Clipmarks | Michigan Clips

Two Small Banks Fail, Bring 2008 Tally To 15

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:03:25 GMT

U.S. regulators took over two small banks on Friday, in Michigan and Illinois, bringing the tally of bank failures to 15 so far this year.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it had seized Main Street Bank of Northville, Michigan, and Meridian Bank of Eldred, Illinois.

Main Street Bank had total assets of $98 million and total deposits of $86 million as of October 7, the FDIC said, while Meridian Bank had $39.2 million in total assets and $36.9 million in total deposits as of September 25.

The two failures are expected to cost the U.S. bank deposit insurance fund, that stood at around $45 billion at the end of June, between $46 million and $53.5 million, the FDIC said.

Tags: credit crisis, bank failures, fdic

Palin the "darling" of conservatives

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:02:10 GMT

clipped by: georgecf

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

You can already see the mythology beginning to take shape. Palin is being positioned by conservative media outlets as the stalwart defender of the faith, the true believer who is fighting the infidel with all her power but lacks a committed partner in McCain.

Sarah Palin, by contrast, will reign as the party’s crown princess.

Palin’s the one making the arguments that conservatives most want to hear, such as accusing Obama of “palling around with terrorists.” When the McCain campaign decided to pull out of Michigan, it was Palin who repeatedly and publicly disagreed, insisting that the cause was not yet lost and that she could turn things around.

Palin’s star will shine even brighter in defeat than in victory, and that would not bode well for her party.

Tags: mccain, palin

Destination Weddings in Florida

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:43:19 GMT

clipped by: ChicagoLynn
clipper's remarks: Check out this blog for good information on wedding plans, officiants, destinations and ideas for a "dream wedding"

Clip Source: eventsbythebay.typepad.com

A Perfect, Yet Simple Destination Wedding

with the right planners and vendors, and keep your focus on the things you'll remember - the setting, the guests who came, the words that are spoken, and the enjoyable moments at your reception.

Events by the Bay specializes in planning and officiating weddings in special niche locations like Anna Maria Island off the Gulf Coast of Florida, and from the vistas of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan. The differing climates of these destinations means allows for the perfect Summer and Fall destinations up north, and Winter/Spring destinations in the Sun Belt.

Tricia Frey, the co-founder of Events by the Bay, has assembled a team of exceptional planners, with geographic diversity to assist with weddings in a variety of wonderful destinations that may appeal to you. Contact Tricia today to gain a better understanding of just how to plan the very best wedding for you!

Tags: destination weddings, florida, dream wedding, simple weddings, wedding planners, event planning, anna maria island

Secrets of the Human Body

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:07:05 GMT

clipped by: ninadalton
clipper's remarks: Part 2

Clip Source: greensboring.com

4. Feel no pain!

German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

States' Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:04:06 GMT

clipped by: dulios
clipper's remarks: For all the conservatives out there foaming at the mouth about faulty registrations, let me hear your outrage about this. Hmmm, bet I'll be waiting for a while. Who am I kidding? Conservatives HATE it when people vote.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal

Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.

The screening or trimming of voter registration lists in the six states — Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina — could also result in problems at the polls on Election Day: people who have been removed from the rolls are likely to show up only to be challenged by political party officials or election workers, resulting in confusion, long lines and heated tempers.

Although much attention this year has been focused on the millions of new voters being added to the rolls by the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, there has been far less notice given to the number of voters being dropped from those same rolls.

Tags: voting, voter caging, vote supression

NYT: Voter purges in 6 states may violate law

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:43:34 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Does not appear to be a partisan attempt

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other

Still, because Democrats have been more aggressive at registering new voters this year, according to state election officials, any heightened screening of new applications may affect their party's supporters disproportionately. The screening and trimming of voter registration lists in the six states -- Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina -- could also result in problems at the polls on Election Day: people who have been removed from the rolls are likely to show up only to be challenged by political party officials or election workers, resulting in confusion, long lines and heated tempers.

