Milk Cow Blues

THE GOOD

• Detroit blogs - the growing number of websites and blogs specifically about Detroit. I'm not talking about some national corporation that provides info on cities around the country where nothing is truly rooted in the city. I'm talking about sites like DetroitBlog, which focuses on city history, architectural history and issues, and current Detroit politics. Then there's dETROITFUNK, where the focus is on photography. Its mostly a photographic blog of what's going on in the city right now with captions telling you what's what. Right now, there are some amazing photos of the recent fire at the old Studebaker plant in New Center. The newest and possibly most interesting Detroit blog so far is Model D - The Last American City. Unlike the others, this one is almost entirely positive, and is marketing-oriented. But, don't be afraid, its not spin city, its a positive, well-thought-out and organized blog about the city. The most important Detroit blog is also the longest running, and most involved: detroityes. Founder and moderator Lowell Boileau has become a quiet patriarch dedicated to the preservation and new renaissance of the city. There are several different forums on the site, the most popular being the 'Discuss Detroit' forum. The first time I stumbled on this site a few years ago, there were several different forms and too many 'in' jokes. Now, the site is just incredible. Its an endless source of information on EVERYTHING going on in this city. For the most part the forumers (is that a word?) are well-spoken, intelligent, factual, yet full of opinion. Plus, in addition to the forums, there are webisodes which form a photographic tour of Detroit. There's also an in-depth section detailing the history of soul music in the city. That part was written by a British fan of Northern Soul, but its written quite well. Check it out.
• Odessey & Oracle (sic) - the last album from psychedelic pop soul pioneers The Zombies. When it came out in 1967, it totally bombed. Now its looked on as one of the most important pop albums ever. I can't say enough about how much I love this record.
• Frozen meatballs - from Trader Joe's. Tasty little fuckers. I could eat the shit out of them. Doesn't matter if its the turkey, coctail, or regular meatballs, they're all good.
• The Arnie Palmer - After looking into it a little bit, I found out that the combination of half iced tea and half lemonade has been a popular post-golf-game drink for years. But now, the AriZona Beverage Co. and Arnold Palmer have teamed up to bring us this low-calorie version of the drink. And its only .99 cents for a huge can! Its a perfectly refreshing drink for the summertime.

THE BAD

• The Pacific Northwest - I wish friends didn't have to move away.
• Will Self - Contemporary British author. Okay, not really bad, just bad that I'm obsessed with his writing style. Although I suppose this is a healthy obsession. He has some novels, but his real talent is in the short story or in journalism. Check out "Feeding Frenzy" for a compilation of his journalism and check out "The Quantity Theory of Insanity" for a compilation of his short stories. His wit is acerbic, his observations are wry and detailed, and his characters behave in such a sardonic way that you hate to love them. This is what happens when you do a lot of drugs AND make a it work as a successful writer without sounding just like William Burroughs or Hunter S. Thompson (although he does interview both in "Feeding Frenzy").

THE UGLY

• My brain/heart - Forever misinterpreted and misunderstood, yet I plug away. The time is ripe for big changes. Watch out.