Detroit summer.

It’s one-third over — in the June/July/August sense of the word — but I am enjoying this summer tremendously. Don’t want to jinx it. I’ve been out plenty, seen friends, seen some music, done some things I haven’t done before, eaten lots of vegetables. The weather’s been nice, and even the rain is cooperating (for now).

Today I and two friends took a bike ride through Midtown, Mexicantown and Downriver. We were out two hours and saw, among other things:

** the studio where parts of “Hot Buttered Soul” were recorded (now closed);
** part of the Koch brothers’ pet coke stash (suspected);
** a seagull rookery;
** a steel mill;
** the Iron Coffins’ Detroit clubhouse;

…and a lot more I’m probably forgetting. When it was all over, a cold Oberon. Tonight? Fireworks.

I hope your season is going as swimmingly.

By the way, I can’t swim yet. Not until my eye doctor signs off on it. Truth be told, I’m not missing it. (Yet.)

My trip up north was interesting, and I’ll tell you more about it as the stories gel. It was pleasant to come back downstate — to terrible weather, but a little more balance in the media. The Free Press makes a case I expect we’ll hear a lot more of in coming weeks and months: Excluding gays from full participation in public life is an economic-development issue, and we’re not just talking about weddings.

Thanks to Roy for pointing out the obvious about the week’s other culture-war story: It’s not “liberals” who are beating up on Paula Deen and causing her economic pain, but, duh, corporations. When Walmart and Target are doing the heavy lifting, how is it liberals’ fault?

Look, straight people getting married! “We’re almost a minority now.” Um, no.

More on the growing trend of employers of low-wage employees paying them via debit-card.

And into the holiday week we go.

Posted at 12:30 am in Detroit life |
 

66 responses to “Detroit summer.”

  1. HexDecimal said on July 1, 2013 at 12:49 am

    Tragedy in AZ : http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/ejmontini/2013/06/30/it-cant-be-so/

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  2. Dexter said on July 1, 2013 at 1:47 am

    It’s now July and finally , at the end of the week we are going to Florida for the wedding of my daughter. She’s ready; she’s 42 years old. After hemming and hawing way too much, we have chosen to drive and not fly. My dad was stationed at Ellyson Field during WWII for a year, training new radio operators. I called today; Ellyson Field’s eight (!) runways have been re-configured and the place is an industrial complex, with only four of the old buildings remaining. If they let me in, I have to go visit the ghosts…Dad always spoke fondly of the place.
    If that doesn’t pan out, I found out Pensacola has a beautiful new baseball stadium where a Cincinnati Redlegs farm club plays: The Pensacola Blue Wahoos. I bet they couldn’t beat the Lansing Lugnuts. Of course with wedding rehearsals and several pre-wedding parties planned, we’ll be busy.
    Oh…I absolutely love mulberries. This perfect summer has produced huge sweet berries. I have been eating about a hundred berries a day. Tasty! http://honest-food.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mulberry-on-tree.jpg

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  3. Sherri said on July 1, 2013 at 2:45 am

    After not having much summer weather at all last summer, we’re trying to make up for it this summer. June is often known as “Junuary” around here because of cool temperatures and rain, but we’ve had a beautiful June this year, and are closing out June with a heat wave. Tomorrow (Monday) will be the third day in a row with the temps above 90, which means my house is heating up and will start to be uncomfortable – no a/c here, because we seldom have three consecutive days above 90, and that’s what it takes for things to get uncomfortable.

    Hope this Western heat wave isn’t the beginning of a bad fire season in the west…terrible about the firefighters in AZ.

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  4. ROGirl said on July 1, 2013 at 5:47 am

    Does anyone get a physical check any more? Companies require direct deposit into back accounts, and they have stopped issuing paper copies for records. You have to log into a payroll website to get your paycheck information.

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  5. ROGirl said on July 1, 2013 at 6:24 am

    When I was unemployed (state of MI) the options for getting your check were a debit card or direct deposit. The debit card was the default and you had to make the selection for direct deposit. I think there was a monthly fee on the debit card, maybe transaction fees too. The debit card scenario isn’t new, but when you don’t have a bank account you’re stuck.

