Michigan Under the Radar

I'm a little jealous of Tom and Jim from the PBS show Michigan Under the Radar. It seems like they just get to travel around our awesome state, do awesome things and talk to awesome people. You should check out the show, which is available for free on line.

Angel Crossing?

Saw this last night at on North U. That's an angel wing, right?

Mittenfest VI

Mittenfest is a five day musical extravaganza to raise funds for 826Michigan's youth literacy programs. The festival, which began yesterday, is at Woodruff's in Ypsi and runs through the first of the year. There are some great acts still to come. Tonight Rainbow Vomit Family Band is playing. Tomorrow, Black Jake & the Carnies are finishing off the night. On NYE there is quite a lineup including Passalacqua, Chris Bathgate, Lightning Love and an Absolute Beginners dance party until 4am. Tickets each night are just $10. Pretty awesome.

Pangea's fight against the vandals continues

In November, the guys at Pangea had to paint over their awesome mural after it was vandalized. Like many cities, Ann Arbor's graffiti removal ordinance requires shop owners to remove graffiti on their stores. @DragonMgmt sends word (and picture) that the vandals have struck again. It must be really frustrating to have to spend so much time and money continually repainting the same wall.

Previously:

The sad end to Pangea's mural

Place that photo: Nutty 'za

Lunch! It has been brought to my attention that I am becoming more and more stalkable via this here post series, so... I'm going to show you my lunch?

The sense, I don't haz it.

Anywho, if you know where this pizza of goat cheese, onions and pistachios is from (THE NOMEST), place your bets down below, because this is Place That Photo! And this photo! Will! Be placed! Please place your guess down below in the comments, and be sure to leave your Twitter handle, because whoever gets this puppy right first will be damned on our Twitter feed. If you fail (FAIL!) to leave your Twitter account, we'll just damn your damn name.

San Street pop up today

San Street will be popping up today. If you are going through Mark's Carts withdrawal, or need a tasty pork bun, you should check it out.

Planet Rock romance

Via Ann Arbor's Craigslist:

Rock Climbing girl - m4w - 23 (Ann Arbor)

Date: 2011-12-23, 5:51PM EST

I have to admit I was memorized by you the whole time I was learning how to climb. You had on a purple headband and some red pants that looked liked sweatpants but only went to your ankles. I have no idea if you have a special person in your life, but if you do not I would LOVE to get to know you better. I felt safer while climbing even if you were close to me. My only regret is that you did not give me my lesson.

Will you be my belay partner in life?

Wow. Dude sounds a little insecure. Props for the rock climbing-centric pickup line.

Tree City presents Winterized

Featuring Passalacqua from the Suburban Sprawl Holiday Sampler.

Special Christmas Tree Town Sound

Looks like there's going to be a special Christmas edition of Tree Town Sounds tonight on 107.1. I wonder if Matt has stumbled upon a special cache of Christmas recordings by local artists.

Merry Christmas from Damn Arbor

We proudly present the NOAA weather robot singing Deck the Halls.

White Christmas?

It looks like the Ann Arbor area usually has around a 50% chance of a White Christmas. Not too bad if you ask me. Map via NOAA

Reason to love visiting Ann Arbor: Cheap pitchers

Not that this is really anything that unusual, but something that reliably makes friends in California get big eyed and say "WHAT!!" is that you can get HELLA cheap pitchers here! $4.75 is unheard of in my neck of the West Coast woods.

Thanks, 8 Ball. It's good to see you, too.

[Pictured: Fellow Damn Arbor writers.]

Domestic Partner Benefits Ban Passes

The domestic partner benefits ban that we've discussed before has been signed by Governor Snyder. The ACLU is of course planning to sue.

Beer People, A documentary

Beer People from Alan Torres on Vimeo.

Just saw this on Tim Chilcote's Blog and I'm reposting it because it's so freaking awesome.

Some thoughts:

Michigan makes awesome beer.

I think we make such awesome beer because of our climate, our awesome agricultural land and diversity of crops and our history of manufacturing and craftspersonship.

