This site is meant to facilitate the upward flow of information to help our elected officials stay in touch with those they represent. Also as a means to help us (the voters) help our leaders lead.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

A Man And His Truck Can Be A Beautifull Thing

I just got back from my weekly Sunday Morning Conservative Coffee for Ward 2 Muskegon, and for the 13th time, no one showed up except me. I sat as usual enjoying my forced relaxation and being out and about at such an early hour Sunday morning. I read some more of the Effective Executive by Peter Drucker. Great little book. I’m picking up all sorts of great insight into almost all the stuff I deal with day to day. This book may have to do with being an effective executive, but it can be used to teach me how to be an effective person and make what I do actually happen. This is a road map on how to turn your ideas on anything into something. This is right up the alley with my “Make Do, Make It Now, Make It Work” kind of get it done idea. The mechanics of the “What Can I Do Today” slogan I use couldn’t be better explained if I had written it myself.

Anyway, with only 15 minutes left to read before the end of my “Conservative Coffee” I saw this beautiful pickup truck pull up. It was a super duty 4 door “dualy”, a “450”. Shiny Black with Glittering chrome all over Pick up. Let me interject here that I’ve been driving pickups for a long time as my only vehicle. My work demanded it plus they come in handy for all sorts of other things. I drive now a rusted out 1993 Ford F150, 6 cylinder. When the two men walked in, they were big men that fit the truck, one younger the other older, both well dressed like the truck. I caught their eye and complimented them on their truck. They accepted it pleasantly.

I went back to reading, they went around the corner to eat. As I left I saw them and went over to say hi and to find out what they used such a big beautiful truck for. Well the rest is what they told me. My Sunday morning Conservative Coffee bore fruit. It wasn’t political fruit though except in the broadest of terms. It was a delicious “Bottom Up” fruit. Good to the Core.

There are good things being done in our community by good people that few people know about because those people aren’t looking for news, they simply want to get good things done. They Make Do Make It Now, and Make It Work. The name of the Person I met this morning is Pastor James R. Duncan Jr. He is pastor of The Greater Revival Miracle Temple. This man has been helping people on his own when necessary and with friends for a long time.

He just recently went with a crew to Arkansas to do a make over of a home in need for a family in need. His crew consisted of an Electrician whom I know Tommy Walker, a plumber, and 4 carpenters. They used the truck to haul a big trailer with all their tools and supplies etc. The nearest Home Depot was a long ways, 50 miles or so, the truck and trailer in this case was a necessity.

Pastor Duncan also told me that they have a Tent Revival every day from 6:30 - 8:00 EVERY day with free ice cream and hotdogs at the 2345 Getty St. Address. This guy doesn’t have to but I get the sense he still asks, “What Can I Do Today” everyday.

He lives at a Foster Care Home he runs, located on or around Hackly and I believe he said Hume. The number to reach him is 830-9111. Better yet run out to Getty and help share the love, it’s free but if you have it I’m sure he’d take any donation of time offered or money. He never did mention donations or money. Just stuff he’s doing.

I had a few questions that would help fill out this blog so I called to hopefully ask the Pastor. As fate would have it, his wife answered it. She I found out is the one who bought the truck for him. She explained that he had wanted a real truck instead of the trucks like mine that he had been getting by with for a decade of working his ministry. He does not get a salary for his ministry. And as I’m finding out this volunteer based thing is a real study in the art of Making do so we can Make it Now, and Make it Work. I said that it looked like if anyone deserved it he did. She laughingly agreed.

Today I’m blogging about this in hopes someone will read it and help out. To paraphrase, the question of “What Can I Do Tonight?”, has been answered. lol Tonight I’ll go to the Revival and check it out. Below is the particulars.
Greater Revival Miracle Temple
2345 Getty St.
6:30-8pm
Pastor James R. Duncan Jr.
830-9111
mrjimduncan@yahoo.com
As for the rest of the day my son has been asking “What are you going to do today on my house you said you’d remodel”

Regards and have a wonderful Bottom Up day
Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

PS. Sarah Palin I’ll bet asked herself one day, “What Can I Do Today” her answer was to join the PTA. It worked !!!! Look what she’s accomplished.
PPS When I go tonight to the Revival, I'll try to get a picture of the truck and some others.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Getting Old



As promised. The picture above is of the Church I went up to give a days labor too. My job was to scrape putty and paint the trim around the Curch Windows. They needed a lot of attention. Some of the wood should of been replaced. No time so being a good conservative I make do, make it now, make it work. I could only finish 3 of the 10 large stained glass windows. If anyone wants to donate a day and is good on ladders, give me a call at 231-728-3455. Morning Bear can use the help. I'm way to busy.
Below are a during and after shot of one window.





