If I don’t read something, I'm just gonna stand here and cry. So, whatupdoe?

Awwwww. So said Detroit's newly appointed poet laureate, jessica Care moore, stylized as you see here, lower-case 'j', capital 'C', lower-case 'm'. But there is nothing "lower-case" about her.

Jessica Care Moore, founder and producer of Black WOMEN Rock! [something I've known pretty much all my life -- r^2^ ] and founder of The Moore Art House, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy in Detroit, will take on the role. Moore's identifiable voice was behind the "Move the World" campaign, a video used to make a pitch for an Amazon headquarters in Detroit. The new poet laureate took the stage at Newlab at Michigan Central in the most Moore way — by poetically thanking officials for her position and reading a poem.

Moore is filling the role for [the late Naomi Long] Madgett, who died at 97 years old and served as poet laureate from 2001 to 2020, the year she died. Moore will not only plan and lead poetry events across Detroit, but she will also give an annual address to the city at the Detroit Public Library, participate in programs that reflect the city's diversity and write a poem for year-end presentation, according to the city.

"Wait a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow minute, here!" I can hear the less troglodyte of you cry. "With all the AI-ChatGPT-antisemitism-uncommited-tankie-donbas-crimea-shut-up-pornstar-red-vs-blue-dopamine-gazing-at-your-digital-navel-meta-x-amazon distractions we've got buzzing around our heads like mosquitoes in a Florida swamp, we can't keep up on the Detroit poetry front. What's jessica Care moore ever written?"…

• Words Don't Fit in My Mouth
• God is Not an American
• Black Statute of Liberty

Congratulations, Ms (with a capital 'M') moore! ❤️‍🔥

Alt link for your convenience via archive.is

Remember…Parma spelled backwards is AMRAP!
!detroit@midwest.social ☆ !michigan@midwest.social ☆ !music@midwest.social

Forgive all the what-might-seem hero worship…

Today Detroit-born guitarist Wayne Kramer, founding member of the MC5 (among other achievements and misadventures), would have celebrated his 76^th^ birthday. Unfortunately, being a mere human like ~~all~~ ~~most~~ some of us, pancreatic cancer took his life earlier this year, February 2, 2024, a mere two months ago.

I'd already written what I had to say regarding Wayne's career and his legacy in an earlier post. So today, in honor of Mr Kramer's would-have-been 76^th^, I leave you all with…

• Back When Dogs Could Talk

• Something's Broken In The Promised Land

• Looking At You 2022

RIP, Brother Wayne.

Michigan Central says it plans to hire 60 part-time “ambassadors” to welcome visitors to the renovated site at events this spring and summer.

It will host two job fairs for Detroiters to learn more about the opportunities:

• Monday, April 29, 4-8 p.m.
  Newlab at Michigan Central
  2050 Fifteenth St., Detroit

• Wednesday, May 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Detroit at Work Job Fair
  DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
  5801 Southfield Fwy, Detroit

The positions pay $20 an hour.

“The reopening of this iconic landmark is nearly here, and we want to have Detroiters join our team in welcoming visitors back to the Station for the first time in decades,” said Cornetta Lane-Smith, director of community engagement at Michigan Central.

I know, it comes as a shock to me, too.

Detroit has seen an increase in PM 2.5 pollution in recent years, reflecting this national trend as well as the disproportionate harm that communities of color suffer from air pollution. These fine particulates are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can travel deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

The 2024 report ranked the metro Detroit area 13th among the 25 cities most polluted by annual particulate matter. Grand Rapids was 25th among those most affected by ozone. […] Ozone pollution can cause respiratory problems and increase the frequency of asthma attacks, while PM 2.5 is linked to cardiopulmonary problems and premature mortality.

The report also notes that the Biden administration has made significant progress toward addressing air pollution recently by updating particle pollution standards, addressing leaks from oil and gas production facilities, and improving pollution standards for cars, trucks, and buses.

At BridgeDetroit, journalist Tom Perkins reports…

Supporters of the [USD$60,000,000.00] tax break insisted at the time [2022] that the Hudson’s site would create 2,000 new jobs and net $71 million in new city tax revenue from the additional workers. […] But Detroit will not see a net gain in new jobs or local tax revenue for the estimated 850 GM RenCen employees – it simply moves existing jobs from one building to another [em. mine -- r^2^ ], which will not generate new tax revenue for the city.

