Marvelous Mondays: 5 Reasons Why I Liked 'Detropia'

Recently a film came out called 'Detropia.'  Its a documentary set in Detroit that documents the struggles the city is facing and follows a few of its citizens around while outlining the efforts being made.

Notably, this film was released earlier this year in many worldwide locations... but not Detroit. I remember hearing that the film had screened for a group of Detroit leaders who did not like the way the city was portrayed.

As with anything that has some controversy behind it, me being human, I was curious to know what the fuss was about. One thing is certain, the striking image of two people in gas masks in front of a crumbling home makes me think this film is only going to show the bad parts of the city and call it Detroit. I have a phobia of gas masks which is probably appropriate for another post, but I get angry when the image makes me think I have to wear one to live in Detroit.

The film was different than what I expected. Here are 5 reasons why I liked it:

1). The film showed all parts of the city
Yes, the film did indeed show a lot of abandoned buildings. Its a film about Detroit, I think its in the contract film crews have with the city: 'In order to film within the city limits you must film 1 abandoned building for every 2 minutes of film.'

BUT, the film also showed a few parts that are doing well. And while the entire film is very gritty and sad, I think it accurately portrays Detroit. Detroit is a bit gritty and sad. And to show anything else wouldn't be entirely truthful. There are an awful lot of rah-rah cheerleaders (myself included sometimes) that will gladly skate over some of the grosser parts of the city. While I've flipped and flopped on this issue, I think its far more important that the problems are front and center than swept under the rug.

2). The film was larger than Detroit
I remember reading this defense from the filmmakers upon hearing the screening reviews. I think I agree with them that the focus is not just Detroit. It harkens to something I've been saying all along: Detroit's problems are America's problems. For whatever reasons all the major problems we as a nation face are collected in Detroit. And for whatever reasons the nation has chosen to largely ignore Detroit.

BUT, if we manage to think about these problems Detroit faces and find solutions, even the smallest baby steps of solutions, than we can certainly solve these problems in other places. Detroit has been described as a clean slate and a place to experiment. I think its important that this experimentation shouldn't just be through art, but through social issues that have plagued our country for decades.

3). The film was a bit ahead of the game
The film was filmed in 2010. This caused one major portion of their film to now be inaccurate, which I at first was angry about, but then realized how great that fact is. In just 2 years, a major program has changed into something far more positive for the city. I can't recall anything that has happened in Detroit in such a short period of time that is good for the city.

At any rate, I remember a quote from one of the people featured in the movie about the gap between the rich and the poor, something that hadn't hit the spotlight in 2010 from things like Governor Romney's 47%. The man being interviewed spoke of how we can't keep pushing the upper and lower classes apart. If we rip apart the middle class there is no buffer. And when there is no buffer you are left with revolution. Startling stuff to think about.

4). The film hit familiar spots, but focused on the people
I think another caveat in filming in Detroit is that your film must contain at least some reference to the 1967 riot. This film actually had footage. Of course the Michigan Central Station was featured in the film and several abandoned plants.

But what I felt the film did a great job of was using people to paint the context of these places. It wasn't just about the riots, but how the riots caused such a great change in the city. It isn't just about giant abandoned buildings, its about the people who used to work in those.

I had the opportunity to chat with a 67-year old man who had grown up in Detroit. He was terrified to be in Detroit helping with the marathon this weekend. I often forget the experiences that people have that shape their lives. His experiences have stuck with him for so long that he was constantly looking over his shoulder in a place that I have never seen anything suspicious. Ever.

Detroit, like any city, is a living, breathing place, and as these historical events happened, people's lives changed.

5). The film focused on the resiliency of the people
This was where I thought the film excelled. The film followed a few people around the city and heard their stories. One was a union leader, one was a nightclub owner, one was a blogger, and others filled in the gaps to make the city breathe.

I think with a place like Detroit it is very easy to find people down in the dumps, people with nothing good to say. I think it'd also be quite easy to find people who would have everything good to say about the city, glazing over the problems in education, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, corruption, and the countless other problems that are a part of the reality in Detroit.

But, this film did something I haven't seen from other pieces about Detroit. It managed to find people who were frank about the situation, but still optimistic about the future. I didn't sense anger about what has happened, just observations of how it happened. And in the end, everyone had a very positive outlook of what was ahead. Well, maybe positive is too strong. I should say that these people had a very realistic ideal of what happens next. Things turn around, like they always do, and things change like they always do. And these people living in Detroit will do the best they can until then.


