According to research by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy:

* Unemployment, at 7.5% is 60% above the national average.
* Michigan is tied with North Dakota for the highest outbound migration rate.
* Per-capita income, in a free fall since 2000, is now 7.8% below the national average.
* Home values are plummeting; foreclosures are at their highest level in recent memory.
* Private-sector wages are 18% below the public sector, on average.
* Local and state tax burden is about 11th highest in the nation.

who in the HELL wallpapers over unprimed drywall?!?!?!?!?!

sick

i never have to watch american idol again.

i'm sorry melinda, it was inevitable. each year the person i want to win gets taken out at number 3. vonzel, elliot yamin, chris daughtry, and now you, amazingly talented melinda doolittle.

le sigh.

so, things are well underway. i have spoken with a mortgage lender (a nice guy who graduated from Hope) and he said all looked good. i just have to get full time by the time we close (which should forsure happen). we are meeting with him wednesday afternoon to go through the paperwork and decide which kind of loan we want. very much looking forward to it.

the only thing i'm super nervous about right now is the seller. i know i'm simply being paranoid, but i didn't hear back from him tonight (i left him a message on his cell) and it has me worried. i'll just have to try again tomorrow night.

well i suddenly lost motivation to write (i think i'm tired). but yay!!

this is great news.

Court Backs Ban on Abortion Procedure

Apr 18 10:18 AM US/Eastern
By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long- awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench.

The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

my two favorite houses right now.

http://public.grar.com/public/pubrecn.mac/start?MLS=G580176
http://public.grar.com/public/pubrecn.mac/start?MLS=G586740

there is a very slight possibility (very VERY slight) that comcast may redeem themselves. i'm not holding my breath.

just went for our 3 mile walk/jog. tonight we walked for 5 mins then alternated running 90secs and walking 2mins for the rest of the distance. we ended up running 8 times, so a total of 12 mins and about a mile-ish. it was a good night. i find it hard to believe that 2.5 weeks ago i was hardly walking 2 miles and now i'm walking and running 3 miles! the only sad part is i haven't lost any weight whatsoever. granted, i am likely gaining some muscle, but my belly is just as fat as ever. i really really need to work on eating a healthier diet. i would actually consider going vegetarian but i don't like beans. i have, however, discovered the awesomeness of humus. so... i dunno, maybe i could do it? hmm, def something to think about.

AMC, give me your input! love you <3

i love melinda, she's perfect.
lakisha is pretty cool too.
chris sounded OK, but couldn't seem to get a handle on which octave he was singing in.
haley irritates me with her short shorts, over active vibrato and terrible sense of rhythm.
phil sang a maria maria song (oh the irony), that made me swoon a very little bit.
i tried to like jordin tonight, but it just wasn't working for me (and she needs a new wardrobe artist).
i haven't been super impressed with blake in the past, but tonight he had it GOing ON!
i was going to insert a "Sanjaya ew" comment here, while i still think he's "ew" he sings sappy spanish songs really well (do i get shot now?).
and in closing, i don't care what people say, jennifer lopez is super cute.

philip and i went 5 miles today! it was soo great. we pretty much walked the whole thing, but it was nice to be out, even if it was a bit chilly. and since we went 5 miles, i didn't feel so bad about missing friday and saturday.

today was easter, so we had a sweet service this morning at church then we came home, tidied the house and i made a fabulous lunch! i made london broil (which turned out deliciously), green beans, salad, and angel biscuits. and for dessert we had brownies and breyers vanilla ice cream. yum yum.

well, time to hit the sack. night everyone.

philip and i went to the DU gym tonight since it's so bloody cold and windy. the schedule was to alternate running for 90sec and walking for 2min. it actually went pretty well. we got to the gym a little late, so i only could go for 30 mins. still, i did it and felt very good about it.

unfortunately, we can't go tomorrow :( we are going out for dinner then to a griffins game. should be good times though. maybe i'll work out twice on saturday...

on a completely unrelated side note, i saw a disheartening commercial tonight. i don't remember the name of the vaccine, but it was an ad encouraging young girls to get vaccinated for cervical cancer. what bothers me is that the cause of cervical cancer is HPV which is a sexually transmitted disease. i suppose it's rather akin to distributing condoms in a sex ed class. to me it seems terribly defeatest. can't beat 'em? join 'em! just makes me sad sad sad. why can't people wait anymore? have a little self control! a little patience! grr.





on a funny note:
"oh my god there's like a judge and everything... and jury people."

this is such an excellent editorial... i had to share it with you all.

jack hoogendyk (my dad) on a part time legislature.

until i run my first 5k. yes, i said run. ok, so i'm about 30lbs too heavy and can't run for more than 60 secs without collapsing to the ground. what's your point? philip and i have been talking about doing a 5k for a long time now and training always failed so we never signed up. well, i decided to put the cart in front of the horse this time and just do it.

so, may 12, 2007 come watch us as we humiliate ourselves at the 53 riverbank run. we are signed up and official. here comes the training! if you are curious to see our progress, i've posted my workout spreadsheet here.

woo!!

no matter how bad things get in the US, something like ( this ) will never happen.

so very tragic :(