tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55549836503818036502011-11-24T07:09:53.031-05:00to the under-explored, the overlooked and the tragically unsungweakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comBlogger2871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-70723873377998798732010-12-07T21:32:00.000-05:002010-12-07T21:32:39.089-05:00

Hit up the Detroit Urban Craft Fair this weekend. Awesome, as usual! I also hit up Noel Night on Saturday and Whip Stitch at the Corner Brewery the following night. At the Noel Night College for Creative Studies craft fair, I saw this CCS student walking around with this mug. So kick ass! Lana, my craft fair companion, stopped her and asked her where she got it. Turns out, she made it!

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-71399983373577145112010-11-16T20:17:00.000-05:002010-11-16T20:17:27.579-05:00

The International Students for Social Equality will be holding a meeting this Thursday, November 18th at 7 p.m. in room 304 of the EMU Student Center. The topic discussed will be the 2010 elections and the failure of the Democratic Party.   "The 2010 elections have been quickly followed by a shift by the entire political establishment to the right. After their sweeping victory, the

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-18674048440815644742010-11-12T15:21:00.000-05:002010-11-12T15:21:20.222-05:00

Last Thursday, over 200 people participated in a 4.6 mile walk from CMU to the Nibokaan Ancestral Cemetery to return the remains of 144 native people. The remains were returned through NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act). As a master's candidate in a historic preservation program, I've had only the tiniest bit of exposure to NAGPRA but I am intrigued to see it at work

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-48384280947267341572010-11-12T13:22:00.000-05:002010-11-12T13:22:08.763-05:00

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weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-11567180669337709762010-11-03T17:12:00.000-04:002010-11-03T17:12:59.296-04:00

After linking my previous post on the architecture of the imagination to Facebook, the humble and scholarly Kurt Sanchez (ahem...Anschuetz) commented that he found the rest of the note, with further descriptions of the submarine cave dwelling, on the ground in our neighborhood. Since he has subsequently posted scans of those pages on Facebook, I snagged them to share with y'all. Yay Kurt!

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-60159818049641023522010-11-02T22:33:00.002-04:002010-11-02T22:35:52.379-04:00

The International Students for Social Equality (ISSE) will be holding a joint meeting between the groups at EMU, UM, and WCC this Thursday, November 4 in Room 304 of the EMU Student Center from 7-9pm. Meeting Agenda:1. Political Report and discussion2. Review of Chapters one and two of Marx’s The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte3. Review of practical work If you aren't busy and are so inclined

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-17096624568803597342010-11-01T12:58:00.000-04:002010-11-01T12:58:55.481-04:00

I'm a day late in wishing you a Happy Halloween. Hope it was fun! A group of rather grim Ypsi children gather for a photo with their Jack-O-laterns. My fave is the one on the far left with the corncob pipe. From the Ypsilanti Historical Society's Digital Photo Archive, available here.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-29341033002069065222010-10-29T09:25:00.000-04:002010-10-29T09:25:43.154-04:00

While taking my evening constitutional the other night, I found the this note on the ground. It is mud-smeared and looks like a page torn from a Junior High-era journal, complete with a poem about unrequited love and containing the eyes of an imaginary audience. As you can see, the note also lays out the rudimentary plans for a house built into a "rock formation out at sea." Since I found it,

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-42667112397803851632010-10-27T06:46:00.005-04:002010-10-27T09:19:16.186-04:00

So I've a new preservation job in Saginaw. I won't elaborate much (to protect my identity!) but suffice it to say I get to mix advocacy, capacity building, architectural history, and education in to my duties. On top of all that I go inside cool old buildings, I get to meet the folks that are working to change their community, and I spend every moment of my day immersed in preservation, thinking

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-71443827363506937192010-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:002010-10-24T22:24:07.672-04:00

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-91193134627422110622010-10-24T20:19:00.000-04:002010-10-24T20:19:04.334-04:00

On Saturday, my Preservation Eastern cronies and I got a look at the storage facilities of The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, which also houses the significant corporate archives of the Ford Motor Company. While I know our tour barely scratched the surface, we still got to see some pretty cool stuff. Thanks to Tyler Wolfe for providing the photos. A drawer-full of treasures

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-47835633643150777832010-10-24T18:24:00.004-04:002010-10-24T18:54:54.796-04:00

One of the coolest things about exploring and working in old, crumbling houses is discovering some of the wack-a-doo color combos, textures and materials used to decorate and furnish the interiors of the past. It is an exercise of empathy and imagination to attempt to get 'behind' some of the ideas that inform the aesthetics of a previous era. So often one enters one of these houses to find

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-83136848566801000652010-10-21T20:18:00.002-04:002010-10-22T11:23:08.015-04:00

