Metro Times 01/11/23

NEWS & VIEWS

Feedback NEWS & VIEWS

We received comments in response to Kahn Santori Davison’s cover story about BMF, the Starz TV crime drama about Detroit’s Black Mafia Family. It was his ninth cover story of 2022!

We received comments in response to Kahn Santori Davison’s cover story about BMF, the Starz TV crime drama about Detroit’s Black Mafia Family. It was his ninth cover story of 2022!

This is so freakin DOPE!! What a way to close out the year with a BMF story & interviews. Thank you Kahn Santori Davison for the [love] you have for Detroit sharing your gift & ALWAYS showing up for your city!!!! 9th COVER THIS YEAR! It’s only [up] here!! —Renee Latasha, Facebook

This is so freakin DOPE!! What a way to close out the year with a BMF story & interviews. Thank you Kahn Santori Davison for the [love] you have for Detroit sharing your gift & ALWAYS showing up for your city!!!! 9th COVER THIS YEAR! It’s only [up] here!! —Renee Latasha, Facebook

9 cover stories in a year. I stay proud of your work, my Bro. And yeah, I know.

9 cover stories in a year. I stay proud of your work, my Bro. And yeah, I know.

Spell out “nine” when it’s the first word in the sentence. Lol. —Khary Kimani Turner, Facebook

Spell out “nine” when it’s the first word in the sentence. Lol. —Khary Kimani Turner, Facebook

Definitely grabbing a copy as soon as I can locate one. ...and thank you for your journalist grind - the coverage you’ve contributed this year has been awesome!

—Auset Asante, Facebook

Definitely grabbing a copy as soon as I can locate one. ...and thank you for your journalist grind - the coverage you’ve contributed this year has been awesome! —Auset Asante, Facebook

Good story fam. Keep doin ya thang and killin the game. Proud of you. —Darren Nichols, Facebook

Good story fam. Keep doin ya thang and killin the game. Proud of you. —Darren Nichols, Facebook

Excellent! Congrats Kahn! Always doing amazing things. —Sabrina Underwood, Facebook

Excellent! Congrats Kahn! Always doing amazing things. —Sabrina Underwood, Facebook

Have an opinion? Of course you do! Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com.

Have an opinion? Of course you do! Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com.

CIRCULATION

EMPLOYMENT

ELECTRIFICATION CALIBRATION

ENGINEER-BEV3/AV, Milford, MI, General Motors. Calibrate, test, verify vehicle performance, & validate Battery Electric (BEV) & Autonomous Vehicles propulsion syss in-vehicle & on test bench (SIL), using Co-Simulation, MATLAB, Simulink, ETAS INCA & Measure Data Analyzer (MDA), AVL CRETA, Vector CANalyzer/CANoe/ CANape, & VSpy tools, & neoVI FIRE HW. Collaborate w/ algorithm/SW & HW engrs. Decode complex control algorithms using embedded C/C++ & Simulink models. Release & manage BEV & AV production level propulsion syss calibration for VESCOM SW releases for multi market & multi battery module vehicle variants using Creta calibration data lifecycle mgmt sys. Deliver HOS & Driver Command Interpreter calibrations to ensure feature & diagnostic functionality & robustness according to internal standards. Apply understanding of BEV torque architecture to dvlp & optimize vehicle propulsion syss features incldg max vehicle speed, regeneration energy, propulsion syss braking, vehicle traction, cruise control, axle torque, thermal stall protection, & OBD calibrations to meet performance & timing reqmts utilizing calibration standard work. Required travel to validate drivability matrices & support testing & validation field trips for high altitude, hot & cold weather propulsions systems testing in MI, AZ, CO, TN, FL, & CA, ~7 wks P/A. Master, Automotive Systems or Mechanical Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer, calibrating & testing or verifying vehicle performance or emissions of Hybrid or Battery Electric Vehicle powertrain or propulsion sys, & using Simulink, INCA, MDA, & CRETA tools, or related. Mail resume to Ref#25556, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

EMPLOYMENT

Robert Bosch LLC seeks a System Designer and Technical Acquisition Engineer (Multiple Positions) in Farmington Hills, MI. REQS: Bach dgr, or frgn eq in Electronic Engg, Mechanical Engg, Computer Engg, Math, Physics, Aerospace Engg or rel fld, +3 yrs prof exp w/ SW languages, operating systems (real time OS, C, or embedded C), SW devel & amp; debugging tools. Remote Work May Be Permitted. Applicants who are interested in this position should apply online at https://www.bosch.us/careers/, search System Designer and Technical Acquisition Engineer / REF176123B

EMPLOYMENT

VEHICLE MOTION EMBEDDED CONTROLS (VMEC) ENGINEER, Milford, MI, General Motors. Gather architecture & SW technical reqmts from the architecture & calibrations team to analyze & formulate SW reqmts. Ensure that psgr vehicle stability & braking syss behave on normal & slippery surfaces in accordance w/ SW design intent to regulate & control wheel slip, trailer sway, yaw moment, corner exit control, brake torque process, regenerative control, power hop control & engine drag control. Dvlp embedded SW for BEV & AV syss to test & validate vehicle control regulating vehicle stability & braking syss, using MATLAB, Simulink & C, on different vehicle architecture-based Electronic Control Modules. Perform peer reviews & unit level testing using RiBeTT & CppUTest for Multiple Condition Coverage to reduce rework requests & achieve zero SW defects. Set technical objectives & tasks to implement production intent SW for infrastructure & platform SW cmpts supporting communication for embedded ECUs in Embedded C, using Git, Gerrit, Jenkins, Eclipse IDE, IBM RTC tools, & following MIRSA CERT C standards, & GM SW development process. Required travel to support testing & validation at Milford Proving Ground & field trips in test vehicle for cold weather propulsions syss testing in Upper Peninsula (MI), ~15 days per year. Bachelor, Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engrg. 24 mos exp as Engineer, setting technical objectives & tasks to implement production intent SW for infrastructure & platform SW cmpts supporting communication for embedded ECUs in Embedded C, & following MISRA CERT C standards, or related.

Mail resume to Ref#5370, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

EMPLOYMENT

ETAS, Inc. seeks an Sr. SE Resident Engineer (Multiple Positions) in Plymouth, MI. REQS: Bach dgr in Electrical Engg, Electronic Engg, Transportation Engg, Automotive Engg, Computer Science, Mobility Engg, or rel fld, +5 yrs prof exp in Model-based SW devel w/ ASCET. Remote work may be permitted. Applicants who are interested in this position should apply via online at https://www.bosch.us/careers/, search Sr. SE Resident Engineer / REF178670Z

Harbaugh for Senate?

Don’t laugh — the U-M coach could be just what the Michigan GOP needs

By Joe Lapointe

When Texas Christian University upset Michigan in the national college ootball semi final on ew ear’s e in the iesta owl the camera showed ol erines ans reacting with disbelie to oach im arbaugh’s timeout strategy as the seconds tic ed away late in the fourth quarter.

ne man umped to his eet and shouted “ im what are you doing ” his wasn’t ust any an e was ac arbaugh im’s dad a success ul ootball coach in his own right is uestion is one that echoes throughout much of arbaugh’s career im what are you doing nd what might you do ne t s it turned out those sideline decisions on timeouts weren’t as damaging as se eral other calls by arbaugh in a upset by the orned rogs ut that de eat hasn’t deterred arbaugh’s annual case o itchy eet nce again he’s ob shopping around the ational Football League.

arly tic les are coming rom Den er and arolina and there are li ely to be more ast year arbaugh got re ected by the innesota i ings but such things don’t discourage a man whose reach sometimes e ceeds his grasp

So here’s another possibility perhaps tongue in chee or arbaugh’s ne t ob e should run or the S Senate seat from Michigan to replace the Democrat Debbie Stabenow who announced hursday that she will not be a candidate again in ait don’t laugh onsider he current senior senator rom labama is ommy uber ille a epublican who recently coached the ootball team at uburn

arbaugh is not a raid to gi e his political opinions ast autumn or instance arbaugh oiced radio commercials against a woman’s right to choose abortion

In eorgia’s Senate race erschel al er pro ed that e en a bu oon can get almost half the vote if he is a football celebrity

• By covering up a gun violation by one ol erine player and minimi -

ing anti Semitic postings by another arbaugh has displayed the re uisite cunning needed or the subter uge o politics

nd by demanding swi t and public punishment for Michigan State Spartans or a stadium tunnel beat down at the ig ouse in nn rbor arbaugh displayed the bra en hypocrisy that boosts many political careers

ith Sports Illustrated reporting hursday night that ichigan’s ootball program is under in estigation it might be the right time or arbaugh to consider a new wor en ironment n a more serious le el lthough arbaugh might not win a Senate race in ichigan against someone li e say Democrat enni er ranholm more on that below he might help uni y a state epublican arty e en more ractious petty and grudge dri en than the current is on the national le el course some right wingers would uestion whether arbaugh is a true epublican at least in the sense erhaps arbaugh would too e o ten comes o as a libertarian whose politics lurch rom side to side e has supported lac i es atter gi en a shout out to alcolm and shown a willingness to be open minded to both liberal and conser ati e positions.

lthough occasionally e pressing admiration or Donald rump and being called “the Donald rump o ollege ootball ” arbaugh opposed rump’s e ort to cut legal aid to poor people hen ootball players protested police iolence by genu ecting on field during the national anthem rump called the players “sons o bitches” and said owners o teams should fire them arbaugh thought di erently “ o I don’t agree with the resident ” he said in “ isten that’s ridiculous hec the onstitution ”

olitical interest seems to be a character trait.

