So while I wait for someone to give me a job I have taken to other ways to make money. As you can see, my page now has google links on the right. The top one is an ad, that when clicked, apparently makes me money (click as many times as you want and repeat please). The other one is a google search and I'm not sure how it makes me money but I hope it does.
This economy is brutal. I'm really hopeful for the studios in Michigan though. I am hoping and praying that I can land a job there. The few studios that are open are hiring thousands of people and I can't imagine there are thousands of filmmakers like myself ready and willing and eagerly waiting for a chance to move to Detroit. I suppose if I had to choose my top cities to work/live in Michigan it would be Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit (the city not Metro-Det), Grand Rapids and St. Clair. Lansing would be number 1 because I still have a few friends there and I love the city and I could still try and do some work for the state legislature, plus nothing beats getting up and fishing on Lake Lansing.
President Obama's speech last night was pretty solid. I think a lot of people are expecting him to make miracles and I think he is trying to make that happen. I'm not sure that everything will work, but the fact that he is already trying this hard after just a month in office, when Bush was there for the whole downfall and a year of the depression and didn't do anything, makes me glad that we have an intelligent President. I hope something gets the economy going because I know a stimulus package isn't going to work unless it's a large sum of money in the form of a voucher which has to be spent.
Anyways, I didn't really have anything to say except that you should all click on the ad every time you visit my site because nothing in the world should be free except Pistons tickets (because they're so bad not because they're so wonderful) and ice cream. Go big.
-m, p, z & shredder
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Trying To Weasel In...
As many of you know, there are 3 new studios opening up in Michigan. Huge studios. Hollywood backed studios that are not only bringing jobs to Michigan, but bring my dream scenario - a film production job in the place I want to live. The only problem is that they're not quite up and running yet. I have been calling and emailing and doing everything I can to get in touch with someone who can give me any solid information. But there is nothing. They don't have a timetable of when they will start hiring, they don't know who will be doing the hiring and they don't know what they will be hiring for.
I think I've done all I can. I have submitted my resume (twice) and spoken with the only "higher-up" I've been able to get ahold of and then re-submitted my resume to her. But there is no working website yet and from what I gather by my repeated phone calls so far it is only an old lady who answers the phone and a slightly younger lady who is "in charge" of hiring. So when I spoke to this lady "in charge" the only thing she could tell me was that she really didn't know anything and they were sending all the resumes they get out to LA where someone over there is going over them. They don't even have an address where I can pop in and drop off a hard copy.
So my question is how do I weasel my way in? I don't want to wait until they post a thousand jobs online because I know how that story ends and I don't win. I want to get in on the ground level, get hired before they do a mass hire and get a head start on everyone else. I feel like if it is this early on, maybe I could even get in on the action before and help with the startup but I don't know how. Any suggestions? My next move is to find out what company in LA is doing the hiring and get ahold of them somehow, but again, I'm not sure how to do this. Anyone have any tips on stalking a company?
-M, p, z & shredder
I think I've done all I can. I have submitted my resume (twice) and spoken with the only "higher-up" I've been able to get ahold of and then re-submitted my resume to her. But there is no working website yet and from what I gather by my repeated phone calls so far it is only an old lady who answers the phone and a slightly younger lady who is "in charge" of hiring. So when I spoke to this lady "in charge" the only thing she could tell me was that she really didn't know anything and they were sending all the resumes they get out to LA where someone over there is going over them. They don't even have an address where I can pop in and drop off a hard copy.
So my question is how do I weasel my way in? I don't want to wait until they post a thousand jobs online because I know how that story ends and I don't win. I want to get in on the ground level, get hired before they do a mass hire and get a head start on everyone else. I feel like if it is this early on, maybe I could even get in on the action before and help with the startup but I don't know how. Any suggestions? My next move is to find out what company in LA is doing the hiring and get ahold of them somehow, but again, I'm not sure how to do this. Anyone have any tips on stalking a company?
-M, p, z & shredder
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Eating The Cake...
As I think back to my time in LA, I have no doubt that I would be doing what I want to career wise right now. Trying to land a salary job in the film industry isn't easy but I had gotten lucky. I wonder sometimes what would have happened had I stayed. I had already worked a couple of things and was set to work a couple more when I decided to leave LA. Then on the day I was literally driving out of the state, some guy from HBO called me to work as a PA on a new show called the Life and Times of Tim. I told him I was moving but thanks very much for the offer. That show recently got picked up for a second season and while I know leaving LA was the right decision because I couldn't stand the city, I wish I hadn't used up all my luck out there.
I have been back here in NYC for almost 6 months now and have yet to set foot back on any set. I have even applied to be a free intern in a production office. Some of it is the economy, some of it is the competition and some of it is the fact that there just aren't as many jobs for film out here as there are in LA.
