'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards

As I promised yesterday, I'm beginning my examination of this year's Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominees today. Unlike past years, I'm not starting with the nominees for Outstanding Commercial. Don't worry, I'll get to the category. Instead, I'm kicking off the series by examining the nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, of which there are only two, The Librarians (PBS) and The Tale of Silyan (Nat Geo). Watch their trailers, beginning with THE LIBRARIANS | Official Trailer.

America’s war on books is more than a war on words. THE LIBRARIANS, a new feature documentary from Academy Award® nominee and Peabody Award winner Kim A. Snyder.

In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories – triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of extremism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale.

That's powerful and an example of why I pay attention to awards shows; they bring films and shows to my attention that are worth watching for the subject matter.

Next, The Tale of Silyan | Official Trailer | National Geographic Documentary Films.

A down-on-his luck farmer develops a unique bond with a wounded white stork as he nurses the bird back to health.

This is a film I can recommend to my environmental science students, as it's about both wildlife and farming, two topics in that class. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Between the two, I think The Tale of Silyan is the favorite. First, it has a second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, which I'll examine over the jump, while The Librarians has only one. Second, it earned a nomination for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in addition to Best Cinematography. The Librarians also earned a nomination at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards for Best Political Documentary, but not Best Documentary. Third, The Tale of Silyan earned nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and PGA Awards and wins at the Cinema Eye Honors Awards and Golden Trailer Awards. Yes, the trailer I embedded is a winner in its own right for Best Documentary Subject. Meanwhile, The Librarians earned nominations at the Satellite Awards and Cinema Eye Honors Awards. When the two films earned nominations at the same awards shows, The Tale of Silyan won awards and more and better nominations. Gold Derby hasn't created a predictions page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards yet, but I don't have to wait until they do; I can tell which nominee is more likely to win, especially since this is a juried award. The experts will prefer the craft and storytelling of The Tale of Silyan over the subject matter of The Librarians.

Follow over the jump for The Tale of Silyan's other nomination.

Stephen Colbert issues a correction about a Michigan voter

It's time to have some fun with Michigan politics after yesterday's serious Abortion rights are on the ballot in Michigan and elsewhere and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" has just the clip to do so with A Rare Correkshun: Michigan Voter Does Exist.

Stephen delivers an update on an election story he covered on last week's show concerning the governor's race in Michigan.

While the person Stephen thought Tudor Dixon made up actually exists, I'm still suspicious about the story. If it is real, then I agree with Stephen that he was complaining to the wrong people. Also, I'm glad Stephen told him and his audience what Tudor Dixon is — "an election-denying, transphobic, COVID-19 conspiracy theorist." I hope my readers learn that, too.

I'll have more on the election and on Daylight Saving Time, which Colbert says "is not helpful and has no upside." Stay tuned.

The most honored political documentaries of 2017 examine crime, injustice, and the Syrian Civil War

I have twice told my readers to "Stay tuned for an entry about the top political documentaries of 2017" today, so it's time for me to follow through.

Since it's awards season, I am ranking documentaries about politics, government, social issues, and the environment by counting up how many nominations and wins each film has earned at what I'm counting as the major awards shows and programs that recognize documentaries.  I'm counting films recognized by the Black Reel Awards, Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US, Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, Environmental Media Awards, USA, Film Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards, National Board of Review, Online Film Critics Society Awards, Producers Guild Documentary Awards, and Satellite Awards.  I also included two points for the Emmy Award that went to LA 92.  For every nomination, the film earns one point and every win, the film earns another point for a total of two.  Only movies that earned two or more points made the list, as they either won an award or were nominated for at least two awards; movies with only one nomination got left off.

After adding up all the points, I've ranked the qualifying films as follows with films having the same score arranged alphabetically.  To see the awards and nominations, click on the link in the title to read the relevant IMDB page.

