Granholm leads DeVos in latest poll

A new poll by The Detroit News/WXYZ-TV shows Governor Jennifer Granholm leading Dick DeVos 50% to 47%. Dick DeVos has been running television ads for about 6 months to the tune of $13 million and Granholm has just recently begun her television ad campaign. I believe that this goes back to my previous post titled, "Can a Millionaire Michigan Congressman Represent the Average Michigander?" It sure seems that in politics these days whomever has the deepest pockets to fund the largest advertising campaign garners the most votes in November.

Look at these simple facts. DeVos was running television ads left and right and spending $13 million to do so while Granholm's campaign bided their time. He built up a lead in the polls back in June of 48% to Granholm's 40%.

Now that Granholm's campaign is spending the advertising dollars is it really a surprise that things have swung back her way to this slight lead? You spend money and good things will happen.

I am not saying that money talks so well that you could put a social lowlife such as a meth dealer into a campaign and spend enough money so they would win an election. You have to have someone people relate to and believe in. Granholm and DeVos fit the bill for quite a few folks according to these polls.

Via The Detroit News.

Today, there will be no newspaper delivered to my door

Today I bravely stride forth into a new era. All through my formative years while living at home, even my college years, and on into my adulthood I have received a daily newspaper. Yesterday I read the last newspaper that will be delivered to my doorstep. I read a large number of online newspapers and news sites on a daily basis. By the time my afternoon paper gets here the news is already old news. Recent changes to our paper have also been blatant in their attempts to disguise the decline in the amount of news that was reported on.

Instead of mainly receiving a plethora of ads and flyers in the Sunday paper, we have begun seeing a bunch of junk ads Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well. It was like the paper was compensating for the lack of news with advertising.

Even that staple of childhood - the funnies, comics, funny pages - have lost their humor and traded it in for politics, political correctness, and social agendas. The comics have not been the same since Bill Watterson quit drawing my favorite comic - Calvin and Hobbes.

So, I bid a fond ado to those days of holding the news in my hand. Another side benefit to no longer receiving the paper is one less thing to recycle and take up space in my garage.

Update: No apparent plot to blow up Mackinac Bridge

Update: This is in relation to yesterday's post about a possible terror plot involving the Mackinac Bridge. The FBI is reporting that there is no evidence linking the three Texas men that were arrested in Caro for purchasing 80 cell phones and having about 1,000 total cell phones in their van with a terrorist plot.

Also, yesterday I commented that I hoped the only thing these men were guilty of was selling phones at a markup that others could get for the same price at Wal-Mart. Evidently, these phones are more expensive in Texas and there is a great enough demand for these guys to make a trip across the country purchasing these phones for profit.

What I said yesterday still applies today -

I am not yet ready to live in a country where acts of terrorism are a daily occurrence.

Via The Detroit News

Michigan Gas Prices Week of 8/14/06

The average price of unleaded gas in Michigan is down to $3.016 as of today, August 14. This morning I saw prices as low as $2.88 in Portage, Michigan. One year ago we were paying $2.524 per gallon. Does it seem odd to anyone that after gas spiked last week up to $3.19 on the report of the oil leak in the Alaskan pipeline that it has since dropped about $.18 to $.30? The initial knee-jerk reaction of a possible oil supply problem has been diffused by BP stating that they can partially run their Prudhoe Bay oil field and consequently, the price of oil has dropped over $1 per barrel.

When the news of the oil leak was initially reported I asked my wife why a reputable company would want to let the whole world know about a leak. Anyone else out there wonder if BP made sure that everyone got themselves in a right little panic to drive up oil prices and help them continue to rake in their record profits?

Fuel data courtesy of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.

Great Lakes Folk Festival is in East Lansing this weekend

What a great weekend to spend some time outside! The Great Lakes Folk Festival is in East Lansing this weekend and they could not have better weather than this. The price of admission? Free, but there will be folks passing the bucket for donations. Drop some bills in and enjoy the perfomers. The festival kicks off this evening at 6 and runs until 11 pm. Saturday, it runs from noon until 11 pm and Sunday from noon until 6 pm.

Check out the HUB from the Lansing State Journal for all of the details. There are too many to list here so be sure to read all about it at the HUB.