R.E.M.

* *

2015-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

in Huron river's calm waters

the kayakers at dusk stalk the setting sun, stir the proverbial pot

and disturb the gods.

* *

2015-06-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

at dusk, the sun paints
brilliant, surreal, dreamy hues
through Ann Arbor skies

*

2013-02-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

...early Sunday morning, driving on a deserted Southfield Freeway. the sun's rays are trying to break through the grey clouds' spell. Michigan in winter; beautiful and lonely.

Air Bubbles

2012-10-10T22:17:00.001-07:00

Troy Marriott
Troy, MI

Fight to Educate: Demetrius Andrade schools and blasts Alexis Hloros in two

2012-09-21T03:35:00.001-07:00

Middleweight boxer Alexis "Hurricane" Hloros (16-5-2, 12 KOs) of Mt. Clemens, a prime attraction at Michigan's famed Royal Oak Music Theatre wherein he made a career of plastering patsies to pad his records, was himself plastered Thursday night by undefeated contender and 2008 Olympian Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade (18-0, 13 KOs) inside two rounds at the 11th annual Fight To Educate Pro-Am card held at the Wireless Verizon Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Demetrius Andrade neutralized the Hurricane early and did not commit any boo-boos as he schooled the Michigan native in the finer aspects of the sweet science, eventually stopping him in the second round of the 10-round bout.

On paper, Alexis Hloros' record might be good, but a closer examination will reveal that most of his wins were against fighters with losing and atrocious records, and the only other time that he stepped up in opposition was against James Kirkland in 2011 wherein he also got blasted within two rounds.

Fight To Educate is a "charity event that combines a love of sports with the vision of assisting children and seniors in need, who with fundraisers like this could be 'down for the count.' During the past 10 years, Fight To Educate has raised more than $500,000 in donations benefitting local New Hampshire non-profit organizations."

The organizers revealed that "proceeds from the 11th annual Fight To Educate will benefit SEE Science Center (www.see-sciencecenter.org), The Bobby Stephens Fund for Education (www.stepheneducationfund.com), and New Horizons for New Hampshire."

The Mackinac Bridge

2012-08-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Mackinac Bridge: the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, connecting the two peninsulas of Michigan.

Press Release: “KRONK: THE NEW GENERATION” AT JOE LOUIS ARENA AUGUST 25

2012-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

KRONK BOXING RETURNS TO DETROIT WITH
“KRONK: THE NEW GENERATION” AT JOE LOUIS ARENA AUGUST 25

Tickets Go On Sale Friday, August 3 at 10 a.m.!

(DETROIT– August 1, 2012) — Kronk Boxing, Detroit's fifth professional sports team, returns to downtown Detroit on Saturday, August 25 at Joe Louis Arena for “Kronk: The New Generation” at 7:30 p.m. Headlining the scheduled eight bout event is Detroit's own Tony Harrison, undefeated at 9-0 with 8 knockouts, versus Calvin Odom from Inglewood, California, 15-12 with 11 knockouts.
Tickets ($20, $35 and $100) go on sale Friday, August 3 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at OlympiaEntertainment.com, The Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For additional information, call (313) 471-6611.

The undercard will be announced at a later date and all bouts are subject to change.

Shobox: Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage spanks Spinks anew, barks at Canelo

2012-07-03T22:57:00.003-07:00

Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage, Detroit's 39-year old IBF junior middleweight champion, retained his crown last Saturday night against familiar foe, Cory Spinks, the same fighter he dethroned via 5th round TKO about two years ago in St. Louis, MO.

This time around, the so-called rematch between the two old protagonists at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA airing via Showtime's ShoBox: The Next Generation franchise followed almost the same script as the last time these two fighters met in St. Louis, albeit this time Cory Spinks lasted two more rounds longer than their first fight.

Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage's magical night began with less than a minute to go in the first round when he suddenly unleashed a powerful overhand right to the face of Cory Spinks, sending the game challenger crashing to the canvas.

But Cory Spinks was able to get up, and desperately grabbed Bundrage for survival, an act that led to both fighters falling to the ground. It was an omen of things to come as the two fighters turned their championship duel into a rough and tumble, one with neither fighter giving an inch or so it seems.

The fight was both beautiful and ugly as both fighters began to grab and hold, clinching and sneaking punches in close quarters, trying to impose their will on each other. Spinks, the bigger guy, was keen on roughing up the smaller Bundrage, but the Detroit fighter was game enough to play the game that his opponent was playing as he began to sneak an uppercut or two in between hugs and clinches.

