metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
3
NEWS & VIEWS
Feedback
Readers responded to Kahn Santori Davison’s cover story profile of Detroit rapper Babyface Ray, who held a record release show for his acclaimed album FACE at Saint Andrew’s Hall last month. The article ignited a lively discussion about Detroit rap on Reddit. Great voice. My sons love his music. —@l0lafromthed, Instagram
Ray’s album is so fucking good. —Bsandhu3, Reddit 42 Dugg and Tee Grizzley are the only Detroit rappers getting played where I’m at. I always hear about some rappers
making ripples in Detroit/Pontiac/Flint , but no one is doing anything big enough to break that top 2. Also I don’t hear about Babytron anywhere but this subreddit. You hipsters would have me believe that he’s bigger than Kodak Black or Lil Durk. —Riley_, Reddit The face of Detroit changes every 33 days. —Ray229harris, Reddit Babytron is the most influential rapper of our generation. —whywl, Reddit Dat boi been a face of Detroit rap. —@ michaeljohn30, Instagram Have a comment? Of course you do! Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com.
Vol. 42 | No. 18 | Feb. 23-Mar. 1, 2022
News & Views Feedback ............................... 4 News ...................................... 6 Informed Dissent ................ 10 The Incision......................... 12 Feature Green New Deal: How what you eat today can save our children ................................ 14 What’s Going On Weekly calendar................... 18 Music A greener way to tour? ........ 20 Notes .................................... 22 Food Going green ......................... 25 Review ................................. 25 Bites ..................................... 26 Weed One-Hitters .......................... 28 Culture Film ...................................... 30 Savage Love ......................... 32 Horoscopes .......................... 34
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4 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
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metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
5
NEWS & VIEWS Comrades in coffee
Great Lakes Coffee workers in Detroit go on strike, demand better pay and working conditions By Steve Neavling
More than 100 people gathered
outsi e reat a es o ee oastin o s fla ship store in i to n etroit on e nes ay to support baristas an oo s ho ent on stri e an are eman in better a es impro e or in on itions an union representation he employees are as in for a fair ontra t that in lu es a startin a e of at least per hour proto ols anti harassment an anti is rimination prote tions a or able health ental an ision insuran e an pai time o in lu in si ays an parental lea e Baristas tell Metro Times they are o er or e un ersta e un erpai an mistreate by mana ement a apasso ho uses they them pronouns has or e at the reat a es shop at the i erto n ar et on ast e erson for si months at an hour an says they ha e ne er re ei e a brea apasso says they e or e from open to lose ithout any help. oul ha e to be there at a m an oul lea e at p m an oul or by myself all ay oin e erythin apasso tells Metro Times. o m settin up m leanin e erythin an m ma in e eryone rin s for an hour i in pay he to pay he apasso says their ar is hel to ether by u t tape be ause they an t a or repairs. apasso has or e in the o ee inustry for three to four years an their e perien e is nothin ne his is uni ersal apasso says hese issues al ays pop up here you on t no your s he ule on time they are oin sha y thin s ithout payin you they re not ommuni atin ell enou h they re not respe tin your time they re e pe tin you to o more than your ob es ription hile not i in you a pay raise hese thin s are en emi to the in ustry o hat e re oin instea of hoppin aroun to a ra e to the bottom e ery man for themsel es tryin to et a little somethin for oursel es e re sti in to ether to et somethin better for
More than 100 people showed up to support striking Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. employees who went on strike last week. STEVE NEAVLING
e eryone be ause e o eser e it tarbu s or ers a ross the ountry are also tryin to unioni e in lu in employees at multiple tarbu lo ations in i hi an n anuary reat a es o ee s shop in i to n lose after employees sai a la of proto ols le to an outbrea of the irus Be aster ho has or e at the store for nine months says she trie to arn mana ement but as i nore i ht before the outbrea happene myself an a o or er sent multiple emails to mana ement as in for proper proto ols to be put in pla e an e ot little to no response from them aster says his la of ommuni ation an isrespe t
6 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
has been a onsistent problem at the ompany sin e before my time he a s o or er shoul ha e to hoose bet een a or in to pay their rent or prote tin their health an the health of their ommunity e ill be on stri e until e ha e our union re o ni e an a fair ontra t he employees are re uestin o al a metro etroit hospitality or ers union to represent them urin bar ainin reat a es o ee or ers are po erful e amples of in i i uals in a histori ally non unioni e in ustry pushin to impro e their e istin obs an ht for hospitality obs to ome ba stron er as the e onomy reboun s o al resi-
ent ia inston sai urin a rally on e nes ay in support of the stri e s ser i e in ustry employers stru le to in ba or ers reat a es o ee oastin ompany or ers are emonstratin e a tly hat is nee e to o so safer obs ith oo a es bene ts an union representation etroit ity oun il oman abriella antia o omero an state ep braham iyash ere also on han to support the employees t is not ho har e ha e to or for the little amount e et pai hen e no amn ell that hen e ome to reat a es they are oin ust ne antia o omero sai urin the rally e nee to ma e sure that e et a pie e of the pie
NEWS & VIEWS Dam
DNR kills some beavers on Detroit’s Belle Isle By Lee DeVito
A decade ago, beavers returned to etroit s Belle sle for the rst time in a century, causing celebration among environmentalists. But now it seems the rodents have worn out their welcome on Detroit’s island park, or at least with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which has run it since 2014. On Thursday, the department announced it had killed some beavers during a Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee meeting. Ron Olson, DNR’s chief of parks and re reation on rms that the epartment killed four beavers on Belle Isle and the nearby Milliken State Park. Olson tells Metro Times the DNR isn’t trying to exterminate the aquatic mammals from the parks, but only trying to keep their population in check. Each pair of beavers has around four young, and around this time of year they start moving out of their dens and establishing their own territories. “We’re not trying to eradicate beavers on Belle Isle,” Olson says. “Beavers move around the Detroit River quite proli ally an e belie e there s probably as many as eight beavers on Belle Isle, which is a lot.” The beavers have been causing a nuisance for the DNR since 2017, when they started felling willow trees along the park’s scenic Lake Okonka. At the time, DNR started installing wire fences around the existing willows, and discussed possibly relocating the animals. But Olson says the beaver population on Belle Isle is starting to cause problems. Aside from eating the willow trees, the beavers are causing some floo in in the par s oo e areas At Milliken State Park, a wetland there is used as a naturalized stormwater management facility. In recent years, the etroit area has seen an influ of floo in ue to storms ith in reasin se erity hi h o ials ha e sai are likely caused by warming temperatures brought by human-led climate change. “We can’t have a beaver dam up that waterway,” Olson says. Olson notes DNR also removed some beavers on Belle Isle a few years ago. “The population is still strong. We did not get rid of all the beavers. There’s still a number of them there,”
A beaver spotted on Detroit’s Belle Isle.
MELISSA MCLEOD
“Let us all have a moment of silence for those no longer busy Belle Isle beavers. There must be a more humane way to treat our mammalian cousins.” he says. “It’s a very calculated management strategy.” When asked why DNR didn’t trap and release the beavers, Olson says it’s because they could just come back. “There are a lot of beavers along the Detroit River, so there is no fear of a reduced population,” he says. “I know it can create some anxiety on the part of people, but it’s a management strategy that’s used quite often statewide.” Indeed, the news of the beaver removal made some park-goers upset. “Let us all have a moment of silence for those no longer busy Belle Isle beavers,” Chris Martin wrote on Facebook. “There must be a more humane way to treat our mammalian cousins.” “I agree,” wrote Micki Skwiera Patterson. “Possibly a catch and release program? It’s a sad way considering it’s nature taking its course.” Melissa McLeod, a self-taught nature photographer who shares her photos of
Motor City wildlife on Instagram as @ feral_detroit, says she has been spotting beavers on Belle Isle for the past e years “I’m really shocked,” McLeod tells Metro Times. “It was like a huge deal because they hadn’t been spotted in like a century.” McLeod says the beavers have been multiplying along the river, and have also been spotted downriver in Lake Erie Metro Park in Brownstown. McLeod says after years of observing the a uati reatures she felt an a nity for them. “I for sure felt a connection,” she says. “And also, I mean, they’re a keystone species. They play a way more important role in the environment than willow trees, not that the willow trees don’t matter. But I’m thinking it’s more of an issue of cosmetics.” McLeod says she has seen the fallen willow trees regrow. “I could take you and show you that if they’re cut a cer-
tain way, the tree doesn’t die,” she says. “You can see the stump and then shoots start growing out of it. So those trees may not even be dead.” She adds, “Beavers have been doing this since the beginning of time … they’re doing what they do. It was celebrated 10 years ago, and now all of a sudden, it’s an issue?” Olson says it’s not quite so simple. “It’s not so much as cosmetic,” he says. “When they feed, they’re taking out trees that are also part of the area that people use for shade. The landscapes, the wooded area, are very naturalized. That’s part of the ecosystem, and we don’t mind that. But the problem is when the population gets too big, and then they migrate out and start destroying the other trees, then you ha e to in of ure out hat is the proper balance.” DNR has reported an increase in attendance since it took over the park in 2014, under an emergency management agreement reached by former Governor Rick Snyder and former emergency manager Kevyn Orr. Since DNR took over, tens of millions of dollars of investments have been made to the park. “I think it’s kind of a competition between, you know, who gets to shape Belle Isle more, us or them?” McLeod wonders. “And of course, it’s going to be us.”
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
7
NEWS & VIEWS The Best of the Rest
Michigan lawmakers failed to enact any gun laws as firearm violence continues to rise By Steve Neavling
As gun violence continued to
increase in Michigan, state lawmakers failed to enact any new legislation to prote t resi ents from rearms last year Be ause of that the i or s a Center to Prevent Gun Violence on Monday gave Michigan a “C+” for its gun laws and said the state “should invest in community violence intervention programs, require background he s on all rearm pur hases reate extreme risk protection orders, and stren then restri tions on rearm access by people who have committed omesti iolen e In 2020, the last year for which statistics are available, 1,454 people died as a result of rearm in uries in i hi an a in rease o er the pre ious year Driving the increase was gun homicides, which made up 46% of all rearm eaths in the state in he gun homicide rate increased 47% from to he number of rearm sui i es rose slightly, from 761 deaths in 2020 to 742 in Nationwide, more than 45,000 people were killed by guns in 2020, the hi hest number in e a es oo many ommunities ha to re on with the trauma and pain of surging gun violence, armed hate, and racial discrimination — all in the midst of the on oin pan emi obyn homas e e uti e ire tor of i or s a Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said in a statement hat our ore ar shows, year after year is that it is possible to take action to end this senseless iolen e tates ith stron un safety laws have fewer gun deaths — but ille al tra in lea es resi ents of these states ulnerable his pro ress must extend to every single state across the nation Michigan didn’t receive a failing
When it comes to gun laws, Michigan is barely passing, according to one advocacy group.
