The motivations of the persons who advocated the early priimary are suspect.

They will also tell you that they're against NAFTA, but the results of the MI early primary benefited which faction of the Democratic Party -- populist/grass roots, or the DLC's supporters?

For this reason I think it's wise to point out that Larry Johnson, to whom you've linked, is not siding with populists.

Re: Bad bet: Uncle Sam hides cost of online gambling policy

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:17:56 -0000

Thanks very much We appreciate your comments greatly.

Re: Listen up, Ben Stein: Big Oil is us — not

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:42:53 -0000

From one pocket to the other There's news this morning that Citigroup, the largest bank in the U.S., will need a much larger cash infusion than the 3 billion that Dubai sunk into it when it bought a big chunk of Citigroup last fall.

And where will Dubai get the money?

Maybe from Exxon Mobil-Dubai...

No wonder OPEC didn't want to raise production and lower the cost of petroleum; it's going to need the cash to bail out our banks.

Cracks me up that so many Republicans complain about the "nanny state" taking their hard-earned tax dollars to provide infrastructure and oversight like banking regulations, while they jump into their gas-sucking Humvees.

Re: As Clinton moves forward, Democrats may have taken a step back

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:32:28 -0000

More going on than meets the eye If this primary campaign remains this close for the duration, the chances of going strongly negative increase dramatically (as we've already seen in Ohio, with the "3:00 am" ads and NAFTAgate). This is NOT good for Brand Dem.

If the fight goes all the way to the convention, it won't be settled on the convention floor. It's going to be behind the scenes maneuvering by old school machine politics that will settle this -- and that's not democratic (little d). Again, NOT good for Brand Dem.

There's an enormous difference between being lockstep within a top-down organization, and party unity in a bottom-up organization. The Dems are emerging from a time when machine politics "offered" the rank-and-file their choice of candidate, to a time when the grassroots selects and support its own. What we are seeing is this messy, generational shift, with the future of the Democratic Party literally on the line, with two strong candidates on either side of this shift. Unless both old school and the newly emerged populist factions of the party can remember how successful party discipline has been for the opposition party, and learn to employ such discipline while picking their candidates, there will be a gaping crevasse in the party come January 2008.

Re: Sovereign Deed Founder Acknowledges Lying about Military Record

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:51:36 -0000

More scrutiny deserved I'm not certain what you may mean by "make this guy go away"; if you mean we should now shift our focus, I think that's the last thing we should do.

There are a lot of issues that haven't yet been fully addressed -- how is it that someone like Moore was able to fool public and corporate officials so long, without any flags run up, going back as far as his work with a private security company that won sizable contracts with the Dept. of State? Are there other firms that were able to pull the wool over other federal offices? Have they in turn misrepresented themselves to state and local officials, simply because they could use the imprimatur of federal contractor status as entre? Do we have sufficient transparency in government to detect these problems before they hurt us financially?

What's truly desired here is that mainstream media resumes its role as the Fourth Estate, instead of a mouthpiece for corporate interests. It would be nice not to do this all alone, just a handful of citizens funded by donors, or have to lead the mainstream media by the hand and then correct them when they botch the job. Then we could begin to shift our focus and scrutinize other pressing challenges. Vigilance is ours until then.

Re: Wall St. to Main St.: Tough economy making hash of state’s restaurants, tourism

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:43:54 -0000

Thanks -- we have a lot more There are little gems like this across our entire state. They represent a big part of our unique Michigan culture -- from the Hilltop Cafe in L'Anse with its monster-sized homemade cinnamon rolls to Jacoby's Bier Garten in Detroit.

I wondered last night as I got take out from a local family-owned treasure how they can possibly make it with the economy as it is. Will we lose these places that cater to our specific local tastes while big chains that get by due to scales of economy continue to sling the same hash they serve up across the country?

We're going to lose the original Greek restaurant -- New Hellas -- that launched Greektown in Detroit due to normal attrition. What other local color, flavor and history will we lose as things really get bad?

Re: Can we talk? A conversation about racism and reconciliation in America

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:03:45 -0000

44 years Nearly that many years have passed since the Civil Rights Act was passed, and we're still very much in need of this conversation.

Heck, if white women still can't get a fair shake at wages, making 76 cents to the dollar that men make at the same job today, why would would we believe that we have finished the job on race?

And it's not just African Americans to whom white Americans are blind; they don't see themselves as occupiers of formerly sovereign nations populated by indigenous peoples like the Native American Nations of the mainland and the Hawaiians. Most white Americans have either forgotten or know nothing about the Chinese Exclusion Act, although they may be familiar with internment of Japanese Americans. It's ridiculous that so many non-white Americans still must wrestle with "becoming American", when in truth we've been here right along side whites all along.

Perhaps the real conversation we need to have is about being American; as Americans, what gives any of us, no matter our heritage, the right to deny or exclude any other person born here, or deny and exclude those who have earned the right to be American, just as the founding fathers of this nation also earned it through their hard work, perseverance and dedication to this singular proposition of democracy?

