Just as no two snowflakes are identical, no two humans are either. A new born child cannot be rational. It can't tell left from right, up from down, right from wrong. The way our eyes are wired it takes several weeks for the infant to make sense of the photons touching the rods and cones at the back of the eyeballs to figure out that "mom'" is not upside down.

You hold a set of beliefs based on family, friends, church, teachers and experiences. The older the belief structure the more firmly we tend to hold onto it. The way we think of things is sometimes called our "world view."

Now imagine several changes:

1, You were born one or more year(s) earlier or one or more year(s) later than your birth year: you would be in a different class in school with different teachers. The world would be different!
2. You were born ten or fifteen miles from where you were born: different town, different schools, different things to do.
3. You were born a thousand miles from where you were born: different part of the USA with its different regionalism with its quaint likes and dislikes.
4. You were born to a family of a different faith.
5. You were born in a different country: really different likes and dislikes and language.
6. You were born in any of these scenarios with a disadvantage: something other people view as "different."

It doesn't take much to have a completely different world view. Translate this into who becomes "us" and who becomes "them." After the sixth grade few people change their world view: their dogma, superstitions, their prejudices, their likes, their dislikes, their loyalties, their hatreds.

This is because after that point hardly anyone questions what they believe and why. They accept inputs what "agrees" with their world view, and reject those which don't.

Do your self a favor: question everything you consider 'True." Question these beliefs based not on the principle source of the belief, but a coherent study of them. Do witches really cast spells? Is 13 really an unlucky number? Does the position of Mars really affect you?

No two people have the same world view. You can see how many ways there are to look at the same issue: no wonder no one agrees with you.

Does it make you wonder?
Yesterday I drove by an office building that was being built all winter long. I have been wondering what kind of business would end up occupying this new structure and yesterday they posted a sign out front. It’s another medical building. So I got to thinking about it. By my count in the last 2 years there have been now three new medical offices/buildings built in Mt. Pleasant.
We now have doctors in Mt. Pleasant from Midland, Clare, Alma, Saginaw, Lansing and Grand Rapids, that I know of.
Where are all the new patients coming from? Maybe there is something else going on that I don’t understand in the medical community.
But it sure makes me wonder, what is going on, does it you?

A Sound Off item questioned why the price of gasoline was dropping while the BP spill seemed so big. Without a doubt the people and environment along the coast are dramatically impacted by the spill.

According to the Wall Street Journal however, price at the pump is based on world-wide production, which has been increasing. Crude oil prices have dropped about 20% since early April to around $70 a barrel, and expects pump prices to continue to drop in the near term.

The total impact of the BP spill will not be felt until the real cost of cleanup is passed on in the per-gallon price at the pump. If you look at the long term cost over the last two and a half years, it peaked in mid 2008 at nearly $4 per gallon, declined to a low of around $1.75 in early 2009, and has been increasing steadily since then.

Friday, May 21, 2010

This morning as I do often I took our two small house dogs for a walk on their leashes.
Today we were at Island Park and enjoying the early morning. I observed a couple who were walking/jogging with their large golden retriever on its leash enjoying the exercise with its family.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a large pit bull came running towards the retriever and tried to attack it, but the male kept it pretty much at bay from their pet. The pit bull's owner came running after it, hollering its name and giving it commands that were not obeyed by the pit bull, who continued to try and bite the retriever.
Suddenly one of my small dogs barked at all the commotion, and that got the attention of the pit bull, who came running after my dogs. I pulled our dogs very close to me to protect them, and made up my mind: this pit bull would kill my dogs and I would not allow that to happen.
Its owner was still trying to get ahold of this aggressive animal and continued to give it verbal commands and tried to make physical contact with it. Finally the owner grabbed its collar and took change of the pit bull.
This was a very close call for two different family pets and their owners. I do not understand why people continue to have these large, aggressive animals, and then attempt to socialize them them with the general public, unleashed.
But it doesn't matter what breed you have. Common sense tells you to leash your dog when in public. If you really want that kind of attack animal, you need to walk it or run it on your property.
Just remember it's the law, and you can be sued for damages. By leashing your dog in public, you reduce that chance by 90 percent.