There is news that Michigan is going to get three new huge hollywood backed studios. They each have different specialties and they will be hiring a lot of new people. I have already submitted my resume (twice) and tried to get ahold of someone in charge a few times but the secretary is not easily fooled by my Jedi-mind-tricks. But if I were to get a job there, it would be having my cake and eating it too, which is really what we all want. I suppose the cake would be a job in film and eating it would be living in Michigan. I had my cake in LA, but really if you can't eat it, what's the point? If someone here in NYC offers me cake, I'll pour myself some milk and choke it down, but nothing would taste as sweet as getting an offer in Michigan.
So I'm hoping something works out soon or I'll most likely be looking for a new cake and possibly a new place to eat it too. Go big...
-M, p, z & shredder
I have been back here in NYC for almost 6 months now and have yet to set foot back on any set. I have even applied to be a free intern in a production office. Some of it is the economy, some of it is the competition and some of it is the fact that there just aren't as many jobs for film out here as there are in LA.
There is news that Michigan is going to get three new huge hollywood backed studios. They each have different specialties and they will be hiring a lot of new people. I have already submitted my resume (twice) and tried to get ahold of someone in charge a few times but the secretary is not easily fooled by my Jedi-mind-tricks. But if I were to get a job there, it would be having my cake and eating it too, which is really what we all want. I suppose the cake would be a job in film and eating it would be living in Michigan. I had my cake in LA, but really if you can't eat it, what's the point? If someone here in NYC offers me cake, I'll pour myself some milk and choke it down, but nothing would taste as sweet as getting an offer in Michigan.
So I'm hoping something works out soon or I'll most likely be looking for a new cake and possibly a new place to eat it too. Go big...
-M, p, z & shredder
Saturday, February 14, 2009
On Failing...
I'm finding it hard to sleep right now so I thought I would lay down what's keeping me up. I'm usually pretty good at falling asleep when I'm restless. I've got a pretty vivid imagination and I usually let a story play out in my mind of something crazy like if I were a professional skateboarder - and the next thing I know, it's morning and I just won gold at the X-Games. But tonight it's my thoughts that are keeping me up.
Looking back at my life, I may have peaked at 8.
When I was 7, I was king. I had the world in my hand and could do whatever I wanted. I had it all, good grades, lots of friends, was a trouble maker but still adored by teachers, got along with everyone and a girl even kissed me square on the mouth. I was seriously King. Well, in second grade we had these multiplication challenges. The goal was to see how high you could get on your multiplication tables. It started out with the 2's so the test had pretty simple questions like 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 and it went up to multiples of 12. So every week we had a short two minute quiz, and during this time there were probably 6 or 8 questions and you had to get a certain number right to pass. Well every time you passed you got a sticker on your desk. So after you passed the first test you got a sticker on your desk with the number 2 on it. These stickers were no joke either. They must have been almost 2 inches in diameter. So the next week, assuming you passed, you get tested on your 3's (3 x 4 etc.) and so on. Well once you got past your 12's they got a littler bit harder. After that you had to learn up to the number you were testing for, for example if you were on your 13's you would need to know 13 x 1 through 13 x 13. If you were on your 15's you would need to know up to 15 x 15 and so on.
After the first few months of this I was beginning to be the runaway winner. I had mastered math as a 7 year old and I was leaving everyone in the dust except my best friend who was only a few behind me. Well, in the end, I got up to my 30's. The last sticker on my desk said 29 and the only reason I didn't get further is because the year had come to an end. I remember looking over and seeing people stuck on their 6's while I was sitting pretty studying my 30's. When I was 7 I could tell you what the answer to 29 x 19 or 29 x 27 was off the top of my head. When I was 7. Everyone was impressed, teachers, students, I can even remember parents marveling at the number of stickers I had on my desk compared to their child. It was a pretty great feeling.
That same year I lost in the spelling bee really early. I remember studying a lot for it and being really disappointed that I lost, especially in such an early round. Well with the year behind me and no math competitions to conquer in third grade, I put all my effort into spelling. I won two spelling bees that year so by the time I was 8 I was no only the best in math but also the best speller. I was also the only third grader invited to join the 4th and 5th graders in Gifted and Talented. I had officially taken over. The world was looking up.
Somewhere over the next decade, I lost it all. Lost my swagger and my drive. I wasn't burnt out, I just got lazy. I went to college and the laziness ensued and perhaps even intensified. Its not that I'm not smart, I'm kind of a genius, but you'd never know it from looking at my transcript. I spent most of middle school and high school in some sort of trouble, or at least as much as you could get into in a small private school. The only difference was that I wasn't adored like I was before. I had a few teachers that saw something in me and who really saw my potential, but for most I was the kid they could blame any class disruption on and kick out of class.