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  6. beb said on July 1, 2013 at 7:33 am

    I still get a physical check but imagine the the City will try to get every body on direct deposit. The idea of debit cards sounds nice until you learn about all the fees involved. Clearly this was an idea thought up by sine banker to maximize their profits. If a copany is going to pay workers with debut cards that the employer ought to be the one liable for all fees associated with use of that card. IIn any case this sounds too much like “Company Stores” and in general keep people in debt. This kind of stuff ought to be illegal.

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  7. Suzanne said on July 1, 2013 at 8:01 am

    For the first time in over 10 years, I do get a physical paycheck. It’s very strange. I have a hard time remembering to take it to the bank.

    Paula Deen, DOMA ruling, and big business. Yeah. It’s always funny how free market fanboys scream when it turns against them. Just business, my friends, just business.

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  8. Basset said on July 1, 2013 at 8:01 am

    Maybe I’m just reacting to Detroit stereotypes, but if I was making that ride I would feel like prey… and I would be armed, which I suppose in the eyes of some here would make me one of those wild-eyed gun nuts. No, just careful.

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  9. Dave said on July 1, 2013 at 9:02 am

    Didn’t get a paycheck for about the last twenty years that I worked. At first, direct deposit was optional but paychecks were mailed to us and they didn’t always come by payday. Because of that, I signed up early and when we were once stuck in Georgia for an extended period of time, I knew I’d made the right choice. Which reminds me that we’ve had an ATM card for well over twenty years now.

    IIRC, that’s the only option my old employer has now for paychecks.

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  10. nancy said on July 1, 2013 at 9:09 am

    Basset, if you’d been on this ride, you’d have felt perfectly fine, because as frequently happens in this part of Detroit, we were as alone as if we’d been on the moon. Even the Iron Coffins were sleeping in.

    Direct-deposit is fine, and in fact, I prefer it. These debit-card deals are the devil’s own — the fees take a substantial bite, and they’re there for no other reason than: They can.

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  11. Peter said on July 1, 2013 at 9:12 am

    I’m thinking they won’t be having any tag days for Paula any time soon.

    It’s a cautionary tale, done many times before, but needs to be repeated on occasion so others can be reminded: when your fifteen minutes are up, you should be on your best behavior, because if you act like Paula, your sponsors will thank God they can dump you and your deal off the books. And I’m talking about you, Guy Fieri.

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  12. Peter said on July 1, 2013 at 9:16 am

    And about those debit card patrollers – Payday loans are predatory and prey on the poor, so we need to regulate the small time schmucks, but Chase and Wells Fargo can skim the top off of paychecks and be predatory and prey on the poor, and that’s no problem.

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  13. Julie Robinson said on July 1, 2013 at 9:33 am

    We both have direct deposit and get paper copies of the stubs. In general, I dislike debit cards for anything because you don’t have the same level of protection as a consumer as you do with a credit card. With credit you have the negotiating power of a chargeback, and I’ve used it effectively with a couple of bad apples.

    Of course with credit you have to discipline yourself not to spend too much, and to pay the entire balance every month. And if you can’t do that, then better not have one.

    Aside from everything else, we are leaving Detroit/Dearborn this morning after a blissful six days together, culminating in our daughter Sarah’s ordination on Saturday night. I know many here don’t care for organized religion, and if that’s so, then pay no attention. But for those who do, I must tell you there is nothing like having your pastor/child pronounce the Bendiction over you. I was leaky throughout the service but I completely lost it when that happened.

    We’re taking my mom and sister to the airport, and this time we’ll get the right one. Who knew that the Coleman International Airport was the little dinky one, and that the Wayne Metro Airport was the one for commercial passengers? Duh, not us! Note to self: check out airports more thoroughly before programming the phone.

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  14. Bob (not Greene) said on July 1, 2013 at 9:48 am

    For anyone who enjoyed Neil Steinberg’s column in the Sun-Times more than the paltry once a week he’s been relegated to now, he just started a blog today. http://www.everygoddamnday.com

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  15. Deborah said on July 1, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Thanks for the tip Bob (NG) about Steinberg’s blog, I have it bookmarked.

    What happened to Jeff tmmo? I know he went to a scout camp here in New Mexico but that seems like ages ago?

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    • nancy said on July 1, 2013 at 10:15 am

      He’s back, but probably tied up trying to find the bottom of his inbox right now.