This reduces Bedrock’s projected new job creation total to 1,150 and its new income tax impact by 43%, which means the Hudson’s Detroit site could now, at best, generate about $52 million in new tax revenue. Three economists who reviewed the analysis called it fair but “conservative,” and said the project will likely create very little, if any, net positive tax revenue.

“It was sold as a transformational project, but we were never told the transformation would include moving jobs a few blocks down the street,” said Michael LaFaive, director of the Mackinac Center For Policy, which analyzes and opposes corporate tax incentives.

Follow the lady! GM is merely shuffling jobs from Point A (RenCen) to Point B (new Hudson's Building). There's always 52 cards in the deck. Just like the nearby casinos, "The House" always wins. Jackpot: $8 million!

metroDetroit™-related article: Deal.

From the "Things-I-Still-Can't-Fathom Dept."…

“White Lives Matter Michigan permeated[?] censorship to obtain three roadside billboards throughout Southeastern Michigan to dog-whistle morale boosting messages to pro-Whites for this 4/20 Day of Action!” the group tweeted Saturday.

A billboard on John R Road in Hazel Park, for instance, read, “Happy birthday, Uncle Adi. 88 climbs! Hugs & Kisses to HT, GDL, & GTV.” Next to it is a semi-silleauted [em. mine -- r^2^ ] face with Hitler’s distinctive peaked hat.

A trivial aside: can anyone tell me what silleauted means or is that a typo for silhouetted?

A billboard near the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens read, “Go back to Africa!” and disguised itself as a congratulatory message to “Tryone” [sic] for earning a trip after scoring 1350 on the SATs. “1350” is a racist code that references an alleged FBI study that claimed 50% of crimes are committed by Black people, who represent 13% of the population.

And yet, the billboard leasing company claimed that these hateful, poisonous billboards escaped their eagle-eye filtering process. I guess with enough zeroes, advertising requests may be submitted in Braille.

Billboard4Me said the deceitful messaging was discreet enough to make it past the company’s filters [em. mine -- r^2^ ] and that the messages were purchased by “an organization that disguised itself and its purpose with deceptive imagery and wording.”

From the White Lives Matter comuniqué to the Metro Times…

“Whites face inevitable genocide if the current trend of brown immigration, anti-White hatred, and White victimization continue,” the representative wrote. “It’s openly stated that Whites will be minorities in their own nations within decades."

Why does this disgusting rhetoric remind me of a certain, indefensible Michigan House Representative and his recent online activities? Why does this disgusting rhetoric even exist in the 21^st^ century? Will we never be able to move forward as a nation?

Rick Haglund at Michigan Advance sustains…

[…]despite sweeping views from its glass towers, the Ren Cen is arguably Detroit’s most unloved building [emphasis mine -- r^2^ ]. Navigating its collection of towers is like trying to find your way through a corn maze. Jokes (I think) are told about people entering the Ren Cen, never to be seen again.

Most unloved building?! Really? Okay, Rick, we get it. Not a RenCen fan. Moving right along…

Early on, the Ren Cen did lead to some new business investment in Detroit and boosted revenues of local restaurants from visitors staying in the center’s 73-story hotel, now operated by Marriott. […] But it failed to spark the promised renaissance, which was likely a naïve assumption.

GM nearly abandoned the Ren Cen to cut costs as part of its 2009 bankruptcy reorganization plan. Then-GM CEO Fritz Henderson proposed moving the automaker’s headquarters out of the Ren Cen and into its sprawling technical center in suburban Warren. […] But the Obama administration, which was financing GM’s bankruptcy, nixed the idea as being potentially devastating to Detroit’s finances. The city filed the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy in 2013.

Reducing a city landmark, however controversial, to rubble might seem unthinkable. But that’s probably what people thought about the downtown J.L. Hudson’s at its apex in the 1950s when the store employed 12,000 workers and hosted 100,000 shoppers a day.

I'd read a letter to the Editor on the Freep site a few days ago proposing, like Mr Haglund here, to raze the RenCen so I'd assume—right or wrong—there are those that agree with the demolition of Detroit's most visible landmark.

