Packard Plant: let it burn?

Detroit's Packard Industrial Park's 3.5 million square feet is an eerie landmark in the city. Once a symbol of economic prosperity, today the sprawling, decayed frame covers 35 acres with shattered glass, dripping rust, and heaps of municipal waste such as shoes, dolls and boats. In the spring and summer parts become enshrouded in leafy overgrowth.

In many ways, The Packard factory is a symbol of The Motor City's decline from a prosperous manufacturing capital to a city in crisis.

A fire blazed through the top floors of the structure Sunday night June 28th at 7:30 p.m. Firefighters faught the blaze from the outside for hours. The fire is suspected to be arson.

Anything to look like Beyonce, right?

The Detox drink is quite simple to make. Take:

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon. Do not use concentrate or a drink mix, as these contain preservatives.
2 tablespoons of Organic or natural maple syrup. Again, no maple flavored syrups, for reasons above.
1/10th of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, more or less to taste.

Mix above ingredients in 8 oz. of fresh spring water, hot or cold. Yum?

Bing's campaign statement on trash incinerator

When running for Mayor Dave Bing has this to say about recycling and about his position on Detroit's method of municipal waste disposal:

Q: Do you think Detroit should continue to send garbage to its waste-to-energy incinerator?

A: In fiscal year 2007-2008, Detroit residents paid $172/ton for trash disposal – about 5 to 7 times as much as nearby suburbs, and about 14 times what private haulers paid to have their trash burned at the incinerator ($172/ton versus $12/ton).

In 2008, the city council voted to end sending our trash to its waste to energy incinerator. I support this action. Detroit can sell materials that are currently going into the incinerator on the global market. The city can not sell what now it burns. That is more money that could be earmarked for our deficit. I have been informed that of the nation's 30 largest cities, Detroit is the only major city without some type of curbside recycling program. While confronting our mounting deficit, I can not promise a city wide curbside recycling program, I would support working with the private and non-profit sectors on pilot programs.

"I am the nightmare of Al Sharpton.
I am the nightmare of Jesse Jackson.

Sittin' here smokin' weed,
sellin' drugs,
countin' money with a bucket of chicken and a ...

... , listinin' to Gucci Mane.

Matrin Luther King Jr. is rolling in his grave sayin' 'This Nigga!'"

(Don't quote me on that. The NAACP will come kockin' on my door.)


I have the nightmare of bad credit.

I have the dream of a big house.

Can't stop now,

I am Barack Obama's "yes we can."

DPS security hiring

Want to work as a Detroit Public Schools police officer? They make more than $17 an hour with full health benefits. Check out requirements here: CLICK HERE

Diane Bukowski sentenced

Diane Bukowski, a reporter for the African-American owned Michigan Citizen newspaper, was sentenced to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service and more than $4,200 in fines this morning after being convicted of two felony counts of police obstruction last month.

Bukowski was arrested at the scene of a fatal high-speed police chase crash in northeast Detroit last November. Her conviction has been seen as a political attack from the Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office for her long history of covering police brutality incidents in Detroit and her criticism of the Wayne County prosecutor for not responding to these incidents.

Early in the sentencing hearing Circuit court judge Michael Hathaway said he would not give Bukowski jail time.



After imposing the sentence he said was pleased. “I’m very comfortable with the result of this case and with the sentence that I am about to impose,” Hathaway said.

The Fly

The helpings were huge; greasy
The woman ate every bite

There was a surly waitress who ignored

The Fly

that circled throughout the meal

Ten Reasons why the North American International Auto Show WON'T move to Novi

JUST FOR FUN:




So there's been some talk recently -- well more than talk, there's a threat rolled into a recently passed senate bill that will put the same Cobo transfer deal that the Detroit City Council rejected in February in front of the council again to vote on. But this time the state is holding a water gun spray painted black to their heads and they think the council won't know the difference. L. Brooks is a white male version of a hustlaaa, of a hustlaa, of a-of a hustlaa. He's saying "This is a stick up, stick up, gimme that hall or that Auto show!" It's called the "if you don't we'll move the auto show to Novi," caveat.

This nothing more than an obnoxious bluff. Why would the biggest auto show on the continent move from the major U.S. city that is in history for being the birthplace of the automobile to some deadly dull midwestern city like Novi Michigan?

The Detroit City Council should not sweat about the Auto Show moving to the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. There are bigger fish to fry. Like Michigan losing the show altogether. The state and the city should be in talks not bickering with each other and giving CPR to dead legislation. These are tough times for Micihgan and leaders should act accordingly. The Cobo center does need to be repaired. No doubt. But if the state can give $9 million to the rock financial showplace for expansions it can give Detroit to fix some loading docks and repair some concrete.

But anyway here's ten obvious reasons why the auto show won't go to Novi:

10. WTF is there to do Novi other than 12 oaks mall and some skeezy nightclubs?

9. Since when is Novi a major U.S. City?

8. There are no casinos in Novi.

7. There is no international riverfront in Novi

6. A travel events page lists "Things to do in Novi: (1)" Seriously, there's only one thing listed to do. See for yourself: CLICK HERE

5. International Auto enthusiasts don't usually consider cow tipping a thrilling pastime

4. The Rock financial Showplace will need more that $288 mil to turn it into a Cobo Hall.

3. Why does the region wants Cobo for themselves so badly if they can have the beautiful Rock financial showplace in Novi? L. Brooks just wants what he can't have and Monica Conyers playing hard to get ... ok just kidding.

2. The Auto show is shrinking like a wool sweater in a dryer. Last year they didn't even use all the space in Cobo due to tough economic times. Is there some boom we don't know about that's gonna take place between now and January? Seriously what's the rush for this $288 million expansion? They do need the docks fixed and some repairs. But that's what we have the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) for, no? Nothing a little teamwork can't fix.

1. THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW WILL MOVE TO CHICAGO OR L.A. BEFORE THEY MOVE TO NOVI. NOVI IS NOT EXACTLY AN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ATTRACTION. WHO ARE WE KIDDING HERE? AT LEAST DETROIT HAS OPERA, GAMBLING, THE PEOPLE MOVER, UNIQUE DINING OPTIONS, ETC. NAIAS ORGANIZERS AREN'T THE ONES THREATENING TO LEAVE DETROIT! IT'S THESE REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATORS THAT WANT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IT'S ALL A POLITICAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN URBAN/SUBUNRBAN BLACK/WHITE, REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT.



Detroit, It's a DAMN SHAME.

That's the word,

MMF

John Conyers snubs Granholm

"Now I am not endorsing my good friend Jennifer Granholm. Tell her that next time you see her."
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. withdrawing his endorsement of MI Governor Jennifer Granholm after she wrote a letter in support of Terrance Berg, current U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. "What was she thinking?," Conyers asked.

