The Pulice Report

Happy Birthday, Michigan...

...on this, your 175th. 

Author Interview: Jon Falk, If These Walls Could Talk

Conducted by Tim Pulice

He grew up in Ohio a Buckeye fan, but since 1974, Jon Falk has been a loyal Wolverine. Now in his 37th season as equipment manager for the Michigan football team, Falk has compiled his experiences handling the gear and acting as mentor to hundreds of players in the engaging If These Walls Could Talk: Michigan Football Stories from Inside the Big House (Triumph Books), written with Dan Ewald. The book is filled with colorful anecdotes centered on U-M greats such as the late Bo Schembechler, who hired Falk, beloved Maize and Blue stars like Rob Lytle, Anthony Carter, Charles Woodson, and Tom Brady–the latter of whom penned the foreword–tales of fierce gridiron battles against Woody Hayes and Ohio State, and more. Recently, Falk agreed to an interview inside his office at Schembechler Hall on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, where he recounted how he once rescued Bo from subzero temperatures, impressed upon Brady the importance of leadership, and briefly lent his apartment to a visiting U.S. president.

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Describe a typical day for you during the football season at U-M.

Jon Falk: Well, what we do is have our staff meeting at 8 o’clock in the morning with the football coaches, and they tell us the plan structure for practice in the afternoon. We come down and get the practice jerseys ready. Offense is white, defense is blue. We have the scout team numbers from the opposing team, and we put those numbers on the scout team, so that the offense and defense can practice against the numbers they’re going to see on Saturday.

From there it rolls into practice in the afternoon. As soon as practice is over, there’s a lot of laundry that has to be done. I have some part-time students that come in and do the laundry, and then it’s ready for the next morning, to either have a weight-lifting process or practice for the next day. 

I can imagine keeping up with 100+ players can be quite a challenge. Talk about the logistics of overseeing the team during a game.

JF: The thing that people don’t realize is that for a 12 o’clock game, we’re at the locker room at 6:30 in the morning. We put the uniforms in their lockers, we make sure their game shoes are all polished, we make sure that all the helmets are all polished. On Saturday morning, we have some part-time helpers that live in town here that have done it for years. Herbie Fredericks is one, he’s done it for over 63 years here. Bob Blandt paints the helmets on Thursday night, takes the nicks out from what’s been scratched during the week.

While they’re working on the helmets and jerseys, I have a phone man who goes with us and we help set up the sideline phones. I go up in the press box, and he’s on the sidelines. We settle the communications for the coaches because we want to claim our radio waves before somebody else claims them. We claim those by 8 o’clock, 8:30, it takes that much time to set the phones up in the press box, set them up on the field. Then by 8:30 or 9, we have those set up, then we set up the team benches on the sidelines, then we have the little cards that tell each position, so that they know as soon as they come off the field that’s where you’re supposed to sit so the coach, if he wants to talk to them, knows where they are.

Then you have the pre-game ceremony, when everybody is in, they ask for a different T-short, they ask for this or that. Then they get dressed, we run down on the field, we play the first half. We come back, I’m usually one of the first ones back in at the half. I get all the players in the locker room to sit down. Then we go down for the second half. As soon as the game’s over, we get ‘em back up, the coach comes in, he gives a little talk. Hopefully we can sing "The Victors" after a win, and then from there, the players start to turn their jerseys and pants in, their laundry. Their game shoes are picked up and put back in the stadium cubby hole, with their name. All the dirty laundry, the towels, the shoulder pads, the helmets, are all picked up and put in a truck and brought back over here to the football building.        

So, for a noon game, by 6:30 or 7, everything is back in the lockers over here at the building, and you could practice on Sunday morning, if need be. Now, that’s a home game. A road game is a little different, because now you’re packing the semis on Thursday night, and we’re leaving on Thursday night to go to the ballpark where we’re playing. From there, we set up the 70 guys who can travel in the locker room. We’re all there all day on Friday. The team comes in right around 3:30. They leave after a walk-through with their warm-up sweats on. Saturday morning, we get to the ballpark, we set the phones up. After the game, all the travel bags are packed, they’re put back in the semi, and that guy takes off. We’ll fly back with the team. We’ll see him [the driver] Sunday morning at 9 o’clock, and we’re unloading that truck.

