In Economic Vice, Pontiac (Michigan) Struggles - New York Times Video

I had originally posted this and then deleted it a few days ago. I decided it's worth reposting.

This is a sad documentary of the area I live in. The place I call home. I was raised here. I've never lived anywhere else. I almost abandoned my home in search of greener pastures. I cannot leave. I do not want to leave. This is home. It's worth staying. Worth fighting for. Worth saving.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/02/15/business/20090215_pontiac_multimedia/index.html

Please be sure to watch all three parts of the video.

There is hope ... there is always hope. Like the Phoenix, Pontiac and Detroit have risen from the ashes before. We can do it again. We are fighters. We will survive.

Companies are coming from out of state to invest in Michigan, creating thousands of jobs in the process. An estimated three thousand new jobs just from the headlines below:

In the days and weeks to come you will see a lot more posts from me about "Think Michigan First" and "Buy Michigan Now" ...

Shuttin Detroit Down-by John Rich

My Valentine's Day

At the entrance of the Detroit Science Center



Left to Right: JP, LD, Single Son, Me, Alien

So ... today would have been my brother's 41st birthday. A great day for the distraction of a Star Trek field trip.

What a field trip it was. Great distraction, too! This is the first birthday since he passed away I wasn't tearful all day. I definitely have to come up with another distraction next year.

Anyway ...

It was a great exhibition!! If ya'll are Trekkies and in the Detroit area before September 7, 2009 you'd love the exhibition at the Detroit Science Center. Really. 

We got to see a lot of the props used and costumes worn by the actors in the different Trek series. Got to sit on a recreation of the Bridge on the Original Series. Got transported (picture above) and saw a few of the sets from TNG (The Next Generation) and TOS (The Original Series). A neat time-line of space travel ... and lots and lots of the models that were used in the filming of different movies and series. Loads of history from many knowledgable volunteers (Single Son and LD included). Even got to see Jean-Luc Picard's quarters. Thought Alien was gonna borrow a phaser gun and blast my arse when I said I wouldn't mind decorating the house like that. She disowned me when I went crazy in the history room looking at the uniforms and costumes. But I think I finally know how I want my Female Ferengi costume to look. Oh, there was even a Space Flight Simulator. I passed on that one! Too many going around in circles for me. Alien and JP enjoyed it, though.

People were very friendly ... and not just the volunteers. I can't count how many "Live Long and Prosper" signs were thrown at me by total strangers ... yeah ... about like gangs throwing their signs at each other. Lots of Trekkies showed up in uniform. It was hard to tell the volunteers from the patrons. Luckily the volunteers all wore name tags (LD's tag is visible in the photo).

Since Friday Single Son has been at the Science Center *training* for this event. He's been interviewed by four television stations, three or four radio stations and a host of newspapers, as have many of the other volunteers. He'll be volunteering a lot while the Exhibition is here in town. I'm sure I'll tag along.

One of the best Valentine's Days I've had in years and years.

Hope ya'll had a great Valentine's Day!!

Back now to my regularly scheduled homework

Stimulus

Because all economies have performance issues

..

Ten Thoughts ... Wednesday?

1) Test today in Marketing. Went pretty well. Won't know how I did on it for a week, but I'm feeling pretty comfy I didn't do too bad.

2) Married Son needed to borrow my car for a few minutes today. He only had to run to the store, and because it was raining didn't want to take Grandson with him. Grandson didn't want to stay with me, until he found out I had an unopened can of Pringle's. Needless to say I couldn't get rid of him after that. Kid happy, until the Pringle's were gone!! Meijer's has them 5 for $5, looks like I'll be running up to the store tomorrow after school to stock up on bribes!

3) Woo Hoo ... Saturday is almost here!! Saturday is the day the Star Trek Exhibit opens at the Detroit Science Center. They're having a *uniformed* members only preview on Friday. Drats!! Still no official uniform so I can't go.

4) Probably a good thing I can't go on Friday, this way I can devote the day to the take-home Accounting exam that needs attention.

5) Tomorrow is Stress Management. Gym day. Ya, gym day. Haven't had one of those since elementary school. I almost feel like a kid again, too. I can finally wear the shoes I bought last week! No, they still don't allow *street shoes* on the gymnasium floor so I have to carry my shoes in a shoe bag and put them on right before gym. Remember shoe bags?

6) FInally got around to ordering my checks for my new checking account. Check 'em out! Are those not me to a tee? I showed them to Alien, she thinks that the green one was designed with me in mind!

