Big Sean - Hometown

A Homage To Detroit

Beautiful film by Stephen McGee

A Homage to Detroit from Stephen McGee on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/stephenmcgee

Where the trail ends...

I love documentaries or anything that deserves the title "reality tv"

...unlike the unsavory crap that is called reality tv...

This film (will probably) be everything I love about documentaries.  
1. A subject I'm not well versed on
2. Beautiful cinematography and editing
3. Ability to ignite interest!

enjoy...

 

TIMEOUT

It's time to: Stop. Think. Embrace.

It is also important to realize the terrible conditions and lifestyles these people live in.  For instance, I love the use of only women in Africa, chiefly because the condition in which they are treated there is atrocious (see recent Women's rights material as well as subjects on "the virgin cure" and "honor killings")

This is a beautiful movement. I love it.

TED Prize Winner JR & INSIDE OUT from TED Prize on Vimeo.

Art: REALIZE

This is a tribute to one of the greatest Boxers of all time. Watch the video. Figure it out!

p.s. pause the video around the 19 sec mark and take in what Michael Kalish and the Oyler Wu Collaborative have created

Palmer Park Prep Innovation!

It is so good to see teachers getting their due.


I saw a recent issue of Education Week with a Detroit school on the cover and thought, "Here we go again."

To my surprise and delight, it was highlighting the innovative Palmer Park Preparatory Academy in Detroit.  The school's teachers in charge structure is what garnered the attention, and frankly, who knows how to run a school best than the people that run them?


Read the DET News story here: Teachers in charge at Detroit's Palmer Park Prep
And here is the ED Week article: Teacher-Led School Innovates With Student Regrouping

New Cobo Renovations Revealed!

This all looks great.  Glass facades, Dallas Cowboy sized exterior televisions, beautiful views that apparently were worthless in Cobo's original conception... 

But, wait.  What about the struggling city services?  The police, fire, emergency, garbage, snow removal and street sweeping services that make a city livable.  

Look at it like this: why would you live in a beautiful, historic, two story colonial when you can't even get your trash picked up on a regular basis, and when you called the police to report on a fight happening on your the street, they and the EMS sent to respond to the battered victim take over thirty minutes to respond?

I love what is being proposed here, and I think it will bring a lot of positives to our city.  However, I'm wondering why the REAL issues are not being addressed.  The kind of issues that keep good, law abiding, hard working, prideful people out of the city.  The quality of life issues that are the real deal breaker when it comes to settling in a new area - let alone taking the financial/health risk of moving into Detroit.

Look, I'm more of a Detroit slappy than anyone I know, however, its not hard to tell when things are going a little ass backwards.  I would be happy if Bing and the rest of the city government at least popped their heads into and addressed these quality of life issues while proceeding with the current plans at hand.  At least make some effort to curbing the MASSIVE and DOMINATING factors that are keeping good people out of the city:

1. Quality of life services

2. Schools

3. Emergency response systems

4. Police vigilance in tough areas 

And here's a novel thought: The city needs money, yes? Great, why don't we fine and fine and fine and fine the careless, self-centered and "speculating" property owners in the city that take no pride in ownership and allow their buildings, homes, and lots to be polluted, trashed and remain dilapidated.  Why don't we ticket and fine people disturbing the peace at all hours of the night, and ticket those who find it appropriate to walk the streets and impede traffic.

Where there is a feeling of lawlessness there will be lawless behavior.  We need to retrain citizens that do not know how to fall in line and do what is right.  And yes, I am aware of the fact that some will never come around, and yes I am in full support of sacrificing for the greater good.  We have to be able to make the hard decisions.  The time is now, people.

At any rate, here is the video and a bullet list from DET News on what is included in the renovations:

"The $221 million renovation project also includes:

• The creation of a new three-story glass atrium "signature space" for Cobo Center that links the main floor of Cobo with a new entrance. The glass atrium surrounds most of the building, allowing for a view of the Detroit River and linking the facility to the city's RiverWalk.
• Major renovation to Cobo's primary façade facing downtown, which will include a high-tech, computer-generated "media mesh" billboard announcing current and future conventions and other bookings.
• Reconfiguration of meeting and breakout rooms along Cobo's south side, the area facing the Detroit River. Most of the exterior walls of the meeting and breakout rooms will be replaced by high-efficiency glass walls.
• Twenty percent increase in parking spaces.
• Construction of an additional loading dock ramp to street level.
• Additional electrical provision capabilities in exhibition areas."