Photography the King is Dead

Photography was one of Dave's earliest passions.  Got involved early in high school and became the school photographer, complete with his own Rolleiflex.  As such, Dave had the opportunity to photograph Red Buttons at a school assembly, and meet and talk with Life photographer Margaret Bourke White at another.  She encouraged him to stay with photography, which he did.

He built his own dark room in the basement and spent many, many hours feeling his way around in there.  He still has tender nasal passages from the acidic fumes rising above those trays.

Then Dave became a photographer in the Air Force.  He attended photo school in Denver where he learned optics and darkroom techniques, and how to operate the processing machines that handled the various formats of aerial photography. Again, he spent many, many hours in the dark with those fumes.

The great thing about the Air Force was that Dave had access to all that wonderful photographic equipment.  His personal favorite was an 8x10 Dierdorf view camera that he would take up into the mountains on weekends, just like his idol Ansel Adams.  His working camera was a 4x5 Speed Graphic, which at that time was the leading camera for newspaper photographers.

While in the Air Force, Dave learned the art and science of color photography, from shooting to processing.  Together with a lab buddy, they started a local business at the house in town, processing and printing color film.  They were the first in Omaha to provide that service.

After the service, Dave evolved into motion picture production.  It started while he was working as an assistant for a Detroit car photographer.  Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary approached him to help make a film about a soldier who is trapped during battle inside a culvert.  Dave was to be the cinematographer.  This was his first experience with an Arriflex.  It was love at first sight.

The completed film was very hip for its time with its anti-war message.  And it started Dave on a lifelong avocation making movies.  Ultimately he formed a partnership with another friend and they began making films for business and television.

Initially, they would sell a film project, then rent the camera gear from Victor Duncan. The night before a job, both would hang out with Duncan's rental agent and he would show them how to operate the equipment.  They learned a lot of different motion picture film cameras that way.  Must have been doing something right though.  They stayed in business for over 15 years.

So why am I telling this story?  Well today I received news of a passing; the demise of the motion picture film camera.  According to an article in Salon by Matt Zoller Seitz, three of the major motion picture camera manufacturers have discontinued manufacture of film cameras this past year.

We might as well call it: Cinema as we knew it is dead.

An article at the moviemaking technology website Creative Cow reports that the three major manufacturers of motion picture film cameras — Aaton, ARRI and Panavision — have all ceased production of new cameras within the last year, and will only make digital movie cameras from now on.

 And on July 12th, 2010, the last roll of Kodachrome film was processed.  It belonged to a photographer named Steve McCurry.  David Friend mentions it in Vanity Fair.

McCurry’s final stop, on July 12, 2010: Dwayne’s Photo, in Parsons, Kansas—the only lab on Earth that still developed Kodachrome—which halted all such processing in late December.

What did he choose to shoot on the last frame of that last roll? A statue in a Parsons graveyard (in the section reserved for Civil War veterans), bearing flowers of the same yellow-and-red hue as the Kodak package. 

These two moments frozen in time mark the end of an era.  An era over a century long when chemical and mechanical photography was King.  Cinematographer Keith Clark befittingly sums up our loss.

As clunky as the old form was—by modern standards—it did require a certain artistic determination, to learn the techniques and master the equipment.  That aspect was usually appreciated by the audience and inspired them to pursue similar artistic paths.

The King is dead.  Long live the King!

Try Occupying Without the Corporate Props

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this picture with a few captions says it all.

(Image from The Cynical Economist)

Stay Ahead of the Blackouts with Fuel Cells

Lost our power yesterday.  Not for long.  A few minutes...but it seems to be happening more often now. Two, three times a week.  Consider Ferndale, who lost their power this summer for more than a week.  Had to drive Woodward Avenue at rush hour with no stoplights.  And for Ferndale residents, that was the least of it.  Looks more and more like the health of the power grid is suffering from "natural causes."

Back in August of 2003, about 45 million of us across eight states lost our power for a couple of days or more.  All because a tree fell on a power line somewhere in Ohio. Carnegie Mellon University research shows we're still suffering around 12 blackouts a year that each time affect at least 50,000 folks like you and me.

And that brings me back to one of my favorite topics, distributed generation. also known as onsite generation or decentralized generation.  Need to include microgrids as well.  A microgrid has a number of distributed generation sources and loads, and usually is connected to the macrogrid.

The Federal Government, especially the military, likes the idea of microgrids.  Should someone decide to attack our national infrastructure in a big way, microgrids can form functional islands that maintain the flow of power.  They can keep essential services up and running.  Sort of like the Internet.  When a section of the net stops working, the data packets switch to an alternate route and get to their ultimate destination without any noticeable delay.  That's an advantage of decentralization.

But decentralization requires multiple power sources rather than a few centralized generators.  You know, like all those computers and servers on the Internet that initiate and disperse data packets.  The problem is finding power sources that can be sprinkled around the landscape inexpensively and cleanly.  Well, here's a gadget on my Bellwethers' list that seems to fill the bill.

Bloom Energy Servers, AKA Bloom Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, produce "clean, reliable, affordable electricity at a customer's site."  The cells convert heat into electricity through a clean electro-chemical process rather than grungy combustion.

A cell is nothing more than a specially formulated ceramic plate that acts as an electrolyte, sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, both of which are thin ink coatings on the plate.  When heat from natural gas or biogas is applied to the anode coating, a chemical process produces electrical current.  It's similar to a battery.

According to the Bloom marketing site...

They are like batteries except they are always on.

Each Bloom Energy Server provides 100kW of power, enough to meet the baseload needs of 100 average homes or a small office building... day and night, in roughly the footprint of a standard parking space. For more power simply add more energy servers. 

Bloom Energy is a Distributed Generation solution that is clean and reliable and affordable all at the same time. Bloom's Energy Servers can produce clean energy 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, generating more electrons than intermittent solutions, and delivering faster payback and greater environmental benefits for the customer.

So the next time the lights go out and you're groping around in the dark for a flashlight, think about a clean, quiet generator in your neighborhood, powered by solid oxide fuel cells. Might be a good way to stay ahead of the blackouts.

Michigan, Land of Abundant Waters, for Now

Say what you want about Michigan, but it is benign.  Think about it.  Our only poisonous snake is a less than deadly rattler.  Not many pernicious insects to speak of, well maybe some Black Widow spiders in the wood piles.  But, perhaps the most benign thing about Michigan is its climate, particularly of late.

Sure we've had some warm days in July and some cold ones last winter, but compared to the other parts of the continent, no complaints.  Look at the rest of the country.  Floods, hurricanes, droughts, you name it.

Drought definitely doesn’t top of our list of climate hazards.  Michigan is surrounded with water, fresh water.  In fact we're surrounded with a little over 20% of the world's fresh surface water.  That's undoubtedly a factor that moderates our climate here and ensures its benign constancy.