grade because it requires partial gun owner licensing, has a state database of background checks for handguns, partially retains state rearm sales records, and keeps records for lost and stolen rearms Michigan lacks universal background checks for long guns, extreme risk protection orders, assault weapon restri tions su ient omesti iolen e gun laws, large capacity magazine ban, strong concealed carry law, open carry regulations, child access prevention laws, and community violence interention fun in Following the deadly mass shootin at for i h hool on o Democratic state lawmakers introduced legislation that would limit the capacity of ammunition magazines and impose penalties for unsafe gun stora e tate enate emo rats also proposed regulations to remove guns from people who may be a danger to themsel es or others Passing regulations on guns, however, is an uphill battle because Republicans, who have resisted such measures, ontrol the state ouse an enate n the fe eral le el ep lissa lot in intro u e le islation in ecember that would require gun owners to safely se ure rearms
— and appeared to target many Blackma ority ities In fact, Detroit was one of the top 10 cities where investors bought the highest shares of homes, according to data from the real estate ompany e n or in to the analysis of home sales in ma ority Bla nei hborhoo s were bought by investors, compared with in other o es n etroit hi h is more than 80% Black, 19% of homes purchased last year were bought by investors — more than the typical metro, and hi her than its rate of he analysis onsi ers real estate investors to be large corporations, local companies, or wealthy individuals who generally don’t live in the properties they are buyin ho either loo to flip the homes to ne buyers or rent them he buyin spree omes at a time of escalating home prices, putting a squeeze on would-be homeowners, and exacerbating the racial inequality gap in enerational ealth here is a massi e ra ial homeo nership gap in this country, which is a serious problem because owning a home is a key to building intergenerational wealth and reducing racial inequality overall,” sai en obert enen e a e ersey Democrat, according to The Post. According to the analysis, investors bought nearly one in seven homes sold in America’s top metro areas, the most in at least t o e a es —Lee DeVito
Investors bought record number of homes in maBiden unveils $1B plan jority-Black cities like to clean up polluted Detroit in 2021 ast year outsi e in estors obble Great Lakes waterways
up houses in metropolitan areas across the country at an alarming rate, an analysis by The Washington Post found
8 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
resi ent oe Bi en rolle out a billion plan hurs ay to lean up polluted waterways around the Great
SHUTTERSTOCK
a es re ion he reat a es estoration nitiati e hi h is part of the trillion infrastructure bill that Biden signed into law last year, will help clean up 25 polluted waterways and other “areas of on ern liste by the n ironmental rote tion en y f those are in i hi an hey include the Detroit River, the River ou e the t lair i er an the linton i er in metro etroit e re in estin li e ne er e er in history Bi en sai in a spee h in orain hio or e a es there as a lot of tal a lot of plans but ery little pro ress t as slo hat han es to ay Crews will remove sediment and restore habitat along the Detroit River and River Rouge, which have been contaminated by industrial emissions, su h as hea y metals n the linton i er an t lair i er, pollutants from urbanization, such as oil, grease, fecal bacteria, and other aste ill be remo e he ontamination has resulted in beach closings and loss of sh an il life habitat ur reat a es are a ay of life they support the economy, stand-up, oo payin obs an allo ommunities a ess to out oor re reation ep ebbie in ell earborn sai in a statement Biden said some of the waterways are an erously pollute he i est built meri a n e re buil in it a ain Bi en sai Other cleanups are planned for the Kalamazoo River, Manistique River, us e on i er i er aisin a ina i er Bay or h a e an t arys i er —Steve Neavling
3/10 KILLSWITCH ENGAGE w/ August Burns Red & Light The Torch
3/12
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
w/ Foxing & Michigander LOW TICKET ALERT
THIS FRIDAY
DROPKICK MURPHYS W/ JESSE AHERN
MARCH 4
3/17
PAPA ROACH
3/21
SNOH AALEGRA
SLASH
FEAT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS
w/ Hollywood Undead & Bad Wolves w/ Ama Lou LOW TICKET ALERT
3/26 ARI SHAFFIR, BIG JAY OAKERSON & ROBERT KELLY
MARCH 8
CLAIRO
W/ ARLO PARKS
MARCH 9
4/2
RANDY RAINBOW: THE PINK GLASSES TOUR
4/3 4/11
SOLD OUT LOW TICKET ALERT DR. JORDAN B. PETERSON: BEYOND ORDER
4/8
DR. NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: COSMIC COLLISIONS
UNDEROATH VOYEURIST W/ SPIRITBOX, BAD OMENS, STRAY FROM THE PATH
4/14 JESSE JAMES DECKER w/ Adam Doleac
4/19
ROYAL BLOOD
4/24 CAVETOWN
w/ Tessa Violet & Addison Grace
MARCH 11
MARCH 13
W/ SLOW MAGIC
W/ AJ TRACEY & 454
MADEON
AMINÉ
4/27 KALEO
w/ Bones Owens
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
9
NEWS & VIEWS Informed Dissent
Democrats are screwed and it’s the left’s fault (allegedly) By effrey . Billman
The benefit (drawback?)
of running your own news organization is that no one’s going to tell you your reporting is lazy and your story reeks of a conclusion in search of evidence. And so we have “Squad politics backre by ios i e llen an e er ise in Smart Brevity™ that blames the recall of school board members in San Francisco on progressive women who don’t live in or represent San Francisco. f you re s rat hin your hea here s an e planation “The hard-left politics of Rep. Ale an ria asio orte an the so alle ua on e a ominant theme for vast numbers of elected emo rats is ba rin bi time on the party in po er top emo rats tell us llen rites he push to efun the poli e rename s hools an tear o n statues has reate a si ni ant obsta le to emo rats eepin ontrol of the ouse the enate an the party s o erall ima e o support his theory llen interie s a the lea er of the self style roblem ol ers au us b the o founder of the 1990s throwback group hir ay an borro s an uote from former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of orth a ota ho llen for ets to mention ta es ar money to lobby a ainst ta in ri h people eir ho the illains are omen of olor hile the good guys share Allen’s melanin le el he ist enou h of this so ial usti e bullshit. o loo an ran is o politi s are … unique? The school board devolved into self-parody. It announced plans to rename s hools in lu in those honorin eor e ashin ton braham in oln an en ianne einstein urin the pan emi hen the ity s s hools ere lose ne member no re alle sue her ollea ues for million be ause she as riticized over dumb tweets. But what sealed the deal was the
The narrative is here: AOC and the Squad are being blamed for the Democrats’ failures.
decision to end merit-based admissions at an elite sian ma ority hi h s hool hi h the hinese ommunity ie e as an attack. That’s a complicated issue that e neither the spa e nor the e pertise to a ress here it su es to say that it was not handled with sensitivity. n short the s hool boar embarrasse themsel es pisse the ity o an at the mayor s re uest the city got rid of three of them. To Allen’s point all me hen an ran is o replaces them with Republicans who want to ban aus and rail against critical race theory. ntil then let s not for e a s uare peg into the round hole. hat s not to say emo rats on t et span e in o ember or that they re not losin ulture ar hts hey probably ill an they e nitely are But that s not the left s fault emo rats are losin the ulture ar be ause they re not htin it llen s other e i en e only pro es the point epubli ans e isi e s eep of state i e o es in ir inia as po ere in part by emo rats failure to appreciate parents’ skepticism about publi s hools mas man ates policies on transgender rights and approa h to tea hin about ra e et me rephrase ir inia epublicans turned the pandemic into a wedge issue an playe to people s bi otry an hat o you no it or e But it’s [checks notes] the Squad’s fault for antin to eep people ali e eep marinali e an bullie hil ren safe an teach a version of history that doesn’t treat the ar of orthern ression
10 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
as a states ri hts erfu e hile e re on the sub e t oes Allen really think that removing statues of treasonous human tra ers refle ts poorly on emo rats Here’s the dirty little secret of Amerian politi s the thin e eryone ho stu ies it no s but a oi s sayin the lowest common denominator works. As a rule oters aren t terribly sophisti ated. The media once served as a gateeeper of isinformation but bet een the fra mentation of so ial me ia the ell or ani e ell fun e ri ht in propa an a ma hine an the mainstream media’s determination to give crackpots and charlatans legitimacy in the name of ob e ti ity e are a ash in bullshit. n short people not ust hite people by the ay are sus eptible to populism an ema o uery to authoritarian and racist appeals. If they eren t no one oul use them hat the hir ay roblem ol ers types ant is for emo rats to aban on so ial usti e battle el s in search of rural and working-class white oters oin i entally this also seems to be the sage wisdom of the Beltway establishment me ia unny that t oul be one thin if the emocratic Party really had gone over a left in li But oseph obinette Bi en is presi ent not Bernie an ers or Elizabeth Warren. The party’s most powerful person is a conservative senator from est ir inia a state onal rump on by points o one s tal ing about defunding the police. They’ll be lu y to et a upreme ourt usti e
SHUTTERSTOCK
through. If reality and the public’s perception aren t ali ne that s not a ua problem. Republicans have turned e erythin mas s a ines s hool losures history lasses trans athletes into an e istential ulture ar an emo rats ne er ure out hat to o hen atta s they rst reet ith eye rolls gain traction. The consultant class always wants en an ere ems to ple e un ying fealty to the police and promise to personally hunt down asylum seekers. t on t help he se on emo rats meet ra e ith uies en e the ame is o er n a polari e era politi s requires giving your base something to care about. hat oesn t mean e ery emo rat has to share the same alues e alrea y ha e one ma or party that s turne into a ult t means they nee to stop letting themselves get caricatured. ule of thumb f the other uy believes in his lunacy more than you belie e in your sanity you re oin to lose There are myriad factors arrayed a ainst emo rats this year nflation of ourse but also the enate s fe lessness erryman erin the history of bein a presi ential party in a mi term an it seems pun its ith their hea s burie in their asses ore than that an ry ra i ali e epubli ans an emo rats ho ha e alrea y a epte defeat. f you ant to blame that on perhaps that says more about you than her. et more at billman.substac .com.
2/25 GIMME GIMME DISCO 3/1 3/2 3/6
MAR 11 YOLA ST. ANDREWS
MAR 12 KAT VON D ST. ANDREWS
W/ PRAYERS
TOMM¥ CA$H
AT THE SHELTER
CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON
AT THE SHELTER
AYRON JONES
AT THE SHELTER
3/17 SUMMER SALT
W/ RENATE ZEIGUER & KATE STEPHENSON AT THE SHELTER
3/18 EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN 3/19 RITTZ
W/ GRIEVES, TRIZZ, AND REDD AT THE SHELTER
MAR 13 EPIK HIGH ST. ANDREWS
W/ WOOSUNG
MAR 15 INHALER ST. ANDREWS
W/ JUNIOR MESA
3/20 ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES
W/ THEE SACRED SOULS
3/22 JESSE & JOY
W/ LITTLE JESUS & CHULE
3/23 POINT NORTH
W/ LIL LOTUS, CONCRETE CASTLES & CHERIE AMOUR AT THE SHELTER
3/24 POPPY
W/ MZ NEON
PUCK MAR 16 KNUCKLE W/ HOT MULLIGAN, MEET ME ST. ANDREWS
@ THE ALTAR, & ANXIOUS
FOR A KING MAR 21 FIT W/ SILENT PLANET, ST. ANDREWS
HOLLOW FRONT, & AVOID
3/26 CIRCLE JERKS
W/ 7 SECONDS & NEGATIVE APPROACH
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
11
NEWS & VIEWS The Incision
Inflation explained (by an epidemiologist) By Abdul El-Sayed
Chances are if you’ve pumped
gas, picked up meat at your local grocer, made home improvements, or, God forbid, bought a car — you’ve felt the pin h on your po etboo nflation is one of those big scary words used in economics — something that you see and feel immediately. The median American family of four makes a mere a year inflation an ut up a paycheck rather quickly. he fa t that inflation is the pro u t of a set of forces to which we’re blissfully ignorant makes it all the scarier. Prices continue to climb, we’re left no choice but to pony up. m no e onomist But as inflation has captured our minds more than any single political issue — absent, maybe, an impending world war — I decided I should go out looking for answers to some of the questions we may all share. And economists have a way of opining ell outsi e their el so ure they might not mind an epidemiologist doing the same. Indeed, after a deep dive into the literature and some conversations with economists, I’ve found some answers. It turns out epidemiology may be more relevant than I had thought. This week, I’m writing a two-part series on inflation ere e ll ut into the auses behin our urrent inflation. On Thursday, we’ll look at the role corporations are playing in accelerating it. Let’s cut in.
What is inflation?
ut simply inflation is the e aluation of urren y inflate means full of hot air”). That means that every dollar is worth less in terms of the quantity of goods and services that dollar can command. Though economists differ on exactly how best to measure inflation the ol stan ar measure is the consumer price index — which measures the average month-on-month change in the price of a suite of goods that the common American family may purchase, such as gas, groceries, or cars. If, for example, the cost of that suite of goods is 7% higher in February of
It turns out epidemiology may be relevant to the economy.
2022 than it was in the same month last year, that means we’ve had 7% annual inflation little bit of inflation say or 3% — is an expected byproduct of the modern economy. But too much an start to ri e an inflationary y le that falls har est on people ith e incomes, like seniors. nflation o urs hen too mu h money chases too few products. Because there are too few products for the amount of money chasing them, the money has less purchasing power — is inflate n supply an eman terms it means that there’s either too much demand or too little supply. By thinking through plausible explanations on either side of the supply and demand function, we can start to piece together hy e re fa in su h inflation ri ht now.