Wow, not a ton of women represented in the documentary. Seems like the craft brewing industry is hella dominated by dudes.

Man, Michigan's distributor laws suck. If our state government is going to try to make a better business environment in Michigan, maybe they could do something useful and reform the distributor laws instead of just being bigots.

The title "Beer People" makes me think of that map of the US were Michigan is labeled "Drunk Lake People." Perhaps we should change it to say "Proud to be Drunk Lake People."

Kalamazoo Michigan

As a K College grad (Go Hornets!) I appreciate this music video. Though I did have to wait for the 4th of 5th verse see the Quad. From a set-theoretical point of view, if let set "A" be objects within Kalamazoo, and bet "B" be objects that are good, the lyrics to this song could be described as A∩B. Hat tip @AaronEndre

Biercamp, first impressions

I finally made it to Biercamp Artisan Sausage yesterday. I regret waiting so long; Biercamp is awesome. The whole store smells smoky and sweet like deliciously smoked meat. The sausages I bought there were super tasty. The staff at Biercamp did a great job helping me find the right sausage as a gift for someone with a picky palate.

I can't wait to go back and try some of their caribou sausage and very reasonably priced pulled pork sandwiches.

Place that photo: A D-town cheat

Batter up, ladies and gents: Time to place this photo! For the first time, I'm entering a specimen outside of good 'ole A2 - the only clue you're getting is that this is in Detroit. That and I think I will force people to go here with me on my birthday.

To be honest, I'm not sure how well known this place is. I have a fear that it's some special Detroit thang that errbuddy here down in SE MI knew about as soon as they turned five. I shall say no more about this place, just in case (rhyming!). All you need to know is that I expect you to take a gander, figure out where this is and enter your best guess in the comments below. First to guess it right will be damned on our Twitter feed, so be sure to leave your Twitter handle. If you don't, we'll just damn your damn name.

Lady Hunters: A Documentary of Michigan's Women Hunters

Found this last night while browsing Kickstarter. Definitely looks like an interesting documentary.

CCRB Missed Connection

Great Misssed Connection from the CCRB, and surprisingly not from the men's sauna:

Short Woman with Michigan State Tee at the CCRB This Morning - m4w - 20 (CCRB, Treadmills)

Hi Cute Short Woman with the Michigan State Tee Running on the treadmill closest to the room divider this morning at the CCRB,

a) Sorry for staring, but you were right in front of me. The machines are at awkward angles and that was the only elliptical with an adjustable angle open.

b) You have good form in your legs. It looks like you're midfoot striking, which is good. But, you have horrible upper body form. Relax your arms and keep them next to you. NEVER HOLD ON TO THE TREADMILL (for a million reasons, just google it). It you feel the need to hold on, just slow it down a bit.

c) Go blue.

-Weirdo Runner with a bad knee

More like Weirdo Runner with a bad pickup line, eh?

Viki Honeyman on Marketplace

Heavenly Metal proprietor Viki Honeyman was on APM's Marketplace this evening. She, and a few other small business owners from around the country about the impacts of uncertainty regarding the payroll tax cut. Here's an excerpt:

I own a gallery gift shop in Ann Arbor, Mich., called Heavenly Metal. I actually am the main employee; I do everything, and then I have a handful of part-time people. All of the uncertainty in Washington is hard for small businesses because we're at the bottom of the feeding pool. And all of these decisions, especially what affects us tax-wise, what allows us to either hire or lay off people or invest more money into our businesses, is so much determined by how Congress and the Senate votes. So it's frightening, absolutely.

You can listen to the whole piece here on Marketplace's website.

Hatcher Library book sale

This just in from @DragonMgmt:

...book sale at Hatcher Grad Library, people lined up an hour before the doors opened this morning.

