Thursday Morning Blues

I love Dunkin Donuts coffee and I need about 10 cups to get me going today. It's just one of those kind of days. Really looking forward to the long holiday weekend filled with friends, family, and some R&R! The countdown begins!

(Photo taken from Intern Lauren)

2011 Rock Odyssey

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

This was the best possible thing to start my Thursday morning. The awkward tension between Jack and Colbert is so funny. I can't wait for the next part to air. Enjoy!

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

Check out this vintage image of the first modern bikini to hit the market. Making its French debut in 1946, the revealing swimwear was advertised as the world's "smallest bathing suit". The tiny box in the shot indicates just how mini the bikini becomes.

A lot of famous bikini shots have appeared in the media over the decades. Farrah Fawcett and Bridget Bardot are considered top fan favorites. In my opinion, the most notable bikini shot is featured on Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. You might also remember this image as the classic "cupcake" that Andy Dufresne used to cover up his escape route in the 1994 hit, The Shawshank Redemption. Raquel Welch just rocks this primitive bikini style so naturally!

Hello Summer

It's hard to imagine that this lobster delicacy was once considered to be only fit for low members of society. It was not until well into the twentieth century that the delicious crustacean was thought as more than a low-priced peasant dish.

The photos above were snapped at The Black Pearl, one of New England's top restaurants. Situated on the Newport Harbor, The Black Pearl serves up the best fresh New England clam chowder and steamed 2 1/2 lb lobsters. Grab a seat inside or out and enjoy the beautiful views and salty aromas of Bannister's Wharf. It's the perfect recipe for a sunny afternoon!

Great Movie Moments...

Jennings: Don't write this down, but I find Milton probably as boring as you find Milton. Mrs. Milton found him boring too. He's a little bit long-winded, he doesn't translate very well into our generation, and his jokes are terrible.

[Bell rings, students rise to leave]

Jennings: But that doesn't relieve you of your responsibility for this material. Now I'm waiting for reports from some of you... Listen, I'm not joking. This is my job!

Hello Leo

Meet Leo, a vintage prison laundry truck turned Hot Rod Thread Sled for local retailer DetroitGT. Owner Chris Gorski found the rare 1979 Chevy P10 Step Van through an Indiana CraigsList ad and rolled the dice on the purchase when he skipped a test drive. After making the trek down to pick it up, Leo was given 2 months of restoration love - including his notable black and red paint job.

I had the pleasure of purchasing a vintage style Hamtramck tee from Leo this weekend at the Berkley Art Fair. Printed on an alternative apparel shirt, I'm predicting it will become my favorite top by the end of summer. If you see Leo at art fairs, city events, and Eastern Market this summer - don't be shy, the truck (and owner) are super nice. Make sure to stop over a say "hi"!

A Classic Summer Thriller

If you're looking for a good throwback film for a Friday night, consider Shadow of a Doubt. This Hitchcock thriller staring Teresa Newton and Joseph Cotten debuted in 1943. Classified as film-noir, Shadow of A Doubt tells the story of a young, humble girl, "Young Charlie" who is visited by her sophisticated and esteemed "Uncle Charlie".

The plot takes a twist when two detectives arrive to ask Young Charlie some questions about the possibility of her uncle being a serial killer known as the "Merry Widow Murderer". Refusing to believe the accusations, she keeps the visit a secret but begins to notice strange behavior. Like any Hitchcock thriller, a suspenseful ending ties up all loose ends.

Pay close attention to at the beginning of the movie. Hitchcock, who himself appears in more Hitchcock films than any actor, makes a cameo about 15 minutes into the feature.

Shadow of a Doubt received unanimously positive reviews. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther loved the film, stating that "Hitchcock could raise more goose pimples to the square inch of a customer's flesh than any other director in Hollywood". I couldn't agree more.

Super Score at the Record Store

Scotty Karate picked up this used gem at the record store over the weekend. The Motown Story features 5 albums filled with the greatest hits born in the Motor City. Each song includes a mini intro from a famous song writer and/or producer - think Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves, and Marvin Gaye. It's really fantastic to hear such famous voices casually detailing how each classic was born.