The Freep just yesterday published another article saying…

The Free Press spoke with several area architecture, development and real estate experts as to what possibilities they see for the icon that still dominates Detroit's skyline and is recognized around the world. […] None of those interviewed wished to see the RenCen torn down, [emphasis mine -- r^2^ ] a dramatic idea that gained traction in some quarters of social media[…]

Yeah, life goes on and all; if the demolition were to happen, within another generation the demolished RenCen probably would be as relevant to the city's future population as the Packard plant was to today's generation of Detroiters.

~Photo:~ ~David~ ~Rodriguez~ ~Muñoz,~ ~Detroit~ ~Free~ ~Press~

As other pedestrians passed by all the pieces of trash around them, this human-sized squirrel made it a point not to avoid a single piece of trash during her pickup route. […] The human-sized squirrel, with her bright-colored cheeks and small brown ears, is none other than Hamtramck resident Lynn Blasey, 40 [program manager, Community Arts Partnerships office, College for Creative Studies].

Blasey, known affectionately as "Trash Squirrel," scours the streets for everything from discarded doorknobs and plastic bottles to small candy wrappers and even car brake pads.

On each outing, Blasey picks up two to three trash bags full of debris. Even the tiniest piece of trash doesn’t stand a chance against her mighty litter picker.

~Photo:~ ~David~ ~Rodriguez~ ~Muñoz,~ ~Detroit~ ~Free~ ~Press~

Alt link for your convenience via archive.is

Music lovers — especially those who collect vinyl records — are anticipating another eventful Record Store Day on Saturday, April 20.

This year’s edition of the long-running retail holiday features exclusive and first-run releases ranging from pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, critically-acclaimed acts such as Remi Wolf, and Michigan and Detroit legends like Iggy & the Stooges and Slum Village.

Hey! ~~Tomorrow is coincidentally(?)~~ April 21 is Iggy Pop's birthday!!! The "World's Forgotten Boy" will be a sprightly 77 years old! When asked the secret of his longevity, The Shirtless One replied, "I'm livin' on DOG FOOD!"

Read the rest of the article to find out who's participalating, the free discs being regaled this year and how to win a private tour of Third Man Pressing with WDET hosts. Ooh la la, Capitano!

From that handsome devil, award-winning reporter Malachi Barrett, over at BridgeDetroit…

The mayor [Mike Duggan] said Detroit’s prospects are tied to neighborhood success. The country sees Detroit’s star rising as the city sheds a sour reputation of bankruptcy, violence and “ruin porn,” Duggan said. He also said residents who thought their communities were abandoned are now seeing more investment and support from the city.

A year ago, the mayor announced his plan to pay community organizations for their work to reduce gun violence. At the time, Duggan said he wasn’t sure whether it would work but the approach was worth trying. […] Since November 2023, shootings are down 28% across the city. Areas served by four organizations posted a 44% decline in shootings, Duggan said, and will receive additional funding to continue their work for another year.

Duggan said he doggedly pursued funding to eliminate blight from the city, starting with federal funding that knocked down 21,000 houses in six years, followed by a voter-backed ballot initiative to take out 20,000 more. […] The mayor said there are 4,400 blighted properties left standing as of this week. There will be “next to zero” by the end of next year, he said.

~Activist~ ~Helen~ ~Moore~ ~at~ ~Mayor~ ~Duggan’s~ ~State~ ~of~ ~the~ ~City~ ~address.~ ~Photo:~ ~City~ ~of~ ~Detroit~

Duggan surprised Russell Woods community leader Helen Moore by announcing that a renovated recreation center will bear her name. […] The city is spending $8.5 million in federal pandemic relief funds to rehabilitate the Dexter-Elmhurst Recreation Center. […] “In the last 25 years of my life, my number one critic has been Helen Moore,” Duggan said. “Every time she brings me something, she’s right. There’s not an ounce of meanness in her, she wants things to be better for the children.”

In memorium of that recently defunct poet, rabble-rouser and hophead, John Sinclair (RIP), The Freep republishes the first time Sinclair and cohort William C. Wilson were arrested for selling—get this—200 grains (0.45 oz.) of marijuana…to a narc! Duh. Nice one, man.

John Sinclair, 23, of 4825 John Lodge, and William C. Wilson, 21, of 5882 Hobart, were charged with sale and possession of narcotics after a Detroit Police Narcotics Bureau undercover agent said he bought 200 grains of marijuana from them for $25.