According to the library's website they will be selling maps and lightly used extra copies of books from 10am until 10 pm today. Photo via @DragonMgmt

Get ready for RRFBs

For all you kids out there who aren't hip to the latest traffic engineering lingo, RRFBs are Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. Ann Arbor's about to get 5 sets of them. You can read more on the Chronicle and the Com. The purchase of the RRFBs was authorized at last night's City Council meeting. The City Council also tweaked the wording in the pedestrian safety ordinance. Now automobiles are required to yield the right of way to pedestrians who are waiting to cross, rather than stop for pedestrians who are approaching the intersection. Personally, I think it's a good change to a law that has the right idea: we should make pedestrian commuting easier and safer, even at the expense of our beloved automobiles. Based on the comments on the Com though, a lot of people are pretty pissed off about cars having to yield to pedestrians waiting to cross at marked cross walks. Go figure.

Dreaming of a white Christmas?

If you are hoping for a little dusting of snow on Christmas morning, things are not looking good. At least not if this forecast from WeatherSpark is accurate.

A biking vegan's guide to Ann Arbor

Robin Tierney has just gone a bicycle tour of vegetarian/vegan eateries in Ann Arbor. Lots of great local restaurants get a shout out: Seva, eat, The Lunch Box, ABC, JP, Earthen Jar. Take a Look. H/T @getdowntown

Bike lock failure

Saw this bike lock outside the Dana Building this morning. Note to bike commuters: invest in sturdy bike locks.

Graduate Student Campaign to Unionize Moves Forward

On Tuesday of last week, the University of Michigan graduate student research assistant (GRSA) campaign to form a union received a welcomed boost when the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) voted to approve a fact-finding on the question of whether or not GSRAs are employees.

The Scientist published a piece that explains the signficance of this ruling as well as the reasoning behind unionization.

At bottom, the argument against GSRA unionization that likes of the Mackinaw Center, University President Mary Sue Coleman, Attorney General Bill Schuelte and Professors like Thomas Zurbuchen is paternalistic at best - Graduate students should not be able to establish a formal process to address workplace grievances and negotiate contracts because the University and advisors will always act in the interest of the graduate students when determining wages and resolving workplace conflicts.

The balance of power between GSRAs and the University will change, but only in direction of giving graduate student research assistants basic protections against exploitation and abuse in the event that a graduate student research assistant suffers such exploitation and abuse.

Or, as GSRA Jamie Van Etten simply and forcefully makes the case:

"Having a union is about ensuring that every student gets fair protection, especially if they are in tough lab situations, agreed Van Etten. 'I know students who are really happy in their lab. I am one of them,” she said. 'Our advisor cares about our success as students and as scientists, but I know that’s not the case across the board.'

This sounds like a pretty modest goal to me.

Read the full article here.

Best holiday light display in Ann Arbor

EJ and I were driving back to Ann Arbor Saturday night when were were struck by the desire to cruse through neighborhoods looking for Christmas light displays. We found some nice ones around Devonshire and Arlington in the neighborhood just east and north of Washtenaw Ave. Gentle readers, where do you think the best holiday light displays are in Ann Arbor? Feel free to email in pictures if you'd like. Photo by yuki cat

Addicted to ornaments

Christmas is just one week away.

The naming of Ypsilanti

This is a cool little documentary about the founding of Ypsilanti as seen on MarkMaynard.com.

Kickstarting Violin Monster

Ann Arbor's favorite traveling werewolf bard has started a Kickstarter to raise funds for further travels, recording an album and to help him level up. For the small donation of just $10,000,000,000 he will play you a private concert on the moon. Other rewards include a digital download of Violin Monster's upcoming album ($15) and a personal serenade over the phone ($50).

Tree theft update

$1,200 Spruce Stolen from University of Michigan's Arboretum: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Authorities may be no closer to finding the asshats who stole the Serbian spruce from Nichols Arboretum last week, but at least the story made Fox 2. Here's why I really like Fox 2: they are willing to say essentially "There is no real evidence to support this, but a fraternity stole the tree." Journalism folks. Previously:

Tree stolen from Arboretum

Unbiased journalism from Fox 2

Derby Dimes documentary

Derby Girls from Carolyn Klarecki on Vimeo.

Check out this cool little documentary about Ann Arbor's very own Derby Dimes.