In a profile o arbaugh that year Politico maga ine wrote that arbaugh “sat down one on one with resident

arac bama dropped in or meetings with hal the Supreme ourt and slipped into a rally on campus where bama was stumping or illary linton ”

I epublicans were to recruit arbaugh as a Senate candidate ranholm would be a logical Democratic opponent She ser ed two terms as ichigan go ernor and has stayed isible and iable as Secretary o nergy under resident oe iden

he reat a es State has turned rom red to blue in recent elections than s in part to popular constitutional amendments regarding mari uana and abortion rights.

eaping the benefits ha e been liberal emale Democrats li e o ernor retchen hitmer Secretary o State ocelyn enson and ttorney eneral Dana essel ranholm at age still has good years ahead o her his speculation about arbaugh is not to endorse him or to suggest that e ery ootball celebrity would ma e a good candidate or S Senator onsider al er who last all lost a regular election and a runo to alph arnoc the Democratic incumbent e iewing the al er campaign the website Deadspin reported some o the things learned about the ormer star running bac o the eorgia ulldogs and the Dallas owboys

“ e terrori ed his e wi e alienated the only son he ac nowledged e istence o denigrating his loo s and intelligence and was regarded as a shameless and ob ious habitual liar to his own campaign sta ers ” Deadspin wrote adding “ e represented himsel to be a born again hristian yet hid multiple children born out o wedloc ” hen discussing policy and issues

al er assessed air pollution

“Since we don’t control the air our good air decides to oat o er to hina’s bad air ” al er said “So when hina gets our good air the bad air got to mo e So it mo es o er to our good air space hen now we’ e got to clean that bac up ”

Despite e posing himsel as a rumpist bump in al er still won o the ote in the runo against or arnoc

ould arbaugh as a candidate or a Michigan Senate seat be an improvement o er al er in eorgia course e’s glib and better at dodging dodgy uestions ut he might ha e to answer or stu that he has thus ar udged or instance

arbaugh played ootball or ichigan rom through is ather was an assistant coach or se en years there in the s In all those years

physician Dr obert nderson molested ootball players during routine physical e aminations

layers rom that era ha e said nderson’s misdeeds were common nowledge ut in arbaugh seemed to e onerate Dr nderson who was also the amily doctor

“ e er saw ne er anything inappropriate ” arbaugh said “ or did I e er hear anything that was inappropriate about Dr nderson ” arbaugh added that he “ne er e perienced anything inappropriate ”

arbaugh in those years was an astute young uarterbac and the son o a eteran coach ow could young arbaugh stay bliss ully unaware o a se ual predator in the ootball program ome to thin o it maybe ather ac arbaugh could deal with pointed uestions beyond “ im what are you doing ”

Political interest seems to be a personality trait for Jim Harbaugh. MAIZE & BLUE NATION, WIKIMEDIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Stabenow’s retirement opens a battleground seat in 2024

By Steve Neavling

U.S. SEN. DEBBIE Stabenow the first woman to be elected to the chamber rom ichigan in announced hursday she will not run or reelection opening a battleground seat in

he our term senator is the o Democratic leader and chairs the Senate griculture ommittee Stabenow who is had pre iously said she planned to run or reelection he ansing Democrat did not gi e an e act reason or her decision but said she was “inspired by a new generation o leaders” and wanted more time to spend with her amily including her year old mother

“I am ade in ichigan ’” Stabenow said in a statement “ y wor is deeply rooted in my lo e o our wonder ul state hether protecting our reat a es trans orming mental health ser ices or ensuring our state can continue to ma e things and grow things to be competiti e in our world economy I am proud that my accomplishments ha e made a di erence in people’s li es and created a strong oundation or a

healthy and prosperous uture or our state ”

er retirement is certain to set the stage or hotly contested primary battles in er term e pires on an

In her last reelection bid in Stabenow de eated epublican businessman ohn ames who e entually won a seat in the S ouse in o ember o retchen hitmer said Stabenow was a champion or ichigan causes “ s the first woman elected to represent ichigan in the S Senate she’s been leading the fight or wor ing amilies the auto industry and armers or a li etime in ichigan and or ichigan in ashington D ” hitmer said “She continues to stand up or wor ers’ rights and e pand paths to good paying obs in the trades bring manu acturing and supply chains home to ichigan and wor across the aisle as hair o the Senate griculture ommittee to deli er record bipartisan arm bills ” t o arlin ilchrist called Stabenow “a trailbla er history ma er champion or ichigan and riend ”

“In her ad ocacy on mental health

ma ing ichigan the best place to ma e and grow things and protecting our natural resources she has done so much to build a state we can be proud to pass on to our ids ” ilchrist said “I am grate ul or Senator Stabenow’s riendship and leadership et’s build on her legacy and continue wor ing together to ma e a di erence or ichiganders in e ery community ”

S ep Debbie Dingell D nn rbor who considered running or the Senate in when arl e in stepped down said Stabenow’s “legacy will li e on in the Senate and in our state ” “ or more than two decades Senator Stabenow has sel essly committed hersel to bettering ichigan and our country ” Dingell said “She has been a partner in so much important wor rom supporting our auto wor ers and industry to fighting or women and children to impro ing resources and ser ices or our eterans and so much more ”

ichigan Democratic arty hair a ora arnes said Democrats will be ready to de end the seat

“ ur wor together is ar rom o er ” arnes said “I now Sen Stabenow’s support will remain unwa ering and that she is deeply committed to eeping this seat blue he strength o the Democratic arty in ichigan has reached new heights and we ha e ull confidence in our ability to de end this seat ”

ichigan I resident on ieber credited Stabenow or “brea ing barriers and ma ing history in the S Senate ”

“She shattered the glass ceiling or ichigan women by not only ser ing as the first ichigan woman elected to the S Senate but by also rising to be the o Democrat in Senate leadership ” ieber said “ or ing ol s in ichigan and across the country ha e been positi ely impacted by her achie ements in her time in public ser ice In her historically producti e career in the S Senate Debbie ne er wa ers rom her core alues and always puts ichigan’s wor ing amilies first She’s a true leader and an e en greater riend ”

It’s too early to say who plans to run or Stabenow’s seat

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Lansing Democrat, was the first woman from Michigan to serve in the U.S. Senate.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Attorney for Oxford victims blasts governmental immunity

MICHIGAN HAS AN accountability problem

ity county and state o cials are largely shielded rom lawsuits ma ing it di cult to hold public employees accountable when they do something wrong ederal employees en oy similar protections but to a lesser e tent than ichigan

o one nows this more than en ohnson a ichigan attorney who has represented residents in some o the biggest cases against public o cials e is representing children and their parents in a lawsuit against ord schools ollowing the mass shooting e filed lawsuits on behal o hundreds o residents in the idland dam ailure and lint water crisis nd most recently he sued the city o rand apids a ter one o its cops atally shot an unarmed atric yoya

In all o those cases he was con ront-

ed with a similar challenge go ernmental immunity which gi es public employees broad protections against lawsuits

In ichigan go ernmental immunity dates bac to the s when lawma ers enacted the o ernmental ort iability ct which made it di cult to hold public employees accountable in lawsuits

s the state go ernment lurched to the right in the s the state’s courts became dominated by conser ati es who ha e traditionally upheld go ernmental immunity During epublican ohn ngler’s three terms as go ernor or e ample he appointed nearly udges and ustices ut the times are changing or the first time in decades Democrats control the state egislature the go ernor’s seat and the ichigan Supreme ourt “ n behal o all the ord ictims and the parents I am calling on the ichigan egislature to step orward and repeal go ernmental immunity ” ohnson tells Metro Times “ hey should end it immediately all aspects o it ”

ohnson says he’s “trying to shine the bright light o truth and ustice on the e ility and unconstitutionality o go ernment immunity both state

and ederal ” ohnson argues it’s un air that public employees are gi en more protections than e eryone else

“I ord happened at a pri ate school we wouldn’t be ha ing this con ersation ” ohnson says he idea behind go ernment immunity is that public employees should be able to do their obs without the ear o lawsuits and e pensi e litigation ut that doctrine has bac fired on residents who ha e been ictimi ed by negligent cops and other public employees

“In any situation where there was a go ernment entity or go ernment employee that was at ault an o erwhelming ma ority o those cases are being thrown out o court without e er going to trial ” ohnson says “ e represent ictims ou are screwing o er the ictims who pay the money or the go ernment and their employees to be in o ce and en oy their li estyle hey wor or us e don’t wor or them ” I more people were aware o the conse uences o go ernmental immunity ohnson says there would be outrage “ erybody should be pissed o that go ernment immunity is still a thing ” ohnson says “It’s elitism It’s gi ing people rights that you and I don’t ha e in a normal lawsuit ”

—Steve Neavling

Soul singer Melvin Davis is seeking help paying medical bills

MELVIN DAVIS HAS gi en us un y drumming soul ul ocals and heart elt songwriting or at least si decades ow a o und e has been launched as ing the public to help Detroit’s “ mbassador o Soul” with his medical bills e wouldn’t begrudge you i you don’t now Da is by name as he’s sadly recei ed minimal credit and ame or his musical contributions hen etro imes spo e to him or a co er story he was wor ing at a Detroit post o ce despite being internationally renowned he soul man has made contributions to otown and beyond wor ing with Smo ey obinson the iracles Da id u n o the emptations olland Do ier olland huc erry ayne ramer o and more ccording to the o und e page during the height o the pandemic Da is “had a debilitating case o co id pneumonia only to begin another fight against leu emia hile he is indeed currently on the mend el in Da is can use our help with the medical e penses that ha e resulted rom these battles ”

Da is tells us o er the phone rom his home in Detroit that he hasn’t ully reco ered rom leu emia which he was diagnosed with last year be ore catching ID twice “It’s been a ery challenging past or months or me ” he says “I’ e lost about or pounds and am eeling ery wea ny assistance rom my music amily is more than appreciated I ust don’t ha e the words to tell you how appreciati e I am o all my supporters ” e remains ind and riendly e en as he tells us he’ll ha e to cut the con ersation short because he isn’t eeling up to it “ lease gi e all my riends and my music amily my best and undying gratitude I than them so much ” he says a ter wishing us a happy new year “I ust turned years old I understand this is part o the deal here ”

he crowd unding campaign was started by ellow musician Drew Schult who wor ed with Da is on a co er o Detroit proto pun band Death’s “ oliticians in y yes ” orn on ugust Da is’s amily mo ed to Detroit when he was but they re uently isited his grandparents’

arm bac in eorgia where he de eloped a passion or music a ter hearing ittle ichard per orm at a nearby u e oint

e went on to play drums alongside Dennis o ey on “ i er ouge It’s our hing ” sing lead ocals on th Day’s “ ou’ e ot to rawl e ore ou al ” and pen arnes’s “ hains o o e ” which Detroit roc band the Dirtbombs populari ed in a co er e’s written more than songs throughout his long career that began in the s “ eople aren’t amiliar with the wealth o contributions that ha e been made by so many artists musicians entrepreneurs promoters ust a host o people who were out there putting their heart and soul into trying to ma e their place in the industry ” he told Metro Times in “Detroit has always been a hotbed o e pression o soul on the cutting edge nd the essence o that spirit is still here ”

Da is is a testament to that spirit he o und e has a goal o with all proceeds reportedly going directly to Da is

—Randiah Camille Green

Rev. Jesse Jackson to host free MLK Day rally in Detroit

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

e esse ac son will host a ree e ent in Detroit on artin uther ing r Day he e ent a rally dubbed “ et reedom ing ” will be held at p m on onday an at the o heatre he e ent is ree and open to the public

“Detroit has always had a special place in our collecti e long wal to e uity and ustice ” ac son said in a statement adding “in spite o Dr ing’s death his truths are still marching on ” ccording to a press release “ et reedom ing” will celebrate si Detroiters “whose wor ha e shined the light on humanity and e pound the li e o Dr ing ” hose include abbi Daniel Syme o emple eth l ishop harles llis III o reater race emple e o nn atson o est Side nity hurch and ormer e ecuti e director o Detroit ranch Shamayim “ ama Shu“ arris o ighland ar ’s alon illage ni ersity o ichigan running bac la e orum and singer em ther dignitaries slated to attend are ayor i e Duggan ieutenant o ernor arlin ilchrist II S ep Debbie Dingell S ep ashida laib and S ep Shri hanedar ntertainment will be pro ided by singer songwriter oward ewett the Detroit Symphony rchestra outh nsembles and the Dr artin uther ing igh School Dance or shop hough the e ent is ree tic ets are re uired and are a ailable starting at a m on hursday an rom resents com and ic etmaster com

—Lee DeVito

R.I.P. John Sims

The Detroit artist and activist led an immense and inspired life

BY OMO MISHA

Pure genius is not easy. It enters the room with a bang and does not leave quietly. It is every color of the spectrum, electricity and sparkle, yet blunt, like a mallet, boisterous with prickly shards, smoothing, like butter on a burn, charming and loud. It sweeps you into its orbit, sculpting and sharpening your edges. It is exhausting and energizing at once, and you are better, stronger, brighter for having walked into its ame

From coast to coast and across seas, no one will deny that John Sims was all these things. John Sims was a Detroitbred, pure, unbridled genius.

On Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, the world lost a brilliant human being. Born in 1968, Sims grew up on the city’s west side. He attended Detroit public schools and graduated from Renaissance High School in 1986. In a 2017 Metro Times interview he described his younger self as a “big science fair geek” and recounted an early interest in art, mathematics, and politics, as well as attending a vocational school located right behind his high school. He went on to graduate from Antioch College, where he would begin transforming these interests into his life’s work — turning big ideas into even bigger ventures all over the world.

Returning to Antioch as special assistant to the dean of faculty, Sims started out by creating and organizing robust cultural programming that

took a diverse group of students to the South to learn about the African American experience. He additionally founded African American Cultural Week (AACW), which evolved into the AACW Blues and Gospel Fest and has gone on to celebrate more than 25 years as an annual event in Ohio.

Sims made Sarasota, Florida, his home when he signed on as coordinator of mathematics at the Ringling College of Art & Design. There, he developed a visual mathematics curriculum where students were taught to communicate ideas of quantity, relationship, symmetry, and pattern through art and design, and curated more than 15 mathematical art exhibitions including the year-long interdisciplinary project Rhythm of Structure: Bowery and Beyond, featuring Sol LeWitt, Karen Finley, Adrian Piper, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Mark Strand, at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. Later, as artist in residence at Ringling, he worked on ongoing performance initiatives including projects related to Confederate iconography, visual terrorism, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was introduced to him by Florence Tate in the early 2000s. Mrs. Tate was a mutual friend and supporter, a consummate socialite and civil rights activist, John’s Sarasota neighbor, and the dynamic birth-mother of our shared New York friend and brother-in-spirit, Greg Tate. Sims was developing SquareRoots: Quilted Manifesto at the time

— a body of colorful math-art quilts based on visual grids corresponding to the number pi, which he’d curiously created with a team of Amish women in Sarasota. I didn’t pretend to fully understand and he never tired of expounding, but the project was vibrant, captivating, and unlike anything I’d previously seen or experienced from an artist. One thing was abundantly clear rom the first meeting his man’s brain was on fire!

His other works at the time included “Time Sculpture” and hand-made chess boards with white kings that could not be dethroned. And, he was at the ront o his on ederate ag wor which would evolve and draw both acclaim and outrage throughout his career. While there was no particular math component to Sims’s ag pro ect he believed that “mathematics give us a starting platform for discussing complex ideas,” from nature to racial di erences history and in ustice he fundamental idea connecting all his work, he said, is that it gives voice and vision to “political, visual, and philosophical investigation.”

In purposely open and vulnerable spaces throughout the country, and especially the U.S. South, Sims continued to invent courageous exhibitions and performances around the Confederate Flag in a two-decades long project that came to be known as Recoloration Proclamation. He sought to change the interpretation o the ag by recoloring

it red, black, and green, or simply black and white ore than di erent ags were introduced, like the “Drag Flag” (dressed in Boa feathers and installed with high-heeled shoes), or the “Bondage Flag” (as you might imagine, fashioned in S&M leather and chains). The original ersion o the on ederate ag was to be publicly burned, hung from a noose, eulogized, funeralized, and was, in at least one instance, married to a Confederate soldier. These installations did not come without protest and opposition, which Sims valiantly faced, and welcomed.

In 2015, he initiated the Burn and Bury Memorial Day event, The Burn and Bury Video Anthem, and a Confederate Flag Support Kit. The sixth annual performance, held on May 31, 2022 at the Houston Museum of African American Art and Culture, continued the endeavor to create a new tradition inviting all Americans to engage in a space of healing, release, and transformation.

Other visual and musical dramatiations were also designed to re ect alternate iews o amiliar symbols

As a video component, Sims went on to write The Gettysburg Redress (an emendation of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address) and collaborated with producers, such as DJ Spooky, to create ten di erent ersions o “Di ie ” merica’s

Opposite page: Members of Detroit’s arts community honored John Sims during a memorial at Irwin House Gallery.

most famous Southern heritage song. In 2018, the chapbook Ablazing Grace, was published Its pages o ered a isual history o the on ederate ag Sims’s poetic analysis and a loo at the ag’s ultimate demise he ag wor which began as early as 2002 and shape-shifted across genres, grew to embrace an army of academic and artistic collaborators from Harlem to the Deep South, Texas, and Florida. Despite the expanse and gra ity o this contentious political work, the artist still made time for the de elopment o new art writing friends, and social life.

i e many Detroiters ma ing wa es around the nation and abroad, stories of Detroit ruins and rebirth were calling Sims home. When the Irwin ouse allery first thought to open its doors for a tribute to Aretha Franklin after her passing in 2018, Sims was the first to lend his support he gallery was then a mere idea of an art space, with dirt oors construction debris and exposed wires, but Sims immersed himsel in the ision conceptuali ing and co-curating an exhibit that imagined Aretha as a force of nature. For the exhibition, Aretha Supernatural: Tribute to a Queen, he contributed a ideo poem “ urricane retha” a four-minute track he wrote, produced, and per ormed with bac ground ocals by Syl ia laloc he show urther included isual tributes by artists rom Detroit to New York, along with performances and writings by Mahogany Jones, Kim Hunter, and Marsha Music. While there would be numerous highprofile and star studded tributes to the Queen of Soul to come, this exhibition pro ided a space or raw grassroots re ections on retha and her impact on local communities.

“ hen I thin o a power ul e pression of nature and its complex beauty, I think of a hurricane, with its enormous reach, peaceful center, and capacity to transform boundaries of where land meets water meets air ” Sims wrote in Metro Times pro iding bac ground or the pro ect “ ter sur i ing urricane Irma I ha e come to understand and appreciate the power and soul of nature and its capacity to express the harsh physics and lo ing spirit o the uni erse unaccountable to the whims of human ollies and inter ention hen I thin of the powerful expression of the human supernatural and its complex majesty, I think also of Aretha Franklin, a blessed hurricane o lo e soul and ustice ” or the ’ s themed closing reception in early Sims ew in with a techno remi and inyl prototype o the trac with music by ichal i man Although he had been supporting the e hibition or se eral months it was his first in person isit to the gallery

Later that year, Sims returned to Irwin House for a one-month residency and co-headlined a book-signing and reading e ent with iebler in the space. He had been a contributor to the book, Respect: The Poetry of Detroit Music, a collection of poems and lyrics celebrating Detroit’s incredible musical history edited by Liebler and Jim Daniels here was a launch e ent at hird Man Records in which Sims performed with a colorful cast brought to life from the boo ’s pages owe er the main ocus o Sims’s stay was or the de elopment of a multimedia project on the west-side block he grew up on at Sorrento and W. Chicago. He was serious and passionate about the undertaking.

a ing returned home a ew years earlier to find his home bloc in near shambles, with only a few of its original residents remaining, including his mother, Sims was compelled to recapture the memories and the life of the neighborhood. The project would begin with recording and filming historical narrati es rom the bloc ’s current and past residents and wor ing on the de elopment of an exhibition of copper etchings of each home in its original glory.

During his one-month stay and just one week into the residency, Sims tragically and unexpectedly lost his

11-17, 2023 | metrotimes.com

Sims created colorful math-art quilts based on visual grids corresponding to the number pi with a team of Amish women.

the Sorrento bloc and the alue o our memories and neighborhoods. The article “Don’t orget the bloc ” sums up with a cautionary word “ s Detroit transforms, we must not forget the stories, the physical spaces and folks of the neighborhood block, where the rhythm and soul of the city resides and from where the uture shall ow ”

here were no bounds to Sims’s intellect and imagination, the connections he made, bonds formed, and the push, not only to en old creati e and academic communities around the world into his world, but for all of us to excel and ignite our own particular genius. Sims was his own biggest, loudest cheerleader yet with the same er e and olume he praised and bolstered the work of others riends colleagues causes and all he considered to be just.

Artist and philanthropist Danny Simmons recalls meeting Sims almost years ago at the owery oetry lub Then, at the beginning of his journey as a poet, Simmons was asked to read one of his poems and was ner ous Sims sat ne t to him o ering reassuring words and a friendship was formed. Fast-forward two decades and Sims’s image has ust appeared on the co er o Tribes maga ine’s “ lac i es atter” issue which Simmons curated o ember

mother, Joyce Cartwright Sims, who was or ob ious reasons the heart o the project. A funeral was planned and proceeded and, powering through his grief, Sorrento: Portrait of a Detroit Block pushed forward. Screenings, book-signings, and talks that took place throughout the residency left audiences titillated and awe-stricken. A surprise 80th birthday celebration was e en held or the Sorrento bloc ’s matriarch, Ms. Rosie, and, as part of the gallery’s sophomore e hibition Detroit Future History Sims’s ideo poem “D-City Blues” o ered sobering isual and erbal commentary on the state o Detroit’s orgotten neighborhoods ne phrase in the poem “uncelebrated west side sunsets” reminds us o the ma esty o the city’s seldom noticed bac drops a wealth o natural scenery not often associated with the likes of gritty Detroit. The poem goes on to address the e ects o and questions the dwindled population, but this line resounds in my mind each time I am fortunate enough to witness a waft of pink and purple hues settling o er I It is ohn pointing out the masterpiece that still is Detroit.

