Friday, December 11, 2009

Clean Energy Jobs in Michigan

Luke Canfora, director of Repower Michigan joins the 590KZO Saturday Morning Show at 7:45 to update us on progress in Copenhagen and headway being made on reducing Michigan's dependence on coal. Michigan spends over three billion dollars on coal each year, Luke Canfora will discuss how jobs can be created while reducing dependence on dirty energy sources.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Sometimes wild animals take time to play

I'll guess the new New Jersey Gov will just have to make do

NJ Gov.-elect Chris Christie (GOP) wanted Bruce Springsteen to play at his inauguration, but The Boss said thanks, but no thanks. Instead, Christie instead has to have the “B Street Band,” a tribute cover band which usually plays “bar mitzvahs and birthdays.”

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Assif Mandvi sees need for India to invade U.S.

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Palin/Huckabee -- not so much

Over the past couple of weeks, the media has been hounding Mike Huckabee for his decision in 2000 to grant clemency to convicted armed robber Maurice Clemmons, who was the lead suspect in the killing of four policemen in Northwest Washington and last week. Tuesday in an interview, Sarah Palin criticized Huckabee’s decision to pardon Clemmons, saying it was a bad decision and she feels even worse for the victims’ families in this situation. While Huckabee recently expressed admiration for Palin in a recent interview, earlier this year he criticized the former Alaska governor’s interview with CBS’ Katie Couric saying it was not a good interview and if anything,Couric was being gentle. It doesn't look like this Huchabee/Palin thing is going to work out.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I Like Birds -- different version

A higher energy version of I Like Birds. Thanks Jim

Toxic Ignorance is Not Bliss

There are over 62,00 chemicals that are brought into or built into our homes. Fewer than 200 have been tested. See if this article from Environmental Defense makes you as nervous as it made me.


Say goodbye to Republicans and hello to tea baggers

Think the Tea Party movement has eclipsed the Republican party from which it sprung? A new Rasmussen poll says you’re right, and that if the Tea Party was a full-fledged political party, it would overtake the GOP on the generic Congressional ballot. For the question “Okay, suppose the Tea Party Movement organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district, or the Tea Party candidate from your district,” the results were : Democratic 36%, Tea Party 23%, Republican 18%.

Monday, December 7, 2009

I like birds


I have had several requests for info on this song that is played on occasion at the bigging of Birdwatch.The song is I Like Birds by Eels.

Guess the source of the smuggled money

According to Afghanistan’s Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal, $10 million is smuggled out of the country every day, “most of it through Kabul International Airport.” Where does it all go? “Much of the hot cash ends up funding the Taliban insurgency, U.S. and Afghan officials said.”

Jobs go to Illinois -- not Michigan

The Obama administration is set to make a state prison in rural Thomson, Illinois the new home for a number of terrorism suspects now housed at Guantanamo Bay, despite GOP opposition. If all goes well, the administration anticipate a handover of the facility by late winter. The town, which is suffering from a 10.5 percent unemployment rate, may be a fan of the new facility; the White House suggests that as many as 3,000 jobs could be created in the area.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

An ounce of prevention at the dentist office is worth a pound of NOT cure in the ER

Michigan has been forced to make many budget cuts and Medicaid dental benefits were just one of them. Now we have a death linked to this cutback and the expense of defending the state’s lack of funding the program in a lawsuit. A developmentally disabled Alpena woman who was covered by Medicaid died last week as a result of a dental infection that was not treated.

On the 590KZO Saturday Morning Show Dr. Steve Kujacznski, medical director of the Borgess Emergency and Trauma Center talked about seeing patients make multiple ER visits (paid for by Medicaid) for the same dental condition. These cases were previously handled far more cost effectively in a dentist office. The bigger issue is emergency rooms are neither staffed nor equipped to handle dental issues.

The legislature had an opportunity to restore funding earlier this fall but Republicans in the Senate rejected the idea. Now there is a death linked to the decision. Another far less significant concern is from a monetary perspective. With just $5 million in state funds, the adult dental Medicaid program secured more than $16 million in federal funds. Not to mention the tragic death, the pain and expense of treating dental issues in an ER -- the state’s economy is denied millions of dollars in economic activity.

Today in why we need health insurance reform

Health insurance giant Aetna plans to jack up consumer insurance prices and add up to 650,000 customers to the uninsured in 2010. Aetna explains it wants to increase profits.