Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Swedish Tribute!


Last weekend I had a nice "mysig" (comfortable) weekend, studying and tying flies for next year's salmon season. This fly was one of my products, a tribute to Swedish salmon! Yeah baby, and hopefully it will catch something big! (I plan to use it in Norway to piss off the Norwegian salmon) hahaha

Friday, November 21, 2008

Michigan in Crisis...what will come?

I feel a bit mixed sitting here in my office in Sweden, comfortable in my PhD position for some time while many are losing jobs, finding it hard to get jobs and Michigan is slowly falling apart.

It is not only Michigan losing, it is the world. Here in Sweden (mind you Sweden is not huge but similar to Michigan in geography and population) over 1000 a day are losing jobs and reporting unemployment. Michigan is worse off with the unemployment rate reaching 10% soon. To add to this, what is going on with the auto makers? What will this bailout plan do? Will they even get money?

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Barack Obama, Change and 2009! Yeah Baby!


Wow, can you believe it! I thought the voting and competition would go on all night like last time. Obviously not, and like so many Europeans, USA actually wanted change! I'm not proud of the fact that everyone I know and the media over here in Europe only portray Barack as the "hero" of America...he is not that. However, he brings something new to USA. "Change" we'll see. However, I believe as well that something new can come from what he has done. Hopefully you can tell that I am not a die-hard Obama fan, but I admire him and believe more in what he has to offer. I am a little frustrated at the way the rest of the world portrays McCain, and holds Obama on a pedestal. Nonetheless, we will have NO MORE BUSH! THANK GOD! Relations with Europeans will be so much more easier now. Its been hard as an American abroad having to answer for everything our political system does. I'm not America, I'm an American is what I have to say. Lets hope this brings some change, hopefully back home in Michigan!

And change to Michigan, wow! I saw the polls, and we voted YES to stem cell research and Medical Marijuana. That is awesome! (Well, at least for the stem cell research) I'm sure there's hundreds of Phish fans and hippies roaming the streets now in victory over that...hahaha!

And now I'm closing with the cheesiest American song ever. I remember this, being in 3rd grade during the Gulf War and singing this at Cody Elementary. Complete with Flags, Eagles, Hardships and Good Ole American Stuff!

Proud to be an American


Michael Martin reporting from Linköping, Sweden