Re: Blackwater still in the news

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:57:24 -0000

Thanks for your comment, very enlightening Wonder if we'll see Greystone Limited applying for grants, abatements, other assistance for its development?

We'd love to hear from you if you happen to run across this kind of information in the future.

Thanks again!

Re: GOP Silences Stupak

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:29:49 -0000

Most definitely I've had in my back drawer for a while now some analysis on gas prices in the Upper Peninsula -- and it sure looks like that region not only has to deal with a premium based on long distances between populated regions, but actual gouging.

Bravo to Bart Stupak for going the distance and sticking it out at this meeting in spite of the outcome; amazes me how obstructive the minority members of congress can be when it's not even in their best interests as elected officials to be so.

Re: Photo Essay: 36th Annual Dance for Mother Earth, Ann Arbor Pow Wow

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:30:42 -0000

Interesting fact about Michigan Most Americans aren't aware that Michigan is home to the largest number of tribes east of the Mississippi. This pow wow is a pretty big deal in part because of the number of tribes.

Nice job, Celeste!

Re: Knollenberg angered over Carter’s plan to talk to Hamas

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:04 -0000

Temper tantrum It figures.

The only man who's been able to achieve a measure of peace in the middle east must be an extreme radical, according to Knollenberg's twisted and warped logic.

Wonder what his campaign donations look like?

And I wonder if he realizes he's got a Muslim/Arabic constituency?

Must be too old to hold office if he's not aware they have interests that would be served by Carter's efforts to calm the Israeli-Palestinian hostilities.

Re: Granholm bets on a golf resort, but there are plenty of hazards

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:54:59 -0000

Yup Call down to my neighborhood clubhouse now, bet that you can walk on right now.

I heard through the grapevine last night that the course owner is so desperate for business that he's actively poaching clubhouse customers from the closest pub.

Maybe he'll stand you the first drink free, too.

Re: Granholm bets on a golf resort, but there are plenty of hazards

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:55:27 -0000

Yield no sport No sport should be co-opted by politics.

Golf could and should be a sport that protects spaces; it didn't originate on pampered, polished places but on wild, wide open spreads in Scotland. It should still be played in such places, might level the playing field among players.

Further, no sport should be co-opted by gender and race. Golf may have originated among Scottish men, but there is no good reason why anyone and everyone can't play.

Re: Weekly Blog Roundup

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 07:56:51 -0000

Might also point out another charity founder Tom DeLay had a children's charity, too, didn't he?

We all know what good came of that.

Re: Granholm bets on a golf resort, but there are plenty of hazards

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:02:09 -0000

Look what I found Just for you and your peep, Pope Benny:

Red golf shoes.

Perhaps a bit more sportif than those stylin' Prada loafers Benny wears, but still...red.

Re: Overflow crowd debates privatization of Benton Harbor waterfront park

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:14:59 -0000

Thanks for sharing that, Armin Looks like it's time to use some mapping techniques to outline the relationships of parties involved, yes?

Stay tuned -- and thanks for your readership and tips.

Re: New feature: Gay news you can use

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:26:39 -0000

What's your point, Frankster? That the LSJ is doing a fabulous job covering an event that happened virtually under their noses at one of the largest universities in the U.S.?

That the DetNews got away with wallpapering over the severity of problems at Gull Lake schools by publishing that rather banal bit?

Where's the rest of the media? In theory, there should be 60,000 to 120,000 folks in Michigan that are a natural constituency of gay news -- and yet these are the only two pieces in mainstream outlets to which you can point.

Or are you saying that we shouldn't waste our time providing news on an underrepresented community because they get all the coverage they need with the occasional spotty and incurious coverage in mainstream media and the gay press?

Re: New feature: Gay news you can use

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:42:31 -0000

We have to start someplace The audience for this site is wider than media outlets like Between The Lines/Pridesource.com; with that reach, we can begin to shape the wider public perception that there is news they never see.

Maybe you already see some of these stories because you read outlets that focus on a primarily LGBT audience; we are trying to make sure that stories which affect LGBT folks also reach the straight constituency and are not buried. Some of these stories, even with some near-celebrity LGBT community member mentioned or behind it, never breach the consciousness of the straight community. This is a chance to do that.

Re: What we’re talking about: Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:49:07 -0000

Excellent point And why hasn't the media looked more closely in the past at the inflammatory comments of other popular spiritual leaders, like Pat Robertson? Believe that both Hagee and Robertson have attributed Hurricane Katrina to what they believe to be sin. Why is there this religious test to hold office anyway, being conducted in the court of public opinion when it's unconstitutional to have such a test?

That said, Rev. Wright's comments at the NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner were extremely important and had little to do with religion. In a nutshell, members of racial and ethnic subcultures are being treated not only separately but differently, simply by virtue of the majority culture's inability to understand minority culture. Until we make an effort to transcend the cultural constructs that divide us, we are going to struggle with issues that can be used deliberately to divide us.

Re: Rep. Upton, Whirlpool CEO would gain easy access to privatized park

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:35:19 -0000

What I want to know... Does Judge Butzbaugh round out this foursome?

