Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome by Derek Farr

The Detroit News reports that the long-shuttered Pontiac Silverdome has been sold for a mere $583,000 as the home for a soccer league. However, with a cost over $55 million to construct:

"This was a giveaway," said David J. Leitch, a broker with an Auburn Hills based realty firm.

"The property alone, at $10,000 an acre, should have gone for more than that. And you have the Silverdome, its contents, and the infrastructure already in place. I had estimated it would probably go for between $1.2 million and $3 million. I can't believe it."

Such sentiments weren't uncommon Monday, after city officials unsealed bids showing the property that was home to the Detroit Lions was sold at auction to an unnamed Canadian company that plans to bring a soccer league to the stadium. The company's name will be released when the sale is finalized within 45 days, said Fred Leeb, the city's emergency financial manager. Leeb acknowledged the sale "is not a windfall," but said the Silverdome's $1.5 million upkeep drained the beleaguered city's finances.

Go to about 1:20 in the video to get past the auction promo. Much more about the Pontiac Silverdome on Michigan in Pictures!

You can also download Detroit Pistons pumpkin stencils of - can you believe how dramatically changed the 2009-2010 Detroit Pistons are?? - Arron Afflalo, Chauncey Billups, Michael Curry, Richard Hamilton, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and Hooper. Then carve one and send the photo of it to Pistons.com for their Pistons Pumpkin photo gallery.

Here's a video from last year's opener...

Even the undead enjoy Michigan apple cider!

A Dubs (Alan) runs the blog Faded Detroit.

His sets include Detroit in Black & White, Faded Detroit: City wide and Tiger Stadium Demolition.

Dive into his Flickriver.

The week-long series of beer-centric events will be held at participating venues in Detroit, with satellite events at Metro-Detroit brewpubs. These events will consist of brewery tours, tasting flights, meet-the-brewer sessions, food pairings, and a wide array of other unique activities. Events will be hosted by Detroit Beer Week staff and the Detroit Beer Barons, a group of Metro-area brewery personalities.

“We wanted to stay away from the traditional ‘drink this beer, get a keychain’ –type promotions, and instead focus on events that give value to the consumer and to the venue hosting the event,” stated Jon Piepenbrok, principal organizer of the events, AKA Chief Imaginationer.

The grand finale of Beer Week is the Inaugural Harvest Festival, hosted by the Michigan Brewers’ Guild and Metrotimes on Saturday, October 24, in Eastern Market.

While the Guild is not organizing Beer Week events, they have given their full support and cooperation to the organizing committee. “When the Guild announced the Harvest Festival in Eastern Market, we not only saw an opportunity to promote Michigan Beer in southeast Michigan,” stated Jon Piepenbrok, “but to promote the Great City of Detroit, as well; and the Guild has been extremely supportive of our efforts, even including information about events on their website at www.michiganbrewersguild.org.”

The participating venues include Slow’s Bar BQ, Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub, Park Bar, Motor City Brewing Works, Traffic Jam & Snug, Atwater Block Brewery, Detroit Beer Company, Wolfgang Puck Grille, Michael Symon’s Roast, 24Grille, and Fender’s Pub at the Omni Hotel.

A complete, updated list of events and information can be found Facebook.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #6 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state. For more information, including a list of Michigan microbreweries, log on to www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

The ticket giveaway is now over with and our winners have been notified.... Tickets for the show are on sale now! So even if you didn't win we urge you head to Detroit for wonderful evening of top notch entertainment.

About the Show

It's here, and it's "AN ELLE OF A SHOW" (TIME Magazine). The hilarious MGM film is now a smash hit musical, and now LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is coming to you. Legally Blonde follows sorority star Elle Woods, an underestimated blonde who doesn't take "no" for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. After turning Broadway and MTV hot pink, this “Feel-Good Song and Dance Juggernaut” (New York Magazine) is “The Best New Musical Around!” (WOR).

For complete inforamtion about the show and the national tour visit the official Legally Blonde The Musical website.