Strong Island 12
City of Ghosts 11
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail 10
Chasing Coral 9
Cries from Syria 9
Ex Libris: New York Public Library 9
Quest 8
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power 7
Icarus 7
Whose Streets? 7
The Work 6
Dolores 5
LA 92 5
Last Men in Aleppo 5
Rat Film 4
Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS 3
Human Flow 3
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 3
Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) 2

That's an impressive list of worthy films.  I don't envy the documentary branch of the Motion Picture Academy; they had their work cut out for them, as there were 170 eligible documentaries this year.  The top five from my list alone would make for a good Oscar field, but that won't happen, if for no other reason than the fifteen film short list has already been released and  "Cries from Syria" did not make it.  In addition, "Faces, Places," "Jane," "Long Strange Trip," "One of Us," and "Unrest," which are not on my list, have made the Oscar shortlist and are as good as any of the my top five.  On top of which, "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" also made the Oscar shortlist and could make the final five based on it's being a sequel to a previous winner and as a response to the current political climate.  If so, it would probably replace "Chasing Coral," which would be a shame, if understandable.  As I have found out by examining awards shows, not every electorate is the same and the pool of voters matters.

Follow over the jump for the films arranged by general subject along with their plot summaries and my commentary.

Duggan re-elected as Detroit mayor plus local election news from across Michigan

Here's news so expected I wrote the first half of  this post's title of on Sunday: Mike Duggan wins re-election, beating Coleman Young II for Detroit mayor from WXYZ.


Congratulations to Mayor Mike Duggan!  I agree with him and the overwhelming majority of Detroiters that Detroit is moving in the right direction.  I also would like to agree with Duggan as he says "This is the year we put us-versus-them politics behind us forever," as MLive reported.

"This is the year we put us-versus-them politics behind us forever," says Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan after winning reelection, Nov. 7, 2017.

I hope that's true, but I'll have to wait to see if it is.  Until then, "One Detroit!"

The other Detroit contest I was watching was for Detroit City Clerk.  The Detroit Free Press reported Janice Winfrey re-elected Detroit clerk in tight race.

Incumbent Janice Winfrey has won re-election as city clerk in a race that went down to the wire.

With all 590 precincts reporting, Winfrey was ahead by roughly 1,400 votes, with 49,882, (50.5%). Challenger Garlin Gilchrist II had 48,400 votes (49.0%) in what election watchers predicted would be a race down to the wire.

I live out in the suburbs, not in Detroit, but I was still rooting for Gilcrist.  That should come as no surprise after what I wrote in The party starts as Michigan recount begins as ordered.

That a third of precincts in Detroit may be ineligible for a recount is not good news for anyone having their hopes up that this recount will change the result of the election.  If anything, Trump's lead may increase because of it.  It also makes me even less enamored of both Janice Winfrey, the Detroit City Clerk, and Cathy M. Garrett, the Wayne County Clerk.  Neither one of them appears to be running a tight ship, or otherwise these kinds of irregularities would happen so frequently.  If either ever is up for nomination at a Michigan Democratic Convention for Secretary of State, I'm not voting for them and might just see if I could join a group to recruit another candidate.  Barb Byrum in Ingham County or Lisa Brown in Oakland County, the first two counties to participate in the recount, would be my choices.

Winfrey deserved that scare and I hope it makes her run the Detroit City Clerk's office better.  As for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State, I doubt either Byrum or Brown will be running next year.  Jocelyn Benson, who ran for the office in 2010, is running again.  I already plan on voting for her, both at the convention and in the general election.

Follow over more election news from across Michigan.

Detroit Zoo millage renewed plus good news for libraries and parks

I told my readers to "stay tuned for more elections coverage after the polls close" at the end of Renew for the Zoo.  The polls closed four hours ago, but I can now report on the results of the zoo millage vote.  From the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo millage wins heavy support in 3 counties.

Voters were giving strong support Tuesday in renewing the millage tax that supports the Detroit Zoo.
...
With 95% of votes counted, Oakland voters were giving the zoo 74% yes votes.

In Macomb County, with about 88% of votes counted, the zoo measure led by a narrower margin: 59% were voting yes, while 41% said no.

In Wayne County, with 50 percent reporting, the zoo was leading 72 percent to 28 percent.

Yay!  Time to break out Professor Farnsworth!


Follow over the jump for other election results about libraries and the environment.

Yes votes for SMART, Detroit Library, and Wayne RESA millages

I mentioned the SMART millage renewal in Report on the 2014 Clawson 4th of July parade.