MI Indigent defense Subcommittee

Chair of MIchigan's indigent defense subcommittee Bob Constan speaks about ideas the committee is reviewing for new legislation on indigent defense:

Bob Constan, State Rep 16th house dist Chair of Indigent Defense subcommittee
What’s happened is because money seems to be tighter and tighter money for indigent criminal defense is the first area to get cut. We have a system now that varies from county to county. Funding [public defense] programs at the state level instead of a county level so we have same system throughout the state is maybe something we have to look at doing.
What works or doesn’t work in Wayne County may or may not work elsewhere. I’m an attorney. I’ve been in private practice for 21 years and a lot of the courts are moving to the lowest bidder contracts where one person comes in and handles all the cases that day. There’s no continuity representation. None the fees have been updated in years and years and years. We’re [Michigan is] very low on the totem pole. When they do the budget that’s one area that doesn’t get any cost of living adjustments.
Looking at how we can get more bang for the buck – one of the things we’re gonna need is some increased funding. Well we’re going to look at adding something to the bail bonds business – looking at some revenue sources there – the different fees or costs that are assessed –whatever revenue streams we can latch onto. [Changes in the current public defense policy] have to be done. They’re just changes that have to be made we’re not meeting our constitutional obligations – the ACLU has filed a lawsuit as they’ve done in other states – we just have to update and improve our criminal indigent defense. We have to make sure we get every dollar we can. Our state public defenders office handles 1/4 of criminal appeals – they’re doing a very good job. They have attorneys that specialize and that’s all they do. They’re very good at what they do. All they do is criminal appeals so they become specialized. You have to look at efficiencies like that. That could work statewide. The end result will be some legislation that will improve our criminal defense system. It will be introduced in the next six months.

Conyers to Endorse Cockrel for mayor

Detroit, Michigan- Detroit Congressman John Conyers, Jr. will announce his endorsement of Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. for the May 5 Mayoral Special Election.

Congressman Conyers will announce his endorsement at the 14th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization’s town hall meeting on Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 5-7pm at the Detroit Teamsters Complex located at 2741 Trumbull.

This town hall meeting will allow attendees to ask Mayor Cockrel abo ut his vision for the city of Detroit. Moreover, this event will also feature a discussion on whether Detroiters should approve the creation of a commission to revise the City charter.

Who won final Detroit mayor debate?

Thursday night the third and final Detroit mayor debate of the special election was aired live on Detoit's
Channel 7 (WXYZ). The debate was predictable and did not produce one clear winner though Bing did stutter at bit and Cockrel got a lot of heat for the failed Cobo deal. Neither candidates showed a lot of passion and stuck to the old familiar speak points: Police mini stations, The failed cobo deal, The budget, past scandals ... yawn. Heard it all before in the first two debates! Bing offered as few specifics as possible and cockrel spent a lot of time defending his place as Bing attacked with often ridiculous charges saying Cockrel made the budget go up from 150 mil to 300 mil in a month. If I HAD to say there was a winner I'd say Cockrel only because he's had experience as mayor and knows a bit more specifics of what's going on than Bing. But neither one of them's stellar.

At one point in the debate Cockrel was talking about scrubbing toilets for a day in Cobo Hall? Really? And apparently he saved the city 400 million on some bonds controversy? Huh?

And Bing said his "relationship in Lansing is very good". With Who? That's sooo vague but that's how Bing debates.

New anchor Steven Clark asked the first question:

“Gentlemen, first of all we’re here tonight because of failed leadership. Specifically leadership run amuck by the Kilpatrick administration. So far as interim Mayor Mr. Cockrel your biggest leadership test has been the Cobo deal and by all accounts you failed at that one. You and the council ended up in court over that, the deal didn’t get done, it fell through, you haven’t been able to get all the parties back to the table. Mr. Bing your political leadership is untried and untested. This question is for both of you. Mr. Bing if you’re given the opportunity and Mr. Cockrel if you’re given another chance, what kind of leader will you be? What will you do to unify the council reengage the region? In short Mr. Bing what kind of leader will you be?


Bing: My relationship with the council members is very very good. I believe that the Cobo deal is a deal that has to happen.I thought it was a good deal when it was announced. I have great relationships with the Wayne county executive and the Oakland county executive and I don’t know the macomb executive as well... My relationship in Lansing is very good.

I do understand why president of city council was opposed to deal. She wanted to make sure that Detroiters were involved in the deal You have to get Detroiters involved in the deal. This was not the case. That seemed to put the deal to the shelf. I would not have brought that deal to the table without knowing if I had enough votes. And that’s the mistake of faild leadership.

Cockrel: We engaged council very early in the process. It’s important to know that the same deal that the council ultimatly voted on is the same deal presented to the council last summer. Yes, the membership of the authority did change but that was a result of some late night menuvering in the senate.

In reality it wasn’t ‘til 11th hour that certain council members started to raise issues. The people have spoken. I’ve already spoken with presisent Conyers about this. What I plan to do moving forward -- we plan to re-engage everybody and come up with an alternative plan that works and a plan which represents the interesets and concerns of everyone and which seek to address concerns of everybody.


It’s all about where do we go from here? What I had first and foremost with this deal, people like Sheila Horton is a janitor who works for ABM at Cobo hall and I had the opportunity to work with her for one day doing her task at cobo hall. Cleaning toilets scrubbing bathrooms and wiping off table tops. I wanted to protect her job and the jobs of other people working at Cobo Hall and the jobs of those working in hotel rooms who desperately need concevion business and an auto show to keep going


MORE:



Bing: Budget: "First thing that I would do is go back and look at when my opponent first went into office we had at that time a 155 million deficit. Now I’m hearing that the deficit has grown to 280 mill maybe 300 million? He got there by inaction. Had my opponent made the decision to do the cuts that were necessary early on I don’t think that was as a city would be losing a million dollars a day and building that deficit up even more. I’m wondering where were are you going to get the $ from to buy these employees out. [Cockrel said he'd buyout city workers who've been around more than 30 years]. Sometime in the month of May that [Detroit] may run out of cash --- I don’t want to put fear in any body. Nothing worse than a payless payday...

My opponent is talking about a 10 percent pay cut across board. Look at each dept on dept by dept basis not necessarily Cut them. Look where your valuable employees are …

Cockel's Response: I became mayor on September 19 – we divulged to the public a month later the 280 million deficit. There’s not way I spent that much money in less the month –let be realistic about that. The reason why the amount went up is I revealed those numbers to public. The true numbers were never revealed. I also saved the city 400 mill by eliminating a controversial problem with a bond swap. I also indicated that I would take a 20 percent cut to own salary.

Cockrel volunteers protest at Bing HQ?

The event organizer Derrick Sanders said Cockrel's team of supporters marching in front of the Bing headquarters in the rain were donating their time. The volunteers had planned to spend their Sunday afternoon canvassing for Cockrel but changed gears when Bing did not release the names of people he appointed to his crisis management team.

Two of the volunteers had a slightly different story. They both said that they (and others there) were getting paid to be there. They said they were slated to go door to door to canvass for Cockrel but were sent to the protest instead, though they were on the clock to canvass. "We're getting paid, believe that," said one volunteer.

The Cockrel campaign responded saying they did not pay anyone to show up and that the event was not related to the Cockrel campaign but put on by organized labor and community groups. They called the allegations of paid protestors "misleading".



Photos:

Detroit verbatim: the week in quotes

Above:A view from Detroit's Cobo Convention Center (that is in the process of being "hijacked" for $20 million}.