The pandemic economy
Surprise, surprise — we’re going to be thinking a lot about that other thing that’s happening right now, the pandemic. Let’s consider the demand side. First, the pandemic fundamentally changed consumer preference. Rather than purchase services — like nice meals out or fli hts an hotels people e i e to invest in durable goods they could use throughout this period. The demand for homes, home improvements, cars, and consumer electronics soared. Meanwhile, COVID stimulus checks an other nan ial bene ts that ere critical to stabilizing the economy put a bit more money in pockets that previously hadn’t had much. And credit card debt is lower than it’s been in years. But that also meant that folks who, as a
12 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
SHUTTERSTOCK
The imbalance in demand — shifting from services to goods — happened just as COVID wreaked havoc upon our supply chain. function of the radical inequality in our society, were usually too strapped to invest in these consumer goods had the opportunity to do just that. The imbalance in demand — shifting from services to goods — happened just as COVID wreaked havoc upon our supply chain. I ordered a new vehicle last April. It didn’t come until October. For about two months it sat in a lot without a computer chip. That’s not only because more people were buying cars, but because suppliers couldn’t make or transport them fast enough. Think about all the ways COVID could interfere: worker outages at manufacturing facilities, worker outages at ports and dockyards, fewer truckers on the roads, and so on. So we have a changing demand meeting limited supply. When we look at the CPI, this tracks. Remember, the index is an average — so the topline doesn’t ne essarily refle t e ual in reases across the board. Particularly steep increases in a single sector can drive up the average overall. That’s what seems to be happening. The latest CPI is driven mainly by increasing energy prices and new and used cars.
last. As I’ve written in the past, this pan emi is not a ne normal his too, shall pass. The question is how long the economic disturbances it has caused will last. Economists mainly agree that the most an erous inflation inflationary spirals — sets in when wages start to build in adjustments for it across the economy. Worker contracts literally stipulate 7-10% year-on-year growth beause or ers simply assume that inflation is going to eat into their paychecks. That then drives up labor costs across the economy, which in turn drives up prices, and so on. From what we understand, we’re not quite there. Though this is longer lasting than many economists had expected, owing in large part to the delta and omicron surges prolonging the pandemic, we may yet be approaching a new normal. Which is why, in the grand scheme, if you want to understan inflation it may be better to be an epidemiologist than an economist (well, at least for now). We’ll cut into the role that corporate greed is playing in accelerating all this in part two. Stay tuned.
How bad is it?
Originally published Feb. 15 in The Incision. Get more at abdulelsayed. substack.com.
The big question on every macroeconomist’s mind is how long this will
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
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FEATURE
14 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
How what you eat
TODAY
The following is excerpted from Michael Betzold’s new book, The Green New Meal: What You Eat Impacts Us All, which is available now.
T
hrough most of history, only the wealthiest or the most talented could bequeath to their o spring material or artistic treasures. Because human civilization is now at an unprecedented crossroads, anyone — rich or poor, accomplished or unsuccessful — today can leave to their children and grandchildren something of great value: a htin han e to sur i e But if you don’t act very soon, you’ll leave them nothing but an apocalypse. Our gift to those who will follow us in this world requires only that we be willing to relinquish a habit that harms all inhabitants of our planet. If enough of us embrace this unique opportunity and do so quickly, we can leave behind a transformed world of more kindness. Doesn’t that seem like an easy choice? So why isn’t it happening? Why is the step we must take often left out of the discussion altogether? On June 7, 2021, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography reported that the level of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere had once again hit a new all-time high — as it has every year since the institute began measuring that greenhouse gas at the peak of Mauna Loa in Hawaii in 1956. This record CO2 level got little attention. Many media outlets didn’t even report it. It elicited, at most, a collective shrug.
Isn’t it remarkable that we’ve grown accustomed to living with the most daunting, overwhelming, frightening prospect in human history? That such signs of the impending collapse of our civilization don’t even command the attention of most people? Extreme and even deadly weather events clearly caused by human-made climate disruption are now routine. s these latest alarms ent o my partner’s great-granddaughter was starting her thirteenth month of life. With every climate wake-up call, we are again jolted into clearer awareness that much of her life could be a struggle for survival in an unimaginably hellish world. That thought is intolerable. News reports continue to pass over a key aspect of the climate story. Why don’t they say that despite the enormity of the threat, we each hold the power to do something to prevent catastrophe? Our civilization is imminently endangered by global temperatures rising to unprecedented levels, with consequences so drastic they are almost unthinkable. What is rapidly unfolding now is a global climate emergency. And that’s exactly how it was characterized in a report issued in October 2021 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of scientists convened by the United Nations. The New York Times noted just how dire the IPCC’s conclusions were: “Even if nations started sharply cutting emissions today, total global warming is likely to rise around 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next two decades, a hotter future that is now essentially locked in.” With a climate that warm, the Times said in summarizing the report, “nearly one billion people worldwide could swelter in more frequent life-threatening heat waves. Hundreds of millions
more would struggle for water because of severe droughts. Some animal and plant species alive today will be gone. oral reefs hi h sustain sheries for lar e s aths of the lobe ill su er more fre uent mass ie o s “Every additional degree of warming brings far greater perils, such as ever more i ious floo s an heat a es worsening droughts and accelerating sea-level rise that could threaten the existence of some island nations,” the Times summarized the IPCC report as saying, adding that it noted that the last decade “is quite likely the hottest the planet has been in 125,000 years. “ Is the world on an emergency footing? Hardly. Many people won’t even acknowledge they smell the smoke. e re all oin to su er if enou h of us don’t take the recommended action. And the climate emergency is the No. 1 public health concern of all time. In terms of potential impact, it makes COVID look like a hiccup. The full scope of the problem — the need to tackle all sources of harmful atmospheric emissions and the real and extreme urgency of the threat to civilization —is rarely explored in an honest and comprehensive way by the so-called “adults” in the room. In 2019, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg told the gathering of lobal nan ial lea ers “Adults keep saying: ‘We owe it to the young people to give them hope.’ But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. “I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on re Be ause it is There’s abundant evidence that the
climate emergency is not just some a ue far o threat n ustralia an alifornia ha their orst res in recorded history, with millions of acres of forests aflame onsumin to ns roasting people alive before they had enou h time to flee throu h ra in infernos, and threatening major population centers. Online, you can view clips from real-life disaster movies, with people barely es apin the onfla rations with their lives while losing their homes and belongings. On July 9, Death Valley reached 130, mat hin the hottest eri e temperature ever recorded on Earth. By July 20, there ere lar e res in the an 200 in British Columbia. The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon prompted evacuations and produced its own weather — towering pyrocumulonimbus clouds propelling smoke and ash 45,000 feet into the atmosphere, spawning rain and lightning and erratic winds which ma e re hters temporarily retreat In Detroit and Toronto, a blood-red sun rose through windblown haze produced by smo e from res in anitoba In the ensuing months, blistering heat waves killed hundreds of people in the United States and Canada. The Dixie Fire destroyed one town and for e thousan s to flee their homes in Northern California. We are already living in an extreme climate emergency. The magnitude of what’s unfolding is an emergency affecting almost every place in the world — and it’s only going to get worse unless we act on the entire problem. Sea-level rise is already endangering the treasures of Western civilization in eni e n many other floo prone cities throughout the world face calamity. The low-lying nation of Bangladesh is home to 150 million people, many
can save our children By Michael Betzold • Illustrations by Ragon Dickard metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
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of them poor and already coping with fre uent floo in f the seas rise three more feet hi h is sure to happen this entury unless somethin si ni ant han es ery soon a fth of Ban la esh will become permanently uninhabitable hi h means million people ill ha e to relo ate u h han es are alrea y reatin millions of limate refu ees n the nite tates mu h of the outh est is be omin too hot an par he for human habitation ith ater a s ar e an e pensi e resour e he ast oast an ulf oast are in reasin ly pla ue by hurri anes an risin sea le els an people ill soon ha e to mo e from ma or population enters near the sea n omin e a es ities li e hi a o an etroit ill see a massi e influ of limate refu ees be ause they still ha e a tolerable limate relati ely fe e treme eather e ents an plenty of ater at least for no e re not ust hea in to ar isastrous limate han e e a es o n the roa it s alrea y happenin he lon er e put o appropriate a tion in response the more e re puttin our hil ren an ran hil ren in ra e peril e re rapi ly runnin out of time an approa hin an erous tippin points beyon hi h there is no turnin thin s aroun no matter hat is one lrea y set in motion are se eral pro esses that if left una resse e an ne er re erse ne is the albe o e e t hite surfa es refle t sunli ht ar surfa es absorb it s the polar i e aps melt ast stret hes of hite are repla e by more ar surfa es hi h absorb more heat from the sun a eleratin the armin in a self reinfor in fee ba loop nother unpre e ente e ent ith un no n impli ations is the more fre uent appearan e of massi e methane as bubbles in the r ti u e amounts of that potent reenhouse as ha e been trappe un er the polar i e for enturies he methane has alrea y starte to es ape as the r ti permafrost tha s o one no s ho mu h ill surfa e an further heat the atmosphere ast s at hes of rainforest hi h absorb arbon io i e are isappearin he ma on is the sin le most important safe uar on the planet a ainst a limate atastrophe By itself it pro u es per ent of our planet s o y en ientists on t no e a tly hen these tippin points ill be rea he an if surpasse ho mu h heat they ill a to the atmosphere his un ertainty alls into uestion any estimate timeline for e isi e a tion e on t ha e the lu ury to ait any lon er to ta e e e ti e ountermeasures onsi erin there are so many
16 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
un no ns that the le el of armin is unpre e ente in human history an the onse uen es of an insu ient response so e astatin it is stunnin ho asually the orl has so far respon e o far the most notable international response is the aris limate or en if met its mo est an fairly a ue oals oul not pre ent further atastrophi isruption the ea ly res rou hts an hurri anes e e been seein that ill ontinue to orsen if the orl sees a temperature rise bet een an e rees elsius o ieties oul ha e to a ept the floo in of ma or ities the ispla ement of population enters an the massi e mi rations sure to result as the latest report emphasi e n a ma or ause of the limate emer en y is not a resse at all in the aris a or e nhan a lea in en ironmental spe ialist at the orl Ban notes that the amount of rene able ener y infrastru ture nee e to stop limate han e has been estimate by the nternational ner y en y to ost at least trillion an ta e at least t enty years by hi h time it s pro e te to be too late to re erse limate han e he report on lu e that e en if all the ple es to a ress the limate ma e by all the ountries to ate were implemented, they would, according to the New York Times summary of the report result only in a per ent e rease in emissions by ell short of the per ent ut nee e to eep the orl on tra to meet the most ambitious aims of the aris a reement er the past years it s be ome inreasin ly ob ious that our i ili ation is in ire an er yet that approa hin apo alypse is too often shru e o or ishe a ay en as it starts to o er helm us e an t belie e the isaster unfol in ri ht before our eyes Billions are bein in este alrea y in buil in resilien e by usin the hi h te h e ui alent of hi her sea alls hese infrastru ture har enin measures are often hara teri e as a aptation to limate han e e ten in the illusion that someho i ili ation can continue in a much hotter climate hen many pla es are alrea y stru lin ith the limate e ha e reate ettin to net ero arbon emissions by or or or some other future ea line ill ne er by itself sa e our i ili ation hat s be ause e ha e to re u e not ust arbon emissions but all reenhouse asses o o e o that ot ust by turnin o n our thermostats ettin better milea e an re y lin e e been oin those thin s for e a es hose a tions are insu ient be ause the sour e of