I took a quick walk down Jefferson in Saginaw on Tuesday afternoon and took in some of the beauties of the city's cultural landscape. Also check out this online walking tour of the Historic South Jefferson area Castle Museum Lovely, crumbling Prairie Style Alden B. Down house (tacked on to the side of the above church) This one's for sale folks! I want to live here and fix it up.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-29247393681531398572010-10-12T20:46:00.003-04:002010-10-12T20:52:47.208-04:00

The International Students for Social Equality, the student arm of the Socialist Equality Party, will be holding a public meeting this Thursday at 7:00 pm at Eastern Michigan University, 900 Oakwood St Student Center room 301 in Ypsilanti, MI. Click here for a Map. The itinerary of this week's meeting is an address and discussion of the SEP's recently published program "The Breakdown of

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-51616131031472867212010-10-11T09:10:00.001-04:002010-10-11T09:10:00.322-04:00

As anyone who has ever perused this blog might know, sometimes I do not write about Michigan. Sometimes I am shamelessly self and/or family promoting, or I find something cool I want to share, or I just want to pontificate. Well this post is one of the former. Specifically, this is in relation to my cousin Michael's band Hotbreath Tea. The songs are delicate, introspective and pretty as poetry

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-70785435175114343842010-10-10T21:06:00.001-04:002010-10-10T21:07:05.452-04:00

For dinner tonight I modified a lentil soup recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook by adding and subtracting a few ingredients. The soup is light and summery but still hearty enough for a meal. It embodies all the warm, earthy scents of second summer and is, for some reason, most tasty after a walk through your neighborhood. Here's what I did: In a big pot I warmed a big splash of olive oil.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-24736064571216373212010-10-06T11:06:00.002-04:002010-10-06T11:14:06.980-04:00

I've heard photography referred to as 'painting with light' but I think it can also be an act of focused attention that brings both the photographer and the viewer of the photograph in to a kind of visual and emotional synthesis across space and time.Witness the above photo of Lake of the Clouds from the randomSPACE photography blog which not only paints with light and pulls one in to the place

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-27500491318184556912010-10-05T22:56:00.001-04:002010-10-07T10:16:20.976-04:00

The larger social significance of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strike does not, at first blush, appear to be more than a hiccup in the storm of conflict that has engrossed the state in the last two years. In fact it seems indicative of larger social trends in a period of economic stagnation, one that most of us accept as necessary but one that does not seem as pressing as cuts to education, say

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-19158183512917620012010-10-03T21:51:00.000-04:002010-10-03T21:51:00.243-04:00

A little treat to wrap up the weekend: MC5 performing at Wayne State in the early 70s. See anyone you know in the crowd?

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-21240267166491526972010-08-24T09:23:00.000-04:002010-08-24T09:23:35.427-04:00

If you've never visited the Archives of Michigan's Seeking Michigan website, today might be the perfect day to start. Every month the Archives features an image from their vast collection and uses it to tell a story. This month's image is of Peter Wolfe, a Michigander who hiked the North Country Trail over six years in the 70s. You can read more about Peter and check out the other stories here.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-71160278400780406832010-08-16T10:36:00.000-04:002010-08-16T10:36:08.196-04:00

Check out this beautiful slide show and article on the preservation of the St. Helena Island Lighthouse in the New York Times. Best quote: “People need to know where their place is, and lighthouses acknowledge a sense of place that resonates in a real primal way.”

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-15442043449251568112010-08-10T16:47:00.000-04:002010-08-10T16:47:57.978-04:00

A landing pad for extraterrestials? A secret military training facility? What exactly is that huge white triangle in the Hiawatha Wilderness? Geoff Manaugh at BLDGBLOG offers an explanation and an exploration of the mysterious landscape feature: Michigan Deep Woods Triangle Screen capture from Google Maps.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-73235791953715983812010-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:002010-04-30T23:30:40.670-04:00

In celebration of May Day, I give you an excerpt from The Eleventh of November, 1887 by Voltairine de Cleyre, a prominant early 20th century freethought proponant and anarchist from Leslie, MI. She wrote it as a memorial oration for the anniversary of the Haymarket hangings in Chicago in November 1887. May Day, or International Workers Day, is held (roughly) on the anniversary of the Haymarket '

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-76478078245028552602010-04-30T22:36:00.000-04:002010-04-30T22:36:37.317-04:00

I've been working on an oral history project with the Legacy Land Conservancy. The project involves recording interviews with people who have donated or placed protective easements on their land with the Conservancy. Two weeks ago I met Harold Baker, an 87 year old retired Detroit teacher originally from Toledo. He never married and spent all of his free time in the woods near his home in

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-44534523018346409122010-04-21T09:42:00.001-04:002010-04-21T09:48:07.573-04:00

Listen up party people, Erica Hampton, the Ypsi photographer who took my pic last year for her brainchild The Ypsi Project NEEDS YOUR HELP!! She's trying to raise $2,400 so she can create an exhibit. Give her a hand won't you? Head over to kickstarter to make a pledge now! Oh, and there are prizes involved...