Dear blogger,

It's been another awesomely ridiculous week. Detroit Mayoral candidate Bing not only forgot he didn't have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) but that it took him 29 years to get a bachelor's degree;Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's partner in crime, Christine Beatty, got sick on jail food -- a lot; Radio personality Mildred Gaddis was still spewing hot fire at the "Hijacking of Cobo Hall", and Governor Jennifer Granholm gave the city of Detroit up for "adoption" to --- waaaiit for iiiiit --- MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Scarborough!? Hold on ... I'm having a premonition ... something about the "City of Detroit hijacking" ...

You CAN'T make this stuff up but you CAN slice it into fabulous one-liners and post them onto your blog!


"She spent a lot of time throwing up."
Christine Beatty's lawyer Mayer Morganroth said regarding Beatty's reaction to jail food. Apparently Coney Island hot dogs are much easier fare for the stomach.

"We are going to adopt Detroit,”
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" told Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm referring to a plan to air "Morning Joe" in the city out of ... pity?

"I think you're trying to dig into something that isn't a story."
Detroit Mayoral Candidate David Bing angrily told Free Press reporter Bill McGraw when he asked for college transcripts. Weeks before he blasted interim Mayor Cockrel for not releasing his personal finances. Oops. Maybe Bing's right when he says he ISN'T a politician.

"There is not a category of money for large public buildings or anything like that."
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said about using stimulus funds for expand Cobo Hall instead of transferring it to a regional authority.

"Some folks think we're stupid and don't read."
Detroit City Council President Pro Tem JoAnn Watson about people who are pushing the Cobo Deal. And if by "folks" she means interitm Mayor Cockrel, Wayne County Ececutive Robert Ficano, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, Governor Jennifer Granholm, and Detroit Free Press Columnist Nolan Finley then ...

"You can google economic stimulus plans and convention centers. You're going to get more than 50 cities -- including Lansing."
Detroit City Council President Pro Tem JoAnn Watson.

"If you want to help us, just give us the money."
Detorit City Councilwman Monica Conyers said at a rally against the Cobo Hall expansion that would turn the city owned convention center over to a five person regional authority. She added, "A diva is a female version of a hustlaaa!"

“I got an MBA from the General Motors Institute after I got into business, quite frankly."
Detroit Mayoral candidate David Bing on an NBA website video interview.

“I don’t have an MBA from General Motors Institute.”
Detroit Mayoral Candidate David Bing on the Paul W. Smith show on NPR. Which one is it, Dave?

"I have pictures with my cap and gown [from 1966]"
Detroit Mayoral candidate David Bing told the Detroit News' Leonard N. Fleming. However, a story in the Free Press said: Bing's campaign spokesperson Cliff Russell "acknowledged Bing did not attend graduation ceremonies or receive a diploma." Get your game tight, Bing!

"I don't think I can get any more name recognition than I already have."
Detroit City councilman Kwame Kenyata on announcing his run for mayor in August. Apparently he can't possibly get any more well known. Is it because his name is Kwame K.? I kiiid, I kiiiiid!

"I don't see how somebody can forget that they never actually got a diploma."
Detroit Interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel said of Bing's college education gaffe. Same way somebody can forget that they owe the city clerk $42,000, Ken. Saaaame way.

"We don't give up tapes without subpoenas."
Mildred Gaddis said to people calling into "Inside Detroit" asking fora copy of her program with John Conyers. Congressman Conyers said jokingly that she sounded like Carl Rove.

"I'm having a problem with elected officials with the audacity to ... tell Mildred 'I voted for it'. 'I hope it [passes].' I"m [going to] hire an attorney to make sure that it passes. Why? Because I'm smarter than you!"
Radio producer David Stephen at Cobo transfer protest. He added,"How dare Senator Hansen Clarke, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson get the NERVE to tell MILDRED their position in the Hijacking of Cobo Hall?


All in good fun,

MMF

Detroit COBO deal protest

Here's some protest pics! Enjoy!

Detroit the new Africa?

Remember when Africa was the place to "adopt" from and hold free concerts for? Now, at risk of sounding politically incorrect, we need look no further than our own city.

Over the past couple weeks two popular talk show hosts have tried to rescue Detroit. One is the Tonight Show's Jay Leno, who held free concert for Detroit (although it took place in Auburn Hills, a well-to-do suburb about 40 minutes away from Detroit).

The other is Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe". Scarborough says he wants to air Morning Joe from Detroit "all the time" and adopt the city. "I want to adopt the City of Detroit." He told Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm.

"I'm glad you haven't forgot about adopting us," Granhold said.

As a Detroiter I'm not sure if I should be happy to have a famous talk show host for a Dad or mad at Jennifer Granholm for shuffling me off so fast.

Either way, I have this weird feeling that the city of Detroit is thought of as this helpless orphan. What's Next is U2 gonna come and do a concert for hunger?

Is the UN gonna send helicopters full of rice sacks and drop it over the neighborhoods?

Are national Geographic photographers gonna come in and take photos of babies in poverty?

Ok I'm half kidding. But seriously, Detroit, we need to take care of our shit before Elton John and Michael Jackson sing a charity duet for the kids. (Juust kidding!)


OK I'll stop. But am i the only one who feels kinda like they're living in a third world situation?

Here's the clip:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Michigan Messenger on Countdown

Eartha Melzer's coverage of a dioxin contaminated river that flooded and contaminated the soil in Saginaw Township, Mich., makes MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Cobo Deal. Period.

Here's a link to the actual Cobo deal so we can put rumors to rest. I'll be going through and reading it but for now here's a link to the actual document.

CLICK HERE to read!

Verbatim: Detroit Style

I am a subscriber to Time magazine and every week I break into the new issue and head straight for the briefing section to read the "Verbatim" page which is top ridiculous one-liners of the week in news quotes (which I find hilarious). So I decided to create my own pathetic little mock "verbatim" page on my blog weekly. You're probably thinking, "how original." I'm probably thinking, "I know."


Only difference is I'll try to keep it concentrated in Michigan (specifically Detroit) politics since I eat sleep and breath them these days. I can only hope state and city politics aren't carcinogenic, but at times I wonder. This week I have a lot of quotes about the Cobo deal because it was a hot topic in the city.

But I digress. Let's get down to bizzniss:

VERBATIM March 6 2009

"He never called me."
Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers said of Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel on the Mildred Gaddis show. Background: Ever since she called him "Shrek" they've had a rocky relationship. Maybe he's just not that into her

"It was a tragic circus, a festival of ignorance that confirmed the No. 1 obstacle to Detroit's progress is the bargain basement leaders that city voters elect."
Detroit Free Press Columnist Nolan Finley wrote in an editorial in which he dogged the entire Detroit city council for the way they're handling the Cobo hall transfer. Many where quick to call him a racist. Hey, at least the guy's honest.

"He's pimping his father's legacy."
Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle said of interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel's push to finalize the Cobo regional transfer deal.

"Kiss the employer based insurance goodbye."
Health care specialist on NPR talking about the economy and health care. This one pretty much speaks for itself.

"It's like a sub teacher coming in and giving a final grade."
Caller on "Inside Detroit" said about interim Mayor Cockrel's push for the Cobo deal in his short tenure since he took over for former mayor Kwame Kilparick.

"Cobo Hall Hijacking."
A segment on Mildred Gaddis' show that turned the Cobo drama into a little mock daytime drama plot. Er ... she's not biased or anything.