On the near right of the church is the Non-Indian Cemetary and on the Left of the church is the Indian Cemetary.





Morning was busy trying to remove the mold from the sidewalk and up the bricks of the wall for two feet all along the north side of the church. She had been working on it a full day then the whole day I was there. She has about 20-25 done. She is using a power washer with full strength bleech multiple timees while scrubbing inbetween multiple times. A really tough case of mold. Other volunteers are there today and tomorrow to help.

I don't know the politics of it all but the Catholic Church is letting her use part of the church for her purposes and the property I believe is deeded to the Indians.
An intersting note. The Indian Cemetary is a "green" cemetary, one of the few around. Green is not an environmental thing. It means that the bodies are allowed to be buried without embalming or caskets. Yup, just as they are. One of the volunteers was helping because he is sick and wants to be buried there. There are a lot of graves in the Indian Cemetary. Both are current and being used people have deeded an extra piece of land for each to be able to grow.

Now if we can elect a Conservative President and Vice President who will remove the Death Tax, this will be a really nice way to die and not force hardships on your family. Except of course digging the hole.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Edit. Sorry I'm still learning how to place the pictures right.

Ps.edit. I'm off to try to locate info and pictures of Governor Palin to have at the Convention Watch Party.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

With a Little Help From Our Friends

I’m a stubborn Irishman with a little Scot mixed in, now mix that with a ton of prayer then add some help from new friends and viola.

We are going to have our very own McCain "Convention Watch Party" in Muskegon. It was a close thing.

I was at the end of what I could do. I explained what I tried in my last post. Since then our Chairman tried to pull in some favors to help but that also fell through at the last minute. Luckily at our weekly Thurs. morning 8 am “Carmen Group” (see side bar under calendar) I threw it out on the table that I needed some place to hold the event and the time was nearly out.

{ps.The Weekly Carmen Group is a success so far, lots of talk and stuff schemes and dreams---I'd like to see the Sunday Conservative Coffee get some response. I may have to cancel that one}

David Farhat stepped up to the rescue and offered what he calls the war room which is a really large garage which I doubt ever had a car in it. It is finished nicely inside with all the luxuries. He often uses it for political meetings. It’s in a nice part of town too. We can’t hold a lot of people and the projector idea is out but we will have food and drink, with good Republicans and political talk back and forth as we meet to get behind McCain. Like the song says, if you want Barack out you got to get the vote out McCain..
-----link-----
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEpmSGa-zRM
---------------
I’ve posted the watch party on the McCain site. It’s the one at the Whispering Woods Rd. address. First click on the link which takes you to McCain Nation.
-----link-----
http://www.johnmccain.com/HomeLogged.aspx
---------------
Then click on the lower left red white and blue button that says Convention Watch Parties. That will take you to a search box and type in your zip and you are there.

We can only take around 30 people so it will have to be first come first serve.

Some friends have helped me with getting McCain yard signs and other stuff to have on hand. This party may seem like a small thing but to me it’s a “Bottom Up” type of thing. I’m happy with that.

Other good news is that I was given the go ahead from the party to get internet hookup at the headquarters and it will be installed Thursday (I hope anyway). I always cross my fingers on this high tech stuff. I still plan on opening the headquarters noon to 5pm Monday thru Friday through the election cycle. Now I will have some dedicated time to blog and work on the GOP Website. Muskegongop.com Also two people have volunteered to spell me some. I will take what I can get and if I have the time the more the merrier.

On to the Hoogendyk Fundraiser as I blogged last time Char Boertman was planning on having a fundraiser for Jack also. Well we are coming together and will probably work together and have a single event probably at Toast N Jams, which is her and her husbands Restaurant. If that happens, the odds of making it a success may have just quadrupled and Jack will only have to make one trip for twice the money. That is what this is all about after all. I’m finding if I can keep my ego out of it or at least in check, I find that I can always answer the question “What Can I Do Today“.

(As I was proofing this I had an idea. Holly Hughes’ daughter just had surgery. I think I will get a get well card and have all the candidates and her helpers etc and all the people I can find to sign it. Hey Candidates have hearts too, and their families have to put up with a lot. I’ll have to wait till I get back though.)

This new “bigger” fundraiser” will be held later probably end of Sept or early Oct. It could be a really good thing. I will be thinking non stop till then, I’d love to come up with something really unique, something Jack would appreciate.