Place that photo: Lock and awe

You guys, I'm really into the title of this one.

I caught this little dude right as I was wondering what to take a photo of this week. It's like he (she/they/ze) knew. Or at least, whoever stuck these googly eyes on this door lock did. I'm going to spend the rest of my day thinking how sad it is that anyone who comes in through the other side of the door has no idea that Pac-Man is chasing them.

If you know, or think you know, where this photo was taken, smack your bet in the comments below. Whoever guesses first will be damned on our Twitter feed, so be sure to leave your Twitter handle along with your guess; otherwise, we'll just damn your damn name.

Occupy UM Rally At Regents Meeting Today

Occupy UM will hold their Rally for an Open University today at 2:30pm at the Cube on the University of Michigan campus. The Occupy UM press release stated that the rally is in response to the Regents vote on "3 construction projects valued at 88 million and on a 25 million faculty start up venture" despite a 233% rise in tuition since 1990 "completely pricing out of the university lower-income and middle class families. Occupy UM says enough: instruction, not construction."

Occupy UM held an inaugural demonstration last week at Mason Hall raising the issues of student debt, tuition fees, the casualization of university workforce, among other things. The purpose of the event was to raise student awareness. (video here)

Read the statement Occupy UM will read to the Regents after the jump

The Simpsons on Sharia Law

Given the controversy over Lowe's pulling advertisements from All-American Muslim, allegedly at the behest of the Florida Family Association, Mr. Connor Barrie and I thought this clip from The Simpsons was apropos.

Ann Arbor is Going Down

I won't pretend to fully understand the Team Starkid phenomena. Nevertheless, it seems to have inspired some young women in France to write and sing this song:

#PurpleFriday from Emeline Retif on Vimeo.

Yes, crash our websites by overloading them with ecommerce, France. Very sinister indeed.

Grad School, I Love You (But You're Bringing Me Down)

Happy finals week Michigan (grad) students. This video comes to us from Nate Krefman, my roommate from undergrad, who is currently at UC Berkeley, the U of M of California. Muppets, cell biology, and LCD Soundsystem. Doesn't get much better than that.

Charlie Slick, Duane the Teenage Weirdo, and Rainbow Vomit Family Band with DJ Shelly and Jeremy Wheeler

Tomorrow night at the Blind Pig!

A Two-Way State Street

State Street has reopened, according to AnnArbor.com. And I had gotten so used to avoiding the undergrad zone on my way to the Produce Station...

Great movie review from the Daily

There is something to be said for the guilty pleasure of reading a truly scathing movie review. Take for example, this review of New Years Eve in the Michigan Daily:

Twenty well-recognized movie stars half-heartedly trying to peddle two hours of uninterrupted bullshit. That, in a sentence, sums up “New Year’s Eve,” the pointless romantic comedy brought to us by the great minds behind the similarly meaningless “Valentine’s Day.”

Daily Arts Writer Akshay Seth went on to give New Years Eve 0.5/5 stars.

Guide to Taco Tuesday at Sabor Latino

Sabor Latino's Taco Tuesday is awesome, and not just because of alliteration. For just one dollar you can get a hard or soft shelled taco with one of eight differ fillings. However, with so many different options, Taco Tuesday can be daunting for a beginner. Fear not gentle reader, with this handy guide, you too can enjoy your very own Taco Tuesday at Sabor Latino.

1. Arrive by 5:55 pm. This way you can make sure you get a seat before things get too busy and get a happy hour margarita ($3) before happy hour ends at 6. The margaritas as a bit on the sweet side, but the make up for that fact by having lots of alcohol. Seriously, these things come as a viscous liquid that is well below 0 C. If you can manage do drink one with your straw, you may very well see frost forming on it. Ice cold.

2. Plan your order. Hard tacos come with filling, beans, lettuce, cheese, tomato and sour cream. They are much more substantial than the soft tacos, which come with filling, cilantro, onion and a lime slice. Two pro tips: the sour cream can be pretty heavy on the hard tacos, so I usually order my tacos without. Though my taco crew heavily favors hard over soft tacos, most of us order a single soft taco. Why? That way we have the lime slice to squeezer on the other tacos. In terms of taco filling, I really like pastor and carnitas. I hear the vegetarian roasted vegetables are a good filling too.