About Broadway in Detroit

Broadway in Detroit and Nederlander Detroit have been bringing the Detroit area the Best in Broadway Shows since 1961 to fabulous venues including the Fisher Theatre, Gem Theatre and the Detroit Opera House. For a full list of events go to www.BroadwayInDetroit.com.

Video from the Road

Check out Legally Blonde on Tour YouTube Channel. Backstage behind-the-scenes footage shot by cast members of Legally Blonde The Musical National Tour!

Footage of the girls taping the Bonnie Hunt Show

Also, on YouTube is the Legally Blonde The Musical channel from the Broadway production with several videos featuring scenes from the show.

You can also join Legally Blonde The Musical on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Herbert Jeffries has acted, sung, even ridden--his way to the top of the entertaining world.

In the 1930s, when white singing cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers carved out names for themselves, Jeffries decided there should be black cowboy films* especially since there had been many African American cowboys in the American west.

Born in Detroit in 1911, Jeffries raised money for his first feature film. Playing the part of Bob Blake, a fearless singing cowboy, Jeffries became this country's first African American film hero when Harlem on the Prairie opened in 1936. Nicknamed the "Bronze Buckaroo," Jeffries did all his own riding and performed all his own stunts. After starring in three more cowboy movies, Jeffries left movies to start singing with Duke Ellington's orchestra. With that band as his backup, he recorded "Flamingo," which sold fourteen million copies and propelled him to the top of the jazz world.

After running a club in France for a decade following World War II, Jeffries returned to the United States where he continues to perform. In 1995, at the age of eighty-three, Jeffries recorded a Nashville album of songs entitled, The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again).

Among his many awards and recognitions, Jeffries earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to one observer in 2004, "The man is a marvel. In appearance and in voice, he seems a person half his age. . . . His voice sounds stronger now than it has ever been."

Here's Herb Jeffries singing Happy Cowboy in the 1938 movie "Two Gun Man From Harlem":

For more about Jeffries, check out herbjeffries.com. To learn more about other important African Americans in Michigan, order the book African Americans You Need to Know or subscribe to Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids by calling (800) 366-3703 or visiting www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

The Nature Bar by SCOTTS WORLD

Time, Inc. bought a house in Detroit:

Why would we ever do such a thing? Because we believe that Detroit right now is a great American story. No city has had more influence on the country's economic and social evolution. Detroit was the birthplace of both the industrial age and the nation's middle class, and the city's rise and fall — and struggle to rise again — are a window into the challenges facing all of modern America. From urban planning to the crisis of manufacturing, from the lingering role of race and class in our society to the struggle for better health care and education, it's all happening at its most extreme in the Motor City. (Read TIME's Detroit stories.)

As a story, Detroit has been misunderstood, underreported, stereotyped, avoided and exploited for decades. To get it right, we decided to become stakeholders. Over the next year, we intend to flood the D-zone with journalists, photographers, videographers and bloggers from TIME and TIME.com, Fortune and Fortune.com, CNNMoney.com, Money, even Sports Illustrated. Some will live in the house — dubbed the "D-Shack" after Detroit-area native Kid Rock dropped by with a housewarming gift of a Gothic D (for the mantel) plus a keg of his Badass Beer — and others will stay there while reporting.

Beautiful View - MCS by MikeRyu

With questions such as "How do you survive in Detroit" (below) and What do you love or hate about Detroit answered by city residents and profiles from the Telway Diner's 85 cent burgers to urban farming supported by the kind of in-depth reporting (and national audience) that one of the world's largest news organizations can bring, I really think we'll find Assignment Detroit to be a phenomenal boon for Detroit and all of Michigan.

Be sure to visit Assignment Detroit to watch and read and explore Michigan's largest city through fresh eyes.

You might also stay tuned to AbsoluteMichigan.com/Detroit for features on the Motor City and definitely check out the Detroit Slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr (most recent).

***The contest is now complete and our winner has been notified***

AMERICA'S HOTTEST DANCE SHOW

Summer sensation SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE kicked off its fifth season with a two-night, four-hour season premiere Thursday, May 21 & 27 and concludes with a two-night, four-hour season finale August 5 & 6 on FOX. Hosted by Cat Deeley, the original dance competition series will inspire and amaze viewers as dancers skilled in styles ranging from hip-hop to ballroom compete to be named America's Favorite Dancer.

