Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Late night open thread

Odds and ends edition...

If you're looking for Johnny in New Jersey, you can find him, naturally at the Jersey City Desk! There's nothing there yet but there will be. Apparently there is a city council guy out there who was at some cover band show in Washington DC, had too much to drink and took a wee on the people down below. Yeah, we'll be all over that. Going to see a cover band---heinous.

Go Eastern, beat Central on Friday. As long as I live I'll never forgive those CMU assholes for abstaining in their vote to kick us out of the MAC in the early 80's. They knew by abstaining the rest of the league had the votes to bounce us. Western voted to keep us. Every time EMU upsets the Chumpewas, a Huron gets his wings and we stick a finger in their goddamned eyehole.

Interns Zoltron and Kiki have decided to come on out to New Jersey with Johnny. The lure of the internet greasepaint was just too enticing.

Oh, and Donald Trump wants to buy the River Street property and build a casino on it.

May the road rise up to meet you Ypsilanti, at your permanent home on the corner of Elegant Street and Suave Boulevard in Cool City.

Take it away John the Revelator, they're all yours.

Seacrest out



Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Borders says they are no longer for sale....

We are of two minds about this, first, great news. It mean Ann Arbor's independent bookstore is gonna make a go of today's ailing economy AS an independent, no doubt many employees are thrilled today. The other mind is that quite simply nobody would buy them when they were listing themselves for sale every week for the last few months. If they simply don't have the equity or products in warehouse and in store somebody would want to buy, how good of a go are they gonna make?. There is, of course the underlying problem that George Jones still runs the show and Mr. Jones hasn't exactly lit the fire under Borders to propel them to success or cut a viable deal.

We hope everyone there keeps their jobs and rides this out. Johnny has a lot of good friends at 100 Phoenix. I know there are some bright book business minds in there who truly love the field they are in. Trouble is they keep getting thwarted by the George Jones' in the company. Borders stock was trading under a dollar earlier this week for a short while, it wasn't the merch group or the buyers who did that, it was the higher ups.

Time for a change at the top at Borders we think...

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Late night open thread

Listen up kids, wise words ahoy


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Giant Space Cat with laser beam eyes attacks a car at Geddes and Leforge

A woman, asking not to be named reported a GIANT SPACE CAT HEAD last night setting upon her Toyota Camry (go cat go) as she travelled just north of Ypsilanti. She said the cat hit her Camry (again, go cat go) several times with it's laser eyes making a hash out of her hood and front headlamps. The evil space Kitteh then followed her as far as the Huron View apartment complex at Green Rd before turning and heading down the river. Ypsilanti police had no comment to YCD this morning.

People, here it is yet again and it's becoming more dangerous. We MUST (well YOU must, Johnny's leaving) draw this cat into the Cross Street area near the Tower where it's secret deathray can be used on this cat head. The fate of our fair city rests in the balance. How many must die before we as a community act?


FILE FOOTAGE


Monday, November 24, 2008

Late night open thread

Ni

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Eastern Michigan fires Jeff Genyk as head coach

Friday vs Central Michigan will be Genyk's last game as coach said EMU athletic Director Dr. Derrick Gragg. According to the Detroit Free Press Gragg put out a press release saying:

"Earlier this morning, after consulting President Susan Martin, I informed coach Jeff Genyk of my decision to move our football program in another direction, at the conclusion of the season"

YCD can't say as we're surprised, this year was supposed to be different, a much better team was expected. The EMU football program never really progressed under Genyk, it kinda stayed mired in that same crappy place it was in when he got here. One thing we WILL say in Mr. Genyk's favor, he cleaned out the nere-do-wells from the EMU football program. Football players at EMU now attend classes and aren't the drunken brawlers of yore. For that he deserves credit, making citizenship while at EMU important.

The Free Press also reports former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr will advise EMU in their search for a new head football coach. This should be OK as long as Eastern never schedules Ohio State.

Genyk had a 15-42 record at Eastern in five years with the Central tilt yet to come....

Ha ha ha, you all are gonna be stuck with a traffic roundabout at US-23 and Geddes

Johnny's gonna be gone but if I were you I'd raise some hell over the traffic roundabout the Michigan Department of Transportation is proposing for the bottleneck there. Johnny took the bus for four years, the number 3 route so he went through that stretch past Concordia College all the time. A roundabout isn't going to help that. You could solve the ENTIRE mess there by not letting people turn left off Geddes onto south US-23, make them to to Washtenaw or Plymouth Rd to grab it and problem solved.

A roundabout seems to be the super happy fix of MDOT anymore. Johnny has run solutions through his head there five days a week for four years. His is better.

