Happy Halloween 2010

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween, from Me and "Li'l' French Toast Man". Don't devour all your goodies in a night, and be sure to check all of your kids candy when they get home

Halloween YouTube Friday: The Phantom of the Opera - Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman

In Honor of Halloween coming up, I blog about this video of the "Phantom of the Opera" theme. I found this video on xanastasia's YouTube Channel. I thought of this song as I was searching YouTube for a halloween themed video or song. I hope you all stay safe if you're taking kids trick-or-treating on Halloween, and stay in groups, too.

Election Blog

I was watching the news this evening, and saw a story about the website Publius, which was designed here in Michigan. It helps all Michigan voters find their polling place, as well as who and what to vote for come next Tuesday. It's a pretty informative site. If you live in Michigan, and haven't registered to vote, be sure to register at your local branch of the Secretary of State's office before the next election in your city or town. I think that all young people need to get out and vote, because you don't have a say if you don't vote. I've voted since I was 18. My Mom took me to the Secretary of State's office as soon as I turned 18. I don't know if we'll get the amount of people that we had a couple of years ago in the presidential election, but I think that young people could make a difference in the election. It doesn't matter if you vote Republican, Democratic, or as an independent, go out and vote on Election Day

Reading up on Gov. Mason

I read in both the Detroit Daily papers today about the Re-Interment of Governor Stevens T. Mason, who was the former Governor of Michigan (Here's the articles from the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press). He was exhumed during the summer while Capitol Park was undergoing some maintenance work, and was taken to a funeral home until work was completed. The National Guard was there to give him a military burial, and a blessing and graveside rites were given by a pastor of a local church. Also in attendance was a descendant of his that lives in the area. Reading about him, I found out he was only 24 when he was elected governor, which is interesting in itself.

Rainy, Windy days

Just wanted to mention the Wind and heavy rains that we got here in the Metro Detroit area today. I experienced the rain as I was leaving an orientation today. I had to put up my umbrella and hurry on my way to my car. Lots of people lost power and uprooted some trees, and also cancelled classes and evening activities here in the area. This same system cancelled flights at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. If you were caught in this rain/wind storm, I hope you are doing okay, and that everything is fine with your family and friends.

Save the Tigers

Help My Relatives!
Originally uploaded by femaletrumpet02

I saw this picture in my collection of the Tiger bank prominently stationed at Comerica Park. He's soliciting money for the Save the Tiger Fund (visit the website at savethetigerfund.org). Many people stop to donate to the cause. I've seen his legs get filled up pretty good during the season to help the cause. I think that it's important to save many of the animals in the wild. Here's the website for the Tiger's efforts on this: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/community/penniesforpaws_form.jsp

Halloween Entry 1 week early

Halloween is coming up sooner than you know (next Sunday!). I was looking around the internet, I saw this article in the Detroit Free Press about what to do if you get pranked for halloweeen by some kids that are meandering through the neighborhood looking for the goods (namely candy). There's even an article about what some cities are doing to prevent the ever present Teenager and their buddies from going trick-or-treating. I've seen many a Teenager show up to my door to get some candy. I remember telling my mom that a teenager (or two, or three...) showed up to the door a few years ago, and she asked me "How old did they look?" I told her between 14-17, she then queried me, "Did they have a kid with them?" (usually, the teenagers take neighborhood kids, nieces or nephews, godchildren, or other kids trick or treating to keep a watchful eye out for them). When I told her no, she said "Give them a peppermint and a talking to! They know they're too old to be trick-or-treating!" I gave them candy anyway :-P. I hope you all have an interesting Halloween coming up if you celebrate it.

YouTube Friday: Bullying 5-9: advice

This is a video I found on the ParentChannelTV YouTube Channel. It explains how you can help your child if they're being bullied at school, and the steps you can take to help them. Since bullying has been in the news recently for various recently (I even blogged about it in a past entry), I decided that this video would be relevant to what's going on

An Interesting Read

I found this article in USA Today pretty interesting. It's about the 20-year-old police chief in a town near Cuidad Juarez. She's studying Criminology in School, and has some interesting plans for her time in office. From what I read, there were other candidates that were older than this young lady is that turned the job down. This story reminds me of the teenager who was elected Mayor of a city a few years ago while still attending either High School or College at the time.

Cass Tech

I saw an article in today's online editon of the Detroit News that the former home of Cass Tech High School would be demolished at the beginning of next month. This building, along with Mackenzie and a few other schools will face the wrecking ball in the next few years. A lot of the buildings in the Detroit schools were built in the early part of the 20th Century or in the latter part of the 19th century. Many have since been been demolished. Many of my family members went to Cass back in the day, and many famous celebrities are alumni/alumnae here. If you went to Cass at one time or another, what are your memories?