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  16. Judybusy said on July 1, 2013 at 10:31 am

    Julie, warmest congratulations on your daughter’s ordination–I never thought about what it would be like for the parents, and your story was really moving.

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  17. Dorothy said on July 1, 2013 at 10:38 am

    Yesterday Jeff said (on Facebook) that Monday (today) was going to be a dusk to dawn train wreck. He’s getting back to work and I’m sure eventually we’ll be hearing from him, when he comes up for air.

    I wanted to mention that I’ll be home for 4-6 weeks starting on Friday this week. My knee replacement happens that day. I might not always be commenting but you can be sure I’ll be reading. I’ll comment when I’m not under the influence of narcotics. This is nothing like what Jolene is going through right now, of course, but have a good thought or two for me, would you all please? I’m getting very nervous, mostly because I’ve had a bout with plantar fasciitis in my left heel for two weeks or so, and I’m worried it’s going to impact my recovery negatively. It’s the left knee they’re operating on. Wish I had a magic wand to make this plantar fasciitis crap stop.

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  18. MichaelG said on July 1, 2013 at 10:45 am

    It’s kind of warm here. The last four days have all been over 100. Weather.com says: Today 108, then 109, 110, 106 and 101 for the balance of the work week. I can’t imagine what PHX and LAS are like. Scout?

    That debit card scam is truly evil. It’s precisely the sort of thing that should be legislated away.

    I’ve been getting paid via direct deposit for many years and love it. I too found myself away from home on a vacation and the convenience of the direct deposit was a real comfort.

    Horrible about the AZ firefighters.

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  19. Deborah said on July 1, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Good thoughts going your way Dorothy, sorry about the plantar faciitis on top of it (wow auto correct would not let me type that).

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  20. Julie Robinson said on July 1, 2013 at 10:48 am

    Oh Dorothy, me too, it’s plagued me for over 15 years. Ice your foot, get some orthotics, and google for some good stretching tips. No going barefoot at all, which was hard for me. The good news is that the pain meds for your knee should be helpful for your foot, too. Prayers for your medical personnel and a speedy recovery.

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  21. Judybusy said on July 1, 2013 at 11:02 am

    Best wishes for the surgery, Dorothy!

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  22. coozledad said on July 1, 2013 at 11:18 am

    I find it hard to believe Peggy Noonan is only 62. Goes to show you liquor will flat kill your ass, or at least stop all your cells from regenerating except your fingernails and hair.
    http://wonkette.com/521383/peggy-noonan-does-not-care-for-your-babby-murdering-young-lady

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  23. Jolene said on July 1, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Dorothy, best wishes for your surgery. I watched my mother go through knee replacements, and I know that it can be a tough recovery. Your physical therapist will be both an agent of pain and your best friend.

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  24. Basset said on July 1, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Is Coleman airport the same one that used to be Detroit City, where you’d land over a big cemetery? Went in there once on Southwest and honestly thought there wasn’t gonna be room to stop the plane.

    The bike ride… I don’t doubt the streets were empty, just takes one though… suburbanites on expensive bikes, easy target.

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  25. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 1, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Not that I really had time for it, but you have to scroll down to pp. 124 ff. to see why Paula Deen is flying off the bus and going under the wheels as fast as the Food Network can toss her. It ain’t just criminal abuse of butter.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/148813272/Transcript-of-the-Testimony-of-Paula-Deen-Date-May-17-2013

    Oh, and if you care to see pictures of our Philmont trek (12 days backpacking in the Sangre de Cristos of NE New Mexico), my Facebook albums are all open to anyone, at http://www.facebook.com/Knapsack. I’m posting them roughly one album a day for a two-plus week delayed “real time” viewing experience, and since there’s waaaay too many of them. (Back to my duly constituted labors….)

