Hey, bostontricky and Al in NYC

Enforcer · January-25th-2005, 04:22 PM

I'm starting this thread as an excuse to swap stories about our old days in and around the hometown.

I'll start by posting a link to my favorite local blog, written by a guy who I swear is not me. Feel free to jump in with any hometown related stories, news, etc.

Jim Dye · January-28th-2005, 09:37 AM

Thanks for posting this link, Larry. Although I didn't grow up in Detroit, I am from the area and enjoy reading stories about the city.

Dennis Gonzalez · January-28th-2005, 10:14 AM

...just a city boy, born and raised in south Detro-it. He took the midnight train going a-ny-where...

Enforcer · January-28th-2005, 10:41 AM

That line always makes me laugh, Dennis. Detroit is an East-West city, so the reference to South Detroit is something you'd never hear around here. Or anywhere outside a Journey song, for that matter. I kind of liked that song when I was a kid, though.

Enforcer · February-21st-2005, 04:48 PM

Just found this site today. Just some reminiscing about the old places and things we had.

GoodSpeak · February-21st-2005, 09:04 PM

OK.

Help me out here, Larry.

You actually like Detroit and want us to visit?

GoodSpeak · February-21st-2005, 09:04 PM

To each his own, I guess.

And more power to ya

bostontricky · February-21st-2005, 10:20 PM

I takes you two posts to insult my birthplace, Larry's and Al's as well?

How close are you to Fresno, Goods? We're going to call Philip Levine to come over and kick your ass...

(sheesh)

Chris D · February-22nd-2005, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

That line always makes me laugh, Dennis. Detroit is an East-West city, so the reference to South Detroit is something you'd never hear around here.

hah, hah! Like that crappy song "The Night Chicago Died" talking about the "East Side." The "East Side" of Chicago is called Lake Michigan.

Dr Dave · February-22nd-2005, 11:31 AM

The Grande Ballroom, dudes! Check out this bill: MC5, Stooges, Seger, Mitch Ryder...

Dr Dave · February-22nd-2005, 11:39 AM

How about this one:

Enforcer · February-25th-2005, 01:58 PM

Inventory of intermittent windshield wipers dies at 77.

This guy was well known around these parts. I was at the auto show with a couple guys who work in the auto industry (everyone I know, have known or am related to works in the auto industry) and they were talking about his lawsuits.

I'll have to research this, but I think there's an error in the story about Ford being the first automaker to use intermittent wipers in 1978. My old man had a '78 Cadillac Sedan de Ville that I'm positive had them, and I think even his '76 Olds Toronado did (I could be wrong about that, but that's how I remember it).

bostontricky · March-2nd-2005, 11:45 AM

This has got to be one of the most productive drafts of all time by a hockey team. Or am I just nostalgic?

Enforcer · March-2nd-2005, 11:51 AM

God, I just noticed the typo in my last post. Wrote inventory, meant inventor. Jesus.

Anyway, you're right, tricky. That was an amazing draft. Just the tough guys on that list alone are amazing.

bostontricky · March-2nd-2005, 11:55 AM

Maybe that's it. Either the toughness, or the longevity of the guys who made it to the show. No supernovas (i.e. Corrado Micalef) there.

- - -

Maybe it is nostalgia, crossed with longevity - 5 players drafted in 1983 still playing in 1999.

Edmonton had drafts which included Lowe-Messier-Glenn Anderson one year, followed by Coffey-Kurri-Moog.

bostontricky · March-11th-2005, 09:24 AM

The photo Bruce Massey posted on another thread takes me back to my college days. The architectural school at Michigan had an annual all-school competition each year over spring break, and the previous year's programs had been dogs. In 1992 my boat came in when the program was for a museum dedicated to the history of industry, to be located down by the old Boblo docks at Clark and Jefferson.

I hit the research hard (in retrospect, too hard - I never finished the buidling design and placed third) - Sanborn insurance maps at the U-M library, readings on Albert Kahn, Detroit architecture etc., and a couple trips out to the site. One on Saturday with friends, also the next day by myself. I drove past the Ford plant, Miller to Dix to Schafer Hwy down to Jefferson Ave, and up towards the site.