More on this stupid idea here

Talk about domination; Ann Arbor Pioneer 'gurls' win their NINTH straight swimming championship

Pioneer High School won its ninth straight state title with 349.5 points at the Jones Natatorium on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. NINE, that's incredible. Michigan bound Ashley Cohagen captured repeat titles in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

The level of high school swimming in this area is incredible as Ann Arbor Huron finished SECOND to the Pioneers.

Congrats Pioneer, job WELL done (again).

As for the Huron gurls, they also went to the state title game in field hockey but came up short.

Not bad, the local gals seem to dominate at sports, we're very proud of all of you.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Late night open thread

No Simpson's tonight? I'll kill Jack Bauer myself....

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Farewell dear Ypsi

Alas friends and neighbors, at some point Tuesday or Wednesday my part in this grand experiment known as The Ypsi City Desk will end. Johnny is off with Mrs Johnny (who has already blazed a trail on ahead) to Jersey City New Jersey. As of early Friday morning my wagon heads east.

I came to this town one damned cold December 1st 1982. I hitchhiked down from sleepy Ortonville to register for classes at EMU and loved what I found here and set up shop. I remember almost being out of second chances when I came here, I also vividly remember sitting right outside of Pierce Hall on a cement bench, in a tiny little sitting area to keep out of the wind and cold that was whistling around me at 4 and 5 and then 6 am. It always made me feel good knowing I could always see the blinking red light on Pierce Hall out my bedroom window, the same blinking red light that flashed over my head that cold December morning. At some point you stake your claim and try to make good your life's dreams and aspirations and I've quite happily made mine here, in Ypsilanti. To my fellow Ypsi residents, there may be times for whatever reason you say "I hate this stupid town" or "This place sucks", I understand that, we all feel that way about our towns at some point. Just understand the next time you do say it, there's somebody out there who misses this great community. Somebody misses the rubber duck race, misses walking in the old days to Bowen Field House to watch an EMU basketball game, who misses our great parades, who misses Haabs or Sidetrack or Golden Wall or La Fiesta Mexicana. There's somebody out there who will miss the air shows at Willow Run, and miss lazy spring and summer nights fishing (with NO license mind you) at his secret spot with his buddy Cool Money.

Ypsilanti, you have been very good to me, I can never ever repay that debt. You have all had such a wonderful impact. So when somebody puts Ypsi down because it's not Ann Arbor, do me a favor, get in their grill. If you're an Eastern Michigan University athlete playing on a team having a bad year and you think to yourself "Nobody cares" that's simply not true. A lot of us DO care. We do care about you and your team whether you win lose or draw. Just keep plugging away for us. If you're one who thinks our city's financial situation is hopeless and you should give up, keep going. That's the thing I've learned about Ypsilanti, doing things the hard way if need be, using elbow grease has always gotten us by. Ypsilanti faced huge challenges helping win WWII and we face them again. Keep going friends, work harder, there's not a bone in my body that doesn't think Ypsilanti will rise above the money troubles we have now. We will, we're Ypsilanti.

While I may be leaving, understand I'll check in from time to time, and like I mentioned, you'll be in very good hands with John the Revelator, he's a top flight writer. I'm sure he'll do things different but that's ok too, Ypsilanti's never been scared of a change.

So long, farewell and adios Ypsilanti, you'll never have a bigger fan out there than Johnny Action Space Punk...

Late night open thread

This year Michigan football fans found out what Eastern Michigan football fans have known for years. There's other stuff to do on Saturdays, most stores and restaurants are open too.

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Saturday, November 22, 2008

"Attention Michigan football fans...

...you did NOT just watch the team go 3-9 with horrible losses to Notre Dame, Michigan State and the Buckeyes. The Toledo loss never happened. We'd like to thank you for participating in our college football game simulator where games are played out in video game fashion but none of it really actually happened. It was all a simulation...."

Eastern Michigan football GAMEDAY

Eastern is in the City of Brotherly Love this afternoon for a 1pm kickoff with the Temple Owls. Eastern rolls into Philly with an awful 1-5 record in MAC play and just 2-8 overall. Temple, while playing in the god-awful MAC East Division sports a 2-4 record and 3-7 overall. These are not good teams.

That being said, EMU hopes to slow down Temple QB Adam DiMichele who has thrown for 12 TD's against only 4 INT's this season. His favorite receiver is senior Bruce Francis who EMU will have to account for. He has 9 touchdowns this season, very good numbers for a very poor team. Temple is a Jeckyll and Hyde team scoring points and looking great one week while scoring only 7 vs Army and 3 vs Western Michigan.

This is a winnable game for EMU.