"I hope it all goes forward smoothly."
State Senator Hansen Clarke on Cobo Deal. He added, "I hope pigs can fly."

"Don't let Obama fool you, now. I'll never feel safe driving through Livonia."
Black Detroit City truck driver said referring to a predominantly white suburb of Detroit.

"Nolan has a tendency to be offensive when talking about Detroit."
Radio talk host Mildred Gaddis said of Detroit Free Press columnist Nolan Finley, who called the city council crazy, cheap and stupid in a recent commentary.


"Barbara Rose Collin's craziness gets in the way of the real issue."
Mildred Gaddis referring to the Detroit city council woman who is known to wear gaudy dresses and tiaras to council meetings and who sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" at a recent city council session.

"I opened my newspaper and every article except maybe one calls us crazy, stupid, monkeys in a zoo."
City Council Woman Barbara Rose-Collins told Detroit residents during a special session intended to override the Mayor's veto. She was referring, most likely, to Nolan Finley's controversial piece "Elect a crazy council; get crazy results." And, oh yeah, OC ececutive L. Brook Patterson is racist because he made fun of her precious tiara.

"Going after Barbara-Rose Collins' tiara. ... and I want the fist. That's all I want."
Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson's response to Collin's charge that he was trying to steal Cobo from the city.

Take the Shuttle from Detroit to Ikea!

Looks like in order to bring in customers, Ikea will have a shuttle out to their store from Detroit. Read all about it HERE

Other than gay, what is Lil' Wayne?

He's also ubiquitous. How many songs was he featured on over the past year? I stopped counting after 10. It's like he's in every recording studio at once jumping on any song he can. Whether his computerized croak is spliced into the Keri Hilson's hot track or he's howling at the moon with Kanye, he knows what's up: Get it while he's still hot. Before we're all like Lil' who? And we get someone else who's acting "Brand New". I'm not mad at him. But LOL.

That's the word.





MMF

Wayne County Foreclosure sales resume, but limited

Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans resumes foreclosure sales but on a limited basis
Foreclosure sales in Wayne County will resume but on a much more “limited basis”, according to John Roach, spokesperson for Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans.
But all homes up for foreclosure sales will not go though. “Only in the cases where single family homes or for residential the lender has to provide us with an affidavit that says either that there were no TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) monies involved in that mortgage, or, if there were TARP monies involved, that the homeowner have been availed a process to modify their mortgage,” Roach told Michigan Messenger. He added that all commercial and industrial foreclosure sales will go forward as usual.
However, as of Monday afternoon there were only about 20 properties that met the criteria for a foreclosure sale this week. “It’s Very small number that are going to sale at this point,” Roach said. He said 20 foreclsure sales ina week in Wayne county was a “far cry” from the 300-400 that come up for Sheriff sales each week in Wayne county.

Cockrel, Bing win Detroit primary

Election night parties went on late Tuesday night after Detroit's special election primary for mayor of Detroit. Here's some pics from election night!

CITY OF DETROIT TAX PROPOSALS ON THE BALLOT TODAY!

PROPOSAL C:
CITY OF DETROIT MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND RECREATION ANDOTHER CULTERAL FACILITIES BONDING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Ninety-seven Million Dollars ($97,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of City of Detroit Museums, Detroit Public Library Facilities, Recreation, and other Cultural facilities? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $.5855 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Twenty-Three Million Dollars ($23,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is 0.3466 mills ($0.3466 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage. Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Ninety-seven Million Dollars ($97,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of City of Detroit Museums, Detroit Public Library Facilities, Recreation, and other Cultural facilities? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $.5855 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Twenty-Three Million Dollars ($23,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is 0.3466 mills ($0.3466 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.

PROPOSAL L:
CITY OF DETROIT PUBLIC LIGHTING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Twenty-Two Million Dollars ($22,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of improving street and alley lighting emergency communications, service extensions, and improvements required to supply light and power? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $0.1328 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is .0786 mills ($0.0786 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.



PROPOSAL M:
CITY OF DETROIT MUNICAPAL FACILITIES BONDING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Thirty-Five Million Dollars ($35,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of Detroit municipal facilities? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $.2113 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is 0.1251 mills ($0.1251 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.

PROPOSAL N:
CITY OF DETROIT NEIGHTBORHOOD REDEVELOPEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPOEMENT PROGRAMS BONDING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of improvements to various neighborhood redevelopment and housing rehabilitation projects, and for economic development projects? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $0.1509 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000), and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 year from the date of issuance, is .0893 mills ($.0893 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.
PROPOSAL S:
CITY OF DETROIT PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS BONDING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Seventy-Two Million Dollars ($72,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of public safety projects relating to, Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health facilities and other municipal facilities public safety improvements? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be $0.4346 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is .2573 mills ($0.2573 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.

PROPOSAL T:
CITY OF DETROIT TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES BONDING PROPOSAL
Do you favor the authorization and issuance of General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, payable from taxes the City is allowed to levy in addition to state statutory and City Charter limits, in an amount necessary to pay the principal and interest thereon in the principal sum of an amount not to exceed Twelve Million Dollars ($12,000,000) over three years for the purpose of paying the cost of acquisition, construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of Detroit transportation facilities? The estimated millage that will be levied per $1,000 of the taxable value of property located in the City to pay for the proposed bonds will be .0724 in the first year, which will raise in the first year an estimated amount of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate over the life of the bonds, which will not exceed 30 years from the date of issuance, is .0429 mills ($.0429 per $1,000 of taxable value). If approved, this would be a renewal of a previously authorized millage.

Michgan Democratic Convention

Cobo Hall in Detroit was full of democrats on Saturday for the Michigan's Democratic convention. Here's some of photos from the event:

Detroit The Beautiful

Even the Queen of England is Online these days!

The Queen of England has a hi-res website with youtube videos and virtual tours of the palace. Plus Princes Diana's first pubic speech when she was 12.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Check it out by clicking HERE.

GOP Governors disagree with their own party on stimulus

Vermont's GOP Governor Jim Douglas is one of many GOP governors who are pushing for Obama's stimulus package.

According to a story on MSNBC.com, GOP governors would love some stimulus money to help their state's economically strained budgets.

Read the whole story HERE.

VIDEO: A More Open White House

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Steele is RNC Chair, it's time to consider becoming a black Republican!

Black Republican Recruit: [JUST FOR FUN]

"Maybe it’s time you considered being black Republican. As a black Republican, not only will you be accepted, you will quickly rise to the top as your party will need you to be an important face for the Republicans, even if you’re dangerously unqualified. The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln and freeing the slaves is a position we’ve chosen to stand by."


Thanks to The Message Show for this:

Steele [ing] Obama's Style

Jockin' Obama, Jockin', Jockin' Obama like they do Jay-Z!!!!!



In order to gain back some of the minority vote the RNC elected Michael Steele as the first African American to chair their party's national committee.

In his acceptance speech to RNC chair Friday evening, Michael Steele sounded a lot like President Obama. But since Obama already coined some things like the word 'change,' he had to play with words.

"It's time for something completely different and we're gonna bring it to them," Steele told RNC leaders in his acceptance speech. "We're going to bring this party to every corner every board room every neighborhood every community and we're going to say to friend and foe alike 'we want you to be a part of us. We want you to work with us' and for those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over."

