http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/Andrew Heller's outlook and commentsenWed, 08 Jul 2009 09:01:54 PDTMovable Type Enterprise 1.52 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/noAndrew Heller's outlook and commentsahellerhttp://feedburner.google.comhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/RXmJtG5KdVo/flints_next_mayor_shouldnt_shr.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller / The Flint JournalWed, 08 Jul 2009 09:01:54 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3186564 ]]> The remaining candidates for Flint mayor are promising BNL (bold new leadership) but are acting as if BAU - business as usual - is how they'll actually lead if elected. Or so I surmise from Sunday's news story about the concept of "shrinking" the physical size of the city. Dayne Walling and Brenda Clack each dismissed the idea. Walling called it "scary," saying it creates a climate of "fear and distrust." Clack, meanwhile, said, "No one wants to have the notion (people are) going to be put out of their home." As if anyone has been talking about doing such a thing....http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/flints_next_mayor_shouldnt_shr.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/ByBGEazg7pw/and_now_for_some_fireworks.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalMon, 06 Jul 2009 14:08:44 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3141582 ]]> Can't make it out to fireworks this year? Never fear ... Happy 4th of July, everybody. andy...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/and_now_for_some_fireworks.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/523T31mzq9k/it_wasnt_drugs_or_kookiness_th.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalThu, 02 Jul 2009 18:21:36 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3153273 ]]> I know Michael Jackson's death is old news by now, although it will be debated for years. How long before he's spotted in Burger King having lunch with Elvis? But he was such a sad, pitiful creature that his death and life are still on my mind. Here's what I think happened: Drugs didn't kill Michael Jackson. Fame didn't kill Michael Jackson. Neither did heart disease. T'was childhood killed Michael Jackson. It took nearly 51 years, but it finally got him....http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/it_wasnt_drugs_or_kookiness_th.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/cNhd3297QNs/its_just_like_the_opening_to_l.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalThu, 02 Jul 2009 09:01:09 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3141642 ]]>I found this cool little game/site in my search for a fireworks display to embed for you. (Look for that on Friday.) I can't embed this, but you can follow the link. T'is fun, trust me......http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/its_just_like_the_opening_to_l.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/PXa4nTo3P0s/once_again_theres_a_flint_conn.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller / The Flint JournalThu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:54 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3139653 ]]> Come Heller high water... • South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has gone from "mea culpa" to "mea talking waaay too much," hasn't he? He's long since crossed the line from confession to romance novel. ("The tan lines of my soul-mate shimmered in the sunlight as I uttered the words she had long feared were coming: 'My love, I must get back home for a budget hearing ...'") • That guy needs a Dr. Evil (Austin Powers), someone to say "Zip it!" the next time he opens his yap. Zip it. Zip. Zzt. • And have you noticed that the bigger the politician, the tawdrier the affair? Clinton, Edwards, Spitzer, Sanford. What is it with that? • Aw, c'mon, why does there ALWAYS have to be a Flint connection to stories like the political scandal in Detroit? • The scandal, in case you've missed it, involves Monica Conyers, wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers. She resigned from the Detroit City Council after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe for her vote on a $1.2 billion city sludge contract. The local connection is Sam Riddle, former political adviser to former Flint Mayor Don Williamson. He was serving as Monica Conyers' chief...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/once_again_theres_a_flint_conn.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/Ym-SE1wxBx8/heck_yeah_make_the_up_into_git.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalWed, 01 Jul 2009 09:15:19 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3138715 ]]> The idea of housing Guantanamo Bay prisoners in the Upper Peninsula has gone nowhere so far, so I thought I'd give it a public nudge to maybe help it along. If you missed it, U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, brought it up last month, saying a prison in Schoolcraft County that was closed last year would be a fine new home for 240 Gitmo inmates. Stupak said he wouldn't pursue the plan unless he got broad support from other lawmakers, which hasn't happened. In fact, the idea has received nearly unanimous bipartisan non-support, the likes of which you seldom see in politics. The governor's office, for instance, said thanks but no thanks. But at least there you can see why. They're thinking, "Jeez, Michigan's already known for bankrupt auto companies, do we really need to be known as Gitmo North? I don't THINK so."