That’s the thing people who are home watching TV don’t realize. In fact, sometimes I tell people that, as far as they’re concerned, we’re cartoon characters. They turn the TV on, and there we are bouncing up and down the sidelines for about three, three-and-a-half hours. As soon as that game’s over, they turn the TV off, and as far as they’re concerned, we have no life, we have no problems, and we don’t do anything until next Saturday afternoon when they turn that TV back on. Nobody understands the involvement, the work, the pain, the ordeal, the time that it takes to get to that next Saturday afternoon. It’s not just at Michigan, it’s pro teams, it’s everything. Even on pro games, especially baseball and basketball, when they turn the TV off at the end of the game, nobody realizes that people are in that locker room for another two hours. And, if they catch a jet, they’re heading to another city, and may not get in to five in the morning. Here they are five in the morning, the equipment guys are over at the locker room, getting the stuff ready because at two o’clock in the afternoon those kids are going to come in and start that game. So, nobody knows the time that athletics consumes.

What do you like best about your job?

JF: The most fun that I have in the job is working with players. I mean, those kids are nice guys. It’s fun to go into the locker room after the game or after a practice, and walk around and talk to them. But at the same time, while you’re walking around and talking to them, you’re looking at their faces, you’re looking at them and you’re seeing if there’s a scratch or a nick on their body, and maybe you can ask them how it happened and maybe you might be able to do something with your football equipment that might be able to protect that piece you see.

Tom Brady wrote the foreword and, like him, a lot of players are quoted as saying that you’re someone they can always approach, even if it’s about something unrelated to Xs and Os. How do you find time to speak to players, maybe someone who is homesick or has other personal problems?

JF: It’s time consuming, but you’re here all day, and there are times when those kids just want to come in and talk. And that’s another thing. When you walk around the locker room, you look in a guy’s eyes. People’s eyes never lie. You can always tell how a guy feels.

In Tom Brady's case, when he was playing here with Drew Henson. I walked in here and I could see it was bothering him that he wasn’t starting. That’s when I called him in to my office. I said “Hey, Tom, I know you’re upset about not starting, but you’re the leader on this team, and everybody on this team looks up to you. If you show any flaw, that you’re willing to crumble, the whole team is gonna crumble, because you are the guy that they look to.” Tom looked at me and said, “Oh, man, I’ve been wanting to talk to somebody about this for a long time. I really appreciate you talking to me, Big Jon.”

That was good, he got it off his chest. I said, “Just keep your mouth shut, keep practicing, and someday, you’re gonna start, and they’re not gonna take you out.” And then a week or so later, he started, and they never took him out after that. That’s just the way it is.

People that are in this business a long time know athletes, they know players. Great athletes are like stallions. You don’t want to break a stallion down. You want to just control him a little bit. You want him to be able to run and jump and do what he wants to do. You can’t break him down to where he’s a pony ride for a child. You want him to be a nice stallion.

Jimmy Harbaugh was like that. Brian Griese came in the spring of ’97, and he said to me, “Well, Big Jon, I’m coming back for my senior year.” I said, “My gosh, Griese, you’re gonna walk out of here with a Michigan diploma in your back pocket. Why do you want to come back for one more year? You’ve got no guarantee that you’re gonna be the starter on this team.” He looked at me and said, “Because, Big Jon, I want to go to the Rose Bowl. I want to play in the Rose Bowl.” I said, “Well, if you keep that attitude, and if a quarterback beats you out, at least he’ll take you to the Rose Bowl.” Little did anybody know at the time that, not only would he be going to the Rose Bowl, but that he’d be the MVP, and we’d win the national championship.

