Retired U.A.W. One United Auto Workers Retiree's Life News Headlines Blog

Michigan Votes on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4 2008

2008-03-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

Reminder to register to vote and don't forget to exercise your right & vote in Michigan General Election for President of the United States on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. As of March 27, 2008 the candidates competing for Democratic Party Convention nomination are New York Senator Hillary Clinton & Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton For President 2008 website link is www.HillaryClinton.com. Barack Obama For President 2008 website link is www.BarackObama.com. On the Republican - GOP side Senator John McCain is the presumptive nominee at the Republican National Convention. John McCain For President 2008 website link is www.JohnMcCain.com.

McCain Campaign Buttons VP Poll 08 Vote

2008-03-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

You think you've seen everything during the election campaign 08 for President & then something different for a change happens. Stumbled upon this the other day. Polls are heard daily reflecting everything, but a button poll is clearly unique. The site's intro:

BUTTON POLL

The rules of the GOP Shoppe's Vice Presidential Button Poll are simple - every button sold counts as one vote for that potential running mate. The potential Vice Presidential candidates used in this poll are purely speculation and in no way reflect any official choices. As in past VP Button Polls, we welcome any other suggestions to add to the list. No active Presidential candidates will be added to the list. Vote as early and as often as you like, you could affect the future of one VP hopeful. See the current status of your choice on the Current VP Button Poll Results page.

Brain stuff: A campaign button that has 2 individuals on it is referred to as a jugate.

All of the 2008 presidential campaigns have been the most creative & innovative in the history of US Presidential Elections. This is another example of forward thinking. There are other collectibles & stuff here also.
Main Page is www.gopshoppe.com has current and previous election campaign stuff.

Likewise, Dem Store also has current & past election campaign memorabilia & collectibles. For example, saw Gore 2008 campaign things on Dem Store site. There is other political merchandise from candidates who were previously in the race for the 08 nomination.
Main Page is www.demstore.com

Clinton Huckabee McCain Obama 08 Stores

2008-03-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

Long time no post! A little rusty, but like a fine wine, hopefully I've aged gracefully! Saw some of those great rock & roll acts on PBS the other night & those cats still rock, so there's hope for the rest of us over fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, and 100 years old. The radio & TV coverage of the 2008 Presidential election usually shows the candidates official websites. Most of us have internet access & can click the sites to learn more. Below is a list of the leading candidates websites with their official online stores. Maybe you're into collecting political paraphernalia or would like to wear a campaign button or put a sticker on your bumper. How about a hat with your favorites name on it. Perhaps a keychain tickles your fancy. Coffee mugs with the candidates logo on it. Hmmm...wonder why they haven't thought of putting their mug on the mug along with their name? One candidate has a wall clock, think it was Mike Huckabee. If I remember right, Chuck Norris is on some of the buttons. Different. Barack Obama has a campaign button that says Republicans For Obama. That is interesting & could be a future collectible. John McCain has some cool stuff with the naval star on it & New Hampshire & South Carolina pinbacks. Hillary Clinton has photo campaign buttons & other great merchandise as do all of the leading candidates. There's a lot of stuff, but why spoil the fun? Check out the links for the Presidential Candidates Official 2008 Campaign stores. I'll also put links to the official homepages, also. In fact, explore & research all of the candidates policies & positions and make the great American choice we will all make on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th 2008! Don't forget to Register to Vote. In alphabetical order:
Official Hillary Clinton for President 2008 www.HillaryClinton.com
Official Hillary Cinton for President 2008 Campaign Store www.HillaryStore.com
Official Mike Huckabee for President 2008 www.MikeHuckabee.com
Official Mike Huckabee for President 2008 Campaign Store www.cafepress.com/huckabee4pres08
Official John McCain for President 2008 www.JohnMcCain.com
Official John McCain for President 2008 Campaign Store http://store.JohnMcCain.com
Official Barack Obama for President 2008 www.BarackObama.com
Official Barack Obama for President 2008 Campaign Store http://store.BarackObama.com