3. Order your tacos. When your server asks what you want, your mind will go black. Just shoot from the hip, or order two of everything if you are really hungry. Make sure you ask them to bring out the special hot sauces with the tacos. This is key. You will probably also want a few extra napkins for step 4.

Why did I think I could eat eight tacos?

4. Eat your tacos. This is going to get messy. If you have the skill, eat each taco directly above the taco you plan on eating last. This way all the filler that falls from them will land neatly in the last taco creating the mega-taco. Also, use all the hot sauces if that's your thing. If you become parched, order a Tecate ($2.50 on Taco Tuesday).

5. Tip! You just got a margarita, eight tacos and a Tecate for $13.50 plus tax. Your server was also awesome and brought you the extra hot sauces more napkins without you asking. They work hard on Taco Tuesday, tip on the pre-discounted taco price.

There you have it gentle reader. With this guide, I hope you feel better equipped to enjoy this and every Taco Tuesday at Sabor Latino. For you Taco Tuesday veterans who may be reading this article, do you have your own tips and tricks for Taco Tuesday?

Octopi Kerrytown

Our tentacled friends show up to take a stand and be a part of a - very - silent protest against the one percent of water in the world that is readily drinkable.

Post Apocalypse at Gallery Project

There is an exhibit of art inspired by the post apocalypse at the Gallery Project starting tomorrow, December 14. The opening reception is this Friday from 6 - 9. I've never really been to a reception before, so I don't know what goes down at them. Here's a description of the exhibit from the Gallery Project's page:

Gallery Project presents Post Apocalypse, a multimedia exhibit in which over 32 local, regional, and national artists explore the aftermath of some cataclysmic event at the various levels from interpersonal to global.

Sounds heavy. I hope it focuses solely on zombie and robot apocalypse themed pieces.

Music review: Suburban Sprawl Holiday Music Sampler 2011

Suburban Sprawl Music is a local independent record label. Originally hailing from Livonia, Suburban Sprawl merged with Ann Arbor based Quack!Media in 2007. Every December, the record label puts out an awesome, free holiday music sampler. This year's sampler is no exception with some great holiday originals sprinkled with some new takes on old Christmas classics. Here are some of my favorite tunes from the double album:

Lightning Love - It's Christmas Behave Yourself. Are you an insufferable cynic who is dampening your SO's youthful joy for the holidays? If so, you can probably relate to this song.

Passalacqua & Doc Illingsworth - A Very Frugal Xmas. An angry and passionate rap against reckless Christmas consumerism.

The Next Door Neighbors - Getting Into The Christmas Spirits. Yes, this is a song about drinking during the holidays. Get it? As a bonus, this song sounds like the awkward love child of indie rock and new jack swing.

The Kick Stand Band - Home Alone - Do you miss the days of the surf rock Christmas song? Try this out on your eardrums.

Joe Hawley - Sleigh Ride Invincibility Star. A rendition of the holiday classic, Sleigh Ride, for the Mario Generation.

Appleseed Collective recording debut album

Local old-timey folk band, Appleseed Collective is recording their debut album. They've started a Kickstarter to raise funds to pay for recording. For a donation of only $10 you will get early access to a digital copy of the album. It's basically like just buying the album ahead of time. If you are on the fence, you can check out two of their live albums at Bandcamp.

Girl Talk at the Blind Pig

Incase you missed it, here's a video of Girl Talk's secret concert at the Blind Pig last Wednesday.

Tiny Expo STRIKES AGAIN

Tiny Expo. Braun Court. Today. Now until 7 p.m.