Last season's winner, Joshua Allen, danced off with a $250,000 cash prize, the title of America's Favorite Dancer and an offer for a featured dance role in the upcoming Adam Shankman film "Step Up 3-D."

Tickets for the tour are on sale and available at Ticketmaster.com

Check out more videos including video profiles of the top 10 dancers on the So You Think You Can Dance website

Keep up to date with the latest info:

Join So You Think You Can Dance on Facebook

Becomes friends with So You Think You Can Dance on MySpace

Slows by farlane

A few weeks ago NPR had an interesting feature titled Despite Tough Times, Some See Opportunity In Detroit that looked at how Detroit's dramatic downturn has created some amazing opportunities for starting businesses.

Phil Cooley says the city is wide open for new ventures and is tolerant of his mistakes and successes. "It's lovely to be able to afford to do that here, one, because the community is so forgiving. And two, because it's less expensive than other places. So it's affordable," he says.

Music producer Chris Koltay was drawn to Detroit from Cincinnati by the vibrant music scene and the cheap real estate. He says he knew he could afford a whole building. He found one across the street from Slows for just $38,000. The recording studio is packed with guitars, keyboards and microphones.

Koltay has made a loft in the back of the building and for a year lived there without hot water. "It was gnarly, but whatever. Now I'm golden. And it's so wide open, and I think that's beautiful. I've never seen a city that has this kind of opportunity for growth, and I think that's beautiful," he says.

Check out some Detroit commercial real estate listings from Loopnet, follow the Detroit rebirth via Model D and get links from Absolute Michigan's Real Estate & Development section for Southeast Michigan.

Investors find real estate gold in Detroit from CNN explores a similar phenomenon in the Detroit housing market.

susiej35 (Susan Lucas) is a high school art teacher.

Be sure to check her photo out bigger and in her Michigan Fair 2009 set (slideshow). Some of her other sets are Bower's Farm, Belle Isle, TTV and Super hero gets attacked by the giant weimaraner!.

Dave Brubeck Quartet by Maia C

For more than a quarter century, the Detroit International Jazz Festival has entertained millions of fans with jazz legends ranging from Herbie Hancock to Yusef Lateef and Ron Carter. Today, it ROARS on six stages over four days, with blues, gospel, R&B, and one of the finest jazz lineups on the planet. The 2009 festival takes place this weekend and is the 30th annual. Mark Stryker writes:

Detroit's remarkable jazz history has a lot of heroes, but none loom larger than the three incomparable Jones brothers from Pontiac, who came roaring out of the local scene at midcentury to become major influences -- Hank as a pianist, Thad as a composer, arranger and bandleader and Elvin as a drummer.

So it's only fitting that the 30th anniversary edition of the Detroit International Jazz Festival, which runs Friday through Monday, would pay homage to the first family of Detroit jazz with the subtitle of "Keepin' Up with the Joneses."

Hank, the eldest and only surviving brother, who still plays beautifully at age 91, headlines an opening night double-bill with Chick Corea, and artist-in-residence John Clayton has written a 30-minute commissioned suite for big band and jazz quintet that honors the Jones brothers. On a deeper level, the entire weekend lineup is deep with other famous jazz families, from the Brubecks to the Heaths.

Other featured performers are Wayne Shorter, Corea, Clarke & White, Dave Brubeck, the Clayton Brothers Quintet and Christian McBride (complete schedule via the Freep.)

Be sure to enjoy this report from the 2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival hosted by Jim McClain and shot and produced by Scott Allman for Absolute Michigan.

Plan on it for 2009!

"It's lonnng gone" --Harwell by b.plus

Tigers a big source of pride in Motown from MLB.com says that:

...For all the upheaval going on around this bruised piece of the Midwest, the Tigers' little piece of it has almost become a separate reality. And they've received such a boost from their fan base that they can't help but wear the Detroit name with pride.

"I've never been in anything like this," said shortstop Adam Everett, whose wife is from the area. "I just know that this is a hard-working town and people are passionate. Going through what a lot of these families are going through, it's not easy."