Leaving the film, everyone was quite somber. The music and the scenes shown were cold and gritty, and it shed some light on the major problems that we as a nation will be facing. It didn't show all the pretty new things happening in the city and the pretty new buildings being redone. But, it did show the true story. From all angles. And most of all, it showed that the people here are not done fighting, even if the rest of the country (and state of Michigan) is.

Thoughtful Thursdays: Detroit, All or Nothing?

I've written before about living in Detroit and the toll that it can take on ones psyche. But, lately I've noticed a different aspect to living in Detroit. It is a concept of all or nothing and it has been quite damaging to attempted recovery.

A documentary is out there called 'Detropia.' I haven't seen it because it only screened one night here in Detroit and I wasn't able to get there. From what I gather, the makers of the film were hesitant to show the film in Detroit because it doesn't portray the city in quite a fair light. Or, to put it more bluntly, the cheerleaders of the city were concerned that the film displayed Detroit in a negative context when good things are happening.

I'm torn on this issue. I certainly work hard to defend the city from ignorant people who spout off all the bad things happening here without ever setting foot east of Ann Arbor. Just two weekends ago at Wheatland a woman started to tell me all about how Detroit has nothing left and after I informed her of some good things I realized that it was a losing argument and walked away.

The culmination of all this led me to realize that Detroit faces, and quite possibly the country at large faces, a real problem in terms of all or nothing. In the case of the woman at Wheatland, it was that Detroit lost such a huge swath of population and infrastructure was destroyed that it was time to raze the city to the ground. My perspective is, of course, all the great things happening here, but admittedly, I am not working with the problems directly to know the severe magnitude of said problems.

What I see happening is a call on one side to give up, bulldoze the city and start over, and on the other side, an incessant cheering, rah-rah, feel-good story of how Detroit has turned the corner. I think its safe to say that neither of these visions are accurate.

Enter my evening activity last night. I went down to the Detroit Works Project home base in Eastern Market to attend a meeting regarding transit in Detroit. The meeting was an excellent meeting to attend.

For some context, the Detroit Works Project started back in September 2010. I remember thinking how remarkable it was that Detroit was actually organizing people to start thinking about how to shape the city, and that Detroit was working to have community involvement.

What I didn't realize (didn't pay attention to?) was that the initial phases of the Detroit Works Project were a real mess. Lending an ear to citizens is always a bit of scary thing as you never know what you might get. And in a place like Detroit where the problems are plenty, its a good bet that if citizens have a sounding board, you're going to hear some pretty passionate people.

And the hardest part of the project was that it was meant to lay out a long-term plan for how to start moving Detroit in the right direction. However, people were not thrilled about planning for the what the city looks like 20 years from now, when at the moment the need for streetlights, quality police and fire protection, and a knowledge that city services were going to be provided was a little bit higher priority.

The city decided to split the project into a short-term planning and long-term planning project. And the long-term project was turned over to a design center based at the University of Detroit- Mercy. These were the leaders that we heard from last night. And boy did they have some interesting things to say.

Through all the studies and plans that are on the website, solutions have started to arise. And it must be pointed out that this plan is not exactly a roadmap. It really isn't a land-use plan or any kind of step-by-step guide for what the city should do. As much as I think that's what we as people generally want, we all know that changing things takes time.

But the greatest piece that I pulled from last night happens to coincide with the notion of all versus nothing that was already brewing in my mind. The lead presenter, Dan Pitera, spoke about how one of his observations in this project is that all too often we are looking for a monolithic solution. What do we do with vacant land? Make urban farms of course! How can we attract jobs? By changing to a new economy of course! How can we improve transportation? By adding light rail of course!

The trouble with that approach is that a monolithic solution rarely works for a large city. What was suggested, and what the Detroit Works Project is presenting, is a multi-faceted approach to improving the city, and a recognition that some parts of the city will require different things than other parts.

I really do think this kind of thinking is essential. It isn't just about attracting new tech jobs to the city, its about attracting manufacturing, educational, health related jobs, and other areas we are already strong in to support the city. Its not just about utilizing vacant land, its about studying what the neighborhoods already look like, where strong points are, and designing our neighborhoods to best meet the needs of its citizens.