I saw a truck promoting the SMART (suburban bus system) millage renewal, which will be on the ballot in August.  I would gladly volunteer for that cause.  However, when I asked if they had any candy, the answer was no.  I told them that they didn't need me, but they would have my yes vote for the renewal.

I'm not the only one who has that opinion.  The Detroit Free Press wrote an Endorsement: Voting for SMART millage is the smart move.

On Aug. 5, voters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties will be asked to approve a tax increase to support the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) bus system.

SMART is an integral piece of the regional transit system, and it’s been hard-hit by the decline in property values — and resulting loss of tax revenue, which accounts for about 35% of its budget. Its 590-vehicle fleet is outdated, and needs replacing. Because the system can’t operate with a deficit, if voters don’t approve the millage, operations will cease, SMART general manager John Hertel says.

We urge tri-county residents to vote YES on this millage.

I'm glad one of the major Detroit dailies agrees with me.

Follow over the jump for the Free Press's endorsements of two other millages.

Examiner.com articles on wolf hunt ban and millage elections

It's time for me to follow up on Wolf hunts and millages with reports from Examiner.com.  First, Michigan's Board of State Canvassers approves second wolf hunting ban proposal.

While voters were going to the polls to decide millage and bond questions Tuesday, Michigan's Board of State Canvassers decided two issues that will affect what will be on the November ballot.

The board certified a second ballot initiative to stop the wolf hunt in the Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  This will join an existing measure that will appear before voters in November.

The commissioners also approved the language for a petition to get a new party, the Independent Non-Affiliation Party of Michigan, on the ballot this November.

So I was right about the wolf hunting initiative and wrong about the petition to put a new party on the ballot.  The latter still may not happen, as it needs 32,261 signatures from registered voters at least 100 signatures each from seven of Michigan's 14 congressional districts to get the party on the ballot this November.  Also, there is the possibility of a pro-hunting measure getting on the ballot or, worse yet, having the legislature approve it, making both anti-hunting initiatives pointless.  That written, that this second proposal will be on the ballot is a small victory for sustainability.

Next, Voters approve Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority millage overwhelmingly.

Voters in Ann Arbor and both the city and township of Ypsilanti overwhelmingly approved a millage increase for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) Tuesday.

With all precincts reporting in a light turnout of 12.74%, the proposal to increase property taxes 0.7 mill to improve bus service earned 13,949 yes votes (70.69%) to 5,783 no votes (29.31%).

Other millage proposals being voted on in Washtenaw County did not fare as well, as two school millage proposals went down to defeat while one millage was renewed.

The overwhelming approval of the AAATA millage is another blow in favor of sustainability and against austerity.*  On the other hand, the school millages being voted down I find somewhat disappointing.  Stockbridge's would have funded improvements to the buildings and purchased equipment and buses.  Those are probably necessary and the school will have to do without.  On the other hand, Pinckney's would have funded playgrounds and public recreation.  I can see why that would have been turned down.

Follow over the jump for more news on the struggle between sustainability vs. austerity from last night's elections.

Wolf hunts and millages

Today is an important day for questions of sustainability vs. austerity here in Michigan.  First, the state Board of Canvassers will be meeting today to decide whether to certify a ballot initiative to stop the wolf hunt in the state.  There is already an intitative that would do that, but the state legislature passed a measure that makes it meaningless unless the law they passed is repealed.  This new ballot measure would do exactly that.  Meanwhile, the pro-hunting forces are trying to get their own measure on the ballot.  This could mean we have three ballot initiatives about wolf hunting this November.  Won't that be fun?

The Board of Canvassers will also be considering whether to give the Independent Non Affiliation Party of Michigan ballot access.  In contrast to the ballot measure about wolf hunting, I suspect they won't approve it.

Today is also an election day for millages.  In addition to the usual school millages, there are two that I'm paying special attention to as questions of sustainability vs. austerity.  In my Examiner.com beat of Washtenaw County, there is a millage to improve service for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA AKA "The Ride").  I'm not only interested in this professionally, but personally, as I rode "The Ride" regularly for the decade I lived in Ann Arbor.  It was a great bus system then and allowed my family to go from having two cars and driving each one 100 miles a day to having one car and driving it 100 miles a week.*  Of course I'm rooting for it to pass.

