I am Emily, and so are you

I was doing research for a post that I'm working on and a friend sent me this link. I had heard about the fabled "I am Emily" speech, and you would think that by now I would be used to speeches like this from one of my heroes, but as I watched it the goosebumps came and my eyes welled up.


That's right. I am Emily, and so are you. Don't ever forget that.

Old Town Bridge to be renamed in honor of Robert Busby - this Sunday

This Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero will preside at the Grand River bridge in Old Town when it will be formally renamed the Robert P. Busby Memorial Bridge.

The event is open to all as we pay tribute to the life and legacy of Robert Busby, "Mayor of Old Town". For more information, check out Old Town's website.

The hurt still lingers a year later...

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since you left us. Your number is still in my phone, and I still can't bring myself to remove it.

The painting that we playfully argued over before I finally bought it has yet to be hung. I'm afraid that the moment it goes up, I'll forget the fun we had debating whose wall it would look better on. You could have outbid me and snatched it from right under my nose, but you were so excited at the prospect of me building a collection, I always knew you'd let me have it. It's a beautifully bold painting that we discussed over coffee at Portable Feast at the table near the staircase as Sharon darted back and forth nearby to her customers.

There are still so many memories, so vibrant, so full of life, just like you were, that linger. We knew each other less than a year, but you were ambassador, mayor, welcoming committee, and chief architect all rolled into one incredible, beautiful soul.

You saw a girl, who despite her bubbly demeanor and wide circle of friends, was looking for a community to call her own, to plant some roots, and find a home that was more than just four walls and roof. You took me in with your warm smile and contagious laugh, and you showed me exactly what community meant. It didn't matter that you didn't know too much about me, or my faults, you introduced me to others like we had been friends for the last five years.

You taught so many the true meaning of community, both on the physical and cerebral levels. You loved and gave of yourself without question to everyone, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight. Your greatest gift was the example that you set, living every day to it's fullest without regrets and always remembering that in the end, we're all human and life is too short not to live like it's your last day on earth. Did you know something we didn't?

Even after you left, the community remains bonded together in grief, in celebration of our progress and growth, and deep friendships welded together that will withstand the test of time. We're there, and while you're not, your legacy remains, twisted in sorrow and love. We couldn't have made it without you, and no matter where we find ourselves in the future, I still miss you, friend.

(photo credit: Patrick T. Power)

The Chairman to host Lansing-based WGOP

In case you missed my post over at MichiganLiberal, you maybe shocked to find out that a Lansing-based radio station has flushed it's journalistic ethics right down the toliet.

WJIM 1240 AM and it's morning show host, Michael Patrick Shiels has offered the host's chair to none other than MI Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis himself. According to Anuzis' so-called blog (it's the Republican version, so no one's allowed to comment besides The Chairman himself) he'll be hosting the show which runs from 5:30 am to 10 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. He also brags about his featured guests, Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove, and yes you read that correctly, the evil dark overlord of dirty republican tactics himself will be on. In my circles, we call that noise pollution.

Radio stations are licensed and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which are paid for with our tax dollars. As a wise commenter posted this thought -

Unless an elected official, there's no reason why publicly-owned airwaves should be used to the advantage of a single political party. Licensees should be serving the greater public good, not just a narrow band of consumers. It's not as if the publicly-owned airwaves aren't already overwhelmingly controlled by a single political ideology, but a single political party?

One might even think that a station's licensing should be evaluated for this kind of behavior.

They're right. It shouldn't matter if this was a Democratic party official or Republican like The Chairman. Public airwaves are just that, and last time I checked, we don't have to be force-fed any kind of propaganda.

If you'd like to protect Lansing's airwaves from blatant ethical and regulatory violations, file a complaint with the FCC here, and tell WJIM to stop their switch to WGOP here.

11,000 Words

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, and despite this blogger's love of the spoken and written word, sometimes even words don't quite do it.

I think that's representative of life, often we require a song, a touch, a taste, something other than words to speak to us and to speak to others. My life the last two months is no different. I realize that my "writer's block" is not a writer's block at all. I've just been going the wrong way about expressing it.

In the end, the following collage only has to make sense to one person, so don't feel at a loss if you're confused. Enjoy the beauty, the talent, the story.

1. Takidani Train Station

2. Reduced

3. nominal help

4. Amber Glow

5. cleansed

6. Taking out the Trash

7. Day 230: sitting.waiting.wishing

8. Joy to the World

9. joy

10. The Feeling of Accomplishment

11. Anticipation

~Unfortunately this software doesn't allow for more than one photo to be posted, otherwise I would have just included them all..

Old Town Diner in the Spotlight

Congrats to the Golden Harvest, a one-of-a-kind diner located on North Turner in Old Town. It recently was reviewed and featured by Absolute Michigan.

It's just one of several restaurants that I make a habit of sampling in Old Town. Golden Harvest is only open for breakfast or lunch and their breakfasts are not to be missed. It reminds me of the local diner where the old men congregate and talk shop and you watch your food cooked on the grill right in front of you, but there's a funky twist to the place that makes it all it's own. Last time I was in there I dined on some truly excellent eggs over easy with bacon, toast, and hash browns with some kickin' hot sauce as Beastie Boys played on the radio overhead.

So yes, the old men come and talk shop, but so do the college kids, the artists, the stay-at-home moms, and bloggers like me, looking for great food and a true Old Town experience.