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michjoe86

Name: Joe
Country: United States
State: Michigan
Metro: Grand Rapids
Birthday: 11/6/1986
Gender: Male

Interests: The University of Michigan, 24, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and ping pong
Expertise: I wouldn't say I'm an expert but I do make a mean hot fudge sundae.
Occupation: Student
Industry: Nonprofit

Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:

jtimm1
MSN: michjoe_86@hotmail.com

Member Since: 8/24/2005

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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

It's the end of Michigan as we know it

There are very few things that would bring me back from a 3 month-plus hiatus from Xanga but Jennifer Granholm is one of those things. I think to get a good idea of where I'm coming from with what I have to say, I need to add some background....

2002- Michigan Governor Election
We had just gotten done with 3 terms of John Engler and I really felt like change was in the air. I was a sophomore in high school though so what the junk did I know. I kinda liked the idea of Michigan having our first woman governor. Jennifer seemed nice and not too "Democrat"-ic to me. I couldn't vote so it didn't really matter anyways. Granholm ended up winning, and if I remember correctly it was with the help of conservative Republican women who thought the gender barrier needed to be broken.

2006- Granholm's reelection
After 4 years of the state going down the tube economically, it seemed like we'd be getting a new governor. Dick Devos was running on the Republican side of the ticket and he was a successful businessman from Grand Rapids. It seemed like anyone in their right mind would take this chance to take Jennifer out of office. It seemed. Somehow, the election became about Devos' company expanding to China and not about Granholm's job quality.

Present day- Government shutdown averted
So for the last year the politicians in Lansing have been arguing about how to fix Michigan's budget crisis. It seems that when the state's economy is doing lousy, that people don't seem to pay as many taxes. The Republicans proposed cutting the fat in the state budget and Granholm suggested raising taxes. It would seem to make sense that people would want to explore how the government could spend less money before we agreed to give them more. It seemed. So the government, unable to get a deal, shut down for 4 hours. They didn't want it to be embarrassing so just enough Republicans gave in to give Granholm her tax increase. So now instead of being embarassed, the people of Michigan can proudly cough up more of their money.

The bottom line:
I don't believe in publicly (as few people as may ever see this) attacking someone that you're not willing to tell directly that you have a problem with, so I will be sending Granholm a letter. Apparently she doesn't have email. Her lack of achievement as governor is beyond partisan. Her job has been embarrassing. I have no idea what the governor in California could have possibly done that would have warranted his recall that would compare to Granholm's horrible performance as governor. I don't care if someone is a Republican or Democrat, a tree hugger or decently sane, you'd have to acknowledge that Jennifer Granholm has been a great damage both to the image and the economy of the great state of Michigan.

Elections have consequences. This is why people need to be informed and actually VOTE.

1:58 AM - 68 views - 2 eprops - 1 comment - email it

Monday, June 18, 2007

The end is near...

So I've been debating since last April over whether or not I should cancel my Xanga account. Not that it takes up too much time but I just try to be as efficient as possible. I'm still pretty close. Best case scenario is that I just write on here and have it automatically upload unto my facebook page. I've seen it done but I'm not sure how...

So, since I'm writing on here anyways, an update. I'm heading out to WOL camp in NY next week... counseling at WOL camp in FL for half of July... and then moving down to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in August. I'm excited... but it's also kinda hard to move on. I thought leaving for a year at WOLBI in 2005 was hard.

I went to a friend's wedding on Friday. It was the first of my graduating class from church to get married. We weren't super close but it was a kinda sad wedding for me. It was a bit of a turning point. The weddings are just going to keep coming and our time of growing up together is ending. I could sulk in that fact... ignore it and move on... or I could enjoy the time and the friends and I had. I can't get back time from the past and I'll ruin the time in the present if I linger in it's forthcoming conclusion.

The best I can figure out so far is just to take nothing and no one for granted. Enjoy the time I have with them because no one is promised anymore than we already have...

James 4:13-15

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

7:45 PM - 47 views - 4 eprops - 2 comments - email it

Monday, April 23, 2007

	I have finally changed my profile picture... enjoy. :)
	1:48 PM - 46 views - 4 eprops - 3 comments - email it

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

New cameras and Chicago...

So two things of note... first, my camera broke yesterday. I got it in August 2005 before I headed off to school and it served me well. My sister had borrowed it for her spring break trip but it wasn't her fault. It was just the camera's time to go. Fortunately I had a warranty plan on it for 2 years so I went back to Staples.

I usually get a hassle from Staples when I want anything fixed. Like I was supposed to know that it needed batteries! It wasn't too bad this time, they told me that I could send it away to be fixed or I could get a new one of the same price value. Well in 2005, $199.98 would buy you a 4.1 megapixel camera. Now it buys you a 7.2!

I have no idea what those numbers mean anyway but I know that the higher it is, the better.

In other news, I am officially accepted to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois for next fall. I'm really excited! It's not an escape from the snow but at least I can ride the "El" instead of driving into a ditch. And there's a Buffalo Wild Wings within 2 miles apparently... :)

Joe

9:12 AM - 44 views - 4 eprops - 4 comments - email it

Monday, March 19, 2007

Hey! So life in this direct moment is going pretty smoothly. I say that because you never know if it's going to still be that way by the time you're done writing a Xanga entry. We had Teens Involved on Saturday and I loved getting to see all of it from the other side. Our drama wasn't perfect but the teens did really well so we're unto the next level in Ypsilanti, MI next month. I was in my own little skit/drama for church yesterday and that was a lot of fun. Tina Hoyt came over to see it and then afterwards we had a good time of driving around downtown GR and me not wanting to admit I had no idea where I was. We eventually found the highway ramp and went to see some butterflies and met up with Hippie (Christina H) for Starbucks. It felt just like Christmas of '05 again.

So, life is good. The biggest thing I'm dealing with right now is nailing down college for next fall. There's a very high probability of me going to Moody Bible in Chicago but Liberty in VA keeps itself in the race by sending me mail every week for the last 6 months asking me to come.

Life isn't always smooth though. So during this calm period of time for me, I want to do my best to be there for my friends who may not be having an easy of time as I am. I know they'll return the favor when my storms come.

And they will come.

We can't grow without the rain.

Joe

3:40 PM - 47 views - 8 eprops - 4 comments - email it

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