Ford Arts, Beats & Eats: September 3-6, 2010: This year’s Arts, Beats & Eats festival has moved from Pontiac to the heart of Royal Oak.  ABE will include more then 200 performers on 10 stages, a Kids Zone, lots of food and a juried art show.

Some of the musical acts this year will include:

• Macy Gray (R&B)
• Clint Black (country)
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd (blues/rock)
• Detroit’s own La Chispa & Company (flamenco)
• Tumbao Bravo (Latin music)
• Zap Toro featuring Sean Blackman (world music)

No need to worry about parking, as there will be several parking structures and lots offering shuttle service to and from the festival.  For more information on parking, admission fees and a schedule of events, visit: http://www.artsbeatseats.com.

Detroit International Jazz Festival September 3-6, 2010: If jazz is your thing, you will not want to miss one of the world’s premiere jazz festivals this weekend.  The festival takes place in downtown Detroit and stretches from Campus Martius to Hart Plaza.

There will be 5 stages featuring 100 acts. Some of this years acts include:

• Tower of Power
• Mambo Legends Orchestra
• Branford Marsalis

This is an excellent way to experience some of the most talented jazz artists of our time at no charge. That’s right: the festival is free!

For a full line-up of events, visit: http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/index.html.

Hamtramck Labor Day Festival September 4-6, 2010: Do you like pierogis? Check out the pierogi eating contest this weekend at the Labor Day Festival in Hamtramck.  This year’s festival will feature live music, a carnival midway, pub crawl, cooking demonstrations and a parade that is not to be missed.

For more information visit: http://hamtownfest.com/default.html.

With all of these events going on, there is no excuse to stay home.  Get out there and support these great local events. Maybe you could even take a chance and attend one that you’ve never been to before.

Author: Gabriella Muñoz

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Nonetheless, this show is a warm safety blanket, a glass of warm milk, and grandpa’s worn sweater of comedy.  As I looked around the audience, people were mouthing the punchlines as he spoke them and turning to their friends all the while, nodding and rolling their eyes.  Solomon’s show isn’t comedy.  It’s shtick and that’s saying something because shtick hasn’t been in style… well, since his jokes were new.  Solomon strikes a careful balance between groan-inducing lechery and poignant tenderness. His ability to embody the different characters—their different accents and mannerisms is solid probably from doing it for years at those family picnics.  Solomon is a natural storyteller and his characters are so vivid that the audience is with him every step of the way.  In many ways, his stories are the stories of Everyman, since Everyman has a family that drives him completely bananas.  However, not everyone writes a show about it.

“My Mother’s Italian…etc” it is one of the longest running one-man shows in Broadway history.  No surprise considering the large Jewish and Italian population in New York. Solomon is taking his show on the road and told the audience in the epilogue of sorts that the reception has been fantastic.  This is also no surprise. Anyone who is a recent immigrant or a few generations removed will appreciate the ethnic humor.  It was fun to look at the audience to watch who laughed at the “Jewish” jokes and who laughed at the “Italian” jokes and who left altogether.  Oh yes, some people couldn’t take the grandfatherly crudeness and left at intermission.

This was a good show and the laughs were plentiful.  Andiamo-Novi also has some great deals for dinner and show that are pretty affordable.  Their fall and winter line-up is pretty exciting.  In a world of everyone trying to be the next thing with an edge, it’s nice to see a classic in all of it’s faded glory.

Check out Andiamo’s website for the latest news on the restaurant and theater: http://www.andiamoitalia.com/novi.

Author: Yana Levovna

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Looking back at it, I could see the signs, although I didn’t see them in context.  I have received and still receive coupons in my email for all sorts of discounts, especially those tempting 30% coupons.  Throw in another 10% for having a member discount and I’m walking away with a book for 40%. For a hardcore bibliophile like me, it’s a way to feed my deep addiction to books.  However, I never sat down to think why I was getting coupons practically every week.  Now, I think that I have my answer.

Truth be told, now that I know, I’m not at all surprised about B&N’s troubles.  For one, when I have ordered their books online, it seems like their orders take forever much longer than the faster shipping that I’ve paid for, though not for my last few orders.  Also, when I was living in an apartment, it seemed that when UPS came to drop off my B&N purchase that it was always during work hours.  The only solution was to have it shipped to the nearest UPS shipping center.  For this reason, I pretty much don’t buy online from them but go to the store.

Another reason that I’m not surprised is their e-reader apps.  Now, I have an iPhone and so, sometimes, use e-reader apps to read books on the go. B&N’s app was the first e-reader app that I used on both my phone and laptops.  I would download my books and begin to read them.  I would bookmark pages, highlight text and makes notes.  However, every single time that e-books would sync, then everything that I had annotated would get jumbled up.  Basically, I had to delete everything and start over again.  Yes, they beat Borders and Amazon to putting out an e-reader app.  However, it never seemed to be any good.