Movement is happening. It will be a decades long approach to making it work, but it was really the first meeting like this I've ever attended where people weren't pointing fingers and placing blame and making circular arguments about tiny details in the larger scheme. The meeting encouraged people to share concerns and thoughts, but it was very much a conversation, and not a firestorm.

And one final point, the presenter addressed the population issue first and foremost. Its true Detroit has lost a large chunk of people in a relatively short period of time. But to say that the square mileage of the city has anything to do with how it functions is erroneous. Cities cited were: Atlanta (133 square miles; pop: 420,003), Denver (153 square miles; pop: 600,158) and Portland, OR (133 square miles; pop:583,776). Nobody would say that any of these cities are too big to function and if any of these cities jumped to 1 million people, they wouldn't know what to do with them all. Suddenly Detroit (139 square miles; pop: 713,777) doesn't look quite so bad, does it?

Fat Tuesdays: Black Bean Burgers

I know this is a day late. So what.

On Sunday I made up this tasty treat that I've been eating all week. The recipe is for Black Bean Burgers and comes from allrecipes.com.

I found this a while ago and really enjoyed the recipe. Especially for a single guy, I can make 4 burgers which last for 4 meals! And it only takes one can of black beans which you can usually get for a dollar or less at the grocery store. Basically, its an inexpensive meal that lasts and can be made any way you like.

A few notes on the online recipe:
- Draining the beans is a great idea. I didn't used to do that and had very sloppy burgers. I recommend following instructions on draining and rinsing.
- I do not have a food processor. Therefore I cut the onions and green peppers into small chunks. The bigger the chunk, the more you'll have chunky burgers. Personally, I think the color of green and onion (I use red onions) makes your burger look quite delectable. I mean, we are working with mashed up beans here.
- The bread crumbs are essential. I used to try and get away without, but the burgers end up very sticky and hardly hold together. Then I tried crumbling slices of bread with similar results. True bread crumbs work amazingly well to hold together the patty.
- You can add any spices or vegetables you want to the burger. Try different things. However, make sure you use something or your black beans are going to be... beans. But, even a small amount of something flavorful gives the burgers all the kick you need.
- Finally, cheese does not melt well on the burgers and it isn't as easy to see when they are done. You may want to let the cheese melt in the pan before sticking it on top and I would suggest letting the outside of the burger turn golden before saying the burger is done. The good news is you can't undercook the burger, but the crispier it is, the better it tastes, at least in my opinion.

So voila! Black bean burgers made from just one can of black beans! Tasty and satisfying. Enjoy!

Marvelous Mondays: 5 Reasons to Say Yes

For the past seven years, my good friend Mike has wanted me to come with him to the Wheatland Music Festival. For seven years I've made up excuses for why I can't go or flat out said no to the offer. I've resisted for so long because I was a bit nervous of what I would find there. Mike is a bit of hippie (that's an understatement) and the music offering is mainly folk and bluegrass.

You're likely to find lots of peace-loving, tie-dye wearing, dreadlock sporting people and plenty of interesting smells ranging from human odor to illegal substances wafting through the trees. I learned what a dulcimer was, that there is a technique to playing the spoons, and that there are more than one kind of banjo and mandolin.

It was this combination of very foreign things that always made me a bit apprehensive. Like high school all over again, I wondered, would I fit in? Would people like me? Could I be enough of a tree-hugger? Could I make it without a shower?

So, when Mike asked me again this year if I'd like to go to Wheatland I initially did my hemming and hawing about whether I could make it and finally decided that I had nothing to lose. It turns out that I had a fantastic time (though I am exhausted) and I learned a lot about why it is always a good thing to say yes. The following are 5 reasons you should always say 'yes' when the opportunity is presented.

1. Saying Yes Can Really Shake Up Your Routine-
I live a pretty boring life right now. I wake up at my scheduled alarm, make breakfast and drink coffee. I usually watch a show from the previous night or do a crossword, jump in the shower, dress, and drive into work. If I time it right I can hit all the green lights. I'm kind of like Harold Crick, minus the counting of the tooth brushing.