What happened to that 8 year old kid? Why did he leave me? I am sitting here now at 2:43am on a Friday, laying on my bed/couch in my tiny tiny bedroom with no closet, living on a street that has people selling drugs on almost every corner, essentially unemployed in the midst of a depression, wondering how I ended up like this. I'm working on scripts that despite my wildest dreams, have a very slim chance of every landing me any income let alone getting made into anything.
So I was trying to sleep, but I kept thinking that I'm a huge failure. I kept wondering where all the promise went. Where did all that intellect go? I wonder what my second and third grade teachers would think if they saw me now. Would they be disappointed? Would they be as disappointed in my how my life is as I am?
I'm not sure where my life is headed next. It's kind of a long road and I seem to get into these lulls of disappointment and frustration when there seem to be no options ahead of me. I've got some options in the works but I've been known to have terrible luck and wouldn't be surprised if they didn't pan out.
But for some reason I can't shake my optimism. I still dream big. If I know anything, it's that I haven't failed. I'm still here and still working on a screenplay despite the fact that I know that I'm short stacked with long odds against me. I feel that today's closed door is tomorrow's opened window, and that may not really be, but even during this awful depression all over the country, I still see the glass half full. I'm still ready to party.
So here I am. Not exactly where I thought I would be almost 2 decades after my golden years, but I'm still standing and still trying, and I suppose that's something.
Go big.
-M, p, z & shredder
Looking back at my life, I may have peaked at 8.
When I was 7, I was king. I had the world in my hand and could do whatever I wanted. I had it all, good grades, lots of friends, was a trouble maker but still adored by teachers, got along with everyone and a girl even kissed me square on the mouth. I was seriously King. Well, in second grade we had these multiplication challenges. The goal was to see how high you could get on your multiplication tables. It started out with the 2's so the test had pretty simple questions like 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 and it went up to multiples of 12. So every week we had a short two minute quiz, and during this time there were probably 6 or 8 questions and you had to get a certain number right to pass. Well every time you passed you got a sticker on your desk. So after you passed the first test you got a sticker on your desk with the number 2 on it. These stickers were no joke either. They must have been almost 2 inches in diameter. So the next week, assuming you passed, you get tested on your 3's (3 x 4 etc.) and so on. Well once you got past your 12's they got a littler bit harder. After that you had to learn up to the number you were testing for, for example if you were on your 13's you would need to know 13 x 1 through 13 x 13. If you were on your 15's you would need to know up to 15 x 15 and so on.
After the first few months of this I was beginning to be the runaway winner. I had mastered math as a 7 year old and I was leaving everyone in the dust except my best friend who was only a few behind me. Well, in the end, I got up to my 30's. The last sticker on my desk said 29 and the only reason I didn't get further is because the year had come to an end. I remember looking over and seeing people stuck on their 6's while I was sitting pretty studying my 30's. When I was 7 I could tell you what the answer to 29 x 19 or 29 x 27 was off the top of my head. When I was 7. Everyone was impressed, teachers, students, I can even remember parents marveling at the number of stickers I had on my desk compared to their child. It was a pretty great feeling.
That same year I lost in the spelling bee really early. I remember studying a lot for it and being really disappointed that I lost, especially in such an early round. Well with the year behind me and no math competitions to conquer in third grade, I put all my effort into spelling. I won two spelling bees that year so by the time I was 8 I was no only the best in math but also the best speller. I was also the only third grader invited to join the 4th and 5th graders in Gifted and Talented. I had officially taken over. The world was looking up.
Somewhere over the next decade, I lost it all. Lost my swagger and my drive. I wasn't burnt out, I just got lazy. I went to college and the laziness ensued and perhaps even intensified. Its not that I'm not smart, I'm kind of a genius, but you'd never know it from looking at my transcript. I spent most of middle school and high school in some sort of trouble, or at least as much as you could get into in a small private school. The only difference was that I wasn't adored like I was before. I had a few teachers that saw something in me and who really saw my potential, but for most I was the kid they could blame any class disruption on and kick out of class.
What happened to that 8 year old kid? Why did he leave me? I am sitting here now at 2:43am on a Friday, laying on my bed/couch in my tiny tiny bedroom with no closet, living on a street that has people selling drugs on almost every corner, essentially unemployed in the midst of a depression, wondering how I ended up like this. I'm working on scripts that despite my wildest dreams, have a very slim chance of every landing me any income let alone getting made into anything.
So I was trying to sleep, but I kept thinking that I'm a huge failure. I kept wondering where all the promise went. Where did all that intellect go? I wonder what my second and third grade teachers would think if they saw me now. Would they be disappointed? Would they be as disappointed in my how my life is as I am?
I'm not sure where my life is headed next. It's kind of a long road and I seem to get into these lulls of disappointment and frustration when there seem to be no options ahead of me. I've got some options in the works but I've been known to have terrible luck and wouldn't be surprised if they didn't pan out.