I realize that once I become willing to dig in and work, there are others out there willing to lend a hand if they can. I am finding it uplifting to find those people out there who really want to help to make things better. To steal the Beatles lyric. “We get by with a little help from our friends” We also learn that from our friends. I’ve learned some of that from Morning Bear.

I’ve blocked out Friday to go up around Hart and help Morning Bear ( my friend from the community Garden she started and I helped dig up, I blogged about the garden before) I don’t know the details but she is trying to resurrect an old church and an Indian and (reg?) cemetery. I’ll take my tools and see what I can do that day for her. Once the Church is stabilized, she wants to set up a Native American something or other up there, it’s all tied into the Catholic Church somehow. If it is interesting I’ll blog about it when I get back, Friday nite.
Morning and I are indeed a study in contrary views but pretty close in what we want to see as the end results. As long as we both keep in mind the end result, I think we both learn something about each others ideas which creates it’s own synergy, and so far we have done some good stuff. Not the patronizing thing or the charity thing but more like the teach them how to fish type of thing.

We both accept that we are blessed because we know how to “fish”, to do some things. Neither of us are guilty about this knowledge. Being Blessed and guilty do not go hand in hand. We are thankful for the blessings we have and feel good about sharing it with others.

Well enough of the God stuff. I’ll be away from my computer for nearly a day and Morning said her cell phone doesn’t work up there. Man I’ll be a nervous wreck with a serious case of the Jones. Also before I get too swelled a head. She is already up there. She left Thursday morning, she has other friends volunteering and she will be up there all weekend. Puts my 8-10 hours into better perspective. Plus I get breakfast lunch and dinner, home cooked venison and the fixings. Not too shabby for a city boy.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Best Laid Plans

Just some updates

The Best laid plans etc. Everything is ok’d for the Convention Watch Party for John McCain except the building. The draw back is the cable hookup, and it’s cost to install. Our County headquarters has none and I can’t charge them the $350 commercial hook up plus a hundred a mo. For a year. So that option didn’t fly.

Next was Holly Hughes Headquarters where we had the Primary night party it has the cable already installed. Just found out from Nate Rodriguez that because he has moved in there and set up his State Party Candidate Campaign Center, there can be absolutely no McCain activity. Ironically due to the McCain Feingold campaign finance legislation.. Nate tried hard for us but to no avail.

So I’m stuck. All I need is a vacant place the night of Sept. 4 from 5-12pm the event will be from 8-around 11pm I’ll need the extra time to set up and tear down. If any one knows any place that could hold, (don’t worry about tables etc, I’ll find that stuff) just a place that can hold up to 100 or there about and has a cable tv hookup please call me at 231-728-3455. Thanks. I’ll need to get this set in the next two days Let’s say by Friday in order to get the McCain site informed and actively helping .
Below is a link to the McCain site about the Convention Watch Party thing.
-----link-----
http://www.johnmccain.com/mccainnation/
---------------
I have the County leadership willing to help me with email lists etc. I will do all the work with some friends we just need a building with a cable tv hook up, that has an out feed to run into the projector.

In other events the County Headquarters in Muskegon at 2492 Henry St. will be open as of Sept. 2nd from noon to 5pm Monday-Friday. Again any volunteers, I will be greatly happy to see to give me some free time. Lol. I’m working on getting internet hookup, we already have the phone and I’m pretty sure the Party will go for that. The point is there will be a computer there to play with, in my case I’ll finally have time to get back to my true love BLOGGING.

BTW the Muskegon County Website is coming along, today I’m going out to the laketon township treasurer’s home to help her and her husband come up with something nice to put up on the “Township Candidate” page. It will take some time for word of mouth to get this around. I hope they take advantage of this. We’ll see if I built it good enough for them to come.

On another note, the Hoogendyk Fundraiser took a big step forward. Sandra Baxter representing Jack’s Campaign called me and gave me the low down on what is expected and the mechanics of setting that up. We don’t need cable Hooray.!!!

Then as fate would have it I met a lady Char Boertman from a local new restaurant Toast N Jams, at Bob Scolnik’s fundraiser last night and she is also having a fundraiser for Jack at Toast N Jams in Oct. She was interested in finding out what I had learned, we were creating a little buzz and the local leaders were there and I got the ok to have it at the County Headquarters. Now it’s just a question of promoting it and coming up with some kind of gimmick Not that Jack needs gimmicks but something to get the people there. We don’t want to have extra costs etc.
Anyway got to get to work.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks.

Monday, August 25, 2008

My life has been thrown into politics this election year. So what I’m blogging about is politics. Local politics. Following the “What Can I Do Today” concept. Here is what I’ve been doing.