IF Andy Schmitt plays well, and keeps the Temple offense off the field, and this will take some doing, Eastern can win. If head coach Jeff Genyk is serious about handing the ball off to Terrence Blevins over 20 times today and playing the short passing game matching up receivers on Temple's suspect linebacking corps, Eastern can win this game. If EMU can execute a ball control offense for 60 minutes and not panic if they get behind early, they can win this game.

Eastern has been close a few times this year with teams we feel are equal to them in talent. They've lost every one of those games. It HAS to change today. HAS to.

Our call?
Eastern Michigan 30
Temple 20

Friday, November 21, 2008

Late night open thread

Well we managed to do it, all the posts on page one are from the same day, Yay us!

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEELY DAN!

OK, Johnny why all the videos tonight? Why the massive amount of Friday night tunes? OK kids, pull up a chair.

This is Johnny's last Friday night running the videos (or anything for that matter) out of the palacial YCD offices. More details in our Sunday chat but Johnny is moving far far away from Ypsilanti next week. Sadly he's gotta follow fame and fortune out to the shadows of New York City (apparently they needed more bloggers). Now, luckily, for you all John the Revelator will be taking control of the day to day happenings here so you'll still have an Ypsi City Desk right here to keep you entertained and informed. More details on Sunday but that's why all the videos tonight. Johnny has loved bringing them to you over this past little while and looked forward to our Friday night concert series.

In honor of Johnny's old school, Eastern Michigan University, here is Steely Dan performing 'My Old School'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PINK FLOYD!

Ok ok, so ten minute songs can be a bit long for some people. Johnny's not one of those it bothers. Especially when those ten minutes are spent with David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Johnny has always loved the album 'Animals'. A lot. Big fan. So without further ado here is Pink Floyd with the headphone-riffic song 'Sheep'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE CLASH!

Probably Johnny's faves as a band, yes The Clash, the only band that matters... The Clash launched countless garage bands after fans saw their concerts. If we're gonna empty the vaults on this special occasion, you better believe we're playing The Clash.

The Clash with 'Police on My Back'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PAT BENATAR!

Ah, the condensed fury of Pat Benatar. She could let it out a little bit at a time or unleash it all with that incredible voice. Absolutely one of Johnny's favorites and one of the first artists he respected for doing things her way. Here's Pat Benatar with the most excellent song 'Never Wanna Leave You'. See if this doesn't bring back some memories.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NEKO CASE!

In keeping with Johnny's favorite things, the brilliant Neko Case with a song off of Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, 'Star Witness'

More super fun Friday with Natalie Portman

Ignore the HULU ads, enjoy the Natalie

Super fun Friday continues with a clip from The Great Race

If you're looking for something a little different to do tonight, may we suggest ghost hunting?

A small cemetery outside Jackson Michigan will be hopping tonight maybe even with ghostly spirits. Johnny has made this trip several times, once with our good friend TrixielovesYpsi:

From Prairie Ghosts:
At a time between dusk on November 21 and dawn on November 22, the ghosts of a father and daughter are said to reunite in this secluded cemetery outside of Jackson, Michigan. The two spirits were the victims of a heinous crime that took place many years ago.... a crime that remains unsolved to this day.

The strange series of events began on November 21, 1883 in the small community of Jackson. A horrible mass murder took place here, claiming seven victims and creating a mystery and a haunting. The victims were Jacob Crouch, his daughter Eunice White, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, Eunice's husband. and a man named Moses Polley, who had been visiting the Crouch family from out of town. These four people (five, including the unborn child) were all shot to death while sleeping. The crime was carried out during a terrible thunderstorm that muffled the sounds of violence from nearby farms.

Two months later, on January 2, the naked body of Susan Halcomb, Jacob's surviving daughter, was found on the floor of her bedroom. She had been force-fed poison and had died. James Fay, who had worked as a farm hand for Jacob Crouch, was also found dead shortly after. What could these people have done, seen or heard that would have committed them to their horrible deaths? No one knows....

In the years that followed the murders, several men were brought to trial for the crimes but no one was ever convicted. What really happened has never been known, and never will be known, as all of the principals and investigators in the case have long since carried the tales to their graves.

Jacob Crouch was buried in a small cemetery at the corner of Horton and Reynolds Roads, a mile away from the site of the Crouch home. Eunice and her husband lie five miles away in St. John's Cemetery in Jackson. The two burial grounds are very different. Jacob's grave is neglected and forgotten while Eunice's lies in a well-cared for cemetery that is still in operation today. The legend began many years ago that on the anniversary of the murders, Eunice's spirit would leave her grave and travel to Reynolds Cemetery, where it would reunite with the ghost of her father.

Many claim to have witnessed this over the years, including two ghost researchers in 1989, who insist they saw an ectoplasmic cloud appear in the cemetery that night. The glowing mist floated through the cemetery until it reached Jacob's grave, where it suddenly vanished.