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  26. Sherri said on July 1, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    Banks invent ways to screw everybody, not just poor people: http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2013/07/01/adventures-with-free-checking-transatlantic-edition/

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  27. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 12:55 pm

    Hot Buttered Soul is a landmark sort of album, and I’ve been a fan of Isaac Hayes since Shaft and his days as Gandalf Fitch on Rockford Files, but a studio used for most of the Parliafunkadalictment Thang albums by George and Bernie and Bootsy, and the great Eddie Hazel, is the studio where Mothership Connection and Free Your Ass were recorded. And Grafitti Bridge. And Seger’s great album Seven (Get Out of Denver ring a bell?) Oh, and a couple of great albums by Sister Re. And What’s Going On, for God’s sake? That Marvin Gaye effort is an absolute masterpiece. Of course, de gustibus, as Peggy Noonan said as she kissed her autographed photo of Dickless Cheney. The story is that Berry Gordy wouldn’t release the original mix of What’s Going on that was done at Hitsville. Too jazzy, or some such idiotic bullshit. (It probably really had something to do with Mrs. Gordy. Ask David Ruffin. The album was actually released on Tamla Motown.) So Marvin took his tapes to another studio. Legend says Lem Barney and Mel Farr sang backup vocals on the song.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMFlupHV6Rs

    Plantar fascitis is evil and terribly painful, and good luck Dorothy with the new knee. Robert Edwards and Bo Jackson both had joint replacements and returned from rehab to play professional sports, Edwards for a Grey Cup winning CFL team, Bo with the White Sox and Angels in MLB. Edwards’ was a knee, Jackson’s his hip.

    The astonishing thing about Peggy Noonan is her denial that Iran-Contra even happened, much less that the Raygunista attack on the Constitution was scandalous or traitorous.

    Peter@11: That’s why GOPers despise Elizabeth Warren almost as much as they hate and fear the Kenyan anti-colonialist socialist Nazi that is out to take their guns and destroy the republic.

    I came across drag racing on TV last night and found to my dismay, the US Army sponsors a car and driver. How do GOPer and Teabanger idealogues sanction this ridiculous waste of money? Or crap like Blue Angels, that gets a topflight pilot killed about once a decade? HS allstar football games?

    The Koch Kriminal Konspiracy is an invasive species in Michigan more dangerous than zebra mussels and snakeheads.

    No matter what any denier claims about anthropogenesis of warming, warming is a fact and ice is melting like it was put in a microwave. Miami will be the American Atlantis, without the arts, sciences and magic. Maybe Donovan will write a song about it. And moron power companies are planning two more nukes in Biscayne Bay. It does not take a scientist of any sort to imagine the horrendous consequences of flooded nukes, or sewage treatment plants. What would you call cholera complicated by radiation poisoning. A really horrible way to die. This seems to me to be the obvious debate Waterloo for the gormless liar Rubio in ’16, since he denies any of this is a problem.

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  28. alex said on July 1, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    Having read the deposition transcript that mild-mannered Jeff linked to above, it doesn’t strike me as the jaw-dropping, earth-shattering document that I was expecting after all of the media hoopla. This is what got Paula Deen shitcanned?

    The most shocking thing I saw was that Paula didn’t think it was any big deal when her brother told an edentulous female employee that her husband must really love her for that.

    Horrible grammar that woman has, though. She makes the folks on Swamp People sound erudite and polished.

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  29. Kirk said on July 1, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    Good luck, Dorothy, but by all means, feel free to comment when you ARE under the influence of narcotics.

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  30. Dexter said on July 1, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    Unreal…so cool here in NW Ohio most folks are wearing hoodies and I swear I saw some young people sporting wool hats. July, yes. I walked the dogs in shorts and a tee and I was the oddball, and I was actually cold.

    Nance @#10: Your comment reminds me of artistmac’s video of the destruction of the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago, along the east side of the Dan Ryan Expressway and South State Street from 39th to 54th, 22 buildings , all constructed in the name of urban renewal, and placed there, cut off from the city , bordered by Lake Michigan on one side and the expressway on the west, a virtual perfect example of racist apartheid and segregation as we ever shall have seen. artistmac (Ken Smith) told us in the videos that if we wanted to come take some photos or videos for ourselves, “…and don’t be scared…there’s no crime here, there’s no people here, there are only groundhogs and butterflies, so come on down and stroll around the grounds.”

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  31. Dexter said on July 1, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    Bassett, A few years ago I went to a Tigers game, before old Tiger Stadium had been levelled. For old time’s sake, one last time, I parked on a little street which formerly had a small lot where I would park and pay an old very cool old man three bucks for the parking privilege. By then, the street was empty so I just parked legally on the street, unloaded my bicycle, crossed the pedestrian bridge over the Fisher Freeway and rode across on Michigan Avenue and up Woodward to the new baseball stadium. (This was not the time I had my bike stolen from being locked to a utility pole). I never saw one human at all until I got on Michigan Avenue, and those people were in vehichles…and I did not see a pedestrian (this was Saturday at 11:00 AM) until I had pedalled two blocks on Michigan. Of course, Woodward sidewalks were jammed with ballgame pedestrians. It is true, there are large areas in Detroit where you will see No-bod-ee for blocks.