Our Muskegon County Republican Chairman staged a free picnic and concert at a local park. People had to bring their own food. We only sold Ice Cream. The Band was the Oat Bran Boys. A local Blue Grass band. Well I had my doubts.



I was amazed, 5-600 people showed up. They brought chairs and food and drink. We sold plenty of ice cream, but the people had a great time. The picture shows our Chairman Bob Scolnik and some of the band. The other picture shows some kids having fun dancing to the music.





No politicking was allowed. This was for the community and they loved it. A “Bottom Up” award to Bob for doing something he didn’t have to do.

There was also a Parade in Roosevelt park. This was a large parade and my pictures didn’t turn out good but we gave out again a ton of candy and such. I did get a picture of our youngest “Buie Buncher” Jaydon with Patrice and Karen Buie our County Clerk.


I have been in defacto charge of our Muskegongop.com web site as far as updates and getting it more friendly. It’s been a struggle as I’m slow to learn new stuff. But I’ve been attacking it with a vengeance.

We only had the county and above candidates on the site. I decided to try to get all the Township Republican Candidates on the site as well. Let them use our site as their “Mini web site” Friday and Sat. I spent trying to figure out how to do that. There are an extra 54 candidates at the Township level. I finally figured it out Sat. night. All day Sun from 10am till 4:30 I called all 54 candidates. Most weren’t home and I left a message. The rest seem somewhat interested to very interested. Only a couple said it was a waste of time.

The biggest hurdle was to convince people that I wasn’t selling them anything. Or asking for anything. Once they realized I was just doing this as a volunteer to try to help them they opened up. There has only been one person so far that has actually sent me the info. And I put it up last night. I’m hoping for 20 or so to take advantage of it. We’ll see. This is my way of injecting a little “Bottom Up Politics” into the County Party. I offered if the product is good and I present it well then people will use it. If not they won’t. I hope this will get some new blood through offering some heartfelt help. Back to my concept of how the new Republican Party should work. A Facilitator between the people and the government in a “Bottom Up” direction not the Top Down way.

I forgot that I also was asked to be the City of Muskegon Chair for the John McCain campaign. I’ve met the County Chair and I’ve decided to propose to the Muskegon County Republican Party tonight (Monday) that I want to have them help me throw a “Convention Watch Party” . I will have a Projector to show the convention on the wall the acceptance speech by John McCain and have a couple hours before to munch on snacks and mingle and talk politics. Maybe if I can get my Computer there I can during the pre convention time put up some clips of Saddleback for the people to see. Also get some McCain yard signs and stuff placed around. Set up a table to have people sign up etc. Mainly though a celebration of the event.

To get that to work today I’m calling the Rental place for the projector and Comcast to wire up the County Headquarters for Cable and internet. I’ll get hold of the County McCain Chair to get his advice and help etc. The County Republican party will offer some money for this, then I’ll have to see about raising the rest. I think I’m going to have to let out my “Shameless” side. Start begging for donations. I have to get the basic plan ready for the meeting tonight and hope they do what they have to and OK the idea then I’ll get the info to the McCain site so they can post it on their site. Then also put it up on our County Republican Site.

Also tonight I’m going to propose a plan and offer to lead it to get volunteers to man the Headquarters so we can have regular hours posted and people can walk in off the street. I’m proposing noon to 6pm and later for any requests.

Well that is What I Can Do Today.
Now I better Do It.
Make Do, Make It Now, Make It Work

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Friday, August 22, 2008

McCain and a Corn Boil On the Farm

I went to Marve Engle’s fund raiser and corn boil last night. All the big shots and some of us little shots were there. Most of the evening was spent in small groups talking local politics. These groups were fluid and always moving with people coming and going. I love this kind of thing, with the election drawing nearer much of the talk was on strategy. It has been an education for me to watch the candidates evolve and grow to fit the job ahead.

One thing I couldn’t help but notice from the beginning was the effort by most of the candidates to distance themselves from the national leaders. The reasons seem pretty obvious. I too have shared them. I bring this up because I think we may be missing a chance to get behind our national candidate John McCain. To feed off of his strength that was so well portrayed in the recent Saddleback Civic Forum. By joining McCain and his ideas perhaps we can become more united as a party and enlarge our appeal to the voter.

Holley in her talk spoke of the State wide issues and brought them down to our local level, mainly the lack of jobs and how the Democrats have driven companies out of the state, with no end in site. That is something we can get behind as a party.

John McCain is stating what we also can get behind as a party. All we have to do is listen.