The Lakes themselves contain 6 quadrillion gallons.  That would cover North America, South America and Africa with a foot of water.  But don't think for a minute the water around us is limitless.  Marc Smith, a policy analyst with the National Wildlife Federation’s regional office in Ann Arbor puts it this way.

We live in a very water-rich area and it’s easy for folks to look at this vast resource and think there’s no way we can deplete it, we don’t have to worry about conservation. That would be a terrible mistake.

Three states and Canada suck vast amounts of water from the Lakes every day for agriculture, industry, drinking and who knows what else.  But so far, we haven't drained them dry.  So far, but...

But with world population growing exponentially and droughts looming here and there more often, the demand for fresh water continues to explode.  And who is it that's sitting on a preponderance of that water?  Why yes, that’s right.  It's us.  And who do you think will be among the first to fill their buckets at our well?

Start a few decades ago when large segments of our own population and that of the surrounding Midwest fled the declining “rust belt” for the warmer climes of the Southwest. The National Academy of Sciences studies conclude that explosive population growth then and in prior years has pushed the Southwest's relatively meager water supply to unsustainable levels of use.  A New York Times article states that…

The region's population grew from 2.1 million to more than 50 million during the 20th century. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, by 2030, the Southwest will be home to more than 67 million people. Within 50 to 100 years, the current population could double.

After they’ve drained their neighboring states dry, where do you suppose they’ll turn for fresh water.  And they’re not the only ones.

Will Graf, a geographer in the University of South Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences sums it up…

It turns out that the Southeast has a relatively small margin of water surplus for the future…The water resource picture in the Southeast is becoming similar to that of the Southwest, where water disputes have long been a prominent part of policy and resource management.

Who would have guessed that instead of Arizona vs. California, we may have South Carolina vs. Georgia? The looming issue of providing enough water for Atlanta and the possibility of reaching to the Savannah River for water for Atlanta is an example of the coming debates over our region’s water.

So neither the Southwest nor the Southeast apparently has enough water to fill their needs.  And here we are, blissfully enjoying our benign State with its abundant waters.

For how long, I wonder.

A Stirling Solution to Detroit's Electrical Problems

When the electrical power grid was first devised, it was Direct Current or DC based.  Supply voltage was limited.  So was the distance between the generator and the user.  As Alternating Current or AC grids began to be used, electricity could be transmitted over greater distances.  Economies of scale in generation increased power output of the generation units.  These factors led to the huge transmission and distribution grids and gigantic generation plants we have today.

But today's power grids have aged.  Reliability is becoming an issue.  The long distance generating plants of today also are an environmental concern.  We're seeing need for a less intrusive electrical backup system.  This need has drawn our attention back to those early, more localized micro-grids.

When the generating equipment is placed at or near the users' site we call it distributed generation.  Distributed generation can provide power to an onsite user or feed a wider distribution grid.

Distributed generation technologies can be gasoline engines, fuel cells and photovoltaic systems.  But there's one technology that's been around since the 19th Century that's a natural for distributed generation.  It's called the Stirling Engine.  The Stirling is an external heat engine that drives an internal piston much like an internal combustion engine does.  But the Stirling has no internal combustion.  That means heat is applied to the outside of the engine.  When the gases inside heat up, they drive the piston.

So?  So that means this engine runs on virtually any combustable fuel, not gasoline.  You can build a bonfire under the thing and the piston will start moving.  When the piston moves, it turns a shaft.  When the shaft turns, it drives an electrical generator.  The generator produces electrical current for one, or a dozen nearby users.

So?  So this engine can use bio-fuels or even geothermal or solar heat to generate electricity.  It's moderate cost and fuel versatility makes it perfect for distributed generation.  It can provide power for a single family dwelling or an entire village.  Unused power even can be fed onto the main power grid to produce additional revenue.

So?  So Detroit's having problems with the grid and public lighting.  Maybe a few of these Stirling generators salted around the city would provide a dependable backup for local residents.  Ultimately, the entire Metro area could have a distributed generation backup system in place.  As inclement weather strips through the urban landscape, carrying with it much of the main grid's infrastructure, the secondary system springs to life in minutes.

And you know what?  Detroit has a major supplier of these Stirling Engine generators right next door.  An outfit called Stirling Biopower is headquartered in Ann Arbor.  They've been developing these distributed generation systems for decades.  They even offer a solar powered system.

Interested?  Here's a link to their site.  http://www.stirlingbiopower.com/STIRLING/BASSE.swf

The Stirling Engine is a technology that was invented by a Scotsman, Robert Stirling in 1816.  Now, here in the 21st Century, it's becoming a leading edge technology.

Detroit, from Mass Production to 3D Customization

Detroit was once the mecca of mass production manufacturing.  It was a boon for us because it was labor intensive and gave many Detroiters gainful and lucrative employment.  It was a boon, that is until cheaper labor in other parts of the world lured away the jobs and processes.  Now those citadels of mass production around the city are in ruins and attract photographers by the scores.

But now there's a new technology quietly creeping up on us that makes mass production manufacturing as archaic as the buggy whip.  It is 3D printing, AKA additive manufacturing.  This method, an offspring of the digital age, can literally build anything one layer at a time to exact tolerances.  Yes anything, from a musical instrument to auto parts.  And it's as inexpensive to create one piece as it is to create many.  No need anymore for the economies of scale that were essential to mass manufacturing.  An article in The Economist explains how it works.

First you call up a blueprint on your computer screen and tinker with its shape and colour where necessary. Then you press print. A machine nearby whirrs into life and builds up the object gradually, either by depositing material from a nozzle, or by selectively solidifying a thin layer of plastic or metal dust using tiny drops of glue or a tightly focused beam. Products are thus built up by progressively adding material, one layer at a time: hence the technology’s other name, additive manufacturing. Eventually the object in question—a spare part for your car, a lampshade, a violin—pops out. The beauty of the technology is that it does not need to happen in a factory. Small items can be made by a machine like a desktop printer, in the corner of an office, a shop or even a house; big items—bicycle frames, panels for cars, aircraft parts—need a larger machine, and a bit more space.

What strikes me is that 3D printing as it evolves will permit us here in Detroit to provide for some of our own needs without total reliance upon the global corporations who have taken their labor business elsewhere.

3D printing has now improved to the point that it is starting to be used to produce the finished items themselves (see article). It is already competitive with plastic injection-moulding for runs of around 1,000 items, and this figure will rise as the technology matures. And because each item is created individually, rather than from a single mould, each can be made slightly differently at almost no extra cost. Mass production could, in short, give way to mass customisation for all kinds of products, from shoes to spectacles to kitchenware.

 If you can design something on a computer, you can 3D it.  How's that for an impetus for innovation.  You need a single item?  Build it.  More people ask for it?  "Print" some more.  Engineers and designers are already collaborating on open-source products, much like computer programmers have been doing for years.