Re: Michigan Gov. in hospital after emergency surgery

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:10:25 -0000

Please clarify We've received your email, thank you very much.

Can you explain what the problem is, in 25 words or so? It's very unclear from the information you've provided what we should be investigating; with a strong and clear problem statement, we can begin research.

Thanks for your readership.

Re: Economic roundup — Prom dress edition

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:45:30 -0000

Oh dear Warren's the kind of guy who'll probably ask you to go Dutch on prom expenses, as shrewd and tight as he is with money. He still lives in the house he bought way back in 1958.

On the other hand, he's a very generous person when it comes to philanthropic efforts.

Re: Rep. Upton, Whirlpool CEO would gain easy access to privatized park

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:45:41 -0000

100% Public? Does that mean that anybody -- any member of the community -- can walk onto the course at any time, anywhere?

Or are community members only allowed on the course if they have paid greens fees and complied with restrictions on dress and behavior?

And if they are required to pay greens fees for access, will they be allowed unlimited use of any space on the course, or will they be "encouraged" to move along and speed up play at the risk of being ejected from the course?

How much will greens fees be for this Jack Nicklaus course -- as much as entry fees into a public park?

Who will oversee the development, to ensure that the problems that arose with Bay Harbor don't happen in Harbor Shores? What's the incentive to maintain the integrity of the dune? How will the development maintain the course without interfering with natural movement of dune sand and vegetation?

We're already making strong headway into these and more questions; the answers to some of these are pretty obvious, that the average folks in Benton Harbor are NOT going to have access to what is now their park. The golf course will literally form a "green zone" barrier between the economically disadvantaged Benton Harbor area, and the wealthier St. Joe area, and people on the north side of the barrier will be shut out by lack of money for access.

Re: Gull Lake Community Schools hires former state police trooper as superintendent

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:58:13 -0000

Introspection needed Have you ever actually asked your gay college friends how they felt about not having a social support network during high school, let alone public acceptance during their formative years? Do you really know what it's like for them if you have been completely embraced by your family and society for what you are from birth?

You didn't even notice gay students around you -- and they were there, since statistics show that at least 10% of the population is gay. How do you think it feels to either not be noticed or to be so rejected by society that you cannot actually be who you are?

And while you may think that high school is about education, it's also about exploration -- how many students in this state made decisions about careers based not on what they did in school, but what they did apart from their curriculum? Anybody who went from the debate club to law school, drama club to acting, high school sports to professional sports, 4-H to farming exemplify the benefits of this exploration. A GSA organization that validates students who have been systematically marginalized may not actually help them make career choices, but it might help them feel safe enough to explore their options like the dominant majority around them.

Re: Violent attack shocks mine opponents

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:36:22 -0000

Does not seem at all normal I have family in the Big Bay area; this seems completely uncharacteristic of the locals. There is a split between people who want jobs and people who are advocates for the area's environmental stability, but their strong sentiments don't typically well up into violence like this.

Beginning to wonder if there are more people being brought in from outside the area already; most of the folks in Big Bay are surely familiar with the Pryors.

And now I'm worried that if I take my family up the Yellowdog Plains to pick berries and take photos as we do every year, not far from where the Pryors live, whether we'll be hassled. Not at all good.

Re: Kent County GOP releases YouTube video attack on Obama

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:20:47 -0000

Why do you think the campaign chose GR? Just curious -- why wouldn't the Obama campaign have launched its Michigan efforts in Ann Arbor, or Lansing?

Re: Kent County GOP releases YouTube video attack on Obama

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:47:49 -0000

Have you seen a disclaimer? Any disavowals of either NSM or CR folks by Kent County GOP?

Just curious.

Re: PHOTOBLOG: Coverage of the Obama Campaign event in Grand Rapids

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:21:13 -0000

A couple of things Didn't you criticize our fellow Todd Heywood in another thread for making associations between protest groups and a party organization without documentation?

Why are you telling us these people are associated with a specific group without providing documentation?

Why the double-standard?

And we've already provided a link to your site in the blogroll, gratis. You're welcome.

Re: Casinos bluffing House Dems to slow smoking ban?

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:29:52 -0000

In the interest of full disclosure The commenter, Mr. Binoniemi, is the Government Affairs Director for the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association in Lansing and has a vested personal interest in the bill at hand.

I'd like to know whether Delaware had any other economic issues that may also have contributed to the shortfall in revenues Mr. Binoniemi describes in his comment. At this point in time, Michigan's restaurants are in a bind due to increasing cost of commodities like sugar, flour, meat and a decrease in the disposable income of their clientele due to rapidly rising fuel costs. It would be very easy at this point in time to blame any reduction in revenues on a nonsmoking ban, but conditions are already very ripe for casinos, restaurants and bars to experience revenue shortfalls with or without a smoking ban.

Re: Brayton’s Bag of Links and Snark: Bush, Bigamy and B.S.

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:19:36 -0000

Thank you for your comment Appreciate so greatly your redirection away from the hypocrisy of the right towards the parsing of words.

