Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Debbie, can you keep it set up for Carl?

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for this precious moment.
Simple Arithmetic.

The Federal budget this year will come to nearly three trillion dollars. There are roughly thirty million seconds in a year. Therefore, this year the United States Government will spend your money at the rate of $100,000 per second.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Nanny on US-12.

A friend of mine noticed that traffic on Michigan Avenue (US-12) on the east side of Saline has become quite snarled, with traffic on the busy route now timed to be repeatedly stopped by the intersection lights. He called MDOT to point out the obvious inefficiency and to ask whether the timing of the lights had been altered. He was told that he was one of many who had called with the same inquiry, and that yes, the timing of the lights had been changed. Why? Well, MDOT had timed the lights to allow a smooth flow of traffic on Michigan Ave, but one of the US Department of Transportation's "secret drivers" had determined that the lights fell outside of the official federal guidelines for traffic light timing. MDOT was told to change the timing or risk losing its share of Government Asphalt (which is a lot like Government Cheese).

The mind reels from multiple assaults on its sensibilities with this bizarre tale: 1) The Federal Government has decided that traffic light timing is too important to leave to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution and MDOT, 2) the Federal government makes POOYA rules about traffic light timing (POOYA is a common business colloquialism, think about it for a bit)
and insists that they be enforced even when common sense guides otherwise, and 3) Federal employees are paid as highway ferrets to find criminal traffic lights! The first description that comes to mind is - staggering nincompoopery. It's time to take your wallet back from the chimpanzees.
Michigan Public Radio Payola?

The Detroit Free Press reports that the current criminal probe of Michigan Radio's WOUM - an NPR turnkey operation since the late '90s - is examining "incentives" for station staffers, like a pool table, Persian rugs, and comp'ed meals provided by local merchants in exchange for on-air promotion. Also called into question are station staff activities at a local golf course and alleged inappropriate spending at a convention. Earlier this month Donovan Reynolds, the Karl Rove of Michigan Radio, left the station.

Since the coup that deposed its classical-music format, the nearly all-talk WOUM has raked in the contributor dough hand over fist - nearly a million bucks last year - and has become the favorite son of the public radio family for this success. We at Deaddrifts have previously lamented the lack of programming at WUOM produced by or for the local community.

WOUM starts its Spring Beg-a-thon at the end of March. Perhaps they'll use the barter system this year: a freezer full of steaks, new carpeting for the rec room, etc.?

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Exeunt Milosevic.

Slobo has nickels on his eyelids, with a peaceful passing unlike the victims of his evil.

Perhaps Ted Rall is preparing a cartoon showing Slobo's arrival at the Pearly Gates?