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Flint Pilgramage

December 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
genessee tower in downtown flint mi

Economy continues to look bad in Flint, but there are some bright spots to report.

I made a Christmas pilgrimage to Flint, MI.

genessee tower in downtown flint mi

Picture from Wikipedia.org

The news:

Halo Burgers

halo burger logo of flint miHalo Burgers was sold by the original Halo Burger family, the Thomas Family. They have sold it to a group that owns several franchises. Former Flint folks don’t worry, the new group is talking about actually expanding the franchise across the State. Who knows, could they move out of Flint and introduce the burger with olives to the rest of the country? (I know, I am just dreaming).

General Motors

buick fisher body logoGeneral Motors has pretty much shut Flint down. For those of you who do not know, Flint is the original home for General Motors founder Billy Durant. General Motors at one time employed upwards to 100,000 employees in Flint. The number today is less than 10,000. The only plant appears to be the Chevy Truck plant off I-75/US 23 by the airport. The rest are gone….slabs of concrete with weeds growing up. The result, a lot of empty houses.

Durant Hotel is OPEN!

Durant Hotel logoThe Durant Hotel has been renovated. That is correct. It is being used as Condos and banquet center. There is also other commercial space on the first floor. It looks really nice too.

The downtown area actually looks pretty nice. There are some nice restaurants and Churchills is still there. The rest of town looks terrible.

There should be new courses called Urban Deconstruction. How do you take a community like Flint and actually deconstruct it to a more manageable size? How do you tear down the city and give large portions back to nature? I guess some of that is being done, but I did not see it.

Urban Deconstruction – giving it back to nature. Should be a new College Course.

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into blogging, social media and search engine optimization.

Filed Under: internet marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Branding Yourself: Using Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, and Que BizTech

December 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

My business partner Erik just finished his new book, “Branding Yourself: Using Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, and Que BizTech” (Pearson Education).

It is an excellent guide on how to use online social media for branding yourself online. You can also pruchase it on Amazon.

Erik is an excellent writer. You can also read his Laughing Stalk Blog where he posts his weekly humor columns for several local newspapers in Indiana.

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into blogging, social media and search engine optimization.

Filed Under: internet marketing, Internet Public Relations, Online Behavior, Online Marketing, Online Reputation Management Tagged With: , ,

Testical Squeezing Authority (TSA) Update

December 22, 2010 By 2 Comments
paul lorinczi says thumbs up

This week, I did receive my response from Senator Dick Lugar.paul lorinczi says thumbs up

It will be a sad day when Senator Lugar no longer represents the State of Indiana. He is one of the finest men I have had the pleasure to meet. His legacy will forever be a positive one, not only for Indiana, but for the world as a whole. I-465 should be renamed after him. The State should put up a statue to him. He is the only politician I have met in public that was present when talking to me.

I have written to his office many times and always get an answer.

Here is the difference between Lugar and anyone else I have written – he addresses the issue. He does not always agree with me. But, he always addresses the issue.

In the case of my letter regarding the Testical Squeezing Authority (TSA), he says, “I agree that our policies must strike a careful balance between security and individual freedoms and privacy. A number of recently implemented TSA security measures have caused some disruptions, inconveniences, and privacy concerns. Important questions have been raised about the ultimate effectiveness and appropriateness of these procedures.” In the meantime, “I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your letter directly to the TSA and have requested a response.”

For anyone reading this who would like to represent your state in Washington, this is how it is done. (Although, now that my letter was forwarded, I guess my testes will get a squeezing).

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into blogging, social media and search engine optimization.

Filed Under: Airline Issues, Airline Security, Transportation Security Administration Tagged With: , , , ,

Muslims help thwart terrorist attacks

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
paul lorinczi thinking about something

The Christian Science Monitor wrote a piece on pointing out that Muslims have been the ones helping our intelligence communities stop the recent terrorist threats against targets. The article details out the story of a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner that provided the details on the printer cartridge bomb attempts.paul lorinczi thinking about something

In all cases, the intelligence gathered was from Muslims themselves.

The lesson for me is to remind myself that all societies has its fringe elements intent on causing troubles for the rest of us. Everyday,  we read in the paper about some whacko in this country that takes guns to schools, post offices and federal buildings.

Like some Christians, every religion has its groups that take themselves to0 seriously at the expense of others. In light of the instability in the world today, no society is immune to having extreme views that result in some violent attack against others.