In addition to that, Steele ironically employed DNC chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy (which Obama later adopted) calling on uniting people from all over the U.S. map.

"To my friends in Northeast, get ready baby it's time to turn it on and work to do what we always do well and that is win. We're going to win again in the Northeast, were going to continue to win in the South. When we get to the West we're gonna lock it down and win there, too. We're going to win with a new storm in the Midwest.

Again, he emulated Obama when he called for a group effort and said he was listening to the people. "I cannot do this by myself," he said, echoing Obama almost verbatim. "This is about empowering you. We stand proud as the conservative party of the United States, the party of Lincoln. We will cede no ground on matters of principle on matters that matter to people of this country."

On the Corner

In the 'hood on the corner there are kids on the block running work to dope to the fiends with dark hollow eyes. They know "crack kills" but not literally. The fiends keep coming back with their last and only dollar asking for a rock. Crack heads from the 1980's and 1990's are still roaming the streets physically alive and breathing, but resembling zombies in their dirty, torn, oversized coats and threadbare pants stumbling around, skin and bones constantly pursuing their next hit. Because of them there will always be a demand. Because of them there will always be a supply.

The kids on the corner know how to cook crack and sell it, but they won't touch the stuff. It's a job.

Sometimes outsiders wonder why these kids aren't in school. Do they know that just by hustling fiends on the block one could make enough money to buy clothes and food and candy still go to the movies on opening night?

There's a kid in his drab middle school uniform walking down the street with dreams of nice cars but so far the school has given him tattered books. The dope boy rides by in a jag and the kid turns his head, eyes follow the shiny car down to the end of the block at he abandoned house.

The kid walks down Jefferson wondering if the Warren boys are going to beat on him today. He gets homeand calls his friend on the block. "Let's get money."

He's not going to school tomorrow.

VEGGIE PORN: PETA would rather hurt women than animals

Apparently NBC banned a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ad that was supposed to run in Sunday's Super-bowl because it featured young women clad in nothing but panties and bras powerless to sexuality of ... Veggies? Yes. They are using the traditional woman" woman-as-sex-object" tactics to make those football-fiend, red meat loving, misogynistic men can associate porn with vegetarianism? What?

I shouldn't be surprised now. I guess this isn't the only "veggie love" PETA has made. Read more about it HERE.

Check it out:

Did Nas diss Obama?

JUST FOR FUN:



Nas says on Young Jeezy's song "My president is Black":

"Mr. Black President, yo Obama for real
They gotta put your face on the five-thousand dollar bill"

As soon as I heard that I couldn't help but think: if the 5,000 dollar bill comes into existence under Obama's presidency, then I'd forecast tough times ahead. Think about the inflation that would have to occur before we see the need for a printed $5,000 bill? The value of the dollar would have to seriously plummet. Ouch. I hope neither Obama's face nor anyone else's will ever appear on a 5,000 dollar bill. I hope the need for such a bill will never reach the point of printing one.

If Nas is right, here's an economic tip: buy gold & jewels

Sorry, Nas, but I beg to differ on this one.

Truth or Dare Stories

Game Rules:



When my brother and I were kids we used to play a storytelling game. The game involved a series of imagined stories acted out by real characters. In fact, the characters were ourselves.

Taking turns, each of us would create a scenario and place the other in that scenario.

For example:
I'd make up a scenario where my brother was walking down the street with a basket full of eggs and make him trip and fall in the story, breaking all the eggs break all over himself in front of a girl he had a crush on. In my story, she turns and starts laughing at him.
What does he do next?

At any point the person who is telling the story (in this case it would be my turn) can say, 'truth or dare, stories' and (in this case) my brother would either have to tell the truth about how he'd get out of that situation, or take a story dare which means the I would dare him to do something crazy in the story, making the situation worse and more awkward and embarrassing, (such as run down the street smearing the raw eggs on the girl he thinks is cute , etc. ). Usually it something really embarrassing that will be part of the story-line/plot from then on (that means at any point in the story it can be referenced). But the dare can be something funny, nice ... anything. It just gives you a power-play on where to take the plot. Everything that happens in the story except a dare is negotiable with the storyteller.

The more players, the more interesting the stories get. Your combined imaginations will take you on a strange adventure. You're only limited by your imagination.

Have fun with it! As Oscar Wilde put it, "consistancy is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

Obama's "New Deal" is a big deal

Obama has big plans. He's calling for a mass recovery of United States infrastructure.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You'll never win "the war on drugs" because ...

Shhh. It's no secret:

Dope boys ride nice cars.

"What happened?"

"Move, nigga, they shootin'!!"

No running water, I'd put my ass in the bag and take a shit.

Dope boys ride nice cars.

We move when they're shooting

Keep coming out of that house and going back in.

What corporate culture am I missing?

smirking in satisfaction

at my

transformation into a "hood rat"

so

What's the story here?

Detroit Mayoral Race Tibit:

A close and credible source has confirmed that mayoral candidate David Bing just moved to Detroit last Wednesday. He moved into a new Riverfront condominium, a luxury complex on the Detroit River.

Little house in the 'Hood

It's a grey winter evening, dark before 5:00 p.m. the unplowed street are hard to drive on without getting stuck. But I'm not complaining. I see the woman n the street ahead of my snow-choking car trudging through the snow and wind, her coat with the fur around the hood can't hide her face from this zub-zero wind. It's so hot in my car I take my hat off and bake in my coat. I start to wonder why I was so finicky about the streets being plowed.

Living a modest lifestyle, Life in Detroit isn't so bad. All things considered -- the deficit, the public school system, the blight issues, the unemployment rate and the abysmal football team it might seen like the works place to live. But Detroit offers some merits unique to major us cities.


To someone who lived their life in the Metro Detroit suburbs, the city of Detroit (except for downtown and small areas of concentrated wealth) is like a different country. My suburban friends who visit me experience culture shock. When they arrive on my doorstep they're jumpy, scared of their own shadow. The funny thing is, my city friends who visited me in the suburbs have the similar reactions: uneasy, self conscious and defensive.

I'm not one to talk. It was this time last year that I, too, came to my new doorstep with a sense of unease, half expecting to find the inside of my house ransacked, or, worse yet, an uninvited person still inside. I'd look over my shoulder to make sure there was no one behind me, waiting for my to unlock the door.

I still look over my shoulder and keep a light on in the front hallway but it's not out of fear. In fact, over the year I have never had any problems and neither have my neighbors. But now caution is just part of my routine like shoveling snow or raking leaves. Living in Detroit taught me that being aware of my surroundings doesn't mean paranoid or afraid. Wherever you are in the world, it's always important to pay attention to detail.

Over the past few decades Detroit's national reputation has been marred, perhaps since the 1967 riots and the decline of the auto industry. But the past year was an exceptionally rocky road one for the motor city: the mayor's in jail, the Detroit Three auto companies groveled in front of Congress for federal "bailout" loans, the unemployment rate skyrocketed to 30 percent, the city's unstable government put city bonds in "junk" status, the public schools face a $400 million deficit without a superintendent (they fired her), The Detroit Lions made history as the worst football team EVER ... the list goes on and on.

