Hot Diggity Dog! – Bruce Kraig, Author of Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America – Whether you call them franks, wieners, or red hots, hot dogs are an ...
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Michigan Law School Innocence Clinic Helps to Free Man Imprisoned for 27 Years
David Lee Gavitt spent half of his life in prison wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife and two children who died in a house fire in Ionia, Mi. in 1985. After 27 years behind bars he was exonerated and freed earlier this month, thanks to the University of Michigan Law School’s Innocence Clinic. Clinic co-director David Moran estimates that 3% of all prisoners are innocent of the crimes for which they are convicted. That would represent about a thousand prisoners in Michigan. In an interview on 1290 WLBY, Moran said the first place Gavitt asked to go after his release was to the cemetery where his family is buried.
Ann Arbor Does It Up Different: Without Adverbs
Before a nationwide campaign is launched promoting the Ann Arbor region, some are suggesting that it be corrected for grammatical errors. The Pure Michigan promotion touts the slogan, “Ann Arbor Does It Up Different.” The Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has been using a variation of that slogan, using the word “different” rather than “differently”, on its website, as well. Even the University of Michigan posts “Drive Safe” on game scoreboards.
Ann Arbor isn’t the only place doing things differently when it comes to the English language. The adverb seems to be disappearing, along with proper punctuation, and handwriting. Dr. Anne Curzan, a University of Michigan associate professor of English and director of the UM English Writing Program, appeared on The Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider on 1290 WLBY and said such language may not be wrong, but rather just a sign of the times.

Health Care for Everyone
In less than 5 months, on October 1st, the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges will go live online. A key provision is the expansion of Medicaid. Michigan has been offered $2 billion a year for 2 years to expand Medicaid to as many as 400,000 additional people. The Governor supports this expansion, while the legislature says “no”. In fact, the Republicans in the state instead are supporting a bill to limit Medicaid benefits to 4 years if a person can be gainfully employed. More than half of the states are on track to sit out the law’s Medicaid expansion goal, at least initially. This means that millions of low income people won’t have access to health insurance through Medicaid as the law anticipated. Is this the “Right Thing to do?” Should the states refuse to expand Medicaid? Let’s look at some issues:
GMOs: Feeding the World
Last year we experienced a drought that caused concerns about food prices and availability of key crops in the U.S.–especially corn, wheat, and soybeans. The problem was acerbated by the amount of corn mandated to be used to produce ethanol. A spokesperson for the UN pleaded with the U.S. government to have a waiver of the ethanol mandate to provide more corn at lower prices to help feed the hungry around the world. This year we have the concern of a cold and very wet spring that has significantly delayed planting in key agricultural areas in the U.S.—again raising concerns about our nation’s agricultural production and prices. However, there may be other ways to help feed the hungry around the world as well as keeping food prices at a reasonable level—Genetically Modified Foods or GMOs.

Cut the Salt, But Not Too Much?
A new report from the Institute of Medicine challenges the latest recommendations on just how much salt we should cut from our diets. The report summarized recent studies that examine links between sodium consumption and health outcomes. Studies support recommendation to lower sodium intake from the high levels some Americans consume now (avg. intake 3,400 mg/day or 1 ½ tsp.) but evidence from these studies does not support reduction in sodium intake below 2,300mg (about 1 tsp.) per day.
Get Your Grill On
We are just a week away from Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to the summer grilling season. Venture out of your comfort zone and add some new flavors to your backyard feasts. Here are a few tips from the McCormick® Spices Flavor Forecast* to break you out of the same old bland “burger and dog” routine.