That’s what so great about athletes, that’s what’s so great about Michigan, the things you’re able to do at the University of Michigan.

In one sentence, what is Michigan tradition?

JF: Everlasting time, over time it’s proven itself.

Fritz Crisler wrote, “Tradition is something you can’t borrow. You can go down and buy it at the corner store, but it’s there to sustain you when you need it the most.” He said, “I have watched countless Michigan football coaches, countless Michigan players call upon it time and time again, There is nothing like it, I hope it never dies.” That was Fritz Crisler. And you know what? It hasn’t died. Michigan tradition is there, it’s being built every day. That’s what so great about working at the University of Michigan. 

What is the most important lesson that you teach players, maybe something that transcends the football experience at U-M?

JF: Never get down, pick yourself back up, and go on to the next step. I think players even mention in the book that, even after a loss, Big Jon was in the locker room on Monday talking about the next game, and that’s the way it is. You’ve gotta get away from that, and you gotta move on to the next game.

Football equipment has undergone some changes since you got started in the business. How have the athletes changed?   

JF: Let’s see, that a good question. I think the athletes are faster today than they used to be, I think they’re bigger today than they used to be. If you compare locker rooms from 20 years ago and today, the locker rooms are bigger because the bodies of the players are bigger, so you’ve goota have bigger lockers, you’ve gotta have a bigger space for those kids to accommodate them. Shoulder pads have gone down in size, because everybody wants to be movable, they want to be flexible. We’re wearing more body-built equipment underneath your shoulder pads to protect you. It’s lighter, more flexible. Everything’s gone lighter and smaller.  

Personality-wise, how have they changed?  

JF: You know what? I don’t see much difference in personality. Kids are still having fun, they still love Michigan football, they still enjoy the game. To be honest with you, they’re all the same.

The two nicest things are being with the players that are here today and to see the players who come back after they graduate. That is the fun of this job. Being here so long, since 1974, I’ve had a chance to meet and be with so many players. I’m still one of the only guys left now that the former players can come back and see, because I worked for Bo, I worked for Mo [former head coach Gary Moeller], I worked for Lloyd [Carr, former head coach], and now I work for Rich [Rodriguez, current U-M head coach]. So, it’s neat to see all those former players come back, and they all know that they can come back and see me, and I’m still the one guy who has been on the teams when they were playing here. 

Bo hired you in 1974. Was he as irascible as he often appeared, or was there a softer side, too? The book mentions how he loved the Michigan band. What he was like away from the sidelines and the cameras?

JF: Heck, we’d go see Neil Diamond in concert. He’d call me up. "Hey, Falk, we’re going down to see Neil Diamond, why don’t you come on over here?" He enjoyed entertainment. I’d go out to his house, and we’d sit there and watch TV, and we’d watch movies. He was a big movie buff, he’d rent videos, and we’d watch them on the TV screen. He was a good guy. Yeah, he had to have that tough [exterior]. A lot like Woody [Hayes], and a lot like Bobby Knight [former Indiana University head basketball coach].  

I tell the story in there [pointing to the book] about Bobby Knight. Whenever we’d go to Indiana, he’d pick me up on Friday night and we’d go to dinner. So, one day we went out and Bobby had a new credit card, and said he wanted to use at the gas pump. We drove around to four different places in Bloomington and not a one of them had a gas pump that took a credit card. So, I said, “Well, Bobby, you go in, and go to the office, slide the credit card after I pump the gas. So, I’m out there and I cannot get his gas cap off. I’m tryin’ to turn and turn. I look in there and there’s Bobby Knight, and he’s looking at me and his foot starting to stomp. So, he walks out and says “What’s goin’ on here?” I said, “Is there a trick to opening this gas cap?” He says “A trick? Give me that!” and takes it, pops it right off. After he popped the cap, he said, “Hey, Jon, you gotta be smarter than that gas cap.” So he grabbed the pump out of my hand, started to squeeze and pump, and he goes “What’s goin’ on, this isn’t working!” I said, “Hold on, Bobby,” so I and went over, flipped the lever on the gas pump and said, “You gotta be smarter than that gas cap," and he just laughed. So, they all have a laughable side to them.                