Alright, so I know BCB told y'all bout it Thursday, but I just wanted to remind errbuddy that the thang is today. I'll be there to nab some gifts. I think it's important to note that this isn't the kind of craft fair where you end up buying a fugly quilt because you've been brainwashed after two hours there, and you end up starting to think that ugly things are lookin' pretty good. After the jump are a few photos of goods to expect there. But first, I gotta note that my former right-hand woman Jocelyn Gotlib created the 'lil rendition above. Her sister, Helen, was one of the four people that sorta started the whole thing, and they'll both be there sellin' their goods.

Suburban Sprawl holiday compilation

The Suburban Sprawl holiday compilation is pretty awesome. It's also free. You should check it out.

Grand Rapids company launches Reindeer Cam

According to @PureMichigan, a Grand Rapids company is behind Reindeercam.com. Looks like Vixen and Dance to me.

Tree stolen from Arboretum

Sometime between Dec. 6th and Dec. 7th, someone or some people came into the Arboretum and cutdown a 3m (10') Serbian spruce (Picea omorika). This really gets my goat. Not only is stealing a tree from a public park a pretty shitty thing to do, the tree happened to be a member of a IUCN threatened species. At least it wasn't endangered like the one that was poached from the University of Washington Arboretum in 2009.

Still, WTF?

The tree was taken out the Geddes St. entrance but from there the trail of branches got cold. Serbian spruces are very distinctive in appearance: they have a very narrow crown. Unlike the other spruces in the area, P. pungens, P. mariana, P. glauca and P. abies, P. omorika has two-tone needles: the tops are green and the undersides are light with two distinct white bands. Also, the needles are flat in cross section which differentiates it from the above spruces save for P. abies. So if you noticed someone who just got a new, very tall, attractive Christmas tree, AND it has flattened two-tone needles spruce needles, here is the contact information for DPS.

Previously:

Crime strikes close to home

Dirty Wolverine collection now online

Apparently all the cool (for-profit) bloggers do holiday gift guides this time of year. At Damn Arbor, we're not in the game for the ca$h money. Nonetheless, I think the Dirty Wolverine is pretty cool. Just in time for the holidays, DW has just launched an online shopping feature. So if you are looking for the perfect gift for a Michigan sports fan, consider checking it out.

Video from the Ellen Show taping in Ann Arbor yesterday

In summary: video conference with Ellen, lots of screaming, airs on Monday.

Ellen Degeneres wants people in Ann Arbor with Toys. NOW!

"If you live in Ann Arbor, MI and you wanna be on my show, get a toy, and get ready." via @TheEllenShow I don't know what exactly this pertains to but it went flying around my office about 2 minutes ago.

D.I. Ypsi

D.I. Ypsi is this weekend at Corner Brewery. Check out the website to see vendor previews. I think it's great the crafting community in the area is so robust we can support two craft fairs in the same weekend. If you are planning on checking out Tiny Expo on Saturday, you can still go to D.I. Ypsi on Sunday. Or just shoot the moon and go to both on Saturday. Bonus: the Lunch Room will be at D.I. Ypsi serving a "limited but special menu."

New downtown market, Babo, now open

Babo is open! The market on the first floor of 411 Lofts is run by Sava from Sava's. I stopped by last night to check things out. The market is really nice: great lighting, attractive displays, delicious looking food.

Babo offers a nice range of produce, high quality meat and cheese, a nice range of basic ingredients, and macarons from the Love Confection. I thought some of the prices were a bit high for some items. Then again, I think there is something to be said for the convenience of being able to buy groceries without having to travel so far.



All things considered, I think Babo is a great addition to downtown Ann Arbor. For more pictures from the opening, check out this Facebook album from the Lunch Room.

Why Ellen DeGeneres is coming to Ann Arbor

Rumors about Ellen's visit to Ann Arbor abound. @a2chronicle speculates she will be here to discuss pertinent municipal government issues. Davis Smith says she will be participating in a Toys for Tots program at Walgreens. Others think she is coming to criticize the City Place development. What will Ellen do in Ann Arbor? Only time will tell.

Place that photo: Patriot Act

Dude, Roosevelt was the man. And I can say that, because I wasn't alive when he was the president, and therefore only have displaced ideas of what kind of leader he was. Due to my ignorant bliss, I welcome the above quote with open arms and a full pint.

