Category Archives: Art and Culture

Fondly remembering Roger Ebert… nerdy kid in search of friends, childhood zine editor

By Mark | April 4, 2013

I have very few regrets in life. One of the biggest is not pursuing an interview with writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Sun Times film critic Roger Ebert more aggressively. (He finds himself in the distinguished company on Don Knotts and Joey Ramone in that regard.) If you haven’t heard, Ebert passed away today at [...]

Also posted in Mark's Life, Other, Uncategorized | Tagged 1950s, 1983, another famous person has died, atheism, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Bob and Ray, Buck Coulson, cancer, Death, Don Knotts, famous people who published zines, fandom, Gene Siskel, Harlan Ellison, Harvey Kurtzman, Humanism, Joey Ramone, Juanita Coulson, Kate Moss, Kurt Vonnegut, legacies, Lenny Bruce, life after death, memes, MidWestCon, Mort Sahl, on facing death, people who we know from television, religion, Richard Dawkins, Roger Ebert, Russ Meyer, science fiction, self-publishing, Sex Pistols, so it goes, Stan Freberg, Star Wars, Stymie, Xero, Yandro, zine pioneers, zines | 15 Comments

Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interview: Thom Elliott

By Mark | April 3, 2013

MARK: So, Thom, I hear that you’re going to be leaving us sometime soon. What’s up? I’m hoping it wasn’t anything that anyone said on my site. THOM: No such luck. My life is in a time of great transition… I’m getting married, finishing my degree at EMU, and trying to decided what to do [...]

Also posted in Michigan, Special Projects, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Advaita Vedanta, alcohol, alcoholism, Andrew Antis, Birmingham, bullying, Café Habana, Civil War, debauchery, depression, diabetes, drinking, Dustin Krcatovich, Eastern Michigan University, EMU, Eton Academy, exit interviews, flophouse, Friedrich Nietzsche, gurus, Heraclitus of Ephesus, intestines, John Koolage, lingam, meat, meditation, mental illness, mindfulness, mysticism, noise, Novi, Oak Openings, philosophy, Pleasuredome, Ramakrishna Puligandala, rishi, Ritalin, Sarah Heidt, self-medicating, Thom Elliott, Totally Awesome Fest, Tree-house for Earth’s Children, Vedas, vegan, Vinyl Joe’s Café, weirdo culture, weirdos, Ypsi Free Commune, Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interviews | 16 Comments

Beer with Bloggers… April 9, in Ypsilanti

By Mark | April 1, 2013

As last year’s Beer with Bloggers event was such a resounding success, we’ve decided to do it again next Tuesday evening at the Corner Brewery. The event, as always, will be free and open to the public… So, if you’ve got a blog of your own, enjoy engaging in conversations on your favorite local blog, [...]

Also posted in Media, Michigan, Other, Special Projects, Ypsilanti | Tagged Ann Arbor School Musings, Anne Savage, Beer with Bloggers, Ben Connor Barrie, Chris Savage, Christine Barry, community organizing, Damn Arbor, Eclectablog, Edward Vielmetti, Mary Bilyeu, Mike White, Patrick Diehl, Patti Smith, Pete Larson, Ruth Kraut, Steven Krause | 15 Comments

Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interview: Charlie Slick

By Mark | March 30, 2013

I don’t know how to break this to you, so I’ll just come right out and say it… It looks as though beloved local pop idol Charlie Slick will soon be joining the ranks of those leaving our community. Following is his official exit interview. MARK: I’m thinking of requiring everyone who wants to leave [...]

Also posted in Ann Arbor, Mark's Life, Special Projects, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged alcohol, Axel Rose, balding, big women, black licorice, Brian Eno, bubbles, Canton, Charles Slick, Charlie Slick, childhood, childhood memories, circuit boards, comedy, Detroit, Downtown Home and Garden, drugs, Drum Buddy, Dustin Diamond, electrical engineering, exit interviews, flipping coins, glitter, Global Warming, Green Acres, hair, hair and tooth loss, Hotel California, I Dream of Genie, infomercials, inventing, inventing our way out of disaster, Justin Timberlake, Kentucky, Krampus, lesbians, math, Monticello, Mr. Ed, music, music scenes, Nick at Nite, Oakland, pop music, Portland, Puget Sound, Quintron, reinventing, Rock and Roll, Sagittronics, Sherwood Bar, Sigourney Weaver, stand-up, strong women, Totally Awesome Fest, visionary musicians, Washington State, Washtenaw Community College, Water Hill Music Festival, Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interviews | 16 Comments

Introducing my newly educated friend, Doctor Pete Larson

By Mark | March 24, 2013

I wasn’t able to get away from work and attend in person, but my good friend, and former bandmate, Pete Larson, who often leaves comments on this site, was awarded his PhD on Friday afternoon. I am incredibly proud of him. A lot of people that I know bemoan how shitty their lives are, but [...]