I had not even known of the Saddleback Civic Forum and missed seeing it. A blogger I had called from the middle of the state about a possible fund raiser for Jack Hoogendyk gave me a heads up and was quite enthused by it. She called it uplifting. These are words I too had not associated with John McCain.

I decided to find out what this was all about. I finally got all the pieces and I’ve listed them below.

John McCain is dying to be heard. Trying desperately to get his message out. Here is a man who gave short uncomplicated answers. The thing was, they were answers that made a lot of common sense. They were “Can Do” answers, better yet they were “Let’s Do It” kind of answers. There are ways out of our problems if we get government out of the way and when it is necessary make sure that it helps and not hinders our efforts.

One reason I bring up Saddleback on this “Bottom Up” site is that John McCain, from education to the economy to energy to health care is echoing the voice and dreams of the people. He is giving us common sense ideas and he is willing to reach across the isle to actually get something done. He has a record of doing so.

Americans are fed up with and sick and tired of the old rhetoric and how courageous and uncompromising politicians keep telling us they are. People are beginning to realize that this just leads to a bunch of overpriced politicians not doing anything. Creating a “Do Nothing” quagmire filled with lofty ideals, big talk and little else. The people know the proof is in the pudding and lately the politicians are completely out of pudding.

John McCain echoed the “Bottom Up” idea in his talk about education, and how the will of the American people is rising up forcing action on the quality and choices of education. That struck my nerve.

The other reason I bring this up here is that during the Fund raiser last night only Holley Hughes had actually seen the show. Most didn’t know what I was talking about. To be fair I didn’t see the show either. I missed it too. So the main reason I’m writing this is to give others a chance to see what in my opinion was McCain’s finest effort to date that I am aware of.

Below are the links to Saddleback Civic Forum. Enjoy

Saddleback Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX47gOSFa24&feature=related
Saddleback Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3uR6Bc23Vc&feature=related
Saddleback Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrP8cClhY8&feature=related
Saddleback Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DI47Bf1FvU&feature=related
Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Jack To Take Michigan Back

I beg your indulgence for a minute or two as I delve into a National Race. The reason I hope will become clear. A “Bottom Up” type of reason to be sure.

Jack Hoogendyke is running for the US Senate from Michigan. He is running against Carl Levin. Levin has been our Senator for 30 years. I have nothing against age, and I have nothing against experience. In fact I believe the experience Michigan has had under the leadership of Carl Levin is something that can teach us a lot.

It has taught me that the policies Levin and the rest of the Democrat leadership in Michigan favor so much do not work. Have never worked, and if they continue to try to make them work, Michigan will slide completely down the tubes.

Simple enough problem to cure, just elect another candidate and get new leadership. Well that is where the problem comes in and where a “Bottom Up” kinda thing does too. This is where it gets down to the grass roots if you will. Carl Levin has 5 million in the bank, last I heard Jack Hoogendyk had just reached 100 thousand. What that? Jack is out financed 50 to one. I think he needs some help.

I have heard from a reliable source that at a meet and greet a person from the Huckabee camp asked Chuck Yob why the party wouldn’t help out Jack and he said that they only help out if the candidate is within 5% points of the lead. I also heard that Jack said that if he had 1 million he could win. I know and a guy wrote a book called Catch 22

Well here I go again, a real grass root thing has to get moving pretty quick for any chance to challenge Levin. Now to the “Bottom Up” mode.

Janice Daniels a Realator® in Troy Michigan got her feet wet in the “Bottom Up” kinda thing through A Bill Bennett coffee group. She since has found Jack and really likes his positions and feels he can make a real change in Michigan. Then she did what any one else can do but doesn’t. She decided to have a Meet the Candidate Breakfast. I was intrigued when I got wind of it and called her up. She is as dead serious about this as she is new to politics. She has a hall that will hold 200 people and she is begging for help to fulfill her hopes for Jack. This is a real “Build it and they will come” type of endeavor. Below is the flyer she sent me. I said I’d do what I could. If any of you have any contacts in Troy give them a call. Let’s help the lady out. We’d be helping ourselves the most.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Detroit Chapter
Of
The Saturday Morning in America Club
http://www.saturdaymorninginamerica.com/
Proudly Announces
Our First
 
MEET THE CANDIDATE
BREAKFAST
 
Rep. Jack Hoogendyk, Republican Candidate for the
U. S. Senate seat (currently held by Carl Levin) has graciously accepted our invitation to join us for our regularly scheduled
breakfast meeting at
Jimi's restaurant, 714 S. Washington St. in Royal Oak, Michigan

http://www.randmcnally.com/rmc/directions/dirGetMap.jsp?cmty=0

OnSeptember 20, 2008 at 9:00 am
 
Representative Hoogendyk currently serves in the Michigan State House of Representatives from the Kalamazoo area. 
 