How would you characterize Bo’s relationship with Woody?

JF: Friends, great friends. Woody was sick, and Bo had won an award down in Dayton, Ohio. So, Bo invited me to go down with him in 1987. We flew down, and the guy who flew us down was Bill Gunlock, who played with Bo for Woody down at Miami of Ohio. So, we go in, and Woody just looked terrible. He got up and gave a talk, and he had a hard time, but he did it. Bo ridiculed him afterward, saying “I told you not to come tonight, Woody I told you not to come.” In fact, Woody gave me a little pot of flowers. He said, “You married?” I said “No sir, but I’ve got a girlfriend.” He said [imitating Hayes’ gruff voice], “Here take these flowers, and give them to your girlfriend.” So I took them back to Cheri, who’s now my wife, and I said, “Hey, Woody Hayes gave these flowers to you!”

Going back in the plane, Bo said, “Boy, the old man didn’t look good tonight, did he? And we both said, no, he didn’t look good at all. Bo said, “Well, he’s so hard-headed, he doesn’t listen, I told him he’d introduced me enough, he didn’t need to come introduce me tonight.” I looked at him and said, “Hard-headed, huh? Sounds like some other people I know,” and everybody just laughed.      

Here’s a beautiful story that I thought was good, you talk about Bo being able to laugh at himself. In 1985, I’m going down I-94. It’s about 40 degrees below zero in January. The snow’s coming down. Twice I said to myself, you know, I think I better turn around and better go back, the roads are getting bad. I said, no I’m gonna keep on going.

I go on, and there’s a guy hitchhiking on the side of the road, and I said, “Wow, he’s got a hat that looks just like Bo’s.” So, I went just a little further, and said “Wait a minute, that’s Bo’s car.” So I pulled off to the side of the road. I went back, and here was Bo standing on the side of the road, shaken, cold, his nose was red, his cheeks were red, his hands were cold. He looked up at me and he goes “I’m never been so happy to see your ugly face in all my life.” And I said, “Hey now, Bo, you better treat me nice. My car’s still running, and it’s warm!” So, I helped him get into the car, I turned on the heaters full blast. “I just want you to know, Jon, I’ve been on the side of that road for 45 minutes and not one person stopped. Three state troopers went by, and they didn’t even stop. You’d have thought that a state trooper would have said, ‘Hey, what’s goin’ on here?’ But no, they all passed me by.” And I said, “Well now, Bo, you gotta remember something. You were 6-6 last year.” And Bo looked at me and said, “Yeah, why don’t you just shut up, get me to the airport, and then get my car and have it in my driveway tomorrow morning.” I said, “Hey, Bo, I’ve got plans tonight.” He said, “Well, your plans just changed.” So, when I dropped him off at the airport, I had to call a friend of mine. We towed the car in, got it fixed, and I had it in his driveway the next morning. But he could laugh about that stuff. He told that story a hundred times after he got back, he thought it was funnier than heck.

Jon, you’ve got a great memory. Do you keep a journal?

JF: It’s really interesting. I used to tease Bo all the time that I was gonna write a book. Bo used to laugh, "Yeah, you could tell a lot of good stories." So, I started keeping notes in 1980 as I went along.

Dan Ewald did a great job of taking my voice, and the way I talked, and put it into the book. I’ve had so many letters. Rick Forzano, who coached the Detroit Lions, wrote me and said, "Jon, I only met you once, but I want you to know that I bought your book on Friday, I couldn’t put it down for the whole weekend. I knew Bo back in Barberton [Ohio], but I want you know, in my opinion, your stories brought Bo Schembechler back to life.” Now, that’s a tremendous compliment from a guy who coached as much as Rick Forzano did. Bobby Nichols, who was the retired basketball coach at Toledo, great guy, wrote me a letter. He said, "Jon, I read your book, I couldn’t put it down, and I want you to know that the stories you tell are so genuine, I enjoyed every one of them. I thought it was a great book.” 