But for some reason I can't shake my optimism. I still dream big. If I know anything, it's that I haven't failed. I'm still here and still working on a screenplay despite the fact that I know that I'm short stacked with long odds against me. I feel that today's closed door is tomorrow's opened window, and that may not really be, but even during this awful depression all over the country, I still see the glass half full. I'm still ready to party.
So here I am. Not exactly where I thought I would be almost 2 decades after my golden years, but I'm still standing and still trying, and I suppose that's something.
Go big.
-M, p, z & shredder
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Commerce Secretary...
So Judd Gregg (is it just me, or does anyone else have an overwhelming desire to say Judge Dredd when you see his name) withdrew his name from consideration of Commerce Secretary. That sucks for many reasons and it's another week of bad press for the white house. He's the second person to step aside, the first being my boy, Gov. Richardson of NM.
I made the joke to myself that the Secretary of Commerce position is proving to be as hard a position to fill as teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and it made me crack up. I thought it was pretty hilarious and then realized that I may be the only one who feels that way. It's a Harry Potter joke if you don't get it. Then I thought I should post the joke as my status on fb but didn't want to seem weird. I then thought I'd email the joke to some friends and then realized I didn't have enough friends who loved HP like i do. Then by the time I decided I would post the joke here, it ceased to be funny.
Anyways, I hope you laughed. Thanks to those who sent me emails/texts/comments and such about Zelda. I appreciate it. It was a rough few days but it's getting better. I think when you lose a pet like Zelda who was always so positive and happy, they can still bring all those things into your life like they did before; all you have to do is remember how awesome they were. Go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder (Just because she isn't here doesn't mean she loses her byline)
I made the joke to myself that the Secretary of Commerce position is proving to be as hard a position to fill as teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and it made me crack up. I thought it was pretty hilarious and then realized that I may be the only one who feels that way. It's a Harry Potter joke if you don't get it. Then I thought I should post the joke as my status on fb but didn't want to seem weird. I then thought I'd email the joke to some friends and then realized I didn't have enough friends who loved HP like i do. Then by the time I decided I would post the joke here, it ceased to be funny.
Anyways, I hope you laughed. Thanks to those who sent me emails/texts/comments and such about Zelda. I appreciate it. It was a rough few days but it's getting better. I think when you lose a pet like Zelda who was always so positive and happy, they can still bring all those things into your life like they did before; all you have to do is remember how awesome they were. Go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder (Just because she isn't here doesn't mean she loses her byline)
Sunday, February 08, 2009
The Legend Of Zelda...
I hate when people close to me call me in the afternoon. It's always bad news. Yesterday my dad called me to tell me that one of my ferrets and best friends, Zelda, passed away in her sleep. My parents have been housing the ferrets since christmas and my dad told me last week that Zelda was looking a little lethargic but then a few days ago said she seemed to be fine and back to normal, but then called yesterday with the bad news. Ferrets typically live between 6-8 years and she was about 6 but developed an Adrenal Disease close to 2 years ago.
Zelda: June 2003 - February 7th 2009
I've never lost a pet before. It's unimaginable. Zelda was the most charismatic person or animal I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was always full of energy and curiosity, never afraid of anything. She would bum rush anyone who got in her path and then lick them to death. She never had time to cuddle because there were always a multitude of things to get done like ripping up toilet paper and hiding candy and getting into any drawer or cabinet or closet door that might have been closed, just in case there was something in there that she hadn't seen before. She was a lover and didn't hate anything but baths and getting her nails clipped. She's been with me through a very large chunk of my adulthood and was there when I turned 21, when I finished college, when I moved around several times and through all the things that life brings. She has lived in more cities than most, going with me from Ann Arbor to Lansing, to Port Huron, to New York, to Detroit and back to Lansing, and she was happy no matter where she was.
She was always going full speed never afraid to do anything. I got her when she was just a few weeks old and I remember on the day I brought her home, within 5 minutes I was already worried about her. One of the first things she did was climb up my screen door all the way to the top with no apparent way to get down. If you've never seen a ferret, they have a knack for going full speed ahead and never thinking about the outcome, and I can remember her clinging to the top of that screen door looking for me to show her how to get down, not waiting for an answer and trying to figure it out herself. I got her down, but I know that if I hadn't and she would have fallen, she would have taken it like a champ.
This is the first time anything had ever died that I have been responsible for and it's killing me. I feel like it's my fault and I hate that I wasn't there when it happened. It's heart breaking. I'm worried about her sister/best friend Peach, who has no one to cuddle with at night anymore. It's amazing how much of your life your pets become, and how much you love them and worry about them and care about them and the amount of people that care about them. These two little ferrets had the love of me, my brother, my parents and my past roommates and friends. I hate losing her, but I got to spend 6 years with her and enjoy her life with her and she brought so much to my life. If everyone lived life like her, the world would be a much better place.