We Encourage You to Join Us for Great Conversation,
Great Food and to Meet Our Great Senate Candidate
Rep. Jack Hoogendyk
http://www.jackformichigan.org/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now to my part. My mast head statement ends with the words, “What Can I Do Today”? Well maybe it’s time to get off my butt to organize a fundraiser no matter how small for Jack Hoogendyk. Because I’ve never done this before is all the more reason I should learn now. “Make Do, Make it Now, Make it Work“. If anyone has any ideas let’s get together. Let’s get those roots growing for Jack to take Michigan Back. My # is 231-728-3455. Email is glhotdogs@verizon.net.

Let’s give it a shot, together we can make it work.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

PS. Just got a call from an employee of the Michigan GOP. He will be opening an office at Holly Hughes’ headquarters on Norton across from Meijer’s next week. His title is Director of The Candidate Campaign Center. His name is Nathan Rodriguez. His job is to get volunteers to help needy candidates to campaign and phone bank and door to door that sort of thing. Maybe he will have an idea to help out Jack. He is indeed a candidate in need. Anyway I just emailed him an invitation to our Thursday Morning 8 o’clock Carmen Group for coffee and conversation. Hope he makes it.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Putting a face on Local Politics

For a couple of months, I have been getting my feet wet in local politics. I’ve actually dove in. I’m not running as a candidate, but I’ve fallen into being a campaign manager for an incumbent County Clerk.

What I’m finding out is there is a lot more to this “Politicking” than what meets the eye.

Beyond the mechanics of it all there is the personal. My shortcomings are highlighted for all to see and for me to admit. A steady diet of “humble pie” self served and self digested is the diet of someone in my position if they want to learn.

As in my other or previous position (construction), a steady stream of excuses can be heard. To utter them is human, not uttering them can stretch the limits of my abilities. Although that is a good thing, it is not always pleasant. Perhaps seldom is a better adjective to use.

As in construction, the end result seems to make all the “work” worthwhile. The job well done giving that quiet satisfaction which is what is so important in my sense of knowing that what I do matters. With that comes the contentment with my self.

The problem is that I am a rookie in the political game. I have no results to judge what to do. If one learns from one’s mistakes then I have some good lessons to learn.

This blog, This “Bottom Up” thing has already given me glimpses of where I want to go in the political arena. The idea of making people matter again in politics, of making sure I understand that and practice it as I go forward. There is a morality here that I must understand and keep for use as a guide. Will what I do really help. Once I get past all the great sounding rhetoric will I be able to feel that contentment from a job well done? The sense of well being from knowing I did all I could?

I don’t know. I haven’t finished anything yet. To do that will involve many compromises. I will need to stay focused on what is the Wheat and what is the Chaff. This country’s greatness is based on that concept. The concept is easy, the practice is another matter altogether.

As I see and imagine in “big time” politics, it is pretty hard to sit down with your opposition and find common ground in order to get the job done. I once blogged about “Common Ground” and “Good Ground”. “Good Ground” is a military term denoting a piece of ground giving you the advantage to beat your enemy. (what is good ground for Me) “Common Ground” is not a military term but a symbol denoting the areas upon which all sides can agree. That area around which we can form some agreement upon a course of action which will be of a benefit to the country. (What is Good Ground To Us.)

That is the art of compromise, that is the art of politics. Finding that “Common Ground” Again an easy concept. A very hard practice. Perhaps as in art there are naturals. I’m not, hopefully I can learn as I go. I am learning however that I don’t have to be that “wonderfully social butterfly”. That is a blessing lol. That is progress.

One of the main lessons I’m learning is that Truth and Honesty go a long way. People open up to me if I do both. They start to talk instead of making speeches.

I have taken months to figure this out. If you think that is a long time to figure out the obvious then, well go ahead. You see the other thing I figured out is that if I am content and feel as if what I am doing is right, then I will continue doing just that.

Kind of a “Build Myself and I Will Become“.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

PS below is a pretty good face for local politics. lol I had a part in it.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

I’m trying to be a rookie campaign manager for Karen Buie our County Clerk, and I’m impressed with all that she is doing. With this election as Clerk, she has trained 800 precinct workers. Election eve she never left work till after 2 am. Then the next morning she made it to the Republican Unity Breakfast at Toast ‘N Jams at 8am. She needs some rest as she has a really tough campaign to run in the General Election.