Five others, including Sinclair's German-born wife, Magdalene, 25, also were arrested in the raid Monday night but were released.

In honor of John Sinclair's first "drug bust" I say, if you happen to partake, roll a fatty and do a little revolutionary cosplay while your partner or friend (real or imaginary) beats down the door yelling, "This is a raid!"

The soundtrack is supplied by the late great John Coltrane, of course…

• Fresh from 1965, it's Coltrane's latest…A Love Supreme

For your revolutionary convenience, here's an alternate link from our comrades at archive.is, stickin' it to the man!

…or is that "Sign of The Helvetica Neue?"

I've been trying not to mention it since yesterday, actually since I saw the mockups weeks ago, but I can no longer stay silent. And I'm hoping you all can't stay silent either.

The D-E-T-R-O-I-T sign on eastbound I-94 stinks. That is what design by committee looks like. That sign falls squarely in the "My Kid Could Do That" category. Where the Avatar logo designer at least skimmed through the font list, whoever's nephew "designed" this sign just went "Helvetica Neue Bold"…aaaaaaand done. No neurons were harmed, much less awakened, in creating this outdoor sign. At least whoever's responsible didn't pick Arial.

I'm not even going to mention that green outline.

Tell me, from what hotel did they steal those letters from?

Okay, !detroit. Your turn. Go on. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I'm right. Tell me what you think about this horribly bland, imagination-less outdoor signage, a tribute to nothing.

"Why? Is there more than one kind?"

…aaaaand tomorrow, Friday, April 12 over at the world-famous Redford Theatre—on fashionable Lahser Road, just north of Grand River Avenue—is the Fifth Annual Three Stooges Festival. Almost two whole hours of the Howard Brothers and Fine with their singular brand of high-brow, intellectual entertainment and profound insights into the human psyche.

Wear a diaper…just in case.

On the "hit list"…

• Uncivil Warriors (1935)
• False Alarms (1936)
• Saved by the Belle (1939)
• Higher than a Kite (1943) -- like most of you, probably -- r^2^
• Who Done It? (1949)*
• Dopey Dicks (1950)*

All shorts starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard.
*denotes Shemp Howard. Don't even start on me about Curly/Shemp blah blah blah. They both rule! Now if you wanna kvetch about Joe Besser or DeRita…

The cultural event begins at 8:00 pm, formal attire not required. Tickets are a measly USD$7 for people over 14 (I refrain from call you "adults") and for kids and "senior citizens" it's only USD$5! Surely you can scrounge up the money for a couple of tickets out from between the cushions of that formless blob in your front room you call a sofa!

See ya there!

metroDetroit™-related post. Cope.

Daniel Jackson, 35, was arraigned Saturday in 52-1 District Court in Novi via videoconference on a felony charge of receiving and concealing stolen property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000, Wixom police said.

Wixom police said officers had a known serial retail fraud suspect under surveillance at 10:30 a.m. Thursday after they received a tip he planned to strike at a Meijer store. […] According to the tip, the suspect planned to steal a large quantity of trading cards from the store.

After consulting with the store's loss prevention officers [emphasis mine -- r^2^ ], detectives estimated the value of the stolen property was more than $18,000 [again, emphasis mine ].

Loss prevention officers? Does that mean what I think that means?

Alt link for your convenience via archive.is .

~Photo~ ~courtesy~ ~of~ ~the~ ~DIA~

Two black-and-white photographs owned by the DIA, one of which the museum sells as a custom print, capture the moment Kahlo, her husband, Diego Rivera, and some of Rivera's assistants witnessed the Aug. 31, 1932, eclipse through a dark filter. The DIA also sells a print of Kahlo painting in a makeshift studio in Detroit and in her easel is the work she titled "Self-Portrait on the Borderline of United States and Mexico."

One of Diego's assistants, Lucienne Bloch, watched the 1932 eclipse with Kahlo and Rivera[…]Kahlo's initial reaction to the eclipse was not kind[…]"She seemed totally disgusted with the eclipse," Bloch wrote. "And when it was at its fullest. She said it was not beautiful at all."

