Category Archives: Michigan

Raising the minimum wage in Michigan is the right thing to do

By Mark | April 15, 2013

At the end of last week, Democrats in Lansing, led by State Senator Bert Johnson, proposed that we increase Michigan’s minimum wage to $10 an hour, from $7.40, where it’s been set for the past five years, in spite of the rising cost of living. Given that it would make Michigan’s the highest minimum wage [...]

Also posted in Economics, Uncategorized | Tagged ALEC, Bert Johnson, Elizabeth Warren, Idaho, income inequality, minimum wage, Obama, poverty, shifting the tax burden to the working class, slavery, Subway, trickle down economics, Wal-Mart, Washington State, wealth inequality | 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 Art and Culture, 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 Art and Culture, Media, 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

Ypsilanti man found guilty of human trafficking and enslavement of children

By Mark | March 26, 2013

In early 2011, a University of Michigan janitor by the name of Jean-Claude Toviave was arrested and charged with enslaving four West African children in his Ypsilanti home. The four, it would seem, were forced to cook, clean, iron and shine shoes for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Toviave, who, when he was unsatisfied with their performance, [...]

Also posted in Civil Liberties, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Africa, African slave trade, domestic slavery, genetic testing, human trafficking, Jean-Claude Toviave, Restavèks, sex slaves, sex trafficking, slave trade, threats to public education, Togo, Trafficking Victims Protection Act, University of Michigan, Ypsilanti Public Schools | 22 Comments

Citizens for Prison Reform’s Lois DeMott, a recent Ann Arbor Awesome Foundation grant recipient, featured on NBC’s Rock Center

By Mark | March 24, 2013

The Ann Arbor Awesome Foundation recently awarded a $1,000 grant to Lois DeMott, the founder of Citizens for Prison Reform. I’d interviewed Lois at the time of the award, but I’d decided to hold off posting it for a bit, as she had mentioned to me that she was going to be interviewed by Ted [...]