When you get letters like that from people, it makes you feel good. Many of my friend have said that, when you’re reading the book, Dan Ewald wrote it like it was just me sitting there spinning a story for somebody. That’s what really has helped the book a lot.

Arresting Site of the Month, May: OnInnovation

The brainchild of an organization whose name is synonymous with our region and its most famous product, a recently launched website is dedicated to the concept of "Visionaries thinking out loud." Gathering the insight and the stories of numerous innovators, it affords those who visit its pages an opportunity to learn from some of the world's foremost authorities in a wide range of fields. Given the breadth and depth of bracing materials it presents, I've selected OnInnovation as the "Arresting Site of the Month" for May.    

The folks at The Henry Ford say the concept sprang from a 2008 interview with race car driver and businessperson Lyn St. James, and grew from there, the content that it now holds designed to help users grow both personally and professionally. Peruse video interview segments with St. James as well as with entrepreneur Elon Musk, inventor Stan Ovshinsky, architect Toshiko Mori, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and other industry leaders. Explore the Topics & Playlists page, be a part of the discussion, simply enjoy this magnificent portal.  

Learn how to use the site and more about OnInnovation. Also check out the Henry Ford's information-rich main website, to find out how this organization continues to make an impact on the community, and why its physical location in Dearborn remains a vital, year-round destination for people who live in -- and visit -- Michigan.

48th Ann Arbor Film Festival

One of the premier cultural events in Michigan, the Ann Arbor Film Festival -- which runs Tuesday, March 23 through Sunday, March 28 -- is set to begin its 48th annual presentation of independent and experimental film, the longest-running gathering of its kind in North America. On Tuesday, the popular opening night reception kicks off the proceedings, inside the Michigan Theatre, from 6-8pm. Following will be the initial festival screening, a collection of short films designed to offer audiences a vivid snapshot of the creativity that will ensue over the next five days.

Themed programs and special guests abound on a highlights-filled schedule, which also includes panels, lectures, and after-parties. Each of this year's acclaimed jurors has their own presentation (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 1pm), and will choose what they deem the best films of the 2010 festival, to whom awards will be given in two programs that close out the festival on Sunday night.

As was true of the 2009 AAFF, I had the pleasure to work as a volunteer pre-screener, helping Executive Director Donald Harrison and his top-flight staff pore through 2,500 submissions from visionary filmmakers across the U.S. and around the world. 170 films representing more than 20 countries made the final cut, and include animation, narrative works, music videos, documentaries, experimental visuals, and more. I interviewed Harrison before last year's event, a conversation that explores such topics as his vision for the festival and what first-time attendees can expect.

Ticket information is available on the festival's magnificent, interactive Web site. as are details about AAFF membership, and much more. Hope to see you in Ann Arbor this week.

U-M spotlights famous Wolverine athletes during Black History Month

 

It's near the end of February, and I wanted to make sure that I brought to your attention a terrific feature the University of Michigan put together for Black History Month regarding some of its finest athletes. I greatly enjoyed the photo galleries included with each of these articles, and the details of each star's accomplishments. Kudos to U-M for its research on this piece, and for placing it so prominently on its MGoBlue Web site.  

Interview: Ron Jolly and Karl Bohnak, co-authors of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Almanac

Conducted by Tim Pulice

Whether you consider yourself an expert on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, know almost nothing about its vast, magnificent spaces, or simply would like to learn more about the Great Lake State's northernmost section, a new guidebook from two award-winning broadcasters is certain to impress you, both in terms of volume and detail. Michigan's Upper Peninsula Almanac (University of Michigan Press/Petoskey Publishing Company, 2009) deftly captures in words and images the essence of the region and spirit of its residents, spotlighting over nearly 600 fact-filled pages "U.P." history and culture, its dynamic weather, abundance of tourism attractions, and more. Ron Jolly, a longtime radio host in northern Michigan, and Karl Bohnak, a veteran TV meteorologist in the Upper Peninsula, graciously participated in an e-mail interview about their splendid collaboration.

