Things that I like / don't like

Like: Mass Transit

Lately there has been lots of talk about using stimulus funds to build regional high speed rail networks. Thank goodness...after visiting Germany last year, I'm a believer.

Don't like: Dress codes/Long lines at bars/Suited doormen

Alright seriously...this is Lansing, and in Lansing there just isn't any need for this...ANY of this. I don't mean that as a knock on Lansing, I just mean that I kinda like Lansing's unpretentious character. Besides, cool bars are cool and trendy not because they have a dress code, long lines, or suited doormen, but because they attract people who are cool...If your bar isn't attracting the clientèle you're aiming for, then do something different, like charging a bigger cover, or playing better music, or having a better atmosphere.

Like: Free online newspaper content

The Associated Press wants a piece of Google's (and Yahoo's) ad revenue from its content - the AP doesn't like news aggregators to score advertising revenue off the free content it gleans from the web. So that's cool, I understand...just don't start charging consumers for the content and taking away the "freeness" of it, and I (and everyone else) will be happy. If Google and Yahoo wants to sells their ads, then let them pay the royalties, and keep it free for the consumer.

Don't like: Voicemail

See my post here.

Like: Turntables (analog/vinyl)

Real DJ's learned on turntables...with vinyl records. Techno was invented in Detroit, and those guys spin on vinyl. Nothing looks cooler than a set of tec 12's and a dude (or girl) jockeying about, throwing 12" vinyl around. And the sound is incredible.

Don't like: Turntables (digital/cd)

Real DJ's learned on turntables...with vinyl records. They may not use them anymore, but at least they can. I met a guy last summer who was apparently a local club DJ in Detroit. Jake and I had turntables set up, and we offered him a spin...except he didn't know how...since he had learned using digital decks, he couldn't figure out how the whole vinyl thing worked...

Like: Linux

The nerd's operating system. I haven't reached nerd status (as far as computers go), but I'm trying. Linux is free, there are a ton of different versions, and it does most anything that Windows does. Also, it's open source, so everyone in the world has the opportunity to make it better.

Don't like: Windows

Expensive, unreliable, resource hog. And it's made by Microsoft. Need I say more?

Like: Cloud computing/remote storage

Accessible from anywhere. Cheap. Reliable. If your hard drive crashes, it really doesn't matter.

Don't like: Local storage

Unless your machine is networked, the data is only accessible from your desktop - which means you've got to lug your machine around. If your hard drive crashes or your gear is stolen, then your stuff is gone.

March/April Photography

Some photos I've taken in the past few weeks:

One of the first signs of a thawing winter - early March is the time for making maple syrup

Michigan's Capitol in the evening

A brief renewal for Detroit: The 2009 Final Four

Packard's famous doorway - so much so that someone bought it on eBay as a collector's item

An endless, empty factory. Highland Park's Packard plant seems to go on forever

The ultimate sign of summer to come: America's Pastime

Today's catchy stuff from the web

Masters in social networking

Urban scavenging

GM, consumer sentiment, and the effect of bankruptcy

Monetize social media

Virtual currency

Online spying

Conficker protection

Urban Prairie Exploration

So the other day I drove down to Royal Oak for my monthly "Jake-time". Jake and I were roommates back in '99-'00, when we were both first-time seniors at MSU (I made it through school with two senior years, Jake three). Jake and I have a ton of common interests and projects, and even though our minds work in entirely different ways, we always make a point to get together and hang out at least once a month. This trip was supposed to be about getting out in Hamtramck to hear some techno at a sorta underground coffeehouse/bar called Trowbridge House of Coffee, or THC. A group of twenty-something techno fans have put themselves together as producers, and the outfit is called Proper Modulation. A little bit pretentious, but otherwise, good stuff.

So after our techno night, we decided to cruise around Detroit the next day, and test out my new camera. We started downtown on the riverfront near the Renaissance Center - not too interesting. We then headed over to Corktown to check out Tiger Stadium - or at least what's left of it. On the way over, we stopped at Michigan Central Station and as we stood there gawking at the once-magnificent building, Jake said something about how the Detroit scene reminds him of a post-apocalyptic world. We eventually made our way up Trumbull to the New Center and east towards GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly. It was in this area of the city that I was truly amazed. Witnessing first-hand the emptiness of enormous warehouses and decaying manufacturing facilities, coupled with the edgy graffiti art and urban sculture was enough to make my weekend trip worthwhile.