More than 40 years after the 1968 world champion Tigers helped unite the city and the suburbs for one tremendous summer amidst a year of civil unrest and tension in Detroit and across the country, this year's Tigers are providing a different kind of reminder of the social impact a team can have.

Nothing now will compare to the stories of Willie Horton taking to the streets of Detroit during the riots of 1967, trying to calm down rioters, or of Mickey Lolich being summoned to his post by the Michigan Air National Guard that summer. It's a different situation the city and region face now. It isn't violence, but seeming hopelessness the area is battling.

Yet it's a time when a first-place team has again become a diversion, and a source of pride in a city that others want to put down. As a team defying expectations, somehow getting through so many of its own issues, the Tigers are proving to be a fitting sanctuary for a few hours.

Click through to this excellent article for more including a video report and GO TIGERS!!!

Detroit-based indie rockers The High Strung, whose penchant for playing live music in libraries was the subject of a This American Life feature, were invited to play a show at the Guantanamo Bay library this summer. They said yes. What followed is documented in a Vanity Fair article, written by the older brother of one of the bandmembers.

Visit their website thehighstrung.com and friend them on MySpace....

Check out the YouTube video: WATCH ME SUSTAIN: THE HIGH STRUNG LIBRARY TOUR DOCUMENTARY Promo Trailer (short version)

Red, White and Chrome Dream Cruise by kelley girl

The 15th annual Woodward Dream Cruise happens this Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. It's billed as the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture, and with more 1.7 million visitors and over than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles, it delivers. Be sure to check out their Woodward Dream Cruise history page!

Speaking of history, Michigan in Pictures has an excerpt from Cruisin' the Original: Woodward Avenue from Arcadia Publishing that features some excellent photos from the 1950s. Did someone say photos? Check out this Flickr slideshow of Woodward Dream Cruise photos.

The Detroit News are official sponsors of the event and are featuring extensive Woodward Dream Cruise coverage of the activities, photo galleries, live video on Cruise day and live blogging as the event unfolds. Do not miss their Interactive: Your guide to the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Absolute Michigan's video correspondents Scott Allman and Jim McClain visited the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2008 and got some great shots of the cars along with interviews with the interesting and colorful characters that make up the world's largest one-day car event:

It's definitely worth clicking over to see the high quality version.

Waiting room, Michigan Central
Station by jeanpierrelavoie

Over on Michigan in Pictures today we featured a link to an incredible panoramic walkthrough of Detroit’s Michigan Central Station by Montreal photographer Jean-Pierre Lavoie. The Detroit News had a feature on Lavoie that explains:

In Lavoie's past, he was an electrical engineer with an interest in cameras.

Now he's a former engineer who shoots stills and panoramas for businesses, museums and his own amusement. Recently, he shot Stevie Wonder's performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival; it's on his Web site.

The side-to-side, up-and-down, 360-degree process involves a high-end camera, a fisheye sort of lens, a tripod, a computer program and patience. The computer stitches together the images, but it's up to the photographer to make sure the proportion remains correct when a nearby object gives way to a distant one.

Run (don't walk) to check this out and if you want to see what this was before time and neglect had their way, check out the video below!

world's largest stove by detroit am

The Nation's Oldest State Fair was officially first held in 1849, only twelve years after Michigan attained statehood. At the onset it was customary, in fact, for the fair to be held one year in one city, the next year in another, and there was always a hot contest to be the city selected. The Michigan State Fair settled down at the present fairgrounds in 1905. The 2009 Michigan State Fair will be held August 28th - September 7th.

Popular attractions include the FREE Concerts under the stars in the Band Shell, daily parades, competitions, horse shows, agricultural displays, arts & crafts, racing pigs, rabbits & poultry, dairy exhibits, carnival midway rides & games and the world's largest stove.