A technological change so profound will reset the economics of manufacturing. Some believe it will decentralise the business completely, reversing the urbanisation that accompanies industrialisation. There will be no need for factories, goes the logic, when every village has a fabricator that can produce items when needed.

Detroit was once the fabricator of products such as stoves and automobiles for the entire world.  With the rapidly developing technology of 3D printing, we should have no problem providing ourselves with what we need.

Folding Electric Bicycle from VW

Here's a nice folding electric bicycle VW is hyping that fits easily into your trunk.  Extend your cruising distance upon your arrival by car.

Throw this on the front of a bus or carry it onboard a train.  Save a few bucks on gasoline.

One Bizarre Solution to Global Warming

Which do you suppose has the most impact upon the environment and contributes most to global warming; automobiles or farm livestock?  Well, actually any attempt to compare the two would result in an apples and oranges conundrum.  But the point I want to make is the stunning destructive impact domestic animals have upon our environment.

According to the FAO, livestock accounts for 9% of CO2" and produces a greater share of even more harmful greenhouse gases.

It generates 65% of human-related nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2.  Most of this comes from manure. 

U.S. EPA reports show in an article by Bikes at Work, Inc. that autos spew about 33% of CO2 and 34% of nitrous oxide.

It's about at this point that the apples and oranges comparisons start.  Suffice it to say, livestock animals also account for 37% of all human induced methane as well, which is 23 times as warming as CO2.  They also produce about 64% of ammonia, which contributes to acid rain.

Livestock now use 30 percent of the earth’s entire land surface, mostly permanent pasture but also including 33 percent of the global arable land used to producing feed for livestock, the report notes. As forests are cleared to create new pastures, it is a major driver of deforestation, especially in Latin America where, for example, some 70 percent of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing. 

Meat and dairy animals now account for about 20 percent of all terrestrial animal biomass. Livestock’s presence in vast tracts of land and its demand for feed crops also contribute to biodiversity loss; 15 out of 24 important ecosystem services are assessed as in decline, with livestock identified as a culprit.  

But wait.  Is there a solution for the world's meat eaters?   The publication NewScientist says we're only months away from growing synthetic meat in the labs.

The first lab-grown sausage might be just six months away, though, according to Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands - a major pioneer and champion of the technology. Post has experimented mainly with pig cells and has recently developed a way to grow muscle under lab conditions - by feeding pig stem cells with horse fetal serum. He has produced muscle-like strips, each 2.5 centimetres long and 0.7 centimetres wide.

Obviously, synthetic meat could have a much lower impact on the environment.  Hanna Tuomisto at the University of Oxford did some resource estimates between lab and farm raised meat.

"The impacts are so much lower," she says. For instance, cultured meat will require 99 per cent less land than beef farming." 

So there you have it.  We can help stave off environmental damage from all the animals we eat by synthesizing meat in the lab.  I do have my doubts the lab techs will be able to make the results any more palatable than "Soylent Green."  But if we get hungry enough, I suppose it will suffice.

Is This Where We're All Headed?

Jim Kunstler is a favorite writer of mine.  Doomsayer that he is, he manages to do it with wit and insight.  And he does know how to turn a phrase.

Above all Kunstler is a major Bellwether of our times.  You may not like what he has to say about our future, a future he terms as the "Long Emergency," the title of one of his books.  But I notice that his prognostications have laid out a path we all appear to be following, like it or not.

At any rate, here is a quote from Jim's blog today, and here's a link to his blog should you want more.  I need to forewarn you however, read Kunstler at your own risk.

Nobody can believe what's happening. Nobody knows what to do. Well, here's some straight dope: do you want to have an economy? Then prepare to cut your losses and move on. There's so much to do "out there" in America, but the catch is it's not the same as what we've been doing. Do you want to eat a few years from now? Get serious about reorganizing agriculture on a smaller, finer, more local scale. Believe me, there will be plenty of jobs. Only they won't be like sitting in a cubicle writing a marketing plan for a video-game about the slaughter of gym rats from another planet. 

Sounds a little like what we're already about in the "D."

Detroit Urban Farm Combine Meets Neighborhood Resistance

Commercial urban farming in Detroit certainly sounds like a good long-term solution for the problems of empty land among dwindling neighborhoods.  The dilemma is that many residents are suspicious.  What could be the intent of a big money combine sweeping through their neighborhoods like a tsunami?  Given the past history of such urban renewals, they have a right to be.  Christine MacDonald sums up the situation in today's Detroit News.

The nonprofit SHAR Foundation wants to provide another path: an elaborate, $220-million farming project that would bring fresh food, thousands of jobs, dozens of small businesses and hope to a neighborhood where that's been rare for a while. 

But despite optimism that urban farming could be one answer to Detroit's ills, many neighbors aren't embracing the project known as RecoveryPark. In fact, they're skeptical and often scornful, with some calling it a glorified sharecropping operation that could force out longtime residents; one neighbor referred to it as a "plantation."

Apparently Gary Wozniak, one of visionaries behind the urban farm project, perceives a number of 30-acre farms integrated with an existing neighborhood of about 6000 residents. The farms would occupy about 600 acres of a 2,400-acre project area.  

Sounds like big business to me, even though the Foundation is non-profit. Somebody wanted to come in and do something like that around my house, I'd be suspicious too. 

Seems to me that the strategy is all wrong. It's based upon the American credo that "BIG" is good. But to the average Joe, "BIG" is a bulldozer rolling over and crushing your house. "BIG" is awesome.

Carolyn Leadley, 28, relocated from Detroit to the area two years ago to join other grassroots gardeners — unrelated to SHAR's proposal — whose crops include heirloom tomatoes. She said RecoveryPark officials haven't done a good job communicating their intentions.

"It's very intimidating for such a large organization coming in and making decisions on how my neighborhood looks," Leadley said.

Why not start small? Come in and plant a few lots. Invite some folks in the neighborhood to help out for free fresh grown food. Have a neighborhood harvest festival with a feast made from the local produce. I'm sure that's being done in other urban neighborhoods without the benefit of huge corporate funding.

Then, instead of one gigantic corporate farm that makes the residents feel like sharecroppers, add more small garden plots as time goes by. Start by giving the neighborhood folks an active share in the work and the proceeds. The neighborhood should become more livable with each garden and certainly the resulting cash in hand will likely help spread some encouraging words around the area for further development.

Detroit's Urban Farmers Lead National Trend

Urban farming is on the rise according to an article by Jennifer Oldham in Bloomberg Business Week. And it's not just in Detroit any more, although we were among the first to start the trend.

Designer lettuce will soon bud under the flight path of the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta. An orchard is taking the place of a parking lot in Davenport, Iowa. And homeowners near downtown Denver are turning lawns over to farmers like Sundari Kraft, who plant, weed, water and harvest crops from their yards in return for a share of the bounty.

More farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Aug. 5 when it released its 2011 National Farmers Market Directory. The guide lists 7,175 markets, up 53 percent from 4,685 in 2008.

Even though Detroit was a front-runner in the urban farming trend, the State of Michigan has been slow to get on board.

Restrictive zoning and farming laws in some states make it difficult for aspiring producers to get projects in the ground. 

In Detroit, Hantz Farms set out to add to the city’s thriving network of community gardens by building “the world’s largest urban farm,” on scores of trash-strewn vacant lots. 

Its plans were slowed by a state policy that governs production guidelines for commercial farms, said Mike Score, the company’s president. 

The law didn’t allow Detroit officials control over what agricultural activities might take place at Hantz’s farm, Score said, requiring complex legal negotiations the company hopes to conclude in the next few months. 

Hantz wants to purchase 200 acres in southeast Detroit from the city, where it hopes to grow Christmas trees. The company would eventually like to acquire the remainder of the 500-acre site to incorporate gardens and an educational indoor growing center, Score said.

The Great Cranbrook Drag Race of 1955

The graduating seniors, class of 1955, were in a celebratory mood.  The graduation ceremonies were over and about 400 jubilant teens streamed out of the doors of Birmingham High's gym into the parking lot.  Many of them still had on their gowns, although many had long since tossed their graduation caps into the air and lost them forever.

The day was bright and sunny and word had spread through the ranks that a special drag race was about to take place out on Cranbrook Road.  Two very unique cars were already lining up in the southbound lanes just south of Maple.  Members of the class of 55 were forming a line along the grass between the parking lot and the road.

One of the cars was a brand new 1955 Buick Century convertible with a standard trans. Not Dynaflow you understand, but a three-speed straight-stick.  This was a beauty; a lightweight Buick Special body by Fisher combined with Roadmaster power.  Buick had added 36 horsepower to its 322 cubic inch V-8, bringing the horsepower up to 236.  This was a very fast car and well it should be for its $3,000 price tag.  The car was so hot that it was featured on the popular new TV series "Highway Patrol" with Broderick Crawford.

The opposition for the race was a 1953 Ford Coupe with a full-race L-head V-8, also known as the "flathead."  This car was custom equipped with all the goodies to boost that engine to its utmost power.  It was unarguably a really fast car.  Bing had a substantial investment that was about to give him a major return in self-esteem.

John was driving the Buick with the top down and Bing, the Ford.  I was honored to be the starter from the passenger seat of Bing's Ford.  John didn't have a passenger, but that didn't bother Bing as he was confident that his fully equipped flathead could take John's "production" Buick hands down.

We waited until the traffic had cleared in front and back.  Then we pulled into the lanes side-by-side.  Needless to say I was in a state of high anxiety and turmoil.  The Birmingham High Class of 55 was lined up alongside the road to watch the spectacle. Both drivers were gunning their engines.  The Ford, with its dual exhausts, rumbled loudly with a throaty growl.

I had told the drivers that we would start the race on a count of three when I brought my hand down from a raised position.  Now was the time.

With my arm out the window between the two cars I did the countdown.

One...  Two...  Three!  My arm dropped and the Buick next to me roared off with squealing rubber.

Only then did Bing hit the gas and pop the clutch.  We screamed forward, the G-forces shoving me back in the seat.  The Buick was ahead by half a length.

Bing took the tack into the red in first gear, then slammed the stick into second.  We inched up on the Buick but he was still accelerating.

Now we were alongside our classmates, who were cheering and screaming for their favorites.  I couldn't see the speedometer, but we must have been inching well over 70 as we approached the finish line.

Then it was over.  The Buick had won by a nose.  Bing was devastated.  He turned to me and said "I couldn't see your hand."  My body was blocking his line of vision.  He'd gotten a delayed start.

I was devastated.  Although I haven't seen Bing in many years, I would venture to guess that he never forgot those moments on Cranbrook Road in 1955.

I know I haven't.








 

A Detroit Micro-Jaunt Along the West Bloomfield Trail

An aerial view of Metro Detroit looks pretty much like any other city.  Sprawling tracts of homes, strip malls, busy highways spread across several counties.  But moving in closer, you may be able to see the network of bicycle trails that are a legacy from earlier short line railroads.  The railroads are gone, but the right-of-way for pedestrians, bicyclists and in some cases, horseback riders remain.

The trails around the Metro area show an amazing diversity geographically.  One course follows the Clinton River along its winding path through the woods.  Another wends its way northeast past Romeo, Armada and Richmond through orchards, pastures and forests. 

But a bicycle trail through West Bloomfield?  Come on, how scenic could that be?  Well, with the help of an area resident, we discovered one of Michigan’s best kept secrets.  She took us on a micro-jaunt with a number of surprising side trips that give the trail an amazing diversity of interest. 

The West Bloomfield Trail begins just west of Telegraph. The trail connects with the Clinton River trail to the east with a brand new concrete pedestrian bridge that spans Telegraph just north of Orchard Lake Road.  The 380-foot-long bridge permits pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Telegraph safely and will undoubtedly reduce pedestrian deaths along that stretch of Telegraph.

Heading eastward from the bridge takes a biker along the Clinton River Trail past Pontiac and ultimately to Rochester.  That might account for the fact that the Friends of the Clinton River Trail Organization were among the prime movers in getting the bridge built.

The charming village of Sylvan Lake lies at the western end of the bridge.  They call themselves the prettiest city in the State of Michigan.  A bike tour around the lake on a perimeter street closed to summer auto traffic affirms their self acclaim.  The houses assume a variety of shapes and sizes, some dating back to early last century.  The lake itself sparkles in the crystal light of one of the clearest, most comfortable days this summer.

Before returning to the trail, we take another side trip into a verdant retreat tucked away on a side street just off Orchard Lake Road.  Named by Garden Design Magazine as one of the top 25 garden stores in America, Detroit Garden Works was featured this spring in Martha Stewart Living Magazine. 

A bright and colorful array of flowers, tree and shrubs surrounds the Works’ charming and quirky building.  Inside and out, a collection of intriguing objets d’art from around the world accents a tranquil botanic setting.  Garden containers, furnishing, accessories, ornaments and sculpture destined for home gardens are everywhere. 

The Bloomfield Trail picks up a hundred yards down the road and leads us through a passage of overhanging trees into Oakland County’s lakes district.  As the trail passes Orchard Lake, we digress once again, this time onto the campus of St. Mary’s Preparatory Academy. 

A collection of venerable old buildings sprinkled with a few very new buildings makes up St. Mary’s campus.  All lie shaded beneath a towering canopy of Michigan hardwoods and conifers.  