Michigan Votes Nov 7 06 House Senate Governor

2006-10-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

With the 2006 State of Michigans governor's & midterm house senate elections just days away, wanted to post the Democrat & Republican candidates gubenatorial campaign websites. Republican candidate for Governor Dick Devos & Governor Jennifer Granholm's links to their official Race for Governor homepages. Michigan Republican GOP & Michigan Democratic Party internet sites & other links are listed. Don't forget to vote on Election Day USA Tuesday, November 7 2006 in Michigan.
Dick Devos For Governor www.devosforgovernor.com
Republican Party Michigan www.migop.org
Jennifer Granholm For Re-election to Governor www.granholmforgov.com
Michigan Democratic Party www.michigandems.com
Google Notebook of Various Michigan political, economic & more links.
http://www.google.com/notebook/public/07384161747893626076/BDQ_UIgoQn9Sa7tMh

Michigan Listing Web Newspapers

2006-10-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a listing of some Michigan newspapers on the internet. There are some state college & university online newspapers included in this partial list.
Adrian Daily Telegram
Alpena News
Ann Arbor News
Battle Creek Enquirer
Bay City Times
Cadillac News
Central Michigan Life
Cheboygan News
Coldwater Daily Reporter
Crain's Detroit Business News
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News Online
Escanaba Daily Press
Flint Journal
Gaylord Herald Times
Grand Haven Tribune
Grand Rapids Press
Herald-Palladium (St. Joseph)
Hillsdale Daily News
Holland Sentinel
Huron Daily Tribune
Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Iron Mountain Daily News
Ironwood Daily Globe
Jackson Citizen Patriot
Kalamazoo Gazette
Lansing State Journal
Ludington Daily News
Macomb Daily
Michigan Daily (UofM)
Midland Daily News - News
Mining Journal
Monroe Evening News
Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun
Muskegon Chronicle
News-Herald-Heritage Newspapers
Niles Daily Star
Oakland Press
Petoskey News-Review
Port Huron Times-Herald
Royal Oak Daily Tribune
Saginaw News
Soo Evening News
State News (MSU)
Sturgis Journal
Traverse City Record-Eagle

Google Invades Ann Arbor Michigan - Jobs

2006-07-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

I read the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Michigan Central & Muskegon Chronicle news today, oh boy, about a lucky state who made the grade! I always loved that first line in The Beatles "A Day In The Life" from Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart Club's Band. It just made sense to take a lyric from the Greatest song on the Greatest Album made by the Greatest Band ever to begin a blog post about the Greatest Search engine coming to the Great state of Michigan! Google, a cultural icon, is coming to Ann Arbor, Michigan! Excellent. With a stock price over four hundred dollars a share, Google sure has the Big Mo going for it. IMHO, this is a pivotal moment in Michigan's Web 2.0 future. I also understand that one of the founders of Google attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Gotta Love it. Local boy makes good, comes back to Michigan and creates not just jobs, but inspiration for all the citizens of the state. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Unless, they are competitors for the same customer base, I'll bet the companies presently here in Michigan will be looking at how this proximity to Google could benefit their corporate interests. Partnerships & mashups. Even if they are competitors, they could still reach common ground if both entities customer's benefit, thus both business interests benefits. In 2006, Google invading Michigan & setting up shop is a watershed event & this will lead to others. Watch.
I referred to Google as a search engine earlier in this blog post. They're much more than just that. Visit their site and click the areas under the search box. Free and paid ads called Adwords & Adsense, free G-Mail, free website called Googlepages and everything else. That's just the tip of the iceberg! Try out the free G-mail at Google. Create a free website at Googlepages. See what they are all about. Along with all of the other "engines" of business that are here now in the State of Michigan, this newest Web 2.0 motor is going to kickstart not just the employment numbers in the state but the perceptions of Michigan outside and inside the state. The colleges & universities, trade & tech schools...etc. I'm sure will see a major uptick of interest in their specific programs which will benefit one's possible employment at Google. Some schools & universities will tailor and fine tune their curricula or curriculum to make them more Google Friendly, perhaps. Remember, the news is not just about the thousands of jobs, that's extremely important. Our state is blessed to have them. It's that Google made the choice to come to our state. We've got the brains, talent & manpower for more Googles. We always knew it as Michigan citizens. Now the world knows it. We're The Beatles. uaw.
google
michigan
ann arbor

