01.30.09
The Pulice Report Has Moved
Please visit our new location, and thanks for your patronage. I will try to maintain this archive, but note that I also have been copying posts to said location.
Tim
01.20.09
Watching the Inauguration on the Big Screen
My wife Mary and I witnessed the extraordinary presidential inauguration today from cozy, warm seats inside Canton’s Emagine Theater. Joining us were hundreds of our fellow citizens eager to see a new era begin. When Barack Obama took the oath of office, the entire audience stood as one, relieved to witness this historic moment. Simply outstanding. Kudos to the theater staff for the professional manner in which they handled the event, and to MSNBC, whose live feed was beamed onto a pair of screens at the Emagine, as the cable outlet arranged likewise at many other theaters across the country.
01.06.09
Happy 70th Birthday, Blue Note Records
I listened to NPR’s Talk of the Nation today, as Neal Conan was interviewing current Blue Note Records president Bruce Lundvall and others on the label’s 70th birthday. I have such an affection for Blue Note, having spun so many of its artists during my tenure on the air at WDET-FM in Detroit. A prized possession of mine is the 60th anniversary, limited edition CD box set it issued a decade ago.
Conan asked his guests and listeners for their “Blue Note moment.” I believe mine was Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder,” — the title cut from his classic LP, recorded in late 1963 — but it also could have been Horace Silver’s shimmering “Song for My Father,” the title tune from his 1964 masterpiece. The label remains vibrant, due to newer artists like Norah Jones, and it’s always rewarding to go back to the older recordings, helmed by legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Right now, I’m listening to Hank Mobley’s smokin’ “The Breakdown,” from Roll Call. Alfred Lion founded Blue Note, and Francis Wolff joined him shortly thereafter. Learn more about the label’s amazing history, and enjoy these timeless sounds.
01.05.09
Arresting Site of the Month, January: The North American International Auto Show
Has there ever been a year more critical to the domestic auto industry than 2009? Given all the tumult of the past few months, the (often partisan) bickering in Washington, D.C. regarding its long-term health, and the faint hope even many here in Michigan have for the Big Three, the industry’s forthcoming celebration of self makes for a natural selection as January’s “Arresting Site of the Month.”
The North American International Auto Show Web site is filled with facts and figures about the 2009 event — open to the public from January 17-25 — in addition to an image gallery, videos, and more. As of this writing, certain sections don’t hold much detail, but the site will be updated during the show. Having recently completed a contract assignment for a business that closely supports one of our state’s automaker’s, I can say that these companies (as I’m sure is true of the foreign automakers and other exhibitors) are determined to put their best foot forward, and are hoping to wow us with the fresh designs and technical innovations you’ll see and hear on the hundreds of vehicles that will be on display. GM, Ford, and Chrysler, I wish you well, and hope this year’s NAIAS helps spark a turnaround.
