Just before Cinco de Mayo I got a chance to see a trailer for the documentary talking about the Detroit Hip Hop scene.
This Cinco de Mayo King MI 4 was held at El Bosque on the Southwest side of Detroit. It was great seeing all the familiar faces. Everyone stay ready for this documentary coming out soon!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia7WpjjHiIA&feature=youtu.be
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Here we go!
Summer time is almost here, just finished up my finals, and wrapped up an interview with Patty from the NY Times. Can't wait to see her publish the work my sister did and the info she now has about the city of Detroit and our community, stay tuned and make sure you follow me on twitter @unscenedetroit
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Who can you thank??
The city's been full of news about senseless actions people do to one another. It seems as though no one wants to stop and think about how their affecting one another.
We're all human, we all have family, friends, and loved ones. People need to get back to being humans with emotions in our city if we ever want it to have a future.
The problem, and I feel it's very serious, is how we interact with each other. Small steps and changes will improve things for us all.
It seems no one remembers what good manners are anymore. I recently read another blog about the power of thank you. Coincidentally, I am working on some research that relates to the same topic this semester, and it all matches up to our findings pretty well.
During a typical business transaction people tend to lash out and complain to a clerk who is doing his or her job, they forget that the customer in front of them, or before them, is the one who can change whether a transaction will go smoothly (and fast) or rough (and slowly).
Point of the story, thank the people you interact with if they help you with something, you went into a store for a product or service that you apparently had to have, thank them for the time used and move on with your day. No need to take it out on the salesperson who only rings you up, he didn't set the prices, the market did.
Greet the greeter or any of the employees if they say "Hi" to you, (companies push, if not require employees to do that you know?), it would make everyone's lives easier when you try to engage with us in our places of business, plus it breaks the ice during a transaction and can help us improve your experience.
Thank you for taking your time out to read this
We're all human, we all have family, friends, and loved ones. People need to get back to being humans with emotions in our city if we ever want it to have a future.
The problem, and I feel it's very serious, is how we interact with each other. Small steps and changes will improve things for us all.
It seems no one remembers what good manners are anymore. I recently read another blog about the power of thank you. Coincidentally, I am working on some research that relates to the same topic this semester, and it all matches up to our findings pretty well.
During a typical business transaction people tend to lash out and complain to a clerk who is doing his or her job, they forget that the customer in front of them, or before them, is the one who can change whether a transaction will go smoothly (and fast) or rough (and slowly).
Point of the story, thank the people you interact with if they help you with something, you went into a store for a product or service that you apparently had to have, thank them for the time used and move on with your day. No need to take it out on the salesperson who only rings you up, he didn't set the prices, the market did.
Greet the greeter or any of the employees if they say "Hi" to you, (companies push, if not require employees to do that you know?), it would make everyone's lives easier when you try to engage with us in our places of business, plus it breaks the ice during a transaction and can help us improve your experience.
Thank you for taking your time out to read this
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Packard Plant is about to disappear
Wow, the owner is going to demolish this building! I wonder what he was offered to put in its place, I bet he was given an offer he can't refuse, possibly a shoppping complex? I'll get out and get some pics up soon!
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120302/BIZ/203020372
*UPDATE*
I just checked it out on Sunday March the 4th, they haven't blocked it off much but I'm not sure how long that will last
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120302/BIZ/203020372
*UPDATE*
I just checked it out on Sunday March the 4th, they haven't blocked it off much but I'm not sure how long that will last
Friday, December 23, 2011
Light it up!
Haven't had a chance to write an entry since I was busy with so many projects and schoolwork...and work 0_o
Long story short, I had the urge to go out and take pics with my friends...It was kinda cold out the other night but I still took some nice shots of the city all decked out in its holiday stuff, everything looked so nice...it's just missing people and a few businesses, I was imagining how nice it would have been if there were street vendors out there selling stuff and if some of these buildings were open for business instead of being just decked out in holiday stuff, but hey it still looked great
Long story short, I had the urge to go out and take pics with my friends...It was kinda cold out the other night but I still took some nice shots of the city all decked out in its holiday stuff, everything looked so nice...it's just missing people and a few businesses, I was imagining how nice it would have been if there were street vendors out there selling stuff and if some of these buildings were open for business instead of being just decked out in holiday stuff, but hey it still looked great
You can see the YMCA
Similar shot but I took this to show how empty the area was that night...