And how nice of you to interject homophobia into this equation; it never crossed my mind at all since I was concentrating on the hypocrisy.

Re: Brayton’s Bag of Links and Snark: Bush, Bigamy and B.S.

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:23:45 -0000

One more thing Here's a link to the same photo at the source, which appears to be Getty Images.

Note the cutline description published with the photo:

President Bush Speaks About Iraq

U.S. President George W. Bush kisses Iman Hassan Qazwini, a local Muslim leader, after speaking April 28, 2003 in Dearborn, Michigan. Bush vowed that the U.S. will not impose any government or culture on Iraq in his speech before a largely Iraqi-American audience and carried live on Arab satellite channels. Dearborn is home to a large Arab-American community. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

* by Bill Pugliano
*

* reference: 1956413

You will, of course, be calling Getty Images homophobes, too, yes?

Re: Guest op-ed: Creationist culture wars, Hollywood style

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:55:35 -0000

Guest Op-Ed by Robert Pennock Thank you for your comment.

I note you refer to Ed several times in your comment; did you mean Ed Brayton, who posted this guest op-ed, or the actual author of the op-ed, Robert Pennock?

Re: Guest op-ed: Creationist culture wars, Hollywood style

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:25:26 -0000

They aren't the same people, for starters Let me say as a parent that I want my kids to learn scientific method at their public school; I want them to learn how to create hypotheses, generate plans for collecting data, learn how to objectively collect data and analyze the data, then summarize their findings and assess whether their originally hypotheses was correct. I want them to learn how to do that in a collegial, collaborative environment that is neutral to their background, so that they will learn how to be effective, contributing members of society.

I want their belief systems shaped by me and the private institution of my choice, untampered by the aggregate opinions of the public manifest in government action -- which is why the shaping of belief systems should be separate from public education, so that we are free to practice our beliefs as we choose, just as the founding fathers expected.

(The practice of science, however, is not as open to interpretation; our healthcare, our exploration of space, our military's weaponry and so many more examples are entirely dependent upon the use of a ubiquitous, rigorous practice of inquiry.)

For these reasons I support the removal "lies of creationists", as you called them, from public education. As for Darwinism, neo- or otherwise, it is not a belief system but an example of a man's efforts to use the scientific method to develop a hypothesis. It is instructional for this reason to study Darwin, not as an absolute, but as example of the scientific process in development; Darwin's theories are just that, and are subject to change if theories can be punctured by accurate data, thorough observation and thorough analysis. Why "lies" should be an effective offset is beyond me; the truth is an absolute defense, and ample, corrective data with an improved hypothesis that makes the case for a change to Darwin's theories is all that is needed.

Re: State House passes smoking bill, but the fumes drift back to the Senate

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:41:49 -0000

What's that droning sound? Sounds like a lot of whining yet again from more lobbyists.

What's the take from MI state house members who voted for this bill?

Re: Brayton’s bag of links and snark: Rachael Ray loves terrorists and so can you!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:06:25 -0000

OMG -- the Fashion Police The last people on earth who should be in charge of fashion, let alone politically correct fashion, are folks like LGF and Michelle Malkin.

At least Malkin, being more moderate about this, has the sense to know she's missing the fashion gene, or that she's been busted on camera having come in contact with a keffiyah.

I wonder which designer will be the first to create a spring 2009 line based on keffiyahs...then watch all the wealth patronesses of fashion snap them up.

Re: Brayton’s bag of links and snark: Rachael Ray loves terrorists and so can you!

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:33:36 -0000

Too funny I would pay good money to catch LGF watching Project Runway. This is one of the very few times you'll catch me saying not enough people watch television -- and LGF needs to do that more than they need to blog.

Re: LIVEBLOG: Obama campaign event in Troy MI

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:15:24 -0000

Congratulations! In spite of your distaste for progressive candidates, you didn't confuse Obama and Usama!

Re: LIVEBLOG: Obama campaign event in Troy MI

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:27:10 -0000

So in a nutshell You're ready to give up weekends along with Social Security checks and Medicare, brought to you by Democratic folks? Great -- it's not much of a savings, but it's a start towards offsetting the $10 billion a month we're spending on a Republican-driven war in Iraq that doesn't seem to have an end.

Re: Feisty Obama comes out swinging in Troy appearance

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:23:18 -0000

Evidence, please Do you have any evidence that positively identifies the persons who did this to the office in question?

What's the crime like in the vicinity of the office in question?

Are there any Ron Paul supporters in the area that may have a bone to pick with the Republican Party?

The incident sounds very much like the same kind of activity that happened in Saginaw in 2006, targeting the Michigan Democratic Party's local coordinated campaign office, valuables stolen and other resources damaged. Should we blame Republican operatives for that, without proof? Wouldn't writing this kind of claim without evidence be defamatory and libelous?

I particularly enjoyed the comment left at that blogpost equating liberals with fascism. What a pity they don't actually know what fascism is; they might find it looking in the mirror.