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-87766938851800468252010-03-29T21:37:00.000-04:002010-03-29T21:37:02.219-04:00

Dr. Ted Ligibel (head of my program at EMU) discusses the power and purpose of Historic Preservation with Jack Lessenberry on WGTE.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-21563160201851578682010-03-27T16:35:00.001-04:002010-03-27T16:35:29.671-04:00

A 1949 tourism video of various Michigan hotspots. Good stuff!

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-88109285779376851162010-03-23T15:55:00.001-04:002010-03-23T16:03:34.144-04:00

A few choice quotes in case you don't have time to read it or watch it: "The larger picture here is that the private insurance companies are still the ones in charge. They’re still going to call the shots. And if anything, they’ve just been given another big handout by the government by guaranteeing customers." "I understand why President Obama had to issue his declaration, to get the

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-71623495543214130152010-02-18T10:16:00.002-05:002010-02-18T10:18:15.661-05:00

Let me begin by saying that I am not opposed to wind power, nor to any sort of technological advancement that allows us to break our dependence on coal and oil and combat climate change. Even beyond their utilitarian purpose, I think wind turbines are actually very beautiful. But I have some severe reservations with the current wind turbine proposal for West Michigan. First, everything beneath

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-40217046165614467242010-02-11T16:59:00.000-05:002010-02-11T16:59:53.185-05:00

Join the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count by tallying the birds you see at any location during February 12-15. Watch for at least 15 minutes on one or more count days, record the highest number of each species you see at any one time, and enter your checklist at birdcount.org. Put your sightings on the map and watch as counts pour in from around the United States and Canada! The count is led

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-60568289761338826602010-02-09T07:44:00.011-05:002010-02-09T07:44:00.038-05:00

Check out this free film event at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) on Wednesday night at 7pm: Lost Landscapes of Detroit is "an eclectic montage of rediscovered and rarely-seen archival film clips exhibiting life; cityscapes, labor and leisure from ‘vanishing Detroit’, as captured by amateurs, newsreel cameramen and industrial filmmakers from the 1920’s to the 1960’s. Lost

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-41432903157831214882010-02-08T17:55:00.001-05:002010-02-08T17:56:32.313-05:00

I recently inherited a bag of my grandmother's handmade aprons from the 50s and 60s. This hostess apron was among them. It came with a series of holiday themed patches made out of felt. The patches are attached with snaps at the back so they can be changed to match the theme of the party.    Gram, I have to say that's pretty darned cute. The image of my grandma hostessing a party in the 50s in a

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-17630533175479554632010-02-07T14:45:00.000-05:002010-02-07T14:45:00.762-05:00

For the past month or so, Audi and I have been obsessed with Freaks and Geeks, a late nineties show about a group of teenagers growing up outside of Detroit. Yeah, yeah I know the High School genre is sort of tired. And yes, the acting is kinda bad (I love you Jason Segel but man, you should stick to writing puppet musicals). And I know, it was obviously not actually filmed in Michigan because

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-12696591977330996472010-02-06T14:41:00.002-05:002010-02-06T14:41:00.289-05:00

For my Architectural Interpretation class this semester I'm writing a paper on Caroline Bartlett Crane's Everyman's House in Kalamazoo. Crane was a minister, suffragist, reformer, and writer who made her home in Kalamazoo.  During her lifetime she wrote and lectured extensively for a variety of social issues including poor house reform, women’s suffrage and municipal sanitation. In 1924 Crane

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-57729452537780923922010-02-05T13:55:00.002-05:002010-02-05T14:07:09.101-05:00

On recent visit to Three Rivers, I discovered Lowry's Books on Main Street. It is the bibliophile's dream of what a bookstore ought to be. They have a section of new books but then the rest of the store is piled high with treasures. Rooms and rooms wind back on themselves, swallowing you up. Lowry's selection is not garage sale crap. There is no stink of must, just the aroma of important and

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-51117990323350234852010-02-04T13:10:00.000-05:002010-02-04T13:10:17.669-05:00

Vote for Marquette in the 2010 Distinctive Destinations contest from the National Trust and register to win a two nights stay in a historic hotel. Each year the Trust chooses twelve communities "that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-26769107197217050322009-12-31T12:33:00.000-05:002009-12-31T12:33:43.419-05:00

Steven Sebring's documentary on Patti Smith debuted on PBS on Wednesday night. Patti Smith, a punk-poet icon and activist, spent 15 years raising her children with guitarist Fred Smith in St. Clair Shores, MI (her son, Jackson, is now married to White Stripes drummer, Meg White). After Fred's death in 1994, Patti took her kids back to the east coast and reemerged in the public eye. The film

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-15851218688112921162009-12-31T11:01:00.000-05:002009-12-31T11:01:59.298-05:00

That while I was taking a break from blogging for most of November and December, Glorious Jones, my dear friend, crafter and blogger (whom I've mentioned here plenty) gave birth to a beautiful baby girl? She's the bee's knees folks and her name is Isla. Over my blogging break, I also took a trip to New Orleans (I think I mentioned this already). I got my first official tatt there with my girl