For Election Eve, Bob Scolnik and Holly Hughes threw together a Victory Party at Holly’s headquarters. We didn’t know if anyone would show and were pleasantly surprised. I would guess perhaps 50 total came and went. Went thru 7 pizzas.

I got there early and sat in on a meeting between Holly and Paula her campaign manager and learned a lot about the job.

Then the people started to show up. After we started eating the results started to trickle in. Below are some pictures of some that were there.


It's been really hard to sit down and gather my thoughts lately. If you see some marbles rolling around email them to me as I'm losing mine.


Next comes some more.

and some more.

Click on the picture to super size it.

Now the hardcore, midnight crew.

The next morning we all had a breakfast at 8am at Toast N'Jams. Tired but happier faces. Everybody had a good appetite though. lol
Click on the pictures to make them bigger.






What ya thimk? Maybe I ought to through the camera away?

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Weekend Summary of Stuff.

Weekend summary of stuff.

The Tigers are hanging in there, but just seem to lack the umph to battle for the top spot. Minn. And Chicago are neck and neck. I hope we’re saving it for the home stretch.

Really sad to see Pudge go. He was the Tigers. He was there from the days of the worst record in baseball to the best. Wish he could of taken a World Series win with him. Man of man will he be missed. Time I guess for others to fill the void. We’ve got the talent.

My daughter Liz Carr told me that her favorite sport Disc Golf is having it’s World Tournament for the first time in Michigan. She is really doing well in the sport, one of the best in Michigan. I’m trying to figure a way to get there (I don’t think my old truck will make it) and be her caddy for a day to share the fun. The tournament is long, one day of it is all I could handle. lol
-----off the web.---------
“Join us for the 2008 Disc Golf World Championships, taking place in the southwestern Michigan cities of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, August 8-16, 2008.”
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Below is an article from the Detroit Free Press about the sport and Liz.
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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080629/TWIST01/806290302/1129
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Another link to her status in the state.
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http://www.pdga.com/tournament/playerstats.php?PDGANum=31068
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What Can I Say. I’m a proud Dad.

Politics ---- What else is there to say but WOW. It is really starting to heat up. Went with Karen Buie to a meet and greet dinner out in the country at a beautiful home. I really felt my shortcomings as a rookie campaign manager in that setting. I didn’t strut my stuff, just tried to take it all in. Spoke when spoken to. Huge tented area with table clothed tables presented a pretty picture. Dinner was later after an hour of mingling. This was for the Laketon Township candidates. Christina Achterhoff the Laketon Township Clerk was the host, and her friendship with Karen the Muskegon County Clerk I think is what garnered the invite.

I met a lot of nice people, and a few of the candidates. The primary is set for Tuesday and there are a lot of Republicans running in Laketon for a few slots. I wish them all luck.

My Blogger Cohort GordoM
-----link-----
http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/
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and I have been given permission and some training to revise and update and make the new Muskegon County GOP web site more exciting. We both hope the powers that be are ready for the change. We plan some big changes. We may be biting off more than we should with this effort. But if the mechanics are possible I think we will be able to do it. My view is a site with all the local candidates in Muskegon County in on it. Not just the County wide and larger ones. That is an addition of between 40 and 50 Republican candidates that will be left after the primary.

A lot of these candidates don’t have web or blog sites. I’m hoping that GordoM and myself with the help of Patrick Bowen the Web site creator can make the site into a de facto web site for those who have none. We hope we can get this going and close to completion by the next meeting of the Muskegon County Republicans. Aug 25th. I hope this will help the candidates from across the county and bring us all closer together. It is taking me hours of effort to just get a picture from my computer to the site, and I still can’t get it to open let alone put it where it belongs. I’m hoping with GordoM and Pat helping this week I’ll get the mechanics down then start trying to get ahold of those 40-50 candidates and have them give me a bio and pic. And any links they may have to articles or anything that has the information they want to get out there.

GordoM is great at the news links and ferreting out nice interesting and fun pieces from the news. I got this one I linked below through some posts at Right Michigan see side bar under “Old Standby Links” This video below is great. Hope GordoM can figure out how to get it on the Muskegon County GOP site. My first time to that site, it’s great. Scroll down to the video of the parody of McCain and Cocaine. It is what I’m talking about. That will jazz up our county site, or nothing will.
-----link------
http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/
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Life still goes on for me; bills, work part time, painting and repairing my own home so it doesn’t fall apart anymore. My Dryer stopped working. I feel like Truman with socks hanging from hangers drying in my house. Not to belabor the comparison, I’m changing my house color from white to grey.