Re: Nestle wants pipeline to supply water bottling facility

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:18:39 -0000

Not to mention the damage this will cause Nestle is trying to get around this issue by drilling through private property, but we're not hearing how long this pipeline actually is, nor is the public hearing about the process.

This line is going to have be bored like a sewer line or water line, below the frost line; even though the line may be stainless steel, it's still subject to corrosion and will need monitoring for leakage or water will be lost into the soil. The boring could also disrupt groundwater flows -- especially if it's running under a stream bed.

Craziness, and likely being done to avoid trucking water by tanker truck.

Re: Clinton not ready to step aside — and now she is

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:26:39 -0000

Oh, what an expert you are What's your take on the stock market, oh sage one, and where should we put our money?

Clearly, such wisdom as yours has made you a wealthy person and we should take your advice in order to attain heights of uber-wealth you have achieved with your foresight and intellect.

I must say, I do find it amazing that a wealthy wit like you has time to troll on the internet.

Re: Michigan Democrats: It’s time to unite behind Obama

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:19:27 -0000

Facts, please 1) Obama didn't win Michigan

Let's point out that the primary in this state was highly flawed, and in the eyes of the DNC, did not count as the state violated party rules.

In other words, there was nothing to win.

2) Why would we begrudge Clinton for staying in the race?

The Democratic Party didn't; she stayed in for the duration of the primary season.

2) Obama had to outspend Clinton but couldn't close the deal.

This is so full of leaks it's almost not worth a response.

-- Why is Clinton $30 million in debt?

-- Define close the deal; if Clinton could not amass the number of delegates and superdelegates required to win, did she ever really close the deal?

-- Provide facts on the Soros' money, please; I've never seen proof of that.

-- Did MoveOn as an organization support ONLY Obama for the duration of the primary, or did their constituency move towards that direction?

-- Obama girl, rock stars, rappers, superdelegates - all threw their support behind Obama but not Clinton. Why is that?

3) Rigged Michigan primary

This chestnut deserves a response of its own. If anybody attempted to rig this primary, it was Clinton supporters who insisted an earlier primary -- in spite of breaking party rules -- was best for this state. Blowback, I think is the word you're looking for.

4) "...I know my fellow citizens are a lot smarter then that."

Let's leave that to your fellow citizenry to decide; that's the democratic (little d) process, isn't it?

Re: Obama to visit Detroit

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:15:39 -0000

You mean like these events in Grand Rapids? How about these guys protesting outside the Van Andel Arena before the event, allegedly pro-Clinton/anti-Obama but known partisan operatives?

Or these guys harassing folks before the event in Grand Rapids?

Yeah, me neither, I'd rather not have a repetition.

Re: Detroit journal: Something is dreadfully wrong

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:12:48 -0000

You've described what was wrong in NOLA Many of the same problems afflicted New Orleans, but it had both the blessing and the damnable curse of Katrina to lay bare so many of the problems that were papered and painted over by decades and more of neglect.

Detroit has been suffering a different kind of hurricane, a slow-moving but ever bit as battering storm that whisks away resources and leaves destruction in its wake. It's a testament to what happens when a city over-identifies and over-concentrates upon a single industry, which when it likes can pick up and move and leave a husk behind, like a massive corporate locust feasting and fleeing.

Until Detroit looks at itself as something other than the home of the auto industry and begins to plan out a map to a new and more diverse and sustainable future, it will struggle with its current state.

And yes, there are other cities like Detroit here, too, Flint and Saginaw being lesser siblings suffering from the same familial disease.

Re: Michigan Christian group supports Marine who tried to convert Muslims

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:07:14 -0000

Wonder whether Gates is catching on He's shuffled the upper deck in the Air Force, for starters; although the "bent spear" situation last August was more than ample reason to remove Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, I wonder whether their replacement isn't also intended to deal with increasingly fundamentalist/evangelical elements in that same branch.

Will Gates take similar action in the other branches? Can't wait to read part two.

Re: Michigan Christian group supports Marine who tried to convert Muslims

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:54:18 -0000

That was my point I think the choice of replacement was a two-fer.

Re: Governor again vetoes helmet law change

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:22:16 -0000

Is it the Governor's job to fill the potholes? Or is this really a budget issue that extends across the entire state legislature?

There's also the issue of personal responsibility here; I'd rather not have my health insurance rates go up because my insurer is paying for someone that chose to scramble their head instead of wearing a helmet. The veto doesn't protect motorcyclists alone, but citizens who end up paying for their care.

Re: Governor Granholm authorizes National Guard to help storm-hit communities

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:53:21 -0000

Can you be more specific? Who is "they" on television? Members of the media, or people they are interviewing? Local media or national media? That makes a difference.

From Michigan's Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs site, we note:

Today, approximately 1,600 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are deployed across the globe in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; however, as the Michigan Guard serves the nation more than 80 percent of its members are available, trained and ready to respond to a state emergency, including a terrorist event or weather caused emergency.

I'll point out that the number of MI Nat'l Guard actually in state at this time is not spelled out; do we have a total of 1,600 members, or do we have 8,000 of which 20% are deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom?