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-46271177874966267582009-12-30T21:12:00.002-05:002009-12-30T21:16:20.355-05:00

Taking our inspiration from the various sauna traditions of the cold parts of the world, like the Korean jimjibong, the Finnish sauna and Native American sweatlodge, my pops and I decided to build our own sauna in the backyard over Christmas break. The structure we built out of blankets, tarps and willow branches is temporary but it proved to be a remarkably awesome place to sit out the snowstorm

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-81907646422106182362009-12-30T20:47:00.000-05:002009-12-30T20:47:38.785-05:00

I bought these fantastic slippers for my sisters for Christmas. I found them on etsy through the French Press Knits storefront. French Press Knits is the craft-child of Melynda, a Hartland, MI knitter and crafter. They're so beautiful! Her work is snuggly, colorful, and stylish and I'm just in love. Check out her blog here.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-48399557964043868082009-11-16T20:04:00.003-05:002009-11-16T20:07:50.674-05:00

Yesterday some friends and I went tooling around Detroit. We're architecture nerds (well, some of us are) so among the many areas ogled, top among them was Mies Van Der Rohe and Charles Blessing's Lafayette Park. This planned community, with open green space, human scale architecture, sunken parking lots, and adjacent stores and schools was Blessing's eventual plan for all of Detroit. And then

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-67788412904692810422009-11-01T22:52:00.002-05:002009-11-01T22:59:53.242-05:00

So I met this guy Patrick the other night at Corner Brewery. He's a digital artist and freelance exhibit designer. I especially like his work with Sanborn Maps and historic properties. Check it out here.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-46716294571862614302009-11-01T20:22:00.002-05:002009-11-01T20:33:55.137-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween weekend. Mine was beyond fun so I feel I have to gush a bit. I flew down to New Orleans on friday and met up with one of my bestest friends, Kerenza, who is a chef at the Bourbon House. Not only did we eat and drink and stare at beautiful buildings but we also spent Saturday at VooDoo Fest, where we saw Gogol Bordello (my favorite), Drive By Truckers,

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-63014887113557495862009-10-28T09:38:00.007-04:002009-10-28T10:58:39.404-04:00

Anna Clark, a Michigan blogger and writer for Bitch Magazine, has started a great series on why she, as a feminist, is also a sports fan. Clark brings up a lot of relevant questions on how one can reconcile feminism with a world that is often "saturated with macho posturing.. frequently excuses the bad behavior of its heroes...celebrates brute force," and whose "history is poisoned by cheating

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-13153955964480080872009-10-23T09:05:00.001-04:002009-10-23T09:05:04.220-04:00

Yesterday, at a hospice in New York, comedian Soupy Sales passed away at age 83. His television career began in Cleveland in 1951 but then moved to Detroit's WXYZ in 1953. The show was a children's program and featured puppets, gags, and lots of pies in the faces of famous people. My grandpa, Jack Flechsig, was the art director for the show in Detroit and he recalls some of the tricks the staff

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-81905463368302338222009-10-22T16:57:00.004-04:002009-10-22T17:23:29.818-04:00

photo from treehugger.com Reporter Charles Ruhigg spoke with Democracy Now! this morning about his current series on water issues in the US for the New York Times. In the interview he discusses the critical problems with our sources of water here in the US, including coal-fired power plants, farm runoff and violations of the Clean Water Act. It is well worth a read, especially here in Michigan,

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-43062182762407668922009-10-18T17:06:00.001-04:002009-10-18T17:06:39.542-04:00

John Lee Hooker made a name for himself while working for Ford in Detroit. He played in many of the Blues Clubs on Hastings St. and is, obviously, one of the greatest blues guitarists ever. My mom introduced me to John Lee Hooker in a second hand way (i.e. I stole her tape in 8th grade and listened to it until it broke in the player while I was washing dishes at Hobby Crest). Thanks momma!

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-68449258491403070502009-10-18T16:42:00.008-04:002009-10-18T17:14:56.209-04:00

This weekend was a food weekend and fall in Michigan is the best time for food. Here's what I had/made.First, cousin Beth and I picked a bushel of apples from Lutz Orchards near Saline. Then I made some jambalaya/beans and rice/big mess o' yummy with local smoked sausage.Last, for dessert, I fixed up the poor woman's version of punkin pie. Vanilla pudding + one small can of pumpkin + whipped

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-84996657509058892752009-10-18T16:35:00.003-04:002009-10-18T17:39:08.270-04:00

...and there's nothing like a cute baby in a yoda hat to help that happen. You're welcome.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-39693828094148955062009-10-16T17:07:00.002-04:002009-10-16T17:10:08.285-04:00