Sims appears twice in Metro Times during this period, including a thoughtful and personal piece he penned on

“ e were both beaming ” Simmons shares adding that they had ust finali ed the details or a ew or e hibition when he recei ed the news o the artist’s passing

“I was stunned and am still stunned and will be or uite a while ” he says “ ohn was a strong clear and continual oice or social ustice and liberation A warrior, really, who used art as his weapon he sur ey e hibition we scheduled will now be a memorial show with a wider sur ey o artists So many of us in the community are reeling from his passing. The exhibition, hosted by A Gathering of the Tribes and company, and curated by Halima Taha, will seek to continue to lift John up in admiration with our lo e or the man ”

Sabrina elson may ha e been one o the only Detroit creati es to actually set oot in Sims’s Sarasota studio She says her “heART” led her to isit e ery January when her work with College for reati e Studies too her to the area

When Sims was in Detroit they would sometimes hang at her home and studio e changing creati e ideas Sims had presented a Woodward Lecture at S in and elson remembered a presentation of his AfroDixie remixes at the DIA the following year. She spoke about brainstorming with

“As Detroit transforms, we must not forget the stories, the physical spaces and folks of the neighborhood block, where the rhythm and soul of the city resides and from where the future shall flow.” — John Sims

Sims or a “ urn and ury” ceremony he was planning at ’ amdi enter or Contemporary Art on Memorial Day of 2017, as the city was preparing for the th anni ersary o the riots he e ent went on to include prominent area ministers poets and acti ists including Liebler, Jennifer Harge, Kim unter onica ewis atric essica are moore e e elson and e harles illiams II “ e was brilliant and lo ed his connection here ” elson adds “ e was a gentle giant ”

Marsha Music recounts meeting Sims when he presented a “ ascinating tal on math and race ” She too had attended his equally fascinating AfroDixie production at the DIA and described “ arious lac artists singing soul iterations of the song Dixie, acknowledging and transcending its confederate association, appropriating the song’s amiliar musicality ” She said she began to read about his work around the country.

“ e was engaging in a social practice that was inde atigable and bold ” she says “ e became riends online and talked about our work, the work of others, and, more recently, about the

possibility o his ha ing another e hibit in Detroit. He was a genius, a phenom, a towering lac man with soaring hair formidable in presence and intellect.

e lea es a space in the arts that only he had occupied and he will be missed ” Journalist KyleeliseTHT was a Floridian friend and collaborator of Sims. Their work together included transcribing and archi ing his ideas but she emphasi ed that Sims pushed her as much to find and share her own creati e oice

“ ohn’s lo e o his home city was so in ectious that I mar eled at his ision o what some people belie ed was a city in decay, that John knew had so much potential ” she shares “ ohn saw it as a city o hope and possibility ”

Sims’s pro ects are spread out comple and mani old ertainly I ha e failed to touch on many of his career highlights including the i Day nthem he produced with Vi Hart and his 35th annual i Day residency at San rancisco’s Exploratorium, his 2021 residency at La Mama Experimental Theater in New York, and his most recent sculpture project, wrought from scrap metal salaged rom ohn hamberlain’s demol-

ished studio, a tribute to the late artist and the loss o creati e space

There was also that time he boycotted his own show in Gettysburg, and more recently when was arrested at gunpoint during a 2021 residency in South Carolina. There are scores more accomplishments, accolades, and supremely remarkable moments in the giant life and times of John Sims, who lectured and produced programs and exhibitions not only nationally but internationally in countries such as rance ungary Spain Slo enia Israel, and Argentina. His work has been featured locally as well as in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal , Washington Post, CNN, ews The Guardian, The Root, ThinkProgress, Al Jazeera, Guernica, Art in America, Transition, Sculpture, FiberArts, Science News, and the science journal Nature. He has written for major publications such as CNN, Al Jazeera, he u n ton ost, Guernica, The Rumpus, and The Grio. One thing or certain howe er is that Sims was committed to deepening his ties to Detroit and bringing nearly three decades of artistic and cultural genius home.

He was hopeful about the prospect o turning his mother’s Sorrento home into a public creati e space and he was e ploring staging a Detroit ersion o The Square Root of Love an annual e ening of candle-lit poetry featuring guest artists and including Sims’s own signature wine which he had presented on alentine’s Day in ew or aris and Sarasota Additionally, we had our eyes open for a ertical wall within the city to erect a mural inspired by Sims’s “ orona illa” ideo game and mar ing the e ents and life-altering social facets of 2020. Sims was ery specific about where the wall should be and how it should look, and we were determined to find it course we thought we had time.

n the ip side o the shoc and sadness of losing a pal and ally lies an earnest celebration in ha ing had an opportunity to know the man that was John Sims.

Sims was e cellent eriod nd to be in his great presence, you had to be excellent. He demanded it. He coaxed it. He inspired it. He supported it. I am grateful for the knowing, for the time spent, the ideas exchanged, the disagreements e en the pro ects reali ed together and the possibilities, still, for the uture is big booming oice rings I am sure, in the heads of all of us who grew with him o er the years nd that oice reminds us that we had better do it right whate er it may be.

As much as I will be protecting and mo ing orward unfinished Sims concepts in Detroit, I can only imagine how many irons he had in fires around the world. He made time to talk with, plan, and collaborate widely in a swelling circle o agents and allies ith reerence and gratitude for his life in our hearts, we will all be doing the work.

“ his is legacy wor ” yleelise points out.

ohn Sims may ha e le t the planet but his life has not ended.

“ ohn is a son o the city a true spirit o Detroit ” says his brother

aron Sims “ orn in a city with a rich tradition o social ustice and actiism and raised in an era of fearless leadership, John, like many Detroiters, was destined to tra el into the world to fight the good fight start the good trouble, and speak truth to power. His li e’s wor re eals a li e well li ed s a nati e son and brother he has made us all proud. We plan to bring him home and share his legacy with generations to come ”

In lieu o owers, the amily re uests that donations be sent to organizations that Sims su orted, includin Irwin House Gallery and Halo Arts Project Angels for Artists. You can learn more about the artist and his work at johnsimsprojects.com.

Sims’s Confederate flag work drew both acclaim and outrage.

WHAT’S GOING ON

Select e ents happening in metro Detroit this wee e sure to chec all enue website be ore e ents or latest in ormation dd your e ent to our online calendar metrotimes com dd ent

Wednesday, Jan. 11

MUSIC

The Astronomers p m lind ig S irst St nn rbor

THEATER

Go Comedy! Improv Theater ig un urder p m

COMEDY

Planet Ant Theatre ip ro Impro with a Dash o ip op second ednesday o e ery month p m

SPORTS

Little Caesars Arena Detroit istons s innesota imberwol es p m

Thursday, Jan. 12

MUSIC

Bevlove p m illis Show ar hird St Detroit

Jor’dan Armstrong p m Delu lu ibrary St Detroit ad ance

Elvis: The Concert of Kings, Elvis Tribute pm Sound oard rand i er e Detroit

Joshua Davis // Luke Winslow King p m he r S ain St nn rbor

Lloyd p m Sound oard rand i er e Detroit

One Step Closer p m dgemen ile d linton wp

SPORTS

Little Caesars Arena Detroit ed ings s oronto aple ea s p m

Friday, Jan. 13

MUSIC

2nd Fridays Jazz Music Series ft. Sky Covington second riday o e ery month p m sychedelic ealing Shac and egetarian a e oodward e Detroit

Carry On: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Tribute p m agic ag oodward e erndale

Chanté Moore p m Sound oard rand i er e Detroit

The Hot Club of Cowtown & Tyler Hilton p m he r S ain St nn rbor

Hot Music for a Cold Night p m rosse ointe nitarian hurch aumee e rosse ointe in ad ance at door

Loud Luxury p m oyal a usic heatre ourth St oyal a

Major Dudes p m tus Supply ine ile d erndale

THEATER

Meadow Brook Theatre irthday lub p m p m and p m

COMEDY

Go Comedy! Improv Theater andemonia and p m

Stand-up

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle omedian Isabel agen with ret ayden and ary Spencer p m p m and p m p m and p m

SPORTS

Little Caesars Arena Detroit istons s ew rleans elicans p m

Saturday, Jan. 14

MUSIC

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony p m Sound oard rand i er e Detroit

Duende + Records with Robby p m a m owlero anes ounge oolidge wy oyal a ree

Jill Jack’s Birthday Bash p m he r S ain St nn rbor

Laura Rain and the Caesars 8-11 p m ornerstone illage ar rille ac e Detroit

Mugshot, Cell, No Cure, Come Forth, Fleshwound p m Sanctuary Detroit ani amtramc

Winter Bassland ft. Tisoki & Gardella p m a m angent allery astings Street allroom ilwau ee e Detroit

THEATER

Meadow Brook Theatre irthday lub p m p m and p m

Royal Oak Music Theatre Ste e re ino p m

COMEDY

Go Comedy! Improv Theater All-

11-17, 2023 | metrotimes.com

Oxford’s HomeGrown Brewing Co. launches live music series

OXFORD’S HOMEGROWN

BREWING o has launched an intimate concert series that will o er the opportunity to see local and national acts up close and personal Dubbed “ ome rown Sounds ” the series will eature “listening room” style per ormances or a small seated audience near the glow o a fireplace hat’s according to e in lan amb a ormer erndale resident who says he mo ed to ord last year.

amb who has a bac ground in boo ing concerts as well as in photography and says he plans to boo two to si concerts per month in the pri ate e ent space abo e the microbrewery which has a capacity o about people “ he space is warm welcoming and wood with a fireplace and dedicated bar ” he says he initial o erings eature artists rom across ichigan he series ic s o on hursday an with Di on’s iolin a “ isionary iolinist” with an inspirational message who has per ormed or D al s and esti als li e lectric orest and urning an

Star Showdown p m

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle omedian Isabel agen with ret ayden and ary Spencer

SPORTS

Little Caesars Arena Detroit ed ings s olumbus lue ac ets p m

Sunday, Jan. 15

MUSIC

The Brother Brothers p m he r S ain St nn rbor

ic ets are ad ance day o show and a ailable on entbrite hildren and under get ree admission.

he series continues on hursday eb with ol duo ran and ora and singer songwriter en ra erse hursday eb will eature a perormance by roots roc group ne on rolley and hursday arch will eature a record release show or singer songwriter ac ie appas “ he music industry can be a ast elusi e and un riendly place or those who are called to share their gi ts with the world ” amb says by email adding that the series “ma es sharing music more accessible a ordable and realistic or artists Similarly it gi es a community the opportunity to sit participate and e perience the intimacy that only a listening room can pro ide ”

e adds “In my e perience these are the best spaces or healing ”

—Lee DeVito

HomeGrown Brewing Co. is located at 28 N. Washington St., Oxford; 248-800-4244; homegrownbrewco. com.