Filed Under: News, Terrorism Tagged With: , , ,

Islamic Terrorist Attack Sweden

December 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Confused why Radical Islamic people live in the west

An Islamic radical born in Iraq and emigrated to Sweden as a child attempted to detonate a suicide bomb in Stockholm. He did not like a newspaper caricature of Mohammed, so he decided to kill himself and tried to kill others in the process. Good news, he failed at killing others.Confused why Radical Islamic people live in the west

I don’t get it. If you are having a hard time justifying your Islamic beliefs in a culture seemingly counter to those beliefs, just GO HOME! Leave Germany, Sweden, Britain, the Netherlands, the United States. Go back to the Middle East! Go back to Pakistan. Go back to your country where everyone is like you. Speak Arabic every day. Drink tea and coffee. Wear robes. Do what you do in your own countries that make it so much better than your host country.

That’s right. Just go home to where you came from.

“Better people!
Better Food!
Better Beer Tea?

Why move around the world, if Eden was so near” Neil Peart – Territories

There is an old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” If you have made a decision to move to another country, there is a certain amount of conformity that goes with it. First and foremost, you must obey the laws of the land in which you now live. If you want to change them, you can become a citizen, vote, or participate in the political process to influence change.

Second, you have to learn the primary language that is spoken. In the United States, English is the primary language spoken here both civic and commercial. You can speak your own language no problem. Just understand that to be understood, you will have to learn English. Everyone who has come to this country before you has.

Third, most open societies tolerate all religions. (This is not true because your people are protesting the Mosque in NYC). This is true. The problem is, we keep reading in the newspapers that radical Muslims keep trying to kill Americans, Brits, Swedes, Danes, Salman Rushdie and even the South Park creators. The fear is this radicalism will find its way here. We don’t want it. It’s like Islam is the nerdy guy in the room that takes himself way too seriously.

Radical beliefs in all forms are dangerous. It’s a form of narcissism in the name of something else. Suicide is a selfish act. It is not a benevolent act in the eyes of your God, my God, his God, or the other guys God. it is a selfish act. It’s a cop out.

So, if you are a Muslim struggling with life in Europe or the United States. If you feel that your religious beliefs are incongruent to the decadent ways of those in the west. GO HOME!

Filed Under: Current Events, News, Terrorism Tagged With: , , , , ,

Captain Kent Brian

December 13, 2010 By 3 Comments
Photo on 2010-12-13 at 16.51

My cousin has a House for Sale in Hungary.

Over the course of helping him list it online, I have been getting numerous scams approaching me to help him offload it quickly.  It has been quite funny. So, here is the latest of a number of scams. Since I called the guy out using a real name Captain Glen Parent, this guy is now calling himself Captain Kent Brian. (It sounds suspiciously like a made up name).  Google Captain Kent Brian of NATO forces in South Afghanistan, you will not find one.

For your entertainment: (The grammer is great and “Kent Brian” sounds convincing).

Good day I write back to you concerning what I wish to discuss with you. I implore you to take your time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will go off a long way to determine our future and continued existence. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kent Brian, a member of NATO-ISAF Task Force and Provincial Reconstruction Troops in Southern Afghanistan.Captain Kent Brian has a very confidential opportunity for you

I have a very confidential proposal for you. It was in my search for a secured business listing that I came in contact with you and I wish I can confide in you to get this business completed.

Based on the United States legislative and executive decision of pulling our troop out of here by the End of the year I have decided to contact you for this business opportunity and relationship. I want to inform you that I have in my possession the sum of USD 10.5 million, which I got from crude oil deals in Afghanistan. I deposited this money with a Red Cross Agent informing him that i am making contact for the real owner of the money and it is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for the money.

I want to invest the money in a good business as soon as my service here ends, anyway you will advise me on that since I am not into business. I am solely interested in making a life for my two daughters and therefore I shall require the service of a person who is trustworthy and sincere. I am going to make you the beneficiary of the money and allowing you to invest for my Kids in the event anything happens to me here. I am an America and an intelligent officer, so I have a 100% authentic means of transferring the money through diplomatic courier service. I just need your acceptance and all is done.

Where we are now we can only communicate through our military communication facilities that are secured so nobody can monitor our emails, then I can explain in details to you. I will only reach you through email, because our calls might be monitored, I just have to be sure whom I am dealing with.