The Natural Resources Trust Fund Board will meet again on October 21st to discuss whether or not to contribute $12.6 million toward the acquisition of the Denison South. The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance fully supports the latest agreement to protect and preserve the South permanently. This acquisition will be an essential first step toward finally linking Saugatuck's Oval Beach to the

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-58999597419526993542009-10-16T14:30:00.003-04:002009-10-16T14:39:07.452-04:00

Kalamazoo will be voting on an anti-discrimination ordinance this November. Read all about it here.To find out how you can get involved check out the Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality website, the Triangle Foundation, or Michigan Equality.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-82165842485807865692009-10-16T13:46:00.008-04:002009-10-18T17:23:52.431-04:00

One hundred and fifty years ago today, John Brown and 18 other men entered Harpers Ferry, Virginia and took control of a federal arsenal in an attempt to arm citizens, instigate a revolution and destroy slavery. The next day, a detachment of Marines arrived, led by Robert E. Lee, that quickly captured or killed the rebels. John Brown was later executed. This incident at Harpers Ferry is

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-50965003297392089912009-10-14T20:39:00.004-04:002009-10-14T20:53:10.083-04:00

Let's hear it for the girl!! Back when I was at WMU in the Creative Writing Program, I went to many a Bonnie Jo Cambell reading. She is fabulous and just the type of writer I wanted to be when I grew up. I'm so excited to see her getting the recognition she deserves.Her nominated book, American Salvage, chronicles the lives of a few rural Michigan people. So go out and buy it already!Read the NY

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-41396721185178490122009-10-13T23:30:00.005-04:002009-10-13T23:37:44.967-04:00

Hey there, you should check out the State Historic Preservation Office's photostream on flickr. It features photos and descriptions of some of the coolest buildings, parks and sites in Michigan. Their latest photostream is of the US Coast Guard Station in Ludington including this one.Click the following link for morehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mishpo/

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-88837985829172519062009-10-13T19:00:00.002-04:002009-10-13T19:12:14.138-04:00

Further evidence that my life choices have turned out to be good ones: I spent last weekend with my Preserving Community Character class up in Elk Rapids. We're working on a Cultural Landscape Report for the Historical Society. That involves lots of fun research and running around documenting features. What this also involves (unofficially) is fresh air, Lake Michigan, fall colors, early snow

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-57553524754556139542009-10-05T12:51:00.005-04:002009-10-05T13:03:00.895-04:00

While researching a building in Muskegon county for work today, I ran across a brief mention of Buster Keaton in the annals of Muskegon county history. Apparently, Buster Keaton, who grew up in a vaudeville family, spent his summers at an actor's colony near Muskegon. The area was know as Bluffton and Keaton wrote about it in his autobiography,"The best summers of my life were spent in the

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-42567312447722810972009-09-30T22:01:00.002-04:002009-09-30T22:04:35.682-04:00

Follow the link below to sign the petition in support of Ibrahim Parlakhttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/freeibrahim/index.html

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-7577059262772885512009-09-29T23:02:00.003-04:002009-09-29T23:10:25.766-04:00

Today was a lucky day. Not only was it beautiful, fresh sweater weather but I also scored a free pound of coffee from the Ugly Mug in Ypsi. On my walk back from the coffee shop, I found a Norwegian coin on the ground.Neato!I love to collect money from around the world. Here's some of my collection. There are many countries represented. Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Ireland (both

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-38576788056128298232009-09-29T18:29:00.005-04:002009-09-29T18:49:14.993-04:00

So when I was in Korea, I had a silly 13-year-old girl type crush on this dude in a coffee ad (so did just about every other hetero female on the peninsula). Well turns out, the guy, Daniel Henney, is actually from Michigan. Carson City to be exact.Now he's co-starring in a new hospital drama (Three Rivers) on CBS, which is most unfortunate because there is almost nothing I want to watch less

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-83905681187480114632009-09-29T13:14:00.004-04:002009-09-29T13:32:53.101-04:00

I've been absent for a few weeks now. Mea culpa. Lots of stuff is happening in Michigan and everywhere (is there ever not?): budget cuts, health care and G20 brawls, burning historic buildings, trips up north, new school years, swine flu. Instead of paying attention and doing my blogger duty, however, I've been doing other stuff equally as important. Like baking bread!Doing homework! Learning how

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-49245665274082208202009-09-10T08:31:00.005-04:002009-09-10T08:48:42.861-04:00

I read a write up on this on The Dirt and thought it was cool enough to share. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched MyEnvironment, which aggregates maps and data and presents community environmental statistics. Users can search by neighborhood and learn about the air quality (including daily ozone and particulate matter forecasts), cancer risk levels (including infant

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-15108718138432502292009-09-09T09:28:00.001-04:002009-09-09T09:28:40.932-04:00

Oh it's foggy here in Lansing and I love it so we'd best listen to something moody. How about some Sinead and Paddy Moloney? Be still my heart... I love her so.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-81154251979077781432009-09-08T11:22:00.006-04:002009-09-08T12:42:01.265-04:00