On a more personal level, I met Detroit Public School (DPS) teachers about not having basics like toilet paper, heat or lights in classrooms. My car gets stuck in the often because the city doesn't plow most streets, the bus system is abysmal, the one I tried to get on this summer caught on fire. In the span of a year, I've had four friends get robbed, get their house or car broken into (my car was broken into), an acquaintance was shot dead, In the summer the weeds grow taller than me in my neighborhood, I drive by block after block of abandoned houses everyday. I'm not shocked or nauseated anymore when I spot bloated bodies of pit bulls rotting on the side of the streets in the fall ... That list goes on, too.

That said, I have only respect and admiration for the city. I'm still a newcomer to the city and I still feel that there is so much to learn. I plan on hanging

discovered the Detroit beauty supply, that I navigated my errands (poorly) around Detroit's East side and grew a tougher skin so that the deepely disturbing sights on the streets didn't ruin my day. It's the time of year that I get the annual winter blues and start having to remind myself why, of all places, I chose Michigan to spent my early 20s in. January is the coldest month and quite possibly the worst time to live in Michigan and it happens to be the month of my birthday, so I have to make the best of it.

Everyday I am reminded of Detroit's crippled state: The unplowed streets (I get stuck in the snow a lot), the untrimmed grass in the summer (It grows taller than me in some places) and I'm 24 today, one year closer to old age. I feel one year older, one year wider and immeasruable smarter. I love Detroit. Here's why.

There are some things money can't buy. The feeling o

Eastern MArket
Beauty Supply
Goat Milking, piggy wiglet, Jackson, the chickens,
Kids (PJ & the babies)
Bert's Market
Art
Kt & the artitis
Belle Isle
People (rhymes, uniqueness, funny)
Freedom
Machete/peach trees
Seldom Blues
U of M game
Rent
Neightbors/friends
Hood smarts
Playing in the rain
fall party
Mexicantown
Canada

Det. Mayoral Candidate Warren Evans: "Public Safety is the biggest problem."

Detroit mayoral candidate and Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans spoke to a group of 12 senior citizens at a retirement home on Detroit's East Side on Monday afternoon [MLK day].

He addressed issues such as blight, employment, and budget but his main focus was public safety and policing techniques.

Here's the transcript from Evan's half hour speech to the Detroit senior voters.


I’m a third generation Detroiter. In 1910 my grandfather came here. [Studied in Detroit from Elementary school through law school].

If you haven’t lived the life that people in the city live, then you don’t really know what the problem is really. [Detroit is] so bad now I don’t think many people realize how good it could be. Everybody talks bout “the good old days.” I know in my life I’m looking for the god days.” “Even when this city was a better city it wasn’t better for us as black people.”

Public safety is I think the biggest problem. People in the city have got to feel safer. People would like to have the wheels on their car or their car when they go somewhere. Not only are taxes high bit you can’t get the police to respond when you call them.

I’ve been involved in criminal justices for 30 years. I’m not running for police chief, I’m running for mayor, but one thing you can be sure of is that I understand the language a police chief talks. When I hire a police chief nobody can blow smoke past me because I understand the business.

It’s important to understand that that’s not all I can do. I do other things in the city. [Mentioned his career as a Lawyer, college professor.]

The people that have the money to get out of Detroit go. No city is going to get better like that.
Usually the commitment is to fix up a downtown and bring in a Quicken. But when you bring in a company with a tax abatement so they don’t have to pa tax because they’re bringing jobs in … but when you watch in the morning people get off the freeway from the suburbs and go to job and they go home at the end of the day they haven’t done any business in the city. We need to look very seriously. What are we doing for.

The future of the City is in building up the neighborhoods. Property value of homes is higher because there’s a neighborhood. We don’t have that value now. Everywhere in the country 60 or 70 percent of all job are new jobs created in this country are new jobs created in what are called small businesses. In those small businesses, some of them might have 500 people in it but small compared to a General Motors.

I’m hoping auto companies … rebound but they will never be what they once were. So we’ve got to have safe neighborhoods. If we have safe neighborhoods people will start those business. See everything in my mind goes back to public safety.
I’ve been a professor for 20 years but I can’t go in there and turn the schools around academically. After talking to hundreds of teachers and hundreds of students [I found that] kids are scared to go to DPS and teachers are scared to teach. I don’t care what you do to the curriculum, if the kids aren’t comfortable in class and teachers aren’t comfortable teaching so even the biggest problem f DPS is public safety.

The mayor can do that. That doesn’t mean take over the schools. The mayor’s job is to protect the citizens. It’s not a pipe dream.
The police need to start responding to complaints. Let me tell you a little secret about how that operates before I tell you what the solution is . You also read articles that say crime is down. None of us are probably rocket but are smart enough to know crime is not down, right. The reason they can say it’s down is that crimes are is counted by reports. If they never come out to take the report it never happened. But the crime did happen. The most basic answer is to use common sense.

Every shift in Every district of the City of Detroit when an off comes on duty he has a list of all the other rounds that the shift before him never got to . So he or she starts out the day going around to 20 other places trying to catch up. When you’re catching up you’re not policing. Why waste two police officers in a scout car to go catch up? Why not have one person call the home owner, talk to him and go and get a report when you can and let the police officer in the police car protect you? I mean that’s what you want them to do. It is basically that simple to get started. Which is something you can get started on the next day. And then you start bring another police officers.

Leadership. Start using reserves. There are a lot of reserves in this city who volunteer their time to help the police dept. I’ve got people in my reserves that fight Internet crime. They spend their time chasing child predators. That makes them feel good. They come back to work because they provide something of value because I ask them to do something of value. But they do not get used appropriately.

Everybody’s gonna tell you they gonna fight crime. The question is when have you done it before and how have you done it? And if you’re so good at it how come you didn’t you fix it when you were office before?
If you go back and you believe that as a Sherriff I’ve done a good job. Don’t accept that has he’s a good sheriff he can’t do anything else. You pay me to do another job I’ll do a good job at that. Teaching 20 years, practicing law I work hard at what I do. We’re broke we messed up.

There are a lot of people running – business people other people now I’m not knocking anybody but I’m the only elected CEO in this race. You vote for me to run an organization. I’m not out chasing crooks all day. I wish I was ‘cause it’s fun. But that’s not what I do all day. I manage a $150 million a year budget and 1,200 employees. That’s what I do. It’s a small city. There are lots of city’s around here that don’t have that big a budget It would certainly be a promotion to running the city of Detroit but it’s the same, it’s apples to apples. I’m not running a private company that doesn’t have labor unions or state legislators and all those other people you have to deal with every day. I deal with them in good times and bad times.
I brought in $30-35 million in grants from the federal Govt. in the past 4-5 years. That’s federal grants. That’s not your tax dollars. You gotta go find ways to get money and move forward to do some stuff.

The city has a significant amount of money … Detroit has some money called neighborhood stabilization fund. And part of that money can be used to demolish buildings. We don’t have enough money to demolish them all, but one of my biggest pet peeves is that they don’t even use good judgment deciding what to tear down in the first place. I mean when the money comes I’ve seen them cut a contract with a vendor and then let him decide what houses he’s going to tear down. I want to tear down houses next to people who live in the community who got a burnt house next door to them. Get some of the abandon house out of the way so the kids can get to school. Even if you can’t tear them all down, prioritize the ones that are in the best interest of your citizens.