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  32. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    I agree with Alex about the Deen deposition. A miserable narcisstic personality disorder lawyer bullying a less than intelligent and completely addled woman with questions he knows she can’t answer about shit another person said and did outside of her presence. But Alex, everybody soounds like an ESL idiot in transcriptions of depositions.

    More than likely, ballast water from Koch Konspiracy tankers in the great lakes probably contributed mightily to the zebra mussell and Asian carp populations in the Great Lakes. But Mortimer and Randolph have establishe corporate personhood and citizenship, my friend, by dumping hazardous waste on the bank of the Detroit River, right?

    Jim Demented thinks women will be happy about getting forced ultrasound procedures and that somebody else will pay for them. And David Gregory, Demented and that sleazy, creepy Casino Jack accolyte Ralph Reed all agree that Planned Parenthood operate in the mode of Kermit Gosnell. This sort of bullshit really makes me feel like beating the crap out of these shitheels.

    Dexter: The Miggy and Rodney fracas certainly made for an entertaining and humorous weekend of baseball. I sort of wonder why somebody with preternatural bat control, like Ichiro for example, doesn’t line one right into Rodney’s nads for that Usain Bolt imitation. I know Ichiro would find that dishonorable behavior, but I bet he could do it.

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  33. Scout said on July 1, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    Well I’ll tell you, Michael G, since you asked.

    It was 117-118 all weekend during the hottest part of the days. Our son had the poor timing to choose this weekend to visit from LA, but we had agreed ahead of time we were going to lay low, just hang out together in the cool A/C and maybe go out at night for dinner or a movie. And then, on Saturday afternoon, at the height of the heat index, our A/C went out. Couldn’t get a tech out until Monday morning due to the high volume of calls, so we had to bail. We booked a hotel close to our house so we could make frequent checks on the 5 kitties.

    We ended up having a lovely weekend at the downtown Westin (a Starwood Resort)despite the unplanned emergency. Summer rates in Phx made high rise luxury affordable. The kitties weathered the heat admirably (including my 18 year old, Scout) even though it did get up to 93 in the house. This morning the tech arrived and within a half hour, he replaced a capacitor for the compressor and it cost a mere $125, parts and labor.

    Because of all of this drama and excitement I didn’t even hear the news about the hot shot team until my boss called to tell me his son was fine, that it wasn’t his crew. His son has been on a hot shot crew since college and is now a crew leader. He works 6 months of the year and makes good money, but it is very technical and dangerous. Obvious, this type of situation is always in the back of my boss’s mind. Arizona’s wild fire danger is extremely elevated this year and unless this 20 year drought breaks, it will not get better any time soon.

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    • nancy said on July 1, 2013 at 2:39 pm

      I just rode my bike to the library to work while my cleaning woman does her thing. Thermometer reads 68, but the HVAC system is still blowing. I got cold, so I moved. Sorry to hear about you folks suffering, but as we say in Michigan: At least it’s a dry heat.

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  34. LAMary said on July 1, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Scout, I don’t know what part of town your son lives in, but it was very hot in LA too. Not quite 117, but it was 105 in Glendale yesterday and over 100 in most of the SF valley. I live near downtown and it got to about 95 but dropped in the afternoon when it got muggy and weird.

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  35. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    Goodhair Perry response to Wendy Davis. Douchebag.

    We haven’t been into the 90s officially yet this summer. I’d guess last year we made it every day in June. I haven’t even gotten a sweaty teeshirt and grocery store AC cold yet. Being 1/4 mile from the beach is a moderator, but the nighttime temps are creeping up. Unusually frequent Tstorms, are making me wonder what’s in store for high hurricane season. Spent time this weekend installing battery powered emergency lighting and bought fuel for the campstove and some REI MREs. No matter what the civil authorities say, we shall not be moved. Water and brewskis stacked behind the washer.