I need someone I could deal with on trust, so that is why I contacted you to work with me as the receiving partner in your country. If you accept, I will put you forward as the beneficiary of the funds and transfer the money to you because as a uniformed person I cannot be parading such an amount so I need to present someone as the beneficiary.

I am writing from a fresh email account so if you are not interested do not reply to this email and please delete this message. If you are interested, then let me know so we can proceed as time is very important to me. I wait for your contact details so we can move into action. In less than 5 days, the money should have been in your position and I will come over for my money when my service here expires. I will give to you 30% of the sum and 70% is for me because I know that nothing goes for nothing, I hope I am been fair to you for your assistance as my receiving partner. If you are interested in handling this life changing and promising transaction of mine, please reply me immediately.

Regards
Brian

This is so bad….I am not sure it is even that funny. But, an unsuspecting person could find themselves in trouble.

Filed Under: internet marketing, Internet Public Relations Tagged With: , , , , ,

Update: Testical Squeezing Authority (TSA)

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I got my response from Evan Bayh’s office.  I am not surprised by it. On most issues I have written tohim, I always get a form letter. He did not disappoint here. A good old fashion form letter that does not really say anything other than, “I support security and security is important to our safety.” blah…blah…blah…..

Granted, Mr. Bayh is the outgoing Senator from Indiana and I guess eyeing a run to replace our current Governor here in Indiana.

Dear Mr. Lorinczi:

Thank you for contacting me about improving airport security.  I appreciate your thoughts and concerns on this important issue.

Since, the events of September 11th we must face terrorism and move forward to create a more safe and secure world.  We need to ensure that we protect our communities against every possible threat.  It is extremely important to take steps toward improving the security of our nation’s air transportation system.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (P.L. 107-71) in response to the attacks on September 11th.  The TSA is now under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security.  The TSA is now solely responsible for the security pre-screening of passengers and luggage as well as being responsible for Flight Marshals and other security precautions.

Recently, the TSA has enacted several enhanced passenger screening measures in order to address several new security threats.  These measures include the use of full-body scanning technology as well as updated pat-down methods.  As airport security policy continues to evolve, we must carefully balance the need to ensure passenger safety with the fundamental right to privacy that all Americans are entitled to.

Rest assured that I will continue to follow the matter of airport security closely and will keep your thoughts in mind if legislation is considered in the Senate.

Again, thank you for contacting me.  I hope the information I have provided has been helpful.  My website, http://bayh.senate.gov, can provide additional details about my work in the Senate, including legislation and state projects.  You can also sign up for occasional email updates.  I value your input and hope you will continue to keep me informed of the issues that matter to you.

Office of Senator Evan Bayh

(202) 224-5623

Russell 131

Washington, D.C. 20510

Filed Under: Airline Issues, Airline News, Airline Security, Transportation Security Administration Tagged With: , , , , ,

2022 World Cup

December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

How disappointing it is to hear that we lost the chance to host the World Cup again. I will be the first to admit that the numbers were compelling for the US. Stadiums are already built. FIFA would make the most money here.

What went wrong?

My good friend and Soccer buddy and I spent the week walking through why the US would not get it. While he was walking through his analysis, I was really trying to put my hands over my ears, screaming, “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!”. But alas, he ended up being right and the reasons for not winning could be many.

And, it is not for the reasons that Alexi Lalas declared on ESPN. FIFA is not corrupt, FIFA has a plan to export the game to all corners of the globe.

Let’s walk through a few things. The US should be proud that we changed how World Cups are selected. That’s right, the 1994 World Cup in the United States changed how World Cups were rewarded. Historically, World Cups were rotated between COMNEBOL (South America) and UEFA (Europe) with the exception of Mexico. I am going to say that Mexico is part of COMNEBOL. Their club teams all participate in both Copa Libertadores and Copa Sud Americana.