...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/07/heck_yeah_make_the_up_into_git.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/vy_mmyuzRwo/holy_wuh_is_that_da_original_u.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalTue, 30 Jun 2009 18:23:37 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3128047 ]]>wordpress.com How can you resist something called "Pasty Cam"? If you can't, well, then git yerself off to this website, which is based in my homeland up in da U.P., eh? Pasty Cam doesn't seem to be an actual live camera shot, rather a shot per day of whatever strikes the fancy of Mr. or Mrs. Pasty Cam -- wildlife (human and otherwise), scenery and, I'm guessing, an occasional pasty or two. My favorite line on the site is at the very bottom of the page: Printed on 100 percent recycled Internet. Enjoy. By the way, gravy or ketchup? And if ketchup, what brand?...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/holy_wuh_is_that_da_original_u.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/P3omTOs-9z8/dear_president_obama_fix_docto.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalMon, 29 Jun 2009 09:01:03 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3107524 ]]> Since President Obama is going to the trouble of fixing health insurance, I see no reason why he shouldn't go the extra mile and fix a few other things that are wrong with the medical industry. For starters, he could sign a bill into law stating that you don't have to sign in when you arrive at the doctor's office. I don't mind letting them know that I'm present and accounted for, but I do mind using a pen that - follow the logic carefully here - SICK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING ALL DAY! I'd also like to see something done about appointments. I once called a doctor and said, "I am sick. I'd like to see the doctor." The receptionist said, "I have an open appointment in (long pause) ... how does June 25th at 10 a.m. sound?" It sounded great except for the fact that it was late March. "But I'm sick now," I said. "Do you want the appointment or not?" the receptionist said, clearly annoyed....http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/dear_president_obama_fix_docto.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/LOVawN93y0E/another_reason_andys_wife_is_a.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalWed, 01 Jul 2009 11:23:07 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3119468 ]]> OK, so this link is terribly sexist. But it's terribly true (at least as far as my wife is concerned). When I posted it on my Facebook page, I titled it "When Marcia was young." When someone sent it to me it was titled "Are Women Born This Way?" See if you recognize someone you know ......http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/another_reason_andys_wife_is_a.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/Y9YJQvKnrhI/lets_hope_the_film_incentives.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalFri, 26 Jun 2009 04:46:47 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3104458 ]]> Come Heller high water... •Good for Mott Community College for deciding to open a million dollar center to train people for Michigan's suddenly bountiful film industry. It's a bold move. Not to be a dark cloud, but what happens if lawmakers do away with the cozy tax incentives that make Michigan so attractive? •Flint mayoral candidate Ronald Higgerson says the city will go to pot - literally - if he's elected. He promises to make Flint a center for the medical marijuana industry. How he would do that isn't clear, but I'm thinking a city budget line would read, "$5 million, grow lights." •If he's elected, do we call him Mr. Mayor or Head Dude?...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/lets_hope_the_film_incentives.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/hFFvX0nL-_s/michael_jackson_is_dead_and_im.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalThu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:42 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3101029 ]]>In this Jan. 31, 1993 file picture, Michael Jackson performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, Calif. Jackson has died in Los Angeles at age 50 on Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) The headline, taken from an old Lewis Grizzard book, says it all: Michael Jackson is said to be dead. And I don't feel so good about it. I know a few will laugh and say of his death, "Good." The allegations. You know. There are hard hearts out there. Far too many for my tastes. But most, I suspect, will take this news as a blow to the stomach. It has that JFK/Elvis/John Lennon feel to it. Whether you believed the allegations or not, whether you respected his music or not, whether you liked it or not, he was part of everybody's life. And, yes, you cannot forget the allegations. They'll shadow him forevermore. But you also can't forget the good things, I figure. The music, yes. But he also popularized the artist-as activist thing. He also raised millions for the poor and the hungry. If he hadn't written "We are the World," many, many more people would have died. If...