By the third round, Cory Spinks' right eye began to swell, a recurrent target of Bundrage's active left jabs while Spinks tried to take his fight to Bundrage's body. Still, Cornelius' right bombs were landing on target, with Spinks looking helpless in evading them.

The fight went on its usual phase with Cory Spinks hugging, holding and even wrestling Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage for control, but the Kronk fighter also gave his opponent a dose of his own medicine.

As the fight wore on, the fighters' conditioning was being tested; both fighters are showing signs of exhaustion, breathing heavily through their mouths while throwing blows few and far between, until Bundrage suddenly connected with a chopping right to the face that again buckled Spinks' legs in round 6. Despite Cory Spinks' desperate attempt to counter his impending doom by trying to dig deep into Bundrage's body, from that time on, the outcome was slowly but surely in Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage's favor.

The seventh round proved to be Cory Spinks' downfall as another powerful right hand sent him to the canvas. Showing his heart, the fighter from St. Louis got up and desperately tried to grab his opponent once more, but he ate another powerful right that sent him on the seat of his pants again with time down to 1:54.

It was like a fast-paced action movie from then on as Cory Spinks tried several evasive maneuvers to delay the inevitable -- slips, holds, backtracks and grabs -- but Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage would have none of it as he continued to move and unleashed a barrage of punches (got away with a few low blows) at his hapless opponent.

And with 27 seconds left in the round, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage finally caught Cory Spinks with his patented right hand bomb that finally crumbled not only Spinks' body, but also his will to fight. Down on all fours, the referee counted Cory Spinks out as Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage went down on his knees, barked and celebrated his victory, improving his record to 32-4-0-1 with 19 knockouts.

Fight statistics showed that en route to the seventh round knockout, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage outlanded Cory Spinks 32% (97 0f 301) to 30% (75 of 247) of total punches. While Spinks has a negligible margin in jabs 27% (35 of 132) to 19% (31 of 160), Bundrage connected more power punches 47% (66 of 141) to 35% (40 of 115) which was really the story of the championship fight.

There is no question in many boxing observers' mind that Cory Spinks (39-7, 11 KOs), after a long career, should call it a day. But like many fighters before him who refused to accept the call of father time, he was in denial: "I'm not goin' to stop my career, I'm better than that and I know that, it's just his night tonight, I take my hat off to him."

Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage proved that despite his age and the long lay-off, he is still capable of giving us a good fight on any given night. Bundrage is a rugged, aggressive, scrappy and unorthodox fighter who barks his way around the ring. He will always be a handful to any fighter out there, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez included.

In the post-fight interview, IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage barks at WBC light middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo Alvarez to take notice: "The dog is coming, arf arf!"

But only if Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage's handlers will not put his boxing career on the cold cage again.

Note: This article was previously published on Detroit Fight Sporst Examiner.

Detroit's Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage back in action versus Cory Spinks tonight

2012-06-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

After toiling under the radar for years, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage (31-4-0-1, 18 KO) proved the old adage, "every dog has his day" when he seized the IBF light middleweight diadem via fifth round TKO of erstwhile champion Cory Spinks (39-6, 11 KO) on August 7, 2010 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO.

With the belt in hand, Bundrage was hoping to become a factor in the light middleweight division, which would then lead into a fight with the big boxing names out there and the corresponding big purses that go with them for the Detroit native.

But alas, for whatever reasons and circumstances beyond his control, the unthinkable happened. Instead of unleashing the beast, the dog was eventually caged and Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage's career was put in the freezer. If you ask me, this is no way to treat a champion who earned his belt the hard and honest way.

For months, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage barked and barked but it seemed nobody was listening among the so-called marquee names around and within his weight class. They avoided Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage like a plague. In the minds of these so-called marquee fighters and their handlers, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage is a high-risk, low-reward opponent. Thus, the champion from Detroit was left with no other choice but to bide his time and wait for another opportunity to show his wares inside the ring.

Last year and just like the year before, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage went and emerged victorious in St. Louis, MO. He fought and battled his old nemesis Sechew Powell (26-5, 15 KO) via a 12- round unanimous decision win, thus ending Powell's title aspirations as well as finally settling the score with the fighter who dealt Bundrage an embarassing first round TKO loss in his second professional fight in 2005, in what many boxing observers dubbed as the "double-knockdown in Connecticut."

Tonight's IBF light middleweight championship fight on ShoBox marks only the second time that the champion, Cornelius "K9" Bundrage, will enter the ring since winning the title on August 7, 2010. It is really sad and unthinkable that a champion eager to fight and stake his claim on the crown is hardpressed to find any willing opponent who will try to test his mettle.