Different: UAW-GM Saturn History

2006-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Until I purchased a 2006 Saturn Vue SUV, I never realized how many people own a Saturn. Have you ever counted the vehicles like yours on the road? Maybe you surveyed a one mile stretch of the highway. Or you used a 5 minute time limit. Maybe it was a sample of the next 10 or 20 cars & trucks. Whatever method you used to quantify your intentions, it's always interesting. My unofficial test showed to me there's a lot of Saturn owners. Remember that Saturn TV commercial where an object, was it a shopping cart, went flying into the side of a Saturn. Since the majority of Saturns are constructed out of polymer panels, there is minimal chance of damage. Don't know what it is, but I've always been a big fan of Saturn because of those "plastic" panels. Ask any Saturn owner & it always seems to come up. "I love my Saturn" is usually expressed from owners. Also, the UAW Saturn workers & employees commitment to quality. The whole Saturn organization, originated in the 1980's & a whole new Labor-Management paradigm was created. A town grew around the factory, Spring Hill, Tennessee. The UAW Local is www.UAWLocal1853.org and the Saturn company website is www.Saturn.com and history is here. There's an excellent website called Saturn Fans www.SaturnFans.com which is loaded with all the bells & whistles if you're thinking of purchasing one of their products. There's pics, photos, a discussion board, website links & a lot of interesting things. I read a book called "In The Rings of Saturn" by Joe Sherman, which is a detailed account of the 1985 trials & tribulations of taking a different idea and concept and developing it into a success. The human element, personalities & relationships, selling the idea to both the UAW & General Motors brass, capital formation & other various factors are covered in the book. We Love Saturns is a newly launched website. More history here from same site. Even though it's been mentioned in this blog post already, check out SaturnFans.com. It is a quality website. Saturn of Flint, Michigan www.SaturnofFlint.com is an excellent dealership if you're in the area. uaw uaw gm general motors saturn

Who's Next Going Mobile?

2006-07-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

In my quest of learning about weblogs & blogging through searching & reading a multitude of blogs and combing through other bloggers blog rolls & links on their weblogs, I kept reading about the mobile future. www.MobileCrunch.com & www.TechCrunch.com are 2 blogs that are interesting & educational, along with http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com are nice examples. The word mobile keeps coming up all over the blogosphere (universe of blogs). The Who's great album Who's Next with the song Going Mobile came to my mind. Pete Townsend has a site here also I found www.TheWhoDirect.com which is interesting. Just reached over & grabbed the Compact Disc off the shelf. The edition I own has extra cuts & alternate versions on it. In 1971, after buying the album and looking at the album's front cover a message is sent loud & clear to the "establishment". To me, the cover is analogous to what "going mobile" is going to mean to today's establishment, which is made up of the generation that bought and listened to that album. Gotta say it, "My Generation". Going mobile is happening right know. Everyone has a cell phone. The mobile web on that phone, fast & cost effective is a huge opportunity for everyone, not just the established traditional deliverers of media. People own more cell phones than personal computers. Everyone likes portability & ease of use. User-Friendliness. These factors cut across the age spectrum. I have always said, if it performs like a remote control, we will come. And I don't mean those remote controls with a learning curve. The ones with 1 million buttons so small you push the wrong one by mistake and the closed-captioning appears on the TV screen, and a thick owner's manual that is not easily understood, plus the prints small & whoever translated the manual into English didn't proof-read the final result. Know what I'm talking about? It's easier to get up and walk towards the TV to adjust the volume and change the channel. A lot of us still have issues with programming the VCR. Of course, I being a little facetious here. When the mobile web takes off, and it's just a matter of time, Tim Berners-Lee's world wide web creation will even further insert itself into the fabric of everyone's life. It will be easy. Of course, credit goes out to the hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs who are brainstorming, starting companies, acquiring capital and risking, spending hours upon hours driven to reach their personal goals, taking their ideas and getting out there & making it happen. We as consumers purchase & use the finalized product. Too often we forget it came from one idea. The story behind the idea from the horse's mouth is what's inspiring and these stories can help everyone meet their own personal life challenges. It's great when you can read these inventor's blogs and get into their mindset. Try to read those company blogs if you visit their websites.
I found a great free mobile website called WinkSite www.WinkSite.com. Upon registering, one can create a mobile space for free. This blog post is already too long, so check the site out if the mobile future is of interest to you. To wrap up & quote The Who from a lyric at the end of "Won't Get Fooled Again" on Who's Next. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss". In Web 2.0, 3.0 & up, the consumer is the boss & they drive change & communications even faster than before. Whether they become like the old boss remains to be seen. uaw mobile song the who

