www.larrybliss.com

Midwest Tour

2008-06-26T14:11:00.002-04:00

Ryan and I are on day 5 of our vacation...The past two days we have been in Chicago. We started on Saturday at Robbie and Stephs wedding in Detroit.

From there we attended my Grandmas Family Reunion in Cleavland and spent the evening with Brianna.

we then drove to Kentucky to spend a few days with Jason....and now are about to leave Chicago to go camping in the U.P. of michigan

True Colors

2008-06-11T21:23:00.002-04:00

At the True Colors concert at Pine Knob near Detroit.

All the best of GLBT music including B52s and Rosie! Check out more info about the True Colors Tour at the True Colors Website

Bands Performing:

Cyndi Lauper

Carson Kressley

The B-52s

Rosie O'Donnell

Tegan & Sara

The Cliks

The White Tie Affair

Update on Libertarian Politics...

2008-05-25T19:00:00.002-04:00

So for some unknown reason, I decided to watch the Libertarian Convention again today live on CSPAN. Turns out, Mike Gravel did not make it past the fourth round of the nomination process...

I really only liked Gravel, so I guess I will not be switching parties anytime soon! But there is some good news in the Libertarian contest for the Democratic party - The Libertarian Presidential candidate is Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman. This is great news for the Democrats as there will be some Republicans who would rather vote for Barr than vote for McCain.

2008 is time for a change - A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT!!!!

Gravel 2008

2008-05-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

I have been watching the Libertarian Presidential Debate and I am really liking what Mike Gravel has to say! I liked him earlier in this political season when he was running for the Democratic Nomination and I really believe he would be a good President.

The more I know about the Libertarian Party, the more I think I like them. I know Ron Paul is (was) a Libertarian (and I think he is a little on the crazy side!) but the party itself seems to be a good choice. They are pro - GLBT rights, at least mostly (they feel government should not regulate our personal lives), Pro-choice, Pro Legalization of drugs, and against the war!

Libertarian = the perfect choice.

http://www.gravel2008.us/

Be My Neighber Day

2008-04-20T00:13:00.002-04:00

in mp...after a day volunteering at Be My Neighbor Day with the CMU Volunteer Alumni Chapter...we are drinking it up at the cabin!

Affrimations Big Bash

2008-04-04T20:51:00.002-04:00

Last weekend Ryan and I attended the Affirmations "Big Bash." Affirmations is the Detroit area GLBT community center/organization that most people have walked past in Downtown Ferndale.

Ryan and I were invited by one of ryan's contacts from higher ed...It was a really enjoyable evening. We went out to buy new suits the week before so we could look our best! Unfortunately, we forgot to take any pictures!

The event was $175 a person, so I was expecting a nice meal. We had stir-fry tofu and it was yummy! The event was held at the brand new "MGM Grand Detroit." The hotel/casino is very nice and I hope we have a chance to go back! I really want to eat at some of the nice restaurants (Wolfgang Puck...etc.)

Fun times!

Criminals Are Made...Not Born

2008-03-12T09:49:00.001-04:00

So...I was googling pizza delivery in my town and came across this. As many of you know, our backyard was the site of the worst school bombing in US history. This guy made a short movie about it after the Virgina Tech school murder. Crazy stuff...

If you want to read more about the history behind this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

Tax Assessor

2008-03-11T19:46:00.003-04:00

Today, Ryan and I made our case to the Bath Township Board of Review to fight our 2008 tax assessment. As you know, we purchased our home in August of 2007 and were not expecting our taxes to go up too much.

The great powers that be in Bath township decided that our house is now worth $30,000 more than we bought it for! This is not possible because the entire Michigan housing market has crashed (even worse than it was when we bought the house) and clearly property values are going down...not up!

We will have a response within 10 days. I hope they see our point and lower the State Equalized Value for our house! I will keep you updated!

Great Visit with Old Friends

2008-03-09T17:48:00.002-04:00

Last night, we went to Detroit to visit some good friends...

We were joined by Alanna, Monica, Kevin, Tim, Julie and Matt. We had dinner at the Black Lotus in Clawson with some follow up drinks at Buffalo Wild Wings in Ferndale. We got to see Brooke (Julie and Matt's baby) before dinner. She is just so darn cute! Ryan enjoyed holding her and giving her little kisses!

I wish Julie and Matt lived in the great state of Michigan! Ry and I need to go visit them in Colorado. We also should see more of Tim and Alanna and Kevin and Monica...all fun peeps!

No updates for me

2008-02-29T19:35:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I have not updated my blog in awhile! I have been busy with work and class and have not had much time to keep everyone updated on my life!