mu h of our i ili ation s ea ly emissions is hat e eat or in to a nite ations report pro u tion of meat auses more reenhouse as emissions than all the planes trains an ars in the orl ombine he billions of ruminants we eat each year belch methane, a reenhouse as to times more potent than carbon dioxide, and they e rete fe es lle ith nitrous o i e hi h is an estimate times more potent than he orl esour es nstitute says e ll nee a per ent e rease in onsumption of animal foo s to meet the reenhouse as emissions tar ets set in aris hat is a oal that an be met or e ee e if e all o our part ost of our farmlan is use to raise rops to fee the animals e eat mu h of our ener y is use to transport their bo y parts to mar et an those a ti ities pro u e a hu e amount of reenhouse as emissions atin animals is by most measures the lar est sin le ri er of human in u e limate han e n it s the one aspe t of the limate emer en y that e as in ii ual onsumers an a e t by hoosin hat e eat e ery ay n a ition to the ire t emissions of methane an nitrous o i e lar e s ale animal a ri ulture e ra es the en ironment an ontributes to arbon emissions in many other ays he ma on an other rainforests are bein ut o n to reate lan for li esto ra in an for rops to fee attle e re turnin them from arbon sin s to arbon pro u ers hi h is orsenin the risis lmost all the animals e eat in the are raise on fa tory farms onentrate animal fee in operations s a tory farms are pla es of torture, mutilation, and experimentation on li in sentient bein s nimals li e in spa es so rampe they an t turn aroun hey ne er o outsi e or see the s y nimals are imprisone fattene up ith hormones an slau htere as soon as they rea h the optimal ei ht s are hat i e us the Bi a the meal an all the meat pa a e to on eal the animals ithin the orl s sna foo n ustrial animal a ri ulture is su h a massi e enterprise that if attle ere a ountry it oul be the thir lar est emitter of reenhouse asses in the orl behin hina an the atin animals at the s ale e o billion a year is a terribly inhumane an erous an ine ient ay of ettin alories into the stoma hs of human bein s nhan emphasi es epla in
animal pro u ts ith alternati es o ers uni ue ual opportunities to re u e reenhouse as emissions ui ly hile freein up lan to enable more trees to apture e ess atmospheri arbon in the near term o repla in animal pro u ts ith alternati es seems to be the only pra mati ay to re erse limate han e before it is too late n fa t if e eryone on arth restri te onsumption of animals to ust on e a ee it oul e ual sa in the emissions from billion miles of ri in ars ost of these ell o umente fa ts about the e astatin osts of eatin so many animals too often o unmentione or are ui ly losse o er in is ussions about limate he massi e ontribution of animal a ri ulture to our limate emer en y is lar ely ept hi en from onsumers f e hope to preser e life on arth e must han e our iet en if all other tar ets on arbon neutrality are met on
his entitlement for the meat in ustry ma es plant base foo less ompetiti e in pri e hile our o ernment is toutin its urrent an future in estments in reen an sustainable ener y an infrastru ture as meanin ful steps to ountera t the limate risis it s also spen in billions fuelin that same risis by subsi i in meat an airy pro u ts hose of us ho on t eat animals subsi i e people ho o n a ition o ernments oul start to label foo pro u ts ith a urate ures informin onsumers ho hat they buy ontributes to reenhouse as emissions o foo items must be labeled with calorie and fat content, presen e of potential aller ens an other ru ial ietary information f onsumers must ha e this information on t they also ha e the ri ht to no how much the food they buy contributes to a isastrously armin limate i en the ur en y of our situation e must respon to the limate emer-
time if e ontinue as a i ili ation to onsume animal pro u ts orl i e at any here near the same rate e o no e on t eep lobal armin to a tolerable le el e ll be ourtin sure isaster ur iet must han e ra i ally an uite soon for us to ha e any han e at all But if e o ta e steps no to han e hat e onsume as foo e an i e our hil ren an ran hil ren a htin han e to sur i e t s our uty to o so an it s also our pri ile e e all ma e hoi es e ery ay hen e sit o n to eat an e all pay a pri e for e eryone s hoi es not ust en ironmentally but nan ially o matter ho many animal pro u ts e onsume as meri an ta payers e are payin for our olle ti e emise an the ruination of our hil ren s an ran hil ren s future an for the torture of billions of animals an the erosion of our o n health n more than billion in o ernment subsiies ent to meat airy an animal fee pro u tion ithout this massi e o ernment han out a Bi a oul li ely ost about
en y ith all the e e ti e means at our isposal e ou ht to ha e poli ies that promote lean ener y but e also shoul a ress animal pro u ts e nee the stron est possible reen e eal to ma e a e isi e transition from fossil fuels to rene able ener y s onsumers e an help that shift by hoosin ele tri or hybri ehi les instea of as u lers n e an also ma e smarter hoi es about the foo s e buy an eat ithout o ernment poli ies that th art those e isions t all must happen if e ant to sa e our i ili ation hat s hol in us ba any prominent lea ers an a ti ists are loath to tell the hole story he fa ts are easily a ailable to anyone ust o a little oo lin But to ate there s been little serious politi al response to the real s ope an epth of the limate emergency — and a deep reluctance by many to e en spea about iet as a part of the solution he most prominent youth le limate a ti ist roup the unrise o ement on t tou h the limate issue either e en thou h many of their members are e ans or e etarians We can’t wait any longer for politi-
“
ians an orporations to a t stron ly enou h an soon enou h n all the years sin e the alarm has been soun in e e one from turnin billion animals a year into foo to slau hterin an onsumin billion lan animals annually hile e re hearin politi al ple es about startin to ontrol arbon emissions e e ouble the uantities of methane an nitro en emissions hy sit ba an hope others ill a t hen there is somethin e ery one of us an o to ay that ill ha e an imme iate impa t e an start or in ri ht no on the bi est threat to our families future By oin so e an ha e an influen e on others throu h our personal onta ts an e an help ri e han es in the mar etpla e a in han es in personal habits in or er to help sa e the en ironment oesn t re uire a ne min set any of us ha e been moti ate to o su h thin s for a lon time ou probably ha e been re y lin or turnin o n your thermostat or limitin unne essary ri in for many years t rst you mi ht ha e thou ht those ere bur ensome sa ri es o you on t i e it a se on thou ht hen you put an e tra blan et on your bed and turn the heat down at ni ht n ust as ith usin less fossil fuel to tra el or heat your home anythin you o ith your iet has a measurable impa t ou an ma e a si ni ant impa t by hoosin to not eat meat a fe ays a ee or by eatin one plant base meal per ay e re in the reatest publi health emer en y ima inable e eryone s li es are at ris an e eryone s a tions are ru ial he reatest sour e of methane is animal a ri ulture e an ontrol methane by changing our diet, and oin so ill re u e temperatures f you ha e other a en as an on erns eatin fe er animal pro u ts on t interfere ith them at all e are fast approa hin the point of no return from a atastrophe beyon anyone s ima ination ho an hat are we defending or protecting with our inaction? s eatin animal pro u ts orth the price we are all paying — and will be payin for enerations to ome e are eatin our ay to mass e tin tion e ha e both a ri ht to hoose an a ri ht to life an e ha e a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to hoose life Michael Betzold is a Detroit-based journalist, an early etro imes contributor, an Emmy-winning author of ten books, and a member of the Climate Save movement.
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
17
WHAT’S GOING ON Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 policies.
THU 2/24 To Make Is To Stay
This group exhibition presented by ARAB: A Real Arab Blueprint features more than 70 artworks by six artists: Farah Al Qasimi, Tarek Al Ghoussein, Shaima Al Tamami, Zeinab Saab, Yasmine Diaz, and Lara Atallah, co-curated by Nour Ballout of Habibi House and Roula David of Spot Lite. The goal of the exhibition, supported by a Knight Arts Challenge grant, is to bring the art of metro Detroit’s vibrant Arab-American community into a wider audience. The works are hosted across two galleries, Galerie Camille and Spot Lite, and even include billboards along the streets of Detroit. An opening reception starts at Galerie Camille on Thursday, and continues at Spot Lite with music by DJ Kass and Aboudi. —Lee DeVito From 5-8 p.m. at Galerie Camille; 4130 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-6737; galeriecamille.com; party continues from 6-p.m.-1 a.m. at Spot Lite; 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; spotlitedetroit.com.
FRI 2/25 Dua Lipa
British model-turned-pop star Dua Lipa released her retro-tinged electrofunk and disco-inspired sophomore album Future Nostalgia in March 2020, which seems like a bad time to release a record whose songs were just begging to be danced to. In hindsight, it might have been fortuitous; people were already “nostalgic” for the past and hopeful for a “future” without a pandemic, and grabbed onto the collection of songs like a life preserver. Collaborator Mark Ronson told Rolling Stone the record was a “sucker punch,” comparing it to Daft Punk’s similarly throwback Random Access Memories in terms of sonic cohesion, adding, “And it hit right at the moment of lockdown.” With more an more arena sho s nally returning, the time Future Nostalgia fans have long been waiting for is now. “I imagined the songs being played in clubs on nights out with your mates,” Lipa said in a statement. “I’m so excited that this fantasy is nally omin true Caroline Polachek and Lolo Zouaï are
Pop sensation Dua Lipa performs at Little Caesars Arena on Friday.
also on the bill. —Lee DeVito Doors at 7:30 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena; 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-471-7000; 313presents.com. Tickets start at $45.
2/27 Frida
i hi an pera heatre s rst opera production of 2022 is an ode to Frida Kahlo, a woman whose unmistakable energy left a mark on the Motor City, even though she was here for only a short time in the 1930s while her husband Diego Rivera worked on the Detroit Institute of Arts’ awe-inspiring murals. Though The Detroit News described her at the time as merely the “wife of the master mural painter” who “gleefully dabbles in works of art,” Detroit became an important part of Kahlo’s story and artistic practice. fter su erin a mis arria e ahlo processed the experience by creating “Henry Ford Hospital,” imbuing her
18 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
work with the surrealism and deeply personal symbolism for which she would become known, and marking a turning point in her career. Music Hall hosts a revival of this 2015 biographical opera by Maria Condemi, which once again stars Colombian soprano Catalina Cuervo as Kahlo and features a mariachi-style score by Robert Xavier Rodríguez. Said Cuervo in a statement, “I feel that the community here is so excited because Frida and Diego were such important people here in Michigan — for the museum, for the arts, for everything — that this is the right place to do this opera.” —Lee DeVito Doors at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday; Music Hall; 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; 313-887-8500; musichall. org. Tickets start at $59.
MON 2/28 Tyler, The Creator
When you’re lost or confused on
HUGO COMTE
which direction to head, just call Tyler, The Creator. The “Flower Boy” is bringing his “Call Me If You Get Lost” tour to Detroit on Monday in support of his 2021 album of the same name. The record was nominated for Best Rap Album in the 2022 Grammy Awards (if he wins, this will be his se on rammy he on his rst Grammy in 2020, for his critically acclaimed album, IGOR) and features a variety of fellow hip-hop acts including Pharrell Williams, Lil’ Uzi Vert, Lil’ Wayne, Brent Faiyaz, and Detroit’s own 42 Dugg. While Tyler, The Creator may be the star of the show, he’s bringing some talented friends along. Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, and Teezo Touchdown are slated to open for the entire duration of the tour. —Alex Washington Doors at 7 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena; 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-4717000; 313presents.com. Tickets start at $49.50.
Wed 2/23
Happy Birthday, Bert sawyer!
thurs 2/24 miami pool tournament
6pm-Midnight Hosted by our own Pool Shark, Brooke! Topp Chico PROMO & Prizes from Miller
Fri 2/25 funk night
Doors @ 9pm • $5 Cover DJ Psycho / Chedda Bob / Frankie Raines
Happy Birthday, antonio clark!
sat 2/26 something elegant
Doors @ 9pm • $5 Cover Lady DJ Dance Party!
mon 2/28 free pool tues 3/01 paczki day & mardi Gras You Can DJ! @ 9pm • B.Y.O.R. Bring Your Own Records NO COVER! Deep Eddy Vodka PROMO!
Coming Up: 3/04 Solar monolith / ommnus / knuckles dragger (loud) 3/05 FUNK milk bath / hell dollars / rob zinck & the collaborators (punk rock) 3/11 francis de carlo / alluvial fans / glamour machine (indie) 3/12 parkhouse night (funk/soul/house) 3/13 st. patty’s day parade Weekly Drink Special (M-Th) Jim Beam Shot & 9oz Miller Draft $5 JELLO SHOTS $1 *A reminder to our unvaccinated guests to please wear a mask when not seated.