TV History Bonanza! World In Color!

2006-07-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

Channel Surfing & caught end of one of the Western genre's best, one of the Bonanza episodes. When I was young, this show was one of the first to be "In Color" in the world of black and white television programs around late Fifties & early Sixties on Sunday nights (best of my remembrance). Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, also on Sunday nights, was another popular program that was In Color, not black & white. If one even owned a television, which was considered a luxury item then, black and white tv being the most economical way to participate, a color tv allowed one watch to view a television program in color if it was filmed & broadcast as color. The programming would display in normal black & white if the TV was of the black and white variety. If any of the Big 3 major televison networks NBC, CBS or ABC's television shows were filmed in color, it was considered a badge of honor and was advertised in the TV Guide & local newspaper as "In Color", and there was a color designation next to the listing in the TV Guide & the newspaper if I remember correctly. Being "In Color" increased viewership of the programs & color tv sales. Any wonder that the technology transitioned that way. "Historical Periods in Television Technology" from www.FCC.gov presents a television timeline. Off topic, but in left menu The Internet: A Short History of Getting Connected and Radio Pioneers & Core Technologies if you're interested.
Back to TV. Zenith Television was a major manufacturer of TV. RCA was another one. There were other great brand name manufacturers, also. More television historical details & subjects are covered here. Wikipedia has done a nice job with links for this blog post, so check their Bonanza Television series history page and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color history. Timeline History of Television at www.About.com is also educational. uaw television tv history

Marshall McLuhan Back in 72 C.M.U.