My Marketing class is a lot of fun, but it meets every monday night and I don't get home to very late. I am getting tired of that!

More updates soon...

Presidential Debate...

2008-01-31T21:13:00.000-05:00

I must say, this debate between Obama and Clinton tonight is going very well! Clinton was asked about the decades of Bush and Clinton's rule (Bush #1, Billy, Bush #2, and now Hill) and she had a great comeback:

Took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush, and it will take a Clinton to clean up after the second one.

I love both Obama and Clinton!!!

I am really hoping for a Clinton/Obama ticket come November!

Goodbye Mayor!!!!

2008-01-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

Considering I have not lived in the Detroit Metro Region for over 13 years, it is somewhat suprising that I still keep up Detroit political happenings.

As many of you may know, the Mayor of Detroit has been under a lot of scrutiny lately. It appears that he might be facing criminal perjury charges in the next few days.

Good luck Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and I hope your resignation goes well ;)

more info: http://news.yahoo.com/s/wdiv/20080125/lo_wdiv/15124272

Mating Frogs!!!

2008-01-18T18:44:00.001-05:00

As you can see, our African Clawed Frogs have started mating. The pigmented male has wrapped his hands around the albino female. This is the first time in the 4 or 5 years we have had them that I witnessed anything like it!

From what I read about ACFs, the male will "squeeze" the female until her eggs are released. Most likely, they will not become tadpoles. They tend to be eaten before they can form.

I will be on the lookout for them!

To be a Republican you need to believe:

2008-01-16T00:41:00.000-05:00

Sorry If I posted this before...but Julie sent this over and I just love it sooo much!

1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's Daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMO's and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet .

13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

15. Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)

16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest,but what Bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.

17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican

Primary Day

2008-01-15T10:37:00.001-05:00

Primary Day is here...I just left the polling place and my decision was pretty hard.

I could not go against the dems and ask for a republican ballot...so UNCOMMITED all the way!

More on Michigan Primary...

2008-01-15T00:40:00.000-05:00

More on Michigan's Primary....

2008-01-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

If you a super-liberal, you are probably familiar with the Daily Kos. As the MI primary is getting closer, more and more people are discussing what action to take. Kos is suggesting that Michigan Democrats vote in the Republican Primary to help secure Mitt Rommney as the republican candidate.

I complete agree that as michigan democrats, we should seriously consider voting in the GOP primary. But I don't know if I agree about voting for Rommney. Kos feels that Mitt Rommney will be the easiest candidate to beat come November. His basis for this is his religion (Mormon...) and that it will not sit well with the Republican evangelicals.

I am relly starting to think that Ron Paul might get my vote in the Primary...

check out the Daily Kos blog HERE

Too Bad He Doesn't Have A Chance!

2008-01-08T00:22:00.000-05:00

Ultimate 2008 Presidential Candidate Matcher Your Result: Dennis Kucinich The top priority of Dennis Kucinich is to end the war in Iraq. Kucinich also favors a repeal of the Patriot Act, would fund stem cell research, and create a universal healthcare program. He is liberal on social issues, and favors eliminating Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. Kucinich is also concerned about global warming.
Barack Obama
John Edwards
Hillary Clinton
Rudy Guiliani
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Ultimate 2008 Presidential Candidate Matcher Take More Quizzes

So I know many of my friends are sick of me talking about the Michigan Presidential Primary...but I have to vent some more!

As you know, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, Mike Gravel, and Dennis Kucinich are the only candidates that will be listed on our Michigan Primary next week. Obama, Richardson, and Edwards all removed themselves from the ballot.

That leaves a Michigan Democrat like myself very confused! I have a few options:

1. Vote Uncommitted - This is what the Michigan Democratic Party is recommending. Essentially I would be saying I want to vote "None of the Above" (Flash back to "Brewster's Millions!) and if more than 15% of the votes are for uncommitted, then the Michigan delegates will vote for whoever they wish.

2. Write-in - Write In is not an option anymore because Michigan Law requires write-in candidates to be pre-approved with state election officials - which none of the candidates have done.

3. Vote in the Republican Primary - This might be a good option. I really do not want to see Mitt Rommney win the republican nomination. I could vote for Rudy or McCain (or even Ron Paul!) This way my vote will at least be used for something.

The national democratic party has said that Michigan delegates will not be seated at the convention anyway. That means even if Clinton wins michigan, it will not count!

I just don't know what to do!!! I guess it really does not matter. I will support ANY democratic candidate for President in '08!

