Parenting Trick-or-Treat Trends, How Much Do US Moms and Dads Spend on Halloween?

Halloween is a controversial holiday. While parents are buying record numbers of children's costumes, other parents object to Halloween. Despite concerns of stranger danger and the fear factor, more parents are celebrating Halloween with their kids. Here are facts about how parents and children participate in Halloween for 2011.  Parenting Halloween, Trick-or-Treat Trends

Thank you Obamacare, Finally Healthcare That Benefits Us

I want to make a campaign poster for President Obama, showing him and a caption reading "Oh, Bama" I've supported President Obama since day one. It was a toss up with Hilary Clinton but I love them both. Just needed to clarify where I stand so any haters can jump ship now.

And about Obamacare, I love that too. It's about time we had some socialized healthcare. Here's why. My husband and I have been married since 1987 and always had healthcare. It was good--HMO. But a series of unfortunate events--lockout, illness, stillborn babies--meant job changes. And each year benefits were gouged and costs rose.  Read on Thank you Obamacare, Finally a Return on Our Investment 

Miss America 2014 Is Not Muslim, But I Like Her Anyway

We have a new Miss American Nina Davuluri and she's (gasp) Muslim. Wait, no she's not . Some screw-kooks just thought she was because her skin was dark. They railed that it was un-American especially so close to September 11. I don't get the connection but then I usually don't with bigots. The LA Times quotes some calling her "Miss Al-Qaeda" (just when I thought lunatic fringers couldn't get loonier).  Miss America 2014 Is Not Muslim, But I Like Her Anyway

Our Slantwise, Under the Radar, Off the Grid, Out of the Box Thinking

This article is somewhat divergent from my usual posts here. They have to do more with politics. But this is relevant as our way of interacting with people explains our political ideology, too. I just read that a Muslim group is marching on 9/11 to protest religious profiling of Islam
in connection with the twin towers disaster. A group of bikers (among others, I suspect) is launching a counter-protest under the thinking that Muslims caused 9/11 and how dare they "desecrate" the September 11 deaths with their march. See, that's exactly the time to march. And they have to call attention to this bigotry. I would stand with them. Because I try not to judge people by their identifiers--race, color, religion, culture. How can you, really? And this article gives background on where that thinking comes from.

My husband and I have always had...quirky...entertainment tastes. Like the weird cabaret circus musical we enjoyed at an arts festival in Grand Rapids, Mich. Or the radical punk venue we hit, with zombie black velvet wall art. Or that activist post-industrial "freak show" (their words) we explored in Detroit. We don't go purposely seeking oddities. They just recognize kindred spirits when they see us.   Our Slantwise, Under the Radar, Off the Grid, Out of the Box Way of Looking at People

Detroit Mayoral Race Called Two-Man Contest: Is Race an Issue?

 Detroit has an 82-percent black population and hasn't had a white mayor in 44 years. Bloomberg says Detroit's mayoral race has been plagued with "rivalries and racial rifts." Two contenders are tied for first place: one black and one white. Is race the biggest issue in Motown's upcoming election? Or is this just a tactic to divert our attention to the multitude of larger issues? I think minorities have been forced into a race contest in cities where they are not the minority. Decades of being kept out, hemmed in and downtrodden, have made Detroit African Americans tenacious of power where they could wrest it. And who can fault them for that? Self-preservation is human nature. Political control is the American ideal. The fact that Detroit is so impoverished has less than zero to do with corruption, race or any others scapegoats you care to name. It has all to do with barons (mostly auto) exploiting Detroit then abandoning it when they'd used up all the resources. So is the Detroit race racial? Detroit Mayoral Race Called Two-Man Contest: Is Race an Issue?

Billionaire Dan Gilbert Steadily Buying Up Detroit Buildings

Dan Gilbert of Quicken Loans is fast becoming downtown Detroit's prime mover and shaker. In March, Forbes ranked Gilbert No. 384 on its "World's Billionaires" list -- a 470-slot jump from last year. And Gilbert is spending his money in the Motor City. Gilbert is buying up, remodeling, and repurposing downtown properties. He's definitely giving Detroit's Little Caesars Ilitch family a run for their money in the property line. And Gilbert's improvements may have major impacts for city dwellers. 
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Priorities for Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr

Kevyn Orr, Detroit's new state-appointed emergency manager, began his 18-month tenure late in March, says Click on Detroit. What are the priorities of a state controller in such a large city? Priorities for Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr The Detroit Free Press reports that some have only one task for the emergency manager: Leave leadership to elected officials. Rev. Charles Williams II of Michigan's National Action Network led a sit-in at City Hall last Thursday. The group filed a lawsuit against Michigan's new emergency manager law, Public Act 436, saying it violates voter rights. With Detroit's mayoral slot opening up, candidates must consider how they'd operate under a state-appointed controller, too. ABC Action News 7 WXYZ says Mike Duggan, a contender for mayor, wants the emergency manager gone ASAP and says he's ready to take over turnaround.