Buy a Dram, Save a Lansing Farm

There's nothing like coming together as a community to help a neighbor out to make you feel like you can really make a difference. Today is no exception.

There's a great story in this morning's LSJ and Detroit Free Press about a brother and sister in St. Johns that are literally struggling to save their family's mint farm from being foreclosed. It also happens to be the country's oldest mint farm.

ST. JOHNS - Jim Crosby's voice chokes with emotion when he talks about the oldest mint farm in the country, a 140-acre patch of fragrant green about 15 miles north of Lansing that's been in Crosby's family for four generations.

He and his sister Linette Crosby, who co-owns the property, are desperately trying to sell 70,000 bottles of farm-distilled peppermint and spearmint oil by Saturday.

If they don't raise $348,000 by then, their lender has the right to confiscate the oil and their farm equipment, effectively ending the family business.

"That oil is our hope," Jim Crosby said Wednesday. "In each bottle is all my hope, my dreams and my prayers."

We can do this, people! Please, stop by their website, and spare $5, $10, $35 or as much as you can give. I'm off to buy mine now! (due to high traffic, the website maybe a little slow, but patience, it's worth it!)

The 'Auto Show' of Michigan Progressives

Last year a couple friends convinced me to attend an all-day summit here at the Lansing Center of Michigan progressives. It sounded like a good idea, and I in turn, convinced a few others (including some bloggers) to join me.

We showed up, laptops and if we had them, business cards in tow. We had no idea quite what to expect other than Donna Brazile as the keynote speaker. We met hundreds of people, papered them all with info about MichiganLiberal and the miracles of the Intertubes.

I walked away highly impressed. Progressives from all walks of life and issues got together and set a progressive agenda for the state. It sounded good, but when I started seeing visible movement on that agenda in the coming months, I was really impressed.

The Michigan Policy Summit moved some serious mountains in it's first year. Now in it's second year, the possibility for even more incredible change is quite likely. With keynote speakers like national activists Jim Hightower and Amy Goodman, a large contingent of bloggers from the state's most prominent blogs (MichLib, BloggingforMichigan, and West MI Rising, just to name a few), my favorite local progressive bookstore - Everybody Reads LLC and some other truly impressive names from the state's progressive leaders I don't think anyone will be let down.

I'll be there again as well. This time I'll be working with the great Policy Summit team through my employer. We're cooking up something cool to bring folks through the Internet and I'm excited for the entire package.

If you can make it on Saturday May 10th, you should definitely come. I was attempting to describe it to someone unfamiliar with it and struggling for an apt descriptor. Suddenly the light bulb went on and in true Michigan fashion I explained that it was like the Auto Show of Michigan progressives. The more I thought about it, I agree with it even more.

So if you're free, and you can spare $30 for a day that could change the way you look at issues here in Michigan, stop on by and join us.

Old Town Bridge to be renamed in honor of Robert Busby - this Sunday

This Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero will preside at the Grand River bridge in Old Town when it will be formally renamed the Robert P. Busby Memorial Bridge.

The event is open to all as we pay tribute to the life and legacy of Robert Busby, "Mayor of Old Town". For more information, check out Old Town's website.

The Chairman to host Lansing-based WGOP

In case you missed my post over at MichiganLiberal, you maybe shocked to find out that a Lansing-based radio station has flushed it's journalistic ethics right down the toliet.

WJIM 1240 AM and it's morning show host, Michael Patrick Shiels has offered the host's chair to none other than MI Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis himself. According to Anuzis' so-called blog (it's the Republican version, so no one's allowed to comment besides The Chairman himself) he'll be hosting the show which runs from 5:30 am to 10 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. He also brags about his featured guests, Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove, and yes you read that correctly, the evil dark overlord of dirty republican tactics himself will be on. In my circles, we call that noise pollution.

Radio stations are licensed and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which are paid for with our tax dollars. As a wise commenter posted this thought -

Unless an elected official, there's no reason why publicly-owned airwaves should be used to the advantage of a single political party. Licensees should be serving the greater public good, not just a narrow band of consumers. It's not as if the publicly-owned airwaves aren't already overwhelmingly controlled by a single political ideology, but a single political party?

One might even think that a station's licensing should be evaluated for this kind of behavior.

They're right. It shouldn't matter if this was a Democratic party official or Republican like The Chairman. Public airwaves are just that, and last time I checked, we don't have to be force-fed any kind of propaganda.