Tags: elections

Voters being illegally removed from the Rolls

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:45:32 GMT

clipped by: conches
clipper's remarks: Arrrgh.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal

Published: October 8, 2008

for every voter added to the rolls in the past two months in some states, election officials have removed two, a review of the records shows.

The six swing states seem to be in violation of federal law in two ways. Michigan and Colorado are removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which is not allowed except when voters die, notify the authorities that they have moved out of state, or have been declared unfit to vote.

Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio seem to be improperly using Social Security data to verify registration applications for new voters.

States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:33:08 GMT

clipped by: dewitte

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other, nor do they appear to be the result of election officials intentionally breaking rules, but are apparently the result of mistakes in the handling of the registrations and voter files as the states tried to comply with a 2002 federal law, intended to overhaul the way elections are run.

Michigan and Colorado are removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which is not allowed except when voters die, notify the authorities that they have moved out of state, or have been declared unfit to vote.

Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio seem to be improperly using Social Security data to verify registration applications for new voters.

Tags: election, voters, voting

Pitbull Palin Mauls McCain

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:05:01 GMT

clipped by: glennbah

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Pitbull Palin Mauls McCain

SARAH PALIN’S post-Couric/Fey comeback at last week’s vice presidential debate was a turning point in the campaign. But if she “won,” as her indulgent partisans and press claque would have it, the loser was not Joe Biden. It was her running mate. With a month to go, the 2008 election is now an Obama-Palin race — about “the future,” as Palin kept saying Thursday night — and the only person who doesn’t seem to know it is Mr. Past, poor old John McCain.

Just hours before the debate began, the McCain campaign pulled out of Michigan. That state is ground zero for the collapsed Main Street economy and for so-called Reagan Democrats

Not without an economic message. McCain’s most persistent attempt, his self-righteous crusade against earmarks, collapsed with his poll numbers. Next to a $700 billion bailout package, his incessant promise to eliminate all Washington pork — by comparison, a puny grand total of $16.5 billion in the 2008 federal budget

doesn’t bring

the bacon

Tags: mccain, palin, economy

ACORN Fraud: False Voter Registration in Nevada

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:38:26 GMT

clipped by: Cezanne777
clipper's remarks: ACORN, often accused of voter-registration fraud, is under investigation in Nevada for turning in fake voter registration forms. ACORN has come under scrutiny lately for receiving funds from the Obama campaign. It also made news when Democrats in Congress attempted to funnel future bailout profits into the ACORN slush fund.

Clip Source: www.witn.com

Nevada Raids State ACORN Headquarters

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Nevada authorities seized records Tuesday from a group they accused of submitting fraudulent voter-registration forms - including for the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys.

According to its national Web site, the group has registered 1.3 million people nationwide for the Nov. 4 election. It has encountered complaints of fraud stemming from registration efforts in Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Mexico, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri.

Tags: acorn, fraud, voter registration, nevada, obama, democrats, bailout, slush fund

The Most Honorable John McCain

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:53:54 GMT

clipped by: oscarrob
clipper's remarks: John, we thought we knew you. Say it ain't so.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Oct. 7, 2008 | The End of Days is approaching for John McCain and Sarah Palin, and at least one member of the ticket is not likely to greet this development with religious rapture. Their numbers are tanking. Their campaign has had to pull out of Michigan, and they are trailing in most of the battleground states they must hold onto. Even Karl Rove has predicted an Obama win if the election were held today. McCain's hotheaded behavior during the Wall Street crisis and his numerous other erratic tactical swerves have backfired. And his biggest gamble, choosing Sarah Palin as vice president, is increasingly looking like a disaster.

McCain's all-too-predictable response: get ugly, as he did on Monday is his disturbing rant against Obama in New Mexico.

The man who incessantly talks about "honor" has checked his own at the door.

I've pledged to conduct a respectful campaign."