~"Self-Portrait~ ~on~ ~the~ ~Borderline~ ~of~ ~United~ ~States~ ~and~ ~Mexico,"~ ~Frieda~ ~Kahlo,~ ~1932.~

Art historian Celia Stahr, author of "Frida in America: The Creative Awakening of a Great Artist," said Bloch's diary mentions Kahlo had already begun the painting before the solar eclipse. It's possible Kahlo reacted to all the public expectation of the solar eclipse and put her own twist on it, Stahr said.

Alt link, ¡mucho gusto!, via archive.is

Wow.

Well, it's Opening Day today at Comerica Park, Tigers vs Oakland A's, gates open at 10:30am. Y'all know the drill. Cheap seats are gonna run you around USD$55 a pop, plus parking which runs around the same, plus other assorted expenses: food, drink, swag. You do the math.

Or you could just head to Jumbo's, Harry's or Temple Bar, for example, and "Opening Day pitcher special" your way through the day. S'up to you.

Go get 'em, Tigers.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/10737858

Activist, poet, columnist (or fifth columnist, depending on who you're asking), founder of the White Panther Party, marijuana enthusiast and evangelist, manager of the equally infamous rock group the MC5 (RIP) and all around trouble-maker 😄, John Sinclair passed away last Tuesday, March 2, 2024 of heart failure. Condolences to the surviving family. 😞

Obligatory music, brothers and sisters!…

• John Lennon - John Sinclair
• MC5 - Ramblin' Rose
• John Sinclair & Cary Loren - PeyoteMind (2012)
• Bonus: John Sinclair (1941-2024) & The MC5 - From the Film "MC5 - A True Testimonial" (2002)

The Freep reports on the upcoming memorial services for Sinclair…

A memorial will take place at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), featuring performances by musicians and speakers who were friends of Sinclair — a storied poet, counterculture activist and Detroit music fixture who was embedded in the city’s rock and jazz scenes. […] MOCAD is at 4454 Woodward, Detroit. […] A reception will follow at the Trinosophes café at 1464 Gratiot, Detroit.

From The News…

In a Detroit News interview in 2021, on the 50th anniversary of the freedom rally for Sinclair, the activist said he was surprised it took Michigan so long to legalize marijuana.

"The truth prevailed," he said. "People didn't quit using it, you see? And more and more people got on the side of the felons and pretty soon they had to remove the felony. It just didn't make any sense."

Sinclair had been living in the Cass Corridor in recent years. He was able to see marijuana not only be legalized in his home state, but become so available that dispensaries dot the entire landscape from county to county.

From CBS News…

Sinclair also promoted concerts and festivals and helped to establish the Detroit Artists Workshop and Detroit Jazz Center. He taught blues history at Wayne State University; hosted radio programs in Detroit, New Orleans and Amsterdam; and wrote liner notes for albums by artists including The Isley Brothers and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.

He helped create Hash Bash, a yearly pot celebration at the University of Michigan, and served as state coordinator of the Michigan chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

And finally, from The Metro Times' article…

At the time, cannabis activist Rick Thompson reportedly asked Sinclair, “Things have come full circle, haven’t they, John?” Sinclair retorted, “It would be more full if they came and gave me back the weed that they took.”

More information is available at the Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors website.

---

Alt links for your convenience:

• The Freep: John Sinclair memorial service and reception set for Tuesday in Detroit
• The News: Marijuana activist and 'Detroit's resident radical' John Sinclair has died at 82

Join us for the 9th Annual DETROIT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION (DIFA) on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. Immerse yourself in an eclectic 99-minute mix of animated shorts showcasing a vibrant selection of works from both local and international animators.

Set in the historic Senate Theater in Detroit, this 1920’s Art Deco gem is not only known for its visual charm but also houses the world’s 8th largest Wurlitzer pipe organ [emphasis mine -- r^2^ ]. Enjoy the classic concession stand, comfortable lounging areas, and the added convenience of secure parking.

Admission is $10 and doors open at 7pm with showtime at 8pm. Be sure to arrive by 7:30pm to see the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ preshow by the Detroit Theater Organ Society [again, emphasis mine ]!

What is it with Detroit movie houses and preserving giant organs?! I can't even hold back the 13-year-old in me's snicker! Giant organs! There's The Detroit Theater Organ Club headquartered at The Senate Theatre. Then there's The Motor City Theatre Organ Society over at The Redford Theatre. Are they rival factions, like The Sharks and The Jets? Did one, predating Linux, fork from the other? Whatever. What's better than roses on my piano?