If you'd like to protect Lansing's airwaves from blatant ethical and regulatory violations, file a complaint with the FCC here, and tell WJIM to stop their switch to WGOP here.

Universal Health Care in Mid-Michigan: It's happening

Over the holiday weekend, I had the opportunity to sit with my parents and watch Michael Moore's film on the U.S. health care system (or lack thereof), 'Sicko'. It was my second time seeing it, and the first for my parents. It was a different experience watching it this time around because I got to gauge my parents reactions compared to what I felt my first time around. As the lone politico in the family, I'm always interested how I compare to them on various issues. While my entire family would definitely lay on the compassionate side of policy (read = moderate to progressive) they shy away from being "political".

My parents, like most others I've talked too, were shocked, horrified, and just plained upset after viewing the movie. They more or less said the same thing "Why don't we have universal health care?" Why indeed. The very thought of me going through the first 10 years of my life with Crohn's Disease without paying 25 different doctors and hospitals a month is hard to grasp for us, but it's a challenge we'd welcome in a heartbeat (pun intended). Thankfully, it looks like this area is making a change for the better.

I'm lucky to live in Ingham County, a place where our local government leaders clearly see the benefits of universal health care for residents as a means of cost prevention. Since instituting the Ingham Health Plan over nine years ago, Ingham has become a model for counties all over the state and country, because it works, and while it isn't quite perfect yet, it's getting there. You can be a part of the process by attending meeting coming up and providing your suggestions for improvement or just learning more about it. See this article in City Pulse for more information.

Universal health care is not something to fear, it's something to desire. It helps you, it helps me, and it helps everyone around us. The only people who have to fear getting sicko from a universal health care plan is the insurance and drug industries, and you're not really worried about their temperature rising a bit, are you?

Congrats to the Lansing-built Cadillac CTS as 'Car of the Year'

A hearty congratulations is in order to the proud workers of Lansing's GM Plant where they roll out the Cadillac CTS, which today will be named Motor Trend's 'Car of the Year'. From the LSJ -

The award, to be announced today, is significant because it shows Detroit-area automakers are back in the car business after years of focusing on sport utility vehicles and trucks, said magazine Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie. The car's appearance, fit and finish, quality of materials and performance rival that of its German and Japanese competitors, MacKenzie said.

"There's really not a lot of difference at all between BMW, Mercedes and Cadillac," he said Monday.

"This is obviously a really great thing," said Kelley White, spokeswoman for the Lansing Grand River plant, which also makes the Cadillac STS sedan and SRX crossover vehicle.

"It means a lot to our team members."

Rightly so. It's a cause for Lansing, our state and our entire country to have more pride in our products, and more reason to hope that Michigan's automakers can successfully enter the Green Age of automotive production - producing more stylish, functional cars that are significantly less-harmful to the environment.

There maybe bad news all around us, and the doom and gloom from the economic forecasters seems almost inescapable, but this latest boost for both Lansing, our proud unions, and our state is one that should outshine all of that!

Some Bright Ideas (and savings)

Ladies and gents, start your engines, scooters, bike, or just lace up the ol' tennis shoes and start heading down to your Mid-Michigan Ace Hardware store.

No, this isn't a paid endorsement for the chain, and I'm not getting a discount on my next snow shovel, but it is an endorsement for a cleaner tomorrow, starting in your own home.

My house already has several Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) installed, and while Edison himself probably wouldn't recognize them, they are light years ahead in terms of keeping the Earth clean and your energy bill down.

As reported by a late article today in the Lansing State Journal -

A kickoff event for the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign was held at Lansing City Hall this morning. Invited guests included Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh, Michigan Public Service Commission Member Monica Martinez and Lansing Board of Water & Light General Manager J. Peter Lark.

The Environmental Protection Agency says Energy Star-rated CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last six to 10 times longer. They save $30 or more in electricity costs over the bulb's life and prevent more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of the national campaign sponsored by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, CFLs will be on sale throughout October and November at area Ace Hardware stores for 99 cents each, $2 below the normal price.

There are participating Ace Hardware stores in Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Holt, Laingsburg, Lansing, Mason and Okemos.

You can learn more about CFLs from Energy Star here. Check out this little factoid

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

So head on down, grab your new bulbs, and start lighting a brighter future today.

And we're back!

Hello there, remember me?