Lastly, when I would look into buying a book online, even with a coupon and my membership, sometimes Amazon would beat the price, including shipping.  So I found myself asking a very important question, “If Amazon can beat B&N’s price and probably get me my book when I want it….who should I go with?” It was a no-brainer.

Believe me when I say that I’m not at all celebrating B&N’s woes.  For the record, I prefer B&N to Border’s.  Nonetheless, they will not survive unless they can, first of all, stabilize themselves.  Granted that the only offer to purchase it has come from Burkle, at least it shows that somebody is interested.  Lack of interest would be its death knell. Honestly, its future will lie in embracing new technology such as e-readers and be at the cutting edge not playing catch up. If they can supply readers electronic whims while doing so at a lower price, then I think that B&N will be back in business.  Don’t write them off quite yet.  I certainly haven’t.  Instead grab a bowl of popcorn, sit back and watch the show.  I’m as interested in the ending as you are.

Author: José A. Rodríguez

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Although Facebook can be a great tool, I believe that many people are misusing it.  While it can make life easier, it is often used to cause drama and problems.  Facebook was not meant to be a personal journal or diary where you vent your relationship problems and curse your mother-in-law.  It was meant to join professional adults in common interests and goals.  I have seen great things such as Amber Alerts, fundraising benefits, class reunions and job listings.  However, I have also witnessed some horrifying posts containing profanity, sexually explicit material, and just plain negativity.  Guess what? Nobody cares.  This personal drama should be kept just that….personal. Some Facebook users may be compelled to respond to this negativity just as they are addicted to soap operas or telenovelas. However, Facebook is not real life because in real life we have to deal with these people and solve these problems. You have to eventually deal with your problems.

People have come to believe that the solutions to all of their problems is to X people out.  If someone pisses you off, you simply X them out.  “Ah, ha, ha….I removed them!” And? So what? You may have deleted your ex-boyfriend from Facebook but guess what? You’re probably going to run into him at the club or simply just walking down the street.  What does the X prove?

I will tell you what it proves.  It proves that you are an immature person unable to deal with real issues.  Don’t get me wrong.  If someone is completely disrespectful, becomes a stalker, or simply uses undesirable language on your profile, they should be removed.  Then again, maybe you should have never accepted them in the first place? However, I am not talking about that kind of deletion.  I am talking about the people who continually delete family members and friends only to friend request them the very next week.  I see this every day.  One of my friends has deleted the same guy over seven times. Why? Guess what? You can delete someone but that doesn’t mean that they are dead.  When you turn off your computer and go to the store, you’re probably going to run into your ex-Facebook friend.  You’re going to have to acknowledge the de-friended church lady.  Delete does not mean erase.  Instead of pushing that button in anger, grow up, deal with the situations and start using Facebook as a tool instead of a weapon.

“It takes two to quarrel, but only one to end it.”-Spanish proverb.

Author: Rhonda Gutierrez

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Photos By:  Renée Rodríguez

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Photos by:  Salvador Cid III

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My wife and I stayed in an all-inclusive five-star hotel that was simply amazing.  We had a butler on-call, free access to their gourmet restaurants, and golf-cart shuttles to get us around the huge complex.  The bartenders used tongs to handle everything from the ice to the straws.  For someone not used to this, it was a bit overwhelming.

As we spent our honeymoon, I came to meet some of the employees who we kept running into time and time again.  As soon as I spoke to them in Spanish, there was an intimate rapport that was established.  In getting to know them and by watching them work, I thought to myself, “This person really busted their ass.”  As a result, my wife and I made it a point of tipping them well.

During one of our gourmet dinners, we ended up talking with our waiter.  He told us how he came up from Mexico City and now lives in Cancún. While our waiter didn’t say, my guess is that he moved to get work at the resorts.  Despite having a job that he likes, our waiter hardly his sees wife or nine year old step-daughter.  Despite it all, he sees something in his job that justifies being away from his family — all in the name of providing them with a better life.

My wife and I also had a chance to meet an older couple from Ann Arbor, who I’ll call Tom and Susan. Tom told me about something that he witnessed at the hotel that put things into perspective.  He was walking when he saw one of the guests just chewing out an apologetic hotel employee.  We talked about how the hotel’s service is very seductive, since neither of us are really accustomed to such service.  He pointed out that, when you’re not used to such things, you can easily get a big head and think that you could do anything that you want.  Instead of treating the employees like human beings, it’s easy to think that you own them.