Our ride takes us past the august Academic Center building, originally the Academic Building of the Michigan Military Academy.  The building was constructed in 1891.  Through the years many students attended their classes in this citadel, folks such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of Tarzan, and Frank Joslyn Baum, whose father wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

A bit further along the walkways we come upon “The Castle.”  This ten-room house was built in 1858, the only building on the grounds before the Academy was founded.  Judge Joseph Tarr Copeland constructed his home here when he retired from the Michigan Supreme Court. 

In 1872, the Castle was converted into a hotel, but with the panic of 1873, it was forced to close.  Captain Joseph Sumner Rogers bought the place in 1877 and incorporated it as the Michigan Military Academy.

A couple of years later, Father Leopold Moczygemba, a Polish Franciscan priest received a nod from Pope Leo XIII to setup a seminary in the United States.  Ultimately the seminary, first established in East Detroit, moved to the grounds of the former Michigan Military Academy on Orchard Lake.

The seminary reshuffled in 1927 to form three schools, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, St. Mary’s College and St. Mary’s Preparatory, each with a four-year program.  Through the years, the American Polish community has helped expand the schools with new buildings including a library, dormitory, dining hall and chapel.

As a highlight of our visit to this historic and scenic campus alongside Orchard Lake, a visiting hawk lands on a nearby branch and stands vigil over us for several minutes.  Beyond, across the dancing waters on the lake, Apple Island stands vigil.  Formed sometime during the last ice age, the island boasts a history of myths and legend.  Allegedly the island is the last resting place of Chief Pontiac.

Back on the trail we peddle toward the western trailhead and into a natural Eden that insulates us from distant erratic suburban activity.  In the heart of this 160 acre West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve, the active great blue heron rookery abides with a luminous green glimmer. 

Our timing is a month or two off and herons have deserted the glowing jade swamp where they normally nest.  The herons begin courting in March and they nest until the young depart in early July.  This calls for another visit late next spring to check out the nearly 100 nests that inhabit the area.  Perhaps we’ll sight some of the other wildlife that resides here as well; deer, fox, coyote, turkey vultures, hawks and osprey.

From the air, Metro Detroit may look like the usual urban sprawl.  But when you take a micro-jaunt, a leisurely ride along the trails, you may be surprised at what you encounter along the way, especially with a knowledgeable and gracious local guide,

DIA Art Along the Macomb-Orchard Bicycle Trail

The Macomb Orchard bicycle trail running from Rochester out through Romeo, Armada and ultimately Richmond is in and of itself a beautiful Michigan treasure.  But now the DIA is embellishing the ride with an art exhibit.  Ride your bike and view some art along the way.  Here are some details from Kristin Bull at the Rochester Patch:

The tour is free; all you need is a bike. Here's how it will work:

• 9 a.m. — Cyclists will meet at Starkweather Arts Center in Romeo to bike to downtown Rochester.
• 10 a.m. — The Rochester part of the tour begins at the Downtown Farmers Market. Afterward, participants can have lunch on their own downtown before riding to Romeo.
• 1:30 p.m. — Bike tour resumes at Westview Orchards & Cider Mill in Romeo.
• 3:30 p.m. — Tour concludes back where it started, at Starkweather Arts Center.

Participants don't have to go on the entire tour; they can join the tour at any time, or just take the Rochester-to-Romeo trek. DIA staff will be on hand to act as tour guides for the artwork.

Return to Local Metro Detroit Farming

Growing up in Birmingham, I found it less a suburb of Detroit than a rural community.  Neighborhood roosters heralded the sun each morning.  The town was surrounded by farms raising all manner of crops.   My aunt and uncle lived on a farm just east of Woodward and north of Big Beaver.

Then following WWII, eager developers swooped in to throw up developments for the returning vets.  It was a time when veterans could buy homes with no down payment and they were doing it in droves.  They all needed a roof to cover their own crop of "Boomers."  Before long Birmingham, Royal Oak, Berkley and towns all over the area were teeming with toddlers riding the sidewalks on their Big Wheels.

As the farmland around Metro Detroit vanished and the urban parameter pushed further and further into rural Michigan, we were compelled to buy our vegetables and fruits from supermarkets instead of a local store or roadside stands.  My mom stopped canning and laying away our foodstuffs for the winter.  Frozen food made canning obsolete and nullified the relevance of Farmers' roadside stands.

Today we eat fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the winter, trucked in from the West Coast, Florida and even from South America.  We often have no idea where this food is coming from, who raises it and who is responsible for its safety.  Back when we bought locally, we got to know the farmers. We had some recourse when the their value fell short of our standards.  Now it seems we're at the mercy of faceless food conglomerates headquartered elsewhere in the Universe.

But wait.  Two overarching incitements are at work; rising transportation costs and high unemployment.  Taken together, these perhaps could revert us back to those verdant days of yesteryear.

With the specter of worldwide oil shortages looming just out of sight over the horizon, the cost of transportation likely will continue to rise.  For most of us, the cost of eating freshly raised food from other parts of the world year round could become prohibitive.  Food produced locally might be the only viable alternative.

No one argues that Michigan faces a high rate of unemployment.  The U.S. auto industry's great contraction has left many Michiganders desperately foraging for means of support.  Yet Michigan's number two industry, agriculture, is enduring a paucity of workers.  Ron Cammel writes in the Grand Rapids Press: 

Recently an agricultural group started its first-ever push to urge more urban folks to consider jobs in agriculture, where labor shortages often occur despite the secure nature of the work. 

“I hear from many individual companies – they need workers,” said James Byrum, president of Michigan Agri-Business Association. “The irony with the unemployment rate is there are jobs 10 to 20 miles from cities. On any given day, we could hire 10 to 20 people statewide.” 

In a bigger picture, Adam Kantrovich, a farm management educator at Michigan State University Extension’s Ottawa County office, said the United States might need to import food if more people do not get into agriculture at all levels. 

With less than 3 percent of the population producing food, people are so far removed from agriculture that not enough biologists, bankers, lawyers, engineers, veterinarians and economists have knowledge in food production issues to help the industry, Kantrovich said. 

“Do we want to rely on the Mideast or Europe or Africa for food and let them charge whatever they want?” he said. “It’s bad enough now. Just think if we can’t produce our own food.” 

Another factor that may herald a possible return to the land is the movement of folks from the suburbs to the city center.  This emerging demographic shift may be due in part to the rising price of gasoline. 

Demographer Kurt Metzger tells Fox 2 that city and suburban demographics appear to be evening out as black families head to the suburbs and young, white people move to the city. 

"White people and everybody (are) starting to find cities to be very attractive, and whites have been looking at the city of Detroit, the opportunities that the city of Detroit presents. It's cool. It's gritty," he told the television station. "We're seeing whites and young people moving into cities across the country. It's been a little slower here in Detroit than others." 

