We are only to March of 2012, and I’m already over the 2012 election year. And the presidential election hasn’t even truly begun. Nevertheless, signs that it’s an election year are endless, everywhere, and frankly annoying—whether it’s bumper stickers, news coverage, or the absolute worst of them all—the campaign commercials. All of which I find to be quite uninformative. Especially considering that the majority of campaigning involves constantly putting down the other opponent and trying to get [...]

Fat Tuesday is again upon us, which is the day before Lent starts for Catholics. This is the day when traditionally Polish Catholics in the Midwest have cleaned out their pantries of sugar and lard and created the paczki. The point of making the sweet pastries, which are traditionally fried balls of dough, filled with custards, or jellies, and glazed or powdered, is to get rid of all the indulgent ingredients in your kitchen before [...]

It’s awards season in movie land. Just last week the Academy announced the nominees for best picture. I look forward to this as a way to find out about quality movies that I might have missed over the year. I try to make it a point to see as many movies that are nominated for best picture as possible. Usually I don’t succeed in seeing them all before the award show actually happens, but I [...]

Back in March of 2005, the Spinal Column did a story that was one of my most memorable assignments. I went with a reporter to photograph the Belle Isle Aquarium as it was about to be closed down. At the time it was the oldest aquarium in the country. We were given a tour of the aquarium by a docent and even got a special look behind the tanks to where the caretakers kept the [...]

On November 9, 2011 Oakland University, my alma mater, is hosting a GOP candidate presidential debate. Politics aside, I think this is a great thing for Oakland County, Michigan, and Oakland University. I think Oakland is a great school, and deserves to be in the national spotlight. Oakland is a great place to get an education. I was able to do so there by learning in the Journalism department from people who actually worked in [...]

I have been curious about the Occupy protests going on lately. When “Occupy Detroit” first started out a few weeks back, my friend and I, finding us a little bored on a freak Friday night (that I actually had off from shooting a football game), decided to head down to Grand Circus Park to check out what was going on. We were very excited to head down, and we geared up with cameras and video, [...]

Bump: n. A small area raised above the level of the surrounding surface; protuberance. A seemingly innocuous word. And yet the principal at a high school in Arizona has deemed the word “inappropriate.”  Because see the word “bumps” was used in the context of breasts—you know those body parts that roughly half the world’s population have. And let’s be honest, during the month of October the word breast—along with the color pink—is everywhere. It is [...]

If you read my previous blog, you may know that I am the owner of a Goldendoodle puppy named Lulu. A “Goldendoodle” is an expensive mutt, a mix between a standard poodle and a Golden Retriever. The breed is desirable because it is meant to combine the family friendly personality traits of a Golden Retriever with the non-shedding coat of a poodle. My dog does not shed, and that is absolutely wonderful, because my last [...]

Over the years, Facebook has made numerous changes to its site: A newsfeed to make stalking keeping up with friends more efficient. Status updates to allow you to share with the world whatever thought or inclination passes through your mind. Checking in with Foursquare so you can let everyone know exactly where you are, at what time, and with whom. And, of course, a like button for friends to “like” what you post. But something [...]

Even though summer is starting to draw to a close, this is the best time of year for garden goodies. At my house all we have gotten around to planting, well, ever, really, is tomato plants. For the past few weeks the tomatoes have started to get big and beautiful, and I have been eating them non stop. At a recent bridal shower I was seated next to a lady who lamented about how many [...]