I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t heard about what happened at Funk Night at the CAID last Friday, May 30. Apparently, at 2:20am, a SWAT team charged into the monthly dance party and terrorized everyone there, conducted full body searches, verbally and physically abused the patrons, and impounded every single car, issuing exorbitant and seemingly illegal impound fees ($900).

My sympathies go out to every person innocently involved in this ruckus and I sincerely hope that reporters at the Free Press and the Detroit News get to the bottom of this to let us all know what happened, why a SWAT team was issued a warrant to search the CAID, and what legal actions can be taken for wrong-doing by the city of Detroit. This is not a cut-and-dried case–the CAID may very well be culpable for illegal activities. However, this abuse of power and terrorization of non-violent patrons is both ridiculous and outrageous.

For more info and commentary, visit Webvomit and Fivethreedialtone.

Ditching one’s car in the Motor City takes some serious mental preparation.  It is an automatic reaction to grab for your keys if you need to go to the pharmacy or grocery store.  I have done so many a time only to realize that the taking People Mover ($0.50/ride) or walking (free and healthy) would be less infuriating as the city fills with summer visitors.  This increased saturation means that the only parking available is from some shady person for $20 attending a field-passed-off-as-a-lot that clearly is not his/her property.  There are many non-shady options, but they too are ridiculously expensive.  I have turned right back around many times to the only parking I could find downtown – back at home.  The just shy of $4/gallon gas prices helps the process of ditching keys right along.  Bottom line: try something different – walk, bike, skateboard, rollerblade, Segway, rent a tandem-bike from Wheelhouse – because the cost of driving and parking are not going down any time soon. 

Now that most of the copper has been scraped clean from the numerous abandoned buildings in Detroit, it seems that thieves have moved on to our parked cars.

I’ve spoken to several people who have had the catalytic converters stolen from under their parked cars overnight or in the early morning. My neighbor in the relatively quiet Woodbridge neighborhood had his catalytic converter stolen in the early morning. A turn of the key in the ignition resulted in a loud engine roar that could very well have awakened the rest of the block. Another neighbor reported that she saw a guy in a Crown Victoria get out of his car, get under my neighbor’s car for about 1 minute, and take off with a large metal object seconds later.

That’s all it took: a total of about two minutes to stop, saw, and go. (more…)

This week’s Metro Times cover story by Curt Guyette, “The Big Burn: America’s largest garbage incinerator and the movement to shut it down,” is both a must read and a call-to-arms for all Detroiters, both metro and suburban.

It is both absolutely ridiculous and sadly typical that Detroit has the country’s largest incinerator, and even more ridiculous and typical that the city officials who have the power to move the city in a new, more environmentally sustainable direction are leaning toward keeping this monstrosity (I’m looking right at you, Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams!). Detroit needs a challenge, and reducing our waste by making recycling the law (that’s right, the law) in Detroit is a great start. With a vigorous recycling program and more education regarding environmental and health issues, the choice won’t need to be between an incinerator and landfills. The answer will be a better life for Detroit and the surrounding area–environmentally and economically.

We could utilize the sage advice and experience from the good folks at Recy-clean in this challenge. In fact, you can start by going to see them regularly at 1331 Holden with these items at the following times:

Wednesday 10am-2am
Saturday 9am-3pm

Oh, and that $600-$1200 you’ll be getting from old mother Bush this May, it wouldn’t hurt to make a donation to this and other great Detroit non-profit organizations who do a bunch of great things for you for free.

Just when you think we’re done with winter, we’re slapped with a weather forecast predicting none other than more snow! I don’t know about you, but I have had enough snow for one year (I actually wouldn’t mind if we skipped the snow next year, either).

Needless to say, don’t put away those gloves, scarves and boots just yet; we are likely going to see snow tomorrow, and freezing rain/snow on Thursday and Friday.

It’s still a week away, but the forecast for Opening Day is — gasp! — 50 degrees. Sorry to be skeptical, but I’ll believe it when I see it :)

I made my joyous return to Detroit this week, after heading south expecting warmth and instead having to buy up Florida’s supply of sweatshirts, and was re-introduced to my least favorite thing about metro Detroit.

Scandal? Nope! Gas prices.

After forking over a big percentage of my paycheck at the pump, I realized that my measly 7 mile drive to my office is far (far!) less than most people have to travel. I polled some co-workers who live out in exurbia and they admitted to having to fill up every three or so days. At time, this amounted to about two days pay per week! I’m amazed that people out there are working just to be able to afford to drive to work!

I’m blessed with having a bus station right at the end of my street as well as right across from my office. Last summer, when gas prices hit $3.50, I went out an bought a bus pass. I loved not having to weave around traffic, got to read a book while someone else drove, and really fell in love with what little public transportation we have here in Detroit. While I’m kind of a baby about the cold and don’t want to trek even the couple yards to the bus stop, I’m more of a cheapskate than anything else, which means - come tomorrow? Look for me on the Woodward bus. I’ll be the one with the smile on my face, and a book in my lap.

I had my book club on Tuesday evening during the mayor’s State of the City address, so I didn’t hear it as it was happening, but I hard plenty about it on the local news when I arrived home that evening. The mayor said a lot during the speech, but the biggest hoopla to come out of the night were his remarks that the media is acting like a lynch mob against him and his blatant use of the N-word. (more…)

So yesterday I watched the annual fireworks on a nice rooftop in the city. While the show seemed to be an average show (which isn’t a bad thing), a big blast of fireworks came out, and quickly ended about 25 seconds later.

I presumed this was to mark the moment that the grand finale was set to begin. I had my camera ready, and the one shot I had already taken of the quick blast were way overexposed. I was ready for something that never came. It was the end.

Usually finales last for AT LEAST a full minute. Hopefully next year will yield a better finale.

A couple of weekends ago while shopping in Eastern Market I was harassed by two homeless men, threatened by one, and witnessed two others using very public places for their bathrooms. Under usual circumstances I give what I can, but these men were particularly viscous and relentless. Now I do not scare easily, but these events left me with such uneasiness that they caused me to lay low in the city for couple of days. I was thinking of what to say about this particular issue, and this is what I have come up with. I do not have any problems with homeless people. I don’t know their stories, or how they came to be in this predicament. Most people fall on hard luck in life and some are not lucky enough to have people around them to help bail them out. That being said, I cannot stand panhandlers. Please have the decency not to harass me when I am walking alone. Please do not name call or threaten me if I don’t have the exact amount of money you have asked for. I can only imagine what people not used to these situations feel when they are only visiting the city; would they return?

I have been watching the Celebrate Michigan photo contest since the beginning of May. I submitted a few photos early on and watched the progression and addition of photos.

I knew I most likely wouldn’t win, so when they released the winners I was content until I seen what they were. As I clicked the link to view the winner gallery. I was appaled to find that some of the winners were hardly photos at all, in my eyes.Most tone mapped/HDR images are in no way photos in my opinion, as they aren’t natural as the eye would see it. Many of these photos were manipulated in this way, or were photoshopped beyond realism (such as Kevin Cliffords photo, which is more like a painting, then a photo. How can drugged up colors like a purple river ever be acceptable?). In addition to this was a poorly created panorama that was partially underexposed, with seams and vignetting showing. I know photos don’t have to be masterpieces, but some of them don’t capture how the location would look in real life.

Phoographers such as Ryan Southen and Adrian Platts should have ranked higher then many of these photos. First, third, were good photos and are examples of what should have been seen in the winners gallery.

Am I just overreacting, or are fake images giving false impressions of Michigan?