I spotted some sort of road to Zug Island, and headed down towards the river. The structure that looks like a drawbridge at the lower left actually carries a large pipe (gas?) over whatever the hell body of water that is (the River Rouge proper is on the other side of the Island). The drawbridge is just out of the photo at lower left, and just on the other side of the bridge are several tanks with bubbling, rusting paint. This scared the hell out of me, and it was February, overcast, and about 35 degrees. I think I would have had a heart attack if I had been there on a hot sunny day in August.

(I'm sorting through a boatload of stuff this month, I'm sure I'll have some pictures at some point). This one's not mine, but I think it's the same shot as Bruce's, opposite direction.

bostontricky · March-11th-2005, 09:26 AM

Another Detroit-related thread - The Belle Isle webcam.

Enforcer · March-11th-2005, 09:34 AM

Nice work, tricky. I came really close to posting that link to the webcam last week but got distracted and then forgot about it.

Zug Island! A band from the area goes by that name. There is no way to explain Zug Island, you have to see it. It's terrifying, really. A couple of months ago, Captain Hate drove through Detroit coming up I-75. Cap apparently passed the Marathon refinery and was scared to death by the industrial smoke and hellfire that spawns from some of the machinery. Zug Island is even creepier, but he missed that. Blade Runner had nothing on Zug Island.

Industrial/Nuclear Winter, baby.

Enforcer · March-18th-2005, 02:52 PM

This one is still in beta, but coming along. Virtual Detroit.

Enforcer · April-27th-2005, 03:28 PM

Jim Dye · April-27th-2005, 03:32 PM

Do you have a picture of Bill Kennedy from WKBD Channel 50 at the movies?

bostontricky · April-27th-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Dye

Do you have a picture of Bill Kennedy from WKBD Channel 50 at the movies?

Also, look here. (We might lose Larry for weeks)

bostontricky · April-27th-2005, 08:23 PM

Trivia question: Who recorded Bill's theme "Just In Time"? I'd seen someone guess Count Basie, but I can't find a Basie date with this tune. Perhaps backing some singer?

Jim Dye · April-27th-2005, 11:35 PM

Hey Bostontricky. You went to architectural school at Michigan in '92? Did you have a classmate named Chuck Miller?

Enforcer · May-5th-2005, 02:03 PM

I'm not happy that the Belle Isle aquarium has been shut down.

Enforcer · May-27th-2005, 11:10 AM

I stumbled onto this by pure chance, but I'm amazed I never heard about this before today. Remember Donnie Iris, the guy who had that hit in the early 80s called "Ah! Leah!"? Well, in 1997, he wrote an album about Poletown. I haven't heard the songs, but apparently it's about the whole GM thing back in the day. He's not a local cat, so I'm pretty surprised he'd make a record about it, but there you have it.

moneyp · May-27th-2005, 11:19 AM

You shouldn't have looked at this guy's girl, Larry.

moneyp · May-27th-2005, 11:24 AM

Larry, quit making a stinkface. Just ask for your beer back.

bostontricky · May-27th-2005, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

I stumbled onto this by pure chance, but I'm amazed I never heard about this before today. Remember Donnie Iris, the guy who had that hit in the early 80s called "Ah! Leah!"? Well, in 1997, he wrote an album about Poletown. I haven't heard the songs, but apparently it's about the whole GM thing back in the day. He's not a local cat, so I'm pretty surprised he'd make a record about it, but there you have it.

Uncanny. I was just mucking around Amazon reliving my youth just the other night, and I wind up listening to Donnie Iris. You can find "Poletown" samples there. Do you know how this tune got written? I don't this either Iris or songwriter Mark Avsec is from Detroit...

Love Is Like a Rock, baby.

Enforcer · May-27th-2005, 11:31 AM

*cough*

ANYWAY... tricky, Iris is from Pennsylvania. No idea why he wrote the album.