Chris Canas p m he o en ounge oy d estland

Richard O’Neill p m he aw armington ills ommunity enter wel e ile d armington ills in ad ance at the door

Richard O’Neill and Pauline Martin p m he aw armington ills ommunity enter wel e ile d armington ills in ad ance at the door

See You Next Tuesday, Mafia Birdhouse, Boreworm, Deeper Graves, Everything Evil p m Sanctuary

Local buzz

By Broccoli and Joe Zimmer

Dee Jay Dancing: This monthly residency at Spot Lite sees selectors Scott Zacharias and Ryan Spencer reach into their infinite well o dance music nowledge and pull out orgotten gems and rare groo es to mo e your body to During a month where most club goers are eeling the atigue rom holiday and year end parties plus the stress o starting a new year a set rom Scott and yan is the per ect way to start anew oth artists ha e indi idually become regarded or their e ploratory genre agnostic approach to D ing o ten riding the fine line between minimal chill out trac s and bass dri en dance oor heaters. Dee Jay Dancing happens e ery third ednesday and I can’t en ision a better duo to coa me out o the house on a wee night o er is ree and I recommend ollowing both yan and Scott on Instagram see ryan spencer and scott acharias respecti ely or any updates plus uture shows these are some ol s you’ll want to eep up with —Joe Zimmer

Long live jazz: The Jazz Is Dead series highlights Tribe Records on its th installment li Shaheed uhammad ribe alled uest and drian ounge started the series to bring a legends to the ore ront and highlight their deep contributions to the genre and popular music olume o the series eatures new recordings rom Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison ounders o the immeasurably in uential record label and maga ine Tribe s o this writing three trac s ha e been released or streaming eaturing anelin on

trombone with arrison on tenor sa and bass clarinet ounge and Shaheed uhammad contribute eys organ and bass guitar respecti ely ribe has finally gotten the recognition it deser es recently with reissues and bo sets hitting record stores o er the past ew years owe er the label has always represented e en more than irtuosic a per ormances ser ing as an early blueprint or community drien arts organi ation promotion and distribution his release is the per ect passing o the inter generational torch while highlighting the undeniable thumbprint Detroit has le t on a o er the last century inyl digital and other merch is a ailable or pre order ia a Is Dead’s andcamp page releasing on an —Joe Zimmer

DSO x the Queen of Soul: On ednesday an the Detroit Symphony Orchestra debuted its li e accompaniment o the film Respect which tells the story o retha ran lin and her rise rom local church choir singer to one o the most power ul musical talents that the world has e er nown hough the film was released in the story is ust as mo ing as e er trigger warning se ual iolence racism drug use etc and it ta es the iewer through the highs and lows o ran lin’s li e and career e amining the relationships with amily romantic partners and collaborators that shaped her personally and pro essionally he Detroit Symphony rchestra led by Anthony Parnther tra ersed the music o the ueen o Soul’s li e with poise and precision going so ar as to represent di erent iterations o a song as it was being cra ted during a

studio session scene It was a remarable thing to witness and in ay the DS will be oined by ocalists ami a awrence oco Smith and laine rauss or Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin which will surely be a sight to see and hear as well —Broccoli

Still ill: Detroit rapper Chasey the Illest has been uietly at wor o er the past ew years emerging only to drop small snippets and one o singles that ha e built up anticipation or his long awaited ull length pro ects ma or highlight o this creati e moment or hasey has been his “ ntitled” series which finds him collaborating with Super Official Studios to create uni ue capti ating isual stories to accompany his wordplay gi ing deeper meaning to the words that he writes as he also showcases his ability as a per ormer and on-screen talent. “Untitled 006” is the latest drop and it certainly does not disappoint he ideo eatures a bootleg beat originally produced by Vano 3000 that samples Samuel T. Herring and BADBADNOTGOOD and the isuals are set within a disheeled but once beauti ul abandoned building which is u taposed by hasey the Illest in crisp outfits as he seemingly plays a game o chess against himsel s always the real star o the show is hasey’s impressi e lyricism and dynamic wordplay with a punch and deli ery that sets him apart in both style and caliber rom many o his contemporaries in Detroit hip hop e on the loo out or more rom this promising young artist in the city and i you see him out tell him to drop the ne t album already! —Broccoli

Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison.

COURTESY PHOTO

FOOD

Currying favor

By Robert Stempkowski

Pink Garlic is somewhere between red- and white-hot. This Oak Park Indian eatery, if not the talk of the town, certainly seems an au courant topic of foodie conversation. You can’t eat there — still you should, I’ve heard. You may wait, but it’s worth it, I’ve read. Assigned to weigh in on the subject, I set out to see for myself what all the buzz is about.

At the get-go, I felt good vibrations. Browsing both printed and online menus, prices are most approachable with options numbered for easy ordering. Bullet-pointed descriptors in broken English dotted with typos heighten hopes that ol s uent in Indian cookery above all else are at the helm here. Phoning in, I exchanged pleasantries with a gentleman who took my order in no time at wo minutes before I pulled into the parking lot, Pink Garlic called back to let me know everything was ready. Running a purely carry-out operation, they proved most e cient in short order

Inside, sure enough, no one’s eating. COVID culture’s not the culprit here, though. Space constraints are. The interior’s the size of a tool shed. There’s just enough room to walk in, grab

what you came for, then turn around and go. While literally rubbing elbows with a handful of hungry others as I settled-up, the only interior restaurant ambience I perceived beyond beguiling aromas was the clatter of busy kitchen con ersation barely mu ed behind a draped kitchen doorway.

Having bargained to share my bounty with friends in nearby Royal Oak rather than drive the longer leg home to Livonia before feasting, I had much to unpack when we sat down for a looksee. As the lady of the house observed once we dug in, plastic and disposable packaging don’t do justice to restaurant dishes plated more appetizingly during dine-out experiences. Cuisine of the Indian continent, certainly, loses a little in the translation from visually vibrant platter arrangements to snap-top Styrofoam.

Papadom, for a start (75¢), failed every eye test. The fried bread wafer, thin and brittle as dried parchment, proved impractical as a sop or scoop, falling to pieces as we tried to dip in with it. Naan would have been the better choice, and many — including some topped atbread style are o ered ($1.99-$3.99). Onion “bhaaji” ($4.99

for two), were more satisfying. Think onion ring poppers if you’ve never had the pleasure. These provided a sturdier tasting platform for topping with our mango chutney and mint sauce. Lentil soup ($4.99) was downright luxuriant, with most of its legumes cooked completely down into the silky, aromatic, and herb ec ed stoc egetable samosas ($3.99 for two), big and round as baseballs, were less a hit; still doughy under their thick, fried-hard shells and unwieldy like some State Fair snack in need of a stick.

Covering all the protein bases, main courses proved a mixed bag as well. As a lamb lover who ate for a living in the spicy Desert Southwest, I had high hopes for Pink Garlic’s lamb curry ($12.99). They were rewarded with meat cooked tender in a deep-colored sauce ordered medium spicy. Like the best Spanish moles, great curry sauces — nuanced from recipe to recipe — are a construct o comple a ors finessed from many ingredients that combine through careful cookery. Save for the subtlest sweetness, this rendition was too one-note hot to sing in example. he lamb’s a or was lost to singed tastebuds, leaving me with a purely

Pink Garlic

26661 Coolidge Hwy. (at 11 Mile Rd.), Oak Park 248-808-6495 and 248-206-7986 pinkgarlicmi.com Carryout only, free delivery (three-mile radius)

pyrotechnic impression of the dish. Standout models are more balanced and less molten.

For two reasons, “full” tandoori chic en ell airly at hese birds, though brightly colored by a bath in a turmeric and chili powder-tinged yogurt marinade, translated little of the taste a long soak in bold spices and a blistering roast in a searing tandoor should have dictated. And when I say “these birds,” let me explain. Reading “full” chicken from the menu, I assumed we’d be getting just that. What was served instead were four smallish leg and thigh portions. Minor quibble, maybe, yet I was ordering for three other chicken lovers, two with white meat preferences. Perhaps I shouldn’t have assumed. My bad. As to the cook of the poultry itself, again, too much fire too a toll this time rom prolonged e posure to ame he meat wasn’t utterly dry, but the moist succulence which whets an appetite for a good chicken leg or thigh was gone. That Epicurean oxymoron “well-done” might simply describe it best.

Shrimp biryani ($13.99) proved the purest pleasure. Rather than belabor beyond interest every prep step requisite in rendering uality biryani su ce it to say, a lot goes into it: Chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, et al. ), ground spices (cinnamon, cumin, cloves, star anise to name a ew sa ron in used milk, fried string onions, and a base of even further infused basmati. Then all that comes together in a culminating ind o croc pot process ites o firm and plump shrimp so scented and in hearty company with per ectly pu ed rice tangled with fresh-torn herbs and crisped onion strings left me applauding the e ort with e ery or ul inally sated, refreshing mango lassi ($3.99) — a defacto yogurt smoothie — did the trick for dessert.

Pink Garlic is having a nice moment on our dining scene. Consensus seems to say it is well-deserved. My take’s a one o at this point Sampling ust eight o its o erings doesn’t uali y me as an expert on this subject. Here’s what I do now he uture will find me continuing to break bread and make merry with my peeps in Pink Garlic’s neck of the woods. While I’m less sure about going back for seconds at this point, stay tuned.

Carry-out spot Pink Garlic has become a local favorite. VIOLA KLOCKO

Detroit’s Avalon to close its Midtown cafe and move into Jolly Pumpkin

By Randiah Camille Green

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, especially good things that we wish would. Case in point, our favorite bakery, Avalon International Breads, is closing its agship ca e at illis St as o an

The Midtown staple has been there since the late ’90s, pumping out Avalon’s famed sea salt chocolate chunk cookies, soft bread, and vegan treats with organic our

As a consolation, the bakery isn’t just closing down shop altogether — they’re moving around the corner into a space inside olly ump in at anfield

The new location is set to open in February serving Avalon favorites, weekend brunch, and a few new menu items with additional dine-in space. Cafe owners cited the ID pandemic as the catalyst

for rethinking their business model into a collaborati e e ort with olly ump in sharing resources

“ hile we lea e our first home o more than years with both sadness and gratitude, we look forward to building a sustainable model combining the resources and strengths o both businesses ” ac ie ictor Avalon Co-founder said in a press release.

he illis ca e was alon’s first location and the bakery has since expanded to four other outposts throughout Southeast ichigan including recently opened spots inside Meijer-operated Rivertown Market and oodward orner ar et

According to the release, Avalon is working to transition the majority of employees at its illis agship to the new Midtown location.

Eastern Market Brewing Co. drops alcoholfree beer

WHETHER YOU’RE GOING boo e ree or dry anuary or ust don’t drink, Eastern Market Brewing Co. has something for you.

The brewery dropped two nonalcoholic gose-style sours in grapefruit and tangerine which come in ounce cans s a ellow person who doesn’t drink, the alcohol-free beers are welcome news.

Its campaign for the NA beers is dubbed “ et Shit Done” since you can enjoy one without becoming completely sloshed and useless.

The cans come in four packs that are on shelves at Busch’s Fresh ood ar et otal ine and other local retailers across metro Detroit, according to a press release. They’ll also, of course, be available at the brewery’s taproom in Eastern Market and sister locations Ferndale ro ect and incoln ap

The NA beers are a couple of years

Chick- l-A is opening another restaurant

HERE’S SOME GOOD news for local ans o problematic a e hic fil the fast food restaurant chain is opening its latest store on hursday at Middlebelt Rd., Livonia.

It’s owned and operated by Vikki Hardy Brown, a Detroiter and graduate of Cass echnical igh School and the ni ersity of Michigan. According to a press release, Brown and her family always made a point to stop at hic fil restaurants while on acation in the South waiting or the day the Atlanta-based chain would expand to Michigan.

hic fil has e panded into the reat a es State in recent years and the i onia store oins other restaurants in metro Detroit including at the Somerset Collection and the Detroit Metropolitan ayne ounty irport Still a no elty up here in the North, many of the metro Detroit locations are known for long lines that can spill into the streets, so hopefully this new store will ease demand.

