Yesterday my family joined the ever-growing group of Michigan families who now face an uncertain economic future due to lay-offs in the auto industry.

My dad's employer, once part of The Big Three, offered their employees age 50 and over a puny buyout package, with the hopes that 300-400 people take them up on it. Whispers around the office led most to believe that if the buyouts weren't taken, they'd still most likely be without a job, and the measly benefits. So as of August 1st, my dad will stay in Michigan, unemployed, with a mortgage, bills, and a very uncertain future. His job, like so many others, is heading to Mexico.

The news broke my heart and my spirit, just as it has for thousands others.

Here's what worries me most - like many other laid off auto workers, my dad's in his late fifties, with a bad back, arthritis starting to set in, and a minimal college education in auto repair, no thanks to the GI Bill. He can send me email, watch the funny YouTube videos I send him, but that's about as far as his computer skills go. With a crummy economy, how does my dad compete with all the hungry, tech-savvy college graduates that don't have families to support?

This is not the American Dream, this is the Auto Industry Nightmare.

Update: Due to increased interest in the event, the registration deadline has been extended till Thursday.

There's been a lot of buzz around the ol Tubes of the Internets here in Michigan about this Saturday's upcoming Activate '08 Training/Bloggers Institute in Lansing, put on by our very own staunch supporter of the MI netroots - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.

As one of the volunteer trainers, I'm really excited about the training, resource-sharing, and networking opportunities that will be available for those who join us, and it's my hope that after reading this post, it's something you'll consider coming to.

For me, this training is about building a Farm Team, not just for the Granholm/Cherry folks, or even for the established party system.This is really about passing along skills that are very much needed in the entire progressive world, whether it's candidates, or organizations, or just a movement.

We've already seen how hard-hitting the '08 election cycle is going to be, and this is just the beginning. As the entire progressive movement speeds up and really starts rolling, there is an increasing need for well-trained, dedicated activists both on and off-line.

Thirty-five years ago today nine men in Washington D.C.  opted to give women a choice when it comes to making reproductive decisions about their bodies.

As a woman, I'd like to say thanks. Not one to kick a gift horse in the mouth, I'd like to just ask why it was we needed permission in the first place, because I still haven't figured that one out. Of course, the LGBT community is still trying to figure out why the government is in our bedrooms, dictating who we can love, so maybe the two of us can battle that one out together. But I digress...

As previously mentioned by DHinMI, we're going to be having a Kossack meet up tomorrow. We'd be honored if you'd join us for good spirits, good fun, and good friends.

When: Thursday, December 27th, 7:30-?
Where: Frenchies in Ypsilanti

We've got an exciting guest list and we'd like to add your name to the list!

Just when it seemed to be the least likely of four-legged creatures to cause a splash in the political arena, the turtle beats the hare for the win. I'm guessing that Republican Rubberstamper Congressman Pete Hoekstra (MI-02)of West Michigan is wishing he had never heard of the little guys.

After having a temper-tantrum in front of the press about a federally-funded fence going up in his district to protect turtles and motorists alike, Hoekstra didn't like the response his letter to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm recieved. The entire event was merely posturing for Hoekstra's desired run for Granholm's seat in 2010, it seems to have backfired a bit on him.

While most of the state viewed the tete-a-tete between the Lady Gov and Sneaky Pete from the luxury of their newspapers, Pete couldn't go down without swinging one more lousy punch. I'm also going to take a gander that he's going wake up feeling this one in the morning.

(But first check out Turtlegate Part 1 at MichiganLiberal)

Do you know Democratic Congressional Candidate Scott Killips??

You won't find his name on the wall in the post office, but you just might see it on billboards and yard signs in the coming months. Scott Killips is running against Pete Hoekstra in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District. Today he launched his website.

You might not live in the 2nd CD, but do you know your local Congresscritter? While our state is blessed to have a fantastic Democratic Congressional Caucus, we're also cursed with a couple Republicans thrown in here and there, like Hoekstra, Tim Walberg, Thad 'Momma's Boy' McCotter, Candice Miller, Fred Upton, Dave Camp, Vern Ehlers, Joe Knollenberg and my own critter, Mike Rogers.

We all want them out, and there's only way to go about it, get to work pounding the pavement, working on research, raising money, and blogging, blogging, blogging.

[Promoted by DHinMI]

**Update:**OpenLeft has also been blocked from MI Senate Computers.

Mike Bishop Blocks 'Blogging for Michigan' from Senate Employees

Apparently bankrupting the state isn't all Michigan State Senate Republican Leader Mike Bishop wants to do. This time he's gone after one of Michigan's best lefty blogs, Blogging for Michigan.

