The good, the bad and the ugly, February 2005 edition...

The good:
1.) Financial Aid money came in.
2.) A friend is going to get a permanent job with the Military Industrial Complex in Santa Maria. I suppose that's good and bad but considering that he's a disabled guy and his Significant Other is also disabled, so much so that she can't work, it's good that this big Aerospace company is taking the chance on him. The fact he's a very leet coder probably was the most compelling reason for them to give him the gig.
3.) I was able to solve my book problem for 50% less than it would have cost if I had paid full price. I think I'm going to keep the book that was first assigned, then un-assigned...there's some neat essays in it that I want to make sure I have access to.
4.) We mailed our taxes out and I did my FAFSA renewal.

The bad:
1.) I went to school to meet with the folks at the Woodbury Connections office, and found that the appointment was scheduled for next week. I went there for almost no reason...being able to get some other things accomplished made up for the snafu.

The ugly:
1.) The details have come out on Meat Axe Fest 2005, otherwise known as the Fiscal '06 budget. Then again, the most salient detail is that the cost of the Iraq War has not been factored into the budget, and there are also no details on Dubya's plans to pay for the changes in Social Security. However, the details that have come out are scary: deep cuts in Medicaid, (another reason to be glad my friend got the job) the virtual elimination of Amtrak, elimination of block grants for such good things as literacy programs and domestic abuse victims programs, and so on and so on. This is going to be a long hard fight, and the Dems might wind up tarred with the "obstructionist" brush. But better "obstructionist" than "lap dog," I say.