Turkey Day on the mind

I was thinking of Thanksgiving just recently, and all the parades, football games and family gatherings that occur. One of the traditions in Detroit is the Annual Thanksgiving Parade, which is produced yearly by The Parade Company, who also produces the Back-to-School Parade and victory parades for Detroit Sports teams after winning a championship in their respective sports (the last one was for the Red Wings in 2008). There are always a number of special guests, floats, bands, mascots and more. This Caterpillar is one of the floats in the parade (this was taken during the Back-To-School Parade in Late August). I've been attending the Parade since I was a small kid, and they always get better every year.

Kids Beauty Pageants-What's your take?

When I was at the mall a couple of days ago, I ran across an ad for a beauty pageant for kids and teens, and that led me to thinking: Why do parents put young kids (sometimes under the age of 5 or 6) in pageants? I think that young kids shouldn't do pageants, because if a kid ends up losing a pageant (sometimes as close as first runner up), some kids might be really hurt by it. Some people say that the kids might learn self-esteem or motivation, or another life skill. Others say that the kids are too "Dolled up" with all the makeup, hair extensions, and other beauty enhancements. I'm reading a June 2000 article from the Harvard Gazette that has the pros and cons of parents putting their children in pageants. Sometimes, kids can be worn out from going to a pageant every other weekend, or getting their hair, nails and routines done constantly, while other kids get a big kick out of it. What do you think about it? I'd like to know your opinion

YouTube Friday: Best of Solid Gold: Season 3 - Vol.2 HQ

I ran across this video on YouTube from the page of YouTube user SolidGold1980. I thought about Solid Gold recently, and was surprised to find so many videos out there dedicated to the show. I was young when the show aired the first time, and really don't remember it, but I like seeing the Show air on YouTube Reruns. I know that many of you out there in the Blogosphere remember the show as young kids or teenagers. I see that in many of the comments of these videos, people said that they wanted to be a Solid Gold Dancer at one time as a kid.

Concussions, is there help for it?

I've heard a lot recently about some athletes and many other folks getting Concussions. For those who don't know, Concussions are a traumatic head and brain injury. I think that the Professional sports leagues can educate players and other staff on the signs of a concussion, and what to do if you think you have one. I've seen a lot of people in many of the US Sports leagues (Baseball, football, Hockey, mainly) be pulled out of games because of Concussions, and get extensive treatment for them. I just hope someone can find out how people can prevent them in time so that athletes and others can avoid them.

the iPad at Wal-Mart

Welp, it looks like Wal-Mart is going to sell the iPad, so says USA Today. They aren't going to be on discount, but they'll be there by the holidays. If you have an iPad, how is it working out for you? Is it living up to expectations? I saw one of the iPads at Best Buy this summer, and it was an interesting gadget, but one look at the price made me think "PHEW! That's expensive!" . I can see it used in an academic setting, especially in High Schools and Colleges around the country.

Watching kids on Social Media

I'm reading an article on USA Today about parents watching over their kids when they are using Social Media websites such as Facebook or MySpace. I think that it's important for parents to know what their kid is up to online without being too overbearing or too harsh on them. I know when I was young, my parents wanted to know what websites I visited and I even shared an e-mail address with my Dad at one time before I got my own. There are some websites out there, such as WiredSafety, and various other sites, that will help you to become more tech savvy so that you can help you keep your eyes out on your kids while online. Some parents even go so far as to "Friend" their kids on Facebook and "Following" them on Twitter. This also reminds me of the so-called "Helicopter" parents, who want to follow their kids once they leave the nest for college or for a life on their own, and get into their child's life once they're no longer under their roof. I think that people should educate themselves, and most importantly, know about your kids habits and who they hang around with at school and around town.

Standing Together

Here is an interesting work of art located on Washington Boulevard in Downtown Detroit. It's called "Standing Together" by artist Marcia Wood. The plaque on the statue is dated 1980, and it still looks as good 30 years later as it did the day it was placed here. The landscapes may have changed, but this statue is pretty good. I think that standing together, for me, means that everyone should work together toward a common goal without ceasing, whether it be a cure for a disease (Cancer, Diabetes, etc) or towards a more peaceful society. Also, we can stand together as a group, a society, or a community to combat the ills of society to have a safer place for everyone to live.