As I was driving down Main Street this afternoon I saw a team of city workers putting up colorful banners on lamp posts. These are the products of the Isabella County Our Vision is 20/20 organization's campaign with help from Art Reach of Mid Michigan.

About 200 local groups and artists created these works of art. It is a festival celebrating art and community spirit. Banners will fly in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Shepherd, Winn, and on the CMU campus.

Sponsors include Isabella Bank, Firstbank, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, The Morey Foundation, the city of Mt. Pleasant, the village of Shepherd and Central Michigan University.

On March 21, 2010, the eruption of the volcano on Iceland cancelled many flights to Europe. Art Reach of Mid Michigan had set up a tour of Italy. The tour flight was one of those cancelled.

Among those left behind was Jason and Lynn Lipe. They took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family. While there Jason heard of a job opening, applied, interviewed and was hired! As a result Mt. Pleasant is losing a bright young family. Lynn has been a graphics designer for Art Reach for two years. We will miss her bright smile and talent.

This blogger has been out of town for three weeks so hasn't kept up with the news. I have been told by reliable sources that Morning Sun Editor Rick and wife Laura Mills had a baby on May 5. Carter Kane Mills weighed in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces, with a length of 18 inches.

This is probably not news to you, but I want to add my congratulations to Mom, Dad and brothers Zac and Seth.

In 1952 the lodge at the Coldwater Lake 4-H Camp was built with donated labor from 4-H members, leaders, and friends of 4-H. A couple of years ago the original windows were replaced with new windows. The old windows were given to the Clare Arts Council. They are sponsoring a contest for the best decoration of the windows. Anyone interested in getting into the contest should contact the Clare Arts Council. There are no set rules for decorating the windows, be as creative as you want.

An auction of all of the windows will be held next fall and the proceeds will be divided between the Clare Arts Council, the Coldwater Lake 4-H Camp and the Pere Marquette Library in Clare.

Police Pursuits are argumentative in every community.

I'm not taking a position on the topic, I'm simply encouraging the community to read this well written paper for advanced studies of the issue.

Let each reader, keep a open mind in this fairly short read, and look at the issue and see if it changes their mind, in any fashion.

http://www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/PoliceStaff/Patrol,%20Operations,%20Tactics/Police%20Pursuits--A%20Model%20Policy.pdf

ERNIE HARWELL – A SERMON!

No, I never met Ernie Harwell, but like so many Tiger baseball fans, I felt that I knew him. And this is from a guy that’s old enough to remember a fellow named Harry Heilmann as the voice of the Tigers. For you younger folks, Harry was a Hall of Fame Tiger outfielder who played during the Ty Cobb era and spent many years broadcasting Tiger games. He is especially remembered for his broadcasts during WW2 which really shows my age, doesn’t it?

Even though I never met Mr. Harwell, the expression of accolades upon his death are just outstanding. One moving comment by a person who apparently knew him well stated something to the affect that after one conversation with Ernie, you were certain you were his “best friend”.

He was obviously a great announcer, an author who wrote country western songs, a great family man and an openly religious person.

It is probably true to state that an examination of Ernie Harwell’s life is one of the greatest sermons we will ever see!

Bert

It would be interesting to see what local sentiment is regarding our porus border with Mexico. The numbers of illegal crossings are staggering. The pressure placed upon our border guards and the normal legal entry points is a real test of how to process people properly.

When there are mobs of people sneaking in at night, some bad guys mixed in with people wanting to obtain work - - it turns into a nightmare for our patrols as well as the workers trying to get in. This is a problem that will not be easily solved. The drug and gun smugglers have only one goal - - make delivery and make money - - at any cost !

In my opinion, law, order and security must be restored on our borders BEFORE we can take the next step. All illegal entry must be stopped. After that, develop a plan and stick to it with whatever means necessary.

Norm Burmeister

Remembering Ernie Harwell means summer in Mid-Michigan. The country store and gas station that Ray Geasler ran in Brinton was typical of the stores in small towns and villages in Michigan . During the entire baseball season as you entered any of these places the voice of Ernie Harwell broadcasting Tiger Baseball was ever present. It was the background sound that made it summer.