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What inspired you to write Michigan's Upper Peninsula Almanac?

Ron Jolly: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Almanac (MUPA) is modeled after the Northern Michigan Almanac, which was inspired by The Detroit Almanac, published by the Detroit Free Press in 2000. The publisher saw the Detroit Almanac at a bookstore in Traverse City, where I host a morning radio show that includes a daily trivia contest about northern lower Michigan. He asked if I would be interested in doing a Detroit-style almanac for the region, and the project was hatched.

Initially I did not want to get into another book, but he eventually convinced me, in 2006, to work on MUPA. A few months into the project he suggested we invite Karl as a co-author, an idea I jumped on! Karl has a vast knowledge of U.P. history and weather, not to mention he actually lives and works there.

Karl Bohnak: I've always been interested in history. I wrote So Cold a Sky, Upper Michigan Weather Stories, which was published in 2006. It looks at the history of the Upper Peninsula from a weatherman's perspective. One of the developers of the Almanac concept got a hold of me just after Ron started the project, and asked me if I'd like to join in. The rest is history.

Describe the process of researching and compiling the book.

RJ: I created an outline based on the Northern Michigan Almanac. Topic headings included subjects like Government, Transportation, Geography, Water, Culture, Employment, etc. Then it was a matter of making a list of what information I needed. Many of the statistics are available from government Web sites. I also have a collection of Michigan books, which saved me many trips to the library. Karl and I split up the research based on our areas of interest. He wrote a lot about weather, wildlife, and history, everything from shipwrecks and pioneers to agriculture and museums.

I dug up a lot of statistics. largest lakes, presidential election results, miles of roads, largest trees, crop reports, etc. I also did a lot of profiles of notable politicians, authors, and entertainers.

KB: Ron is great at digging up facts and statistics. It's this aspect that makes the book a great resource. We worked together, in that he would be working on something, say business, and he would ask me to write about Louis Kaufman or Henry Ford. When the Culture chapter was being put together, I felt we needed something on Upper Michigan media, and I worked on that. With the help of the J.M. Longyear Research Library in Marquette, I chronicled U.P. newspapers from the first at Copper Harbor in 1846 to the present day.

You spotlight a range of intriguing people — especially the early U.P. settlers — and notable places. Talk about some of your favorites.

RJ: Chase Osborn was the only “Yooper” to serve as a governor of Michigan. He was interesting because of his wide range of interests. He was a world traveler and explorer, he was an entrepreneur, a journalist and publisher, author of several books, outdoorsman, and he earned a fortune as an iron prospector. A bizarre twist in his personal life: Osborn and his wife Lillian raised seven children, but separated when he was 63 years old. Osborn began spending time with Stella Brunt, a student at the University of Michigan who was 34 years his junior. When Osborn was 71 years old, he and his wife legally adopted 41-year-old Stella, and had her name changed to Osborn. He and his adopted daughter spent much time together traveling, researching pet subjects, and co-authoring several books. When Osborn was 89, his wife died. He had the adoption annulled, and married Stella the next day. The former governor died two days later.

KB: Some of my favorite people are James Kirk Paul, the first white settler at the mouth of the Ontonagon River. There's an historical controversy over the famous Ontonagon Boulder that he is intimately connected with. We have two versions of the story in the Almanac. Another is Roger Andrews, the editor of the Menominee Herald Leader at the turn of the century. He promoted the concept of the Upper Peninsula as an agricultural paradise. His promotion was outstanding; he didn't let facts get in the way of his gushing enthusiasm. Facts like much of the U.P. had poor soils and everywhere a short growing season. But he tried. I think he represents the hardiness and tenacity of U.P. residents.

