by Erika McNamara A quick review of the menu for Memorial Day grill extravaganza left me wondering if hotdogs, short ribs, steak, and all of the side dishes that accompanied the main meat feast this year would all be enough. Well if it weren’t, then we could always just nip out to the store and get [...]
by Betsy McMillin Parent says: “Great job cleaning your room kiddo! Oh man, if only you did everything this quickly and thoroughly!’” Ouch. May as well give the kid a big hug then punch the kid in the gut. Such back-handed compliments are called Zingers. They are by definition sarcastic comments and put downs. For [...]
A2P Notes: According to a study published in February 2011 by the Pew Research Center, Americans are pretty evenly divided in their attitudes toward the “sweeping changes in the structure of the American family that have unfolded over the past half century. About a third generally accepts the changes; a third is tolerant but skeptical; [...]
Today, Amazon.com released its list of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America. The company compiled sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format since January 1, 2011. According to that information, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents, the Top 20 [...]
The Michigan Education Association is neither openly supporting nor contributing financially to the effort to recall Republican Governor Rick Snyder as well as the nine Republican state legislators who have been targeted. That’s according to the organizers of the Committee to Recall Rick Snyder (formerly Michigan Citizens United) in a May 9, 2011 interview A2Politico did [...]
According to information provided to A2Politico in response to a FOIA, in Ann Arbor government, an attorney, planning department staffers, police officers, and even a DDA employee receive stipends worth $50 to $400 a month to put toward vehicles despite doing the majority of their work in city offices, or being provided a city vehicle [...]
by Betsy McMillin I am celebrating today. As well as mourning. My tiniest tot, my sweet two and a half year old, fell asleep and slept in her own “big girl bed,” all night. Okay, so her bed is right beside ours, but baby steps, right? I wanted to pull her in, snuggle her tight, but [...]
A2P Notes: This is filed under “Scoops & Scores” because you read it here first. Over the past 36 months Council has struggled with budget “deficits,” threatened to close Mack Pool and the Burns Park Senior Center to make ends meet, powered down streetlights, cut spending on parks, cut fire coverage to inadequate levels, left vacancies in [...]
TKWU, my favorite Chinese restaurant, doesn’t use Styrofoam takeout containers, but our favorite burger place does, and so do loads of other local restaurants, as well as local food carts. Takeout orders at TKWU are packaged in durable plastic containers which we hoard. The black plastic containers are roomy, tough, and dishwasher safe. We have a [...]
by Chris Savage In an unprecedented move this spring, the Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) of Benton Harbor, Michigan swept aside the City Commission and assumed total control of the government. Appointed by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm, Joseph L. Harris was given more sweeping powers under new legislation signed into law by Republican Governor Rick Snyder. [...]