Should you be interested, we trust you can use Mapquest or Google maps to find this small and very creepy cemetery at the corner of Reynolds and Horton Rd. just west of Jackson. If you see Eunice Crouch tell her the Ypsi City Desk says hi.

Get ready for an off the wall super fun Friday!

Look, the news of the world is all bad. We here at the Ypsi City Desk think we need to make today a super FUN Friday so to that end we're gonna do what we can to give your Friday a little zazz....Plus don't forget to look for a SPECIAL edition of Friday night multimedia extravaganza tonight!

Let's get started with William Shatner utterly butchering Harry Chapin's classic song 'Taxi'.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Late night open thread

What's this? An extra video treat before bed? Wellllllll ok, but don't tell your mother.

The Rolling Stones in Sydney in 1973 with 'Bitch'


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Congratulations Susan Martin, inaugurated as NEW EMU President. Now sell that damned house

We wholeheartedly support your choice, and welcome you as official EMU President. The first female to hold that title at Eastern Michigan University. Congratulations!!

Now, sell Samuel Kirkpatrick's folly house, for the good of the University and the community goodwill it would render. It'll fetch something that could help offset student costs. No, it's not NEEDED, and in these tight economic times, every penny counts.

We'll find you a smaller, cozier, and less expensive (and some would say less tainted) place to live.

Say what Desmond? Michigan in title game in a mere 5 years if RichRod given a 'chance'?

Yep, former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard said head coach Rich Rodruguez would land his Wolverines in the national championship game if he was given 'time'.

What time do you think RichRod has Desmond? You think fans will stick with him past next year if the team is 5-7? What if by year 4 he's 8-4? That's a pretty tall order of wishful thinking if you ask us. We think you were feeling hurt by Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Spielman's comments the other day.

We're also going to need to see better players here, ones who don't leave willy nilly and guys who can handle running and executing the spread offense. 5 years? In our opinion RichRod won't be here for year 4....

The City of Ypsilanti got a 90K grant for fire station upgrades

Happy days as this 90K federal grant will allow the fire department in Cool City to upgrade the facility and use it as a command center should a terrible event befall us here. The grant is made by the Department of Homeland Security and does require a 10K match from the city of Ypsilanti which won't be a problem.

It's good to know we have a fine command center in case of a dire emergency. As fire chief Jon Ichsco told the A2 News "...we will have a building that can serve the community in even the worst of situations".

Sounds like a good deal to us.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Late night open thread

Happy birthday to Johnny's favorite actress, and the best of her generation, Jodie Foster. Jodie was born in 1962.

Here's a clip of her brilliant performance in Taxi Driver


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

OK hippies, dreamers, nere-do-wells and ruffians, some Adam-12 law and order

That's right, officers Reed and Malloy ON THE JOB keeping Los Angeles safe from beautiful women everywhere...

Rob Schneider is the latest star to begin filming a movie locally

SNL alum Rob Schneider is filming parts of a movie in Ann Arbor called "The Virgin on Bourbon Street" (we here at YCD are just tickled the producers would pick Ann Arbor for a knock off of New Orleans). Filming began at the Ingalls Mall yesterday. Filming is also being down elsewhere in Southeast Michigan but we don't care about THOSE parts, those'll be the worst in the whole entire movie. We just care about the Ann Arbor shots which should continue for a couple more days.

More on this developing celebrity situation HERE in the A2 News

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Late night open thread

Boy howdy, a tough loss tonight for EMU men's hoops. Antonio Green missed a jumper that would have been the winning shot with 1 second left, and Eastern fell to Georgia 61-60 in West Dumpayette Indiana at the Dicks Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off. Full marks for effort after losing Carlos Medlock for the season. Eastern is now 1-2.

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Hey, guess who's 80 today? Mortimer Mouse

Well Mortimer was ALMOST Mickey's name in the beginning. Here's Mickey's debut in Steamboat Willie and the AP article on the birth of America's best known rodent.

This was also the first cartoon with sound ever...


(AP)-He turns 80 this year, but you'd never know it by looking at him. Mickey Mouse is still as sprightly as ever, with not even a laugh line to show his age. Mickey's come a long way since his turn as a deckhand in "Steamboat Willie" on this day in 1928.

Back then, the Disney studio's hopes were pegged to the mischievous rodent. They hoped he would bring the company success after the rights to Walt Disney's first successful character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, were sold to another studio by its distributors.

Walt sketched a mouse -- who looked an awful lot like his predecessor, Oswald -- and his wife, Lilly, christened the mouse Mickey. (Without Lilly's quick thinking, we'd be celebrating the 80th birthday of Mortimer Mouse.)