May she rest in peace and love.
"don't you worry, there my honey
we might not have any money
but we've got our love to pay the bills
-M, p, Z and shredder
Zelda: June 2003 - February 7th 2009
I've never lost a pet before. It's unimaginable. Zelda was the most charismatic person or animal I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She was always full of energy and curiosity, never afraid of anything. She would bum rush anyone who got in her path and then lick them to death. She never had time to cuddle because there were always a multitude of things to get done like ripping up toilet paper and hiding candy and getting into any drawer or cabinet or closet door that might have been closed, just in case there was something in there that she hadn't seen before. She was a lover and didn't hate anything but baths and getting her nails clipped. She's been with me through a very large chunk of my adulthood and was there when I turned 21, when I finished college, when I moved around several times and through all the things that life brings. She has lived in more cities than most, going with me from Ann Arbor to Lansing, to Port Huron, to New York, to Detroit and back to Lansing, and she was happy no matter where she was.
She was always going full speed never afraid to do anything. I got her when she was just a few weeks old and I remember on the day I brought her home, within 5 minutes I was already worried about her. One of the first things she did was climb up my screen door all the way to the top with no apparent way to get down. If you've never seen a ferret, they have a knack for going full speed ahead and never thinking about the outcome, and I can remember her clinging to the top of that screen door looking for me to show her how to get down, not waiting for an answer and trying to figure it out herself. I got her down, but I know that if I hadn't and she would have fallen, she would have taken it like a champ.
This is the first time anything had ever died that I have been responsible for and it's killing me. I feel like it's my fault and I hate that I wasn't there when it happened. It's heart breaking. I'm worried about her sister/best friend Peach, who has no one to cuddle with at night anymore. It's amazing how much of your life your pets become, and how much you love them and worry about them and care about them and the amount of people that care about them. These two little ferrets had the love of me, my brother, my parents and my past roommates and friends. I hate losing her, but I got to spend 6 years with her and enjoy her life with her and she brought so much to my life. If everyone lived life like her, the world would be a much better place.
May she rest in peace and love.
"don't you worry, there my honey
we might not have any money
but we've got our love to pay the bills
-M, p, Z and shredder
Friday, February 06, 2009
Still Hunting...
This economy is killing me. I mean seriously, occupying my life. I'm not sure how many of you are recent grads or in transition in your life, but if you have a job, don't quit anytime soon. Last month was the worst since December '74 in terms of layoffs and unemployment. I can't believe that Congress is arguing over stipulations and partisan voting at a time like this. I honestly don't care. People need to get jobs and they needed them yesterday. I have been trying to get anything more than occasional work since I moved out here in August. Every month since then has however, has gotten worse. More people being laid off and the unemployment is still rising. It's predicted to continue throughout the year. The year? People can't possibly afford to live at this rate.
I have no idea how the country isn't in full on crisis mode. Sure, there is a general state of panic, anxiety, fear and hopelessness; but this is crisis time. Not only is it not getting better, but it's getting worse. Hopefully President Obama can get his stimulus package through and it really has an effect on things, but we all know that stimulus packages don't work and the second people get money, it will go to paying for bills, food, kids, etc. and who can blame them. The government needs to start spending a lot of money and they need to do it now. 3.2 million jobs lost last year? That's insane. All of those people, plus a the previously unemployed plus a new year of work-ready college and high school graduates are all trying to get any job they can, and as a result no one can get anything. I have literally tried applied everywhere - retail, manual labor, stock boy, you name it I tried it. Even internships won't hire me. It's kind of f*cked up out there right now, so if you're in school, stay there.
Anyways, go big or go home. Stay in school.
-M, p, z & shredder
I have no idea how the country isn't in full on crisis mode. Sure, there is a general state of panic, anxiety, fear and hopelessness; but this is crisis time. Not only is it not getting better, but it's getting worse. Hopefully President Obama can get his stimulus package through and it really has an effect on things, but we all know that stimulus packages don't work and the second people get money, it will go to paying for bills, food, kids, etc. and who can blame them. The government needs to start spending a lot of money and they need to do it now. 3.2 million jobs lost last year? That's insane. All of those people, plus a the previously unemployed plus a new year of work-ready college and high school graduates are all trying to get any job they can, and as a result no one can get anything. I have literally tried applied everywhere - retail, manual labor, stock boy, you name it I tried it. Even internships won't hire me. It's kind of f*cked up out there right now, so if you're in school, stay there.
Anyways, go big or go home. Stay in school.
-M, p, z & shredder
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Funny Stuff...
Just wanted to post a couple of things to make you chuckle. Here are a couple of those mock 'inspirational' posters. You know like the "teamwork" one that shows people helping some dude do a keg stand...
Then there's this chick, who rules, but is f-ing crazy. I love it.