I guess this is my way of saying I’m having a ball.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

Friday, August 1, 2008

Politics is Personnal

Computer is back and so am I. As usual when I learn something more about computers, I find ten new things I need to learn. Like they say, enjoy the journey. Wednesday night I went with Karen Buie to the Eggelston township VFW meet and greet. Most of the local candidates were there and I got to meet some of the Eggelston trustee candidates. Barb Woudwyk current Oakridge school board president was one I met and liked. Below is a picture of her, talking with David Fisher.



Had a nice time, Patrice and her grandson were there. He has been to every parade with Patrice of course so far. Quite a trooper. The original “Buie Buncher” At the end of the day, the attendance list showed that around 150 citizens came and mingled with the candidates. Holly Hughes was there along with Karen heading up the Republicans. Annette Smedly for prosecuter, the 2 Davids (Fisher + Schultz) for drain commissioner were there. There were a lot of candidates. Too many to name.

I congratulate the VFW in Eggelston for putting on the event. It gave those citizens interested a chance to meet and see the candidates in action, in person. Helped the election process work better. My “bottom up” award to the VFW Post and the Citizens who attended. Below are some of the pics. I took.

















I met again young Mr. Dewitt from the Pete Hoekstra campaign. This guy and I love talking politics. This is the face of the new smart and energetic Republican party. I have been blogging about the Energy situation lately a lot. Posting about leaders like John Boehner, Dan Burton, etc in the House and Newt Gingrich. Mr. DeWitt put a face to these people as he has met and talked with them. I was both happy to talk with someone who was a part of what I was just blogging about and that he was at this forum of the Eggelston township VFW. I did pick up some info from him. Rumor has it that Pete is setting up with Bob Scolnik our Muskegon County Chair, a fund raiser at Bob’s house and Frank Luntz the pollster will be there. That could be an interesting evening. This is all tentative, but the date I heard was Sept 6th at 6pm.

Also he mentioned that Pete was coming to Muskegon Aug 4th on his “Bike Tour”
-----link------
http://www.hoekstraforcongress.com/index.php?id=8&iid=51#Hoekstra%20Announces%202008%20Bike%20Tour:
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A quote from the above link to Pete’s site.
“Monday, Aug. 4
· Serve guests at the Beachway Resort & Hotel, Tuesday, Aug. 5· Work at Fredericks Design, Inc., · Shadow medical professionals and visit with patients at the new Johnson Family Center for Cancer Care, · Shadow medical professionals and visit with patients at Mercy Health Partners Hackley Campus, 1700 Clinton St., in Muskegon at 1:45 p.m. (open only to press) “

I’m going to see if I can get a picture and or talk with Pete that day. We’ll see.

Thursday morning with the Carmen group was informative and edible lol as always. The “Muskegon Bloggers” were there Susie the “Snarky Huntress”, GordoM the “Muskegon Pundit” and I. Joining us were David Farhat, John Koens, and David Wells. With the primaries nearly upon us you can imagine the talk was lively. John passed out a county ballot and we all picked who we thought would win in the primary. A small “Carmen Group” wager or pool. Afterwards, David and GordoM took me over to Dave’s war rooms in the Noble building. Rumor also has it that David is considering a State Senate run in the future. Anyway Pat Bowen the web master of the new “Muskegon Republican GOP website” was there and I got a quick training session on how to get into and update the site. I’ll be working with GordoM to keep the site up to date and lively. As I learn more I’ll let you know.



As a disclaimer and to puff out my chest some, Karen Buie officially named me her campaign manager. So keep that in mind when reading my blog. If I seem to be pushing her it is probably I am. Lol. From the looks of the schedule she has worked up, I’ll have precious little time for anything other than politics. I’m still finishing up a couple of things in my line of work. Things are getting really busy. Politics takes up a lot of time. Well I wanted to get into local political stuff, well looks like I got my wish. Lol. I’m really enjoying this. Just have to get over the idea of working for money. Lol.

If time really is money then, I’m making a sizable donation. That is one of the main ideas of “Bottom Up Politics”. Campaigns are about getting votes, and votes are about attracting attention to yourself. Money has been the short cut to that process in an ever alarming way. I wanted to show and prove that “Politics is Personal” and the more personal a person campaigns and is personally involved the better it is. Not only for votes but to actually learn what the citizens are demanding of their elected officials.

I wanted to see if through my time and effort, a person of very modest means (read poor) could still make a difference at least at the local level. I hope through my blogsites and participation of the readers I can, and am doing just that.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative

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