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/michael_jackson_is_dead_and_im.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/tZA1FUXUCFk/limbaugh_cares_more_about_blam.htmlAndy's Journal columnsAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalWed, 24 Jun 2009 09:07:19 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3083335 ]]> The headline on my blog asked, "Rush Limbaugh: Urban planner or corpulent windbag?" The inspiration, of course, was Limbaugh's ballyhooed comment that Flint should be bulldozed. The windbag line was a bit crude, I'll admit. But he ticked me off. I'm sick of pundits, reporters and others using Flint as "Example No. 1" when the discussion turns to urban ills. Do we have a giant "Kick Me!" sign taped to our back or something? I'm also sick of verbal terrorism, which is pretty much what the world of talk radio has become since the rise of Rush. The now-familiar formula: Come up with an exaggerated, outrageous message, shout it loud, then watch the money roll in....http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/limbaugh_cares_more_about_blam.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/EygrsfE3-_k/detroit_is_a_large_city_of_the.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalTue, 23 Jun 2009 09:12:36 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3072516 ]]>Jonathan Oosting | MLive.comIs the big D going to get bigger? I'm an optimist ... (OK, I'm not. I'm actually a really horrible pessimist. But for the purposes of this bit, I'll pretend) ... but even for me a magazine in Britain calling Detroit one of its Top 10 Large Cities of the Future makes me think someone's been hitting the laughing gas a bit too hard at the dentist. The magazine is called fDi, which is so annoying a name I'm not even going to bother trying to figure out what it means. ( Freaking dumb insights? Foul Damp Indigestion?) OK, so I did try. So sue me. Anyway, I didn't read far enough to see why the epicenter of the economic maelstrom sweeping the country could possibly be a top 10 anything, but I'll take a stab and guess the magazine is using the same formula sportswriters used when forecasting the Tigers this year: They were so incredibly bad last year, they can't help, by comparison, but be much better this year." But specifically they said "large," which I can't fathom a reason for. Detroit is a geographically big city now, but there's enough empty space in it...http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/detroit_is_a_large_city_of_the.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/wzoK6Y-OamE/how_can_you_keep_a_list_of_wor.htmlAndy's Random Blog Thoughts -- Enter at your own riskAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalMon, 22 Jun 2009 22:39:11 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3071980 ]]>APAndrew Miller If you're a fan of Michigan sports (the state, not the university), I recommend to you my colleague Patrick Hayes' Best of the Worst Lions and Best of the Worst Tigers. It's endlessly debatable stuff, which means it's endlessly entertaining. Besides, Patrick is an engaging writer who treats sports with the proper respect, meaning very little. How he managed to do a Top 10 on the Lions is beyond me. You could do that per year, I figure. His Tigers list is hard to argue with, but I do think he should do one on Top 10 Most Overhyped Rookies. Tops on my list would be Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, the duo of (so far) duds traded for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Whatshistoes. Feel free to offer your worst ever Lions and Tigers below......http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/how_can_you_keep_a_list_of_wor.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aheller/~3/wFQueeyHcfk/rush_limbaugh_urban_planner_or.htmlThe Heller PollAndrew Heller | The Flint JournalFri, 19 Jun 2009 09:09:10 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/flintjournal/aheller//1580.3045239 ]]> Rush Limbaugh -- known taker of candy from babies -- took one look at Flint's dead horse this week then kicked it square in the teeth. Not that a Dem city like Flint cares all that much about what the de facto head of the Republican Party thinks, but still, can't we for once just suffer in silence? Does Flint always have to be Mock Zero for every economic and social bomb that is dropped? Personally, I'm sick of it. And I'm sick of verbal terrorists like Limbaugh. But perhaps it's just me. Maybe you think Rush is right on when he says Flint ought to be plowed under. So answer me this: Is he, in his own crude way, making a valid point about the need for a completely fresh start with some of our more troubled urban areas? Or is he simply being a bully and a jerk? Let's see what you think ......http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2009/06/rush_limbaugh_urban_planner_or.htmlnonadult