Okay, so it' s only been about 2 weeks since my last post, and I find it quite appropriate that on this day that I return here, we also have a state budget...well, at least for another 34 days.

But it's progress, and here's hoping that this is just the start of much more progress to come.

So while I watch hopefully, albeit warily on the Capitol, I'm also going to be returning to state of the affairs of Mid-Michigan. There's more going on here than just a massive squabble over the state.

As for me, I'm going to do my best to keep up with the posting, but remember that massive kidney stone I mentioned over a month ago? Yep, it's still there. Hopefully it will be gone in the next week or so, but there's some complications that have come up since they first discovered that have made it impossible for them to take care of it. So if I miss a day or two, it means I'm most likely sequestered on the couch or in the bed waiting for the pain to subside. Thank you for your patience though!

Stay tuned, there's lots more to come!

Michigan Republicans Behaving Badly (still)

Remember Jackson resident/East Lansing attorney and the former chairman of the Michigan Federation of Young Republicans Michael A Flory? (See the original post here)

Yes, he's that fine upstanding citizen (and protege of State Party Chairman Saul Anuzis?) who was arrested in February in Cleveland, OH for charges of rape, kidnapping, aggravated burglary, gross sexual imposition and witness intimidation.

Well this is from this morning's AP -

A lawyer who formerly led a Michigan young Republicans organization was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison on a guilty plea to sexual battery stemming from allegations that he forced sex acts on a woman while both were at a convention last year.

According to the story, the other charges were dropped because Flory plead guilty. Although I'm not sure the MYRF knows about it, because Flory's welcome message is still present on their website, including this choice sentence -

As a statewide organization, we also provide a stimulating network of conservative young minds that enjoy the social aspects of politics.

Well that explains quite a bit, doesn't it?
But don't be thinking that this was just any random act of violence. According to court documents -

He was attending a Cleveland convention of young Republicans, ages 18 to 40, at the time of the crime in July 2006. The victim, 21 at the time, was intoxicated and became ill, and Flory took her back to her hotel and attacked her in her hotel room, said assistant county prosecutor Carol Skutnik.

That's right ladies and gents, hold on to your hope for the young Republicans of Michigan. Just because the leader's bad, doesn't necessarily mean they're all bad, right? Let's hope so!

The New Kids on the Block: Part 1

As it's probably been apparent over the years, I love Mid-Michigan and my adopted home, Lansing.

Just as the rest of the state has suffered, Lansing's endured its fair share of bad news, depressing times leaving some residents with a glass is half-empty mindset, and understandably so.

Even though spring isn't exactly right around the corner, Mid-Michigan is starting to see some new signs of life, particularly within the media.

It wasn't until this past weekend at the Michigan Policy Summit that Capital Gains first made its debut. Owned by Issue Media Group, you might have seen some of CG's sister publications, like Model D in Detroit, Rapid Growth in Grand Rapids and MetroMode in Metro Detroit.

Capital Gains is unlike anything you've ever seen, focusing on the positive, highlighting the great things about our home, and what I think is a great hope for Mid-Michigan's future.

Stay tuned tomorrow as you discover the other latest and greatest new media here in Michigan. You're definitely going to like what you see.

Miscellaneous Monday Mutterings

First off, a happy Monday, Monday to you and yours, courtesy of the Mama's and Papa's.


Did you know that this week is the Eat Local Localvore Challenge? Join local bloggers Green Tuna and Mensch71 as we all participate.

In case you missed it, the Michigan Policy Summit was a great time and an incredible experience! There's quite a bit about it over at MichLib.

Are you a state employee worried about your job with the looming government shutdown thanks to Mike Bishop and his band of not-so merry Republicans? Be sure to stop by MichLib sometime after 10 a.m. today for some laughs and learn about a brand new contest designed just for you!

If you thought Mondays were particularly bad, let's hope it's not any worse than what the guys over from Office Space had to put up with -


But if you're looking for a new TV addiction this fall, be sure to check out one of my favorite comedies - The Office. Here's a teaser of the new season that starts in three weeks!

Working Together

With all the bad news about our economy, I'm amazed that more people aren't doing more to work together to get it back on track.

I've always been a big fan of leading by example, whether it's our leaders, our friends and family or ourselves. That being said...

Angela is a fellow Lansingite (is that what we're called?) who's made some very pretty baubles and selling them on her Etsy page. I'm always looking for pretty things, and the hardest decision I'm faced with is which one I start with, but at least I've narrowed it down to three.