    I just learned there are more than 100,000 former military service members with dishonorable discharges resulting from DADT. Many states have decided to treat that status like a felony, and in some states it prevents former military personnel in this situation from voting and holding public sector jobs. That is a disgraceful situation, and Congess needs to do something about it. I’m sure all those support-the-troops whited sepulcher GOPers in the House will get right on that, huh?

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  36. mark said on July 1, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    I just learned that there have been more than 800 million people defrauding welfare in the last 6 years, stealing a total of 600 bazillion dollars and brutalizing millions of animals in the process.

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  37. coozledad said on July 1, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    They’re printing National Review on brown blotter?

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  38. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 1, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    I thought the most tin-eared moment for Paula, even of her era and locale, was to say – in a deposition – “Black. I would use the word black. (Atty: Okay.) I don’t usually use African-Americans. (Atty: Okay.) I try to go with whatever the black race is wanting to call themselves at each given time. I try to go along with that and remember that.” (pg. 127) After that, as they discuss the “beautiful southern wedding” she wanted for her gormless brother, and there’s discussion of the very precisely uniformed waitstaff she wanted, she answers “Yes. I would say that they were slaves. (Atty: Okay.) But I did not mean anything derogatory by saying that I loved their look and their professionalism.” (pg. 130-1)

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  39. Jeff Borden said on July 1, 2013 at 4:29 pm

    I realize this is off topic, but I need some advice.

    My lovely wife bought me a MacBook Pro to replace an 8-year-old H-P laptop that was running slower than Rick Perry’s thought processes. Very nice machine, etc.

    But. . .

    When I transferred the contents of my external hard drive onto the new Mac, all of my beloved iTunes playlists went buh-bye — yes, even including the three concocted for the proprietor of this fine site to help her eyeball recover.

    All these playlists are on my iPod touch. Can anyone here tell me how to transfer these playlists from the iPod to the laptop? I will send a campaign contribution to Wendy Davis in the name of anyone who can help.

    Meanwhile, is the State of Ohio trying to become Indiana? Christ, but that is one effed up budget bill Gov. Kasich muscled through, especially his thoughtfulness in assuring that every woman seeking an abortion get an ultrasound. The Buckeye State looks increasingly like the Bugeyed State.

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  40. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    Mark@36: Holy shit, that’s 11.5% of the world’s population, and nearly twice the population of North America. If you’re being sarcastic, give it up. There is statistical proof of what I said around the internet, and I took the figure from a fundraising and petition email from Claire McCaskill and the VoteVets organization, two very reliable sources of information. Also, anybody that can read is pretty well-aware that welfare fraud in the US is nearly as rare as vote fraud, which is, of course, nearly non-existent. Depriving people kicked out of the armed forces over sexual orientaion pension and VA medical benefits is a disgrace, and defies common human decency. Even AWOL W and Dickless 6exemptions Cheney would probably agree.

    The same activist paleocon Justices that appointed Shrub knocked down DOMA, even though they are currently trying to figure out how subborn the most basic Constitutional establishment regarding formation of the USA (full faith and credit). As Robert Plant says, “cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good.”

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  41. mark said on July 1, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    No, prospero. What I said is true. There is proof around the internet. Statistical proof. As Elvis Costello says “Angels wanna wear my red shoes.” And Justices Ka=brainsgonea-gin and Ginsbozo are trying to rehydrate all of the due process regarding essential establishment clause justifications for the Fourth Amendment. Only a total idiot would deny that.

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  42. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 4:43 pm

    Jeff,

    This looks like it might be worth a try:

    http://www.wideanglesoftware.com/touchcopy/index.php?gclid=CIKg_r-Tj7gCFWdo7AodjyIA3A

    One of my brothers used it when he switched from a PC to a Mac.

    Slower than Rick Perry’s thought process? How could you tell it was moving at all?

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  43. Sherri said on July 1, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    Jeff, another way is detailed in this thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2577582?start=0&tstart=0

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  44. Judybusy said on July 1, 2013 at 5:08 pm

    Pros, thanks for the great Rolling Stones article–I had to pick at between bouts of work. Wow, that is one crazy mess down there. But as one commissioner noted, “God destroyed the Earth with water the first time, and he promised he wouldn’t do it again. So all of you who are pushing fears about sea-level rise, go back and read the Bible.” This was in response to Chuck Watson, a disaster-­impact analyst with longtime experience in Florida warning about rising water levels in the Miami area. Thanks, too for the info on the vets; I was very surprised the number is so large. I hope congress will do something. *Sigh* what the hell am I thinking?