But I digress…and how. I used to love the animation festivals that semi-regularly made the rounds at the second-run cinemas when I was a kid; I discovered Ren & Stimpy and Beavis and Butthead from these animation fests! They're a bunch of fun on the big screen and if you're not in love with one, all you gotta do is wait two minutes before the next one starts!

Believe me, it's not the same as letting YouTube auto-play animation shorts nor is it, as too many of you lament, going to the movies with ignorant clods that converse through a film or instagram/tweet/candycrush/converse on their blazingly bright cellphones.

Detroit is a city of art and artists, reknown, under-the-radar and unknown. But I don't know if anyone here realizes how much creativity surrounds them at any given moment, moreso than many other urban capitals. Like New Yorkers with the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, it's invisible to them because they see it every day.

Detroit's penchant for expression in the form of outdoor murals and public installations, sometimes in the form of unauthorized work (I hesistantly say, "grafitti") feeds the soul. That may seem like a cliché but consider any cityscape without the literal and figurative splashes of colors, without the soaring lines of architectural ornament, without the faces and figures rendered superrealistic or abstracted, regaled to our eyes each day against the sprawl of gray concrete, cinderblock and asphalt, transforming what would otherwise be an enormous prisonlike experience into something alive.

Detroit's art is like the air we breathe: it can never be enough.

“The Carr Center is in the business of preserving, presenting, and promoting African American arts,” said CEO Oliver Ragsdale, Jr. “What we are looking to do is amplify the Black arts experience, lift up Black excellence in all of its forms, whether it is music, dance, visual arts, film, poetry and the written word. The arts are part of our everyday life, and within Black culture, the arts are central.”

Despite Ragsdale and staff’s efforts, however, the pandemic hit hard. The Carr Center went from raising about $1.5 million with about $1 million in expenses in 2019 to generating about $800,000 in revenue and spending $1.1 million in 2023, leaving the organization with a $300,000 cash deficit, tax documents show.

Dr. Mayowa Lisa Reynolds, principal of Detroit School of Arts, lamented the possibility of a future without the Carr Center as an institution in Detroit. […] “That would be a travesty,” she said. “It’s iconic. It has impacted students throughout this city, some of whom have gone on professionally in the arts, and others whose lives have been enhanced. So it would be devastating, particularly as a primary arts organization that focuses on Black professionals and African American culture, a huge loss to the city of Detroit and beyond — because people come to the Carr Center from all over the nation.”

Alt link courtesy of archive.is

Over at The News…

Filed just before the holiday weekend, Ilitch Holdings, parent company of Little Caesar's Pizza and two of Detroit's major sports teams filed for Chapter 11 corporate restructuring, citing "changes in consumer and employee behavior.”

The blanket bankruptcy includes Olympia Entertainment, leasee of the properties on which stand the recently-completed Little Caesars Arena, the Fox Theatre and Comerica Park. The restructuring leaves the City of Detroit with many, many unanswered questions regarding the Little Caesars Arena, first of which is if Olympia will default on past and future leasing payments to the city.

The Freep adds…

A spokesman for Ilitch Holdings in a prepared statement wrote, "[…]the challenging real estate investments coupled with signs of a potential global recession and high inflation have increased concerns for Ilitch Holdings.”

Neither CEO Christopher Ilitch nor Mayor Mike Duggan were available for comment at time of this writing.

From CNN's Travel Destinations, a possibly-related(?) article, More than Darwin and tortoises…

We found Kelle Ilitch, is in the Galapagos with family members. "Spending time on or in the water is a must," says Ilitch, "whether that means you're ready to jump in with your snorkel for a sea lion swim or are happy to enjoy the views from the deck of your adventure cruise. The islands are a once-in-a-lifetime destination for the whole family!"

Useful links/further reading:

• The Detroit News: Ilitch Holdings files for bankruptcy
• The Freep: The Ilitch Chapter 11 Black Hole
• The Metro Times: Fasting LGBTQ+-exclusive Dispensaries on OnlyFans wearing only keffiyehs…uh, what were we talking about? via archive.is

Walter Reuther was an American visionary so far ahead of his times that although he died a quarter of a century ago, our Nation has yet to catch up to his dreams.

-- President Bill Clinton, in 1995

Walter Reuther is the only man I have ever met who could reminisce about the future.