Before 1994, you could always rely on the games being hosted in those 2 continents. Then, it all changed with USA 1994. UEFA appears to be the only Federation that will host every other World Cup tournament. Here is how it has gone:

  1. USA 1994 – North America – 1st outside S. America or Europe. (I exclude Mexico because they are indirectly tied to S. America)
  2. France 1998 – UEFA
  3. Japan/S. Korea – 2002 – Asia – 1st in Asia
  4. Germany – 2006 – UEFA
  5. South Africa 2010 – 1st in Africa
  6. Brazil 2014 – Brazil CONMEBOL – 1st time in South America since Argentina 1978
  7. Russia 2018 – UEFA – 1st WC in Eastern Europe and emerging Russia
  8. Qatar 2022 – Middle East – technically part of Asia, but first in Middle East

Guess – China 2026

Sorry, Alexi Lalas, I don’t think it was FIFA corruption that Qatar won. It was part of a plan to continue exporting the game to all parts of the globe. The power of the game is beyond 22 players on a field.

Could Football be the mechanism that integrates the Middle East into the rest of the world? Would it allow us to lower the barrier of differences to unite us in what globally everyone loves? Football.

If we look at the decision from this perspective, it kind of makes sense. As much as it hurst to think the economics of a US bid also makes sense, I think the bigger purpose of the World Cup should serve to bring people together too.

What’s next for the US Soccer?

We need to keep developing our game here. Football in the rest of the world reaches the poor populations and helps bring the underprivileged out of poverty. Here in the United States, Soccer is a middle class sport that uses a pay to play system.

Could our reliance on pay to play be one of the reasons we were overlooked? Does FIFA know that kids in the inner city are still overlooked as a potential soccer playing population? Dos US Soccer’s mission fit the mission of FIFA?

Do 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan send the wrong message to the rest of the world? Is a country engaged in ongoing wars counter to FIFA’s mission?

I think if we stand back and really look what happened, we may find the reason we did not get selected was looking at us in the mirror.

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into blogging, social media and search engine optimization. He is also assistant Varsity Soccer Coach at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis.

Filed Under: 2010 World Cup Soccer, Major League Soccer, US National Soccer Team Tagged With: , ,

TSA response from my Congressmen

November 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Not happy that I received a form letter. While I appreciate a response, I find this too vanilla to be a response.

Congress and the President need to listen to guys who run airports: http://pdl.me/clttsa

November 24, 2010

Mr. Paul Lorinczi
The Lorinczi Family
402 Edgemere Dr
Indianapolis, Indiana 46260-4103

Dear Ms. Lorinczi:

Thank you for contacting me to voice your concerns about our nation’s homeland security policy. The opinions and concerns of my fellow Hoosiers are essential to the decision making process as a Member of Congress.

As a former Department of Homeland Security official, I have served on the front line in our nation’s War on Terror. I am a strong supporter of a comprehensive homeland security policy that includes improving our intelligence agencies, enhancing our military capabilities and strengthening our domestic law enforcement agencies.

As your Representative in Congress, I am diligently working to defend our homeland and improve our national security apparatus. To ensure the safety of the United States, I believe it is imperative we put forward and enforce appropriate regulations to resolve longstanding immigration problems we are facing in this country. Furthermore, I strongly support the brave men and women who serve as border agents and protect Americans against drug violence and drug trafficking. Please be assured, I will share your views with my colleagues as the House continues with its legislative agenda during the 111th Congress.

I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue, and I hope you will continue to contact my office on future issues. I encourage you to visit my website at http://carson.house.gov where you can view the latest news and updates about pertinent issues and legislation important to you. You may also sign up for my weekly e-newsletter The Carson Courier and receive periodic updates on my activities in Washington. As always, my staff and I are here to serve you. Please feel free to contact me if we ever can be of further assistance to you.

Sincerely,

André Carson
Member of Congress

Filed Under: Airline Issues, Airline News, Airline Security, Transportation Security Administration

Testical Squeezing Authority – TSA

November 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Testical Squeezing Authority – TSA

Thank you SNL for a great laugh.  I was waiting for someone to put a parody up on the whole TSA buzz.  It appears that Washington is taking notice. There has been some agreement in backing down on some of the more aggressive pat-downs. I still think a complete overhaul and approach to the TSA needs to be examined.

It is not a privilege to fly on airplanes. For some, it is their jobs.

Let’s review a few things:

1. 1 year old-12 year old kids are not terrorist threats – no need for aggressive pat-downs.

2. 60+ old men and women with new body parts from Podunkville USA are not terrorist threats.

Chances are, you are looking for a pissed off young person between the ages of 18-35 who have been convinced that 100 virgins are waiting for them at the end of their mission.

Filed Under: Airline Issues, Airline Security, Transportation Security Administration Tagged With: , , , ,
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