Last time the State of Michigan shut down, Stanley Kramer's On the Beach (1959) was playing at movie houses. Today in 2007 -- while not as apocalyptic as Kramer's movie -- we're faced with a nasty real life situation. If the politicians can't come to an agreement by midnight on Sunday, Michigan will shut down again. What does this mean? Example:
"The state's prisons, prison camps and parole/probation monitoring will continue to operate at a reduced staffing level. Administrative operations outside of the prisons will shut down.The state's prisons, prison camps and parole/probation monitoring will continue to operate at a reduced staffing level. Administrative operations outside of the prisons will shut down." (Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/, citing Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Another example: bridges over rivers with boat/shipping passthroughs must remain in UP position -- cars will not be able to cross them. Including Detroit's. The U.S. Coast Guard will "oversee" waterways. And there are a host of other things that people take for granted on their way toward a grinding halt. Hopefully, like the United Auto Workers/General Motors strike just last week, if it happens it'll be short-lived. Otherwise, welcome to Deadwood, Michigan.
Today happens to be Michelangelo Antonioni's birthday (1912-2007). Here's a closeup from Blow-Up (aka Blowup, 1966), set in Swinging London.
How strange is this? Trevor Howard and Anita Ekberg share the same birthday (today), and magically appear here in a scene together (Interpol, 1957). Ekberg's superstar role came with Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960).
Turkish singer Sibel Tüzün made it big last year in Europe. Another birthday celebrant.
Today's Rune: Breakthrough.
Birthdays: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Mercator Cooper, Gene Autry, Michelangelo Antonioni, Trevor Howard, Stanley Kramer, Anita Ekberg, Silvio Berlusconi, Madeline Kahn, Ian McShane, Jean-Luc Pony, Lech Wałęsa, Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (Socialist President of Chile), Stephanie Miller, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Emily Lloyd (Pack), Ayşe Sibel Tüzün, Debelah Morgan (b. Detroit).
Ciao, Michigan!
3 comments:
The budget problem will be solved at the teachers' expense. Might as well call it Dumbwood, Michigan.
The Republicans will cave on taxes and the dems will cave on something the repubs want later, probably pork later on.
either way we all lose ...again
Now that is comforting. The whole state shuts down. I thought Louisiana was bad.
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