-- Murray Kempton, journalist and Pulitzer Prize recipient

Walter Reuther is the most dangerous man in Detroit because no one is more skillful in bringing about the revolution without seeming to disrupt the existing forms of society.

-- Governor George Romney

Over at the News, they've posted a selection of their archive photos of activist and former UAW president Walter P. Reuther. Yeah, that's the guy whose name is on the 696. For those who don't know who Reuther was, I highly suggest you read the linked Wikipedia article for starts.

The following legendary exchange is attributed to Reuther and a member of the Ford Motor Company management during a factory tour exalting the new (at the time) technologies and robotics on the assembly line…

Ford Manager: How are you going to collect union dues from these guys [the robots]?

WPR: How are you going to get them to buy Fords?

I can't help drawing parallels between Reuther's assessment and the present—and fast-approaching future—state of AI. Happy Sunday, everybody!

Alt link via archive.is

🤦

Day-Late-Dollar-Short Dept.:

On March 28, 1971, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” the legendary recorded track, was the nation’s top Rhythm and Blues chart song. […] At the time, Gaye, a Washington, D.C., native and Motown Records legend, lived on Detroit’s Northwest side. It was recorded at the Hitsville USA record studio in Detroit.

~In~ ~2021,~ ~a~ ~portion~ ~of~ ~West~ ~Outer~ ~Drive~ ~Street~ ~in~ ~Detroit~ ~was~ ~renamed~ ~Marvin~ ~Gaye~ ~Drive.~ ~Photo:~ ~Ken~ ~Coleman.~

In 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer named Jan. 20 “What’s Going On” Day in the state, marking the 50th anniversary of the recording. That year, a portion of West Outer Drive Street in Detroit also was renamed Marvin Gaye Drive.

For you five troglodytes that have never left your caves…

• Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

The phrase living legend is almost nowhere more applicable than describing today's honoree here at c/Detroit…singer, actress, entrepreneur, diva, the lovely Ms Diana (Diane) Ross, born today here in Detroit in 1944.

Today, I'll let the music do the talking. A short selection of Ms Ross' works:

• Ain't No Mountain High Enough, from Diana Ross (1970)
• You Are Everything, with Marvin Gaye, from Diana & Marvin (1973)
• Love Hangover, from Diana Ross (1976)
• Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To), from Diana Ross (1976)
• Upside Down, from Diana (1980)
• Endless Love, with Lionel Ritchie, from Endless Love single (1981)
• When You Tell Me That You Love Me, from The Force Behind The Power (1991)
• All Is Well, from Thank You (2021)
• Turn Up The Sunshine, with Tame Impala, from Minions: The Rise of Gru OST (2022)

Best wishes on your 80^th^ birthday, Ms Ross, from all of us at c/Detroit. We love you! 💘

This post is lovingly dedicated to Mr and Mrs Joseph and Angela Arco (RIP), our neighbors whom I loved dearly and schoolmates of Diana Ross.

Tonight, English singer/songwriter Mahalia performs tonight at The Shelter, promoting her new album, IRL. No offense, but fire your American tour manager. The Shelter on a Monday? Am I missing something here? Maybe it's your last chance to see her in such an…intimate setting before she breaks big in America.

Yeah, I can hear the Corinne Bailey Rae in her…

From her latest album, IRL:

• Ready
• In My Bag
• Terms and Conditions

OMG! This somehow slipped under my radar this year! Good thing it starts at noon!

The Marche du Nain Rouge begins at noon on March 24 at the intersection of Canfield St. and Second Ave. with live entertainment. At 1 p.m., the parade will start moving down Second Ave., making its way toward Masonic Temple.

The parade has become a Mardi Gras-like event, with krewes typically dressing in black and red disguises, capes, demonic masks, and more. Some go as far as dressing up like the Teletubbies or the late Queen Elizabeth.

According to legend, the Nain Rouge (“red dwarf” in French) has been around since Detroit’s founding. The Nain is said to appear before disaster strikes the city. It was first seen by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit, who was cursed upon the sighting. The Nain allegedly appeared before the Battle of Bloody Run in 1763, the 1805 fire that nearly burned the entire city, the 1967 rebellion, and a massive ice storm in 1976, according to Mysterious Michigan.

• Le Nain Rouge's website!