Our State of Dis-Union

It’s a big night for Bush and he needs to find his inner “thousand points of light” to come through it. This is an unlikely feat but I enjoy watching the underdog. With his approval ratings sagging to 36% and his new troop surge into Iraq not picking up much enthusiasm as hoped for, the president’s new strategy is not too hard to guess. Instead of focusing on his coined “axis of evil” from years past, he will try and score points with the environment and immigration. Both of these issues were good plays with the public in his first years on board with the nation and he can gain more ground offering solutions here than anything that he could add with the Iraq debacle. I remember watching him during the debates or one of his first televised speeches before Congress when he declared something needed to be done about America’s dependency on oil. Odds are he will pull out that phrase again tonight along with some other gems from his first campaign. Bush will spend time on Iraq but at this point he is putting it on the Democrats to quit complaining and find a way to make things work over there. I was impressed with Hillary Clinton on the Today Show this morning who confirmed this willingness to start making headway here. She was of course pandering a little since her 2008 opponent John Edwards has been giving her grief in Iowa.

On to Michigan!


Our State of the State address isn’t till February 6th but Grandholm has a big budget deficit to explain. Unless you are out on a skiff in the middle of Lake Superior or live in a tepee in the great north woods, odds are you heard about the $800 million dollar shortfall in the state’s budget. Earlier projections said we could have a $375million shortfall so Grandholm is going to have to account for that extra $400 million by doing cuts, big ones, to local services and schools and then increase taxes. If the tax receipts are $570 million below projection people must be literally running out of the mitten. Whatever our governor has cooking downtown right now better be good. It’s going to take a lot to turn around this one way train to discontent.

One question I stupidly pose, if not rhetorically is how this does happen in an election year? They could only get away with this over sight in an election year. No one is shocked that Michigan has problems, but $400 million of unaccounted for problems is a fine example of what happens when a poor economy meets and inefficient state government.

In my area of the biz, I’ve talked with school districts about dealing with the school aid cut of up to $220 per student. About half the schools in the state are going to go into deficit as a result since budgets are already tight. I’ve heard some ideas like “pay to play” sports programs or cut tutoring programs. In other areas in trouble: prisons are to release non-violent criminals early on tethers, cuts in police and fire protection, trash pick up, road repairs, and many other services. The list goes on.


Hope this didn't get you too down, fellow Michiganders. Much like the weather here, this too will pass...hopefuly sooner than later. As the Monty Python always says, "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." Believe it or not it could be worse. Cheer up ya old buggers!

If You Can Read This You Do Not Need a New Monitor

It is the end of days....

I just spent hours on the phone with tech support in India to verify that my screen has burned out. Unfortunately the powers that be won’t just take my word for it and ran me through various troubleshoot exercises in between half an hour breaks of holding so that I could enjoy some easy listening music. I since have attached an external monitor so that I am able to check in and blow off some steam.

To add a twist of irony, the main printer is jammed up and awaiting repair while the office manager cleverly spilled his latte down the motherboard while figuring out how to plug in a new speaker in his computer. The lights also went out momentarily because of something to do with the weather. Brilliant. Now people are rushing around trying to answer this single question posed to themselves, How can I cope with this? In the financial world, where I live, this series of set backs is an equivalent to the arrival of the four horsemen of the appocalpse. My boss is in his office pouting, the secretary is telling stories from the old days of non-dependency on technology and our office manager is curled up under his desk in the fetal position wishing today never happened.

I am reminded of the Terminator movies where the machines rise up against humans. For what small problems we have going on in this office today and the attitude around here, you would think that the next time you walk by the fax machine it might in fact try to eat you.

For now, all we can do is cling to hope and wait on DJ our techie who is our lone guardian on the frontier of the machine up rising.

Back from Hiatus

A hiatus isn't just for tv shows like Lost and Battlestar Gallactica and really smart professors.....shut up! Battlestar Gallactica is a good show! Watch it before you judge!

After watching the president's address last night, I decided that I too should check in with the people of the world, however I usually try to say something of substance if I say anything, else I'm wasting your time. As for George, nothing he said was surprising. I think it was a necessary speech to make to the public since we have only heard sound bites on CNN or the Daily Show (wherever you get your news) and the addition of 20,000 more troops in Iraq will be good though overdue. He at least left me with the impression that he is trying opposed to outright indifference which I wondered about at times. There is still the issue of how to get Iraq to stand on it's own and at what point does the US determine Iraq a lost cause and just pull out. As they say, only time will tell. As much as I am frustrated with this mess, I do have to give George props for telling leadership that if they want to come forward and oppose him, then they should offer their opinion of what should be done. It's easy to complain but to offer a clear strategy has yet to be done by the other side of the aisle. State of the Union here we come!

After finishing the year off on a low note...back injury, car issues, work craziness...etc. I learned a lesson. There is no such thing as karma. It seems we only think of karma only when plagued with bad luck. I was on a slippery slope and as much as I believed things would turn around, I couldn't right myself with the universe no matter what I threw over my shoulder or how many random acts of kindness I performed. Don't get me wrong, I still think what goes around comes around and eventually we all pay the piper, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, but I also can say with certainty that that old t-shirt slogan is right. Sometimes shit just happens. Sorry to swear, but is there a better way of putting it?

Well, I am no longer hanging out in my mechanic's garage talking about Rolling Stone albums as we wait for car parts to arrive or laying in bed under heavy medicatation (though that wasn't all bad!). I am back on my feet. Haven't been able to pull out my tap shoes or run a few miles yet but well enough to celebrate Christams and the New Year. (That's me getting picked on on the right, a family tradition.) As you can tell we are a very jolly bunch.

My brother-in-law was missed. He is in Iraq still, We haven't been given a come home date yet, but my sister said that it is looking like the beginning of February. This picture was taken last September while he was out on a patrol. I found it the other day and it affects me a little differently now that Saddam is dead. History has happened. Be safe, Chris.

All for now. I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a year of change. Seems like everyone has something in the works. I for example have gotten on My Space...okay not a major thing or a good example but things are happening people. I will keep you posted. Until then, keep trucking.