The chain is known for its owners’ staunch Christian values, including closing its stores on Sundays It has aced bac lash for donating to conservative causes, though hic fil has distanced itsel rom its anti-LGBT+ stance in recent years.

—Lee DeVito

in the making. Eastern Market Brewing Co. started testing the booze-free mar et in in partnership with Minnesota-based ABV Technology to install a machine at its production facility called the Equalizer.

The machine can turn a normal beer into a hard seltzer or another beer with most o the same a or but less than percent alcohol by volume.

“ hen we began contemplating the NA market and learned about echnology’s machine my first reaction was that it sounded too good to be true e could ta e any o our beers, run it through the machine, and not only get an NA version of the beer, but also a hard seltzer output,” Dayne Bartcht, managing partner of Eastern Market Brewing Co., said in the news release “So we loaded up a car with kegs, drove to Minnesota, and sure enough, it worked. It was the best NA beer I’ve tasted.”

The NA Grapefruit Gose is described as having grapefruit zest and pink Himalayan sea salt with a bright citrus a or or more in o see easternmarket.beer/beers.

—Randiah Camille Green

Avalon’s Midtown location is not our only favorite bakery, but also our go-to spot to pickup Metro Times. COURTESY PHOTO

You can nally buy legal weed in Detroit

By Lee DeVito

AT LONG LAST licensed dispensaries are allowed to sell adult-use cannabis in Detroit.

he city’s first dispensaries to sell cannabis for recreational use opened for business last Wednesday to anyone age 21 or older, no medical marijuana card necessary.

House of Dank (3394 S. Fort St.), DaCut (12668 Gratiot Ave.), and Cloud Cannabis (16001 Mack Ave.) are among

Detroit’s first dispensaries to o er adult-use sales. They were previously licensed to sell to medical marijuana cardholders only and recei ed final approval for adult-use sales from the state of Michigan late afternoon last Tuesday, the Detroit Free Press reports. While Michigan voters approved cannabis for adult use in 2018, it took Detroit years to opt-in to the program. That’s because City Council member

James Tate wanted to create a cannabis ordinance with an emphasis on social equity, or helping people from communities like Detroit that have been harmed the most by the racist war on drugs.

But the ordinance had to be rewritten as the city faced several lawsuits arguing that it was unfair to give licensing preference to longtime Detroiters. Eventually, the city came up with an ordinance that o ers two trac s or licenses, so “equity” and “non-equity” applicants aren’t competing with each other.

“This has been a very, very, very challenging time to get to this point,” Tate said at a news conference last month

announcing the new licenses. “Every step of the way, there was criticism, people said ‘you’re doing it wrong, you are trying to make something perfect that can’t be per ect hy are you fighting? Why is this important? Just move on ’ oday is why we fight ”

Michigan voters approved cannabis for medical use in 2008. But the number of medical marijuana cards issued, which cost money and time to obtain, has been declining for years, as customers ha e oc ed to adult use dispensaries in other municipalities to get their fi

“Why would you go to a medical marijuana dispensary when you can go to Hamtramck or anywhere else and walk in without a card?” Adolph Mongo, a spokesman for the advocacy group Citizens for Better Social Equity, previously told Metro Times. “You are going to have people going out of business after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars. All of those buildings are going to go empty. It’s unreal.”

The city approved an initial wave of 33 adult-use licenses, with a total of 160 available. Applications for a second round of licenses could open up later this month.

We will be updating our cannabis directory on metrotimes.com/weed with all the latest dispensaries in Detroit to o er adult use sales

Fortunately, it’s almost impossible to overdose on cannabis. According to the study, the most common reported effect was central nervous system (CNS) depression, which includes drowsiness and lethargy and other e ects include ata ia loss o control o mo ement agitation, and confusion.

Young children keep eating cannabis edibles by mistake, study finds

A GROWING NUMBER of children in the U.S. have accidentally consumed cannabis-infused edibles in recent years, according to a new study.

The report, published last Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics, analyzed data from the National Poison Data System. It found a staggering 1,375% increase in reported cases of children under the age of accidentally eating cannabisin used products o er the past fi e years, from 2017 to 2021.

Nearly all of the 7,043 incidents, or 97%, occurred at home, and in 22.7% of cases children were admitted to a hospital.

Cannabis-infused edibles “are particularly appealing to toddlers because they resemble common treats such as candies, chocolates, cookies, or other baked goods,” the authors wrote. And this can be dangerous, because a small amount of edibles can contain a large amount of THC, the substance in cannabis that gets you high, especially for a young child.

“If a child opens a pack of (cannabisinfused) gummy bears, they’re not likely to stop at one. Kids enjoy candy,” said Dr. Marit Tweet, one of the study’s co-authors, according to the BBC. “They may consume the whole package.”

In about 36% of the cases, the children were treated and released, and less than 2% developed more severe e ects

No deaths were reported by the study.

growing number of states have legalized cannabis in recent years. The study found an increase in incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Tweet telling the BBC she theorized that the lockdowns could have led to increased opportunities or e posure

Some states have restrictions on how cannabis edibles can be packaged in order to make them less appealing to children. In Michigan, the packaging for cannabis-infused products cannot include images or cartoons or fruit, and the words “candy” or “candies” cannot be used. They also cannot mimic the packaging of commercially sold candy, and must be clearly marked as containing THC.

“We need to remain vigilant in protecting children from accidentally ingesting marijuana products,” Michigan’s former Marijuana Regulatory gency e ecuti e director ndrew Brisbo said in a statement ahead of a crackdown on cannabis packaging in 2022. “When the products leave the stores, it is important that the packaging is not attractive to minors. Obviously, nothing we can do is as impactful as the watchful eyes of adults, but we want parents in Michigan to know that we are doing everything in our power to prevent children from unknowingly consuming marijuana products.”

In Michigan, there have also been reports of an increasing number of children accidentally consuming cannabis-infused edibles. Last year, two fi th grade students were rushed to the hospital after consuming cannabisinfused gummies at a Livonia school. perts ad ise parents to eep cannabis-infused edibles in a hardto-reach spot or locked up, away from other food.

If a child accidentally consumed a cannabis-infused edible, the MRA urges parents to call the poison control hotline at 800-222-1222.

—Lee DeVito

House of Dank’s Fort Street location is one of the first adult-use dispensaries in Detroit. RANDIAH CAMILLE GREEN

Artist of the week

Five art happenings in Detroit we’re stoked to see in 2023

By Randiah Camille Green

his eature usually hi hli hts a differ ent artist each week, but this time we’re thinking of all the exciting projects Detroit artists have brewing for 2023. hese are fi e thin s we’re stoked to see come to life in Detroit’s arts scene next year. (Got an artist in mind you think deserves the spotlight next time? Hit us up at arts@metrotimes.com.)

MARS Marshall’s debut poetry chapbook

Writer and cultural organizer MARS Marshall has a debut poetry chapbook, Flower Boi on the way in January 2023. The Detroit-born poet’s work investigates reclaiming the Black trans body through desire and longing. We once heard MARS read at a summer backyard party and were struck by their ability to e ortlessly wea e emotion with humor and imagery that makes the poem live before you. MARS is a 2021 Kresge Literary Arts Fellow, 2019 Lambda Literary Art Emerging Writers Fellow in Poetry, and director of the Allied Media Conference. Their work has been published in Obsidian Literature Arts for the African Dias pora, Michigan Quarterly Review: The Mixtape, Foglifter Journal and more.

Flower Boi is available for pre-order through Gold Line Press.

Charles McGee Legacy Park opening

Library Street Collective has several things planned for 2023, including the opening of the Shepherd, an art campus centered around a former church; a skatepark designed by Tony Hawk; and a mixed-use building centering artists with disabilities called LANTERN in Detroit’s East Village Neighborhood. But we’re most interested in the unveiling of the adjacent Charles McGee Legacy Park.

c ee is one o Detroit’s most prolific and heralded artists, whose work is on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and beyond. After his passing in 2021 at the age of 96, Anthony and JJ Curis of Library Street Collective took over representation of McGee’s estate, and have worked alongside his daughter Lyndsay McGee to continue sharing his work. The Charles McGee Legacy Park will include several sculptural playscapes alongside a retrospective of the late artist’s work that will be on display at

the Shepherd. It’s set to open in the spring of 2023.

Michigan Central Art Program at Bagley Mobility Hub

The Bagley Mobility Hub is one of several structures being developed around Michigan Central Station. It’s really just a shiny new parking structure, but the part that excites us is the three Detroit-based artists who were chosen to display mixed media installations at various locations throughout the hub: Senghor Reid, Patrick Ethen, and Garage Cultural. Reid’s massive installation is wrapped around three water cisterns facing the Southwest Greenway, which should also be opening sometime next year. We caught a glimpse of them during a sneak peek of progress along the Southwest Greenway earlier this winter. The whimsical paintings of water fittingly loo o er the Detroit i er While Reid’s work is already on display, a light installation by Ethen and work by Garage Cultural in collaboration with Detroit-based artist DeMaciiio and Washington D.C.-based MasPaz will be unveiled when the mobility hub eventually opens in 2023.

Sydney James’s solo show at MOCAD and the return of BLKOUT Walls

OK, so we kinda cheated and are giving you a two-for-one deal here, but Sydney James deserves it. James is the girl with the Detroit earring. Not only did she paint the unmistakable mural “Girl with the Earring,” in the city’s North End neighborhood, but she reps the actual Olde English earrings popularized by local artist Yoland Nichelle urry I pretty much e erywhere she goes. James is always putting Black women front and center in her work, painting them in vivid hues in moments of joy, contemplation, and natural beauty. In 2021, James brought us the first alls mural esti al eaturing primarily painters of color. She had big plans to host the groundbreaking festival in Oakland, California, in 2022, but it was canceled due to a lack o sponsorship ow alls is set to make a triumphant return to Detroit from Sept.7-17, 2023. Before that, James will grace us with a solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit D that opens on pril nsurprisingly the solo show is called Girl Raised in Detroit.

