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Category Archives: unemployment
Driving and striving to survive a broken ‘Merica
I will never, ever look at a recreational vehicle, van, motor home, or campground the same way again. Not since reading Jessica Bruder’s engrossing, informative, and heartbreaking new book entitled Nomadland. I have long imagined, envied, and eagerly anticipated my … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, ageism, art, book reviews, books, Cars, civics, civility, consumerism, culture, demographics, economics, Economy, family, geography, health, Health care, history, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, Labor, literature, logistics, minimalism, politics, poverty, product design, reading, shopping, social equity, Statistics, transportation, Travel, unemployment, Women, writing
Tagged book reviews, books, homelessness, houseless, Jessica Bruder, literature, Nomad land, nomads, van dwelling, workamping, writing
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Homelessness in paradise
Since moving to Traverse City approximately six months ago we have observed a number of political and planning issues that are fairly common in larger cities, but which have percolated to the surface here more recently as the region has … Continue reading
Posted in adaptive reuse, Advocacy, cities, civics, civility, demographics, economics, health, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Love, planning, politics, poverty, social equity, Statistics, unemployment, urban planning
Tagged cities, homelessness, housing, land use, poverty
6 Comments
Opting-out of mass transit = modern redlining
Currently, more than 50 communities in Southeast Michigan opt-out of participating in SMART (the regional transit system). Just yesterday, in a narrow 3-2 vote, Bloomfield Hills voted to continue opting out. Most often, the rationale for not participating is due … Continue reading
Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Bus transportation, Cars, cities, civics, civility, commerce, culture, diversity, economics, geography, government, history, homelessness, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, placemaking, planning, politics, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, transit, transportation, unemployment
Tagged bus, diversity, inclusiveness, mass transit, opt-out, racism, redlining, SMART, transit
9 Comments
“Small, Gritty, and Green” just misses the mark
While quite an interesting read, the book Small, Gritty, and Green: The Promise of America’s Smaller Industrial Cities in a Low-Carbon World, by Catherine Tumber raised only a few new ideas to this urban planner. Perhaps that was because it … Continue reading
Posted in adaptive reuse, Alternative energy, art, book reviews, books, branding, cities, civics, climate change, colleges, commerce, culture, diversity, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, education, energy, entrepreneurship, environment, Food, geography, globalization, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, Labor, land use, literature, marketing, new urbanism, North America, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, poverty, psychology, recreation, Renewable Energy, revitalization, schools, Science, Small business, spatial design, sprawl, States, Statistics, sustainability, technology, third places, tourism, Trade, transit, transportation, Travel, unemployment, urban planning, weather, writing, zoning
Tagged agriculture, book reviews, books, cities, economics, geography, globalization, industrial cities, land use, Midwest, new economy, Northeast, planning, revitalization, Rustbelt, Small Gritty and Green, sprawl, urban planning
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How Liverpool shaped The Beatles
While I enjoy many songs by The Beatles, I tend to think of myself as more of a Rolling Stones man – music that is a little harder, edgier, and rugged. But, I too was (and still am) captivated by … Continue reading
Posted in adaptive reuse, Advocacy, architecture, art, book reviews, books, Bus transportation, Cars, cities, civics, civility, coffee shops/cafes, commerce, Communications, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, economics, education, entertainment, environment, Europe, family, film, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, Labor, land use, literature, Love, movies, music, music reviews, nature, new urbanism, Passenger rail, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, poverty, psychology, Radio, reading, Religion, revitalization, schools, skylines, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, third places, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, UK, unemployment, urban planning, visual pollution, walking, weather, writing
Tagged architecture, art, Beatle City, book reviews. music, books, British Invasion, cities, culture, David Lewis, design, England, entertainment, family, fun, George Harrison, history, humanity, John Lennon, Livderpool, love, music, parks, paul mcCatney, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, The Cavern trams, transit, UK, urban planning
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Review of “Captain Phillips” – “Maybe in America” sums it up
I came out of the movie theater after watching the film Captain Phillips last night literally feeling empty and frustrated. Not that the acting wasn’t terrific and the story compelling, but empty about such a needless tragedy. I also felt the title was … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, art, civility, consumerism, culture, economics, Economy, entertainment, environment, film, Food, geography, globalization, human rights, humanity, logistics, military, movies, poverty, sustainability, theaters, Trade, transportation, unemployment, video, writing
Tagged Captain Phillips, film, military, motion pictures, movies, piracy, shipping, Somalia, theaters, Tom Hanks
4 Comments
An outstanding book – “Nothing But Blue Skies”
It is difficult to describe how truly outstanding the book entitled Nothing But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times, and Hopes of America’s Industrial Heartland is to read. As a nearly lifelong Rust Belt resident, I can attest to the fact that Edward … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Alternative energy, architecture, art, book reviews, books, Cars, cities, civics, civility, culture, deregulation, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, entrepreneurship, environment, geography, globalization, government, health, history, humanity, inclusiveness, Labor, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, poverty, Privatization, racism, Renewable Energy, revitalization, Small business, spatial design, sprawl, States, sustainability, tourism, Trade, transportation, unemployment, urban planning, writing
Tagged book reviews, books, cars, Chicago, cities, Cleveland, Decatur, Detroit, Edward McClelland, Flint, labor, labor strife, Lansing, literature, non-fiction, Nothing But Blue Skies, Syracuse, Ted McClelland, writing
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Dreaming the dream…of an exquisite film
I was privileged to see Les Miserables on New Year’s Eve. It was an absolutely breathtaking movie and easily deserves a best picture nomination and award. Having seen Lincoln, Argo, Cloud Atlas, Looper, The Hobbit, and many other motion pictures in … Continue reading
Posted in advertising, art, civics, civility, Communications, culture, Economy, entertainment, Europe, film, fun, health, history, homelessness, human rights, humanity, Labor, Love, military, movies, music, pictures, politics, poverty, theaters, unemployment
Tagged Anne Hathaway, film, France, High Jackman, Les Miserables, motion pictures, movies, music, musicals, Russell Crowe
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A masterpiece – “Ramblin’ Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie”
There are biographies that summarize a person’s life in a rather abstract and detached manner and then there are biographies that literally introduce you to them and make you feel like they were your best friend. Ed Cray’s superior biography of … Continue reading
Posted in art, book reviews, books, censorship, civics, civility, Communications, consumerism, culture, diversity, economics, Economy, entertainment, fair trade, family, film, government, health, Health care, history, homelessness, human rights, humanity, Labor, Love, movies, peace, Poem, politics, poverty, unemployment, writing
Tagged book reviews, books, music, songs, unions, Woody Guthrie
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Favorite witticisms by Woody Guthrie
Aside from being an accomplished musician, Woody Guthrie was a writer (Bound for Glory) and commentator. Here are some of my favorite witticisms from him found in the book entitled, Ramblin’ Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie. Enjoy! – … Continue reading →