His "pledge" has turned out to be about as credible as his sudden incarnation as a lifelong enemy of Wall Street

Tags: mccain, obama, campaign

Frank "Sugarchile" Robinson - Caldonia

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:40:21 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: 5 years old

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: www.rockabilly.nl

Born Frank Robinson, 1940, Detroit, Michigan

Once the hits had dried up and he was released from his Capitol Records contract, there were one or two more reports in the trade papers of the day - he was reported in August 1954 as playing The Blue Note in Chicago with modern jazzer Gerry Mulligan (!) - and then nothing! What happened? Did his voice break? Did the novelty of an infant boogie virtuoso suddenly lose its appeal when he hit 12? Was he really found out to be an adolescent midget in disguise? Last year it was announced that a 62 year-old "Sugar Chile" Robinson had been rediscovered living in Detroit, where he has worked mainly outside music for almost 50 years (although he is rumoured to be the same Frank Robinson who co-owned the obscure Detroit-based soul label, Lando Records, in the 1960s) , and was brought out of retirement to pound the ivories once again at a music festival which celebrated pre-Motown music from the Motor City.

Missing In Michigan: Tangena Hussain

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:15:41 GMT

clipped by: mammabear89

Clip Source: www.dreamindemon.com

Detroit, MI - Two-year-old Tangena Hussain of Hamtramck, Michigan, was last seen at 8:45 on Thursday evening at the Marathon Gas Station in Detroit. Or was she? Her mother’s boyfriend (but not Tangena’s father) Jamrul Hussain, 27, says that Tangena was in the back seat of his car when he stopped at the gas station to buy candy and juice for the child. They were on their way to pick up Tangena’s mother, Nilufa Begum, from work at Northland Mall.

When Jamrul Hussain got back to his car, he said, Tangena was gone. But rather than call police or alert the store personnel, Hussain went to pick up Begum as scheduled, telling her that he would “take her to her daughter”. Instead, he took Begum back to the place where he said he lost her baby girl. Sound familiar, anyone?

Tags: missing, missing child, michigan, tangena hussain

The right Strategy may not be Enough for McCain

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:44:12 GMT

clipped by: oscarrob
clipper's remarks: "Lower marginal tax rates will reward work, investment, and risk-taking. They also will put money in people’s pockets as they keep more of what they earn."

Kudlow is probably right, this does seem McCain's best shot. The problem is that it is too little and too old.

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

John McCain needs a knock-out performance at Tuesday night’s presidential debate if he is to keep his hopes alive.

Right now polls paint a dismal picture for Sen. McCain. Rasmussen shows Obama leading 52-44, Obama’s highest level ever. (Moving above 50 percent is a key indicator.) The RealClearPolitics average has Obama up 6 points. InTrade shows Obama up by 34 points. It also could be that key states like Ohio and Florida are now up for grabs, while Obama could win in swing states like Virginia and North Carolina. McCain, of course, is moving out of Michigan.

The financial crisis and economic downturn clearly have buried Sen. McCain in recent weeks. Some of McCain’s supporters think he can turn the page on the economy Tuesday night and instead attack Obama on character and qualifications. That doesn’t seem realistic.

McCain needs to stress that tax hikes of any kind would be a total disaster

letting folks keep more of what they earn is a recovery prescription.

Tags: mccain, campaign, debate, strategy, taxes

Pollster: Three new states swing solidly Obama

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:53:13 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And three red states move to "toss-up" column. Still figuring Debbyski will deliver WV!

Clip Source: www.pollster.com

As of today we have Obama sitting comfortably with 264 electoral votes. McCain has only 163. It is very unlikely that any of the states we have put in the Obama column will switch to McCain in the coming weeks. Therefore, McCain has to win nearly all of the remaining toss-up states to win in November.

Here are the latest changes as we see it:

New Hampshire from toss-up to Obama

North Carolina from McCain to toss-up

Michigan from toss-up to Obama

Missouri from McCain to toss-up

Minnesota REMAINS Obama

The McCain campaign made several missteps last week including campaigning in Iowa (a sure Obama state) and allowing the Palin-Couric interview to be edited and dribbled out over a 7 day period, but the overwhelming force is the deteriorating economy and not even a perfect campaign could weather that storm.

There are more turns to come in this election and it is not over yet but it sure seems like it is.

Tags: election, polls, obama