"I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity."A few things have kept me from updating recently, chief among them being the usual end-of-summer funk. However, more productive reasons exist as well. First, I spent a long glorious vacation in the Indiana Dunes with my fam. Second, all of my free time at home has been spent reading Deidre Bair's biography of Simone de

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-7457626193616114092009-08-31T20:02:00.001-04:002009-08-31T20:02:40.629-04:00

featuring Mickey Rourke and Kris Kristofferson

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-40243071167172935572009-08-25T23:26:00.004-04:002009-08-31T20:03:39.410-04:00

photo from the Cornell Lab of OrinthologyThis evening, while sitting on the porch, I heard the distinctive call of a common night hawk. (It sounds like a sqwee...sqwee). Night hawks are small spotted birds that can be seen hunting for insects in the limnal periods of dusk and dawn. They breed in the continental U.S. and winter in South America. Right now they are migrating to their wintering

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-29401519819768538202009-08-25T13:03:00.001-04:002009-08-25T14:10:53.942-04:00

Ibrahim Parlak, the Berrien County owner of Cafe Gulistan accused of involvement with the PKK in Turkey, has lost his federal appeal to remain in the U.S. Mr. Parlak has never been involved with the PKK nor participated in any form of violent political opposition towards Turkey or the United States. Before seeking political asylum in the U.S. in the early '90s, Ibrahim was a nonviolent Kurdish

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-20983708032851819562009-08-20T00:09:00.003-04:002009-08-20T00:12:06.283-04:00

This is a postcard image of Ludington High School, year undetermined. Notice the beautiful buildings in the background as well. None of them are still standing. What might our city have looked like if we had incorporated wise planning and resource conservation from the beginning?

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-90060352431294221062009-08-20T00:05:00.001-04:002009-08-20T00:08:01.648-04:00

The New York Times recently did an article about Historic Preservation and renewal in Flint. Accompanying the article are some beatiful photographs of local neighborhoods.Here's an excerpt:“I grew up in Lansing, and when I told people I was moving to Flint they were like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” said Ms. Fedewa, 36, the executive director of the Flint River Watershed Coalition. “But we never had

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-70160392947796437832009-08-18T17:44:00.004-04:002009-08-18T17:51:28.562-04:00

While doing some research on a farmhouse in southern Michigan, I ran across this article in the New York Times archive. Pretty funny.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-74832614119534149812009-08-17T22:28:00.001-04:002009-08-17T22:30:21.754-04:00

from the michigan.gov Newswire:Wind Energy Resource Zone Board to Hold Public Hearing in Scottville Contact: Judy Palnau (517) 241-3323August 17, 2009The Wind Energy Resource Zone Board will hold a public hearing at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31, in Scottville on its proposed report that identified the four regions in Michigan with the highest level of wind energy harvest potential.The report,

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-15730126494225292532009-08-14T17:29:00.004-04:002009-08-14T17:43:43.682-04:00

A coupla months ago photographer Erica Hampton contacted me about taking my picture for the Ypsi Project. Every day Erica takes a picture of someone from Ypsi and shares their story on her website, here. This Saturday Erica will be at Bombadill’s Cafe on Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti to take photos of Ypsi denizens. From 10 a.m.-7 p.m., the photography team will be on hand to try and reach their goal

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-804393937331331842009-08-13T13:45:00.005-04:002009-08-13T14:03:36.029-04:00

Birds eye view of the Standish prison taken from MiLiveObama's peeps are touring the soon-to-be-closed Standish prison today to see if it could make a suitable home for Guantanamo detainees.Obama is moving to close Guantanamo, just as he promised during the election, but as the detainees are moved to another location, will the circumstances of the detainees imprisonment change? I think that

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-34939131684866858552009-08-13T12:48:00.005-04:002009-08-13T13:25:26.960-04:00

i took this pic from motorcityblog, who took it from someone else...My kid sisters and I hit up the Royal Oak Music Theater this week to see the Decemberists. Here are the reasons why I like the Decemberists:1. Their name (named for the 1825 Russian Decemberist Revolt)2. Their live show is like watching a Halloween theme band (I half expect them to cover Monster Mash) at Colonial Williamsburg.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-60820663945042271362009-08-09T21:04:00.002-04:002009-08-09T21:12:22.733-04:00

There's a storm a blowin' in. Here's the perfect song for a night storm.Pirate Jenny - Nina Simone

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-69748641704480590392009-08-09T20:38:00.009-04:002009-08-09T21:53:45.349-04:00

The largest fiber festival in the state kicks off this Wednesday at the Allegan County Fairgrounds in Allegan. Workshops run August 12-15 and the actual fair runs August 15-16. Workshop subjects include spinning, felting, silk dyeing, weaving, and lacemaking (among other things) and the marketplace features vendors from all over the region. Think of it: hand spun and dyed yarns and cloth sourced

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-38069468975340031042009-08-09T20:31:00.001-04:002009-08-09T20:31:23.004-04:00

The opening band for Fleet Foxes at Royal Oak was Swedish rock band Dungen. Lead singer Gustav Ejstes managed to channel both Jimmy Page and Jethro Tull with out the slightest bit of cheese. Vidunderlig!