The other question is a bond and millage for the Birmingham Public Library, one town over from me in Oakland County.  I'm not covering that for Examiner.com, but I am rooting for that one to pass, too.  Watch the WXYZ video.


Stay tuned for reports on all of these, whether reprinted from Examiner.com or directly on this blog, tonight.

*Of course, moving from Anaheim, California, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, helped.

Examiner.com article on library millage passing

The millage increase for the Salem South Lyon District Library passed Tuesday.
Credit: Salem South Lyon District Library Facebook page.

I concluded Examiner.com article on voter registration deadline by wishing my readers "welcome to the next installment of Save the libraries, save civilization."  I'm happy to report that civilization won.

Salem-South Lyon Library millage passes

Voters approved the millage for the Salem-South Lyon District Library overwhelmingly Tuesday night with 1205 yes votes (72.94%) to 447 no votes (27.06%).  Turnout was light, with 12.40% of all registered voters casting ballots.

The millage increased property taxes by $0.495 on each $1,000 dollars of taxable value on eligible property within the Salem-South Lyon Library District for a period of twenty years beginning this year and ending in 2033 to fund library operations.  For 2014, the measure is estimated to bring in a total of $310,103 from all eligible properties.
...
With the millage passing, the library thanked the voters on its website, saying that because of their support, the library will be able to continue the level of service its patrons have come to expect.

More at the link, including a comparison and contrast of how the residents of the City of South Lyon and Salem Township voted on the issue, the reasons for the millage, and a counterfactual about what would have happened if the millage had failed.   Good thing it didn't.

Examiner.com article on voter registration deadline

The deadline to register to vote or update one's address for the February elections in Michigan is Monday, January 27, 2013.
Credits: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Deadline to register for February election is Monday

While the next elections in Michigan are a month away, the deadline to register to vote is tomorrow.

All those who wish to vote on February 25th must be registered to vote by Monday, January 27th.  Michigan residents can find out if they are already registered by filling out the online form at the Secretary of State website.  However, if one has moved to a new city or township, one must re-register.  Also, if one has moved from one residence to another within a city or township, one must update the address.  Normally, that happens when the address on a driver's license is changed at the Secretary of State's office.
...
In Washtenaw County, residents of Salem Township will be joining others in the Salem-South Lyon Library District in voting on a millage proposal.

More details at the link in the headline.  Also, welcome to the next installment of Save the libraries, save civilization.

WXYZ follows up on DIA

In Detroit's Emergency Financial Manager asks for appraisal of DIA's collection, I promised to follow this story.  WXYZ has made it easy for me by summarizing the major points in Can the DIA be protected?


In addition to the DIA, the report mentions Belle Isle, the water system, and Manoogian Mansion.  Of those, the one that would have the greatest impact would be the water system, which I pointed out during the first month of this blog in Water wars, Detroit style, plus a programming note.  Privatization of the water system could lead to a situation much like that I described in Greenfinger.

Suez, a Vivendi affiliate, actually took over the water supply in a city in Bolivia, then lost control as a result of massive protests.

That would affect not just the 700,000+ people of Detroit, but the 4,000,000 people in the service area, which covers nearly all of Metro Detroit and then some, as parts of Washtenaw and Genesee counties get water from Detroit.  It's one of the reasons why I expressed interest in Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner; whoever occupies that position would be on the front lines of dealing with the issue, particularly if the solution is a regional board, not privatization.  Here's to hoping that Jim Nash, the new Commissioner, is up to the task.*

The report concluded by mentioning the millage to support the DIA.  I voted in favor of that and said that I was in favor of it last August.  The millage passed and, as WXYZ reported, it's having the intended effects of secure funding and increased attendance.  Selling off major parts of the collection would be a betrayal of voters like me from all three counties.

I'll conclude by repeating something from the very first post I wrote for this blog, which I quoted in Save the libraries, save civilization,the first fight over saving local cultural institutions I covered, then following up with how that applies to cultural institutions in general.

[S]aving the libraries might strike some people as frivolous, but remember that the way the humans in the book [The Mote in God's Eye] discovered the truth about [M]oties was by stumbling into a museum designed to speed the rise of Motie civilization after the next collapse.  Another example involves Canticle for Leibowitz, the plot of which revolves around a monastery that includes a library the mission of which is to help revive civilization after its collapse.  So, it's not as stupid an idea as it seems.  Thanks to that suggestion, you can expect posts on saving cultural institutions during collapse, not just for how to keep yourself fed and safe.