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  45. Deborah said on July 1, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    72 in Santa Fe right now, storm clouds building, hope it rains. We drove out to Abiquiu today to see how much rain, if any, they’ve been getting. Some, but not a lot. Little Bird has terrible allergies today, probably from local grasses.

    Scout, I read that some airline canceled flights out of Phoenix this weekend because the planes were authorized to fly in 118 degree heat but it was 119.

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  46. Joe K said on July 1, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    Julie@13, think what would happen if I did that? And yes you do land over a cemetary,
    At the old Detroit city airport.
    Pilot Joe

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  47. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 1, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    Deborah – I could see the Jemez Caldera from the top of Baldy Mountain, and of course Wheeler Peak was close enough to reach out and touch due west (Baldy is New Mexico’s second highest, Wheeler highest). Staff at Philmont runs into Taos on down days, which is 65 miles driving from Base Camp, but from Baldy it was a pitch of a rock less than 40 miles. Eagle Nest Lake and Angel Fire Ski Area are all laid out to your south when you’re up there.

    But it’s windy, aka 60+ mph steady breezes, with gusts. We didn’t stay long.

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  48. Deborah said on July 1, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    Jeff tmmo, were you out here when the Pecos Wilderness fire happened (also known as the Jaroso fire)? I think it was about 3 weeks ago when it started, lightning was the cause. It seems to still be burning. We can see Mt. Baldy from many points in Santa Fe, it seems close, but of course is not. There was another fire near the Jemez Caldera if not right in it. The Caldera is pretty spectacular. Philmont is fairly far east of Santa Fe, we passed the area on 40 when we took our road trip up to Chicago and back. What’s the altitude of Baldy?

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  49. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 6:23 pm

    Judybusy @44: And God observed her work and She saw it was good and muttered “Suckers”, as the nukes of southern FLA sank beneath the waves and irradiated the ocean. Interesting for Mark to bring up welfare fraud. One of W’s first actions when the GOP usurped the WH in 2001 was to direct the Shrubco USDoL to ferret out all that welfare fraud that Raygun said was bankrupting the country. The newly hired loyal Bushies did an exhaustive study, and concluded at the end that of all welfare expenditures in the USA for the previous ten years, 1.9% was connected to fraudulent claims. We know now that some of that money was paid to the Bachmann kiddie farm and some to the Santorum’s for their out of state home schooling. Anyway, a very small number. It’s amusing to note the similarity between this stat and the actual amount of health care expenditure in the USA connected in any waywith malpractice and litigation, including insurance premiums and actual jury awards. Guess what, somewhere between 0.8% and !.9%, in real life instead of GOPer numerology. It’s my strong opinion that if one person is being deprived of a military pension, VA medical care, the right to vote, or anything else because of a dishonorable discharge resulting from DADT, that is one person too many and an absolute disgrace to America.

    What I find interesting about paying employees with debit cards is the amount of extra work this must generate to keep adequate business records to meet government filing requirements regarding tax and employment records. Unless you are just not bothering with that stuff. No one-right or business banking records services? Seems like a way to avoid paying payroll and other taxes, to me.

    I was told by an allergist that rain counterintuitively to me, stirs up pollen rather than damping it down

    When I was a kid, we called the airport in Detroit Willow Run, after the B-29 factory that was there first, in Ypsilanti.

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  50. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 6:31 pm

    How does anybody with a brain or a conscience, or even operative olfactory sense ever vote for the dickheads responsible for this boondoggle again?

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  51. Julie Robinson said on July 1, 2013 at 6:40 pm

    Yes, the Coleman A. Young International Airport is the old City airport, and I map-routed “Detroit Airport”. I’ve been feeling really dumb about this but I decided to own my stupidity and learn from it. We knew there were a lot of run-down areas of town, so we didn’t think that much about the run-down approach to the airport. When we saw the first hanger we realized we might be in trouble, and my husband did the unthinkable, he pulled into a gas station and asked. It turned out okay, because we were picking up people from two different flights, and because the first flight was delayed and then we were late, we just had to wait a few minutes for the second flight.