From a park dedicated to Charles McGee to the return of BLKOUT Walls, the new year is looking pretty sweet already. Justin W. Milhouse

MUSIC

Making money moves

Why members of Detroit rap group Clear Soul Forces started their own moving company

By Biba Adams

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music for more than a year sti ing the mar etplace and creating unprecedented economic challenges or artists

ut one local rap group ound a way to continue to support itsel help its community and empower other music artists with a necessary service — a mo ing company

Handy Relocations was founded in a ter lear Soul orces garnered local and critical acclaim with its sophomore release, Detroit Revolution(s) , which eatured the hit single “ et o etter ”

embers and mile incent ounded the company as a way to earn money between touring including a number o shows with the group’s musical mentor oyce Da ’ ” hey were scheduled to head out on tour with oyce to support his rammy nominated album, The Allegory, when the pandemic hit “So we couldn’t tour but people

ne er stopped mo ing ” says incent he group which also includes o eliss and producer Ila ide has been eatured in a documentary produced by ed ull and has continued to drop numerous pro ects to a loyal an base he members too the downtime imposed by the pandemic to grow the secondary business

“ y biggest thing was always trying to find a legal way to ma e sa e and in est money at the same time ” says “I ne er minded wor ing or it i I could control my time ”

In a riend ga e him a crash course on the mo ing industry before Clear Soul Forces went on tour in urope

“ nd I really got to see that mo ing is an industry that ne er really stops mo ing and doesn’t ha e as many ups and downs as the music business can ” says “I saw he had a couple o mo ing crews running per day and a couple o bo truc s and was li ing totally di erent rom how he was the

year before that — and it was all from helping people mo e their houses and ma ing deli eries ”

During the pandemic “ e were an essential business that was allowed to operate ully while e erything else was shut down ” adds “ ou had a lot o di erent situations that contributed to how busy we got rom couples going their separate ways because they didn’t want to shelter in place together to amilies lea ing ichigan to shelter in place with amily in another state e went into the pandemic a raid and unsure how we would be able to maintain, but as time went on we were able to see how much of the world was still mo ing ust in a di erent way than it normally does ust regardless o how it goes we still had a place in the world ” incent adds “ he music industry shut down during that time as the rest o the world eople still needed mo ing ser ices and with supply chain issues and high rates rom industry giants we were able to find a creati e

niche to find and ser ice a customer base people loo ing to find creati e solutions to their mo ing needs nce we started filling the gaps we needed to get more people on board ”

ne o the coolest things about Handy Relocations is how the company has been able help ellow Detroit artists “ e’ e had a lot o artists rom ichigan that ha e wor ed with us o er the years ” incent says “ ur group members Ila ide and o eliss ha e helped be ore Some o the other artists that ha e wor ed with the company o er the years are ieo ayn Deon amar ramendous icewire a oge ay i ood reene illadope el e D ash e and D ay ”

incent adds “ nd we allow people to create their own schedule, something we hope will allow or a more balanced home wor li e ou can wor se en days a wee or three whiche er is best or you especially or artists where it’s almost taboo to ha e legal income he artists who wor with us become part o a changing narrati e in hip hop culture one where we hope to show that you can hustle legally and still maintain artistic integrity ”

he two say that they are still ocused on their music careers doing eatures and collaborating with artists o erseas he group has also been doing shows including local esti al dates at rts eats ats the ichigan State air and Dally in the lley hey also organi ed the first annual lear Soul orces ar Show during the oodward Dream ruise in too

oth members say that they hope that other music artists can follow their blueprint

“I hope other artists learn that it’s cool to ma e legal money and that you don’t ha e to ha e typical day obs’ anymore to ma e a li ing ” says incent “ hat being said not doing so means you have to be creative, and creativity shouldn’t stop at writing a song or painting a picture when you are able to apply a creati e mindset to ma ing opportunities creating obs or others that can also be beneficial in upli ting your community ”

hey also say that they ha e learned a lot about running a business that can benefit their music careers “ esearch credit and learn how to le erage credit or building your business and don’t fi ate on needing to ha e cash on hand or e erything that you want to accomplish ” incent says “Stay moti ated on the daily and find what niche you want to fill in the industry you choose ”

You can follow Clear Soul Forces at forceswithyou.com, or learn more about Handy Relocations at handyrelocations.com.

What started as a side hustle helped Clear Soul Forces weather the pandemic — and empower other artists. SE7ENFIFTEEN

CULTURE

A movie that collapses under its own weight

By Eileen G’Sell

Darren Aronofsky has long been obsessed with the frailty — and defilement o the human body rom a heroin addicted amputee in Requiem for a Dream (2000) to an aging, steroidaddled hardbody in The Wrestler rom a bulimic ballerina in Black Swan to a pregnant trophy wife in Mother! the filmma er’s most memorable leads mo e through the world in bodies that betray them or are betrayed by them in e ual measure is latest psychological drama The Whale is no di erent though the type o body portrayed onscreen and how that body is isually rendered has prompted no small amount o contro ersy Is the graphic depiction o a pound man dying o heart ailure automatically grotes ue Is the at suit donned by lead actor rendan raser itsel a orm o at phobia r rather is the film humani ing indeed heroiing — a character whose body we are all too groomed to shame hile all these uestions are worth pursuing as ar as the ethics o representation are concerned they ha e little bearing on the uality o this

film which un ortunately cannot be categori ed as one o rono s y’s better mo ies Indeed it may ery well be his worst and I say this as one o the only critics out there who en oyed Mother! dapted rom a play o the same name by Samuel D unter The Whale often eels trapped within its own stage li e domestic setting through which harlie the film’s reclusi e hero struggles to hea e himsel o his couch and mo e within his Idaho apartment he narrow cademy ratio lends urther claustrophobia to the rame deliberate perhaps as it orces our eyes to ocus on harlie but tendentious in insisting that his body as spectacle is enough to lend the mo ie dramatic he t

o say this mo ie is hea y handed is an understatement rono s y and unter o ertly spell out the terms o harlie’s tragic decline and assign unambiguous moral irtues to irtually all the characters onscreen In an early scene we learn rom i ong hau who manages to ma e e en the most stilted dialogue plausible harlie’s good friend and, we later learn, the sister o lan his deceased male lo er

that he has “only a wee to li e” i he re uses to go to the hospital rom there on out the film’s narrati e is di ided into “Day ” “Day ” etc ust in case we were not already concerned that harlie might be on his way out acing imminent mortality harlie has good reason to a oid de oting his final wee to his ob teaching the basics o a fi e paragraph essay to indi erent undergrads online and so spends the bul o the film trying to ma e peace with his estranged teenage daughter llie Sadie Sin and e wi e ary Samantha orton sadistic high schooler as de oted to moc ing her at Dad as she is in collecting his li e sa ings llie is not your typical annel sporting smartphone scrolling en delin uent She manages to e hibit e actly ero redeeming alues despite harlie’s incessant awning about her being “an ama ing person ” “I’m worried she’s orgotten what an ama ing person she is ” he tells ary and somehow we’re supposed to belie e this

Similarly we are supposed to belie e that the body harlie stu s with ood is

The Whale

Rated: R

Run-time: 117 minutes

an actual obese body ut it is clearly not In a way the e cess o the at suit isually distracts rom the realities o li ing in such a body t times I ound mysel stric en with sympathy or harlie attempting to complete basic e eryday tas s then would find mysel thin ing “ ut that doesn’t loo real ” Did he ha e to be pounds raser is already a large actor and would arguably be e en more ulnerable onscreen as a ery o erweight man rather than a morbidly obese one

In case any were in doubt o the film’s gra itas Moby Dick is repeatedly re erenced to remind us eading rom what is supposedly llie’s hand written middle school essay on erman el ille’s classic who reads the unabridged ersion in se enth grade harlie finds meaning in his own sadness apparently redeemed by the possibility that his daughter was able at some point to discern sadness too hat is most sad about this mo ie howe er is that none o the people onscreen no matter their si e bear the comple ity o any one o el ille’s minor characters nd it’s too bad mo ing drama about a sympathetic at person is something I’d lo e to see but rono s y was not the director to ma e that mo ie

Brendan Fraser as Charlie in The Whale. A24

Savage Love Runners

By Dan Savage

There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to Savage.Love.

: Q Very long story short, I’m a woman in the process of getting out of a long and abusive marriage. I’m getting therapy. One factor of that abuse: I’m still a virgin, at least as far as penetration is concerned. (That’s another long story. I I can e en find anybody inter ested in me, how do tell them the only stuff I know about consensual se is what I’ve read about it? The few people I’ve told the full story didn’t believe me at first. All I can ima ine is a new person running away.

—Various Insecurities Rock Genuinely Inexperienced Newbie

: A You shouldn’t hesitate to tell someone — particularly a new person you want to have sex with — that you’ve never had penetrative sex before. And while you don’t owe that new person the full story, VIRGIN, you might wanna tell them what you told me. Give them the outline: You want to fuck but you recently got out of an abusive marriage and you’re getting professional help to deal with the emotional fallout — so you’re not asking them to be your therapist — but you are understandably nervous and more than a little scared about the fucking you’d like to do.

When we tell someone, “I’ve never done this before,” whatever the “this” we’re talking about might be, we’re letting that person know they’ll need to take things a little slower with us than they might with someone who’s had more experience — with penetrati e se or threesomes or being fisted or, again, whatever the “this” we’re talking about might be. And if we’re in a delicate place emotionally, letting the other person know we might be overwhelmed by big feelings — and big feelings aren’t always bad feelings — shows them we’re taking their comfort into consideration too, VIRGIN, because what we’re saying is, “I don’t want you to feel blindsided if I’m suddenly overwhelmed.”

And if the new person you share

these things with responds by running away — if your worst fears are realized — tell yourself that person did you a favor. Because if they run away… they weren’t the right person, they weren’t the person you hoped they were, and you’re ar better o finding all that out before you have sex, VIRGIN, not during or after. It may be a favor in a shitty disguise, VIRGIN, but it’s still a favor. ecause the first time you ha e penetrative sex you want it to be with someone who feels honored that you chose them, not burdened, and who understands they have a special responsibility to make sure you feel safe before, during, and after. You are a gift. It’s a privilege to get to have sex with you — it’s a privilege to get to have sex with anyone — and being someone’s first whate er first we’re tal ing about, carries a special responsibility. If someone doesn’t want that responsibility, VIRGIN, or if they can’t handle that responsibility, they don’t deserve you. The wrong ones will run away. The right one will stick around.

: Q I’m married and it’s... OK. We’re more like riends raisin our son together than anything else. There’s no se , but I’m whate er about that. But I’ e had on and off eelin s or a coworker and riend or a ew years now. I don’t know i it’s lo e or lust or what ever. thought if admitted my feelings to my crush, it would hel me fi ure things out. It didn’t. thought it would go one of two ways. Either he would say he didn’t feel the same, avoid me, and would move on and get over it, or he would lean into it — he would let me know he was interested — and I would talk thin s o er with my husband and we would go from there. But nothing changed. When told him he basically replied, “Oh, no worries,” and acted the same. We’re still friends, but that’s it. My husband would be down to open thin s u , I think, as we’ e talked about having a threesome before. But don’t have any interest in doing that if my crush isn’t into me, because I’m really not interested in anyone else. And to add to the complications, my crush has a girlfriend. What the hell do do? Just sit here and yearn forever? Cause I’ve been doing that for about three years now and it’s getting old.

—What Happens After This?

: A You’ve already done what a lot of people around here — around here in the comments thread, around here at this particular cultural moment —

would’ve strongly urged you not to do: You hit on a coworker! A coworker in a relationship that probably isn’t open! Most opposite-sex relationships aren’t.