YouTube Friday: Michigan State-Michigan Preview

In Honor of the "Big Game" between Michigan and Michigan State tomorrow afternoon, I decided to put a video up for it. This video is from ESPN's YouTube channel. It's a short preview of what to expect tomorrow as these teams play in Ann Arbor. The Michigan-MSU rivalry divides the whole state in some way or another. I'm in the middle, because I have family and friends who graduated from both Michigan and Michigan State, so I'll just listen intently tomorrow. :-P

Our Lady of the Rosary

Today, October 7, is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. According to American Catholic's Saint of the Day, this title for the Blessed Mother was given by Pope Pius V in the 1500s after the Christians defeated the Turks in a battle. I like to say my rosary, and I need to get back to saying it on a daily or weekly basis. Many people say the daily Mysteries of the Rosary, Glorious, Sorrowful, Luminous and Joyful. All the mysteries detail some part of Christ's life, from his birth in a stable, to his death on the Cross, to his mother's coronation in Heaven. Today, the Luminous mysteries of the rosary are recited. The Luminous Mysteries are relatively new, introduced eight years ago by the late Pope John Paul II. Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us

Year of the Pitcher '10

I just watched the Phillies-Reds game on TV, and I just wanted to congratulate Roy Halladay on his no-Hitter this evening. This year has truly been the "Year of the Pitcher", with Perfect games, an almost Perfect-Game (or as us Detroit Tiger fans like to call it, the "28-out Perfect Game"), No-Hitters, and some spectacular pitching performances from Rookies and Veterans alike. It seems like every time you turned your head this summer, someone had thrown a no-hitter or Perfect Game, or in many cases, came awfully close to the feat. The 2010 Season has been a season of many accomplishments on the baseball diamond. There have been references to a "Year of the Pitcher" in the late 1960s, as well, and brings to mind the 1968 World Series between the Cardinals and the Tigers. Bob Gibson pitched for the Cardinals (My Mom said that was the only time she cheered against the Tigers, because it was pretty rare back then to see a Black Pitcher), and Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain pitched well for the Tigers in the World Series.

Pochelon Building

Here is the Pochelon Building on Farmer street in Downtown Detroit. Not much can be found online for this building, but from what I've read, this building is named for Albert Pochelon, who was a florist who came to Detroit in the Late 1800s from Germany, and was the secretary for FTD Florists for a bit (info on Albert Pochelon via Google Books). As of now, the building is up for sale. This building is right across Farmer from the Water Board Building downtown. Does anyone else know of any other uses for this buildings?

Tiger Year in Review 2010

Welp, the Tigers ended their season yesterday (those who know me know that I'm nuts about the Tigers) . The team ended their season with a .500 record (81-81). The team did well in the first half of the season, but slid a bit in the 2nd half of the season to fall to the final record. Two events hallmarked the season. The first was the passing of former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who has a statue at Comerica Park. He passed in May of this year from bile duct cancer, and was mourned by all in Metro Detroit. His casket laid at Comerica Park while thousands of fans and dignitaries paid their respects. I made sure to pay my respects, as well. The Second event of the season that stood out for me was the Armando Galarraga near-perfect game back in June. I remember everyone yelping about it. I'm glad that Armando Galarraga and the umpire forgave each other, although at the time, many found it hard to forgive the ump. I forgave the ump right away, since I know that everyone makes mistakes, and that nobody's perfect. These are just a couple of my standout moments of the 2010 season in Tiger baseball, and I hope that 2011 will bring more spectacular moments.

Hotel Eddystone

Here's a picture of the former Hotel Eddystone on Sproat street downtown, near the Masonic Temple. It's one of just a few hotels in the Cass Corridor area of Detroit. According to Detroit 1701, This building was owned by Lew Tuller, namesake of the former Tuller Hotel, at one time. It was built in the mid 1920s by Louis Kamper, and was abandoned sometime in the '70s or '80s. I remember a sign facing Woodward Avenue saying that the building was going to be remodeled as lofts or luxury condos, but nothing has been done yet. I wonder if the building will be torn down or fixed up, but from the looks of the windows here, it might be torn down, but I'm not sure.

YouTube Friday: Notice Me - Alexa Ray Joel

Today's YouTube Friday segment is from AlexaRayJoel's official YouTube channel. This song is called "Notice Me". I heard this song on the radio recently, and thought it had an interesting beat to it. If the name sounds familiar, you're right. Alexa Ray is Billy Joel's Daughter. She's following in her Father's footsteps as she makes her foray into the music business. She's a pretty good singer. I hope to hear more from her in the future.