It'd be rather nice to know if we have more rain and end up with greater flooding like Iowa has experienced. Wouldn't you like to know?

Re: It hit him in a dream: use Mother Nature to cleanse water runoff

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:52:45 -0000

It is pretty cool, isn't it? This watershed/catch basin has become park-like; my kids would love to see the Blanding's turtles in their natural habitat, since they've only seen them in exhibits.

Hard to believe this is in such an urban area, too; have to wonder how much air pollution these green spaces absorb in addition to pollution from water runoff.

Re: Your health: Rabies, syphilis, tomatoes and HIV in the headlines

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:11:54 -0000

Perceived as not important Because people don't often know anybody who's lost a pet or been bitten by a rabid animal, or hasn't been caught by authorities about non-licensing, they perceive this as an opportunity to save money.

Very sad.

Re: MoveOn.org fires first salvo of the general election with TV attack ad

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:07:50 -0000

Fundamental question of liberty Why should any of us "breeders" have kids if we're merely raising them to become cannon fodder? where is our fundamental right to "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" if we can only expect another 100 years chained to Iraq?

Why should my kids, who were merely children when the Iraq War launched, expect to sign on to supporting this occupation as adults, or provide their children and their grandchildren to this effort?

Somebody has to draw the line on this debacle. It starts here with mothers like me and Alex's mom.

Re: MoveOn.org fires first salvo of the general election with TV attack ad

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:51:47 -0000

Oh, we didn't miss the point William represents TODAY'S all-volunteer military, where a large percentage of the troops are there because they haven't been wanted by a thriving (hah!) economy.

Alex is the draft we haven't had and probably would need to have if we were to give in to McCain's hundred-years-of-occupation model.

In either case, our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren shouldn't be so disposable at some old man's whim.

Re: Don’t drill — conserve; and I know how to do it

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:02:12 -0000

Ann Arbor depot to Detroit depot is 41 miles At what price per gallon is it cheaper to take the train?

Depends on the vehicle you're driving, I'm sure; if you have a Hummer H2 that gets 16 miles per gallon, the train fare at $11 one-way is already appetizing. Imagine the cost savings on vehicle maintenance, too, as well as insurance; could get a low mileage rate if one used the train to commute during the week and reserved the vehicle for use at home on weekends.

Re: Money problems and racial tensions bedevil public transport

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:53:00 -0000

Advocating a corporate solution? Obviously GM realizes something is wrong with the public transport system -- but rather than seeing itself as a partner with the city, it has adopted a got-ours-screw-you attitude.

What about the employees of businesses that support GM with services; aren't their employees deserving of timely and safe transport?

In the big picture, GM owns a lion's share of the blame for Detroit's decline; GM didn't reinvest in the city but chose instead to bail out to locations farther from the city's center. When it returned, it brought a got-ours-screw-you attitude.

I hate even using this example, but look at Grand Rapids and Amway for comparison; while I detest the ownership mentality and politics of the DeVos-Van Andels, at least they are fully aware that they are key to the city's success and reinvest in the city and its services. Were GM and other major corporations that call Detroit home to actually work together cooperatively and collaboratively to help the city with the transport problem, we wouldn't have to point to GR; it's not a lack of resources but political will that is at the root of the Detroit public transport problem.

Re: George Carlin: comedian, philosopher, thinker

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:44:15 -0000

Big effing shoes to fill I've lost some heroes over the last three years, the kind of folks who thought outside the box and walked the walk.

Hunter S. Thompson

Kurt Vonnegut

Arthur C. Clarke

And now to add George Carlin is damned painful.

Thanks for this, Ed; I'd forgotten how entwined Carlin was with my earliest adult years. I cut my teeth on his work. He set the bar for humor that has rarely ever been met since.

And now it's up to us to dangerous, funny and necessary, or nurture those who will take up that baton.

Re: Immigrant prison will have little state oversight

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:12:44 -0000

You're funny Surely you must be joking that Michelle McManus would do anything at all to impede rampant corporatism, including the privatization of prisons.

Although I believe what we may be looking at, in my personal opinion, is a model for a future detention center. Which wouldn't give McManus a moment's trepidation, would it?

Thanks for your readership, always nice to see you here in comments.

Re: George Carlin: comedian, philosopher, thinker

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:15:27 -0000

Thanks for the tip But does Stanhope possess Carlin's love of and respect for words?

That was one of the groovy things about him; he really understood their power, could make us laugh while slipping us the shiv without ever being vulgar simply because he was so much in love with words.

Re: Michigan wants to monitor stalkers with GPS device

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:02:09 -0000

Shhhh...don't give them any ideas! I'm already afraid they're taking notes from Silvio Berlusconi's government in Italy on fingerprinting all Roma children (often referred to as gypsies) in an alleged effort to combat crime. Talk about profiling...

Re: ‘Compact’ Free Press might just shrink out of existence

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:40:00 -0000

Thanks for your comment You're right about the revenue, but there's a larger issue with newspapers' inability to migrate from brick-and-mortar operations because they lost sight of the relationship between advertising and eyeballs.