Good ol' Greek Town
Dun dun dunnnn
The effect from the night fog was amazing
What we need are more people in the city. We have the remnants of a major city, what we're missing are good people to fill the gaps and to help bring it back...any takers? I'd love to be a part of something that brings the city back.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Changes...
As a Detroiter I feel this song is the epitome of what we're going through in my city, it also has the solution that will help us all move forward.
The inspiration for this post came from a song called "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
"It's time for us as a people to start making changes
lets change the way we eat
lets change the way we live
and lets change the way we treat each other
you see the old way wasn't workin so its on us to do what we gotta do...to survive" --Tupac Shakur
Now look at it this way:
Let's change the way we eat...yes I read that article that named us the fattest city
Let's change the way we live...we have to step up and maintain our streets as much as we can
Let's change the way we treat each other...stop the violence, its not getting us ahead in any way
Lets change the way we treat each other because the old way wasn't working...We need a new approach to everything in this city, the way we've been doing things isn't getting us out of this hole we've fallen into.
I feel Tupac was my first "social problems" professor, (before I took the actual sociology class coincidentally...his song Changes was my inspiration for this post also).
I see the problems in my city firsthand, I go through it like everyone else and I know how close I've come with the negative side that exists around me and many of my friends, my inspiration to stand up for my city and fight within the city to change the problems we face today come from this song and from a lot of the hip hop music I listen to and my own experiences. (Please note that Lil Wayne is not a representation of hip hop, never was, never will be, nor are many of these other artists out there like waka flocka whatever, and gucci mane)
People aren't being realistic with themselves. The problem doesn't lie with the people just inside (and outside) of our city but the problems we as citizens are facing in our area every single day, things some of us can't see or notice. From the violence and crime, to the drugs and illiteracy.
We as citizens need to attack this all head on, but Where do we start?!
My suggestion is to first attack illiteracy and the rest will follow...
"According to estimates by The National Institute for Literacy, roughly 47 percent of adults in Detroit, Michigan -- 200,000 total -- are "functionally illiterate," meaning they have trouble with reading, speaking, writing and computational skills. "
Here's the link for more of the statistics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/07/detroit-illiteracy-nearly-half-education_n_858307.html
All of these major problems correlate. This city wasn't just brought down by one thing, but the culmination of a GROUP of things, illiteracy is one of them. The illiteracy leads children to grow up uneducated, or the adults to stay the same which in turn leads them either to drugs and crime because that is all that they are left with. The violence that ensues is just spilling over from the illiteracy and its effects over time.
Yes there are programs but these programs need more volunteers, those high school students and even graduates and college students, our adults and anyone else that can read and write needs to step up to the plate and share this knowledge.
Everyone spends their time with concerns on the superficial things in life. Let's spend an hour of that time giving back and imagine what we can do collectively.
"Too many young folk have addiction to superficial things and not enough conviction for substantial things like justice, truth, and love." - Dr. Cornell West
No you don't need to volunteer at a school and teach, it would be very helpful if you did (and easier for you to find the people who need help)
What you can do is...approach a friend or someone you know who has trouble reading and writing even and help them out when you can, this person can be your neighbor, or someone you see here and there and know well enough to offer help. Find a neutral and safe area to help them if you don't know them well enough, a local library or school if possible.
Imagine the affect you can have on a person's life who finally learned to read or write? Think about the doors you've opened up for them, maybe a better job? They can help their child with homework? Who knows!
A few weeks ago I bought this random kid pencils at CVS, he didn't have money for it and neither did his mom, it was a buck, I figured this little thing might have an impact on him one day (at least I hope it does), I told him to grow up and become a doctor (He said he wants to be a basketball player...I should have got his name for follow-up lol)
I hope I've opened some of your eyes and even changed some points of views.