2006-07-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Last post I mentioned how having a tv located closely to my computer gave me an immediate idea for a post & I blogged the idea right on the spot. That event triggered another posting idea. Two technologies, not true convergence, but convergence by way of close proximity to each other. Two forms of electronic media. Then I suddenly remembered a class I took at Central Michigan University. It was Back in '72 - remember that great Bob Seger album? The class was called "Popular Culture". Great Instructor, just can't remember his name. 34 years ago is a long time. It's on the tip of my tongue & I'll update when I remember it. One of the subjects we studied was media & one author stuck in my mind over the years because of his writings. Marshall McLuhan was one man who would nowadays be called a future thinker or forward thinker. Understanding Media was one book we read & there are many others written by him & many books written about Mr. McLuhan. Unfortunately, I sold a good many of my collegiate books back to the college bookstore whereas they attained used status, to be resold just a little bit cheaper, and used that money to buy books for my upcoming classes. Understanding Media was one of the books I held onto because it was so different. Words of advice. Try to hold onto those college books for a while longer, if you can afford it. One day you might wish you had! They trigger great memories & ideas. Perfect for blogging.
Dug up my copy off the bookshelf of Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, A Mentor Book, 1964, ME 1760. Other numbers are worn off. Here's a sample off the first page:
GOOD-BYE TO GUTENBERG. Marshall McLuhan sees modern man as the relic of the logical, linear, "hot" culture of movable type. Stunned by his encounter with the "cool" world of mass communication, man has struggled for equilibrium- and the result has been apathy, anxiety, and alienation. The road to recovery, McLuhan suggests, is to recognize that electronic media are subtly and constantly altering our perceptual senses. The serial logic of print is fading out before the intuitive "mosaic" of instantaneous communication. Books, "contain," TV "involves." The new vision is mythic, tribal, decentralized. Man now lives in a global-sized village, and is returning to the values and perceptions of a preliterate culture. These innovative ideas have reached the forefront of national consciousness to arouse the wrath of some and the admiration of many. UNDERSTANDING MEDIA is one of those rare and incendiary books that have appeared at just the right moment in history. Remember, these words were written in 1964! See what I'm talkin' about? Cool, or is it hot?
A random sample of subjects analyzed in the book: medium is the message, hybrid energy, gadget lover, spoken word, written word, roads, paper routes, numbers, clothing, housing, money, clocks, the print, comics, printed word, wheel, bicycle, airplane, photograph, press, motorcar, ads, games, telegraph, telephone, phonograph, movies, radio, television, weapons, & automation.
Terrence Gordon writes here about Marshall McLuhan & Phillip Marchand writes here. Some great quotes of Marshall McLuhan are here.
If he had lived, I wonder what Marshall McLuhan would have thought about the compact disc, internet, world wide web, mp3's downloadable music, podcasts,blogs & blogging. He predicted today's global village. What thoughts & opinions would he have written concerning this modern media technology and today's forms of instantaneous mass communication & consumption? Check out his books. Please visit the official Marshall McLuhan website: www.MarshallMcLuhan.com uaw marshall mcluhan popular culture media

C-Span Call In Phone Numbers Washington Journal

2006-07-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

C-SPAN Washington Journal Contact Information Call-In Phone Numbers
Washington Journal Call-In Phone Number: Support Democrats (202) 737-0002
Washington Journal Call-In Phone Number: Support Republicans, President Bush (202) 737-0001
Washington Journal Call-In Phone Number: Support Independents, Others (202) 628-0205
C-SPAN 1 Eastern Time 7 am to 9:30 am

Being new to the art of blogging, one constantly asks themselves, "What do I write about?" in the blog. With access to cable TV in close proximity to my computer, another blogging subject came to mind. Being a channel-surfer, I stopped on C-Span channel one and noticed Washington Journal was in the middle of a live broadcast. In summary, C-Span's Washington Journal program has one & sometimes two guests (if two guests, usually on opposing sides of the political spectrum concerning the topic, but not always) opining on the chosen morning's topic at hand. I happened to be on the Blogger website, and was going to write a blog post. Voila! A blog topic miraculously appeared in my mind. Why not blog about C-Span Washington Journal? As an aside, I highly recommend having other forms of media around you in real-time when you are attempting to blog brainstorm about possible topics. Television worked for me in this instance, because it was in the same room as my computer. I'll blog more about this in a future blogging post.
I noticed during the show that call-in phone numbers for the show were not constantly displaying on the television screen. Probably because it does somewhat distract a viewer from the visual aspects of the excellent show. Understandable. Problem was, I was thinking about calling in, and the numbers were on their temporary hiatus. (Note to self: program them in your phone, you big dummy. Noted!) So here I type. I searched Google and found a few sites with the phone numbers. I had visited C-Span's site, but they were not right there and I was impatient and did not feel like excavating through their great website. Google would be much faster I figured, and I was right. To be fair, MSN & Yahoo would have performed admirably, too & probably other search engines. Plus, Blogger is owned by Google and since they let us bloggers blog for free, I thought I'd give them a click to return the favor! So that's why that list of C-SPAN Washington Journal Contact Information Call-In Phone Numbers is at the top of this blog post. If you ever have an AHA moment, feel like calling in while watching Washington Journal wanting to voice your opinion to the guest and viewing public, and the darned phone numbers happen to not be on the screen at that time & you don't have them programmed in your phone's memory, you can click my blog post! Hey, I'm trying. Good old American Ingenuity. uaw c-span washington journal

Michigan local weather-Rain!

