Walker on Politics

For Wild Card Friday this week, I have decided to reminisce about how I spent the Fourth of July in the past years, since the Fourth of July is tomorrow.

What I want to talk about in particular is my favorite part of the Fourth of July: the fireworks.  It doesn’t matter where they are.   I just know that if there’s going to be any Fourth of July at all, there better be fireworks.

I can recall fond memories of going up north and watching the fireworks by the lake at Vic’s Beach (It wasn’t really his beach, but that’s what we called it.)  During one year, when I was much younger,  some firecrackers got out of control.  I stayed near my family to make sure that I didn’t get hit by one. During another year at Vic’s Beach, when I was older, I remember playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida there.  It wasn’t quite dark yet, but it led up to what I was looking forward to later.

During one year or another, I celebrated the Fourth in East Jordan, since my parents had this friend that owned hunting land with a camp site on top of the hill.  I can’t remember too much about the fireworks.  I just know that it was crowded and just as exciting as other years.

In a more recent year, I aaw the fireworks up north near Barton City.  This wasn’t Vic’s Beach but the show was still impressive.

Last year was a different year for fireworks.  Being in town, I saw the fireworks at the Tridge with a few people I knew.  This was probably one of the better shows that I have been to, only I heard that the fireworks in Bay City are better.

Thus ends the memories.  This year, I will be seeing fireworks at the tridge.  The Fourth isn’t just a time to be patriotic, but a time to sit and enjoy the show.

Here’s to hoping that this year’s Fourth will be as good as all the others.  And like every year, it will end with a bang.

Happy Fourth of July Eve, everyone!

If unemployment could be compared to fireworks, we all have a front row seat, watching them shoot off left and right.

An especially large “firework” was launched today, indicating our 26 year high in unemployment.  With the Dow losing 223 points today, that would make it the average’s worse day since April 20th.

With all these all these “fireworks” going off in various directions,  it is making me extra cautious in planning my future, finding what remaining pieces of ice I can leap to, to navigate out of this ocean of unemployment.

Having just found a job at a gas station,  I can very well say that I am beating the odds.  My journey has begun.  However long or short it may be, I will find solid land.

Unemployment is something like that.  Not the best analogy, but what the heck, the Fourth of July is in a couple of days.  And there’s nothing wrong in celebrating early, right?

Being a resident of Michigan, I can’t help but observe the holiday of my northern neighbors.

Without further ado, enjoy this slide show from the Toronto Sun.

Only three days remain until I celebrate my Independence Day.  Until then, happy Canada Day, all you neighbors up there!

Now I’ve heard of the Swine Flu.  But recently, the virus has chosen a new host to spread disease: dogs.

Yes, the dog flu is currently spreading in the United States.  So if you are an owner of a dog, talk to your vet, and see if your furry friend has this terrible strain.

Upon hearing this, I am glad that I don’t own a dog.  If news starts to surface about a cat flu, I will be quite concerned.

Please, disease bearing mutants, don’t touch my kitteh!

It was a very close race for the past 8 months in Minnesota, but the results are finally in: Al Franken wins the U.S. Senate seat.

At this point, it doesn’t really surprise me either.  The Democrats have been getting what they want a lot lately.

From what I hear, Franken can be a hothead so the Senate better take caution.

I can at least practice calling the new Senator by his nickname: Al Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley, eat your heart out.

In very much the same way the Democrats in Congress rushed the stimulus bill through, they now want to vote on the 1,201 page (previously 946 page) monstrosity: The Waxman-Markey Global Warming Bill.

Now wait just a minute here!  Just a few months ago, they proceeded to pass the last bill in undue haste.  There was no time to think about it.  They just pushed it through before we even knew anything about it.

First of all,  this bill will have virtually no impact on climate whatsoever.  This was stated from the Heritage Foundation, when they sited the analysis of the Congressional Budget Office.  This bill in the long run will cost this country millions of jobs, trillions of lost income, a larger national debt, and higher energy prices.  Prices that are expected to be 50 to 90 percent higher than they are now.

Not wanting to make the same mistake as last time, the Dems hired some speedreaders to read through this massive bill.  Now it doesn’t matter whether they have these speedreaders or not.  They will still want to pass the bill anyway.  What Congress needs to do is allow us to see a few of the important items in the bill so we can see how it will affect us.

All this looks like to me is just another useless bill. Why would you pass a climate bill if it does NOTHING to change the climate?  All I see it as is just another way to tax us and destroy even more of the jobs that still remain in this country.

I have a bad feeling that this is not the last of the outrageous legislation that the liberal run congress will be passing.  Not by a long shot.

There might be hope in 2010.  Maybe.

Now I clearly understand why it’s so hard to get a job in Michigan.

According to this map from the Sacremento Bee, Michigan won’t see pre-recession levels until 2014.

Texas, on the other hand, will rebound as early as this year or next year.

I’m fed up with Michigan.  That’s it.  I’m moving to Texas.  That’s if I can get a JOB to save enough money to move out of this vocational wasteland….

North Korea is not holding back, and doesn’t seem to fear our president, as they plan on launching a missile at Hawaii on the Fourth of July.

Hawaii seems to have everything under control, with their missile defense systems.  With this technology, it seems that they can blow up the missile in its final stage of flight.

This may sound conforting, but North Korea’s reckless attitude toward our country is really starting to scare me.  The North Koreans detect weakness in President Obama, which is why they’re not afraid of going after us.  If Obama wants to keep our country safe, he needs to show more muscle and let Kim Jung-il know we mean business.

This calls for responsibility, which is something that I still need to see more of.

This just in.  Ed McMahon has recently died at 85 today.

In thinking about the life of Ed McMahon, one song comes to mind.  That would be the song “Here’s Johnny” by Weird Al Yankovic.

My only other memory of him is when he was involved with Publisher’s Clearing House.

Farewell, Mr. McMahon.  You have set the standard in Late Night TV and we will not forget you.