EMPLOYMENT MARKETING MANAGER (Westland, MI) Develop, implement, execute marketing campaigns; develop marketing programs; amalyze market trens and prepare forecasts. FT 7 AM-4PM, 40 hrs/wk. US or Foreign Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Send resume to Ms. G. Canamo, Fours Seasons Rehab and Nursing Center, 8365 Newburgh Rd., Westland, MI 48185.
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
19
MUSIC A greener way to tour?
How musical artists are helping fight climate change By Bill Forman
Coldplay.
In the current climate of political and corporate greenwashing, it’s hard to gauge the sincerity, let alone feasibility, of the Music Climate Pact. Announced recently with considerable fanfare, the MCP is a declaration of intent by the Big Three major labels (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group) to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Of course, a lot can happen — or not happen —between now and then, so it remains to be seen whether the record industry will make good on that pledge. In the meantime, a number of artists have already begun taking steps to reduce touring’s carbon footprint on their o n he hi hest pro le amon them is Coldplay, who declared back in 2019 that they would not tour again until “concerts are environmentally bene ial Last October, the mega-platinum
JAMES MARCUS HANEY
pop act ended their moratorium, announcing a 2022 tour that’s designed to cut CO2 emissions by 50 percent compared to their 2016-2017 tour. The 46-date world stadium tour will in lu e ineti floors that harness the energy of fans jumping up and down on them, the planting of a tree for each ticket sold, and building stages made out of recycled metal and bamboo. Fellow Brits Massive Attack, meanwhile, are planning their own 2022 tour, this one applying the principles of a 2019 Manchester University study that the trip-hop pioneers commissioned to explore ways for bands — and the music industry as a whole — to reduce their negative impact on the environment. The challenge, said band co-founder Robert Del Naja, is to take concrete steps rather than “pledges, promises an reen ashin hea lines We shall see. In the meantime, more and more musicians from around the
20 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
world have been sounding the environmental alarm through their songs, a practice that dates back to the 1927 Mississippi River Flood that left more than a half-million homeless and was commemorated by Bessie Smith’s Ba ater Blues an Blin emon e erson s isin i h ater Blues i e e a es later il ott eron oul re or e lmost ost etroit about the meltdown of a nuclear power plant 30 miles outside the city. Randy e man s Burn n pirit s ature s ay an s uyaho a ere all inspired by the polluted Cleveland river that burst into flames ba in n then there s Bob ylan s ar ain s onna all os ef s e orl ater ar in aye s er y er y e he olo y he i ies on ey one to ea en an pretty much anything by Pete Seeger. Cut to present-day New Orleans, where Alynda Mariposa Segarra — the
self es ribe nature pun ho records and performs under the name urray for the i a is about to release Life on Earth, which has already been hailed by Uncut magazine as the rst reat album of Life on Earth n s e arra ra in inspiration from a typically eclectic variety of sources, including The Clash, Bad Bunny, Beverly GlennCopeland, and author Adrienne Maree Brown’s Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. “Everything I have is gone, I don’t no hat it ll ta e to arry on she sin s on the album s rst sin le hoo en ron hi h oul not soun out of place on a mixtape between Courtney Barnett and Lou Reed. “We’re hit with hurricanes every year e arra tol The Guardian, “yet plant life is thriving. It was very comforting to look at these living beings and be like: ‘I don’t know how to
Coldplay’s 46-date world stadium tour will include “kinetic floors’’ that harness the energy of fans jumping up and down on them, and the planting of a tree for each ticket sold. survive this. How the fuck do you survive this?’” Over in France, the death metal band Gojira took a less pastoral approach on “Amazonia,” a single from last year’s Fortitude album. “Godly Amazonia / Bloody Amazonia / Mighty Amazonia / Killing Amazonia,” growls vocalist Joe Duplantier over an arrangement that pairs indigenous instruments with pummeling drums and punishin uitar ri s Gojira are also environmental activists who’ve raised money for causes ranging from The Coalition of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil to the Sea Shepher onser ation o iety a nonpro t dedicated to “securing justice for the sea.” The latter organization, which has made a reputation with its direct actions against whaling ships, expressed its gratitude to the band by renaming one of its biodiesel-fueled vessels the MV Gojira. Canada, meanwhile, is home to The Weather Station, aka Tamara Lindeman, a former child actor whose 2021 album, Ignorance, combines chamberfolk introspection, metronomic beats and environmental grief. Lindeman began writing the songs on the album after reading an essay by environmentalist Bill McKibben, which was published at the height of 2018’s California il res hin in shoul et all this yin o my min in eman sin s on one track. “I should really know better than to read the headlines.” Down in Colombia, the electronic cumbia duo Bomba Estéreo have followed up on their single “Déjame Respirar,” which translates to “Let Me Breathe,” with Deja, a 13-track concept album about the environment that’s divided into four sections: water, air, earth an re elease last eptember the album was recorded at a coastal home studio, with the sound of nearby monkeys, birds and waves appearing throughout. Guest vocalists on Deja include Afro-Cuban duo Okan, Mexican songwriter Leonel Garcia, Nigerian singer Yemi Alade, and Santa Marta shaman Manuel Nieves, who reminds us that “On this Earth, our obligation is to maintain Mom Nature.” And then there’s Lorde, the New Zealand singer-songwriter who is
about to embark on a 43-date tour to promote her third album Solar Power, which she described in an online post as “a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors.” Lorde recorded Solar Power after a e ay trip throu h ntar ti a But in spite of its title and origins, she insists the album is not her big climate change record, a promise borne out by singles like “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and a title tra that elebrates sel es on the beach and being like a prettier Jesus. “I’m not a climate activist, I’m a pop star,” Lorde told one interviewer. “I sto e the re of a iant ma hine spitting out emissions as I go. There is a lot I don’t know.” hi h brin s us nally to ustralia’s Midnight Oil, who famously took the stage at the 2000 Olympics’ closing ceremony in Sydney and, before a stadium of 115,000 people and a global television audience of billions more, launched into “Beds Are Burning,” an impossibly catchy, stridently political anthem about giving back the land appropriated from Australia’s indigenous population. In the two decades since, the group has been relatively quiet, in large part due to frontman Peter Garrett’s responsibilities as a Member of the House of Representatives and subsequently Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. But three months ago, Midnight Oil released the video for a new song, “Rising Seas,” which opens with images of oil rigs, il res an a outh or limate march. “Every child put down your toys, and come inside to sleep,” sings Garrett. “We have to look you in the eye and say we sold you cheap.” It’s easy to be cynical about music’s power to impact society. John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” wasn’t responsible for ending the Vietnam War, the No Nukes concerts of the ’70s didn’t shut down nuclear power plants, Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” didn’t put an end to Southern racism. But there’s still the real possibility that an artist’s work can, over time, shape people’s attitudes and beliefs. And if not, at least they tried.
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
21
MUSIC Music notes
Mo Pop 2022 announces move to Hart Plaza and 2022 lineup featuring Big Sean By Alex Washington
Nothing helps curb the win-
ter blues like the lineup announcement of an anticipated summer festival. Detroit’s favorite pop/hip-hop/rock festi al o op ill o ially return this summer after a t o year pause ue to the pandemic. his year s lineup ill feature performan es by etroit rapper Bi ean an hene i o ho to ether ith ean ma es enty lass nimals aytrana a hruan bin an more he t o ay pop fest ill ta e pla e uly an uly an ill be mo in lo ations yet a ain his year the o op festi al ill n a home at art la a in the center of downtown. n the festi al announ e it planne to mo e to istori ort ayne after pre iously bein hel at est i erfront ar hi h is bein redeveloped, but the fest was canceled due to the pandemic. in e then e orts to preser e istori ort ayne ha e no ta en pre e ent meanin the festi al ha to n a ne home asses for o op ill be a ailable for sale on ay eb
No Hamtramck Music Fest in March, but Corktown Music Fest instead
here on t be a amtram usi esti al urin its usual timeslot in early ar h this year nstea some people ho or on the amtram usi esti al ha e bran he o an reate a new event around the same time, lo ate in a i erent part of etroit r ani ers announ e etails for the or to n usi esti al last ee he e ent s he ule for ri ay ar h an atur ay ar h ill see more than a ts perform a ross four enues in lu in s a er ouse an y his ey he aeli ea ue an o ames pirits
Big Sean.
or to n usi est s ristin yn sai it s all about timin n the amtram usi est narro ly misse the shut o n spurre by the pan emi but in the or ani ers mo e the e ent to the summer. Due to the summer move, ho e er the amtram usi est boar of ire tors ote a ainst resumin the fest in amtram in ar h “The consensus was that the majority of the boar of ire tors ante to take a break, because we put one on in the summer and we didn’t want to turn aroun an ha e to start boo in a ain for ar h she says But some ante to eep the momentum oin she says so they e i e to thro a similar yet smaller event in Detroit’s Corktown instead. “It just happened to be the time a ailable as the rst ee en of ar h hi h is normally hen e oul ha e amtram ast she says o it in of loo s li e it mo e but it wasn’t intended to be.” till she a no le es it s sort of a ll in for amtram usi est be ause e ere missin ha in somethin oin on Artists announced so far include yn s ban s a yship arship an arhorses alon ith the u s the his ey harmers u u i i ine ro i en e the trains the rappers i e ar lison e is arolyn triho ott aily n ient obots the ult of pa es ull an mma u man The full lineup and schedule are available at facebook.com/corktownmusicfestival. i e amtram usi est the event will serve as a fundraiser, this
22 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
SHUTTERSTOCK
time for a nonpro t alle a s eart hi h raises money to help res ue an i e me i al treatment to homeless o s an ats ristban s are an are a ailable to purchase online or at the festival at s a er ouse hey an also be purchased ahead of time at record stores li e oun oun in ern ale illa e inyl in arren olo e or s in oyal Oak, and Dearborn Music in Dearborn an armin ton yn says the or ani ers hope to o another amtram usi est but the or to n spin o mi ht ontinue thou h it mi ht mo e to the summer ith more out oor enues an it mi ht be alle a i erent name she says o dates have been announced for the next amtram usi est t this point e re thin in e mi ht o somethin a ain ne t year be ause e i et some really oo fee ba from the enues she says “We went to one of the Corktown business asso iation meetin s an there were some other venues that are kind of poppin up some bre eries an they expressed interest.” he a s e re ust hopin that people will want to come out of their shell an ha e a oo time support a reat ause an see some reat ban s e on t ant that li e musi to o a ay —Lee DeVito
Iggy Pop sampled on the Crystal Method’s new track, ‘Post Punk’
etroit ro n roll le en y op len s his talents to the rystal etho for the as e as ele troni a t s latest e ort the sin le ost un
ro u e by lon time rystal etho ollaborator yper uy atel the tra samples a lip from im armus h s o umentary about the too es Gimme Danger. In the soun bite the too es frontman says “I don’t want to be a punk. I don’t want to belon to any of it ust ant to be “Post Punk” will be featured on the rystal etho album The Trip Out, ue on ltra e or s on pril he rystal etho s ott ir lan told Rolling Stone that the doc reminde him of hen he rst forme the rystal etho ith former musi al partner Ken Jordan. hen en an rst met an starte in in e as in an play ane s i tion the ure an Depeche Mode, and then some disco,” ir lan sai t as all about ettin that crowd at that moment to have a oo time o that line of y s about ho he oesn t ant to be one thin that ts ith our perspe ti e on musi e ne er ante to be pi eonhole an tol e ere one enre e lo e bein i erent thin s mon ir lan s ollaborators on The Trip Out is yper the eteran British pro u er an mi er e starte the tra an e ere e han in les back and forth,” Kirkland recalled. “And he sai a e you seen this Gimme Danger o umentary here s a part in there here y is tal in an m thin in of samplin it an puttin in the track.’” he rystal etho as set to perform at the a i Ba in ern ale in April, but the venue tells Metro Times that the sho is urrently bein rescheduled. —Konstantina Buhalis
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
23
FOOD Going green
20 Detroit plant-based restaurants that we love By
T staff
As you’ll learn in this week’s cover story, eating less meat can help cool the planet. But helping to save the environment can be delicious, too — when we’re craving vegans and vegetarian, these are the local spots we go to. Detroit Vegan Soul 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit: 313–766-5728; detroitvegansoul.com While Detroit’s all-vegan soul food restaurant announced its original location in the West Village neighborhood was permanently closed last month, business is carrying on at its Grand River location in the North Rosedale Park area. Favorites include vegan mac-n-cheese, the DVS burger, and a red velvet cake.