Was it really that hard to find an opponent for Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage or were his handlers and promoters just remiss on their job and failed to sell his brand to the powers that be? But it is what it is, and the harsh reality of what the state of boxing has become through the years when a fighter's career is left at the mercy of a few people .

It will be full circle for Cornelius "K9" Bundrage when he climbs into the ring tonight at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA in a rematch with Cory Spinks, the erstwhile champion he dethroned in St. Louis more than a year ago.

The championship fight will give Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage another chance to show the boxing world what he is really made of. The championship fight will also give him another chance to prove that his mastery of Cory Spinks was no fluke. And the championship fight will also give Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage another chance to prove that his bite is more lethal than his bark.

ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast)

*This article was originally published in Detroit Fight Sports Examiner
*photo credit: Tom Casino/ SHOWTIME

Greenfield Village: Robert Frost's home

2012-05-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

Taylor Invasion: Interview with TXC president and CEO Joseph J. Battaglia

2012-05-11T21:03:00.003-07:00

On this coming Saturday night (May 12), Triple X Cagefighting (TXC), one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) outfits in Michigan, will present Taylor Invasion, a fight card with 15 fights (and 4 TXC championship belts on the line) advertised to be action-packed, at the Taylor Sportsplex on Telegraph Road in Taylor, MI.

The Detroit Fight Sports Examiner reached out to Joseph J. Battaglia, the president and CEO of TXC for some information about Saturday's fight card as well as his thoughts on some issues concerning Michigan's MMA scene.

By the way, Mr. Joe Battaglia, a regular fixture in the state's fight circle, is also a professional kickboxer and MMA fighter in his own right; he holds a 4th degree black belt in American Karate, is an Internationally certified Karate instructor, and is the Great Lakes Grappling Championship heavyweight gold medal winner in 2010, among his accomplishments.

To read the transcript of the Q&A's we had with Mr. Joseph Battaglia click HERE

LEONARDO Live

2012-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

...drove 30+ miles, from Southgate to Livonia's AMC 20 Theatre for this, a one-night-only showcase (in Michigan and other parts of the US) of Leonardo da Vinci's works, live from London's The National Gallery.

"the greatest geniuses sometimes accomplish more by working less"- Leonardo da Vinci on why he would go on for days without working on 'The Last Supper'

Northern Lights

2011-10-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the amazing aurora borealis display last night, here's a link I found on YouTube-

video credit: lakefxnet

Spelling Bee: Digest #1

2011-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

It seems that Detroit's NBC affiliate station Channel 4 is not following the 'Scripps' guideline when it came to the spelling of their on- air caption.

Seen today at Local 4 News at 5:30.

Foo Fighters: Tickets for the documentary film premiere now on sale

2011-03-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

For Michiganders, tickets can be purchased at the MJR Theaters in Southgate, Brighton and Marketplace.

Former Detroit Pistons partners Hamilton and Billups may reunite in New Jersey

2011-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

There are rumors coming out the NBA rumor mill that an imminent deal is on hand to send Detroit Pistons guard Rip Hamilton to the New Jersey Nets that will reunite him with former Pistons teammate and close friend Chauncey Billups in a blockbuster trade being worked around Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony involving three parties- the Denver Nuggets, the New Jersey Nets and the Detroit Pistons.

Hamilton, who partnered with Billups in the back court for the Pistons during their run in the Motor City that culminated in an NBA championship in 2004, seems lost without Billups on the court and has seen his game deteriorate the past couple of years.

Although Hamilton can still shoot the lights out on some days, his playing has become erratic and the fire and the hunger that drove him to become one of the best players in the NBA during the Pistons heyday is just not there.

Hamilton who is himself the subject of trade rumors since being relegated as a reserve on the Pistons bench is quite unhappy with his role in the rebuilding process that Joe Dumars instituted in breaking up the championship core a few years back.

In New Jersey and with his old partner at his side, Hamilton might find a fresh start with the Nets and revitalize his sagging career.

The Detroit Pistons might get power- forward Troy Murphy and his multi-million contract in exchange for Rip Hamilton if ever the deal pushes through.

The Detroit Skyline on Christmas...

2010-12-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

...as seen from the 28th floor of the Greektown Hotel & Casino.

Blue Christmas

2010-12-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

Somebody was involved in a fender- bender at the corner of Goddard and Allen Roads. Somebody is having a blue Christmas for sure.

Drive Safely, Guys.

NHL: Avalanche edges Wings

2010-10-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

‎

...was at the Joe tonight. The Wings were clipped by the Avalanche 5-4 in SO. Good game though.

WingMen: Mike Modano, Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg & Valtteri Filppula

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

2010-09-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

+ 8 am along Pennsylvania Road
Brownstown, MI

Brown Wolverine Goes to White Castle

2010-09-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I found myself at the drive- thru of White Castle on the corner of Telegraph and Northline Roads in Taylor.