After a post went up today on BFM about the wrong-doings one of Bishop's cronies, out-of-touch Senator Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), Mike Bishop's Chief of Staff Matt Miner, called Secretary of the Senate Carol Viventi and instructed her to block access to all blogs from the Senate offices.

In April of 2004, I lost my hero to a tragic illness, ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Her name was Elaine, and despite being struck with a severe case of Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 16, she still went on to play field hockey, study biology at Michigan State University, become one of the first female bacteriologists in Detroit, teach school, do homeless and prison ministry, help raise her sister's four boys, beat a nasty case of typhoid fever that left her hospitalized for an entire year, have three kids, eight grandkids, and one great-grandchild.

My grandmother was a self-described women's libber, and she met Grandpa when she tagged him out at third base on a family vacation in Canada. She didn't marry till she was in her 30's, and had her last child when she was 40.

My grandmother Elaine inspired so much in me. It probably won't surprise you to learn that it was because of her that I chose Rosie the Riveter as my blog's mascot. In my eyes, she is Rosie, fired up and ready to conquer it all.

By Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet

In an event that has left Michigan police stunned, many of the Michigan Liberal Muggles have suddenly disappeared into thin air immediately after taking ownership of the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series.

Reported disappearances include LiberalLucy and LPackard from a well-known progressive bookstore, Everybody Reads in Lansing, and an unnamed female from Shiawassee County. Numerous other disappearances across the state are also suspected and are currently under investigation.

I had to write a memoriam tonight for an 18 year-old.

I cried.
I felt sick.
I got angry.

***Lisa needs 10,000 signatures by Saturday to convince her to run for President. Click hereto convince her!

In reaction to the recent decision by President Shrub to commute the Libby sentence, the good folks of Team Lisa over at the New Organizing Institute’s Summer Campaign Boot Camp have released the following statement from their candidate, Lisa Simpson of Springfield.

She hasn't officially registered yet, but it sounds like there's a good chance she might.

She's smart, well-rounded, deeply passionate about the environment, involved in women's issues, speaks 4 or 5 languages and I think she'd make an excellent president.

Did I mention she's only 8 years old?

Some say my interest in the advancement of stem cell research, particularly embryonic stem cell research is selfish.

To an extent, they're right.

But show me one person here in the U.S. or in the entire world who's life doesn't have the potential to be drastically altered by stem cell research.

You might be searching for quite some time.

(This post was written after I was honored with a request to post at one Michigan's best-known LGBT blogs, Republic of M. Many thanks to Mike for his service to the LGBT community of Michigan and the greater national community at large.)

People never cease to amaze me.

I've attended multiple LGBT events to support everything from civil unions/gay marriage to domestic partner benefits and sometimes to just to show my support. Every once in a while I get the same question that just leaves me flabbergasted.

"Why go? You're not gay."

After I pick up my jaw off the floor, I look at them and explain that it's not about being straight or gay, it's about doing what's right.

(originally published on my blog)

Why?

I've heard that question so many times in the last 13 years of my life.

Why do I blog? Why am I so politically active? Why am I so optimistic, up-beat, and passionate?

There's many ways and words in which I could answer those questions, but I think it all boils down to these few -

I survived.

Since the U.S.'s invasion into Iraq and Afghanistan, many American lives have changed.  So many lives lost in a fight that is viewed by most of the country and world as unjust. So many families shattered, so many bright futures tragically cut short.

For one man, the War of Bush/Cheney/Haliburton Oil was his golden ticket to massive wealth and an extraordinary level of influence and menacing power. Meet Erik Prince, born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and one of the country's most dangerous men.

Every so often, I am fortunate enough to take part in a conversation that is so much more than just that - it's a stirring of emotion and memories, fuel to my inspirational fire, and a provocation to the very essence of who I am. It's a conversation so consuming, that I revel in the deliciousness of it.

Often, these conversations are completely unexpected and spring from the most unlikely of sources. It is this that provides the journey from which I collect the pieces of life to build not only who I am, but the direction in which I steer and how I proceed.

Today was one such occasion.

This morning as I read the Michigan papers online, I was forced to pause, and be consumed by a story that literally took my breath away.

The headline from the Detroit News reads: Hundreds log on to teen's blog as he battles cancer and I read it again, and again and again and I cried.

We all go through our days time and time again, set on auto-pilot doing what we need to do each day. How many times do we really stop to reflect, to really think about things?