More insider stuff out of the business conference on Mackinac Island.

   It was a classic example of monkey see, monkey do involving Mike Cox and Pete Hoekstra.

   At the quasi-debate between these two and three other would-be governors, it turned out that Attorney General Cox stood at one end and Congressman Pete Hoekstra at the other. Each stood behind a podium and Cox went first with his opening comments.

   During Hoekstra's turn, he neatly moved from behind his podium to walk toward the audience. It was a nice touch that drew the audience's immediate attention and set him apart from all the other candidates.

    Although you couldn't read Cox's mind, you could tell he was saying to himself, "Darn it.  I wish I had done that first."

    Turns out he did it the next time he had a chance.

    Score it Hoekstra 1 and Cox nothing on one-ups-manship.

    Each year at the Detroit Chamber event the issue of regional transportation comes up and when everyone leaves, nothing is done.

    Perhaps the captains of industry should shift their focus to mass transit on the island.

    A group of 15 type-A high achievers were left cooling their heels in front of the Mission Point resort while they waited for a "taxi" to arrive to haul them to the Grand Hotel.

    They were assured the horse and buggy would show up at 8:15 a.m. which came and went.  8:30 still no clip clop. Ditto for 8:45 and finally at 8:50 the ride arrived.

    There were no apologies from the driver or the horse, which may have resulted in smaller tips from the impatient trolls who live below the bridge.

     Multi-millionaire T. Boone Pickens charmed the conference with his aw-shucks bromides about how to save America from the dangers of foreign oil.  But the topic turned to the bankruptcy of General Motors afterwards and he opined that he knew it was coming a year ago and that he liked change.

    Easy for him to say, he lives in Texas were the "change" won't have a pea-picking impact on Mr. Pickens.

---

Wanna slim down for summer? Go to America Takes it Off to learn how.