 From an article by Jennifer Conlin in the NY Times:

Recent census figures show that Detroit’s overall population shrank by 25 percent in the last 10 years. But another figure tells a different and more intriguing story: During the same time period, downtown people and everybody (are) starting to find cities to be very attractive, and whites have been looking at the city of Detroit, the opportunities that the city of Detroit presents. It's cool. It's gritty,"Detroit experienced a 59 percent increase in the number of college-educated residents under the age of 35, nearly 30 percent more than two-thirds of the nation’s 51 largest cities. 

As the cost of gasoline continues its upward trend, the city center's allure should only increase.  In the future, those McMansions way out there in exurbia may empty out nearly as quickly as the they have since the mortgage crisis began.  The land they're standing on may again be worth more for agriculture than for the abandoned and crumbling dwellings left behind.

So there you have it.  Rising transportation costs ultimately making locally produced food much more advantageous than imported, and also making the city center more attractive to exurban population.  The realities of the job market ultimately compelling local workers into the agricultural market. 

Climate Change, the Grid, and Your Electric Car

As climate change invites more extreme inclement weather, which it is, the idea of an emergency home generator becomes more doable despite its prohibitive expense.  Keeping the AC going on these 90 degree days can make the difference between comfort and the emergency room.

But wait.  GM is looking at an alternative power backup using the Volt.  An article at the Discovery Channel site suggests a couple of approaches that GM is investigating.  One concerns the trade-in batteries, which apparently still contain a 70% charge at the time of trade-in.  These used batteries might be linked together for use during a power outage. 

Part of the study showed the possibility that 33 battery packs will have enough storage capacity to power up to 50 homes for about four hours during a power outage. 

The second approach concerns using your car batteries to store power generated by solar or wind power and selling it back to the power company. 

Recently, GM and ABB demonstrated an energy storage system that combines a proven electric vehicle battery technology and a proven grid-tied electric power inverter. The two companies are building a prototype that could lead to Volt battery packs storing energy, including renewable wind and solar energy, and feeding it back to the grid. 

The system is designed to store energy from the grid during low usage periods and redistribute it back to the grid during peak demand and the packs would be used as backup supplies during outages and brownouts. Using Volt battery cells, the ABB and GM team is building a prototype system for 25-kilowatt/50-kWh applications, about the same power consumption of five U.S. homes or small retail and industrial facilities. 

Yet another possible buffer against grid failure espoused by the writer, David Goodspeed, caught my eye and is certainly worth pursuing. 

Personally, I would like to see this as a possibility for EVs — especially the Volt — that exist today. I would love to be able to draw energy back out of my vehicle if, say, the power goes out at home and I just need to run the fridge and a couple of lights. I could recharge the vehicle when the power comes back on and if not I can still drive the vehicle using the onboard generator to supply the battery pack.

Subtract the cost of an emergency generator from the price of the car and suddenly it looks like a little more reasonable buy.

Detroit, Far from Down and Out

Detroit may be down, but it's far from out.  There's a surge of creative energy here that is stoking innovation, independence and interdependence.  The source of this vitality may be rooted in a sense of isolation from the mainstream.  After all, in this economy when you're located on a peninsula, surrounded by water and essentially divorced from the coast-to-coast traffic flow, you're likely to feel pretty much on your own.  If you don't make it happen, it ain't likely to happen at all.

The irony is that the more culturally isolated we become, the more attractive we are to those who think outside the box.  Detroit has become a mecca for creative people, writers, artists, musicians, and ultimately entrepreneurs.  Of course a lower cost of living helps also to enhance our allure.

At any rate, every day brings new ideas and compelling ways to survive, and perhaps to prosper, and with little support from the mainstream.  These Detroiters who are exploring, experimenting and creating new ventures are on the way to launching a new mainstream apart from the existing one.

One of these Detroiter originals attends the College of Creative Studies in Detroit.  As Veronika Scott puts it, she is "diving in head first into social entrepreneurship." 

"Social entrepreneurship."

Here's how she describes it on her site for The Empowerment Plan:

Meet the re-designed coat, Element S. It is self heated, waterproof, and transforms into a sleeping bag at night. Made by a group of homeless women who will be paid to create these coats for those living on the streets. The focus is on the system to create jobs for those that desire them and coats for those that need them at no cost. The goal is to empower, employ, educate, and instill pride. The importance is not with the product but with the people.

Great Scott!  I believe she's got it! 

When I was a kid growing up here, the intricate global communications and transportation network we have now didn't exist.  Yet we had many outstanding places, products and events that were uniquely ours.  We had Bob-lo, Vernors, Sanders, the Lone Ranger and the Shadow, and many others. These belonged to us.  The rest of country came here to enjoy them.

Then somehow those wonderful things that made Detroit unique were sold out to national interests.  They surrendered their Detroit identities, and we Detroiters became the losers.  Even our diverse radio stations that featured outstanding local talent who identified with Detroiters were sold out to national companies.  Now much of the programming is done by out-of-town programmers, many of whom have never seen Detroit.

At present it looks like we're pretty much on our own again.  But judging by The Empowerment Plan, it also appears Detroiters are rising to the task.  To survive and prosper, we need to rebuild our own social and physical infrastructure ourselves.  Then we'll see more and more folks dropping out of the mainstream to enjoy Detroit's unique brand of hospitality and lifestyle.

An Excellent Detroit Adventure

The Sunday morning was bright and getting warmer by the minute when we decided to make the trip down into Detroit to the Avalon International Bread Company on Willis.  We'd eaten a couple of their vegan cookies purchased from Whole Foods in Troy and decided it would be worth a trip to the source. 

The first leg was down Greenfield to the Lodge.  Haven't been on the Lodge for ages and right away it became a game of anamnesis as we recalled locations along the way that once were landmarks to us. 

We crossed Greenfield to the entrance ramp onto the freeway and there on the right was where Boesky's Deli was once ensconced.  One of the best in Detroit and certainly well known around the country.  You may remember Ivan Boesky who sullied the family name and upon whom, at least in part, the character Gordon Gekko was based.  "Greed is good!" 

Once on the freeway, a familiar feeling of claustrophobia came creeping back as we threaded our way through the towering vertical concrete walls, a signature feature of the Lodge.  Always wondered how one might escape should a flash flood suddenly wash through these arterial canyons. 

Exiting onto Grand Boulevard, we stopped for the light next to Henry Ford Hospital, the mother ship facility for the Henry Ford Health System.  This complex is probably least known as my birthplace, though today the only vestige of that event is the original façade.  I recall seeing 8mm movies of my mother holding me on the front steps of that entrance many decades ago (though I won’t reveal how many).

Diagonally across the Grand Boulevard intersection is the building that housed a motel back in the Sixties.  That building has always held a certain fascination because the motel was a parapet for a sniper during the 12^th Street Riot in 1967.  It gave him a vantage point from which to shoot at cars passing on the freeway.

