We got a call from Clementine’s school not too long ago — something about her collecting money from the other kids in kindergarten. We asked her about it, and all that she’d tell us was that it was a secret. She said that she’d stop, but assured that they had been pooling their money for [...]
While I appreciate the entrepreneurial chutzpah, and wish them all the best, I’m not confident that putting the Smarty Catz waitstaff in bikinis will bring in a booming lunch crowd… Here’s a clip from iSpy:
…Because the bar hasn’t been attracting as many customers for lunch as he would like, Smarty Catz has been offering “bikini [...]
Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm, seen here with Growing Hope executive director Amanda Edmonds and Representative Pam Byrnes, was in Ypsi today, celebrating the passage of two new laws having to do with food-related entrepreneurship. Here’s a clip from AnnArbor.com on what these new laws will allow:
…Previously, residents were required to make their foods in [...]
Also posted in Food, Michigan, Ypsilanti | Tagged Amanda Edmonds, baked goods, Bike Ypsi, candy, cereal, coffee, commercial kitchens, cottage food industry, dry mixes, food entrepreneurship, food labels, Growing Hope, Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Pam Byrnes, pies, popcorn, Tour de Fresh, Transition Town Ypsilanti, Zingerman's Community of Businesses |
Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett have challenged their fellow American billionaires to pledge at least half of their net worth to charity, either in their lifetimes or at their death. And, always one to lead by example, Warren Buffet today announced that he would be donating all but 1% of his wealth. Following [...]
Also posted in Economics, Politics | Tagged Berkshire Hathaway, Bill Gates, billionaires, douches, Gates Foundation, Meg Whitman, Melinda Gates, not all billionaires are assholes, old white men do good, philanthropy, Warren Buffet |
I don’t have the time or desire to put together a long post tonight on how our American tax code is unnecessarily complicated, and favors the super-rich. To do it well would be a daunting task, and I’m not up for it at the moment. What I am up for, however, is passing along this [...]
Also posted in Economics, Politics | Tagged Angel Investor Tax Credit, angel investors, billionaires, call to action, capital gains, Christian Science Monitor, college tax credit, hedge fund loophole, hedge funds, Henry Kravis, loopholes, MoveOn, Paul Allen, private equity, Robert Reich, startup investing, tax loopholes, tax the rich, taxes, the plight of the overtaxed rich, vodka, vodka eyeballing |
Yesterday, local blogger Steve Pierce, on his YpsiNews.com site, broke the news that Ypsilanti real estate developer and landlord Stewart Beal owed the City $86,068.80 in back taxes. He later revised the number to be $84,136.96. The error, he said, was “made by the reporter,” by which I assume he means himself… Here’s a clip [...]
Also posted in Economics, Ypsilanti | Tagged Albuquerque, brick and mortar, Brownfield plan, Burger King, HDL, local income tax, machinery, Michigan tax code, New Mexico, Paul McCartney, property tax, Richard Murphy, servers, Steve Pierce, Stewart Beal, Tax Man, taxes, Teresa Gillotti, Thompson Block, Washtenaw County Treasurer, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project, Wireless Ypsi, Ypsilanti City budget, YpsiNews.com |
By Mark | December 10, 2009
A few days ago, the family and I ventured into Detroit, and, not only didn’t we die - we had a great time. And, while there, we dropped by our friend Joe Posch’s lovely new store, Hugh. What follows is a brief conversation between Joe and I on the idea behind the store, the challenges [...]
Also posted in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Local Business, Shadow Art Fair, Ypsilanti | Tagged bachelor style, Bureau of Urban Living, Canine to Five, Christmas gifts, City Bird, Claire Nelson, demolition, Design 99, Design Within Reach, destination shoppers, Detroit, Detroit Opera House, DIA, Eastern Market, entrepreneurism, getting press, gift ideas, good design, Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes, Hamtramck, Have an Inter-NOT Holiday - shop in Detroit, Hugh, indy retail, Joe Posch, Leopold's Books, Liz Blondy, mall shoppers, Mark offends a friend, mass transit, Mezzanine, Nutcracker, Open City, Park Avenue, Park Shelton, Playboy, pop-up retail, recruiting entrepreneurs, Retail, retail happening, retail in Ann Arbor, retail in Detroit, retail in Ypsilanti, ruin porn, small business, Supino's Pizzeria, Target, tax credits, Team Detroit, the donut of Novi, titanium crystal, Toby Barlow, University Cultural Center Association, VG Kids, whisky stones, Woodbridge Pub, Woodward |
By Mark | August 26, 2009
Concentrate Media has put a story up on their site about the differences between the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti art scenes. They talked with people on both sides of Carpenter, including yours truly, who they photographed drinking beer and playing Barbies with a bunch of little girls. The consensus, I’m sure you won’t be surprised [...]
Also posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture, Mark's Life, Photographs, Shadow Art Fair, Ypsilanti | Tagged Amelia marks, Barbie, Carla Milarch, Clementine, Concentrate, Dave Lewinski, female beauty, fire, Performance Network, Spur Studios, the fringe, the local arts establishment |
By Mark | August 19, 2009
Over the past week or so, I’ve been exchanging emails with Eastern Michigan University’s Jessica “Decky” Alexander about a youth entrepreneurship program called B.Side, that’s run through the university’s Office of Academic Service-Learning. Here, for those of you interested in entrepreneurship, local job creation and local opportunities for young people, is our mini-interview.
MARK: So, [...]
Also posted in Education | Tagged Angelina Broderick, Artists for Humanity, B Green Garden, B.Side, BBQ sauce, Boston, Bside Records, Bstore, catering, Community Records, Community Youth Mapping, Courtney Fitzpatrick, Decky Alexander, Digital Inclusion, Eastern Michigan University, Etsy, ezine, Gear Up, Generation E, interviews, Jack Bidlack, Kathy Stacey, Michigan Works, Miller House, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Neutral Zone, Office of Academic Service-Learning, Ozone, skill-based workshops, social issue theatre, spoken word, Summer Youth Employment Program, Toledo, Upward Bound, Washtenaw Cultural Plan, Young Moguls, Youth Artists At Work, youth programs, YYEA |
I just stumbled across yet another reason to love Baltimore. It’s called Book Thing.
According to the story, the founder of Book Thing - a guy named Russell Watterberg - was a bartender in Baltimore five years ago when the idea first struck him. He was there, at the bar, talking with drinking schoolteachers about books, [...]