There's this bracelet, followed by this one, and finally this necklace, of course listed in no particular order. :-)

So when you're in the market to buy something pretty for yourself or someone else, shop local, shop liberal/progressive, shop Lansing.

(While you're at, be sure to check out Angela's blog and think about becoming a regular reader there as well!)

Help Mid-Michigan's kids succeed in school

It's no secret that many folks in Michigan, particularly in the Mid-Michigan area, have been hit hard by the state's economic problems. It's one thing for adults to suffer, but when it affects children, it just seems that much worse. Thank goodness we can all be a part of the solution.

The City Rescue Mission on Michigan Avenue in downtown Lansing is on its annual mission to make sure children from low-income families have what they need to return to school with its Backpack and Supplies Drive.

According to an article in today's LSJ, the drive is already off to a roaring start, but on a more depressing note, the number of children in need is also up.

With the Lansing School District canceling their annual drive, there's still a possibility that some children could go without.

If you would like to help out some children in need, drop off a brand new/gently used backpack full of new school supplies to City Rescue Mission, or call 485-0145 for further info.

It really does take an entire village city to raise a child. Be a part of the community and help out some kids in need.

Good News for Pure Michigan Fun

There's nothing like a quick dip in the lake or pool to cool off in this hot summer heat. It's refreshing and relaxing and swimming is fantastic exercise.

Here in Mid-Michigan, you don't have any excuse not too.

From the LSJ -

Area health and environmental experts have deemed mid-Michigan lakes safe for swimming. A recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council raised questions about bacterial contamination at ocean and fresh water beaches. No local swimming areas made the list.

Andy Bunnell, a health inspector for Ingham County who has conducted beach inspections, said the foam Zhus encountered likely was harmless. Probably nothing more than water stirring up or decaying organisms in the lake.

"If there are any problems with the water, it's not necessarily something you can touch, smell or taste," said Bunnell, adding that's why the health department requires testing of the county's four beaches once a week.

Bunnell said the water quality for swimming in Ingham County is "exceptional," attributing it to the lakes being somewhat isolated, which makes them less likely to experience severe storm water runoff.

This is in contrast to the high number of beaches and lakes across the country that are experiencing increased levels of contamination due to a variety of factors. Growing up the Metro Detroit area, it seems as if Metro Beach was closed more than it was opened.

For a state that prides itself on its lakes, rivers and streams, this is a serious threat to not just our ecological system, but also our tourism industry.

For instance, take a walk over to Michigan.org, home of those fantastic Pure Michigan commercials that send chills up my spine each time I hear one. Look at the number of destinations that are highlighted around water.

We need to take care of our environment, we need to protect our natural resources, and without a doubt, it can be done all the while growing and bolstering our state's economy. It's not rocket science, it's green and life science technology, all things Gov. Granholm and the Democrats have been working hard on.

So while you head down to one of Mid-Michigan's pristine beaches, or head north or west to enjoy our Great Lakes, remember Michigan, and think about how you can help make our Pure Michigan becoming a winning factor here in the state.

Help Old Town Win National Contest!

It's no secret how much I love Old Town, the historic part of Lansing which has now found itself the bustling center of art and culture.

Thanks to local lefty talk radio show host Walt Sorg, I heard all about Old Town's latest efforts to continue to grow and develop in a national contest sponsored by Swedish Ikea.

By signing up to vote, you can ensure that Old Town wins this contest which will give 10 businesses in Old Town $5,000 in Ikea supplies each.

The businesses include:

Old Town Commercial Association
Portable Feast and Friends
Preuss Pets
The Head Room Salon
Gone 2 the Dogs
Vernadine's Soul Food
Pablo's Panaderia
The Sierra Club
Elderly Instruments
Such Video (who made the beautiful video)

Stop by and vote, and pass it on to your friends!

Local Talk Radio Moves Up and Left

Several months ago, I mentioned the emergence of a local self-labeled liberal AM talk radio show host, Jack Ebling and his show "Ebling and You" here in the Lansing area.

Since it's launch last November, Ebling's show on 1320 WILS has been moving along quite nicely. The station's owner, MacDonald Broadcasting is rumored to be a little more to the right of the political spectrum, and that's not a far stretch given that the majority of the show's programming is syndicated conservative talk radio, Laura Ingram, Neil Boortz, and other names that pain this liberal to utter.