The best part? When Scotty told me about this find, I responded with a comment on how underrated the song Shotgun by Jr. Walker and the All Stars is. He opened his phone to show me a text that he sent to his dad the previous day that detailed the same thought. Out of all of the hits, we both praised the same jam. I guess great minds really do think alike.

National Donut Day

A big coffee "Cheers" to the fine staff at Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts. You brighten our office Fridays by filling our stomachs with goodness. I salute you on this fine National Day of recognition and wish you many more years of success because, let's be honest, not everyone wants a healthy alternative.

Great Piece of Art

Zakk always finds the best images on tumblr. This zinc board is like a little wish list for bliss. I tried to pick out my favorite line but I think they are all fantastic. Maybe the last one is the most powerful. What if goodbyes were only until tomorrow? Would people still invest so much emotion or would they just be a bit happier during the whole event?

If you aren't familiar with tumblr, it's a viral social media site that allows users to share passions through text, photos, quotes, links, music, and more. Short and to the point, its a great way to pass along a good find. Check out this great tumblr on animals in the wild, the colors are really spectacular.

Chop the Locks!

How seductively amazing is this new look on W's Heath and Beauty editor, Christina Han?! I love that she traded in all of her length for a sassy summer do. Celeb stylist Garren worked his magic to take off more than a foot of luscious locks. The article gives a nice play-by-play for the motivation behind the decision.

If you watch the video, you can totally sense the nervous tension in the room! But, the delighted expression at the end delivers a new, confident look. I just love it!

Detroit I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down

Where do stolen car parts end up? I immediately think of the Chop Shop from Adventures in Babysitting but that just seems so 80s. I figured at this day in age I could just Google the item on a local search and it would lead me to the filthy reseller. CraigsList, Ebay, local auction sites? Is there really an underground network still operating in Detroit?

It seems like if you're smart enough to jack a navigation system out of a Denali, you're smart enough to actually be a contributing member of society. Think about it, it's really a much more lucrative career choice.

Soft Lyrics

I just love melody and lyrics to this She & Him song, Sentimental Heart. It's definitely a mellow tune, but sometimes a sad song is just want you need to feel a little bit better during a down swing.

Old habits die hard
When you've got
When you've got a sentimental heart
Piece of the puzzle you're my missing part
Oh, what can you do with a sentimental heart?
Oh, what can you do with a sentimental heart?

Homemade Cartoon

My coworker Zakk is the mastermind behind this creative cartoon. Last month Jim, another coworker, had an emergency appendectomy and I had a rib removed (health reasons - not Janet Jackson style). This image makes me giggle. Who knew an appendix could be that cute?

World's Best English Muffin

According to Chef Michael Chiarello, the world's best English Muffin lives at The Model Bakery in St. Helena, California. The Featured Food Network treasure is light, fluffy, and as tasty as it gets. Toast it in the oven with some butter and jam or turn it into a breakfast sandwich to go. Either way it's delish.

Priced at $2 each, these The Model Bakery English Muffins are available at the market or online. Standard shipping charges apply.

Great TV Moment

Hank Scorpio: When you go home tonight, there's going to be another story on your house!

Um..... Yum!

These divine over-medium egg chorizo breakfast tacos live at C Casa in the Oxbow Public Market, Napa. Made with only fresh, seasonal ingredients, this cute Taqueria is determined to serve up delectable dishes daily. Free range poultry, sustainable fish, grass-fed beef, and local produce combine into a super power that delivers on the promise to be, "delicious, nutritious, and addictive". If only these secret spots were closer to home!

Sustainable Fashion

Los Angeles based designer Tina Tangalakis ventured to Ghana with a mission to volunteer at an orphanage. During her visit, she bonded with local seamstress Beatrice Agabe and the concept of Della was born.

Della purses are handmade by economically vulnerable women in Hohoe, Ghana. Each sale has a positive effect on the community by providing jobs and education. Click here to read some of the stories.

The Della shop includes vibrantly colored fabric clutches, hobos, and accessories. Each bag is 100% vegan and 100% spectacular!

Opening Day 2011

If the weather was perfect, it wouldn't be opening day.