Mickey was a hit, and soon he had a band of buddies with whom he got into all kinds of scrapes and messes. (He never officially married Minnie Mouse, but they're still the world's most famous animated couple.)

According to Disney, more than 1 million children joined the original Mickey Mouse Club between 1929 and 1932. And his fans ranged from American children to famous names like Mary Pickford, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini, the Nizam of Hyderabad and King George V of England.

As animation techniques grew more sophisticated, Mickey's appearance changed a bit -- he gained some weight around the middle, donned a pair of white gloves and grew more angular. But his personality never changed from the friendly mouse that Walt Disney created in the 1920s.

Today, Mickey has become the international symbol of the Disney empire -- the three-circle silhouette of his head is one of the most recognized corporate symbols in the world. And his image -- with the famous two-button pants, the big yellow shoes -- has graced every kind of merchandise imaginable, from T-shirts to telephones.

Clearly the world's most beloved animated character, Mickey continues toward the century mark just as he began his life 80 years ago -- full steam ahead.

Anyone here remember November 11, 1918 in Ypsilanti?

Then it's a good thing records were kept. The Ann Arbor News had a really cool look back at the end of World War 1 celebration in Ypsilanti with newspaper accounts of the day by Daily Ypsilanti Press.

It's a good read.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Late night open thread

College basketball scoreboard show

EMU 58
#10 Purdue 87
(EMU is 1-1)

Lehigh 76
Delaware St. 58

Quinnipiac 66
Army 64

And tonight's YCD feature game:
North Carolina-Wilmington 107
Troy 95
Chad Tomko crushed Troy with 33 points

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

According to the National Motorists Association, Ann Arbor ranks #6 nationally in speed traps

Detroit and the 'burbs are #1, Tree City is #6 nationally. Is anyone surprised? From the Detroit News:

The National Motorists Association says Metro Detroit had the most speed traps in the United States in 2007, based on field studies and the number of complaints the Wisconsin-based organization gets. Ann Arbor also finished in the top 10:
1. Detroit suburbs
2. Colorado Springs, Colo.
3. Houston
4. Orlando, Fla.
5. Nashville, Tenn.
6. Ann Arbor
7. Albuquerque, N.M.
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Denver
10. Virginia Beach, Va.
Source: National Motorists Association

OK hepcats, the Ypsi City Desk has the new unreleased Beatles song NOW for you

Who woulda thunk a small potatoes blog could not only track it down but get it to you before it was released?!?!

Check it out HERE

Monday morning open thread

Johnny has nothing to rant about and no real news to hip you to. Whadda YOU got for us? Slander away.....

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Late night open thread

Oddly enough department: The NFL, in the entire history of the league had never before had a game end 11-10 until today when Pittsburgh beat San Diego by that very score. Over 12,000 games and never before until today.

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

The snow this morning certainly was a nice surprise wasn't it?

C'mon, who wants to say it was a nice surprise...

Late night open thread

"Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are"

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Obama administration adds a new member, Valerie Jarrett, U-M Law School grad

OK, so fall in Ann Arbor normally has everything to do with football but we here at YCD think we can cheer up the U-M community by pointing out that President-elect Barack Obama's newly named Senior White House Advisor is a former University of Michigan Law School grad. Valerie Jarrett is a 1981 grad.

Her position will be to consult with the president and act as a go-between with state and local elected officials and public interest groups. Another U-M Law School grad, Ann Coulter did not get asked by the Obama Administration to do anything but shut her pie hole.

We're about to find out how many die-hard Michigan football fans there are

If you show up today, on this utterly miserable rainy, 40 degree and dropping, north winds at 20 mph, in a nightmare season against a non rival foe, you ARE a die-hard Michigan fan. If you don't make it (unless you are on your deathbed, or moving away, or out of town, or at your kids soccer game), die-hard status DENIED. These are the types of games that define a die-hard fan.

Oh and since it's now at 40 degrees or below, the no hard liquor in the stadium rule has been waived.

Go Blue

Likewise if you're a crafter and you're not at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair today, you're just dabbling.

Late night open thread

If you're going to the Michigan game tomorrow wear your woolies, it's fixing to snow...

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOHN MELLENCAMP!

Another election inspired choice tonight. It sounds a little different this time.

'Pink Houses'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MADONNA!

Madge is coming to town ya know. Good seats still available we hear. Is it the economy or the prices or the fact she always seems to insult her home team? Johnny loves him some Madonna dance and house music and trance remixes of her songs though. Here's Madonna with 'Hung Up'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SHERYL CROW!

From her new release Detours, here is an election inspired tune tonight. A sing around the campfire type anthem about peace symbolized by something we have all done at some point..