Let me just leave you with this. I’m a workaholic. And I don’t get Amnesia. If you see me later and it’s something I didn’t live up to then see me about it. I want my granddaughters to still live here. I don’t want my granddaughters all over the globe because they don’t want to live in the City of Detroit.

Nolan Finley: "Close ears to ... dead Palestinian Children""

Detroit News editorial page editor Nolan Finley writes in his blog, [CHECK IT OUT HERE]

"Israel appears to be readying for a massive ground invasion of the terrorist infested Gaza Strip. Israel's success depends on its ability to close its ears to the worldwide outcry over dead Palestinian children.

Because there will be dead children. Already, children and other civilians are dying under the week-long barrage of Israeli bombs.
But Hamas terrorists are also dying, and that's what matters."

Wait a minute here. What in the world is this?! It's NEVER OK for kids to get killed no matter what the circumstances are. There are ALWAYS diplomatic ways of handling things and while Hamas is a terrorist group, it seems like Israel has taken up the idea that it you can't beat 'em you have to join 'em. I say that meaning Israel is now officially no better than a terrorist organization for killing innocent children. Nolan, do you have any kids? Would you offer them in a bloody sacrifice them for peace in the middle east? You're cold.

How do you measure a year?

I have no idea. Maybe in love.

Kanye's new album

Ok. So people either love or hate Kanye's new album "808's and Heartbreak". It got a butchered and praised by various music critics. But a lot of people seem to like it because it's topping the U.S. charts.

Detroit news music critic Adam Graham writes:

“"No plush bear. No collegiate theme. No fun. "808s & Heartbreak" is a stark departure for rapper-producer Kanye West, who since emerging with his 2004 debut, " The College Dropout," has grown into the decade's most transfixing music star, hip-hop or otherwise.”

I'd ask Graham to take it for what it is. Seriously. There should be no debate here. This album is a train wreck of emotional baggage backed by electronic beats. The thing is called "808s and Heartbreak" and that's all it is.No one should be disappointed. The title says it all. You want to hear what 808 drums and heartbreak sound like together on a CD? Get the album. You don't? Don't get the album. It's as simple as that.

Are you EMO? Yeah, you'll like it. Are you mad at or hurt by your recent ex ? You'll love it. Are you sick and tired of T-pain like auto tones? Then you'll hate it.

That's the word.

~HAH.

REAL TALK

“People across the nation are acting like the auto bailout will save the auto industry. If statistics are correct, they spend about $600 billion a year on parts alone. What was $14 billion going to do? Let's face it. It's over. It's been over. But change is hope. Let's start using our human brain that separates us from other animals and develop new technology.”

Racial tension still prominent in post-election America

In the post election glow of voting in a black president, it’s a little easier to forget that racial tension is still prominent. Especially when you surround yourself with one race at a time. But when observing mixed groups of people, the tensions between races show. While more people are talking about race now, it’s still an awkward topic that is hard to address and makes many feel uncomfortable.

On the night after thanksgiving I was invited to Berkley Michigan, a predominantly white suburb of Detroit to visit a friend from high school. Over the past year I’ve spent so much time the city of Detroit, I almost forgot how it was to be on the other side of Eight Mile Road in the suburbs where people aren’t as aware of crime. Many don’t lock their cars and when stepping away from their seat at the bar they leave their belongings assuming no one else will steal them.

But perhaps a larger difference was the racial demographic. Except for three black people in the corner, everyone at the bar I was invited to was white. I noticed this instantly, because in Detroit it’s often the other way around. I also noticed a heavyset man playing pool in a black T-shirt with a confederate flag across his chest.

No one in my group said anything about it, though I thought it was very visible, so I brought it up. I asked my friends (who are all white) if that shirt bothered anyone. They were quick to call the man a racist who was “probably in the KKK” but quickly changed the topic.

I couldn’t let it end there. I approached one of the three black people in the bar. I asked a young man (who was playing pool at a table next to man with the flag on his chest) if the confederate symbol bothered him. He said it did, but that he didn’t want to get into a fight “around here”.

There was no reason to start a fight. After all, it was just a T-shirt and I hadn’t talked to the guy wearing it yet. So I decided to do just that. I approached the man in the flag with a smile and asked how he was doing. He stopped and stared looking surprised and rather speechless. I went on to compliment his shirt.

The surprised look on his face turned to fright and h stepped back two paces. “It’s not mine,” he said quickly as if I were threatening him. “My friend gave it to me. I’m not a rebel.”

I laughed and said I was just curious about it because I had a similar T-shirt, in fact, with an even bigger flag on it (because I do). The man looked like he wanted to run. His pool partner just stared on with a grimace but didn’t say anything.

“I didn’t buy it. It’s not mine,” the man in the flag continued.

His face was getting red. I’m not sure if it was out of embarrassment or frustration, so I decided to leave him alone. I shook his hand and wished him a good night.

Within five minutes he and his friend left the bar.

Later that evening one of the three black people in the bar, a girl about my age got on stage to do some karaoke. I overheard one of my white friends say to the other, “She’s so black” in a scornful tone. What exactly did he mean by that? That she had dark skin? My other friend responded, "She’s ghetto." I leaned in to ask what they meant by that but when they noticed I was listening in they changed the topic and avoided eye contact with me for a couple minutes as if ashamed.

What baffled me was that these were the people who minutes before were condemn the man wearing the flag for being a racist. Furthermore, these are people who voted for Barack Obama and agreed with his message of unity among races.

The tension and mocking goes both ways. When I went back to talk to the black people in the bar one of them asked in a critical tone if I always hung out with so many white people. I was beginning to see that that my attempts to ease the tension were not doing much.

Maybe I forgot the level of tension that's created when there’s a mixed group in a room. When I got back home to Detroit, I wondered: Was it always like this, or has living in Detroit made me more sensitive to racial issues? It could be that I, like many others, assumed that with Obama's presidency people must be over petty racial differences. Obviously not.

Public v Private transit duke it out for favor in legislature

Currently there are two proposals for a light rail transit system on Woodward Ave. One proposal is sponsored by the city of Detroit, the other by private investors.

Right now, the two proposals are still being discussed by all parties including state and city officials as
well as business leaders, according to Dan Cherrin, spokesperson for interim Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr.

The public transit proposal includes the $371 million, 8-mile-long Light Rail Transit up Woodward Avenue that
was approved by SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) in July. When the proposal
was first approved, DDOT estimated construction would begin in 2011 with a 2013 completion. Cherrin said he didn't know if these goals were reasonable or not. At the moment he said the main focus is to take the best parts of each of the private and public proposals and create one plan that will benefit the city most.

"Each proposal has merits each proposal has issues that need to be worked out," Cherrin said. "We’re working on constructing a solid regional transportation system."


The private line proposed is called the Woodward Transit Catalyst Project and calls for a $103 million light rail line that serves a 3.4-mile stretch in the downtown and Wayne State areas according to Crain’s Detroit Business. This is considerably shorter than the DDOT proposed line, but it is part of a larger plan to keep building the rail up to Eight Mile Road.