Chive Kitchen 33043 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 3148-7144; chivekitchen.com This hip downtown Farmington spot closed for indoor dining at the outset of the pandemic, but has since pivoted to carry-out, grab-n-go, events, and catering. They recently launched a vegan ine lub an still o er hits li e rille Chicken Marsala (with panko-crusted grilled chicken seitan) and a jalapeño burger.
Public House 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-733-4905; publichouseferndale.com This gastropub formerly owned and operated by the folks behind Ferndale’s Imperial taco spot opened under new management in December, along with a second kitchen to accommodate an additional vegan-centric menu. (It also boasts a revamped four-season patio ith a floral all i hli hts in lu e a vegan burger made of a house-made blend of barley, carrots, beets, and potatoes served with vegan American cheese, vegan dijonnaise, and an option to add house-made tempeh bacon.
PJ’s Lager House 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-4668; pjslagerhouse.com This Corktown dive bar announced expanded brunch hours earlier this month, including 7-11 a.m. weekdays. Aside from live music, it’s also known for its vegan-heavy menu, which includes vegan biscuits and gravy and a
Detroit’s Chili Mustard Onions offers vegan takes on Coney Island favorites.
vegan tempeh po’ boy.
an
Aratham Gourmet To Go
Chili Mustard Onions
719 Griswold St., Detroit; 586-871-0917; aratham.com After opening stores in the suburbs in Troy and Westland, this plant-based grab-and-go chain recently opened a third location in downtown Detroit. The rotating menu includes items like a lobster po boy tan oori auliflo er sandwich, breakfast bowls, and vegan meatloaf, all made in-house.
3411 Brush St., Detroit; 313-462-4949; detroitcmo.com el ome to etroit s rst e an oney Island, where you can get a vegan take on Detroit’s signature dish made with a Smart Dog, house-made-chili, mustard, and onions. You can also get vegan versions of Coney classics like gyros, chili cheese fries, and nachos.
Inn Season Kitchen 32867 Woodward Ave.; Royal Oak248-8508500; innseasonkitchen.com GreenSpace & Go recently closed, replaced by Inn Season Kitchen, a graband-go spot from the owners of Royal Oak’s The Inn Season Cafe.
Seva 2541 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-662-1111 | 66 E. Forest Ave., Detroit; 313-974-6661 | sevarestaruarnt.com This longstanding vegan favorite has two locations (it has operated in Ann Arbor for more than 40 years, and opened a Midtown spot in 2011), boasting a completely vegetarian menu, along with a full bar, fresh juice bar,
24 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
o ee bar
7 Greens 1222 Library St., Detroit; 313-964-9005 | 344 Hamilton Row, Birmingham; 248-792-8600 | 4065 W. Maple Rd., Bloomfield Hills | 7greens.com Known for its salads, this chain also has a wide selection of wraps, bowls, burritos, and more.
AlTayeb 15010 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-908-9527 | 873 Inkster Rd., Garden City; 734-237-4606 | altayebrestaurant.com. Most Middle Eastern spots have plenty of vegan options, but AlTayeb, distinguished for its Lebanese-style brunch o erin s is on another le el he spot was already a local favorite but found a wider audience after the New York Times featured it on a list 50 exciting
MICHELLE GERARD
American restaurants, the only Michigan spot to make the cut.
Shimmy Shack 1440 Sheldon Rd., Plymouth; 734-228-5990; shimmyshack.com This restaurant and food truck boasts a 100% vegan and gluten-free menu, with green takes on comfort food classics like burgers (made with a lentil patty), chili, fries, nachos, cookies, and more. It recently announced it’s closing on March 11, so stop before before they do.
Spacecat V-stro 255 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-268-3211; spacecatvstro.com pene in pa e at stro o ers vegetarian comfort food, focused on breakfast and lunch made from scratch (so no Beyond or Impossible meat substitutes here). Most items can be made vegan.
Cass Cafe 4620 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-1400; casscafe.com This longstanding Midtown spot has a number of vegan and vegetarian items, including a lentil burger, veggie wraps, an roaste auliflo er Continued next page
FOOD Bites
A new food hall is heading to Detroit’s Eastern Market By Lee DeVito
It looks like Detroit will be get-
ting another food hall. A new food hall is planned for an upcoming $33 million, 100,000 square-foot mixed-use development dubbed The Mosaic in Eastern Maret he foo hall is the rst tenant announced for the project, which plans to also house other creative and entertainment businesses. According to a press release, the food hall will be helmed by Robert Montwaid, the founder and creator of New York City’s Gansevoort Market and Atlanta’s Chattahoochee Food Works. The food hall will occupy 25,000 square feet, plus an additional 4,000 square-foot rooftop bar. The Mosaic will be located at 3500 Riopelle St., in the former Detroit Water Department building. It’s expected to open in 2024. According to the release, Montwaid creates food hall concepts based on the characteristics of the neighborhoods they reside in. “Eastern Market is the one place in Detroit that brings people from throughout the region to the same place each week, and we expect to of-
A rendering of the forthcoming Eastern Market development, The Mosaic.
Cold Truth
vegan cheese, fried onion rings, and BB sau e hey also o er sala s an smoothies that are a bit healthier.
4240 Cass Ave., Suite 100, Detroit; 313-6801199; coldtruthsoftserve.com his hip s eet spot o ers a number of vegan desserts, including vegan ice cream served in hand-made glutenfree a e ones a e an pump in i e cream pie, and a vegan Mexican cocoa ice cream pie.
Trap Vegan 20198 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-340-2988; trapvegan.com Being vegan doesn’t have to mean giving up fast food entirely, and that’s where Trap Vegan comes in. Located just on the end of Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, Trap Vegan’s menu features plant-based burgers loaded with toppings like
fer something special in this area that our guests have never seen before,” Montwaid said in a statement. “We think this is the perfect location for a family-friendly food hall that will feature talented small and independents chefs from the local Detroit area and the region.” The food hall trend is somewhat akin to a mall food court, but with an emphasis on chef-driven concepts over corporate chains. Detroit got its rst foo hall in ith the Monroe Market in Greektown Casino, followed by the Detroit Shipping Co. in Midtown. Fort Street Galley, owned by a national hain follo e in late in downtown Detroit, but closed after a little more than a year. A food hall was also planned for the Chroma development in the Milwaukee Junction area of Detroit, but it was canceled in 2019. More information is available at themosaicdetroit.com.
Soup Dive
COURTESY OF THE MOSAIC DETROIT
Ferndale’s The Fly Trap is set to reopen under Bobcat Bonnie’s management
our goal is singular which is to ensure that The Fly Trap stays The Fly Trap,” Buskard said in the social media post. e plan on han in besides some physical touch ups that are needed to the building).” Bus ar also rote a lot of sta that regular “trappers” have grown to know will also be returning when The Fly Trap reopens. As for the McMillians, they also wrote a lengthy goodbye on social media to all their trappers who’ve supported them for nearly two decades. They explained how hard the pandemic was on their small business and how Buskard’s friendship and support over the years made them feel they were leaving their business in the best hands. e entertaine no other o ers in [the] sale of our beloved business because we knew that his heart was all Fly Trap and in the preservation of our small diner’s legacy,” the McMillians wrote. n o ial ran re openin ate has not been given at this time. —Alex Washington
he hiita e ba on he eatless bur ers ay no more his pla e e en sells their house-made patties so you can make your own Unburger at home.
restaurant — it’s a Black-owned health and wellness shop on Detroit’s west si e o e er they o sell e an to o meals prepared by local chefs like Mag Creates, known for her plant-based sushi and vegan lasagna. The shop also regularly hosts vegan pop-up chef Sisters on a Roll.
Brunch in metro Detroit wasn’t the same when Ferndale diner The Fly Trap had to close back in September due to sta n shorta es ell the ner iner mi ht be reopening sooner than we think, with new management that is no stranger to the Detroit dining scene. Matt Buskard, the owner of local chain Bobcat Bonnie’s, will now helm the Fly Trap at its grand return to brunch next month. In a post to Fly Trap’s social media pages, Buskard shares that when news broke of Fly Trap’s closing he reached out to Kara and Gavin McMillian, the Fly Trap’s founders and owners for the last 17 years. Buskard says that he ante to assist them in urin out the best solution to keep the Fly Trap going. For one, Buskard says he wants the Fly Trap to remain unchanged. “While we do own other restaurants,
26051 W. 12 Mile Rd., Southfield; 248-2627300; soupdive.com Soup Dive is a solid lunch spot for soup, sandwiches, and salad. The menu isn’t entirely vegan but they have several options like black-eyed peas and kale soup (highly recommended) and an Impossible burger wrap.
The Sprout House
Unburger Grill
Pillar and Pride
22018 Michigan Ave, Dearborn; 313-633-0881; unburgergrill.com e an hi en an a es san i h
1004 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-733-6468; pillarandpride.com No, Pillar and Pride is not actually a
15233 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Park; 313331-3200; sprouthousenaturalmarket.com For more than a decade, this familyowned market has operated out of Grosse Pointe’s “Cabbage Patch” area. It boasts sandwiches, organic produce, house-made soups, and vegan and vegetarian desserts.
Pop Culture Vegan Cafe 15439 Mack Ave., Detroit; 313-458-8309; popculturevegan.com Formerly known as Vegginini’s Paradise Cafe, Pop Culture Vegan serves up all the basics like nachos, black bean burgers, and “chicken” tenders. They also o er a un ay soul foo inner plate with vegan mac and cheese, BBQ chicken, and collards.
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
25
FOOD An old-school Chinese favorite By Jane Slaughter
As we arrived at Golden Harvest back in November, a young ChineseAmerican man was picking up a big carry-out order. Asked what it was, he said cheerily, “Ten orders of spicy squid! Got to get ready for Thanksgiving!” Thus are traditions born. Why not? I’m thinking of making it my own favorite new tradition, Chinese on Thanksgiving. No work for me, no food coma. But it has to be real Chinese, of course. Golden Harvest serves a mix of American-style Chinese and Chinesestyle Chinese (Szechuan and Cantonese, but much more Cantonese), all together on one long menu, which makes it harder for the uninitiated. On Facebook, the owners explain, “We o er tra itional hinese uisine Dim Sum, and also Americanized Chinese for those who want familiarity on their journey!” (Also, “After over 30 years serving the area e nally ha e a a eboo pa e October 13, 2020. With one thumbs-up.) If you order only from the “Special Dinner” menu and avoid anything that appears on the carry-out, especially the “Old Favorites” page, you will mostly be OK, though I don’t think it hurts to brazenly ask, “Is this dish Chinese Chinese or American Chinese?” In my experience living a semester in Guangzhou, it was normal to see lots of questioning and back-and-forth between server and customer, so don’t be afraid to display your ignorance. Back in November, the waiting area gave an idea of Golden Harvest’s mixed messages: the usual Buddha and lucky cat statues shared space with Christmas carousels and a crêche. The dining room is cavernous, with, unusually, little red in the décor except for one big panel showing a gold bas-relief dragon an a phoeni oun tables a ommodate larger parties, China-style, and smaller rectangular tables line the walls. On our visits the clientele were almost all Asian or Asian-American. Your best bet economically and gustatorily is to order the Special Dinner, two dishes for $28.95, four for $59.95, and have a lot to take home. I took home none of my steamed tilapia, though. I’m not sure what’s so wonderful about this simple preparation, but it’s my go-to. The steam seems to bring out whatever is best in the big sh hi h is blan hile the thin salty
Eggplant with fried garlic.