So, when I packed my car with a sleeping bag, camping clothes, and non-perishable food items, I realized my weekend was going to be a bit different than the usual routine. I drove on roads that I hadn't been on, I drove in traffic patterns I was unfamiliar with, and I arrived at a place I'd never been before. I saw people I'd never seen before, wearing things I'd never seen before, talking about things I'd never heard of before, and thinking of things in ways I've never thought of before. I've never camped as close to another collection of people as I did this weekend. I literally told our neighbors the time when they were asking people inside their own tent.

But, despite the strange sights and nights that lasted until well after 3 AM, despite an irregular eating schedule and irregular diet, and despite the fact that I didn't know how to contribute to many conversations, I managed to have an awesome time. In fact, I learned a lot about myself and about communities of people. And it certainly shook up my very regular routine.

2. Saying Yes Can Really Broaden Your Horizons-
This festival is very bluegrass and folk oriented. Sure there's a bit of country or country rock or blues and many bands that didn't really have a genre, but almost every band had a harmonica and many had a tall string bass. Banjos and mandolins were everywhere and it was impossible not to go anywhere without hearing a tune being picked.

This music is relatively foreign to me, probably because it isn't on many radio stations and not exactly popular in Detroit, at least to my knowledge. Plus, I always associate folk music with country bumpkins and I think there tends to be a desire not to be seen as such. Its as if the music of the hills makes you a bit backwards or something. And while I learned I am very much accustomed to city living, I can certainly appreciate the music and the talent I saw on stage. My favorite bands were Hoots and Hellmouth and De Temps Antan, though all groups were incredibly talented.

But my horizons were not broadened just in music genres. Between the music, dancing, conversations, and people in general, this festival was certainly good for realizing that there are other types of people out there in the world and that in the grand scheme of things, we're all just looking for a good time.

3. Saying Yes Can Help You Dance-
A festival like this would not be complete without a little bit of square dancing, line dancing, and contra dancing, and you bet your patootie that I danced in them all. But, it certainly took some prodding, and I must say I'm a little ashamed of that.

I like to think that I will try anything. I like to think that I'll agree to do anything and be a go-getter. Yet, somehow, when the time comes to take action, I struggle a bit. And generally this struggle manifests itself through the fear of doing something that I don't know how to do. I become petrified that I'll be wrong, look like a fool, or both. The fear is crippling and it keeps me from enjoying new things. This is a big theme I plan on exploring in the coming weeks.

At any rate, during the first song, I sulked around the edges of the dance hall pretending to enjoy myself. In reality, I really wanted to participate, but that fear of not being good enough crept in. So, I instead continued to pretend that I was enjoying myself or waiting for a friend to come or some other excuse for not getting out on the floor. As the second song got underway, Mike pulled me out on the floor, pointed at a lonely girl and said, 'go dance with her, she's good.' I approached and said that I need an experienced dancer and wondered if she'd like to dance. She happily accepted and away we went.

 I haven't had so much fun in a long time. I learned about the different calls and moves and moved to the beat. I found out that while I was far from perfect, I do have some rhythm and I certainly have fun. And having fun is what dancing is all about.

If I had sat sulking in the corner, I would probably regret that I didn't participate. Instead, I have a great memory and wonder if there are places I could keep dancing. Currently, my only place to cut a rug is weddings. I'm hoping I can find another outlet. Square dance halls best be looking out.

4. Saying Yes Can Help You Find Happy People-
Wheatland was full of happy people. Some of these people achieved these results through excessive use of alcohol or other 'things,' but the majority were simply there for a good time. And what could be better than camping in the woods and listening to music? Seriously. That is not a rhetorical question.

Not only did I need to say 'yes' to come to Wheatland, but saying 'yes' to things such as square dancing, moshing at a concert, and jumping into some jam sessions led to an realization that everyone was there for a good time and people in general are pretty receptive to other people. In a world that can be so dominated by pessimistic things, these types of environments help to keep it in perspective.

Oh yeah, I sang bass in some jam circles, played drums (I don't play those) and took the lead on Gin and Juice, in which I was accompanied by a mandolin, guitar, string bass, harmonica, and violin. And except for Mike every one of those musicians was at least 50 years old.

Snoop Dogg. At a folk festival. Thank you Phish.

5. Saying Yes Can Restore Your Faith in Others
I had my faith shaken a bit in people recently. Besides the conventions and election crap, I also felt very let down by others after a disappointing weekend. I'm generally a pretty flexibly person, but I was stretched to the limit over Labor Day.