2006-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today's local weather report was one of rain today & was hoping I could fit some outdoor reading in between the sprinkles. Picked up a copy of Barron's & the Wall Street Journal to get
up-to-date on the latest financial information, concerning today's economy. Both these papers published by Dow Jones company are excellent reading for everyone, at any stage of life. True, there are other great sources of business & financial information out there on the magazine racks, but IMHO these two get the job done successfully and have been consistent in their success over many, many years. Along with the many financial tables & other economic stats are the opinion columns with just the right amount of satire. Both give one the pulse of American Business. Pick one or both up, or read them for free at your library.
While you're at it, pick up some books on Labor History & today's labor issues. Keep up with it, also. I visited Google's search engine & typed in "Labor History" and found this great AFL-CIO link. There's always two sides to everything and the common ground is there between Labor & Business if both sides have the clarity of vision to seek and fortitude to reach it. No matter what the issue is. With a lot of negativity directed at both Business & Labor today, one should step back and research the specific issues of both and form their own opinions. Both Business & Labor are great American assets, in the greatest country on earth, The United States of America. uaw.

Tim Berners-Lee Invented World Wide Web WWW

2006-07-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Great book to read if you are interested in the origins of the World Wide Web is "Weaving The Web" by Tim Berners-Lee. Been a few years since I read it, but it's one of those books one can't put down until you are on the last page. Best I can recollect is that his first browser was called ENQUIRE. Enquire within the mind and was based on a paper, book, play or something to that effect. I also recall he wrote about his thought processes in considering an array of name choices in his goal of naming these communication strands connected to the internet, which ultimately came to be called World Wide Web, WWW as we know it today. Internet, computer server, personal computer or is it the other way around? Desktop personal computer, computer server, internet. Whatever the order, it works, it changed and is still changing the world of everything and the man is a living genius. These are my best recollection of a few events in Weaving the Web. The most correct and best way to learn is to read exactly what happened and how from the the man who started it all, Tim Berners-Lee. A good lesson in life is to always get it straight from the horse's mouth. Wonder where that phrase originated? later. retired united-auto-worker. Oh, another great book is Fathers of The Internet. Next time. uaw tim berners-lee www

Phone blog 4 retiree Old Days simple

2006-06-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Over 50 retiree easy to do. The web can be overwhelming to the older generation & these retiree user-friendly tools help us to blog. Possibilities are endless. If you're on vacation, a travelog can be posted, with no computer access. Heck, sitting on the porch or backyard, a thought might cross your mind & there is no pen or paper within reach. Dial your phone & voice write your thoughts to your blog. Check it out later. The weather's nice & you don't want to get up. Relatives & friends can check out our blog & now hear our or our loved ones voices and see what we've been up to! They can post if they want. It's like a virtual postcard or letter.
Our generation, alot of us from the 3 tv channel days, black and white television, AM radio days, like to dial and just push buttons. Easy & saves time because there are other things to do than sit around trying to figure out how to run a computer, or if we have one, trying to figure out what went wrong. There are other things we would rather be doin'. IMHO, the folks at Blogger have made typing a post in this blog, 3 TV channel push button easy, just like the folks at Audioblogger! Chances are they were of the generation of school students with computers in the classrooms. If this is true, look at what some of these students accomplished! uaw

Audio blog post-cell phone to blog! Easy!

2006-06-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't have to visit my blog site during the process, unless I wanted to check-out the audio. Thanks to the visionaries at www.Blogger.com, I soon learned that anyone with a blog site at Blogger can register at www.Audioblogger.com & create voice data that will be uploaded automatically. I have an 8 year old computer, that's old in computer years, mind you, Windows 98, and it worked seamlessly. Frosting on the cake is that everything is free! Well, I'm going to explore this blog page creator a little more, so I will sign off. uaw

Retired workers blog at Blogger .

2006-06-24T19:03:00.002-07:00

Thanks to Blogger for making everything easy to use for a united-auto-worker retiree blogger. More when I have more to write. call me uaw for short.