Taking a moment to vent about Hipsters in Detroit

Dear suburbanite transplant that has moved to Detroit recently, and by recently I mean the last few years:

You have absolutely no right to look down on me, or have the audacity to tell me that because I don't live in Corktown, or a completely run down part of town that I have nothing to speak of.  I'm sorry that I don't dress as ironically as you, or that there is actually some room in my pants to you know move or sit, or not see every part of my lower torso. I have lived here my entire life, I have supported local businesses and supported many local organizations.  You have lived in the suburbs and know nothing about real life, you moved down here when some of your friends did, or when you read about your now urban God known as Phil Cooley.  I have nothing against Phil, he is a wonderful man who owns a great restaurant and truly wants to improve the city.  His so called followers though are a different story, some of you I have no problems with, you came to this city to actually make it better.  To the moronic assholes who came here to be cool, and not actually make a difference I despise you with a passion.  You came here and complained, you still complain about the quality of life, yet try nothing to improve it, I see you at local bars and and at music shows and somehow because of you I feel like I'm the odd one out.

You hipsters who are not creative enough to come up with your own style, who rummaged around your parents closets to find shirts from the 70s and 80s to wear so you can be retro cool.  You who drink your PBR or High life and listen to 7 bands that sound exactly alike that no one has ever heard of, and once this band reaches any form of success they are useless to you.  This for some reason I believe is your idea of living in Detroit, you like it because it is desolate and run down, no one wants to bother you, and if you see it is changing, just like your musical tastes you will grow disinterested with this city.  It will have become too mainstream for you to enjoy, too popular to be known as the unknown.  You will flee yet again just as your parents had years ago, and you will look back down at this city.  I will still remain, still endure, and try to make this place better.

This has been brought on by one stupid comment from one person who's been in the city for 3 years, and is the greatest authority on it apparently.  More so than people who have worked here or lived here from a time before she was born.  But no you are here to correct me and my friend on living in the city.

Can helping the city become as ironic as the clothes you wear, and you actually do something? Or will you remain in the ruins gladly listening to your unknown music, as you sit in the shambles of a once former great city?

I have not had a large impact on this city, yet I have tried.  I will help when called upon, and hell I've joined a few organizations to try and improve this city, and dear hipsters I find it despicable that you live here and we rely so much on your parents to drive down from the houses you moved out of to come in and help us.  The people who pay for your rent to stay in the city, because God forbid you get a real job, are the people who keep these organizations going. I'm sorry that I moved into a neighborhood that is still considerably safe, I'm sorry I've lived here my whole life, and I'm sorry that I dared disagree with you when we talked.

How dare I say that your thoughts on the city could be wrong, and that others have ideas on how to help this city.  You are smarter than me, you look down upon me, my shirt was made recently and that can only mean I'm a corporate shell who has been brainwashed with corporate ideas.  I have no idea what real music is because I only hear mainstream music or listen to Pandora.  My ideas in no way can be original, may you resurrect this city with your creative originality and lack of passion.

Detroit 187

As I sit here staring at my laptop screen hoping that something good will magically be written about the show, I'm left pondering just where the bullet train will take me in Detroit.  The main problem with that is that I know what the bullet train is, and the loop it takes me in. (Chime cheesy music in the background to give that Detroit 187 feel)

     I watched the show with low expectations, and yet I was somehow disappointed, it might just be after watching the Wire that no cop show can compare, but this just seemed worse than most.  The actors did not look authentic. The Detroit area is one of the most racially diverse cities in the country, yet the cops just don't look like they belong here. Unfortunately, only the criminals passed the authentic-Detroiter litmus test. (I will admit I did laugh when I saw the criminal trying to run away with the metal slide, that I can somehow see happening in this fine city).  But seriously if the producers tried to give this show an authentic feeling don't call it soda and never put ketchup on a coney dog.

     The acting was bad.. the story line was uninviting. Am I really interested in seeing what happens to the characters next? Not really.  This show unless it takes drastic changes will last a season at most, and if it stays the same maybe six episodes.  All that said, I'm still going to watch it to support Detroit. (even though it really doesn't have much to do with supporting Detroit.)

I'm just like all the other photographers...

...when we get bored we all take photos of the same things around here.  We call it urban exploration, that is just a nice way of saying we break into abandoned buildings.  It's fun we have to look for cops make a few sweeps around the building to check security and find an entrance point, and then hide bums' weapons.  Yes I did say hide the bums weapons, we only moved the knife under his mattress, we didn't steal it or throw it out, that would have been mean.  Abandoned buildings have the most broken glass you've ever seen, also there's an old high school with the most amount of chemistry labs I have ever seen. Detroit should have been the capital for chemists the way the school was designed.  But back to the broken glass, summers suck for urbex photography, and I normally wear jeans and boots, but wore shorts, and that explains the cut on my leg and arms.  Hopefully all the chemicals from the old chemistry room where it happened have disappeared by now.  I did learn to go with a friend and another photographer, and damn is photography a cut throat business, we don't share secrets or photo spots, and we hate it when others try and take the same photos we have, but the payoff of it is fantastic.  I'm actually happy that I got into photography, now back to the other side of photography the selling portion, and the most important part I learned is to stop caring about trying to sell photos and just take pictures of stuff I like.  Hell it's what got me to where people want photos, and dammit it is what I'm going to keep doing.

Everyone come and drink with me!