Sheryl Crow with 'Out of Our Heads'

An update on yesterday's Espresso Royale Cafe 'get-it-yourself' rant

It is confirmed, Johnny spoke with someone there this morning. They are going to a do-it-yourself style of coffee sales. LAME. I mean Johnny still pays the same amount as he did before but now does all the work. The principle of that is very annoying. So, it's over to Starbucks Monday morning AND Johnny is gonna pick up a bag of coffee for this weekend's home enjoyment NOT from ERC like he has been for some time, no he'll be getting it from Starbucks on his way home today. Good luck with your new business plan ERC, just realize it won't involve Johnny and his 13 bucks a week previously spent at your place.

If you are a deer who enjoys reading the Ypsi City Desk, we have some advice

Stay out of internet cafes tomorrow morning and for the next two weeks....This has been a deer public service announcement....

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Late night open thread

The big Lehigh vs Bucknell football game is this Saturday at 12:30 live from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Since Eastern is enjoying a bye week YCD figured you might wanna get tickets for this Patriot League clash now.

Go Lehigh

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Sadly, it looks like Espresso Royale Cafe on Main St is going SELF SERVE

Sure they do it that way at others but it doesn't make it right. Johnny goes into ERC this morning for his usual coffee and the nice gal behind the counter simply handed him a cup and pointed to where the coffee machines were. Excuse me? Is it THAT big an inconvenience to pour the coffee and hand it over? Does it save THAT much time? Know who else does this kinda thing? McDonalds. Here's your cup, go get your own drink. Wait, even McDonalds will pour your coffee for you. It's true.

Is ERC saving money on this long tedious coffee pouring tradition? If you're just gonna hand Johnny a cup and tell him to get it himself why not drop the price? Johnny also hates to think what this'll do to their tips jar. Seriously, why tip when you're getting it yourself?

We hope ERC on Main St. stops this coffee madness right now. Johnny knows Starbucks, 20 steps the other way will pour his coffee and hand it to him like he likes. Just sayin'......

Michigan hoops wins again, this time 76-56 over Northeastern

Manny Harris had 26 points 10 rebounds and 8 assists and DeShawn Sims added 19 points as Michigan advances to the third round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic supporting Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. Michigan improves to 2-0 on the young season. They will play #4 ranked UCLA next at Madison Square Garden.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Late night open thread

Brak, Space Ghost and Zorak do the honors tonight...


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

More Bad News at the The A2 News

The Ann Arbor News continues to lose employees thanks to the overall downturn in the state of daily print journalism.

The latest blow came today when copy editors, designers and other support staff got the news that they could either:

  • Accept a buyout that will amount to something like two weeks' pay for every year of employment (for those with over five year's services;) or
  • Move to offices in Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids, where those tasks will be consolidated for among the News' seven sibling papers.
We heard about this earlier today and were going to try to pull together the details after our day-job duties. Fortunately, the excellent Ann Arbor Chronicle did the reporting for us.

We have a lot of good friends at the News. Hang in there, folks. You deserve better.

Here's a real pressing issue of our times--At Thanksgiving dinner do you want jellied cranberry via the can or real cranberries?

Johnny votes the real thing. He loves the real cranberries that some find too tart. Your palate, your call....

Michigan 77, Michigan Tech 55

Michigan starts the 2008-09 hoops season with a commanding 22 point win vs. the powers that be from Houghton. Manny Harris had a career high 30 points as the Wolverines cruised over Tech in a first round game of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic supporting Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. Michigan plays Northeastern tonight. No, not Northwestern, a traditional Michigan foe, Northeastern.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Late night open thread

Once again we go with the bedtime theme 'Look at the mentally challenged people who live elsewhere. We'd NEVER do anything that stupid. They must have manure for their brains'.

A man who tried to steal an ATM with a backhoe was arrested when he asked police officers who were chasing him for help after he jumped into the Kansas River, police said.

Police said the man, in his 50s, used the backhoe to break into a convenience store in Kansas City, Kan., then tried to drive away with the Automated Teller Machine. As the man tried to flee, the machine and 12 packs of soda fell from the backhoe, police said.

Police followed the man as he took the backhoe through a wooded area before fleeing on foot.

After jumping into the Kansas River, the man swam out about 15 feet from shore, then called for help, saying he was drowning, the police department said.

Two officers jumped into the river, rescued him and arrested him, police said
.

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

BusinessWeek magazine names Ann Arbor one of the best places to raise a kid in 2009

That's right, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor made the list with a couple of interesting sidenotes; The article mentioned A2's close proximity to Ypsilanti and the "brilliant nightlife and music hangouts and spate of recent celebrity sightings there", and Ypsilanti's generous nature towards Ann Arbor "even though this generosity appears to be a one way street". The article also mentioned, and this is important for kids growing up, the seven golf courses within Tree City. Because kids are nothing in life if not exposed to golf.