But unlike Harold and Kumar, I am not stoned to crave for their famous sliders.

It's just simply the most convenient place to have a quick burger fix and chicken wings on the side especially when you have not eaten lunch at 3 o'clock in the afternoon coming directly from the airport.

What I hoped to be a quick stop on the burger joint turned out to be a wait in eternity....

White Castle took almost 15 minutes for my order of the $2.99 saver sack meal and $2.99 traditional chicken wings to deliver.

Not that I would mind if it was just the first time that it happened but this is actually the second time. At first, I thought the first one was just an exception to the norm.

So, I gave them a second try and what do you know?

The staff is just so slow here that you might think that they still have to catch and dress the bird before they can get you the honey barbecue chicken wings.

My order took almost forever to be delivered that the cashier asked me to pull over on the other side of the drive thru, park and wait at the door for the food.

And then after waiting for almost an eternity, my order arrived and was delivered by a female staff who nonchalantly gave it to me without explanation or apology.

Thus, I promised myself that this will be the last time that I will ever drop by at that particular White Castle establishment.

Yes, even if they ask Harold and Kumar to invite me for some munchies, the answer will definitely be a big NO.

Subliminal message, eh?

2010-09-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Clueless in Detroit: Alicia Silverstone

2010-09-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was walking along the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel when I heard a voice say "cut"! Some people were shooting a TV series called Detroit 1-8-7 on State St. just beside the hotel. The security people told me that I could not pass on that particular side of the street.

So, I turned around and headed back to the hotel and bumped into a familiar face at the door but didn't register. Then I realized who she was and whipped out my iPhone and took some shots on an unmade- up Alicia Silverstone clad in gray sweat pants, blue shirt & flip-flops while on her way to a film shoot for her movie Vamps just two blocks down on Griswold Street.

It could have been better if I managed to take a photo when she came out of the door while looking straight and smiling at me. Btw, I liked her in the movie titled The Crush back in the early 90s.

Alicia Silverstone (partly hidden by her PA) while talking to the lady in shades inside the SUV who turns out to be Krysten Ritter, her co- star in the film.

Alicia Silverstone (partly hidden), Krysten Ritter (with the shades) & Richard Lewis (in the passenger side of the SUV)

++Vamps will hit the big screen in 2011

Beautiful Detroit!?

2009-07-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

"In 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP."

"Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world."

Detroit native and controversial superstar - rapper Eminem paid homage to his hometown in this video of Beautiful, the fourth single from his latest chart-topping and million-selling album “Relapse.”

The said video was shot at Detroit’s famous and historic landmarks from its golden years. Now these historic buildings like the Packard Motor Car Company Plant, the Beaux- Arts train station and the original Tigers Stadium that were built prior to 1914 are nothing but shadows of their former selves.

By watching the video, one can see the sad state of the City of Detroit nowadays; down on her knees and out of luck. Detroit may recover some of her pride someday but probably will never be able to equal much less, regain her glory days. It’s sad when a once beautiful city succumbs to urban decay.

The former Packard Motor Car Company plant once the home of the elegant and beautiful Packard- Studebaker automobiles which was designed by the Architect of Detroit, Albert Kahn and was the first reinforced concrete plant in the United States is now condemned to damnation.

The Beaux-Arts train station also known as the Michigan Central Station is now a junkyard; a refuge for the homeless and a haven for criminals and dope addicts. The sounds of trains coming and going were long gone in this part of the city and so this magnificent building designed by the same architects who made the New York Grand Central Station is to be demolished soon according to some knucklehead politicians using President Obama’s stimulus money.

The Tiger Stadium was the pantheon of the Tigers’ halcyon days when they went all the way to the top of the baseball world by winning the World Series in 1968 and 1984 respectively. Roger Maris jumpstarted his quest for the historic 61 in 1961 in the same field and Babe Ruth in 1921 recorded of what is now believed to be the longest verifiable home run in major league baseball history. It was also the hallowed ground where Lou Gehrig had his final game before he succumbed to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that eventually was named after him

The original Tigers Stadium is gone, demolished completely just this month, a sorry fate that was sealed long ago by some corrupt politicians that runs the city. The pleas and efforts to save “The Corner” from the wrecking ball by the fans and conservationists alike went for naught. And it’s funny that with a single stroke of the pen, all the records and memories were swept into the dust bin of history.

Pure Michigan

2009-06-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

Northern Michigan, Seasons, Sunrises, Beaches, Waterfalls, Mountains

photo credits: coloneljohnbritt