Also, it reminds me of this:

Time to place that photo, folks, and lemme know where the photo up top can be found in good 'ole A2. If you think you know where Roosey's quote is plastered, leave your info in the comments below, as well as the name of your Twitter account. We'll damn the first person to get it right on our Twitter feed, so if you don't leave your Twitter handle, we'll just damn your damn name.

Opah! (Oprah?)

Domestic Partner Benefits Ban: Headed to the Governor

I posted in October about the possible domestic partner benefits ban, which the Michigan House and Senate have just passed. The Senate passed it secretly, without a press release, and now it goes to the Governor - for a veto, I hope. There is an exception for universities, but it does affect public institutions such as the State itself, cities, and school systems. Indeed, plenty of businesses extend benefits to domestic partners (Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Dow Chemical, Kellogg, GM, and Whirlpool, to name a few). This legislation is clearly bad policy and I hope that our readers will take the time to contact Governor Snyder's office to urge the veto of the bill.

Governor Rick Snyder
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
phone: (517) 373-3400
phone: (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
fax:(517) 335-6863
e-mail: Rick.Snyder@michigan.gov

Ellen in Ann Arbor?

Looks like Ellen DeGeneres has something special planned for Ann Arbor. @Dokas thinks she's going to "let the world know her disapproval of the razing of S. Fifth’s historic homes!" Stay tuned gentle readers.

Tone it down Wisconsin

Really?!?!?

Dear Wisconsin,

I've always held you in high esteem. You are a proud Midwestern state and home to a great public university. Your dedication to cheese and beer is admirable. But seriously, you need to take a step back and look at what you are doing. Which of these states looks like a mitten?



I mean, I know you are a great state for winter recreation. That's totally cool. But here's the thing: the whole "our state looks like a mitten" is kind of Michigan's thing. Some people might not think we have a whole lot going for us, but at the end of the day, our state looks like a mitten, and it's freaking awesome.

I'm not saying you're lame Wisconsin. I can totally understand why you would want to look like a mitten, but face it: you just don't really look like one. I think it would be better for both of us if you just found a different thing to say you looked like.

Best,

Ben

Via: the Kalamazoo Gazette

Five-Year Engagement trailer

Just got back from the woods to find this:



I am so freaking excited. It looks great. Maybe they should have the official premieres in Ann Arbor?

Tiny Expo 2011

Tiny Expo is this Saturday from 10 - 7 at 327 Braun Court. (Say, that address looks real familiar.) Billing itself as "Ann Arbor's biggest little indie arts & craft fair," Tiny Expo is a great place to get locally made gifts for friends, family, or yourself.

Check out Quinn's coverage of last year's Expo.

Previously:

Nobody puts Tiny in a Christmas corner

Ann Arbor Skatepark

Thanks to a grant from the grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Ann Arbor Skatepark has beat its Jan. 1 fundraising deadline to ensure matching funds from Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor. Even though the idea of skateboarding makes my joints hurt, I still think this is pretty exciting news. Read the full story here.

Adventure Sauce Guide to Ann Arbor

Checkout this travel guide to Ann Arbor from native Benjamin Jennings.



World's capital of lithography? Really?

Ann Arbor ethnographies

Looks like U of M students are starting to upload their ethnographic videos for Anthropology 101.

Here's one about those lovable co-op kids:


Here's another that looks at Occupy Ann Arbor:

Where has Violin Monster gone?

By the looks of his Facebook page, Violin Monster is traipsing around the French Quarter down in New Orleans. Don't worry kids, he'll be back in the spring. If you're missing Violin Monster too much, you can check out this recording he uploaded yesterday.

Ann Arbor, so green even our bank robbers use the bus

There are some funny comments up on the Com's article about today's bank robbery and subsequent apprehension of said robbery suspect after he fled on an AATA bus. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the robbery of the TCF branch near Briarwood.