Even on the internet, if a site cannot produce enough readers, an advertiser will not buy space. Sites like Craigslist and Monster only make it easier to target key demographics -- cable TV can to do the same.

If a newspaper has nothing worth reading, whether it's investigative reporting or want ads, it can't sell ads; this won't change as they migrate to an internet-only delivery system.

As for the perceived opinion on janitors: I came away with a very different impression than you did. Management for many corporations when severely cutting costs will reduce anything they term "non-core functions" -- which means any services that do not directly create salable content will be cut. That means coffee service is long gone, housekeeping is long gone, yard work cut back to the point just before local code enforcement will complain, and staff might be lucky not to have to bring in their own tissue and toilet paper.

Been there, done that, would have been grateful to see a janitor instead of having to mop the john floor on my breaks. And yes, I brought my own mop.

Re: Lawmakers work into the weekend, then ring the bell for summer recess

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:03:54 -0000

Completely irresponsible We saw how cooperative and collaborative the house and senate were last year, when they weren't under the pressure of an election season. How are we supposed to reasonably expect them to be grown-up and mature when they come back from break and amicably resolve the dispute over school funding?

How do I explain this to my kids, that grown-ups can walk away from their chores like this without a by-your-leave and leave kids like them hanging, because they can't figure out how to get to yes? What kind of example is this, especially for kids who are already struggling mightily?

Thanks for covering this, Jim, even if it sets my blood pressure boiling. Confirms for me that we need to clean out the legislature until we get grownups in office.

Re: Police officers walk to save on gas

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:32:14 -0000

Depends a lot on the city Actually, Flint would not be a strong example since its mayor recently made massive cuts in the police force. They will have too few officers to cover this fairly large urban center.

Foot patrols might work in areas identified as "hot spots". In Saginaw, for example, there are areas where there have been many concentrated reports of gunfire that might be worth establishing regular foot patrols and perhaps sending a mobile station in the form of a van to help these foot patrols.

But another concept that this state doesn't explore well is the concept of "broken window" policing. By asking the help of the community to focus on code enforcement and blight reduction -- replacing broken windows, improving overall street appearance -- the amount of crime may actually fall without changing the patrol process. There are studies on this effect, which could ultimately help reduce gas consumption spent on police response.

Re: Study: Mainstream news disappears workers

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:50:51 -0000

Excellent question There's an invisible firewall between the BIG papers and the small papers that never seems to be transcended, too...it's unusual to see stories survive that firewall without being distorted and twisted around by the time it makes the BIG paper (as you well know).

The BIG papers don't seem to notice this, and their product is weak for it, likely hurts their circulation.

Re: Republican immigrant-crackdown plan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:45:21 -0000

Partisan nature disturbs me Why is this Task Force only house Republicans -- particularly when they are a minority in the state house?

With the gross amount of profiteering that's happened with DHS and DOD contracts under a Republican administration, I am concerned there is inadequate oversight and balance when there is a gross weighting towards one party on this so-called task force.

Re: Detroit moves to end trash burning — are “green jobs” on the way?

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:09:30 -0000

I think that's a follow-up article, Minni Wow, you said a mouthful in that comment!

Re: McCain calls expensive cocaine a foreign policy victory

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:14:12 -0000

A lot going on that the media ignores Was McCain acting as Bush's bagman?

Did the money that traded hands actually have much to do with the hostages, or were they a convenient tool? Was the money really for other services rendered?

Note the emphasis on plural: services.

And I won't even mention the sticky business of crashed planes carrying illicit drug cargo for which the U.S., Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia have difficulty agreeing on ownership.

It would be nice if the mainstream media ever sifted through this stuff.

Re: Michigan Messenger » Marijuana, stem cells, government overhaul likely to be on November ballot

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:18:26 -0000

So where do they get the embryos, Frankster? Did you read the fine print of the ballot initiative?

Did it clearly say whether these were embryos that were going to be discarded since their donors didn't want them? Or did it say aborted embryos?

Is it moral to simply toss out discarded embryos while denying folks facing a lifetime of illness -- or a painful death -- simply because somebody couldn't be bothered with doing their homework on a ballot initiative?

Re: “There’s no school.”

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:51:07 -0000

State or Federal law violations? I wonder if there aren't guarantees that ensure students have access to public education?

Bothers me greatly that Detroit's literacy rate has been as low as 40%, yet massive holes like this exist in the education system.

Re: Michigan Messenger » Marijuana, stem cells, government overhaul likely to be on November ballot

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:51:42 -0000

Being conflicted means you need to sort it out I don't need to; I have family members who suffer from congenital illnesses that will kill them.

If the donors of embryos that are never destined to be implanted -- and might still fail even if they were ever implanted -- decide that these soon-to-be-discarded embryos are to be used to save others lives, I don't personally have a problem. But then I have this horrible progressive value of saving the lives of humans who are already here with us, not the dreams of babies that will never be.

There are future mothers and fathers and their children that can be saved with stem cell research garnered from these soon-to-be-discarded embryos, too. Save a frozen embryo for the trash, or save the children and parents of the future?