Since the start of July, a new "lefty" talk radio host has been added to the line up, and it's a welcome addition.

Walt Sorg, who's been a part of this community for over 40 years, hosts AM Lansing on WILS from 6 - 9 a.m. Sorg's show has shown a surprisingly strong line-up these first four weeks of it's existence. I enjoy that Walt's show has a solid focus on the local issues that affect us.

Don't be fooled. Sorg's past experience in Communications with the Blanchard Administration hasn't left him too soft. I tuned in the other morning to hear Sorg go toe-to-toe with the Notorious Tim Walberg, supposed Congressman from the 7th District. For a full line-up, visit Sorg's blog each day.

Sorg doesn't preach his own opinions, rather he asks the tough questions and allows listeners to form their own views. It's nice switch to be treated like an intelligent listener, as opposed to most talk radio today that just preaches rhetoric.

With MacDonald Broadcasting undergoing a $1 Million + expansion with its towers making it one of the strongest AM stations in the state, Sorg and Ebling could make a huge dent on public airwaves. Best part is, there's an opportunity here for all of us to help out.

Broadcasting is only as good as it's hosts, and they can't stay on air without sponsorship. I imagine that advertising rates before the station's expansion will be quite competitive, after an inquiry directly to the station, I discovered that these reasonable rates will be grandfathered in as the station grows.

Let's face it, the Internet's not the only place to help shape the minds of millions. Just because the Conservatives have dominated the airwaves for so long doesn't mean that we can't be a part of the changing tide.

Whether it's listening, advertising, or both, consider investing in progressive radio here in Mid-Michigan. Don't you deserve your kind of radio?

Elaine's Legacy

In April of 2004, I lost my hero to a tragic illness, ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Her name was Elaine, and despite being struck with a severe case of Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 16, she still went on to play field hockey, study biology at MSU, become one of the first female bacteriologists in Detroit, teach school, do homeless and prison ministry, help raise her sister's four boys, beat a nasty case of typhoid fever that left her hospitalized for an entire year, have three kids, eight grandkids, and one great-grandchild.

My grandmother was a self-described women's libber, and she met Grandpa when she tagged him out at third base on a family vacation in Canada. She didn't marry till she was in her 30's, and had her last child when she was 40.

My grandmother Elaine inspired so much in me. It probably won't surprise you to learn that it was because of her that I chose Rosie the Riveter as this blog's mascot. In my eyes, she is Rosie, fired up and ready to conquer it all.

She guessed she had ALS even before the doctors did. With her mind as sharp as a bell till the day she left us, she died a trapped prisoner in her own body at the age of 87.

When our family received the devastating news, I decided to write a tribute to her and give it to her before she died. Don't people deserve to hear how much we love them before they die instead?

Little did I know that I would have to have the most painful and excruciating surgery of all my 35 surgeries the day after she died. My only wish going into surgery was that while I was under the anesthetic, she'd be with me.

My family held off on her memorial service until the day after I'd been discharged, two weeks later. Despite having major abdominal surgery, still hooked up to tubes and devices and on major painkillers, I arrived at the memorial service in a wheelchair and a bright red dress, determined not to mourn, but to celebrate.

I gave that tribute that day at the memorial service to a packed sanctuary, hunched over in pain and anguish as I made my way to the pulpit and somehow fought back the tears as I proudly read off the memorial to a woman who I try to be like each and every day.

I'll never forget one of my last conversations with her while she still had the ability to talk. I told her she was my hero, that if I didn't have her in my life, I might not have made it through the last ten years of my life with such a debilitating case of Crohn's Disease. I knew that God put her in my life to be an example of what you can still do even with a crippling illness if you just put your mind to it. We both teared up, but nothing could have prepared me for what she said next.

You're my hero.

She said that I reminded her of the same things she reminded me of, and how important it was to die gracefully, still doing for others till the day she left this Earth.

That's precisely what she did, up until the day that she could no longer talk or move, and lay trapped in her bed, her eyes the only window to the person she was inside.

Even in her death, she did for others. She requested that her body be donated to science specifically so that scientists could study ALS and find a cure. A year or two later, we met some of the medical students at U of M who explained how important a gift this is to science and how much it means to them as doctors and researchers.