A little rain didn't stop the crew for setting up shop in the wee hours of the morning. Equipped with tents, grills, and a full service bar, this tailgate party is better each year. The image above boasts a solid display of kegs that will be tapped throughout the day. As always, we cheer for the boys in Blue and Orange and hope that Tigers can pull off a victory. The Motor City is ready for a winning record!

Turn the Tables

Fun Music Cover

If this video doesn't get you smiling by the end of it - I don't know what will! So Fun!

Jack's Birthday Cake

This Jack Daniels Billboard on 8 Mile caught my eye over the weekend.

"We like the No.7 Seed"

Cleaver reference to the NCAA tournament. Great Branding. There was something witty written about drinking responsibly but I can't remember the exact words.

I searched the Jack Daniels website for current advertising and I found a section dedicated to cooking with Jack. Amazing. I'm definitely whipping up this cake in April! My soul may be from Detroit but my appetite craves some good southern cooking.

Jack's Birthday Cake

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
½ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, flour mixture, and Jack Daniel's®, stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle evenly with pecans and chocolate chips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of the cake is firm and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and drizzle with glaze. Makes 16 servings.

Note: Cake may be baked in a greased 10-inch tube pan. Increase the baking time to 1 hour. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Drizzle with the glaze.

Arizona Wildlife

A friend of my Dad's spotted this beautiful Mountain Lion family on an Arizona golf course this week. And to think, my neighborhood is worried about a coyote... I couldn't imagine seeing these wild creatures in my backyard!

Oh, The Shark Has Pretty Teeth, Dear

The world's largest set of shark teeth is about to hit the auction market. These Megaladon chompers will be placed up for bid in Dallas, Texas this June at the Heritage Auction Galleries. With over 182 actual teeth, this Megaladon shark can exceed 100 feet in length and display teeth more than 7 inches across. Yowza!!

Shifting the Motor City

This image is rare in the Motor City, but with oil prices jumping up to $103 a barrel I expect to see additional stations popping up. Lawrence Technological University in Southfield offers the first active "charging station" that I've seen. Just pull your electric car into one of the spots and receive a quick pick me up to get you to your next destination.

It will be interesting to see a shift from traditional gas stations to electric vehicle charging stations over the next decade. This New York Times article looks at some complications with the switch, including potential grid overloads and a need for new infrastructures. The pics from California are wild, seems like everyone is so accustomed them already!

Running Hounds

Many thanks to Christina. Click here to see 50 super cute, slightly wild, pictures of running Basset Hounds.

Colombian Street Dogs

On a trip to sunny Florida last March, Andrea, the sweetest girl ever, introduced me to the concept of a Colombian Hot Dog. I'm not sure if it was actual ingredients or her authentic Colombian accent that sold me on the treat. Seriously, she is so cute. Hopefully I can explain it correctly:

First, boil the hot dogs in Cola. I know, weird, right? But I'm sure it's amazing. Top the dogs with cole saw, pineapple, a ketchup & mayo mixture, and mustard. Finish things up by adding a layer of crunched up Better Made potato chips (my favorite!).

I haven't stopped thinking about this magical creation since I heard about it! I bet these are just as good with chicken or veggie sausages. Yum!

PPC of Detroit

Has anyone been lucky enough to experience the People's Pierogi Collective of Detroit? They set up shop in Eastern Market during the summer months. Say good-bye to the standard hot dog cart, the PPC has revolutionized mobile deliciousness. Taking requests from fans, the PPC will experiment with random fillings like PB&J but still offer the traditional favorites like potato & cheese. They also blog these cutie Grandma videos that teach you to, "Polish up your Polish". So sweet.

Great Mashup

Jourdan sent over this mash up from The Hood Internet featuring Arcade Fire and Blondie. Sprawl II gives me goose bumps when I hear it. The transition into Blondie's Heart of Glass is flawless. Régine Chassagne and Deborah Harry have such timeless voices. I really love this track.

Rough Start to the Season

Seriously Miggy? ... your wife is gonna be livid when she finds out about this one...

Excuse me, have you seen this building?

I heard about this transformation on XM the other day. The building used for the famous album cover of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti is welcoming a tea shop on the ground level. Yep, you guessed it, Physical Graffi Tea will offer affordable loose leaf teas as well as a new social outlet for people in the city.