Happy voting Michigan

Man using GPS drives into path of train in N.Y. suburb

2008-01-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press reported earlier today about a man in a rental car who was using the built in GPS device...

The unit told him to turn right - so he followed directions and ended up on a train track. His car got stuck on the track and he realized a train was heading straight into him. Luckily, he got out of the car in time before his car was destroyed.

How stupid can this man be? How could you trust a GPS device over your own two eyes? He could have looked up to see that there was no road...just a couple of train tracks.

I really wish we had a built in GPS system in our car. I know they make the portable units, but I really want one built right into the dashboard! Do any of you have a GPS device??? How often do you use it?

My nephew found a METEORITE

2007-12-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

The above picture is of my nephew Jason...What is really strange is this is from the Lansing State Journal...

I didn't even know he lived in Michigan!!! (let alone the greater lansing area...We thought he lived in Texas!)Isn't he just a little dork!

Published December 21, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]

U-M professors skeptical of man's claim he found meteorite
Planetarium wing is devoted to 'meteorwrongs'

Kristofer Karol
Special to the State Journal

OCEOLA TWP. - An Oceola Township man hopes a tiny rock will become a big find.

Jason Bliss has found what he believes to be a meteorite in the backyard of the home belonging to his fiancé's parents.

"From a geologist's aspect, this is like better than finding gold, truthfully, because it's so rare to find on Earth," said Bliss, 22.
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Bliss, who plans to pursue a degree in geology, said he found the magnetic fist-sized black rock sitting outside a firepit in August. He took it to the Livingston Gem & Mineral Society, which said it wasn't a meteorite but, undeterred, Bliss contacted professors at Alma College and the University of Michigan to discuss it.

Bliss, who, based on the rock's darkness, believes it came from the moon or Mars, had a meeting with a U-M professor to show him the rock.

"They (U-M professors) said it's most likely not a meteorite and that they had never seen anything like it before," Bliss said Wednesday afternoon.

"They're still going to run some more (tests) because they have no idea what it is."

Bliss believes the rock fell to Earth 5,200 to 5,300 years ago.

However, Matthew Linke, planetarium director at U-M's Natural History Museum, is skeptical of Bliss' find.

"I get a dozen phone calls a year on objects like this, and in my 17 years, only one has been proven to be a meteorite," Linke said. "So, the odds are not very good of it being a meteorite."

Linke said many objects believed to be meteorites are, in fact, either rocks left behind from glaciers or objects that have been burned or smelted together. There's actually a wing at the planetarium devoted to "meteorwrongs."

The fact that the rock was found at a firepit probably means it isn't a meteorite, Linke noted, adding the last meteorite fall in the state was in 1997.

Bliss acknowledges the find would be quite rare. He said there have only been 10 confirmed meteorites in the state in the past 200 years. But based on the pockmarks and streaks in his rock, he has faith that what he found could, in fact, be the real deal.

"The professors," Bliss said, "it boggles their minds on what the inside looks like because they've never seen it before."

My SVSU Semester is done!!!

2007-12-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

(and only three more to go!!!)

Last week was finals @ SVSU. I actually did not have to take a final exam in either of my classes. But I did have projects and/or papers due.

I was in an Entrepreneur class and a marketing management class. Both classes were kind of fun. In Entrepreneurship, I was on a team with a Chinese student and a Taiwanese student. They turned out to be good teammates. We had to write a full business plan. We decided to start a chain of traditional chinese tea houses (as you can imagine...not my idea!) - But it turned out to be a good business plan!

In my marketing management class, we spent the entire sememster doing a simulation called markstrat. It was fun! It was a contest between the 40 people in my class. We had to launch different brands to compete in different market segments. My team ended up in 1st place (as based on our stock price index...)

Fun times! I am glad the semester is over and the holidays are finally here!

Happy holidays all!!!

Mega 80's

2007-12-07T22:53:00.000-05:00

We are at the mega 80'S concert in EL...love the music!

Country Music

2007-11-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not...I am at a country-western concert right now. We just heared Rodney Atkins and Brad Peasley is about to go on...

We are with Melissa and Adam in GR...

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-23T09:16:00.000-04:00

First off, Jocelyn is not a murderer!!! Everything else is true...Thanks Ryan for putting this together (and Adam, Melissa, Michelle, and Jocelyn for your contributions!)

Jenny and Brian's Wedding

2007-10-09T21:57:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, I had the privilege to attend the wedding of Jenny Weisman and Brian Boyles. Jenn is one of my oldest friends and it was awesome to see her get married off to such a great guy!

Congrats again Jenn and Brian! To see more pictures, check out www.larryandryan.com