Michigan State Fair Home Brewing Competition

The Michigan State Fair Home Brewing Competition has become one of the largest and fastest growing competitions anywhere. From 324 entries in fifteen beer-only categories in 2004, the Michigan State Fair Home Brewing Competition has grown to 721 entries in all 28 beer, cider and mead categories in 2008, making it one of the largest competitions anywhere and definitely the largest single state competition anywhere. The size and growth of this competition is an indication of the vitality and strength of the home brewing and craft brewing community here in Michigan

Upper Peninsula State Fair Escanaba: August 18 - 23

The 2009 Upper Peninsula State Fair opens Monday, August 17 @ 5:00 pm. Plan now to attend to the UP's biggest event. Check this site for fair times, admission prices, and cost of specific events. The 2009 Fair: Aug. 18-23 (preview night Aug. 17th)

Escanaba received the honor of being named the location for the Upper Peninsula State Fair in April, 1927. Michigan Gov. Fed Green signed Act 89, which stated, "An annual state fair at the City of Escanaba, which shall have for its main purpose the exploiting, and encouragement of improved methods in agriculture and industrial pursuits I hereby authorize."

I started this 2 weeks ago and it just kept growing. I heard Dumars traded Mason and Hooper to the Lakers for Jack Nicholson's sunglasses and the "D" from the "HOLLYWOOD" sign.

Below are my brief thoughts and links - please add your own in the comments...

John Kuester for Michael Curry It was obvious that despite being an all-around nice guy, Curry wasn't ready to be a head coach. I don't know much about Kuester, but the word is that he had a lot to do with the Cavs offense and he has a reputation as a guy who is great at building contenders (great article - must read). I'm going to believe that it is a solid move to bring in a builder in what will likely be a rebuilding year.

Charlie V and Ben Gordon and Chris Wilcox for Sheed and 'Dice and Amir and (not pictured) Arron Afflalo and Walter Hermann I cried a little when Rasheed left and even more when McDyess did. Two solid players and great clubhouse presences who will be missed. I never formed an attachment to Afflalo and Hermann - though I did like his energy and regular-guy vibe - and despite his massive upside, Amir Johnson never seemed to have the confidence of the organization.  At the end of the day, the NBA is a young man's game and the Pistons certainly got younger here. I love Charlie Villanueva (except for the typing his name part and especially the Twitter addiction - twitter.com/cv31) but I worry worry that Ben Gordon is a sign that Rip is on the trading block. Wilcox definitely brings some potential but he seems like a trading chip ... unless (perish the thought) Jason Maxiel is.

The end of the Allen Iverson era I'm pretty sure there are choirs of angels singing about this ... or at least a special Automotion dance.

The Pistons rookie class The class of '09 seems to be doing well. Austin Daye will need to bulk up, DaJuan Summers seems to be proving his critics wrong and as the first Swede in the NBA, Jonas Jerebko seems destined for glory.

Thoughts? Comments? Links? Share them below!

ABOUT THE DETROIT WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The DWIFF brings truth to the term "International", with an event that spans two metropolitan, international cities!

Our Inaugural event in 2008 was a huge success as we brought a bit of fun, film, fame and friendship to downtown Detroit! Film lovers mingled with film makers throughout the wonderful spaces of Detroit's University Cultural Center and in downtown Windsor. Wayne State University, College for Creative Studies, the University of Windsor, the Scarab Club, the DIA, the Detroit Public Library all combined in the perfect "campus" to celebrate film, friends and the future of our creative economy.

Winners of the 2009 Festival Announced

Follow them on Twitter

Join them on Facebook

Friend them on Myspace

Visit Paolo Nutini's MySpace and Facebook pages!

Click here for directions to St. Andrews Hall in Detroit.

Interesting Facts

Paolo sang with The Rolling Stones at the Isle of Wight in 2007, duetting with Mick Jagger on the Robert Johnson classic “Love In Vain.” “At the rehearsal, Mick was like, ‘I hope we can remember it, its been years since we played that tune.’ Paolo also supported Led Zepplin in the O2 Arena as part of a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun.

About Paolo Nutini

If you think you know Paolo Nutini, think again. His two million selling 2006 debut album, These Streets, established the young Scotsman as a leading light amongst the new wave of singer-songwriters. Paolo's extraordinary follow up, Sunny Side Up, casts him in a whole other light.