Anyways, I'm out. Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
Then there's this chick, who rules, but is f-ing crazy. I love it.
Anyways, I'm out. Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Daschle...
So as most of you have heard, Tom Daschle withdrew his candidacy for Secretary of Health and Human Services. This is terrible on a few different levels but possibly one good one. First it sucks that there are high ranking politicians who still try and break the rules. I mean if they think that the taxes are unfair, aren't they in a position to do something about it? I am not a cynic of our government in any sense. If you've been to India or know anything about Indian politics and the government and those working for the government, you know that we have a pretty good thing going over here. The federal system is huge and all encompassing and there are naturally going to be aspects that let people down, but I believe in the system and I believe that it is there to help people. Many cynics think that politicians are just around to make themselves and their friends richer (I call them republicans). Honestly though I don't believe that. I think that people should have a little faith in the people trying to do what they can to make it easier to be a free person in this country. That said, how do you not pay over $128,000 in taxes? That's a lot of money. He actually did pay the money in early January but I can only assume it was after someone told him to if he wanted to hold a cabinet position. It's really too bad, because despite what some people say he had a lot of pull and he was in a position to drastically improve the health care system. Hopefully they find someone who both parties like and will really push for something good.
So what's the good news in all of this? Well in his search for a new nominee he is looking at democrat governors of states that run Medicare programs. This is good news for fans of Michigan because it puts Gov. Granholm on the short list. Now I doubt she'll be chosen but if she is, that would free up a spot for someone new to come in and take over. A Democrat with a new vision for Michigan and one that doesn't involve her. Now I don't ate Granholm, but she has pretty much blundered her way through her entire reign of power. She was much to demanding and imposing on any and all auto manufacturers that ended up leaving Michigan and heading down south where they could get tax concessions and as a result, she has Michigan as the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country. I think she's a smart lady with a lot of ambition and desire but I don't think she understands the economy.
"Granholm’s first term was a time when most of the nation recovered from the 2001 recession—but not Michigan. In her first year she faced a $3 billion shortfall in a $39 billion budget. She set to work cutting spending: her first budget cut aid to universities and cities, sold 2,500 state cars, rescinded $220 million in contracts and adult education by 70% and arts spending 50%." We need someone who is going to get Michigan over the one industry status that we have and diversify. She needs to stop cutting school funding and give people incentives to move to Michigan. I have said it many times, and when I run for office it will be my platform, but I think the key to Michigan is going green. Industry, infrastructure, jobs, everything can get back up with some money and some forward thinking.
Anyway, that's my two cents on the situation. Go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps - I'm hoping to go on a trip to Europe this summer and I'm dying to go to Greece. I just saw this house for sale in the times... Anyone wanna go in with me on buying it? They're asking for 1.2 mil but I'm sure we can sweet talk them into at least 1.1...
So what's the good news in all of this? Well in his search for a new nominee he is looking at democrat governors of states that run Medicare programs. This is good news for fans of Michigan because it puts Gov. Granholm on the short list. Now I doubt she'll be chosen but if she is, that would free up a spot for someone new to come in and take over. A Democrat with a new vision for Michigan and one that doesn't involve her. Now I don't ate Granholm, but she has pretty much blundered her way through her entire reign of power. She was much to demanding and imposing on any and all auto manufacturers that ended up leaving Michigan and heading down south where they could get tax concessions and as a result, she has Michigan as the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country. I think she's a smart lady with a lot of ambition and desire but I don't think she understands the economy.
"Granholm’s first term was a time when most of the nation recovered from the 2001 recession—but not Michigan. In her first year she faced a $3 billion shortfall in a $39 billion budget. She set to work cutting spending: her first budget cut aid to universities and cities, sold 2,500 state cars, rescinded $220 million in contracts and adult education by 70% and arts spending 50%." We need someone who is going to get Michigan over the one industry status that we have and diversify. She needs to stop cutting school funding and give people incentives to move to Michigan. I have said it many times, and when I run for office it will be my platform, but I think the key to Michigan is going green. Industry, infrastructure, jobs, everything can get back up with some money and some forward thinking.
Anyway, that's my two cents on the situation. Go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps - I'm hoping to go on a trip to Europe this summer and I'm dying to go to Greece. I just saw this house for sale in the times... Anyone wanna go in with me on buying it? They're asking for 1.2 mil but I'm sure we can sweet talk them into at least 1.1...
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
There's No Crying In...Tennis?
Aside from the Superbowl on Sunday, there was also another final you probably missed. Another great match between Nadal and Federer, this time it was their first meeting in the Australian Open. This is arguably the greatest rivalry right now in sports. There are too many teams in the NBA right now with no real enmity for each other, even the Pistons and the Cavs seem friendly. The NFL has too much parity to make any substantial rivalry out of the Superbowl. The NHL is not on national tv so I have no idea what is going on there ( though I have become a closet red wings fan despite my years of hatred for the nhl and over the last few years I have even started watching games by myself), and golf has no real rivalry other than Tiger Woods vs. the rest of the field.