This proposal is backed by Detroit business billionaires such as Quickens Loans founder Dan Gilbert, Compuware CEO Peter Karmanos and Penske corperation CEO Rodger Penske according to Cherrin.

“Right now we are working to unify those two proposals … that will help us get federal funding,”
Cherrin, said. With the private and public proposals merging into one public one as part of DDOT, both federal and private funding will be an option. “[With] any plan you’ll see a combination of private and public funding,” Cherrin said. “All parties are in dicussions.”

PAlin Gets A PRANK (seriously)

On a prank call, Sarah Palin thinks she's talking to the prime minister of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, but she is really talking to a comedian on a radio show in Montreal, Canada. HERE'S THE AUDIO thanks to Huffingtonpost.com. The part about this that I find funny is that she actually that the Prime Minister of France wants to talk to her about her fake porn with countless references to American pop culture. This is prickly.

Sarah Palin Gets "Handled" Why isn't she Livid?!

When the news broke that Sen. John McCain chose Sarah Palin—the unknown governor of Alaska—to be his running mate the nation balked for a couple of reasons. First of all, the GOP is not exactly known for being a proponent of affirmative action, and that’s exactly what this pick was all about. Let’s face it: If McCain was not running against the likes of Barack Obama—a very popular progressive man of African descent— there would be no McCain/Palin ticket. Second of all, McCain himself is not very woman friendly in his thinking or his voting record. For instance he strongly opposed the bill that called for equal pay of women in the work force because it would lead to too many lawsuits.

Now here is Sarah Palin, plucked from the obscurity of the Alaskan political scene and swept into a presidential race that will take up page after page in history books for centuries to come. During the race she will be shredded in interviews with national media outlets because she is not prepared.

She will be being treated like a delicate flower by the McCain campaign. In fact she will have “handlers” as if she were an animal. She will be rigorously coached so she can give educated answers to questions aboutthe constitutional role of the Vice President andThe Bush Doctrine. A school girl getting told where to sit, what to say.

If you asked her, of course, she would say she felt like a victim of sexism. She’s right about that. But she won't list the reasons I just listed above because her handlers would not approve. She hasn't even shown any outrage at news stations casually reporting that there are now stripper contests for Palin look a likes in Las Vegas. There is absolutely a lack of respect for Palin because she is attractive. The Internet is flooded with doctored photos of Palin in Bikinis, ”mini skirts, sometimes naked in compromising position with McCain. If she was outraged, we wouldn't know. The GOP can't have this pretty Chrisitan, belle in a skirt and heels getting an opinion of her own or voicing her anger... or any emotion, really, except fear of terrorists.

Why aren’t more women outraged? Maybe it’s because this is a display of a very old and ongoing double standard. Consider this: Obama is an attractive guy. Why aren’t there doctored photos in him in his skivvies online? Where are the Obama stripper look-a-like contests? These are the degrading sexist marks that every woman, including Palin have to face. The question is, how does each woman handle it?

Palin knows she is a victim, though. In fact, that's part of her role in this race. To be a victim. McCain can now take the existence of sexism and work it in his favor. When people imply that she shouldn’t run for VP because she has to take care of her kids, the McCain camp and scream "Sexism!". When reports come out about Palins wardrobe nad how much her makup costs, they can screams "sexism!" And all rightfully so. But there's one little problem: You can't really make an airtight argument against sexism when you, yourself are sexist.

Perhaps the very worst part of all of this is that Sarah Palin is not a feminist. If she were, she would have a problem with being “handled” and she certainly would not allow McCain to speak for her. She would be livid at the way her looks seems to be a dominating facet of her character.

So Palin is right when she says she is a victim of sexism. But it’s a hard argument to make if you, yourself, don’t become the aggressor and continue playing victim. To become the powerful woman whose voice and opinions are fully respected you have to first stop being a puppet. She should know. Running for governor as a woman in a conservative state like Alaska is no walk in the park.

Hillary Clinton was a victim of sexism as well. But how did she handle it? As the Huffington Post'sBen Smith writes:

Hillary Clinton always walked a very careful line on portraying herself as a victim, attempting never to let that get in the way of her perceived strength as she built a commander-in-chief persona. The McCain campaign is dwelling on Palin's victimhood, a new chapter in the short history of women in presidential politics.

We have to face the facts: Palin is a puppet for the GOP. Palin is not in control in this campaign. Her voice is muffled by men (and women) all around her who are going to make sure she knows her place as a woman: In heels and a skirt being told what to do and when to do it. And when she does ANYTHING on her own without the approval of her “handlers” it’s to the shock and awe of media. I haven’t heard anything about Joe Biden “breaking away” from his handlers.

The fact is, while any other candidate has advisors, Palin has handler. Palin has become known for her looks and her years as a beauty queen. That’s not the role model women need. It’s not Palin’s fault that she's being treated this way.

What is her fault is that she's not standing up and taking on the challenges that every career woman must face: Male dominance and the objectification of women. Instead she has become a weakened victim who makes world news when she actually speaks for herself. Why aren’t more people, including Palin, outraged?

What's going on

Detroit Mayor Cockrel’s closet: Late disclosure of campaign contributions; $42,000 in fines.

Even though the campaign season for Mayor of Detroit has not officially started, mud is already being stirred around interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. The Detroit News ran a story this morning revealing Cockrel’s outstanding debt to Wayne County: $42,000 in fines.

Who was digging around in Cockrel's dirty laundry to find out about these late disclosures? None other than one of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's biggest fans, Adolf Mongo. Mongo has been in Kwame's camp for a while and, as we all know, Cockrel has been one of Kilpatrick's biggest critics.

So the disclosure of this info is definitely political, but that doesn't mean it doesn't warrant investigation. The public has a right to now all the information available to become a truly informed voter..

As part of filing petitions to submit their name as a candidate for mayor, all hopefulls had to sign an affidavit stating that they are following campaign finance laws, and that they have no outstanding fees.

Cockrel signed that affidavit on Oct. 14th, but now all the contributions he waited to disclose until after he secured his spot as city council president are coming back to haunt him.

The Detroit news reports that Cockrel didn't disclose nearly $50,000 in late contributions until after the elections in 2001 and 2005.

Why would he wait and risk getting fined? The list of contributors may have turned off voters: Cockrel got $3,000 from Karl Kado, a West Bloomfield businessman who had held exclusive and lucrative contracts at Cobo Center and was recently charged with filing false income tax returns. He also got $8,500 from a political action committee connected to Anthony Soave, whose company has a contract to provide cab service at Detroit Metro Airport, according to the Detroit News.


Right now Cockrel’s 14 Mayoral opponents in the upcoming special election are probably taking notes for future negative adds. This mayoral election season in Detroit is so packed with candidates it’s bound to get ugly. No doubt that this bit of information on Cockrel’s outstanding debts will resurface in campaign rhetoric. That's assuming, of course that Cockrel can work out his debt with the Wayne County Clerk's office and keep his name on the ballot.


Cockrel’s spokesperson Daniel Cherrin told the Detroit news that Cockrel sent a letter to the County Clerk’s office asking for a waiver. So far no letter has been produced.

OK SOMEONE HAS WAAAY TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS:

CHECK THIS OUT! [The link.]