This week in Northern Michigan

My bride and I are taking a long-deserved vacation--at least for a couple days. Two years ago I wrote about Killing Your Marriage. Not wanting to make that same mistake twice, my wife and I set aside a few days from our jobs to check out the wineries around Traverse City. Today we toured several in the Old Mission peninsula. Tomorrow we'll try a couple in the Leelanau peninsula.

I had some downtime and wrote a piece for the Examiner.com, "Keeping score on GM and Chrysler's demise". As I was driving north, I listened to several radio stations along the way. Most were talking about the fact that car makers #2 and #3 did not meet the government's standards for viability. After that it was hard to discern the news from the hype. I brought my laptop along and tried not to check on my day job's email.

I may not write anymore this week. I'm enjoying pizza and wine in the motel room.

On C-Span tonight, I watched the House of Representatives debate a bill that would limit executive pay for those companies taking TARP monies. It seems like the government is trying to close the barn door after the horses have left. The executive bonuses are less than 1% of the whole TARP. It seems to be one more knee jerk reaction to quell some voter outrage, while distracting us from the bigger numbers, such as the bailout, and the unprecedented deficit riddled budget.

Tea Parties Coming to a City Near You

I wrote an article today at Examiner.com "Taxpayer Tea Parties brewing" after getting emails by various conservative and libertarian organizations. As a true believer in smaller government, I participate in these events constitutionally with might of the word processor, instead of the sword. Peaceful revolution is a rare and beautiful thing when it works.

Some people are better at making signs, others run for Congress. I tap away at the keyboard before the sun comes up, and before I have to sit at another keyboard at my day job!