Royal Oak came in second. Probably because they are not near Ypsilanti...

Monday, November 10, 2008

Late night open thread

A few good minutes with one of Johnny's favorite comedians, Mr. Bob Newhart.


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

You don't need to be a hippie to see Joan Baez at the Michigan Theater tonight

You just need $26 bucks. Just a reminder Joan is touring behind her new release "Day After Tomorrow" and the show is at 7:30 pm. If you want to get close enough to stage to scare poor Ms Baez, those tickets will set you back $50 bucks.

Do you have a vision for Ypsilanti? These meetings are for you

The City of Ypsilanti will be hosting a series of meetings to include folks like you who want to share your vision of where Ypsilanti goes from here and how they can leverage the assets available to all of us. If you're a thinker and a doer, drop by...

Ypsilanti goal-setting meetings
• Tonight: Presentation by Dan Gilmartin, chief executive of the Michigan Municipal League, to discuss changes facing local governments. 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1 S. Huron St.
• Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Haab Medical Building, 111 N. Huron St.
• Monday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. at the Haab Medical Building.
• Saturday, Dec. 13, at 9 a.m. at the Haab Medical Building.

Black ice warning out there this morning kids

DO be careful, many reports of black ice on the roadways this morning.....

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Late night open thread

Did you know then--Coca Cola was originally green in color...


Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

YCD Action Weather Team confirms "Yep, that's snow"

There you have it, weather reporter and intern Kiki tells us from outside the Ypsi City Desk newsroom, Cool City has become Cold City as snow is now confirmed.

Weather reporter Kiki has it easy compared to some action news weather stiffs

Dreary EMU basketball news on a dreary Sunday

Pre-season all MAC point guard Carlos Medlock has a broken foot and it will cost him, and us, the entire season. Carlos averaged 14.8 points and 4.1 assists per game for EMU.

Eastern will attempt to get a medical hardship which would allow him to play next year as his senior season.

Ouch, this sucks...

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Late night open thread

Eastern didn't lose this week and they won't lose next week either. They're off for two weeks until they play at Temple November 22nd. EMU football withdrawls are hellish...

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Johnny's alright, if anybody cares

You remember John Candy driving his car into garbage cans in the movie Splash and getting out yelling "I'm alright....if anybody cares".

Well Johnny put the Empire State Building in his rearview mirror about 7:30 am (really, driving out on the 1&9 Pulaski Skyway you can watch it disappear but don't stare or nuthin, you'll wreck) and rolled into Ypsilanti around 5:15 pm. Just a note to you silly New Jersey State troopers trying to stop Johnny from getting away into Pennsylvania--THREE? You sent only THREE cars to stop him? It's take more than three New Jersey State troopers to lock him up, even if you did, no jail can hold him. It was hilarious to watch them have to stop right at the state line as Johnny's Vibe streaked across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, sssssssuckers.

Johnny actually did a little hand jive curse as he passed the Bellefonte exit, the way one gets to Penn State University in State College. Then, they lost to Iowa. That had to be the reason. Johnny PWNED the Nittany Lions.

So, what happened around here? The interns are gone and John the Revelator is drinking out of a paper bag so you all are gonna have to fill Johnny in...

Friday, November 7, 2008

Rock 'n' Roll Art

So ... thanks to Stella (see comments under the previous post,) we know that the answer to the trivia question buried in yesterday's post is: Dan Mulholland, local bon vivant, fashion plate and frontman extraordinaire for legendary Ann Arbor bands, including The Urbations, The Watusis, etc.

But here's something more. Dan's a really gifted collage artist and he currently has 20 or so of his pieces on display -- and for sale -- at the Ugly Mug coffee shop at the corner of Cross and Hamilton Streets.

Dan's work collides hot-rod culture, rock 'n' roll and Art Deco design into intriguing pieces that we think are pretty cool. Cool enough, anyways, that we have several hanging in our home.

Stop by and check it out and have a cup of the Ugly Mug's fine, roasted-on-site coffee.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Nathaniel Mayer, R.I.P.

Soul music in Michigan lost one of its pioneers this week, when Nathaniel Mayer died following a series of recent strokes. "Naydog" was 64 and just about the finest entertainer I’ve ever known.

Mayer was just a teenager in 1962, when he and his band, the Fabulous Twilights, hit the Top 40 with his timeless “Village Of Love,” a tune that still pops up on oldies radio, even if its singer and his importance on the Detroit soul-music landscape is lost on most of the squares who tune in.

