IOUSA

It was a fairly quiet weekend for both Vivian and me. We got to see our usual gang of Jitterbug friends at JNO on Thursday and again at Waypoint Church on Sunday. The most exciting event of the week came on Thursday night, when we got to see the premier of I.O.U.S.A. at the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha. I was able to get a couple free tickets through a connection at work, so Vivian and I were able to see both the film and the lively discussion panel afterwards (which was beamed to over 400 theaters nationwide). The panel included such financial hot shots as Warren Buffett, Pete Peterson, David Walker (one of the "stars" of the film), William Niskanen, and Bill Novelli. I hope the discussion is included as an extra on the DVD for the film, once it's released, because I enjoyed it just as much as the film itself.

The movie was a very well-presented explanation of the national debt, the budget deficit, the trade deficit, and the pending problem Americans have in not saving money for the future. It was a fairly non-partisan presentation, which was a relief, though some members of the panel clearly had some different political leanings. I liked Dave Walker's comment best when he said that Americans have to realize that "the government has no money." They can tax it from us, they can borrow it, but they have no none of their own until they take it from somewhere else. If you haven't seen the film, and you can't see it in a theater near you, watch for it on DVD. And check the special features. You might even get a glimpse of Vivian and me in the balcony.

The rest of our weekend was fairly quiet. Vivian and I met up with a couple friends for a Friday night binge at Jim & Jennie's Greek Village, and then eventually headed down to the Eagle's lodge for a night of swing dancing. They had the electronic dart boards fired up for some reason, meaning we could sit and read the witty one-liners that scrolled across their screens, waiting for someone to insert some cash and start throwing darts.

I spent Saturday and Sunday putting together a set of wooden file drawers I got from Office Depot. I'm not a particularly handy person, especially when the printed instructions I get are missing half their pages, but I eventually got the little thing put together. Some of the wooden pieces still seem to pull apart a little too freely for my own comfort, but it's nothing a little wood glue won't fix. I hope.