For better or worse, Motorcity ain't what it used to be. But, having survived bankruptcy, corruption and bad luck that nearly broke its back, Detroit is making a slow comeback. While most of the city's residents are looking to the future, anyone looking to hold on to a piece of the city's long, colorful history would do well to take up guitar lessons.

Wallace Detroit Guitars builds their axes from wood they've reclaimed from Motorcity landmarks. Founded by Mark Wallace in 2014, the brands use reclaimed wood from sites like the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center where fighter Joe Lewis trained, and the former headquarters of the Detroit Fire Department. The wood is collected by Detroit nonprofit groups,  providing training and employment to local residents. Occasionally, the company accepts materials reclaimed from other sources within the city too:  contractors doing renos on historic properties drop off high grade, decades-old wood, perfect for making guitars. The resulting product, as you can see, is both badass and classic.

Because of the historic value of the wood and the amount of work it takes to lay hands on it, a Wallace Detroit Guitar doesn't come cheap: One of the guitars on the site is listed at $2,400. As each guitar the company produces is made-to-order, prices will vary--but don't expect to get a screeching deal. Each of these guitars is a work of art made with the guts of a former work of art, especially for the purpose of making new art. Owning anything that can lay claim to that's gonna cost you. Read the rest

40% of Detroiters have no internet access. The Detroit Community Technology Project and similar projects across the city are skipping over the telcos altogether and wiring up their own mesh broadband networks, where gigabit connections are transmitted by line-of-site wireless across neighborhoods from the tops of tall buildings; it's called the Equitable Internet Initiative. Read the rest

If there's one thing I know about Detroit-born multimedia artist Allee Willis, it's that she's unstoppable. And not knowing how to do something hasn't keep her from pursuing her dreams and becoming incredibly successful.

For example, by her own admission, she has "no idea how to play, read, or notate music." Yet, she's received multiple accolades for her music including two Grammy awards.

In fact, her big break came after co-writing the 1978 hit "September" by Earth, Wind, & Fire. She also co-wrote their "Boogie Wonderland."

But she didn't stop there. You know the Friends theme? She co-wrote that.

She also co-authored The Color Purple for Broadway. Earlier this year, she got her second Grammy for that.

In her multi-decade career, she's worked with musical artists such as The Pointer Sisters, the Pet Shop Boys, Bob Dylan, Patti LaBelle, James Brown, Herbie Hancock and many more.

Again, she has zero musical training.

Now she's written "The D," which she calls a "love song to Detroit." This is her biggest project to date.

She had never done anything like this before, no one has (or could).

The entire project includes not only a song but a music video, record, and party which all-in-all took nearly four years to complete. She pulled in her born-in-Detroit celebrity pals such as Lily Tomlin and Ray Parker Jr., as well as Motown names like Mary Wilson (Supremes) and Martha Reeves. She also invited thousands of everyday folks to participate and they did. "The D" features the vocals of over 5,000 Detroiters, which is the most people on a record together ever. Read the rest

The juggalos are marching on DC this weekend, to protest the FBI's classification of the music fandom/subculture as a dangerous gang, placing it on a watchlist alongside the Aryan Nation. Read the rest

We have little free libraries where I live in California but none as are half as cool as this one in Detroit, Michigan. Dan Zemke spotted an empty lot across the street from his house on Detroit's Warren Ave. and thought it needed something. He decided it would be the perfect spot for a life-size replica of a TARDIS that would double as a little library.

Unlike the fictional TARDIS, Zemke’s creation is not bigger on the inside, but does have room for around 140 books that he hopes people will circulate and replace as they trade them out. Where the original TARDIS has signs around the top saying, “Police Box,” this one has signs saying, “Take A Book, Leave A Book.” Other than that, it is a spitting image of the iconic BBC ship.

(One might argue that it IS bigger on the inside because of the knowledge within its books.)

(Parade)

Previously: Doctor Who-themed shed Read the rest

The Empowerment Plan is a Detroit-based organization that creates manufacturing jobs making EMPWR coats that double as sleeping bags:

Via designboom:

the empowerment plan is a detroit-based, nonprofit organization focused on permanently elevating families from the generational cycle of homelessness. it hires single parents from local shelters and provide them with training and full-time employment as seamstresses so that they can earn a stable income, find secure housing, and regain their independence. the individuals it hires manufacture a coat designed to meet the needs of those in the homeless community. the durable ‘EMPWR coat’ can transform into a sleeping bag at night or an over-the-shoulder bag when not in use. since 2012, it has provided employment to 34 homeless individuals—all of whom have now secured permanent housing for themselves and their families—and distributed over 15,000 coats to those in need across the US and canada.

• REDFworkshop.org (Vimeo / The Empowerment Plan via designboom) Read the rest

At a rally in Detroit, Donald Trump said "titties" while attempting to say "cities." Read the rest

He admits he's from Mars. An unpleasant gentleman whose flatbed truck dumped a bunch of wood all over a residential street tells Detroit 7 Action News he don't take no orders from no women. Good to know. Read the rest

Articles in the UK and US press describe fraudsters who used public document registries to steal entire houses, using forged documents to list the houses for sale, transferring title to them, and disappearing (or attempting to) with a lot of money in their pockets.

Detroit's Cyberoptix make hundreds of beautiful, nerdy textiles: linen library due-date scarves (also available as silk ties); bandana print neckties; chemical warfare ties; civil defense med-kit scarves; notebook-paper silk pocket squares (also scarves) and felted wool neckties -- all made to order in a wide variety of colors! Read the rest

Chain reaction artists and domino builders have collaborated to create what they hope will go on record as the largest chain reaction in history. Read the rest

Detroit's historic Park Avenue Hotel was demolished on July 11, and YouTuber TheGadgetGuy1 caught all the action via drone. Read the rest

Over the holiday weekend, The Detroit News published a remarkable analysis of what happened in Detroit's foreclosure meltdown. One block on Greensboro Street saw 33 of 38 homes go into mortgage or tax foreclosure in the last ten years. Read the rest

The Detroit News has an uplifting story about the David Whitney Building, newly renovated in time for its centennial celebration. Think reverse ruin porn. Read the rest

The National Party was instrumental in passing the harsh "strict liability" NZ copyright laws that offer no relief from liability, even for people who buy licenses that turn out to have been offered in error -- as appears to be the case in the National Party campaign ad that used Lose Yourself for bed music. Read the rest

Paul Di Filippo describes Ben Parzybok's new novel, Sherwood Nation: "The book is obviously as headline-friendly as the Ferguson riots, inequality debates, Occupy protests and climate change reports; but there's also a Joseph Conrad-Grahame Greene-Shakespeare style concern with the nature of power, the roles that are thrust upon us, and the limits of friendship and love." Read the rest

Scott sez, "Privacy and security has been a huge problem since the Snowden revelations, and midwest SF/open source software convention Penguicon [ed: near Detroit!] wants to be part of the solution. With Guest of Honor Eva Galperin from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Cory Doctorow returning as Guest Emeritus, much of their tech track is focused on finding answers to the recent privacy problems highlighted by Snowden. Pre-registration tickets are available until April 1st. Programming was just announced."

(Thanks, Scott!) Read the rest