Throughout the entire journey, my family benefited greatly from the ALS of Michigan's services, from family counseling, to assistive devices that helped her breathe, or speak easier, to hospice planning, and bereavement counseling.

It is because of Elaine that my family participates in the ALS of Michigan's Walk n' Roll each year, a fundraiser to not only find a cure, but to provide assistance and support to families right here in Michigan who deal with this illness each and every day.

This year, I'm forming my own team to walk and roll in a 3 mile event right here in Lansing at Hawk Island Park on Saturday, September 29th.

It's a great event filled with friends, fun, food, good music, and of course, promoting a great cause and raising awareness and money to help those who also suffer.

Most of all, I'd be honored if you'd join my team.

Team Elaine's Legacy will continue to pass on Elaine's legacy, one of passion, dedication to others, and making the world a better place, one person at a time.

Perhaps you know someone who had ALS or is suffering with it right now. It can strike people as young as 30, and if you've read Mitch Albom's Tuesday's with Morrie, you know it can strike the elderly, like my grandmother.

You can join the team, come walk with us, bring the kids, the dog, or both, or if you can't make it but still want to help out, you can donate. We've got a team goal of $10,000, and we can't do it without your help.

You don't have to move mountains or scale large buildings to make a difference. Create your own legacy, be a hero to someone, pass it on.

You can change the world today

You have the opportunity to help bring our soldiers home now.
Will you take it?

On Thursday night, the United States House of Representatives voted to end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home. Michigan Congressmen Ehlers, Upton, McCotter, Knollenberg, and Rogers all voted to continue the failed policy in Iraq and keep our nation on a path of endless war.

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq plans to hold those Congressmen accountable for their votes on Friday with a Press Conference and Rally as part of their Iraq Summer campaign.

The event will be held from 12:30-1:30 at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Speakers will include Kevin Kelley and our own Bruce Fealk.

This event is yet another opportunity to help change how Michigan's Congresscritters treat the war in Iraq. You have a real opportunity to be a part of the force that changes the tide.

This campaign is effective. Eight Republican US Senators have recently changed their position on the war in Iraq. Five of them were targets of the Iraq Summer campaign.

Please do whatever it takes to make this rally.

Our troops are depending on us.

Guest post from Honest Errors

A special thanks to a wonderful friend and a talented writer, Rich from the political/lit blog based right here in the Mid-Michigan area, Honest Errors.

How I Became Involved in Michigan Politics

My wife, son, and I moved here to Mid-Michigan at the end of July last year, 2006. Among the many great things we discovered about the area, we stumbled upon the wonderful Everybody Reads bookstore. On our first visit we went up to the counter to buy the books we had chosen. We noticed they had Impeach Bush yard signs available for a donation to the store. Being election season, we bought one and put it in our front yard.

Mind you, lest you think we were intentionally trying to provoke our neighbors, we had been living in the house well over a month before we put the Impeach Bush sign in our front yard. In that time, only one family in our immediate vicinity introduced themselves to us. (Welcome to suburban living.) So we thought who's going to care what sign we put out front? We don't know any of them or what they think. Besides, we were not the only people in Okemos with this sentiment; several other homes in the town displayed similar signs in their yards.

One week later the sign was missing. My wife and I thought, this is new. We'd never had this problem in Los Angeles or in Chicago. Especially the latter, where if you're a business owner and have a sign in your window for the "wrong" candidate, don't be surprised if you get a visit from a city inspector...

Anyway, I went back to Everybody Reads and bought another sign, telling the clerk that our other sign had been stolen. He said the Impeach Bush signs were rather popular that way. I put the new sign up in our yard.

Less than a week later, that sign was stolen. It was also at this time my wife and I noticed that signs bearing similar sentiments were defaced with spray paint. Okemos (like the rest of the country) was definitely a place with strong feelings both for and against Bush. But we also couldn't help but notice that signs for candidates, like Granholm, Devos, Rogers, were always untouched.

So, stubborn ass that I am, I went back to Everybody Reads and bought two signs. I figured I would save myself a trip when the third sign was eventually stolen.

I should note that I have never thought that a Bush Impeachment was a realistic expectation to have. Just? Yes. Likely to happen? Never. Why do I think so? Go read this book.

Not even three days later the third sign was stolen from our front yard overnight and replaced with a yard ornament featuring a cow with wings. Whoever was stealing our signs had a sense of humor.