7) Speaking of Alien. I see on her myspace that she's *engaged*. When I asked her about it the other day she said she only puts *engaged* so that guys leave her alone. Riiiiiiiiiiight, and I believe that? NOT! Not the way she and her new beau act towards each other. Although I have to admit, he seems to be a nice guy. That he's 13 years older than she, I have a problem with.

8) Did I mention I'm geeked about the upcoming Star Trek Exhibit? I'll be driving Downtown with Alien and her whatever-he-is. Figure I'll try to get to know this guy better in a public environment ... and if the transporter happen to work ... I can beam his ass outta here until she's 18!

9) I am so taking a bath later. I need to relax! Cherry blossom scented body wash here I come. Thanks again Amy!! Would it sound really weird to say  that I now think of you whenever I bathe? Ya ... that sounds wrong on so many levels!!

10) Damn. I was just about to put a load of laundry in. Now I have to wait ... someone (DIL?) just jumped in the shower. We have one of those safety valve things on the plumbing (per building code regulations) but it works for crap. We lose water pressure if more than one thing is using water at a time (washer, dishwasher, sink, toilet, etc). Had we left the original plumbing alone (not bringing it up to code) we could shower, flush and do laundry at the same time without effecting the water pressure or temperature. Sometimes it's best to just leave stuff alone. Don't tell the Code Cops that, though.

Speed Bump

Just Friday Stuff ....

Got a package from Amy in the mail yesterday ... cherry blossom body wash. Yummy ... I just had to take a nice long shower last night so I could try it out!! It smells absolutely delish!! Thanks again Amy!! Oh yeah, I hid it too, don't want DIL helping herself to my smell-good stuff! Yeah, I'm getting greedy like that!! LOL!

Let's see ... what else?

Finally got fed up with my bank. See, I get $198 every two weeks for child support. Bubba has the money automatically taken from his paychecks and it's direct deposited to FOC (Friend of the Court) who in turn direct deposits into my bank account. Sounds simple right? Then explain to me why my $198 deposit last week was $111.09 followed by a $65.91 deposit five days later. You do the math, they still screwed me out of $22!! I call the bank, it never fails they blame FOC ... yet FOC has proven time and again THEY are not the ones messing up. So ... screw that bank. I opened a new account today at the credit union. I won't close that pain in the butt account until Alien is 18 and child support ends. Only because to make a change with FOC for direct deposit takes 6 months on average, I'm told. Not worth it when Alien turns 18 in October.

School's going good. Lots of reading, but not much written homework. Yay!! I've been keeping a stress journal for stress management class. Funny that looking for stressful events really causes MORE stress. Ya'll know how much stress is in my life, but most of it I just shrug off and laugh about. Don't really consider it stress, or I didn't until we had to start keeping stress journals. I'm having fun with this journal, though ... Coach said to get creative as we wanted ... so ... being me and knowing how much I love Star Trek it's a sort of *Communications Officer's Log* (since I'm not a Captain and can't do a Captain's Log). Even using a Star Trek font and plenty of outer space art to decorate it with.

Speaking of Star Trek ... the Star Trek Exhibition opens on Valentine's Day. We're all heading down to the Detroit Science Center to experience it. I won't be a hostess, only because I still don't have a uniform (or my Ferengi make up kit). Doesn't mean we can't enjoy it though. I'll hopefully be able to get a lot of pics to share. Bet ya'll are just looking forward to that. Hehe.

Got a gift card in the mail today from my insurance company. Yeah ... they reward their clients with gift cards when we keep important appointments - like the annual diabetic eye check. So ... a ten dollar gift card just for me. Took it right to the store to buy a new pair of walking shoes that I need for gym days for stress class ... and since I've been walking again anyway - why not invest in a good pair of walking shoes? The store had them on sale to boot ... hehe ... so with the store discount and the gift card my new L A Gear walking shoes ended up costing me less than twenty bucks (with sales tax).

Getting closer to opening *Elsie's Attic*. I have an appointment next Friday with the Business Association here in the county. They're going to help me walk through the final permits and forms I need to fill out to make the store nice and legal. Yes, in this county even a small internet business needs permits (like a vendor's license). It's really looking that by March 1st I'll be telling ya'll I'm open for business!!

I'm geeked.

Nothing else going on around here ... it's been quiet the last few days with the kiddies. Married Son works all night, sleeps all day ... DIL works or hangs out in her room on MySpace ... Grandson is fine ... Single Son does what Single Son does (he's a very private person so a lot of the time I don't know what he's up to) ... and I only hear from Alien about once a week or so.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.