If you hit on your coworker and he responded with “no worries” and he hasn’t treated you any di erently since… what the hell is happening? One of two things happened. You either hit on him so subtly he didn’t realize you were hitting on him, WHAT, or he decided to pretend you didn’t hit on him because he isn’t interested in cheating on his girlfriend with a married coworker and/or you aren’t the coworker he would cheat with and he doesn’t want you to feel bad about the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing you did that day, WHAT, so he’s pretending you didn’t do that thing.

If you want absolute clarity from him, WHAT, you’ll have to risk the dreaded direct question: “I hit on you the other day — because I have crush on you — and ever since I’ve been wondering if that registered and, if it did, what you think.” (Good luck with i he got it the first time wasn’t interested, and “no worries” was his way of saying “no thanks.”) Whatever you decide to do, whatever does or doesn’t happen with your coworker, don’t wait any longer to talk things over with your husband. It’s better to have that conversation about opening up your marriage without the added pressure of a DTF crush waiting or you bac at the o ce

: Q Polyamory seems like a beauti ful concept to me. People have such an amazing capacity for love. However, where used to see the word “polyamory,” now frequently see the term “ethical non-monogamy” used instead. What is the difference between the two i any at all? Is the latter just another symptom o American culture’s emotion phobia or am missing something? don’t ust want to uck I want to lo e the eo le I uck. Am I alone in this oly ideal?

—Pondering Over Linguistical Yens And Meanings

: A ou’re definitely missing something.

Ethical non-monogamy (ENM) and polyamory don’t mean the same thing — indeed, a few years ago polyamorous folks were complaining about people who just wanted to fuck describing themselves as polyamorous, which is probably why someone came up with the term ENM. To clarify, not confuse.

Think of it like this: Bob and Carol

decide to open their relationship on the condition that sex with other people be kept strictly casual — no repeats, no regulars, no feelings. So long as Bob and Carol honor the agreement they made with each other when they opened the relationship, POLYAM, and so long as Bob and Carol don’t mislead their casual sex partners — so long as they don’t encourage outside sex partners to think a relationship is possible when all they wanna do is fuck — Bob and Carol are practicing non-monogamy in an ethical fashion. So, Bob and Carol are ENM, but they’re not poly. (Bob and Carol, please note: It’s just as important you don’t allow your outside sex partners to assume a relationship is possible; if someone might reasonably assume you’re single and open to dating, you two, you have to proactively inform them you are not.)

Ted and Alice, on the other hand, ha e a di erent agreement hey’re in love and committed to each other, but they’re dating other people and open to forming committed and concurrent romantic relationships with their other partners. So long as Ted and Alice are honoring the rules and conditions they set for themselves, they’re practicing non-monogamy in an ethical fashion. So, Ted and Alice, like Bob and Carol, are ENM, but they’re also poly.

And just to make things a little more complicated, POLYAM, while all healthy and functional polyamorous relationships are ENM, not all poly relationships are open relationships. Some triads, some quads, some quints, etc., are very much closed — they’re polyamorous and ENM, but no one else is going to be invited to the join the shared Google calendar.

With my 53-year-old pop culture reference out of the way (Bob and arol and ed and Alice, which was released in 1969, is streaming now on Apple TV), POLYAM, you are not alone in wanting to love the people you fuck and fuck the people you love — the people you love romantically, of course, not your parents or siblings and other family members. But you shouldn’t assume that people who are ENM without being poly aren’t interested in love or fear intimacy. Two people can be very much in love, POLYAM, while having strict rules about keeping things casual with outside partners.

Send your burning questions to mailbo @sa a e.lo e. odcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

CULTURE Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

Nigerian author Wole Soyinka reworked the ancient Greek play, The Bacchae. In one passage, the god Dionysus criticizes King Pentheus, who is supposedly all-powerful. “You are a man of chains,” Dionysus tells him. “You love chains. You breathe chains, talk chains, eat chains, dream chains, think chains. Your world is bound in manacles.” The bad news, Aries, is that many of us have some resemblances to Pentheus. The good news is that the coming months will be a favorable time to shed at least some of your chains. Have fun liberating yourself! Try to help a few others wriggle free from their chains, too. Doing so will aid your own emancipation.

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20

The coming weeks will be a great time to fill your ournal with more intense ruminations than you have for many moons I you don’t ha e a ournal, think about starting one. Reveal yourself to yourself, Taurus! Make conscious that which has been vague, unnamed, or hiding. Here are assignments to help launch your ood o intimate self-talk. 1. Write passionately about an

experience you’ve always wanted to try but have never done. 2. Conduct imaginary interviews with people who rouse strong feelings in you. 3. Describe what deity, superhero, or animal you are and how your special intelligence works. 4. Visualize a dream in which you appear as a bolder more confident ersion o yourself. 5. Talk about a time you felt rousingly alive and how you plan to feel that way again.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

A stranger approached me at Wild Birds Unlimited, a store that sells bird food and accessories. “You write the horoscopes, right?” she asked. “I’m a Gemini, and I want to thank you for helping me tone down my relentless fidgeting ou made me reali e I ha e been secretly proud of tapping my fingers on the table while tal ing with people, and constantly darting my eyes around the room to check out the ever-changing views. I’d unconsciously belie ed that stu was a sign o my incredible vitality. But you’ve been a steadying in uence ou’ e shown me ways to settle down and focus my energy better. I can see how restlessness sometimes saps my energy.” I told the woman, “You’re welcome!” and let her know that 2023 will be a favorable time to do much more of this good work. Homework: Meditate on channeling your incredible vitality into being grounded and centered.

CANCER: June 21 – July 22

According to Cancerian author Ronald Sukenick, the writer’s work is “to destroy restrictive viewpoints, notice the unnoticed, speak the unspeakable sha e stale habits ward o e il give vent to sorrow, pulverize doctrine, attack and uphold tradition as needed, and make life worth living.” I believe 2023 will be an excellent time for you to carry out those actions, even if you’re not a writer. You will have abundant power to bless and heal through creative rebellion and disruption. You will thrive as you seek out interesting novelty.

LEO: July 23 – August 22

Psychotherapist Ryan Howes has wisdom you’ll benefit rom heeding in the coming weeks. “We need to accept our age,” he writes. “We need to accept illnesses and addictions. We need to accept the past. We need to accept others as they are.” He goes on to say that this doesn’t mean we must like all these situations. And we can certainly try to make the best of them. But when we don’t struggle in vain to change what’s beyond our control to change, we have more energy for things that we can actually a ect

JAMES NOELLERT

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22

Here’s testimony from musician Pharrell Williams: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.’” Yes! This is an apt message for you, Virgo. The best way for you to generate motivation and excitement in the coming weeks will be to explore what is lacking, what is invisible, what’s lost or incomplete. Check in with your deep intuition right now. Do you feel a stirring in your gut? It may tell you where to find important and intriguing things that are missing.

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

“Every animal knows far more than you do,” declares a proverb of the Nimíipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce. Author Russell Banks provides further testimony to convince us we should be humble about our powers of awareness. “There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious,” he says. “It’s always smarter than we are.” These are good pointers for you to heed in the coming weeks, Libra. You will have a special power to enhance your understanding of the world by calling on the savvy of animals and your unconscious mind. They will be especially rich sources of wisdom. Seek out their educational input!

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21:

Psychologist Carl Jung said that the whole point of Jesus Christ’s story was not that we should become exactly like him. Rather, we should aspire to be our best and highest selves in the same way that he ulfilled his uni ue mission. So Jesus was not the great exception, but rather the great example. I bring these meditations to your attention, Scorpio, because I believe life in 2023 will conspire to make you, more than ever before, the hero of your own destiny. You will be inspired to honor only your own standards of success and re ect all others’ ou will clearly see that you are progressing at your own natural and righteous pace, which is why it makes no sense to compare your evolution to anyone else’s.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

A reader named Mary Roseberry describes her experience of being a

Sagittarius: “I hate to be bored. I hate imperfections. I hate to wait. I hate sadness I hate con ict I hate to be wrong. I hate tension.” Wow! I admire Mary’s succinct understanding of who she doesn’t want to be and what she doesn’t like to do. I invite you to compose a similar testimony. You would benefit rom getting clear about the eperiences you intend to avoid in 2023. Once you have done that, write a list of the interesting feelings and situations you will seek out with intense devotion during the coming months.

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

When he was 74 years old, Capricorn author Norman Maclean published his first no el River Runs Through It. It became a best-seller. apricorn film director a eshi itano directed his first film at age ow 75, he has since won many awards for his work in his native Japan. Capricorn acti ist elchora uino who was a leader in the hilippines’ fight or independence from Spain, launched her career as a revolutionary when she was in her eighties. She’s known as the “Mother of the Revolution.” I hope these heroes inspire you, dear Capricorn. I believe that 2023 is the year you will get an upgrade in any area of your life where you have seemed to be a late bloomer.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will soon be called upon to summon grace under pressure; to express magnanimity while being challenged; to prove that your devotion to your high standards is more important than the transitory agendas of your ego. The good news is that you are primed and ready to succeed at these exact assignments. I have confidence in your power to acti ate the necessary courage and integrity with maximum poise and composure.

PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20

“By dying daily, I have come to be,” wrote poet Theodore Roethke. He didn’t mean he su ered literal deaths He was referring to the discipline of letting go of the past; shedding wornout habits; leaving behind theories and attitudes that once served him well but no longer did illing o parts o himself that were interfering with the arrival of the fresh future. I recommend his strategy to you, Pisces. To the degree that you agree to die daily, you will earn the right to be reborn big-time in a few weeks.

Here’s the homework: What power will you possess in nine months that you do not yet have?

HOME REPAIR

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

HEALTH

STILL PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MEDICATION?

SERVICES

MASSAGE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ONLY

SERVICES

ADULT

ADULT

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT HIRING SEXY WOMEN!!!

must be 18yrs old. Cashier, stock & cleaning Benefits-Hol/Vac/Health Call (313)869-9477 or come in to apply

Detroit

Save

HEALTH VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS!

0 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 888-531-1192 (AAN CAN) TV/CABLE/INTERNET CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN?

Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-693-0625 (AAN CAN)

(INDEPENDENT)

DRAPING IS REQUIRED INTAKE FORM is given COVID -19 READY Enjoy a calm and soothing massage HEALTHY BENEFIT HEALTHY MASSAGE 734 447 7895

Early and late appointments are available must be left on Credit Card on file.

MASSAGE

RELAXING NURU MASSAGE

for the quarantine must not be sick. Must be clean and wear mask. Outcalls only incalls are at your cost Hey I’m here to help. This is Candy melt in your mouth so try my massages they’re sweet as can be!!! (734) 596-1376

Dominatrix, therapist consultant over 16 years of entertainment pleasure fetish fantasy, open minded love the correspondent, 3 min free consulting with donation.

Ms. Jones, P.O. Box 1041, Hazel Park, MI 48030-9998. 231-281-5751 M-F 8am-9pm. Mistressjones999@yahoo.com

Hiring sexy women (& men). Highly Paid Magazine, Web, and Movie/TV work. no experience needed, all sizes accepted. 313-289-2008.

Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/ mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147 (AAN CAN)