"Musically where I'm at, I dont really have a genre or style that I feel a part of," explains Paolo. "It's a bit of a random mish mash. I honestly wanted it all to come out, and not harness it, not manipulate it. I just wanted it to be organic, and so immediate it's in your face and you can't help but take it all in."

The first single from the 22-year-old's new release is "Candy" - a heart tugging ballad written after an argument with his girlfriend, when it suddenly occurred to him that the fault lay with him. Watch the cinematic video below, and be sure to pick up a copy of Sunny Side Up available everywhere today. - read more

You can also check out this interview with Paolo from Isle of Wight Festival 2009 on YouTube by Absolute Radio DJ Ben Jones. Watch the clip to find out Paolo's reaction to becoming the first ever solo Scottish male to have a #1 album in the UK with his new release Sunny Side Up. The twenty-two-year-old musician also discussed what it was like to share the stage with The Rolling Stones.

Michigan Film Festivals

TCFF 2008 by tcfilmfest

Mitten Film Project & Festival
1st Tuesday of every month, Royal Oak

The Mitten Movie Project is committed to showcasing world class movies in Detroit, headquarters of the MiniDV Revolution.

Waterfront Film Festival
June 2009 in Saugatuck
Outstanding independent films from all over the United States are screened in casual, intimate settings every June in the resort village of Saugatuck. The Waterfront Indie Screenplay Competition is seeking screenplays that can be produced for under 5 million dollars, and that can be shot in Michigan. More about the Saugatuck Waterfront Film Festival from Absolute Michigan.

Detroit Windsor International Film Festival
June 25-28, 2009 in Detroit

The Detroit Windsor International Film Festival takes place at venues all around Detroit and Windsor and seeks to engage the community in the growth of the film culture of the region and to promote storytelling through film, video, games, the web, music and other channels through panels, workshops, special events, a job fair and (of course) screenings of all kinds of films!

Traverse City Film Festival
July 28-August 2, 2009 in Traverse City

The festival presents fulls days of the best independent, foreign, and documentary films available in several indoor movie houses and free, classic movies on a giant, inflatable outdoor screen overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. Panel discussions with directors, writers, actors, and other members of the film industry are offered daily.

Ann Arbor Film Festival
March 2010 in Ann Arbor
Established in 1963, this internationally-renowned festival showcases independent and experimental film and video and is the oldest of its kind in North America. Each year the festival attracts entries from artists worldwide and screens more than 100 films. Every year they select a four-hour program of awarded and highlighted films for the Ann Arbor Film Festival Tour that travels around the country from March through December to college classrooms and auditoriums, art theaters, and museums.

American Dreamz by East Lansing Film Festival

East Lansing Film Festival
March 2010 in East Lansing
The ELFF was created in 1997 in cooperation with the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University, and is the largest and most diverse film festival in Michigan to screen independent and foreign feature, documentary, short and students films from around the world. The festival also holds the Lake Michigan Film Competition that gives cash awards to the filmmakers whose film was either filmed, produced, or financed in the states that border Lake Michigan.

Find out more about the 2008 East Lansing Film Festival right here on Absolute Michigan.

Maia warns you that she likes purple and cats. She writes that the Spirit of Detroit is the iconic statue for the city. When a Detroit team is in the playoffs, the statue is attired in the team's jersey. She says there's a reason one of Detroit's nicknames is Hockeytown (and there's a reason that Detroit is one of the greatest sports towns in the country).

Be sure to check it out bigger. She has tons of great sets including Detroit Zoo Irises 2009, Greenfield Village October 2008, Downtown Detroit and Rivera Court, Detroit Institute of Arts (slideshow).

Skate over to her Flickriver and GO WINGS!!

Daly was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches of the NBA's first half-century in 1996, two years after being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first coach to win both NBA and Olympic titles.

The Detroit News and The Freep both have nice tributes to the legendary coach. Shall we will never forget the incredible years of basketball that coach Daly gave Detroit, the state of Michigan and fans worldwide.

R.I.P. coach....

I came across this very cool photo from the heyday of the American auto industry yesterday. It's interesting to me to think about how deeply our nation identified with the manufacturing and innovation represented by these cars and how much goodwill Ford, GM & Chrysler were able to squander with ill-advised production.