Further east on Grand Boulevard stands the Fisher Building, one of Detroit’s grandest architectural landmarks.  Architect Joseph French of Albert Kahn Associates started out to build a three-building complex.  Two 30-story buildings would have flanked a 60-story structure on this block had it not been for the Great Depression.  What remains is one of the flanking 30-story buildings.  Given its wonderful art deco design the Fisher Building is an outstanding tribute to French.

Across the street we pass the building that once housed Topinka’s Restaurant, for many years a very hip hangout for Detroit’s media and advertising creatives.  A block further and we are dwarfed by the former General Motors building, now called Cadillac Center.  The Center is another Albert Kahn masterwork and an outstanding example of Neo-Classical architecture.   With nearly 1.4 million square feet, the building is now a National Historic Landmark.

Waiting to turn south on Cass Avenue, we noted that the St. Regis Hotel is still there, which brought to mind the Mona Loa, a South Seas restaurant that has come and gone next door.

When Filmcraft Film Lab was located on Willis many years ago, getting from the car to their front door forced you to run a gauntlet of panhandlers.  Turning onto Willis now is a much different and certainly more relaxing experience.  Avalon International Breads occupies a venerable and charming commercial building from early in the last century.  The shaded tables out front were occupied with a variety of folks enjoying their Sunday coffee and brunch.

Inside, the place was bustling.  People were lined up to buy bread, sandwiches and drinks.  Behind the counter, the staff was happily busy taking care of business.  The ovens and stacks of flour sacks were in plain sight and the place had a comfortable neighborhood feel about it.  And the sandwiches we ate outside under an umbrella were delicious.

From the Avalon, we decided to drive down to Corktown.  Along Trumbull, we found ourselves driving through blocks of open land with few if any buildings.  Lots of tall grass and a few trees here and there.  Sidewalks and streets remain to remind that this area was once densely populated urban neighborhoods.

Another reminder at one intersection was an enclave of small crudely constructed shelters with a few souls sitting in the shade of some brushwood.   Across the street, a man was prostrate on the sidewalk in the sweltering sun.  As he moved ever so slightly, a brown paper bag poked out from beneath his shoulder.

The difference with this urban tableau and a similar one ten or twenty years ago was the expanse of open land that surrounded these folks.  This was no narrow skid row street any more.  The city buildings were blocks away.

As we approached Michigan Avenue, some kids played baseball in the middle of a huge vacant lot.  It didn’t register at first, but this landscape once contained Briggs Stadium, more recently known as Tiger Stadium.  Now, it’s like it never was.

The old railroad depot is still standing though.  Once a symbol of Detroit’s lofty position within the national commerce and transportation milieu, the crumbling building has become a derelict icon of Detroit’s downfall in more recent years.  Still, as you drive past, it demands a modicum of respect for its towering faded grandeur.

Corktown has spruced up considerably.  Still home to some authentic Mexican restaurants, Mexican Village in particular caught our attention.  It was the destination for our first date.  Around the eateries and eastward toward downtown, the aging neighborhoods show a great deal of caring attention with lots of fresh paint and lovely gardens.  It’s apparent these residents are enjoying their lives within walking distance of the downtown business district.

Our trip ultimately took us along Jefferson passing the void where Ford Auditorium once stood.  At least Old Mariners Church still crouches in the shadow of the new GM Building, formerly known as the Renaissance Center or more sardonically “Deuce’s erection.”  

Of course the Penobscot Building still commands the downtown skyline.  Once the powers-that-be tried to rename it but after years of Detroiters continuing to call it the Penobscot Building, they gave up and reinstated its original name.

A quick slide down the entrance ramp onto I75, past the new stadiums and north toward home.  The trip has been an eye opener for us as metro-ites.  We’ve woven some threads of first-hand familiarity that tie us back to the city.  We’ve enjoyed our tour back in time, but have also brought ourselves back to the present.  We’ll be back again for another visit.

Climate Change, the Gorilla in the Room

No doubt that the debt ceiling debate and its outcome is critical to our mutual well being as U.S. citizens.  Those in Washington who claim to be our representatives seem to be playing a dangerous game of chicken that could lead to national calamity.  And while they are jousting over these abstract issues of debt and money, some have turned their backs from the real menace, the 800 lb. gorilla that hovers over not only our country, but the entire globe...the specter of climate change.

Politics aside.  Climate change is no respecter of persons.  It has no agenda.  It is simply the forces of nature struggling for balance.  With each passing day, it is demanding that we pay attention.  Only a few have responded.  Here from an article by Mollie O'Toole for Reuters:

(Reuters) - The United States is on a pace in 2011 to set a record for the cost of weather-related disasters and the trend is expected to worsen as climate change continues, officials and scientists said on Thursday.

"The economic impact of severe weather events is only projected to grow," Senator Dick Durbin said at a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and Government, which he chairs. "We are not prepared. Our weather events are getting worse, catastrophic in fact." 

Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, held a hearing on the role of government in mitigating the economic impact of weather disasters as Republicans in the House of Representatives were considering an appropriations bill with a number of riders designed to curtail environmental regulation.

 Over the coming years, the losses from this natural phenomenon will undoubtedly make our current national debt seem trivial.  But it isn't just the money, it's the prospective lost and disrupted lives that may be wasted because we buried our heads now, ignoring the threat and not making the personal and broader infrastructure changes necessary for our physical survival.

Grow Your Own Bamboo Tricycle

From an article by Jenny in State of Green:

How cool is the Ajiro – a bamboo tricycle created by Monash University industrial design student, Alexander Vittouris?  On looks alone it is impressive, but upon delving a bit further its whole design approach may just revolutionise the way in which products are made in the future.

Rather than using energy intensive processes to bend sustainable bamboo into shape post harvest, Alexander’s unique approach involves manipulating the bamboo stalks during the plant’s growth process. Tension is applied to the bamboo stalks as they grow over a reusable skeletal sub structure, that forms the structural basis of the vehicle. The natural energy from the plant does all the rest!

 

Bamboo is not a tree, but a type of grass.  It can grow two feet or more a day, much faster than trees.  Yet some varieties are harder than Oak wood.   It is a viable crop in many different countries and different climates.  As a result, it has become a versatile and sustainable raw material with many uses.

Houses made of bamboo can be earthquake and cyclone-resistant.  It is also used to make textiles, medicine, and even water filters.  As you see here, it can also be grown into a tricycle.

No wonder the bamboo industry expects to be worth $25 billion by 2012.

Detroit's Heart Blockage

Today, Detroit the City enjoys two significant bellwethers; the announcement that Whole Foods will be opening a store at Woodward and Mack, and the opening of Somerset's Bell Loft on Woodward downtown.  Other bellwethers include the announcement by five Detroit companies that they will pledge around $4 million as incentives to lure their workers to live downtown.  Wow, this is overwhelming after watching years of exodus from the city by its own wealth.