Describe the typical "Yooper." Do you like that term?

RJ: Karl is probably best-suited to describe a typical Yooper, if that can be done. He also has some thoughts on the term Yooper. I use the term, but I believe most of us here in the Lower Peninsula use it as a term of endearment. Many of us have a great deal of pride knowing this land and its people are part of what makes Michigan unique and great. I believe many in the Lower Peninsula view Yoopers as rugged, unassuming, unpretentious, and fortunate to live amongst the natural beauty and great small towns of the U.P.

KB: A typical Yooper is a person with a pride in his or her heritage and history. This person has a love of this land. Maybe this person had to leave because of a job, but his or her heart is always in the U.P. I'm not particularly fond of the term. As a rule, we do not use the word on television. If you were to take a poll of residents, I would bet the numbers for against the term would be split about 50-50. It is the best word to use, though, in that when you say it, everybody knows who you're talking about.

Name one item that all U.P. residents should own.

RJ: In this order: a snowmobile, a shotgun, and a sauna.

KB: Definitely a Yooper Scooper. Come to think of it, we didn't feature this device in the book! If there's a second edition, we must add it.

Are there any popular misconceptions about the U.P. or its citizens that you'd like to debunk?

RJ: There may exist a stereotype that people of the U.P. are not as sophisticated as city folk in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and elsewhere. But U.P. residents continue to make great contributions to arts and culture, and the U.P. is home to outstanding universities, including Northern Michigan University, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State.

KB: We are not, as a rule, backwoods people. Technology has come here in full force. For instance, the TV station I work for is part of a 15-station group. Even though we're one of the smallest, our Web site consistently has the most hits in the group and the most participation in terms of user comments.

University of Michigan Jazz Festival

I wrote a piece today for Examiner.com about the University of Michigan Jazz Festival, which happens tomorrow in Ann Arbor. The festival has quite a lineup, and will focus largely on the music of Charles Mingus, so please consider attending. I also had the pleasure of speaking by phone with Sue Mingus, who gave me permission to use a famous image of her late husband in my article, a gracious offer.  

Classic Rock and the Millennial Generation

I've had the following experience several times over the past year. I'll be in a restaurant or coffee house, and a classic rock tune will start wafting over the sound system. As I think to myself, not many under 30, possibly 35, will like or even know this tune, I notice that some of those in the Millennial Generation around me not only do like and know the tune, they're flat-out jamming. Some of the more notable incidents have involved David Bowie, and just last week I watched and listened as two twenty-somethings blasted from their iPod "Stairway to Heaven" and other Led Zeppelin nuggets. One of these guys seemed to know every riff and lyric. 

Big surprise, big relief. My youth is not entirely gone.

   

Matt Watroba's Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

As always, Michigan's own Matt Watroba offers a spirited performance. A true musical treasure.

Arresting Site of the Month, January: Michigan Future Inc.

It has a mission "...to be a source of new ideas on how Michigan can succeed as a world-class community in a knowledge-driven economy." The non-partisan, non-profit Michigan Future Inc. features a leadership council with members from a wide range of area organizations, and its online component is filled with opinion and statistics that zero in on the challenges -- and the opportunities -- the present economic downturn presents. As such, I've chosen it as the "Arresting Site of the Month" for January.

Lou Glazer is the group's president and a co-founder, and is a frequent contributor to the site's blog. Glazer offered up his take on Michigan as a whole, and Detroit in particular, in a revealing metromode piece from September 2007, well before the financial meltdown in the fall of 2008. He has made 2010 predictions, which include his belief that Michigan's economy will improve only when we make strides in higher education.

Read about Michigan Future Inc's initiatives in three core areas, its numerous reports, and other information from an organization that clearly has a deep commitment to, as its motto states, "helping build a more prosperous Michigan."