Krampus is coming

December 15th at Corner Brewery.

Cool Concert this Monday at the Ark

Two great women singer-songwriters will be having an intimate show at the Ark this Monday, the 10th of December. An evening with Maia Sharp and AG. AG has recently released an EP of reimagined Beetles tunes (see above) and if her voice sounds familiar, it might be because she is one quarter of The Rescues, a band that has lent 5 tracks to Grey's Anatomy.

Tickets for An Evening with Maia Sharp & AG are $16 and doors open at 7:30.

Fast times at the Capitol

The State Legislature has snapped into overdrive during this lame duck session. Bills relating to right-to-work legislation, abortion restrictions and education reform are making their way through the sausage machine at blinding speed. MarkMaynard.com has a much more thurough article tan I could ever write about all this over on his website. Check it out.

Wolf Cry Wolf, a review

On Sunday, EJ and I had the immense pleasure of seeing the New Theater Projects latest play, Wolf Cry Wolf. The play, by Austin playwright Kevin Kautzman, tells the story of two childhood friends, Steph (Meredith Deighton) and Jane (Ramona Lucius). Steph returns to her hometown in North Dakota after having been gone for a number of years. The two women quickly delve into memories of the summer they first met. The summer when Jane told Steph her biggest secret: she knows how to turn into a wolf.

The majority of the play takes place during that fateful summer when 11 year-old Steph moved in next door to 13 year-old Jane. The two become friends and Jane reveals to Steph that she can turn into a wolf at night. Steph becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming a wolf and insists Jane show her how. During a nigh-time prowl the two girls come across a creepy older boy, George (Kris Reilly). He is 15 and can turn into a crow, whom he has named Crow of Night.

Flesh of the Bovine Species

I was unsure which Missed Connection to post, this one or the "Cute girl working at Burger King." Or post them both for a fried food/craigslist theme. Anyways, the word gets around fast, and the internet is already mourning the loss of Blimpy Burger. I have never eaten at Blimpy Burger, but with a description like "ground beef dispensary of delight" I doubt I'll be able to stay away.

The end of Blimpy Burger?

Gentle Readers, it is with a heavy heart that I share the following news with you: Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger will be closing its current location at the end of August. (According to the above Twitter conversation.) It appears that U of M has dropped the ol' proverbial horse head in Krazy Jim's bed. Hopefully the restaurant will be able to relocate. Still, I will miss its current location.

Hat tip: @netmeg et al.

Jim Hubbard at Michigan Theater

Tonight, Penny Stamps is eschewing the normal lecture format of the series to present United In Anger, a film by Jim Hubbard. The documentary is twenty years in the making, focused around ACT UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). I can only infer that the film showing is related to last weeks World AIDS week. It'll be the last Penny Stamps lecture of the term, with the series starting at 5:15.

Parking Wars, Ann Arbor edition

Something caught my eye in this Com article from earlier this week. You know the article where the Ann Arbor Police Department affirms that under local law, drivers are not allowed to run down people who are standing in parking spots. Okay, really the AAPD is letting people know that there is no law against standing in parking spots. What caught my eye was not the heated argument in the comments about whether drivers should be allowed to nudge standing pedestrians out of parking spots, but rather the poll. Check out the above screen shot. I like that the only way you can say that you don't struggle to find parking downtown is if you say that you never go there. What about those of us who walk, bike and/or bus downtown? Or those of us, who when we do drive downtown, do not find it onerous to find parking? To me at least, it seems like downtown Ann Arbor is full of numerous parking structures and way too many surface lots.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

The Com just posted a video of a young man stealing Christmas decorations last night. The theft was one of a series of six that happened last night in near east neighborhoods in Ann Arbor:

View 2200 Belmont Rd in a larger map

Based on the locations of the thefts and the appearance of the suspect, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this was some sort of fraternity* related nonsense. (Maybe they know the clowns that stole the threatened spruce tree from the Arboretum last year.) I would suggest the AAPD start start cursing through facebook pictures until the find the suspect posing ridiculously with the stolen Christmas decorations. But seriously, stealing peoples holiday cheer as some sort of prank is not frat at all.

OK, looks I know I shouldn't stereotype people based on their looks. Maybe that guy's not in a frat. But it seems like there are these sorts of things every year and if a bunch of (mostly) white, upper middle-class bros get falsely accused of a crime every now and then, maybe that helps balance things out in the long run.

We're famous!

Jenny Che, a reporter for New York Daily News' book blog, Page Views, reposted our piece on the Bookstore Memorial on the old Borders Building. We've finally made it onto the national scene. I am currently sitting at my computer patiently waiting for book contract offers in my inbox.