An influx of new retail business and resident consumers into the downtown area is a significant move toward a Detroit renaissance, but in the interim it may not be enough to keep those shops and entertainment venues alive.  What will be needed is a temporary daily influx of money from the entire metro area.  Granted, the ball parks and the Fox theater have been a great boon.  But its the day-to-day shoppers from the outskirts that will help revive the life of the central city, at least until the residential population has been restored to some semblance of the past.  Unfortunately, there's one major stumbling block to that end...parking.

The last few times I've been downtown, parking has cost $10.  The last time I was at Somerset in Troy, the parking was free.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the disincentive/incentive relationship in that situation.  And it doesn't appear to be about to change.  The parking interests seem to have a vice-grip on the city. 

Regrettably, that stance may be somewhat self-defeating.  They continue to bleed the life out of Detroit's heart.

What's Your Community Walking Score?

Okay, gasoline prices are bobbling around the $4 mark again.  But when looking at the price chart for the last few years, it's apparent that the price of gasoline just continues to rise.  It won't be a surprise if it reaches $5 before 2012 dawns.

In 2008, when the price reached $4, I started riding a bicycle again.  Since then the bike has become integral to my life.  With global supply of oil diminishing in relationship to demand, it appears that my feet and the bike will ultimately become a primary means of transportation.  Hence this morning, my attention was drawn to the Walk Site, a site that talleys up a walking score for cities around the country.

What makes a neighborhood walkable?

• A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it's a main street or a public space.
• People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently.
• Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses.
• Parks and public space: Plenty of public places to gather and play.
• Pedestrian design: Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back.
• Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
• Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.

Walk Score	Description
90–100	Walker's Paradise — Daily errands do not require a car.
70–89	Very Walkable — Most errands can be accomplished on foot.
50–69	Somewhat Walkable — Some amenities within walking distance.
25–49	Car-Dependent — A few amenities within walking distance.
0–24	Car-Dependent — Almost all errands require a car.

Some communities around Metro Detroit scored very well.  Berkley, for example, got a 74; Ferndale, a 64; and Royal Oak, 59. 

Today these high walking scores certainly add to the livability of a community.  As time goes by, they will undoubtedly add to property values.  Within the foreseeable future, I imagine more and more of us will be out there hoofing whether we want to or not.  Living in a city with a high walking score will make each hike that much more tolerable.

Could Facebook Lose Half Its Users?

PC Magazine ran a poll of Facebook users, asking will you ditch Facebook for Google+?  Half responded that they would leave Facebook for Google.  PC's Leslie Horn writes:

Despite the poll's response, it's highly unlikely there will be such a significant exodus from Facebook. Facebook boasts a membership of 750 million people—375 million people just aren't going to quit the number one social network. But the results of this informal poll point to a bigger issue: people are increasingly annoyed with Facebook.

Google+ has only been around for about a month, so how it will perform in the long run remains to be seen. The comparison of Google+ to Facebook is unavoidable, and perhaps Google has launched its social network at just the right time to take a bite out of Facebook's 750 million users; the site has been plagued by low consumer satisfaction and pervasive privacy concerns. 

Some FB users have hundreds of so-called friends.  It would take nothing short of virtual flash-mobs to move their social circles from one social network to another. 

U.S. Postal Service Suffers Contraction Pains

Since the Pony Express, the U.S. Postal Service has been as American as apple pie.  Now this national institution appears to be shriveling up into a mere wisp of what it used to be.  Post offices around the country are in danger of being shut down.  The post office in Berkley, Michigan apparently has been spared, at least in the current round of closures.  So says Patch anyway.  Ferndale and Detroit, however, may not be long for this world.

Patrons of the U.S. Postal Service post office in Berkley can breathe a sigh of relief: The location is not among those the agency announced Tuesday it is considering for closure.

However, retail offices in Ferndale and Detroit are among the approximately 3,700 locations that are being evaluated by the U.S. Postal Service.

"As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smartphones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices — the largest retail network in the country — diminishes," the U.S. Postal Service said in a press release Tuesday.

The Postal Service is considering shutting some offices and shifting to a Village Post Office model that would integrate some services and products, such as stamps and flat-rate packaging, into places such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other retailers.

More Room for Independent Book Stores

Wonder who will fill the void in the book market with Borders' demise? According to Crain's Detroit Business, we may see a return of real book stores again.

With Borders Group Inc. being liquidated, metro Detroit will go from having 32 big-box bookstores to 10 by the end of September.

The loss of 22 remaining Borders stores will leave major retail corridors -- ranging from downtown Birmingham to shopping hubs in Novi and Auburn Hills -- without a large bookstore.

The market may attract some larger book selling chains from other parts of the country, but not likely right away.  But...

Also expected to rise in the wake of the Borders wind down are independent bookstores that can find their way into neighborhood shopping corridors.

Cary Loren owns The Book Beat in Oak Park, in operation for 30 years. Controlling 3,500 square feet -- compared with the 25,000 square feet typically used by Borders -- he said small bookstores might be the right recipe.

"I was here before the big-box craze started and I'm still here," he said. "What we learn here is that maybe bookstores are not the kinds of businesses that lend themselves to mass merchandising.

Living Beneath the "Heat Dome" July 2011

 

Has the climate changed yet?

Brainless Meat in Your Future

Reading in Wired Magazine about non-sentient meat, meat grown without a brain.  Strikes me as pretty grotesque.  Here's where it stands right now.

Non-sentient lab meat is not yet a reality for widespread human consumption, and growing a steak with longer strands of tissue presents greater difficulties than simulating ground meat. But the wheels are already in motion — witness the In Vitro Meat Consortium, In Vitro Meat Foundation, this FutureFood.org article, and researchers at universities and labs around the world.

An easier, more efficient and eventually perhaps more palatable route would be to flavor vegetable-based matter with the texture of meat, like a much-improved version of today’s seitan steaks and tofu dogs, according to Tucker.

“I think we’ll reach a flavoring threshold where stuff really does have the taste and texture of meat, but it’s not meat-based,” said Tucker, who conceded a personal fondness for one of man and nature’s most resource-inefficient forms of protein: the cow. Non-sentient meat would consume less water and resources than actual cows, he said, but algae or vegetable matter plus flavoring, manufactured by who else but the artificial flavoring capital of the world (the United States), holds more promise (more on that to come).

Judging by the Vegan fare featured at local markets, I'd say they're doing a great job of duplicating the eating experience of various meats and poultry.  Take chicken for example. 

Chicken has little flavor of its own.  It's usually eaten with breading or a sauce that lends its own flavor to the meat.  There are several soy products that duplicate the consistency and texture of chicken and are complemented by those same toppings and sauces.

Given a choice, would you prefer a slab of brainless meat, or something that's made with soy beans that gives you a comparable eating experience ?