sweet sauce, with shards of green onion, is not. It’s worth the careful decoupling of a multitude of skinny bones; if you’re in a hurry, don’t ask for this. I also frequently order eggplant with garlic, which comes cooked within a half-inch of its life. This was a favorite when I was in Guangzhou and “qiézi” was the only food word I could remember in a pinch. (It’s also the word people say to make themselves smile in photos, like we say “cheese.”) This time it was “eggplant with garlic sauce in hot pot,” which meant lots of other vegetables too: baby corn, snap peas, water chestnuts, green pepper, scallions. They were OK, but I want more eggplant; next time I would try eggplant with fried garlic or ask about “eggplant with speial sau e emember it s ne to as The thick red sauce in “pork chop with special sauce,” which is cut up into near-bite-size pieces with the bone still in (that’s some cleaver), was sweetish and ketchupy, more Americanized than thin best but ne in its o n lass preferred a seafood and chicken hot pot with snap peas, dark mushrooms, some sort of hite sh stea shrimp tofu and lobster in its shell. On a second visit we were somewhat less lucky; not enough piping up. A
26 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
TOM PERKINS
“spicy chicken and shrimp” wasn’t spicy at all, with a lot of green pepper taste and just the occasional hit of allspice. I wanted curried baby squid from the dim sum menu but it wasn’t available. Beef brisket in hot pot was pretty rich, though, with big chewy chunks and lots of green onion; I like the way the fat is not trimmed away. One of the pork belly dishes would be even better if you’ve gotten over your fear of fat (so 1990s). Americans love dim sum; I don’t know if it’s because you can sample small amounts of lots of things or because many of the items tend to be fried. At Golden Harvest that’s less true than usual, with only eight of the 29 dim sum pieces fried or deep-fried. My fa orite as shrimp stu e e plant the shrimp was pre-fried before entering the eggplant. Shumai and fun kor are both iconic dim sum, with their translucent rubbery rappin s of a flour an ater ou h The wrapping is great for holding the innar s in urin steamin thou h fla or free itself. I liked the smoky pork and shrimp shumai more than the plainer steamed shrimp fun kor. Chicken feet, “beef baby ribs,” and various other dumplings are also possible. he hinese sta of life is not ust
Golden Harvest 6880 E. 12 Mile Rd., Warren 586-751-5288 facebook.com/goldenharvestwarren Handicap accessible 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs, 11 a.m.11 p.m. Fri-Sat Entrées $10.95-$19.95 or two for $28.95, dim sum $4.50-$4.95
rice and noodles, you’re reminded when you order a steamed or baked bun from the dim sum list. I liked the glossy buns with their sweet barbecued pork, but would have preferred a higher pork-to-bread ratio. Dim sum is available every day all day, from the traditional cart that’s pushed around the dining room, with customers pointing to their selections, up till p m fter that you he o your choice on a menu. The early bird version is more fun. I ordered coconut pudding dim sum for dessert, but when the server brought it, she announced it as “jello,” and that was the consistency. No problem the fla or as pure s eetene coconut. Otherwise, it’s fortune cookies eli ere on one isit or oran e slices, delivered on the other.
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
27
WEED One-Hitters
Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency gets a new name and bigger purpose By Steve Neavling
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is consolidating the regulatory agencies that oversee medical and recreational marijuana and hemp. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency, which handles the medical and recreational pot industries, will be renamed the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. The agency also will regulate the hemp industry, which is currently handled by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. he i ea is to reate a more e ient and robust regulatory agency to oversee the tax-generating sales of hemp and psychoactive marijuana, Whitmer said. “Consolidating multiple government functions into the newly named Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help us continue growing our economy and creating jobs,” Whitmer said in a statement. “And to be blunt — safe, legal cannabis entrepreneurship, farming, and consumption helps us put Michian ers rst by ire tin the lar e windfall of tax revenue from this new industry to make bigger, bolder investments in lo al s hools roa s an rst responders.” The change, which is part of Whitmer s rst e e uti e or er of the year will take place in two months. In 2021, Michigan collected more than $350 million in new taxes from recreational marijuana sales, according to an estimate by the Marijuana Policy Project. Under the order, the Michigan Counil for rts an ultural airs ill also be renamed the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
The former Gibraltar Trade Center is now a cannabis dispensary
The hulking former Gibraltar Trade enter flea mar et in ount lemens is reborn as a cannabis dispensary. The facility serves as Macomb
The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency will soon be called the Cannabis Regulatory Agency.
The former Gibraltar Trade Center is now Pleasantrees’ fifth retail location.
ounty base leasantrees fth retail location. Though it is initially open as a medical marijuana provisioning center with curbside service only, the facility will also eventually house a cannabisinfused beverage processing facility through a partnership with Blake’s Hard Cider, according to a press release. his lo ation is most ertainly a fla ship’ for Pleasantrees and will ultimately become a major destination for cannabis consumers far and wide,” Pleasantrees CEO and founder Randy Buchman said in a statement. “While I am proud of,
28 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
and grateful for, each of Pleasantrees’ facilities, this location is particularly important to me because I grew up right at I-94 and 21 Mile Road. It is fair to say that turning Gibraltar into a cannabis facility has been my Mt. Everest summit, and now I am nearly to the top.” He added, “The fact that Pleasantrees, a company I built from my basement in 2009, has brought the Gibraltar location back to life is an incredibly meaningful achievement for me, as well as our entire team.” The 250,000-square-foot Gibraltar
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Trade Center closed in 2017 after 37 years in business. According to the press release, Pleasantrees will occupy about 25,000 square feet of the facility, including the processing facility. “We feel fortunate to have a business with a focus on a positive company culture, diversity and inclusion, and community outreach to join our city,” Mayor Laura Kropp said in a statement. The facility is located at 237 N. River Road, Mount Clemens. More information is available at enjoypleasantrees.com. —Lee DeVito
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
29
CULTURE A director plays a real-life escape artist in this made-in-Detroit film by George Elkind
Having twisted a headlinegrabbing story of a skillful, self-taught impersonator into an up-and-down tale of desperation, social climbing, and briefly into i atin triumphs en ell B. Harris, Jr.’s Chameleon Street has, since winning the Sundance Jury Prize in 1990, never gotten its due. Thanks to Cinema Detroit’s programming and a new restoration from distributor Argus ilms the lms playin lo ally here it as lme no less on e more he ambitious and singular project, shot and mostly set around metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Flint, trails a re-created ersion of real life on artist illiam Douglas Street, Jr., a character as versatile as arris himself onsi erin that he wrote, starred in, edited, and directed the lm A diaristically structured work both avoidant and giving, Street’s driven through narration by Harris’ wry, weatherbeaten baritone lu uriatin in the digressive movements of a roving life. Opening with its lead character, a restless, seemingly self-taught Black intellectual and grifter, casting about in Flint for ways to satisfy his and his wife’s own nee s is response is to blu his ay into a ran e of professional positions journalist, doctor, lawyer, among others ettin hate er he an from them for the brief span of time in which each con lasts. The resulting narrative slides coolly between moments of frenzied preparation, scheming, impersonation, and wary periods of recovery that follow, linked mostly by Street’s presence as an anchor and the unfailing persistence of his stru les to et by hile treet (through Harris’ rendering) is ceaselessly clever in his inner musings, his purchase is weaker when it comes to interacting with others. Even as he plays elaborate, comically fragile games of misdirection before assumed colleagues, enemies an allies the lm s mournful core grants it tension as it moves beneath them n in the essen e of the mercurial scam artist buried beneath them even as his mind and body continue to move and work. his entral ynami of onstant destabilizing performance in the service of merely ettin by pro es inseparable from more common versions of
The 1989 film Chameleon Street was filmed in metro Detroit.
the same: the recurrent act of trudging against America’s prevailing winds around identity, race, and class familiar to so many. In Harris’ depiction, this movement becomes a lot at once: a survival mechanism, a game, maybe even a allin but oul it be that last thin if it asnt the rest ithout pressin a case on that front, Harris meditates playfully on such themes with the force and on en e of rst han no le e t s worth noting he’s been unable to release a movie since.) For Street, constant performance feels as necessary for his career and functioning as it might for any actor or politician even if the rewards are fewer. hen meet somebo y no in the rst t o minutes ho they ant me to be,” he tells a counselor at one point onscreen, suggesting that, at least for one aware of society’s performative demands, sliding between characters becomes as natural as anything else. This understated quality often wraps even Chameleon Street’s climactic moments in a tone of brisk, frank observance; Street’s character treats even would-be shattering moments with an air of flip bemusement emonstratin a personal grasp of precarity as simply a part of life u h e perien e pla es stability at a distance as great as anything in the rmament so ial mobility is as lose a thing to transcendence as could possibly be achieved.
30 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
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n this sense it s not so perple in that skilled impersonation could provide a man in Street’s position with a calling. But it s also one that li e his fe ere stri in intelle tualism ren ers him isolated from, confusing to, and ultimately without potential peers. Even in romance, he’s fundamentally alone, making the high-stakes games he plays even more vital a preoccupation than they otherwise might be. As a source of amusement, a means of controlling and discarding those who wander through his life, and a way of matriculating (usually with faked credentials) into the drab echelons of white-dominated professional spheres, fakery becomes both perennial entertainment and reason for being. In Harris’ directorial vision, such summits don’t rise past above a certain clouded drabness: something which serves to ontain the lm in e en its most surprising moments. hile stu e ith flourishes an e pressive gestures, Chameleon Street in its production values seems at peace with a certain lack of varnish. Symptomatic not only of its budget but its setting, in the depressed Southeast Michigan of the early s the lms palette is omprise of beige furnishings and pale wall hangings, peppered throughout with modest bursts of more isually ramati e pression t times, Harris and director of photography Bruce Schermer (also of Roger & Me)
Chameleon Street Rated: R Run time: 94 minutes leave their frame almost totally darkened as in theater, with light showing nothing but an actor’s face; at others, they spatter their interiors with pops of pink or fuschia light. The drifting camera, by contrast, shows considerably more vitality, roving about with energetic zooms and blunt, deliberated angles which mingle with Harris’ voiceover into a rich an unfailin e pression of his min an eye n he in so losely to it hile navigating its world with a certain antic quality Street shares, Harris provides the viewer with an interior portrait that doubles as a rich source of comment. Street, as both an observer and a subject, more than earns the treatment, which to the lms bene t is ne er too flori hat oul nt be ri ht or ttin onsi erin Street’s subject: it’s about an escape artist with nowhere to go. Producer Dan Lawton will be on hand following a screening on Saturday, Feb. 26 for a discussion; show starts at 7 p.m. at Cinema Detroit; 4126 Third St., Detroit; 313-482-9028; cinemadetroit.com. Tickets are $10.