Hardly a choice for me.

Re: New report documents abuse by American personnel

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:45:59 -0000

It won't be this DOJ Not under this administration, since the DOJ has been complicit in the systematic violations of the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture.

We have to hope that the Hague begins work on prosecution as disclosures are made, to keep the guilty parties from seeking refuge abroad.

We also have to hope that Congress finds its spine and takes its lumps and considers an independent truth commission into torture as well as a return to the independent prosecutors' law.

But again, we could be relying on another potentially complicit organization to do the policing. Which members of Congress, particularly those among the Gang of Eight were provided details regarding the interrogations of detainees? Are these same members of Congress potential war criminals, too? Is this why they struggle with finding their spines?

Re: Sprawling theme park proposed for Grayling dogged by financial problems

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:45:00 -0000

Wow, I forgot about AutoWorld That was a debacle, wasn't it?

It is rather sad that some folks don't believe the natural beauty of the northern part of Michigan is enough to capitalize upon -- or that business enterprise ought to scale itself to that feature. Many folks live in Northern Michigan to get away from urban life and its incumbent crowding, along with the debris field of ill-conceived notions like AutoWorld.

Re: U-M study: HPV risk doesn’t depend on teen’s sexual activity

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:18:55 -0000

That's an article we've discussed Men are very much at risk for HPV-caused cancers, including oral and anal cancer.

So why are only women subjected to vaccination? Why are women treated as if they are the carriers, when HPV can be carried by men?

You can bet we will be discussing this further.

Re: U-M Report: Obesity replaces smoking as new No. 1 health concern for kids

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:29:58 -0000

Parents need resources and role models It's easy to say that parents need to be more responsible, but if parents don't see good role models when growing up and they live in urban food deserts, it's difficult for them to ensure their children eat right.

Schools are another source of education on health, including food, but when schools are impoverished, mismanaged or teaching too closely to NCLB, they cannot provide the additional health education support that kids and children need.

As a parent I'll also tell you that we've changed a lot as a culture; the mainstream media has amplified our fears about "stranger danger" to the point where many of us are afraid to let our kids out of our sight. They can't freely run outside and play like we used to do as kids for fear of violence.

Something has to give; it's not quite as simply as parents being more responsible. The entire "village" is going to have to re-evaluate how to raise our children so that they are healthy and safe.

Re: Whoops. Polls on Michigan GOP homepage say “yes” to Obama, “no” to drilling

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:18:07 -0000

Very naive That they put up such an easily gamed poll says a lot about their lack of internet savvy.

It also says a lot about their lack of awareness of the wider community's opinion about offshore and domestic drilling.

If they don't grok this, can we trust their candidates with really complex issues?

Re: McCain’s Michigan headquarters rented from law firm specializing in mortgage foreclosures

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:43:01 -0000

Or they liked the location a LOT? Conveniently located near two golf courses. Hmm.

Re: Michigan women must pay out of pocket for birth control — but men get Viagra for free

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:58:30 -0000

BCP could be life or death for some women For some women, getting and carrying a pregnancy to term can be fatal; the anti-abortion/anti-contraception crowd systematically ignores that many women in the U.S. die during pregnancy and childbirth due to complications. For some of these women, reliable contraception can be life-or-death.

But getting an erection is not life-or-death, no matter what men tell us.

Re: Couch potatoes vote for coal

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:31:56 -0000

First time I've seen a figure 8 percent increased usage by residential consumers.

Now let's see a number from the energy companies that reflects how many residential customers they've lost over the last ten years, so that we can get a more realistic idea of the need for new coal-fired power plants.

Those plasma televisions are going to become very unpopular in a hurry, too, as electricity prices escalate.

Re: Rogers accused of hate speech

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:28:53 -0000

Pretty stupid, coming from a former FBI guy Those unnamed Middle Eastern folks to whom Rogers has referred in such a broad fashion have been alternately referred to as partners; Republicans have been very happy to support the sale of key resources to them, like American ports now owned by Dubai, or investments in banks like Citigroup.

It's as if Rogers also forgot US-SA Joint Economic Commission (JECOR), too, and how much U.S. companies like Halliburton profited from decades of involvement in this relationship, and which agencies like the CIA supported.

You'd think a former FBI guy would realize he's not only making hate speech, but pretty ignorant speech, too.

Re: New report sheds light on firing of U.S. attorney from Michigan

LoRayne Apo-Joynt — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:16:48 -0000

Probably more Ever wonder why the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan left after only two years in office during Bush's first term?

Me too, still wondering.

Ever wonder why Alberto Gonzales showed up in Michigan a scant two weeks before he announced his resignation last August, bringing a couple million in grants with him for Native American tribes?

Still makes me scratch me head a year later; after systematically canning close to a third of the members of the Native American Issues Subcommittee -- including its chair, Margaret Chiara -- he shows up with money for the tribes??

Not that I begrudge the tribes help with law enforcement; the optics are just bad.

We will be cleaning up this mess for a decade to come, maybe more if the Siegelman case is any indication.