Issues and Ale tomorrow at WSBC

Our pals at Wolverine State Brewing Company are hosting Michigan Radio's Issues and Ale event tomorrow night. The real Jack Lessenberry will be hosting a panel discussion on the future of Michigan's public education system.

Corvus osiris

Spotted this crow sculpture by WMU prof Karen Bondarchuk on 4th Ave on Friday. It's part of a series of similar crow sculptures made from scraps of tire blowouts found on I-94.

Tuba Christmas

There are about three dozen or so tubas playing Christmas carols on the corner of State and North University right now. Also somebody is passing out free doughnuts and hot coco. Tis the season.

Happy Repeal Day

Our friends at the Sugar House (2130 Michigan Avenue in Detroit) will be celebrating the 78th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition tomorrow from 3PM onwards. Sounds like a perfect excuse for a Slows trip to me.

Detroit, America's 2nd saddest city

Men's Health, a magazine known for its rigorous studies, has just pronounced Motown the 2nd saddest city in the country. You better watch your back St. Petersburg, FL.

The official Damn Arbor guide to Midnight Madness and Kindle Fest 2011

Midnight Madness and Kindle Fest are tonight. As the cool kids might say "it's gonna be tots awesome." Here are the deets:

Midnight Madness 2011 - Main Street and surrounding area - 7 pm til midnight
Why you should go:

• 826 Michigan's BotChoir will be Christmas Carols at the top of the hour from 7-10pm
• The Ring of Steel Action Theater and Stunt Troupe will be preforming somewhere. I hear they are staging a recreation of everyone's favorite Finnish feelgood holiday movie: Rare Exports.
• Santa Claus and Miss Washtenaw County will be prowling the sidewalks from 7-9. Miss Washtenaw County folks, who knew?

Third annual Kindle Fest - Kerrytown - 6 pm til 10 pm
Why you should go:

• Brats, sauerkraut and pretzels
• Beer and mulled wine
• A fire pit
• Kerrytown still has their November event calendar posted, so I'm just going to make some guesses based on Kindle Fest 2010
• Wine tasting at Everyday Wines (highlight of last year's Kindle Fest)
• A Children's Choir singing German Christmas Carols
• An Angela Merkel look alike competition

Hope to see you all there!

Rothbart-Hawthorne

Damn Arbor's most faithful reader in Texas, Chris Primeau just sent me this great Mayer Hawthorne interview by Davy Rothbart. The two friends from high school got together over the Thanksgiving holiday and talked sports, Andrew W. K., the old Ann Arbor hip-hop scene, and the origin of Mayer Hawthorne:

Rothbart: Tell me how "the big break" came about.

Hawthorne: I wanted to make my own samples so I wouldn't have to pay for song clearances. Really, that's how Mayer Hawthorne started. I recorded a couple of half-baked soul tunes in my bedroom that I could use for sampling purposes in our rap songs. They didn't even have a bridge or a last chorus. I never dreamed that stuff would be released on its own.

Check it out. It's definitely worth a read.

Via Grantland

Really Free Market

Holiday shopping on a budget? Look no farther than the Really Free Market. Organized by U of M student group EnAct, the Really Free Market will be in the Dana Commons today from 12-4. Last year, I found this great Magic Eye book and Humping Dog USB drive. It's a great way to find a home for gently used items you no longer want.

Place that photo: Face time

You know that thing where you can actually feel someone looking at you? I'm pretty sure that can happen with paintings. This guy has a bunch of buddies, but for some reason, it always feels like he's looking right at me, through my skull and into my afterlife. Like a super intense, way conservative grandpa.

Anywho, since this is Place That Photo, all you readers should do the damn thang and place it. First person to guess where this guy spends his weekends (and weekdays...) shall be damned on our Twitter feed. Damned I say! So feel free to leave your Twitter handle with your guess. Otherwise, we'll just damn your damn name.

Jolly Pumpkin on 100 Beers 30 Days

Jolly Pumpkin from Laurie Delk on Vimeo.

You can follow Laurie's adventures on 100 Beers 30 Days. It looks like she'll be visiting Bells and Founders too.