The inspiration for this post came from a song called "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
"It's time for us as a people to start making changes
lets change the way we eat
lets change the way we live
and lets change the way we treat each other
you see the old way wasn't workin so its on us to do what we gotta do...to survive" --Tupac Shakur
Now look at it this way:
Let's change the way we eat...yes I read that article that named us the fattest city
Let's change the way we live...we have to step up and maintain our streets as much as we can
Let's change the way we treat each other...stop the violence, its not getting us ahead in any way
Lets change the way we treat each other because the old way wasn't working...We need a new approach to everything in this city, the way we've been doing things isn't getting us out of this hole we've fallen into.
I feel Tupac was my first "social problems" professor, (before I took the actual sociology class coincidentally...his song Changes was my inspiration for this post also).
I see the problems in my city firsthand, I go through it like everyone else and I know how close I've come with the negative side that exists around me and many of my friends, my inspiration to stand up for my city and fight within the city to change the problems we face today come from this song and from a lot of the hip hop music I listen to and my own experiences. (Please note that Lil Wayne is not a representation of hip hop, never was, never will be, nor are many of these other artists out there like waka flocka whatever, and gucci mane)
People aren't being realistic with themselves. The problem doesn't lie with the people just inside (and outside) of our city but the problems we as citizens are facing in our area every single day, things some of us can't see or notice. From the violence and crime, to the drugs and illiteracy.
We as citizens need to attack this all head on, but Where do we start?!
My suggestion is to first attack illiteracy and the rest will follow...
"According to estimates by The National Institute for Literacy, roughly 47 percent of adults in Detroit, Michigan -- 200,000 total -- are "functionally illiterate," meaning they have trouble with reading, speaking, writing and computational skills. "
Here's the link for more of the statistics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/07/detroit-illiteracy-nearly-half-education_n_858307.html
All of these major problems correlate. This city wasn't just brought down by one thing, but the culmination of a GROUP of things, illiteracy is one of them. The illiteracy leads children to grow up uneducated, or the adults to stay the same which in turn leads them either to drugs and crime because that is all that they are left with. The violence that ensues is just spilling over from the illiteracy and its effects over time.
Yes there are programs but these programs need more volunteers, those high school students and even graduates and college students, our adults and anyone else that can read and write needs to step up to the plate and share this knowledge.
Everyone spends their time with concerns on the superficial things in life. Let's spend an hour of that time giving back and imagine what we can do collectively.
"Too many young folk have addiction to superficial things and not enough conviction for substantial things like justice, truth, and love." - Dr. Cornell West
No you don't need to volunteer at a school and teach, it would be very helpful if you did (and easier for you to find the people who need help)
What you can do is...approach a friend or someone you know who has trouble reading and writing even and help them out when you can, this person can be your neighbor, or someone you see here and there and know well enough to offer help. Find a neutral and safe area to help them if you don't know them well enough, a local library or school if possible.
Imagine the affect you can have on a person's life who finally learned to read or write? Think about the doors you've opened up for them, maybe a better job? They can help their child with homework? Who knows!
A few weeks ago I bought this random kid pencils at CVS, he didn't have money for it and neither did his mom, it was a buck, I figured this little thing might have an impact on him one day (at least I hope it does), I told him to grow up and become a doctor (He said he wants to be a basketball player...I should have got his name for follow-up lol)
I hope I've opened some of your eyes and even changed some points of views.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
My random memories from this year...NOW IN COLOR! :D
Well here are some random shots that I found on one of my flash drives that I left in my coat pocket today (thank goodness I checked it before dropping it off for cleaning)
This room was really interesting, it was in the basement of a thrift store in Ann Arbor, the colors were really interesting and it stuck out to me because of how weird it was to see it right next door to all the clothes...It looks like it belongs in a scene from Napoleon Dynamite
The Renaissance Center, I grew up admiring this building as a kid, I still remember when I first saw it when my dad took me to his job, I even got to work here for 2 years so it was pretty cool, plus I was around all the car's and whatnot...great times
This was taken during the Red Bull: Art of Movement Competition...(fancy word for Parkour)
This was on my way to the Red Bull competition, the building's shape was really cool to me, also the coloring of the light at that time of day was wicked
This is from the Woodward Dream Cruise, I did some editing to the camera and did some on the spot editing for this selective coloring effect for one of my favorite cars which was also in my favorite color
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