Ferndale Blues Fest and Fritter's

Today marks the kickoff of the Ferndale Blues Festival with the first performers taking the stage at 7pm tonight at Angel's Cafe with the Tom Dennis Trio. The festival lasts through Feb. 6th with nightly concerts at many bars and restaurants in the downtown area with proceeds going to the Michigan AIDS Coalition and Ferndale Youth Assistance charities.

As a part of the festival there will also be a BBQ rib cook off taking place at Dino's on Saturday Feb. 6th. The "rib burn" will take place from noon-5pm with entertainment by the Reefermen to follow.

A free shuttle will be running festival goers from venue to venue on Friday and Saturday to catch all the acts. For some beer, blues and BBQ head to the Ferndale Blues Festival this weekend or next!

FRITTERS

Apple Fritters is like the dive bar of donut shops in Ferndale. There is nothing fancy about the inside. Bare bones tables and chairs with a no non-sense aura about it. The kind of thing you expect when you think local dive bar. I had the pleasure of stopping in at this local Ferndale donut shop this morning for some coffee and a fritter.

They have all the fresh donuts out on the counter and some on the shelfs for display for you when you walk in. I of course chose the apple fritter due to the name of the establishment and a large coffee. I will tell you the fritter was fantastic and the coffee good too! In an effort to help out local businesses I will try to frequent The Apple Fritter Doughnut Shop more often, but I will tell you it will not be difficult to do. Head out as early as pre-dawn and as late as mid-afternoon for some fritters!

Let's Save Michigan! campaign

A friend and former Kalamazoo College classmate of mine, Sean Mann, has started a campaign.  He is trying to mobilize the people of Michigan to save the state from the economic downturn that the whole world suffered.  In order to kick-start this movement he has started the web site www.letssavemichigan.com

The website offers a pledge to its visitors that states they will frequent the "main street" of their town in order to support local businesses.  The philosophy is that this will in turn boost the economy of the entire state and make it a more desirable place to live so that more people and businesses will want to be here.  If more businesses want to be here they will bring more jobs that can help chip away at Michigan's historically high unemployment rate.  Simple enough.

Lets Save Michigan also includes posts that review current issues that different communities in Michigan are facing, including many ways to improve Michigan's largest city, Detroit.  Recent posts include one on the metro/light rail train issue in Michigan as well as one on the popularity of winter festivals in other large cities and how Michigan might benefit from hosting some.  On each page there are "fun facts" about Michigan.  Starting today (1/27) Sean Mann will be on the radio at 760 AM WJR for a segment discussing the Let's Save Michigan campaign.

The overall theme is that WE have to do something to make a change for a better Michigan.  We cannot wait for a bailout from "big brother."  Personally, I am in favor of this idea.  My family has just bought a home in Ferndale and we will probably be here for a while.  Let's work together to make Michigan great again... Let's Save Michigan!

Weezer Raditude

I think Weezer was inspired by my blog.  

It's the title of their latest album that I saw today in Border's.  The CD can be ordered in a standard or deluxe version with optional tie die Weezer snuggie!  They are really taking Rad to the extreme with this offering.  You can listen to a couple tracks for free at lost.fm.com.  

RAD!