To make a long story short, I had planned my Labor Day weekend around a few major events and nothing else. I cleared my schedule to entertain friends and I was hoping for a good time. I spent the days before cleaning and prepping and in general putting all other plans on hold for these couple days.

When the weekend ended, I missed all the things I had planned for except the Tigers game and hardly visited with friends. After prepping for the weekend and staying in for most of the time, I was incredibly disappointed that I wasted so much time doing absolutely nothing. And one of my friends left for California quickly thereafter. It was a mixture of selfish pity and a deep rooted desire to enjoy time with my friends that drove me to such great heights of disappointment.

Wheatland allowed me to see that there are all kinds of people out there waiting to meet you. One thing about hippies is that there is usually very little emotion or thoughts that are hidden. At least in my experience, hippies are very free people who do what they love and nothing else. If they have something to say, they say it. Its an admirable lifestyle in a sense. That is, until you see their feet.

My point is that I had a great time mingling and talking with people whom I'd never met. No one asked what I did with my life and I never asked anyone else. Mostly it was about enjoying the music and loving the weather. Sometimes it was about sharing the beer or some hot dogs. Occasionally it was about sharing a dance. But, it was always about enjoying life and enjoying each other.

How could you ever say no to that?

Fat Tuesday: Creme Brulee and Refrigerated Eggs

Let me lay it on you plainly. I have not felt like cooking lately. There are no gastronomic creations brewing in my brain and I have little motivation to go the grocery store. Sunday I literally had a green pepper and some peanut butter and that was about it. 

So, I don't have an amazing recipe to share today, but what I do have is a delectable treat that I had recently on a delectable night. 

I've been venturing downtown on nights I've been bored with the intent of finding some good photographs when there aren't many people around. However, I've been both pleasantly surprised and mildly irritated to visit downtown and see it teeming with people. Including a Thursday night a few weeks ago when I strolled past the fountain at Campus Martius because of the abnormally large crowd gathered there. 

And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a band in the band shell, and cafe seating next to the fountain! I abandoned my pursuit of photos and opted for a glass of wine and dessert seen here:

Nope, those swirls of syrup are not painted on the plate. 

I'll be honest, I don't know much about creme brulee. I think it has a weird texture and an odd combination of sweetness and pastiness. Nevertheless, the after picture looks something like this:

Except it was creme brulee and not chocolate cake. 

It was tasty and I enjoyed it, along with the music bouncing off the downtown buildings. 

Are you ready for a great segue? So, creme brulee has a few ingredients, one of which is eggs. Which reminds me of a conversation I had this weekend where the question came up, why do we refrigerate eggs? 

(See great segue!) The question arose as I was listening to my friend share tales of her stint while WWOOFing. While staying at the farm, she noticed that the farmer did not refrigerate eggs. While at the time I forgot, I later remembered my sister sharing that in Europe eggs are purchased off the shelf, not the refrigerated section. 

While no consensus was reached, it was decided that Google would need to be consulted later. (Side note, Google is not a strange word in spellcheck.) During my trip to the grocery store (remember I only had a green pepper and peanut butter) I remembered this question as I pulled eggs out of the refrigerator, only to notice that the package says to keep eggs chilled at 40 degrees or cooler. 

How can it be that a farmer in Georgia can keep eggs out for weeks, but we consumers need to keep our eggs chilled? Well, I spent some time trying to find an answer to this question and didn't find anything really concrete. Most of these sources are not exactly what I would call reliable, but I think it gets the gist. 

Apparently, eggs produced on massive farms are more highly susceptible to disease, such as salmonella, which I read is found in hen poop. Because of this, farmers are required to wash their eggs (and because we don't really like hen poop). 

While washing gets all that nasty hen poop off the egg, it apparently also takes off the natural protective coating that protects the egg from other diseases. Since that protective coating is no longer there, we now have to keep the eggs cool, lest disease gets in. 

Therefore, in countries where eggs are not required to be washed, eggs can stay out longer without refrigeration, but we are led to believe that they are more susceptible to hen poop. In other words, if you know where your eggs are coming from (i.e. small farms like the one in Georgia or the Alps of Switzerland) then you are less likely to see disease and able to get away without washing or refrigerating eggs. 

Naturally, after this breakthrough, I found the Egg Safety Center's website (Egg Safety Center!!!) to help clear up some loose ends.