Counting bugs was never so fun (or useful)!

From my very good friends at the Huron River Watershed Council comes a terrific opportunity to meet some wonderful protectors of the amazing and beautiful Huron River and help to assess the river’s health at the same time.

Click through for details.

Attention, mid-Michigan Democrats! Just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be speaking to the Eaton County Democratic Party at their general membership meeting this Thursday at the Log Jam Restaurant, 110 West Jefferson Street in Grand Ledge. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. I’ll be showing a slideshow of some of Anne’s amazing photographs, talking about the […]

Beer and bloggers — it doesn’t get any better than that

As we did last year, Mark Maynard of the inimitable MarkMaynard.com and I have organized another Beer With Bloggers event. Click that link to RSVP.

This is an event for bloggers and blog readers. In other words, you don’t have to be a blogger to attend. We hope you’ll join us.

The event will take place at the Corner Brewery (720 Norris St, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013.

The current list of bloggers who will be in attendance is after the jump.

Beer and bloggers — it’s a match made in heaven

Exactly 10 months and few days after our last Beer with Bloggers event, Mark Maynard of the transcendent MarkMaynard.com and I have set the date and reserved the room for Beer With Bloggers 2013 (well, at least Spring 2013.)

Last year we had about 75 people (you can read about it HERE) and this year we’re pretty sure we’re going to get 76 or maybe even 77. One of those witty, attractive and highly intelligent people could be YOU.

Click through for details.

“Citizens United v. FEC is one of the most destructive Supreme Court decisions in the history of this country”

In August of last year Dean of the House Congressman John Dingell introduced the Restoring Confidence in our Democracy Act. This legislation sought to undo the democracy-crushing impact of the now-infamous Citizens United Supreme Court decision that has allowed huge sums of money to be spent by wealthy individuals and corporations to pervert our elections and subvert our democracy.

Congressman Dingell will be reintroducing this bill during the current legislative session and tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Ann Arbor he will hold a public forum and panel discussion to discuss it.

Click through for details.

Panelist will discuss facts, insights, pros and cons of HB 5174 and the effect these private prison corporations will/are having on our government and its citizens.

Click through for details.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say I TOLD YOU SO!

During a Right to Work rally in Lansing, Michigan last December, Fox News “reporter” Steven Crowder claimed he was attacked and had video to prove it. As I reported then, the video was heavily edited and the guy who “attacked” him was actually acting in self-defense. Here’s what I said at the time:

“Selective editing at about 0:39 mark shows what appears to be union guy attacking Crowder for no apparent reason. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that the guy is getting up off the ground — that he was NOT the one that became aggressive first.”

It turns out that I was 100% correct. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III is not filing charges in the incident because Crowder provided him with highly-edited video and the full, unedited version shows that his “attacker” was simply defending himself.

Click through for details.

Democracy is not disposable

Today at 4 p.m., there will be a townhall meeting in Detroit, Michigan to protest the imposition of an anti-democratic Emergency Financial Manager on Michigan’s largest city. Details are below. You can RSVP and get more information at their Facebook event page HERE.

Click through for details on this event and a prayer vigil to be held this Thursday.

The fight to preserve workers’ rights is FAR from over. Get informed.

One of the premier Democratic Party clubs in the state is the Western Washtenaw Dems, a club I’m proud to be a member of. Started in 1999 by former House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, the group is both a social club for Democrats on the western side of Washtenaw County as well as an active political force in our county. They regularly sponsor important and timely speakers, panels and forums and this Thursday is one that area Democrats won’t want to miss. It features Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan AFL-CIO president Karla Swift, Michigan AFT president David Hecker along with moderator Ron Motsinger from the IBEW.

Details and a downloadable flyer after the jump.

Don’t miss this opportunity

If you’ve never seen the Vagina Monologues, it’s something you simply must do. It’s for nearly everyone. Young women. Middle-aged women. Old women. And, men, too. Men can learn a LOT from the Vagina Monologues.

If you’re in Michigan, you have several opportunities over the next month starting tonight. Details after the jump.

The most energizing conference you will EVER attend

As regular readers of this blog know, I am a regular attendee of the national Netroots Nation conference. Last year, Anne got involved as a staff photographer and you can be sure we’ll both be there again this year in San Jose, June 20-23. Netroots Nation is, simply put, the most high-value conference of the year for progressive activists. You can get a flavor of it by reading our posts from last year HERE, HERE, and HERE.

A big part of what makes Netroots Nation work is that the panels and trainings are put on by some of the top activists in the country. Some you may know, others you may not. Either way, the quality of the panels and trainings is exceptional. Along the way, you’ll make some amazing connections, as well, connections that will stay with you into the future.

Find out how YOU can participate by submitting a panel or training proposal for Netroots Nation 2013 after the jump.