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-48929945582202526692009-08-09T20:20:00.001-04:002009-08-09T20:20:53.172-04:00

I was lucky enough to see the Fleet Foxes play the Royal Oak Music Theater on August 5th. During the show they played this new song, Blue Spotted Tail. Lovely.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-81090010518966136732009-08-08T09:57:00.007-04:002009-08-13T12:43:53.350-04:00

Poor John Dingell.He's been been fighting for universal health care since 1957. Every year since then, Rep. Dingell has introduced a universal health care bill and every year he's been denied. Now, health care reform may become a reality but Dingell's town hall meetings are being hijacked by shrill and paranoid protesters. Before you get angry, let me make two things very clear. 1. I don't

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-10307284835599126142009-08-06T08:07:00.007-04:002009-08-06T08:35:37.546-04:00

photo from worldwarIItcmsphoto from tell me no lies"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the shatterer of worlds." -Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu epic recalled by J. Robert Oppenheimer while viewing the first nuclear explosion in Alamagordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945At 8:15 on this day

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-54775313390273034212009-08-05T13:37:00.002-04:002009-08-05T13:39:59.302-04:00

Read the story and comments here:http://www.annarbor.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&tag=swans&limit=20

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-22022105839707493272009-08-05T12:55:00.006-04:002009-08-06T08:04:16.134-04:00

This kind of crap makes me freak out."City leaders in Oxford, Ala. have approved the destruction of a 1,500-year-old Native American ceremonial mound and are using the dirt as fill for a new Sam's Club, a retail warehouse store operated by Wal-Mart."According to Mayor Leon Smith, "What it's going to be is more prettier than it is today."That needs almost no commentary.Read more here. And here.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-35145456439508081682009-08-05T12:01:00.001-04:002009-08-05T12:04:14.806-04:00

Michigan Library Association Opposes Plan to Divide Library of Michigan Assets and Slash FundingLansing, MI- The Michigan Library Association board of directors today expressed serious concern with Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to divide state library assets and the Senate-passed budget that would slash statewide library funding. "The library community opposes the Governor's Executive Order

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-91548573606907399642009-08-04T11:38:00.005-04:002009-08-04T11:52:36.601-04:00

From Publisher's Weekly:By Claire Kirch -- Publishers Weekly,07/31/2009A coalition of environmental activists and artists is hoping that the pen isn’t just mightier than the sword, but also more powerful than big bucks, as they try to protect Michigan’s Saugatuck Dunes shoreline from development. The group, which calls itself The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, is planning to raise the money

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-69170366444545343312009-08-04T08:19:00.003-04:002009-08-04T08:36:01.705-04:00

Every week I get a Historic Preservation, planning and cultural news roundup from the State Historic Preservation Office listserve. Here are a few the items on the list this week. Click on the title to read the article.HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEWS:Detroit’s lack of respect for its mighty industrial past bafflesnational, local historic preservationistsMichigan Theatre in Jackson awarded $12,000

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-55877419489082534512009-07-31T14:49:00.003-04:002009-07-31T14:59:58.258-04:00

From the Ludington Daily News:James Craig Cameron, 19, of Custer was arrested Wednesday and arraigned Thursday on a charge of taking an endangered species. The state misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.That punishment seems a bit light but I guess it's better than nothing. I can understand the heartbreak of the Goff family and if anyone hurt one of the

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-21690537164914594412009-07-31T13:46:00.003-04:002009-07-31T13:59:28.468-04:00

I've been farting around with Google Maps at work, trying to make everything I do a little more efficient. And the idea hit me that it'd be really fun to make a map of my favorite Michigan spots. So here it is, the grand debut of itilym favorite Michigan spots. I'll be updating and editing it regularly so be sure to check back. Also, I think that as long as the map is public, anyone with a gmail

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-57885347768439473312009-07-31T12:04:00.005-04:002009-07-31T12:09:26.190-04:00

Michigan Equality is hosting a signature gathering day in support of the proposed Jackson Civil Rights Ordinance. If you're interested in helping out, info is below. If you can't make it, please consider writing a letter or donating to Michigan Equality.August 1st is signature gathering day in Jackson in support of the proposed Jackson Civil Rights Ordinance. Bella Notte restaurant has donated a

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-35365162492020472882009-07-31T11:46:00.002-04:002009-07-31T11:51:27.380-04:00

If you've never tried mead (honey wine), now's your chance. B. Necktar Meadery in Ferndale will be hosting a Mead Day to celebrate their one year anniversary. If you can't make the festival but still want to try local honey wine, B. Necktar Meadery mead is available at specialty grocers in many parts of the state (including the Ypsi co-op!) or online from their website. Here's the weekend agenda