Tom’s big point is that, despite the fact that the employees are probably paid peanuts (perhaps $6-7/hr plus tips), for many of the employees their pay is probably a small fortune.  Many like our waiter leave what they know in order to get something better for themselves and, sometimes, their families.  They’re happy with what they’re paid and settle.

As we were talking, a crazy idea popped into my head.  With all of this discussion about illegal immigration, should the best person no matter who they are get the job? I’ll tell you.  I’ve stayed at a number of different places and nothing compared to what I saw at our resort.  Even Tom, a non-Latino, saw the same thing as me.  The strange thing about my proposition? Tom agreed with me.

I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers to illegal immigration, which in my opinion hasn’t been addressed by the current administration. When it does come up, it’s only to raise one’s own political credibility or try to bring down that of the “opposition.”  We, as a country, are still benefiting off of the backs of illegal immigrants. Ask yourself, “What would possess someone to give up everyone and everything that they know and risk their lives to cross the border just to earn more money than they could expect at home?”

In my opinion, I think that our solution will ultimately start with punishing the employers that hire the workers and exploit them, developing a guest worker program and (the hardest part) having some type of legalization.  Discussing and, ultimately, resolving this issue will involve having a truly open discussion and being open to all options, until we ultimately arrive to a solution that works.  Let’s change the situation so that these workers don’t have to sacrifice their lives so that we can live ours.

Author: José A. Rodríguez

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DETROIT, AUGUST 11, 2010—A new full-service real estate brokerage founded by Realtor® Austin Black II named City Living Detroit officially opened for business in Detroit’s thriving Midtown neighborhood today.

“I am excited and proud to open my own brokerage in Detroit,” said Black. “My passions for this city run deep. Since returning home after college, I’ve made it a top priority to be involved in the continued growth of Detroit. I believe that by opening my real estate brokerage here I will be able to make a greater impact on our community, one new resident at a time.”

City Living Detroit is a full-service brokerage that focuses in the sales, leasing and project marketing of lofts, condos and historic homes. Agents for City Living Detroit provide their services in communities all across the southeast Michigan region.

Black says that City Living Detroit has already landed agreements to manage or be involved with the sales and marketing of several Detroit developments including: The Mack @Brush Park, Willys Overland Lofts, Brush Park Village North, and Centurion Place.

Black has been in real estate for nearly a decade and has achieved success at all levels. He has won several local and national awards including being recognized this year by Realtor® Magazine as one of the 30 up and coming Realtors under 30 in the nation.

He credits a philosophy he created several years ago called P.I.E for his successes, and says it helped him reach $1.8 million in volume sales last year while working on behalf of another brokerage, so he intends to implement it as common practice at City Living Detroit.

“It’s an approach that is simple but effective,” said Black. “We showcase the passion-points of a community and all it can offer and then by utilizing the latest technological innovations in the real estate industry we are able to educate clients about the best options that are available to them.”

City Living Detroit’s offices are located at 444 West Willis, Ste. 108 inside the Willys Overland Lofts.

About City Living Detroit
City Living Detroit is a client-centered, full-service, boutique-style real estate sales and marketing firm that specializes in urban living, including lofts, condos, historic homes and apartments. The firm is based in Detroit’s historic Midtown near Wayne State University. To view all available listings visit CityLivingDetroit.com. To make an appointment call 313-242-7800 or e-mail austin@citylivingdetroit.com.

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I often struggle with my life choices.  Should I have returned to work after only two and a half years as Niko’s mommy? Will my teenage daughter resent the time that I spend away from home? Was returning to college a good idea? I have so much to do at home and juggling school and work can be really tiring.

Believe it or not, I am very greedy regarding time with my children.  Days off are dedicated to family.  No job or work could ever replace my kids and, although I spend lots of quality time with them, I often wonder if it is enough.  Will it ever be enough? Sometimes I feel like there just isn’t enough of me to go around.

As mothers, we struggle to find balance.  I realize that hard work and dedication are great examples for my children.  My daughter once told me, “I’m so proud of you, Mom!” Those kinds of words keep me going.  They keep me working hard toward my dream of getting a degree.  I realize that I’m not only a mother.  I’m also a woman with dreams, goals and ambitions.  One day, my children will be all grown up and pursuing their own dreams and where will I be? I’ll be their biggest cheerleader.

So, what does it all mean? It means that, as mothers, we set examples for our children.  We show them the importance of hard work, dedication, and service.  We teach them that no matter how old we are, how many kids we have or where we come from, we can achieve our dreams.  There is no job more important than being a mother.  I am living my dream.

“Without ambition one starts nothing.  Without work one finishes nothing.  The prize will not be sent to you.  You have to win it.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson).

Author: Rhonda Gutierrez

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