I continued in that spirit while spreading some Christmas cheer last year, and repeated it while recounting how I warned the Glassmen these times were coming.

I may be wishing you all a happy holiday, but this is still a blog about collapse.  Be prepared for a lot of your favorite things, especially cultural institutions to go away, or to fight very hard to keep them.

Here's to the DIA successfully fighting off Detroit's creditors.

Follow over the jump for the footnote about a future entry.

Video from Narb: How Troy saved its library

Just when I thought I had blogged everything I could about Troy's library, Narb sent me a link to this video, which describes a campaign I called "a cruel but effective political practical joke." Now that I have the story from the perspective of the people responsible, I'm describing it as "trolling for a good cause."

Troy Library from Jennie Hochthanner on Vimeo.

Yesterday's election news from WXYZ

While I'm working on an Examiner.com article on Planned Parenthood's endorsements, here's the first of two installments of videos from WXYZ about the election next Tuesday. First, Poll shows movement in senate and presidential races.


Link to story at WXYZ website: EXCLUSIVE POLL: Obama back in front, Hoekstra holds big lead on Durant.

Next, yesterday's news about local congressional races.

POLL: Cassis, Upton lead their districts

The race to replace former Livonia Congressman Thaddeus McCotter is lining up nicely for former State Senator Nancy Cassis. Meanwhile the attempt to unseat a popular West Michigan Congressman appears to be failing.

For the details at WXYZ's website, see EXCLUSIVE POLL: Nancy Cassis, Fred Upton lead in closely watched Congressional districts.

There's also an earlier video focusing on the freakshow that is the 11th District--at least the GOP half of it. The Democratic primary seems to be flying under the radar.



Race for McCotter's Seat
For a preview of the WXYZ's video's for today, see EXCLUSIVE POLL: Conyers and Peters take big leads in new districts. The 14th District primary is finally getting the attention it deserves, with only a week to go. Sweet.

Finally, there is a millage vote to support the Detroit Institute of Arts. That deserves a post of its own, but for now, watch this video.

The battle over the DIA millage is playing out between both sides of the issue.

It should come as no surprised, based on what I've written about local libraries, that I'm in favor of the millage.

Science Crime Scenes 2: Timbuktu

I have two more articles on the story I covered in the first installment of the series, which I used to lead off Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Bastille Day edition). Both of the articles are from Agence France Presse by way of Al-Ahram (Egypt) and Google.

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at ancient Timbuktu mosque
Armed with hoes, pick-axes and chisels, the Islamists who control northern Mali are accused of destroying all World Heritage sites in the region after destroying tombs in an ancient mosque
AFP
Tuesday 10 Jul 2012

The Islamists controlling northern Mali on Tuesday destroyed two tombs at the ancient Djingareyber mosque in fabled Timbuktu, vowing to destroy all World Heritage sites in the region.

Armed with hoes, pick-axes and chisels, members of Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) hammered away at the two earthen tombs until they were completely destroyed, witnesses told AFP.

"Currently the Islamists are busy destroying two tombs of Timbuktu's great Djingareyber mosque. They are shooting in the air to chase away the crowd, to scare them," one witness said earlier as the rampage began.

"The two mausolea are adjacent to the western wall of the great mosque and the Islamists have hoes, chisels, they are hitting the mausolea which are made out of packed earth," said a source close to the mosque's imam.

"They say they will destroy everything."

Al Qaeda in Mali is making the same mistake that the Taliban did in Afghanistan when they defaced the Buddha statues, except they're doing it to other members of their own faith. That's the sign of kooks: practice your mistakes; you may get them right. Fortunately, saner heads have prevailed.

Agence France Presse: Timbuktu Arabs set up armed watch at ancient tombs
(AFP) – 3 days ago

BAMAKO — Members of Timbuktu's Arab community said Wednesday they have set up an armed brigade to prevent further destruction of the tombs of ancient Muslim saints by Islamists occupying northern Mali.

"Today we have a vigilance brigade so that no one touches the mausolea of Araouane and Gasser-Cheick," said Tahel Ould Sidy, leader of the unit, referring to two tombs in the greater Timbuktu region.