Slowly, it appears that they are earning it back. The Freep reports on yesterday's Ford Motor Company announcement of plans to retool their Michigan Truck plant in Wayne:

Ford is in the process of transforming Michigan Assembly, previously known as Michigan Truck, from a plant that previously built large SUV's into a plant that will build the compact European version of the Ford Focus starting next year. And, starting in 2011, Ford plans to begin building an electric version of the Ford Focus.

...“We are fighting for the soul of manufacturing in Michigan, in the United States of America and worldwide,” Mulally said.

Ford said the electric version of the Focus will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a targeted range of 100 miles and can be recharged through a 120-volt or 240-volt electrical outlet.

You can read about the 47 MPG Fusion Hybrid at Ford and also check out this video on the Fusion:

283/366 Say GOOD things about Detroit! by JVLIVS © ®™

While browsing the internet we came across a couple of articles about Detroit that are worth a read over on CNN.com. In light of all the negative news that seems to permeate the national media, these take a look at a cross section of residents and entrepreneurs who love The Big D, The Motor City, Motown, Hockeytown, The-D, The 3-1-3, Rock City and most historical and relevant to Detroit's modern day resurgence The Great Arsenal of Democracy. Whatever you want to call it we call it a city with great history and a bright future.

From CNN.com

Why I love Detroit: 13 stories

Detroit residents always get asked why they stay. 13 locals answer that question - and reveal their favorite treasures of the Motor City.

Detroit entrepreneurs band together

Local business owners are teaming up to draw shoppers and rebuild Detroit, one business at a time.

More on the photo used for this post by JVLIVS © ®™:

Tryin' to make these last few days of this 365 as intense as possible. I still say Detroit is home to me, no matter what. There STILL remain some good areas in Detroit that most do NOT know about to this day! Like most of us who are from the 313, I am DETERMINED to prove the naysayers-you know who you are-wrong!

BTW, some of these came various cameras (phones included) that I've used over the course of time (apparently).

1. 279/366 The Spirit Of Detroit (refurbished)!, 2. Linville St., 3. Motor Dr and James Couzens, 4. Mr. S's Deli and Liquor, 5. 269/366 the Mound Road Bridge, 6. Club Elysium, 7. Wayne County Courthouse, 8. Hustlin' and gettin' down on the Princess, 9. Detroit Skyline, 10. Made In Detroit, 11. Better Made Potato Chip Factory , 12. Staples, Detroit, Michigan, 13. Detroit skyline, 14. 0801081603, 15. 0819081812, 16. 0819081549, 17. The Manoogian Mansion (our mayor's mansion), 18. Historical House in Brush Park, 19. 210/366 I'd like to live in something like this one day!, 20. 40 Buick 8, 21. House In Victoria Park, 22. The Redford Theater, 23. Compuware Kites, 24. Ambassador Bridge , 25. Welcome 2 Detroit

Here's the process of prairiefying a city:

1. A city is built on the river, allowing for trade and commerce and irrigation of farms.
2. The city prospers and more people move in, the city expands. Farms on the edge of town are converted to housing, forest further on the edge are cleared for farms.
3. Over a few generations this process repeats.
4. A lightening bolt of innovation strikes the heart of several men at about the same time (Henry Ford, The Dodge and Fisher clans, Henry Leland, Billy Durant and the crowd from Flint, et al), and all hell breaks loose, suddenly the timber town on the River is an industrial gold mine.
5. An insane number of people flow in from all parts of the world. Black and white folks roll in from the south. All the farms are snatched up and houses, mills, factories and shops are planted in the field.
6. Everyone wants to drive and the emotional tie of the car to an entire nation is so intense the money whooshing through the city is almost palatable. The wealth is spread around and the workers decide to spread out, move out to the “country”. They have the means to do it, these middle class kings.
7. Then one day the money flow slowed down. Innovation and competition meant fewer jobs. Factories began to close. New factories followed the workers out to the “country”.
8. Too many people left behind lacked the money and prospects to maintain their homes and in the Michigan climate a home requires money to keep it standing.
9. Slowly at first, then faster as time passed, neighborhoods were simply deserted.
10. As folks moved out, businesses and churches and such that needed them soon closed their doors. With no buyers for their stores, they stood abandoned.
11. One by one these homes, factories and stores fall victim to the elements and arson. In time entire blocks are cleared. Native grasses and trees take root.

