Up to:
- A custom apparel company I own called RetroDuck once again sponsored the Capital City Film Festival. We printed some great merch, and I was invited to be one of the judges of the local Fortnight Film Contest. Also got to watch great movies, drink drinks and hang with good friends, which are among my favorite things.
- I co-wrote a resolution adopted by council to bring the folk festival back to East Lansing. Since, I’ve been part of a subcommittee that has written a proposal for a preview festival this August that will be going in front of council shortly. I am confident it will happen, and equally as confident we will see a full folk festival as soon as next year.
- As a couple/few of you know, I am the vice-chair of the Downtown Development Authority in East Lansing, and I am proud to announce we’ve hired our first-ever full-time director. I have one year left before I am termed out (somehow I am the senior most member!), and I plan on making the most of it.
- I also chair the East Lansing Business and Meridian Township Roundtable for the Chamber of Commerce. It’s a collaborative forum where businesses, public officials (township, city, county, state, and federal) and representatives from Michigan State University gather to share ideas and advance the region. I get to learn a lot about what’s going on in the region and behave like a bad local stand-up comedian. Win-win.
- I’ve been very quietly writing a weekly newsletter of links and thinks on film, music, literature, art, productivity, trying to be a better person and the intersection of those and all things. Consider it the opposite of doomscrolling. It will remain free forever, but if you’d like to pay to subscribe, I won’t stop you.
Into:
- Hey, now. New cars come with Sirius XM, and I have found myself listening to a lot of Howard Stern as of late, mostly the longform interviews and Howard 101, the latter of which definitely takes me back to early mornings driving to high school and/or listening in my dad’s truck when I would work for him, even though I know he hated it.
- Stroopwafels, which are really good, you guys.
- I’d seen Taskmaster clips on social media that have made me laugh, hard, but was drawn to the new series because of Jason Mantzoukas. Completely original and consistently hilarious. I highly recommend you jump in.
- I’m often admittedly too decked out in Nike gear, like Garth with Reebok. Shoewise, I’ve become obsessed with the retro Nike Waffle Navs, and have purchased every colorway I’ve been able to find.
- I love the NBA Playoffs, even if the Pistons got ousted fairly early. At least I still have the Tigers.
Eat ’em up.