He had a couple of regional hits with “Love and Affection (Not the House of Correction)” and “I Had a Dream,” but thanks to poor distribution, his national hits dried up after “Village of Love.”

But what a tune.

In recent years, Mayer had seen something of a rebirth. He hooked up with younger Detroit garage-soul aces The Shanks and even waxed a killer LP for Fat Possum Records. A second record, “Why Don’t You Give it To Me,” with Outrageous Cherry’s Matt Smith and other came out last year on Alive records.

All that ended with his death over the weekend. Gone is that killer smile, those twinkling, mischievous eyes and one of the greatest, raspiest, most-emotive voices in soul music. Another voice of Detroit’s cultural heritage has been silenced.

From a personal perspective, I can say that I was fortunate enough to know Naydog a little. He played a couple of absolutely killer shows at my record store some years back and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to knock back a couple of beers with someone I consider to be a true hero.

Here’s Nate performing “I Had a Dream” with the Shanks. (For all you trainspotters out there, extra points to the first who can name the Ann Arbor legend singing backup vocals and banging the tambourine.)



Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Ypsilanti After Dark

Here's Bruce Springsteen singing "Used Cars" last month during the Obama rally at EMU's Oestrike Stadium. Betcha The Boss was nursing a decent-sized tequila hangover this morning. Good for him.

'Nuff Said

Sorry ...

... for the blogging silence these past few days. Johnny's out of town and John the Revelator's done been under the weather with a bad case of the creeping crud. Least that's what the doctor said it was.

So you're sick for a couple of days and you reemerge to discover that everything's different. There's the promise of real, meaningful stem-cell research in your state, not to mention a new provision for medical marijuana. And there's this new thing sweeping the country called "Hope."

Dig it! Now, as our president elect reminded us, let's all do everything we can to make sure that there's more than just rhetoric to this historic moment.

No big surprises in the local races, as the city of Ypsilanti's and Ypsilanti Township's races were pretty much decided at at the primary level in August. Nonetheless, congratulations to Pete Murdock on his return to City Council to and to Charlie Pope, who has waited patiently to step up to the bench at 14B District Court.

(Likewise, a big thanks and fare-the-well to outgoing 14B District Judge John B. Collins -- a great man, who was a true friend and mentor to a certain young journalist getting his first taste of covering the courts back in the early 1990s. Thanks for everything, John. Here's to lots of great fishing in your retirement!)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Late night open thread

Well friends, Johnny's off to the New York City environs this week, and you're in most capable hands with John the Revelator. He'll take good care of you. If Mt. Ypsilanti erupts for the first time since 1708, he'll mention it. Johnny will be making the ten hour drive out early tomorrow morning so everyone have the courtesy to not be on US-23 around 7 am tomorrow morning heading down to catch the 80-90 in Maumee, Ohio. Johnny thanks you in advance.

You all have a good week, make sure you vote. We said we wouldn't endorse people here (John the Revelator is free to, he's a co-writer) as many are our neighbors and we try hard to play things up the middle for the most part but Johnny WILL go on record as supporting, and hoping you will too, proposals 1 & 2. Medical marijuana offers a great benefit to some, some of our less fortunate citizens who would find a great benefit from it. People who qualify for it really do need it. Walk a mile in their shoes before you vote no. Stem cell research to Johnny is a no brainer. It too offers help to those with definite needs. Hope, that's a very powerful word to a paralyzed person. It might not help them but it might help someone after them. Alzheimer's doesn't just affect Republicans of Democrats, it affects human beings. It wrecks families. There is no moral high ground in being against it, sorry, there's simply not. There is great benefit to humanity in seeking cures from something that was ready to be thrown out anyway. Michigan has some of the greatest scientific minds around, let's put them to work.

Good luck to all you local candidates. Pick up your signs when you're done and we thank you in advance.

See ya next weekend.

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

Eastern Michigan football GAMEDAY!!

Well the slip sliding down the standings EMU gridiron club travels down I-94 to Kalamazoo for a 2 pm kickoff with the Sissy Broncos of Western Michigan. Now, as grim as things look this season for Eastern, they have had success against Western and Central lately. In fact last year EMU clubbed Western 19-2 at Rynearson. That being said, Western is in the MAC West title race and are undefeated at home. One must also figure a revenge factor weighs on the Bronco's minds. The points per game vs points allowed per game are almost flip flopped between the teams with Western having the side of the ledger you'd WANT to have.

If EMU can keep this game close, and history says they can, the Broncos may just seize up and think back to last year and watch their MAC title hopes die inside the confines of Waldo Stadium.

Our call?

WMU Sissy Broncos 31
Eastern Michigan 20

Come on EMU, win your last three games and you can salvage something from this season. Over, did you say over??