So it is with tennis that we can find the greatest rivalry of this decade. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been battling for years now. It couldn't have come at a greater time. I grew up idolizing Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. To this day it is one of my all time favorite rivalries in sport. So when Federer came along, he took away a number 1 that belonged to my boy, Andy Roddick, and blew him and all the other competition out of the water. The problem was that he was so much better than everybody else, he cruised to his first 10 majors. The record is 14 held by Sampras and Fed is right behind him with 13. Then a couple years ago along comes Rafa and beats him not once, but now the last times they have met over the past few years. Nadal is the only thing keeping Federer from getting to 14 and I love him for it. So on Sunday when Nadal beat him Federer, normally never showing his emotion, broke down. He cried like a baby. He couldn't even speak.
At first I felt bad. I mean I don't hate the guy, I just don't want him to break Sampras' record. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was being a b*tch. Really? You're crying? How many times do you see people cry during sports? A lot actually, but think about how many times you see people cry after losing. I can't think of any. People can be dejected after a loss, but you never see people cry like that. People can get angry, upset, hostile, they can be poor sports, whiners, gripers and sore losers, but you never see them cry. The closest that I can think of is Antonio Mcdyess getting so mad and upset after losing in the finals in 05 that he couldn't find the strength to shower after the game and went straight to the bus in his Pistons uni. Andy Roddick, who is my favorite tennis player, gets pissed when he loses. He used to throw rackets and yell, but now in his maturity, has learned to be gracious and try harder. He was so upset at losing last year in the U.S. Open (actually the first major match I had ever seen in person) that he fired his old coach, hired a new one, lost 15 pounds and is playing the best tennis I've seen him play in years. He still lost, to Federer, again, but he didn't cry. He didn't bitch. I can promise you he's going to try harder and work harder. I don't dislike Fed more for crying, but I certainly don't think of him the same way I used to. He needs to be a man and work harder if he wants to win.
Anyways, 3 days in and I'm still on pace for a blog a day this month. Go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
So it is with tennis that we can find the greatest rivalry of this decade. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been battling for years now. It couldn't have come at a greater time. I grew up idolizing Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. To this day it is one of my all time favorite rivalries in sport. So when Federer came along, he took away a number 1 that belonged to my boy, Andy Roddick, and blew him and all the other competition out of the water. The problem was that he was so much better than everybody else, he cruised to his first 10 majors. The record is 14 held by Sampras and Fed is right behind him with 13. Then a couple years ago along comes Rafa and beats him not once, but now the last times they have met over the past few years. Nadal is the only thing keeping Federer from getting to 14 and I love him for it. So on Sunday when Nadal beat him Federer, normally never showing his emotion, broke down. He cried like a baby. He couldn't even speak.
At first I felt bad. I mean I don't hate the guy, I just don't want him to break Sampras' record. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was being a b*tch. Really? You're crying? How many times do you see people cry during sports? A lot actually, but think about how many times you see people cry after losing. I can't think of any. People can be dejected after a loss, but you never see people cry like that. People can get angry, upset, hostile, they can be poor sports, whiners, gripers and sore losers, but you never see them cry. The closest that I can think of is Antonio Mcdyess getting so mad and upset after losing in the finals in 05 that he couldn't find the strength to shower after the game and went straight to the bus in his Pistons uni. Andy Roddick, who is my favorite tennis player, gets pissed when he loses. He used to throw rackets and yell, but now in his maturity, has learned to be gracious and try harder. He was so upset at losing last year in the U.S. Open (actually the first major match I had ever seen in person) that he fired his old coach, hired a new one, lost 15 pounds and is playing the best tennis I've seen him play in years. He still lost, to Federer, again, but he didn't cry. He didn't bitch. I can promise you he's going to try harder and work harder. I don't dislike Fed more for crying, but I certainly don't think of him the same way I used to. He needs to be a man and work harder if he wants to win.
Anyways, 3 days in and I'm still on pace for a blog a day this month. Go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
Monday, February 02, 2009
Warmer Weather...
So the Superbowl was pretty awesome. At least the end of the game was. My highlight was the G.I. Joe teaser. I've been waiting for this movie to happen for a long time and I'm glad it's finally almost here. Only 7 more months! Lame. But the preview did make it look like a really awesomely terrible movie, and for me, there's no better kind. Transformers 2 will also be pretty terrible in an awesome way. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Autobots and Decepticons team up to fight The Fallen ( a ginormous evil guy who's bad for both factions.) Also, the new Fast and Furious trailer looks sweet...