Savage Love
CULTURE Q:
I’m a submissive gay man with a 15-year-old nephew. Through his actions and words, both his parents and I have gathered he might be gay, which is absolutely no issue. However, we’ve also recently discovered that he seems to be interested in D/s themes with him as the sub. Besides the occasional veiled comments and sketchy online searches, he’s also described situations where he’s convinced other boys to subtly Dom him, both in vanilla ways and some decidedly more borderline. We’re being careful to teach him about healthy boundaries and appropriate behaviors, but I have an additional struggle with all this. As a gay sub, I’ve been a bit of a failure. I’ve had no lasting relationships. I’ve never found a man who wanted me as both a partner and his slave. I know that there are success stories out there — sub guys with partners and families — but I’m not one of them. I want to be a good gay uncle, but honestly, I’m an objectively poor role model. If this is the path he ultimately takes, I want him to be safe, happy, and loved. But I don’t know how to do this if I’m advising from my own collection of saddo experiences. Any suggestions? —Uncle Good Heart
A : “By emphasizing the importance
of consent, UGH is already getting the most important thing right,” said Hadrian Temple, a dominant gay leatherman, blogger, and erotica author. “UGH’s nephew needs to know he has a right to say no to any form of play he feels uncomfortable with. He should also know that until he has agreed to some sort of power exchange with a potential Dom, they are interacting as equals. He doesn’t have to start obeying the Dom until he’s agreed to start obeying, and he can withdraw his consent at any time and stop the play.” Your nephew also needs to be told that “convincing” other boys to “subtly dominate him” isn’t ethical. If these boys don’t realize what your nephew is doing — and what they’re doing for your nephew — then they haven’t consented to playing D/s games with him. And just as your nephew wants to avoid bad Doms lurking on the other end of sketchy online searches — and any adult Dom willing to play with a 15-year-old boy is by e nition ba an untrustworthy — your nephew needs to avoid being a bad/creepy/manipulative sub. “And besides, pushing vanilla guys to dominate him is not a great longterm strate y for n in a om sai Temple. “One of the hardest things for novice subs to understand is that vanilla guys don’t like to be dominant
— if they did, they wouldn’t be vanilla. Sure, there are some guys who don’t realize they’re kinky until a sub comes along, but he shouldn’t assume every hot guy he likes is a potential Dom. In most cases, attempting to ‘convert’ vanilla guys is a waste of time.” And while exploring his sexuality with an age-appropriate partner who shares your nephew’s kinks would be safer more appropriate an le al n ing someone his own age who’s not just gay but also attracted to him and into dominating someone — and someone your nephew is attracted to in turn — is a tall order. Instead of searching for someone to play with right now, reading about, thinking about, fantasizing about, and masturbating about his kinks would be a far better and less frustrating use of his time. As for whether your nephew needs to know about your saddo experiences… “In one sense, it doesn’t matter if UGH is a ‘poor role model’ where longterm relationships are concerned,” said emple e an still o er his nephe good advice without going into sad or sordid details. He can answer questions and promise to be non-judgmental. And UGH shouldn’t assume he’s a bad sub — or a bad role model — because he hasn’t found a long-term kinky partner. There are lots of reasons why a sub might not have met the right Dom, and only a few of those reasons really come down to being a bad sub. Most kinksters feel there are more subs out there than there are Doms, so there are good subs who haven’t been able to get the partner they deserve because the Dom-to-sub ratio is skewed.” And while kinks can complicate a person’s search for a partner, being vanilla — or pretending to be vanilla — does not guarantee someone a partner. Just as there are lots of happily partnered kinky people out there (some partnered with people who aren’t kinky), there are lots of 100% vanilla people out there who are unhappily single. To get a young sub’s perspective, UGH, I shared your question with Gimpboy95, a 26-year-old gay sub in Chicago. (Gimpboy95 is his handle on Instagram, and it’s how he wanted to be i enti e in the olumn ot too lon ago Gimpboy95 was in your nephew’s shoes: another gay, kinky, inexperienced teenager scouring the Internet for information, porn, and connection. “There are some shady/sketchy people out there, of course, but there’s a lot of good out there too,” said Gimpboy ho ha his rst se ual e periences at age 18. “UGH’s nephew can do
32 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
By Dan Savage
JOE NEWTON
his resear h ure out hat he li es an ultimately n his ommunity ust li e i n n in ommunity is in my opinion, absolutely crucial.” Finding community means making kinky friends, not just matching with kinky sex partners. “Having a shoulder or boot to lean on has helped me tremendously,” said Gimpboy95. “So once UGH’s nephew is old enough, he shouldn’t be afraid to put himself out there — and not just on the internet. Meeting other people in the kink community at local events who were open and accepting — whether their identities were centered around kink or kink was more of a hobby — really has been the most ful llin part of my ourney Follow Hadrian Temple on Twitter @ HadrianTemple and check out his blog an his eroti a at ayb sm tion blo Follow Gimpboy95 on Instagram @ Gimpboy95.
ing quarantine, sex has become less frequent and less exciting, and we’ve talked, but still no solution. I think we can turn things around and I’m in love with her and see myself with her in the future, but I would like to open our relationship. I think we’d both enjoy and be e cited by new prospects. On the ip side, I’m not sure this will make things better. I have brought this up to her directly, but it never goes well. I have a solo work trip coming up and I can’t stop thinking about how easily I can have a one-night stand and some meaningless, fun sex. I feel bad about this, but also feel as though it could help me figure things out. I’ve brought up how I want to open our relationship, and she’s entertained the idea, but we haven’t come to a mutual agreement. What can I do? I am not se ually fulfilled and can’t live like this forever. Help! —Desperate Lesbo
A : There’s the right thing to do…
I have a vagina and I’ve been happily married to someone with a penis for fifteen years. In general, I have always enjoyed banjo players more than harmonica players. Honestly, cunnilingus doesn’t do it for me. I just get bored. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. In fact, the only way I can reliably cum is by fingering myself, although being fingered by my partner is great too. In the last year my partner has really gotten into cunnilingus. He spends a lot of time down there. Are there any tricks or toys that can make it less boring for me so I can stay in the mood? —Bored Over Ravenously Eating Dude
which is to honor the monogamous commitment you’ve made while continuing to be honest with your partner about your desire to renegotiate the terms of your commitment and slowly move towards the openness you want while making sure your partner feels safe, secure, and prioritized at every moment along what is likely to be a long journey, and one that may never get you to your desired destination… and then there’s the thing a lot of people wind up doing… which is to have impulsive sex with some rando on a business trip and then get caught or confess, thereby creating the kind of crisis that forces a rapid renegotiation of the terms of your commitment. The former approach might never get where you want to be — your partner might never agree to open the relationship — while the latter approach almost always (but not always) gets you dumped. You say that things can’t go on like this fore er ou aren t se ually ful lle and it doesn’t sound like you ever will be, unless your partner agrees to open the relationship*. Since that’s the case, DL, you could opt for a variation on the right thing to do: demand a rapid renegotiation without cheating. She’ll feel pressured, yes, but better to feel pressured than betrayed and pressured.
A : Let him play the harmonica while
ot e eryone in an open relationship is se ually ful lle ust sayin
Q:
you pluck that banjo.
Q : I’m a lesbian in her 30s located in
SF. I am in a pretty healthy relationship with my partner of three years. Dur-
Ask: questions@savagelove.net! Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage! Columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at www.savage.love!
metrotimes.com | February 23-March 1, 2022
33
CULTURE ARIES: March 21 – April 19 “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it,” wrote author G. K. Chesterton. Amen to that! Please regard his obser ation as the rst part of your horos ope ere s the se on part t s sometimes the ri ht approa h to mo e in harmony ith the flo to allo the momentum of elemental for es to arry you alon But no is not one of those times su est you e periment ith ourneys a ainst the flo o in uest of hat the follo ers of easy options ill ne er e perien e o it humbly of ourse an ith your uriosity fully eploye TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 ou re ne er allo e to step on people to et ahea sai personality and author Star Jones, “but you can step o er them if they re in your ay suspe t the omin months ill be a time hen you really shoul step o er people ho are in your ay here s no need to be mad at them, criticize them, or ossip about them hat oul sap your ener y to follo your in reasin ly lear reams our main tas is to free yourself from influen es that obstru t
Free Will Astrology By Rob Brezsny
your ability to be the oyal o erei n of our n estiny GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 Gemini-born Gina Rowlands is retired now, but she had an awardinnin si e a e areer as an a tor At age 20, she decided what she wanted to o ith her life an her parents o ere her their blessin s he testie ent home an tol my mom that ante to uit olle e an be an a tress an she sai uh that soun s fas inatin t s on erful n tol my father an he literally sai on t are if you ant to be an elephant trainer if it ma es you happy ear emini in the omin months oul lo e for you to receive similar encouragement for your bu in i eas an plans hat an you o to ensure you re surroun e by influen es li e o lan s parents hope you embar on a lon term pro e t to et all the support you nee CANCER: June 21 – July 22 s you enter an astrolo i al phase hen ast e pansi e ruminations ill be fun an healthy for you ill o er you some ast e pansi e thou hts opefully they ill inspire your o n spa ious musin s irst here s artist s her on er is the salt of the earth e t author alman ush ie hat s real an hat s true aren t ne essarily the same ere s poet llen insber hen you noti e something clearly and see it vividly, it then be omes sa re pro erb from the maha people s uestions from your heart, and you will be answered from the heart hesterton et your reli ion be less of a theory an more of a lo e a air inally play ri ht ony ushner m not reli ious but like God, and he likes me.” LEO: July 23 – August 22 ut of lo e you an spea ith strai ht fury rote author u ora elty ere s ho interpret that in li ht of the urrent hapter of your life story ou ha e an opportunity to recalibrate some misaligned energy. ou ha e the ne essary insi ht to an imbalance or dissolve an illusion or orre t a flo that has one o ourse n by far the best ay to o that is by iel in the po er of lo e t ill nee to be e presse ith ehemen e an intense larity ho e er t ill re uire you to be both ompassionate an rm our home or i ure out ho to e press transformati e truths ith kindness. u ust ept ir o politi al s ien e professor atah entan as born an raise in the fri an ountry of ameroon
34 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com
JAMES NOELLERT
hi h has ne er fully re o ere from its grueling colonization by Germany, ran e an n lan he emo rati tra ition there is tenuous hen entan rst tau ht at a uni ersity in the ameroonian apital authorities foun his i eas too ontro ersial or the ne t years he attempte to be true to himself hile a oi in o ernmental ensorship but the strain pro e too stressful earin for his safety he fle to the m turnin to him for a i e that will serve you well in the coming ee s e tells us ea e oes not mean to be in a pla e here there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the mi st of all those things and still be calm in your heart.” LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 nythin you o from the heart enriches you, but sometimes not till years later rote author i non au hlin m please to inform you ibra that you ill soon re ei e your re ar s for enerous a tions you a omplishe in the past n behalf of the osmi rhythms apolo i e for ho lon it has ta en But at least it s nally here on t un erestimate ho bi this is n on t allo sa ness about your earlier epri ation to inhibit your enthusiasti embra e of ompensation SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21 No matter how reasonable and analyti al you are orpio you possess a robust attraction to magic. You yearn for the refreshin in i oration of non rational mysteries ou nurture ur es to be eli hte by outbrea s of the ra primal lust for life or in to my astrological assessment, you are espe ially in line to ant an nee these feelin s in the ne t fe ee s n that s oo an healthy an holy t the same time on t aban on your po ers of is ernment eep them running in the background as you enjoy your rejuvenating communions with the eni mati pleasures of the reat Unknown. SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 uthor iane erman tells us n the absen e of tou hin an bein
tou he people of all a es an si en an ro tou h star e ou h seems to be as essential as sunli ht his is alays important to remember but it ill be e tra ru ial for you to eep in min urin the omin ee s a ise you to be in enious an humble an fran as you olle t as mu h physi al onta t as you an Be polite an respe tful of ourse e er for e yourself on anyone l ays see permission ith those as your ui elines be ree y for hu s an cuddling and caresses. CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 u ation fun amentally is the in rease of the per enta e of the conscious in relation to the unconscious.” Author and educator Sylvia shton arner sai that an no m tellin you ust in time for one of the most lesson ri h times of a year that ill be full of ri h lessons n the ne t nine months ear apri orn the proportion of your ons iousness in relation to your unconsciousness should markedly increase. And the coming ee s ill be a fa orable phase to upgrade your educational ambitions. AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 ou re enterin a phase of your cycle when your ability to boost your nan es ill be stron er than usual ou ll be more li ely to attra t oo lu ith money an more apt to is o er useful tips on ho to enerate reater abun an e o inspire your e orts o er you this obser ation by author atharine Butler atha ay o me money is ali e t is almost human f you treat it ith real sympathy an kindness and consideration, it will be a oo ser ant an or har for you an stay ith you an ta e are of you PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 uthor eb aletti ma e the follo in obser ation ou ha e or inary moments and ordinary moments and more ordinary moments, and then, suddenly, there is something monumental ri ht there ou ha e past an future olli in in the present your o n personal Bi Ban an nothin ill e er be the same n my ision of your estiny in is es there oul be se eral of these personal Bi Ban s an one of them seems to be imminent o prepare that is to ensure that the han es are primarily upliftin an en oyable su est you hant the follo in mantra at least e times e ery ay lo e an e pe t oo changes.” This week’s homework: Give yourself a blessing. Say why you’re wonderful and name a marvelous event that’s ahead for you.
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36 February 23-March 1, 2022 | metrotimes.com