I'm writing this on the Wi-fi I intalled at the bar (Go me!). It's been a while since I've posted and I've had a few shots and beers but WTF! I'm saying that to the what the hell is going on? I've ran into 4 previous (can't say exes) in a 4 day span.  Is there some sort of I hate Konrad support group that I'm not aware of, and if there is can you give me a warning so I can avoid all of you.  Seriously there was one where I was out taking photos for a paper and was like shit, but I'm still friends with your best friend and we talk.  Well I handled that as well as anyone could I asked and I quote "would you like your photo taken?" your friend laughed you looked like you wanted to kill me.  I remember this stare from the last time we talked, and damn you you've somehow improved it.  Oh well please come visit me at Donovan's Pub.

I need to refocus my attention

I now see why so many people don't do exhibits, or at least people with my attention span don't do them.  I love taking pictures and I love seeing how they come out, and am beginning to like the post production parts of it too.  My main problem is I want to keep going out to take more pictures of different things and not work on actually getting my photos ready for an exhibit.  I've actually agreed to an exhibit at a library, but I haven't actually taken the time to sit down and go through my photos and decide what I want shown.  I keep going out and taking more photos of new things, and this is complicating the process.  I love taking photos of urban decay and of Detroit in general, but then there's my nature shots that are pretty good too and seem to go over real well. 

Hmmm what to do, what to do? Do I keep postponing my exhibit, like I've been doing for months? Do I actually sit down and decide what the hell I have to do, or do I cop out and do a contrast of urban living in Detroit, and the serene peaceful nature of northern Michigan.  The beauty of destruction vs. the beauty of nature.  Well I'll figure something out and let everyone know, but most likely I'll cop out and do a split exhibit of my work, it's my show and I can do what I want!

Urban exploration is interesting

I found out this weekend that from now on I should not do it alone.  Walking around the abandoned Packard plant in Detroit, I got a nice little surprise turning the corner into a vacated office space and I that nice little surprise is a big homeless guy in a hoodie.  And when I say surprise I mean I was scared shitless, said I'm sorry and got the f*ck out of that building, the only good thing was the guy was as scared as I was when he saw me.  I really don't want to be another story on the local news so I just might find someone who will go exploring with me, hell a few people even offered to go and now I'll give them a call.

In other news a damn facebook note has gotten way too much recognition and been shared about 1000 times too many.  I cannot take credit for writing the note but that still hasn't stopped me from getting friend requests and messages in my inbox.  To the right wing nut jobs thanks for asking me if I have no balls because I follow government laws.  Also because I went to a catholic school it does not mean that you and I should be friends or that I share the same values as you do, and if I support the health care reform legislation it does not mean that I believe in a lawless government as you suggested.  Now to the left wingers, seriously stop telling me you are like me, stop telling me because we are in the same profession we should be friends, and stop sharing that damn note!

The last post needs some explanation

So the search warrant was at work not for me, some sheriff's deputies came to get some information on a patron and I said we can't and won't give anything without a search warrant. I told them they can make a request for information but it won't necessarily be honored, so two days later they came back with a court ordered search warrant. Lovely. I get to deal with two deputies about technology who have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, so I have to dumb everything down and explain how things on computers work. The other tech was trying to do the same thing to them but alas if a person does not understand technology you cannot really explain it to them in a few minutes.

In other news I'm hopefully going to get published in the Metro Times. I sent some photos in and the Arts & Culture editor wants to use mine along with some other photographers photos in an upcoming issue. HELL YEAH! Now if only I could figure out a way of making some steady income from this photography thing it would be even better. I have a friend who's helping me meet and talk with different photographers so recently I have met a Free Press photographer, a really cool combat photographer who got back to the states not too long ago, and a bunch of local photographers. By the way Detroit has many interesting/weird things to photograph with our art crowd here, and once you get to know them you keep getting invited to weirder and weirder things. I love this city.

Also so much to look forward to the Blowout, the Muse Concert, St. Patty's Parade in Corktown, St. Patty's day all over metro Detroit and after all that hopefully some sleep, rest and relaxation...but who am I kidding, I won't get any of the latter.

This blog has changed

So this blog is completely different than when it first started, I mean I just used to post random useless crap about things I found online that made me laugh. Now I post random useless crap about myself that no one reads (not really since I started these random postings my site views have gone up and from different places, go figure).

So to keep the tradition of updating everyone of my so called interesting life, a girl threw a plate at my head and that was the last time I talked to and saw her, the sale of the Minido falls photo fell through because the woman wanted me to put a $200-250 frame on a photo she only wanted to pay $200 for (I'm beginning to think the world is running out of sane people), and I sort of kinda quit my local paper photographer gig. Do I have to write an official letter of resignation when you tell your so called boss to kiss your ass and find a different idiot photographer? I do have something else lined up to take photos of local bands at one of the biggest local band concerts in the world...hint hint figure out what that could be.

Also I'm taking the photography more seriously and my style has improved, I'm not sure if I like nature photography or urban/architecture photography more, it's a toss up. But I do enjoy the weekend getaways to take pictures around Michigan, it really is a beautiful state the entire year. Where else can you find everything you find in this state, I can go to the same place in different times of the year and get completely different shots. Now I just need to find more buyers for my photos, so I'm having my first faux-exhibit at the library in February. My boss wants me to use the photos from my last trip up north, I have to come up for a name of my exhibit and any help is greatly appreciated. Well that's it for now, I'm off to go drive around Detroit to figure out what to take photos of, but first I need SBC to finish fixing my damn internet.