Denise Oliver Velez of Daily Kos also summarized the situation in Desecration and destruction in Timbuktu. In addition to a mosque, tomb, and World Heritage Site, the diary describes the place's history as a university. It also mentions that Timbuktu is also the repository of many valuable manuscripts, which means that preserving the area from looters and vandals is the same as protecting libraries, something I've been keen on from the first post on this blog. I don't like it here in Michigan, and I don't like it on the other side of the planet, either.

Follow over the jump for videos of this story and a bonus crime scene.

The first year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Part 1 of several

Yesterday, I wrote:

I know I promised a retrospective post yesterday. Don't worry, I'm working on it and will post it tonight or tomorrow.

I've decided to make this a multi-part post spread over the rest of the month. Today's installment features an overview of the statistics and the first part of a series reflecting upon the most popular posts from the past twelve months.

Stats

During the first year of the blog, March 21, 2011 through March 20, 2012, I made 483 posts, readers posted 204 comments, and the blog received 47,808 page views. That means I averaged 40.25 posts per month. Considering that I was starting to complain of burnout by the end of last May and decided not to use Crazy Eddie's Motie News as my official blog for NaBloPoMo during June, I'm pleasantly surprised that I managed to have that much consistency and endurance in my blogging. Here's to keeping that up this coming year.

The readers also did their part, helping the blog average 3984 page views per month and 99 views per post. I'm pleased with those stats as a baseline to build on for the coming year, especially since the blog has had more than 4,000 page views per month for seven months running, including the current one that has another week to go. About the only averages I find disappointing were those involving comments, with 0.42 comments per post, 17 comments per month, and 0.0043 comments per page view. However, it's not surprising. As I've mentioned before, if I want comments, I'll cross-post my entries to LiveJournal, JournalFen, or Daily Kos. Blogspot is great for readership, but it really doesn't have the sense of community the other blogging platforms have.

Most Viewed Posts




In first place, with 615 page views and 4 comments is The New York Times reports on Troy's problems from May 20, 2011. It figures with all the posting I've done about the city of Troy, Michigan, that one of them would be the top post. However, I don't consider this to be my best post about the subject (either Troy Mayor Janice Daniels shows how to be vulnerable to a scandal or "Save the Library, save Troy" would be), just the best marketed and promoted. Here's what I wrote over at Kunstler's blog.

I'm surprised you didn't write about The Rapture as a non-event the news media would rather report on than our real problems. I did, as I thought a blog about the collapse of civilization would be remiss if it didn't have something to say about the supposed beginning of the end of the world. I guess you didn't agree. However, we might agree on the following:

No supernatural causes will be needed to bring about the collapse of civilization; the interaction of human behavior with limited resources can do that all by themselves. That end will be completely natural, not supernatural.

As for managing contraction, the New York Times reported on the Detroit suburb of Troy facing that issue. I blogged about it on Crazy Eddie's Motie News, where I have a link to the original article. It's a sign that contraction is hitting even the most well-off areas.

That comment was just about as long as the post itself. Speaking of which, this entry was the most successful of several where promising Kunstler's readers a link to an article in the New York Times got their attention--567 pages views worth, the most of any single referring page. There are at three others on this list.

I'll continue with the second most popular of the top twelve posts tomorrow. Until then, I'll leave you with my two favorite images of signs in Troy. The first is from the library millage election, and counts as a cruel but effective political practical joke. The second proves that I can fail the Butt-Head half of the Beavis and Butt-Head test. What makes it even worse is that is the exit sign for the Hooters in Troy. Think about it.

Last night's election results

Time for a follow-up to yesterday's entry about austerity being on the ballot. Take it away WXYZ!




2011 Election results

In general, the electorate voted against austerity measures last night. That makes me happy.

There are more election results in the scroll across the bottom of this next video, which is a repackaged version of the second one I featured in Republican debate at Oakland University tonight. I didn't include in my follow-up about the debate because it added very little that was new to that particular subject.




