Turkey Breaks Into Home, Could Face Death Penalty

A turkey crashed through Gerald and Maureen Henze's front window while they were watching television. The couple's dog helped to chase the intruder into a bedroom where the suspect was trapped until law enforcement officials arrived on the scene. A county sheriff's deputy released the perpetrator, who was not injured during the home invasion, and was assaulted by the turkey resulting in minor scratches. It is not clear yet whether the charge of assaulting an officer will be added. The turkey could face the death penalty next hunting season or if it is caught breaking into another peace-loving homeowner's domicile.

The story is true, I just added some humor to it to make you laugh today. Read the full article in the Saginaw News.

Spotlight on Michigan Inventors

Neat article in today's Free Press that gives notice to some inventors from Michigan that are some of the subjects in a book about inventors. The book Makers : All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things In Their Backyard, Basement or Garage has a handful of Michigan inventors featured within it's pages. A solar-powered scooter and bagpipes made from PVC and some upholstery are just a couple of the inventions from Michigan. There is a blog published by the same folks as the above book and if you like to tinker and create this is one you should not pass by. I subscribe to the feed and have bookmarked tons of fun projects. Check it out here www.makezine.com/blog

MAKE Magazine: The First Year : 4 Volume Collector's Set is the magazine also published by the same folks. The link points to the first four volume set. It is a quarterly publication that is loaded with do-it-yourself projects ranging from how to use a kite for aerial photography to decoding the magnetic strip on your credit card to see what information the credit card companies are keeping track of.

I could have used DIY information like that when I was a kid. I can't even tell you the number of electronic toys and games I ruined. I was forever taking stuff apart to see how it worked and what I could make out of it. After my little sister stole some money out of my bank I contstructed a homemade burglar alarm from a toy police bullhorn that emitted a siren when the door opened. Oh the many more things I could have done if only my folks would have let me have a soldering iron. ;)

Cincinnati Chili

Here is a great chili recipe for those who like a sweeter and milder flavored chili. Chili is a great dish to have on any cold and blustery day. Enjoy! What you need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• Chili seasoning to taste
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Splash of Cider Vinegar
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• Add tomato juice to taste
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans drained & rinsed
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup chopped onions

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef & drain
2. In a large saucepan add cooked ground beef to remaining ingredients (excluding cheese and onions) and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Serve chili topped with cheese and onions. For genuine Cincinnati Chili serve it over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Michigan's House Approves Minimum Wage Hike

The minimum wage hike that the state Senate passed last week is now on its way to Governor Granholm's desk waiting for a signature. The bill was approved with about half of the votes against it coming from Republicans. The votes against it were most likely those who were speaking out against the bill for small businesses. Small businesses are those who have been the most vocal agains the $1.80 hike in the minimum wage that will go into effect October 1, 2006. This wage hike is long overdue and in the end, the pluses will far outweigh any negatives that are currently being perceived.

Read the full story in the Lansing State Journal.

Winter Storm Hits the U.P.

Despite the balmy weather of the past few days, winter is still trying to stick around. The western Upper Peninsula was slammed with their worst storm of the season on Monday. Around southwest Michigan we saw colder temps and a skiff of snow, but that didn't keep the Robins from coming back. I started seeing them last week and I keep seeing more and more of them. Check this out if you missed my previous article about removing the Robin as our official state bird.

I have even heard reports that the "peepers" have been singing although the recent cold spell might tone that down for a while. The "peepers" are those frogs you hear at night with their incessant "peeping" sounds they make. I am not sure what the technical name for them is, I have always known them as "peepers"

I had to laugh when I saw this headline in the Mining Journal out of Marquette - "Holy wah! Winter's empire strikes back." For anyone who has ever been to the U.P. or heard any songs by "The Yoopers" you will find that some folks north of the bridge tend to say "holy wah" as an exclamation like when we say "holy cow!" Anyway, the article has all of the details on that huge snowstorm that dumped up to two feet in some areas.

Think spring!

Say it ain't so, Tiger Stadium to be Demolished?

Money is running out to continue the very minimal upkeep that has been going on since the franchise moved to Comerica Park almost seven years ago. We all know that Detroit (the city, not the franchise) is strapped for cash and the $400,000 per year it takes to perform maintenance is just too much. I don't know what maintenance is being performed anyway. I have seen photos of trees (yes trees) growing behind the visitors dugout in the stands. Plaster falling to the floor in old offices and standing water on the old concourses and dugouts are just a handful of the signs of how time has passed this grand old ballpark by.

No realistic plans have ever come through for a legitimate use of the old facility. I wish that something would have occurred that would save this historic ballpark, but perhaps it is better that it be this way. I would rather see the wrecking ball and demolition crews take it down quickly instead of the ravages or time creating more of an eyesore than a historic monument.

I would love to be able to have a seat or two from Tiger Stadium. I hope they have an auction of some of the stadium's historic pieces. Although, photos and memories of a hot summer day sitting in the upper deck and seeming to hang right over the field are all I really need. That is how I will remember Tiger Stadium. Not the peeled paint and crumbling concrete.