Shit’s All Bad, Man
Professor Lessenberry was bang on. “Some may be tempted to think [child poverty, domestic dysfunction] is primarily a ‘Detroit problem.’ It is anything but.” Yes, worldly sorts in Troy and Macomb Township, to say nothing of Georgetown, probably regard Detroit as the huge lead sinker in the economic desperation department. This provincialism is aggravated by the largest municipal bankruptcy, of course.
Close at hand are the sorry estates of Newaygo, Lake and Montcalm counties. If it were not for huge state spending, Ionia would return to the Indians. Although Detroit and selected “inner ring” municipalities involve many more people, rural poverty has long been a cultural feature to anyone who gets off the interstates. Even in prosperous Kent County, the 1990 Census of Population for Lowell (City), Cedar Springs and Kent City could have been that of Puerto Rico.
When ca. 2005-07 the cognoscenti — including Romney — could speak of a “one-state recession,” I confirmed with a lot of drive-by field confirmation in 2011. One does not have to venture far inland from Frankfort-Traverse-Petoskey. The monograph from the Michigan League for Public Policy should not surprise.
G.M. Ross
Lowell
We had an outpouring of responses to Brett Callwood’s blog post “Celine Dion is far more poisonous than One Direction.”
Nicholas Forbes posted:
My god, I hear and read so many ignorant persons bashing Celine Dion. Why? I don’t understand it. She has been one of the greatest influences of music to ever grace this mold of dust and rocks we call Earth. Sold over 220 million albums. I mean, is it me or are the people in Hollywood biased against her. You are saying that her music is poisonous. Why? She purely sings of love. Is that poison? Or would you rather she take off her clothes and drop its like its hot and sing about sex and an orgy?
I mean, it’s confusing to me why you must bash her for a reason I don’t know, and then you praise One Direction. That makes no sense. They’ll be over before we all know it, and she’s been around for 30 years now, and still her latest album sold 1.5 million copies in the space of five weeks. Now, tell me, do you just hate her? Or is this some act to get people to dislike you, because it is happening, sir, it really is.
Chris Conner posted:
You clearly have not done your research on Celine Dion. She is a singer, yes, not a writer, so if you are using that as the basis of “Dion hasn’t meant one single line of lyric” you are greatly mistaken. If you are reaching for artists that are hurting real musicians, Britney Spears is a great source. Her career was generated from hours of studio computer generations.
Adam S posted:
Crappiest and most unfounded article I’ve ever read. I suggest that you get over your One Direction boy crush and find something more factual to write about.
Manny posted:
You obviously know nothing about Celine Dion. Some of her music might be cheesy, I’m the first to admit it, but it is sincere, and when she sings she means every word of it. Art isn’t just what you want or think it to be. Get off your high horse. The lyrics in her songs actually have meaning, unlike 90 percent of the singers that came after her.
Andrew posted:
This is a clear example of the arrogance of the human mind. To think that, because one likes a singer (or song or book or movie), it means that singer (or song or book or movie) is good, and that if one doesn’t like a singer, etc., it means that singer, etc., is bad, is a judgment. That means that if I like something and you don’t, then you must have bad taste. The only other option is that I have bad taste and that would be ridiculous (according to the arrogant ego mind). This article is just another example of how we judge each other. It’s sad. When will the human race stop judging art? Art is subjective. And whether or not you like Celine Dion (or anyone else), it is simply your opinion. Don’t be so arrogant as to think your opinion is the only proper one. You enjoy what you like; just let others enjoy what they like without being self-righteous. Some people like Celine Dion. Some people like Marilyn Manson. Some people like the Beatles. Some people like modern art. Some people like art from the renaissance period. Nothing is good or bad. Nothing is better than anything else. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