GOP Debate at Oakland University

Most of the results displayed are for candidates, not issues, but they're still revealing. Most would be considered votes for the status quo and against austerity, but two stand out. Marian Meisner McClellan beat out Naftaly for Mayor of Oak Park. She came out in support of Julie Bass and her garden. For all I know, that might have been a deciding factor. That was a vote that was both against the status quo and for sustainability. On the other hand, Daniels won the mayor's race in Troy. That's a vote for austerity, as she's a founder of the Troy Tea Party.

Detroit Science Center closed temporarily (I hope)

From WXYZ.



Money problems have at least temporarily shut down the Detroit Science Center.
The Detroit Free Press asks Will the Detroit Science Center close for good?

The Detroit Science Center has such significant cash-flow problems and bank debt that the institution may close permanently, its interim president said today.

The museum closed Monday for at least two weeks because it couldn’t guarantee that it would be able to make its biweekly payroll of about $150,000 and other expenses. All 114 employees have been furloughed, and museum leaders told staff members that permanent layoffs were possible.

“In these kinds of situations, anything is possible,” said John Miller, former vice chairman of the board, who stepped into the chief executive role on a volunteer basis when former president and CEO Kevin Prihod resigned in August.

I've been blogging about libraries since the very first post here on Crazy Eddie's Motie News. But libraries aren't the only cultural institution I care about. Museums are just as important as libraries; it's just that there are more libraries; every city has at least one, while not every city has a museum.

In my case, I find this particular closing to be very distressing, as I sent my students there for extra credit field trips, so it affects my work. I'm not the only one.

Weekly Roundup for July 31st through August 6th, 2011

This past week was probably the second busiest week for this blog so far. It surpassed last week in all categories, as I posted 16 entries, a record, readers left ten comments, and the blog received 1006 page views, only the second time that has happened. In contrast, the previous week saw 12 entries, five comments, and 783 page views. This week is off to a good start already, as two people have already left comments. You all keep reading and commenting, and I'll keep posting.




Sunday was the last day of NaBloPoMo's July Swim theme, but the only real "Swim" post that day was Weekly Roundup for July 24th through 30th, 2011 in which I recapped all of the previous week's Swim posts. It turned out that the big theme of the rest of the week wasn't the August NaBloPoMo theme, Fiction, but a continuing breaking news story, the Debt Ceiling Hostage Crisis, the resolution of which became the Satan Sandwich.

Hot for Words on the plight of libraries and bookstores

My dear students, today's video is about books and libraries.

This video came out on Monday and the timing would have been perfect to add to the Millage vote on Troy's Library today post. Better late than never.

Marina also mentions the end of Borders Books, which gave me a bonus reason to feature it today.

More millage election news

I already posted the top story from this report in Millage passes; Troy Public Library will stay open! Now the other results of last night's millage elections from the Detroit Free Press.

• Allen Park voters overwhelmingly rejected a Headlee override proposal to raise their taxes from 10.59 mills to 12.5 mills. Had it been approved, the measure would have raised about $1.8 million for the general fund. Last month, the City Council narrowly approved a $21-million budget that presumed the Headlee override would be successful. City Administrator Dave Tamsen said officials would have to look at other ways to replace the money if the measure failed.

• Center Line voters opted to tax themselves for police and fire, but not for school improvements. A 10-year, 7.5 mill tax increase won handily, whereas the plan to borrow $44.9 million for up to 30 years for a new elementary school, new athletic facilities and technology upgrades narrowly failed.

• Inkster...A proposal to borrow $20 million for 25 years to improve the city's sewer system narrowly failed.

• Livonia's charter amendment for a five-year, 1.7-mill tax for police and fire passed. The estimated revenue would be about $7 million in the first year. Another charter amendment to levy a 0.25-mill for senior services and the Greenmead Historical Village passed. The mill would raise about $1 million in the first year.

• Garden City voters passed, by six votes, a sinking fund millage that will pay for major repairs and renovations.

• In Madison Heights, Lamphere Public Schools passed a millage renewal and extended sinking fund millage.

I have only one thing to say about the Allen Park vote and the budget that was contingent on the millage passing--oops. The vote in Center Line is interesting--yes for protection, no for education. Since K-12 public education is being underfunded, I don't think that's a good thing. I think Inkster will be sorry they didn't fix the sewers. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

There were also primaries for municipal offices. Since those don't show the interplay between austerity and sustainability as directly as millage vote do, I'll just refer you to the Free Press article.