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  52. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    Endangered rivers in the USA, and disappearing drinking water. This is pretty depressing. I know what, let’s build a pipeline to move tar sands oil across a bunch of these rivers to Port Arthur TX for the sole purpose of making diesel fuel to be used exclusively in China. Sounds like a good idea, huh? Oh, and it will raise American food prices and none of the profiteers will pay a dime in US taxes.

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  53. Sherri said on July 1, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    Tulsa is working on a bid to host the 2024 Olympics. Yes, Tulsa, OK.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/sports/olympics/london-tokyo-athens-tulsa-a-mid-american-olympic-dream.html?src=me&_r=0

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  54. Joe K said on July 1, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    To be truthfull metro is a nice airport, I picked a mechanic up there last Friday, flew him to Pelston. But the coolest airport is willow run, so much history. The original b-24 factory is still there, the Yankee air museum is trying to buy it from General Motors. One hot July evening as I was waiting to pick up freight there,a b-24 was doing touch and goes, how cool is that, seeing one of only a few of the thousands built still flying 50 some years later in front of the factory it was born in. At the height of production, they were coming out of that factory every 58 minutes.
    Pilot Joe

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  55. Brandon said on July 1, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    28.alex said on July 1, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    …her brother told an edentulous female….

    At least I learned a new word today. (Edentulous: without teeth)

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  56. Prospero said on July 1, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    More painfully stupid legislation brought to you by Mortimer and Randolph Koch through the wonders of ALEC. So much for lobster fest and endless shrimp. Ahchoo.

    Did they make B-29s at Willow Run or was it B-24s? Wasn’t there something about one every hour seven days a week?

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  57. Joe K said on July 1, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    B-24’s one every 58 minutes.
    Pilot Joe

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  58. basset said on July 1, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    The last flying B-29 comes to the Nashville area tomorrow…

    http://www.airpowersquadron.org/#!nashville-tn/c1afu

    thirty-plus years ago I was in downtown Wichita one Sunday morning and saw it go by with a B-24 right next to it… you don’t forget something like that.

    They were built in Wichita, Omaha, and outside Seattle and Atlanta.

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  59. joe k said on July 1, 2013 at 10:03 pm

    Basset if you get a chance you should go take a tour of the old girl.
    Fi-fi, she is the last one flying.
    Pilot joe

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  60. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 1, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Baldy is 12,441 ft (sez my hat tip reproduction of the USGS marker) — there was a major fire south of Philmont, but I thought they called it the White’s Peak Fire, and it bumped everyone north on the ranch’s 214 square miles. It was largely controlled by the time we came out of the backcountry, but there was a new outbreak of one somewhere west of us, beyond Taos, Tres Lagunas I believe.

    If you and your family get a chance to loop around north of Cimarron, McCrystal Canyon Campsite is nice but accessible while little used, in the northern fringes of the area we passed through on our trek, while the views from and interpretation of Ring Place, and the family that attempted to settle the land there — I hope to come back when they’ve finished renovating the farmhouse. Incredible views across the Valle Vidal, from Baldy in the south to Little Castillo Peak in the north . . . http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/carson/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=44114&actid=104

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  61. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 1, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    edit – hat pin

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  62. basset said on July 1, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    Definitely going at least once, Joe… I have ridden in the tailgunner’s position in a B-25 with a P-51 formed up behind, don’t have the $1000-plus handy that they’re charging for a B-29 ride but we are at least gonna see the flyby and static display.

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  63. Dexter said on July 2, 2013 at 1:34 am

    63 now, dropping to 59 in a couple hours…I cannot recall a cooler July night. I love it. I was watching the Redlegs on TV and man-o-man did they ever get rain. Of course these modern ballparks have great drainage systems but this rain overwhelmed that, and rainwater was really rising in left field after the game was called after six innings. Many wrecks on I-71 and I-75, and I-75 is hard to drive on when conditions are perfect, with all the rough spots and the curves and orange barrels. Cars trying to access the bridges to Kentucky were getting flooded just waiting on traffic lights…water was rising so quickly on the surface streets. What a mess that must have been.

    This link takes you to a photo of a plane similar to one in which my dad trained radiomen. I am looking forward to visiting that area this weekend. (Pensacola, Florida)http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/nnam/item_images/SNV.jpg

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  64. Dexter said on July 2, 2013 at 1:34 am

    http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/nnam/item_images/SNV.jpg

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