A city is built on the river, allowing for trade and commerce and irrigation of farms.....

Morels ! by cedarkayak

The latest issue of Midwest Living feature on the Best Midwest Food Towns served up a platefull of restaurants in our region that might entice the culinary tourist. Their editors selected Traverse City as the #2 town and Ann Arbor #3. Also featured were a collection of recipes from Traverse City including Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce With Pasta and a Creme Fraiche from Shetler's Dairy.

The Detroit City Council's proposal to demolish Michigan Central Station as a means to bring in Federal stimulus dollars seemed to many to have all the brilliance of a plan to get rich quick by selling both your kidneys. Now the Detroit News reports that developer Manuel (Matty) Moroun is proposing to lease Michigan Central Station to the United States government for redevelopment. The Department of Homeland Security offices for Customs and Border Protection are seeking to lease almost 50,000 square feet of space in the Detroit area to house personnel.

Of surprise to nobody - outside of State government at least - the Detroit News is reporting that Michigan's agricultural industry is bucking the trend of decline:

The state's overall agricultural industry -- which includes not only farming but also food processing and biofuels, wineries and beer-making -- grew 12 percent to $71.3 billion in revenue in 2007, following several years of single-digit growth; 2008 figures are not yet available.

...Some 100 agri-food businesses have started in Michigan during the past five years, according to the MDA.

Imagine what we could do if we really invested in building and promoted our agricultural bounty.

Edward Vielmetti has a tasty post that includes Michigan's morel festivals and the book How to Find Morels by Milan Pelouch. Even more about morels at Absolute Michigan keyword morel!

Bizeekizay (Joshua Farewell) says that he plays music as much as possible and takes pictures when he's feeling enlightened and enjoys finding new ways of getting beautiful or just plain-ole cool looking pictures.

You can see this bigger, check out some more of his photos in his Nature set (slideshow) or wade into his Flickriver.

Thursday April 30th at the Magic Bag in Ferndale features Rachael Davis, My Dear Disco, Nervous But Excited, and Chris Bathgate. ACLU of Michigan staff attorney Jay Kaplan will discuss what his organization’s LGBT project is working on to help the cause of LGBT victim rights. Tickets are $10 at the door and the show starts at 8pm.

Friday May 1st in Ann Arbor is Nervous But Excited and Breathe Owl Breathe will play at The Ark. Coalition for Adoption Rights Equality (CARE) President Beverly Davidson will discuss House Bill 4131 that could allow for second-parent adoptions in Michigan. Tickets are $15 at the door and the show starts at 8pm.

Saturday May 2nd at the Insideout Gallery in Traverse City is Kalamazoo-based old time string-bang Who Hit John? (pictured above) will be there along with songwriter Michael Beauchamp and Cmoon, featuring local freestyle artist Cnote, Moon Beam and Adam Reid. Triangle Foundation Victim Service Director Melissa Pope will discuss various legal and political issues. Tickets are $15 at the door, $12 in advance.

Here's their promo video...

Thoughts That Went Through Matthew Stafford's Mind on Draft Day:

10. You don't often hear, "Congratulations, you're going to Detroit."

9. Why am I the only one who came to Radio City Music Hall dressed as a Rockette?

8. If the Lions win one game this year, I'm a hero.

7. Anybody dumps Gatorade on me and I'll deck 'em.

6. Holy crap, I think I just pulled a hamstring.

5. I didn't think anything could top the excitement of Heidi and Spencer getting married.

4. Is it me or does NFL Commissioner Goodell look like a young Larry Hagman?

3. Why am I here when I could be at that movie where Beyonce and that babe fight?

2. Why does Jessica Simpson keep calling me?

1. I'd gladly go No. 2 if it means not having to appear on Letterman.