Ahoy Hoy!

Is this site for real? Since 2007, Sea Captain Date has been helping lonely Sea Captains find their mate. Click the Browse tab at the top for a sneak peak at a chance for love with some real life water officers.

PS - Must love Beards.

It's Pronounced Pux-a-tony

According to Phil, Spring is near! Check out the video from Gobbler's Knob. You can even send a cutie Groundhogs Day Card via the website.

I know that the springtime hard to imagine during the winter blizzard wonderland that we woke up to this morning. But, I never mind a good snow storm. It's a simple way of saying that everything is moving too fast, take a break and slow down a bit. Put on your winter boots, make a snow angel, then keep warm with your favorite movie and a hot toddy!

What's Important

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things --your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained; your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter; like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the smallstuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first --the things that really matter-- Set your priorities. "The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked." "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem; there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend "

The Creep

This video is amazing. I am laughing so hard! Their mustaches are super creepy.

Great Cover

I absolutely love this video of The Beatles covering Smokey Robinson's, "You've Really Got a Hold On Me". There's something about Smokey Robinson's lyrics that gives me shivers, in a good way. This impromptu cover produces the same chilling effect. The eye contact between George and John really shows that they are following each others lead. It's a great version of a classic.

1964 Redding - Can you add this one to your set list?

Funny

I'm lucky to sit around co-workers that have a great sense of humor. This cartoon made me laugh out loud!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Animal Crackers made their first US appearance in the late 19th century. Most snackers associate the traditional box packaging with the delicious sweet snack. In 1902 a small ribbon handle was added to the boxes making them easier to hang as Christmas ornaments. In total, 54 different animals have been represented by Nabisco's Barnum's Animals Crackers since 1902. Currently, each package contains 22 crackers consisting of a variety of animals.

Nabisco's Barnum's Animals Crackers references the famous showman, P.T. Barnum. His original traveling act was titled, "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome" which included a circus, exotic animals, and freaks. Barnum's life consisted of business, politics, hoaxes, and human curiosities that made history. He eventually sold his circus to Ringling Brothers on July 8, 1907 for $400,000 (about $8.5 million in 2008 dollars)

New Orleans Funeral

Detroit legend Jim Shaw passed away early last month after a long battle with cancer. He was the brains behind the music. The Metro Times composed a great tribute article on his accomplishments. It's only natural that his friends and family laid him to rest with a traditional New Orleans jazz funeral. Check out a couple snap shots here. The cutie under the red umbrella is Sandy, his supportive and loving wife.

Sharks!

Did you know that no one has ever recorded a Great White giving birth in the wild? At least that's what I was told. Sharks are such impressive creatures. Only 302 days until Shark Week 2011. In the mean time, enjoy this National Geographic shark slide show. I think I like the Whale shark best, it just looks so innocent underwater.

A Monday Playlist

It's a mellow, mid-month Monday. If I had to pick an ultimate play list for today it would be composed of the following songs. Clearly some of them seem like they are on the cusp of depressing but don't take the lyrics too seriously...

Sea of Love - Cat Power
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
Mushaboom - Feist
Cause=Time - Broken Social Scene
If I Am A Stranger - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
Cath - Death Cab For Cutie
We are Going to be Friends - The White Stripes
Mystifies Me - Son Volt
Does He Love You? - Rilo Kiley
Angela Surf City - The Walkmen

Great Movie Moments...

Fletch: Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo.

Ruins of Detroit

I have a love-hate relationship with the Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre site that Zakk sent me. At first I thought, "great, another hipster photographer exposing the world to the aftermath of the industrial revolution and city riots". But, after reading the intro and browsing the pictures, I think he captured some effective images of Detroit.

I've been in Michigan Central Station, United Artists Theatre and St. Albertus School to experience the architecture and see the decay. When I look at these photographs I notice rotting books and turned over desks, but I also see classroom filled with generations of Detroiters looking to enhance their educations. I recognize churches once filled with families that found solitude and companionship when they arrived in the city. Being a realist, I don't expect these buildings to beam as they once did but I am hopeful for fresh start.