At this point I was pissed. I had fantasies of jamming the fourth sign full of razor blades or attaching the metal frame to some wire and attach that to an outlet. The latter would reveal who the thief was when we saw his body splayed out on our lawn.

Instead, I decided that when I went out in the morning to get the paper, I would put the sign in the ground and in the evening I would take the sign up and put it in our garage. I repeated this for a number of weeks. At the same time, I decided that I had to take more direct action towards bringing about the change in government that I wanted. Michigan has a lot of problems, solvable ones. I also believe in put up or shut up. You have to act, not just complain.

I looked up who my Representative to Congress was and found out it was Mike Rogers, a Republican. This was new to me. I had never lived in a Republican-represented congressional district before.

(Wait, there was that one term that Republican Mike Flanagan served in Illinois' 5th district, but that was because Democrat Rostenkowski had been taken down for corruption. Flanagan was voted out the next term in favor of Democrat Rod Blagojevich, who is now Governor of Illinois. His House seat is now filled by Rahm Emmanuel.)

What to do about this? Sign up for the Marcinkowski campaign! Which is what I did and met some great people in both the campaign itself and the Democratic party. I took down the Impeach Bush sign and put up a Marcinkowski sign. No one stole the Marcinkowski sign. Unfortunately, Rogers won another term.

The day after the election, I took down the Marcinkowski sign and put up the Impeach Bush sign, just for the day to gloat a little at the Democrats take-back of the House.

A few weeks later I started blogging. I was inspired by the litblogs and political blogs I had read (and continue to read). I believe artists are no different than other citizens, and should be engaged with the world around them, including the political forces that shape so much of our daily lives: from the placement of roads, the quality of our schools, to the critical services provided by firemen and police officers, to the rights we constantly have to fight for in order to keep them. Through blogging I have become much more (happily) involved in progressive politics in Michigan, my new adopted home.

To the person(s) who repeatedly stole our Impeach Bush sign: It was extremely stupid and short-sighted of you. If you had just left us that first sign, I never would have continued giving money to support the cause of Impeaching President Bush, thereby strengthening that cause. And I probably never would have volunteered for the Marcinkowski campaign, which got me involved in the local Democratic party, too, which got me fired up to start a blog, which I continue to write to this day.

Saturday Special - Cruise Director Style

Happy weekend!

Last night I volunteered at Festival of the Moon, and I'll be doing the same again today at Festival of the Sun in Old Town. I strongly recommend you come on down and join in the fun. While you're there, I highly suggest trying out Uncle John's Hard Ciders. I tried all three, Apple, Perry and Apple Cherry and they were delicious!

Of course I'm busy preparing for tomorrow's MichLib Summer Family Picnic, and for one, final time, I'm inviting you and yours to join us at Frances Park, right here in beautiful Lansing. Most of the Lucy Family will be there, as will many family members of some of MichLib's finest. Consider bringing yours!

The following selections are some of my favorite posts/blogs are some of my favorite that I read on a daily basis to help keep me sane. Some are as far from political as they get, others feed my soul. Check 'em out because you never know, you may find yourself with a new blog favorite to add to your Bloglines.

• Jamelah.net - One of the funniest, most random blogs out there. Jamelah is a proud Michigander, and her antics will leave you rolling on a regular basis.
  
• Around the Keg - Another Michigan blog, this one is all about beer, particularly beer, with a smattering of politics thrown in, from the right and the left to keep things interesting. Funny thing, I'm not a beer drinker, but I enjoy reading about beer, which I realize probably makes very little sense. Ahh, well just goes to show you never know with LL. :-)
  
• The Chaplain's Assistant : God, Country and Vietnam - The book from one of our own Isabella County bloggers, jtcaldwell. I have a love for all things military history, passed along by my dad the Vietnam Vet, and this will be finding itself in his birthday present.
  
• The Hunger Site - did you know that with a few short clicks of your mouse you can help feed the hungry? It is one cool site that we should all be clicking on every day.
  
• Never in Our Names - From the site

  Never In Our Names is an online community dedicated to human rights and individual dignity. We support the Geneva Conventions, The United Nations Human Rights treaties and The UN Declaration on The Rights of Children, as well as the very basic tenets of human rights, including a statement on our masthead by an 11 year old: "All you have to do to qualify for human rights is to be human."

Well that's it for me today. I'm off to get everything prepared for tomorrow's picnic. Here's to a happy Saturday and seeing YOU tomorrow!