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-84708280071723079292009-07-28T17:48:00.003-04:002009-07-28T18:23:37.441-04:00

This year has been a terrible year of loss and now we've lost another. Anyone who knew Michelle Aberegg, knew her as a fighter and a caring nurse. She was one of my mother's co-workers and a dear family friend. Michelle was present at the birth of both of my sisters and at all of our graduation parties. For years, Michelle has been battling breast cancer and the health care system, though she

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-29207286154128710322009-07-28T08:09:00.002-04:002009-07-28T08:11:26.234-04:00

While out in the field for work last Wednesday, I saw these guys hanging out in a cemetery near Douglas.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-31364388221859118822009-07-26T19:30:00.005-04:002009-07-28T08:12:17.369-04:00

My Aunt Wanda passed away a few months ago. She knew for months that she was dying and today was the day she planned for her memorial in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, because of our financial circumstances, my sisters and I weren't able to make the ceremony. I've been thinking of Aunt Wanda and Uncle Mark and all of my aunts, uncles and cousins gathered in Minnesota today. I think of the brave way

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-7372821556593668532009-07-26T18:54:00.009-04:002009-07-26T19:29:52.796-04:00

I think he might be wearing a fake chest... and I'm wearing a fake fat granma arm....both are very convincing.....ewwww We're caught in a trap... Guess what I'm looking at... it ain't the poke salad Elvis groupies...This was a coupla weeks ago but I thought I'd share some pics from the Ypsi Elvis Fest.

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-5451218920598675132009-07-25T14:31:00.006-04:002009-07-25T15:00:49.933-04:00

American redstart I'm trying to become a better birder. Part of this means keeping track of the birds I've successfully identified. It's really hard because I don't have a bird book and the little buggers move pretty quickly. It's nothing spectacular but here's what I've identified so far this summer:American

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-81060902650069925612009-07-22T23:00:00.001-04:002009-07-22T23:36:00.910-04:00

I always seem to be extra broke in the summertime, which is a bummer but not as awful as being poor in the winter, I guess. But I'm big time broke right now so I'm surviving on Ramen and beans and sardines (not all at once, blech). Time for a little music to cheer me up...dancing around the apt. will not be ruled out.Angie Stone I wish I didn't miss you anymoreAdele Cold ShoulderBarry White

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-92197167420916012892009-07-19T17:14:00.004-04:002009-07-19T17:18:35.092-04:00

There was an interesting editorial on The Daily Beast this week following Obama's visit to Michigan. Here's a taste:"Obama surely did not intend to insult America’s industrial workers. But that’s exactly what he did, by implying that if American workers lose their jobs to Chinese and Indian workers, their own lack of education is to blame. Not the short-term calculations of greedy shareholders

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-17591116708814777942009-07-19T16:49:00.004-04:002009-07-19T17:09:37.693-04:00

Lots of goodies to be had a the Corner Brewery's Shadow Art Fair last night. Here's a peek at some of my favorites. Handcrafted curiosities by Lori Brown: morninglori.etsy.com The guys that do all the poster art for The Bang! (a monthly, mixed-tape dance party at the Blind Pig in AA) Illustrator, artist and hand-poke tattooist, Matthew NisbettPretty stained glass Michigan necklaces (I want one!!)

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-63075394475159796482009-07-14T09:32:00.003-04:002009-07-14T10:00:46.438-04:00

It seems like every time I check the news, the Prez is in a different location and on a heavy mission. First to Russia to talk nukes then the G8 summit in Italy and finally to Ghana where he outlined his administration's POV on the continent. Now today President Obama is in Warren (Michigan!) to give a speech at Macomb Community College. I'm sure he'll be covering the importance of education and

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-25296740247474887542009-07-14T08:43:00.002-04:002009-07-14T08:51:30.711-04:00

Here's a copy of a press release issued by ArtServe Michigan in response to Gov. Granholm's executive order dissolving the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Why is it that art and history are always the first things to go? Included in this cut is the Historic marker program.Just minutes ago, Governor Granholm signed Executive Order No. 2009 - 36 officially closing the Department of

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-8423229123757998992009-07-12T23:18:00.001-04:002009-07-12T23:18:59.871-04:00

So this guy is annoying and not funny (oh how he tries) but he says some things about Obama and liberals that need to be said. Since the last election I've been more amazed than ever at how Americans follow party lines (both liberal and conservative) rather than vote in response to policy (or barring that, in response to reality). And so we have all of these faux-revolutionary, grassroots

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554983650381803650.post-44084540075522412832009-07-10T13:44:00.003-04:002009-07-10T13:47:23.083-04:00

Why'd you have to go and steal my bike, nerd? Dammit!If anybody in town sees a beautiful Gary Fisher Tessajara mountain bike, throw a brick at the person riding it or call me and let me do it.grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

weakykneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06036838116335477578noreply@blogger.com0