So today it was 51 degrees over here. I decided that I'm ready for spring. Don't get me wrong, I still love winter, but being in a place where the snowfall is minimal and turns to gross slush as soon as it hits the ground makes me want to cry. If I can go outside and play in the snow or snowboard or hydroplane in my neighborhood, then what's the point? Forget winter. NYC sucks in the winter. I'm ready for some warmer weather and by the looks of it, so is global warming. We had about 3 weeks of weather that was cold enough to make me put on my winter coat, but it looks like we're gonna be in the upper 30's from here on out.
I have turned into somewhat of a contented hermit these days. I venture out to the library or to the gym or the movies, but I have no motivation to go out. As much as I love going out and getting ridiculous with friends, this city makes it awfully hard to be spontaneous about it. You really need to plan ahead and figure out everyones schedule and a good central meeting place. By the time people are ready to do anything it's 10 or 11 which wouldn't matter in my old locale, but on the weekends it takes me an hour to get from my apartment to any place below midtown, and god forbid I have to take more than one train. This suits me just fine though, because I'm more than happy to stay in and watch a movie, tv or play halo all weekend. It does make me wonder why I'm living in this city that I can't afford to live in and can't muster up the motivation to take in everything it has to offer. Maybe as the weather gets warmer...
I'm out
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: Chuck (NBC 8pm) I love this show. Please watch it. Tonight might be kind of cheesy because it's in 3-D and I'm not sure how that works without 3D glasses. Anyways, it's a great show and it's on the cusp of getting renewed or cancelled.
So today it was 51 degrees over here. I decided that I'm ready for spring. Don't get me wrong, I still love winter, but being in a place where the snowfall is minimal and turns to gross slush as soon as it hits the ground makes me want to cry. If I can go outside and play in the snow or snowboard or hydroplane in my neighborhood, then what's the point? Forget winter. NYC sucks in the winter. I'm ready for some warmer weather and by the looks of it, so is global warming. We had about 3 weeks of weather that was cold enough to make me put on my winter coat, but it looks like we're gonna be in the upper 30's from here on out.
I have turned into somewhat of a contented hermit these days. I venture out to the library or to the gym or the movies, but I have no motivation to go out. As much as I love going out and getting ridiculous with friends, this city makes it awfully hard to be spontaneous about it. You really need to plan ahead and figure out everyones schedule and a good central meeting place. By the time people are ready to do anything it's 10 or 11 which wouldn't matter in my old locale, but on the weekends it takes me an hour to get from my apartment to any place below midtown, and god forbid I have to take more than one train. This suits me just fine though, because I'm more than happy to stay in and watch a movie, tv or play halo all weekend. It does make me wonder why I'm living in this city that I can't afford to live in and can't muster up the motivation to take in everything it has to offer. Maybe as the weather gets warmer...
I'm out
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: Chuck (NBC 8pm) I love this show. Please watch it. Tonight might be kind of cheesy because it's in 3-D and I'm not sure how that works without 3D glasses. Anyways, it's a great show and it's on the cusp of getting renewed or cancelled.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Superbowl Sunday...
The Superbowl has come to mean less and less to me. In high school it was really the only game when guys get together and hang out to watch football. But as college rolled around and you could hang out whenever you wanted, it became less about watching football and more about getting a keg. Now, at 26, I'm much more interested in a few movie teaser trailers (including G.I. Joe and Transformers 2) than I am about the game. I really enjoy watching football. There's nothing I'd rather do on the weekend than watch MSU football on Saturday and the Lions on Sunday. But, as with every other sport besides basketball, if it's not a team I care about I'm not watching the game. I am rooting for the Cards but I've always liked the Steelers and could honestly care less who wins.
The real game that's important to me today is the Pistons/Cavs game. I've been looking forward to this one for a while and will be much more excited to see this than the football game. Anyways, today is day 1 of 28 straight blogs this month. I was reading a friends blog the other day that reminded me of how my blog used to be and I wanted to try and get back to that. I used to write things about my life and come up with some introspection that hopefully people though was somewhat interesting, and I'd like to get back to that. However, it might not be able to happen this month with so many blogs. But as I'm at a turning point in my life, I think it's only wise to write down some of those thoughts and feelings about this period. So I'll try and be a little more insightful in the coming year.
Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
The real game that's important to me today is the Pistons/Cavs game. I've been looking forward to this one for a while and will be much more excited to see this than the football game. Anyways, today is day 1 of 28 straight blogs this month. I was reading a friends blog the other day that reminded me of how my blog used to be and I wanted to try and get back to that. I used to write things about my life and come up with some introspection that hopefully people though was somewhat interesting, and I'd like to get back to that. However, it might not be able to happen this month with so many blogs. But as I'm at a turning point in my life, I think it's only wise to write down some of those thoughts and feelings about this period. So I'll try and be a little more insightful in the coming year.
Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
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