Reaction to Yesterday's Class

I really enjoyed yesterday's class because it gave everyone a chance to help other people's paper, but also because it gave me feedback on what I need to do. Both of the people who read my essay did a great job. I could tell they put a great deal of effort into revising/critiquing my paper. One of the things that both Holly and Stephanie said was that I need a little more detail and or description. This was helpful because it allowed me to go back through my paper and see what area(s) needed this. It was also nice to get their feedback because they added comments/ideas that could possibly make my paper better.

One of the things that I liked about yesterday's class was it allowed me to read other people's essay. Both of the essay's that I read were fascinating. One was about a Coney Island, while the other was about an old theater in Wyandotte. Both had many different voices to their papers as well as a good amount of detail. Reading their papers gave me some ideas as to what maybe I can do to fix my paper. Hopefully, the revision process will help all of our grades.

Last Night's Debate

When I was flipping through the TV channels yesterday, I tuned into the special regarding Detroit's current car industry situation. It was hosted by Charles Gibson. Many important people were there, such as Michigan senator Debbie Stabenow and others that represented the Big Three. It was very insightful, and I learned a great deal about the car situation here in Michigan. Overall, I thought the tone of the discussion to be very depressing, but almost all of people who were present on the stage said the same message-Detroit is going to get out of this situation soon! It was quite hard to listen to this same message over and over when the situation has been bad for quite some time. Unfortunaltey, my uncle has been a victim of Ford's many layoffs. It is a very vary sad time for many of the people in the auto industry.

One of the things that caught my attention was a question asked by a mother and her son to the panel of people on the stage. It wasn't so much the question that caught my attention, but the son's facial expression. It was one of disappointment and frustation. He graduated from the University of Michigan and had a two year internship at Diamler Chrysler. After, two years, he then went out West to have an internship there. He is now going to work out West because this company is offering him a better situation. However, he said that he would like to work in Michigan, but the current car industry situation simply won't allow him to. We need to get this fixed as fast as possible so we don't fire or lose any more hard working people. I know, easier said then done.

A Booming City

When my family was going to move to Novi about six years ago, I was very skeptical and upset. I didn't want to move becasue I would have to make new friends and start all over. Plus, I really enjoyed living in Dearborn Heights. However, six years later, I hang out with the same people and I absolutely love the decision my parents made. Novi has developed so much and there is always something to do. New restaurants at every corner, Twelve Oaks Mall, and new stores make Novi a nice place to live and have fun. I am not saying that Novi is the best city around, but it always seems to keep me busy. I know many other people who also love the city because it always offers something new to do each time. I call it a booming city because every time I turn around, it seems like new stores and houses are being built, which keeps it interesting. I keep thinking that the city is going to run out of room for new places, but it looks like it won't be running out of room any time soon, something I certainly don't mind.

Unfortunately Novi has one major problem, and that is traffic. I love going to places in Novi, but it takes forever. The intersection at 8 Mile and Haggerty is guaranteed to add an extra 15 minutes onto your trip and 275 always seems to have a traffic jam. It just gets very frustating when you want to go somewhere because you have to plan ahead. I'd like to get your feedback on the city and see what you think about it!

Not A Whole Lot to Do

This weekend is not turning out to be the weekend that I was hoping for. I planned on going up to Ann Arbor to visit with my friend, but he has ROTC obligations. I understand though, the ROTC is important and I would not want to get in trouble with them. So my plans for tonight have pretty much been scraped and I do not have anything else planned as of right now.

I love the Michigan weather, except for winter. I 'm not the biggest winter person and the snow today certainly has not helped to make my day any better. No football games this weekeend, which is another big disappointment. I can't wait for the Superbowl, hopefully Manning will be able to get his first championship. Maybe this weekend will turn out be okay after all, will see shortly.

Research Progress

I was quite nervous about the interviewing process, but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. I picked two customers that go to the local restaurant I'm writing about. Both were extremely friendly and they provided me with some good information. I also interviewed the owner, Steve Nedanovski. He gave me some good insight into his family history and into the restaurant dynamics. It was quite hard for me to find written articles on Steve's Family Diner. However, I called the Livonia Observer and they had an article in their archives. They also directed me to another article that was written on Steve's in the Detroit News about three years ago. These articles will certainly be a big help in writing this paper. After looking at the interviews and the research articles, my paper is going to center around the notion that Steve's Family Diner is more than just another restaurant to the Plymouth community.

The three areas that make it more than another restaurant are its hard working family history, its special atmosphere, and the special relationships that have formed as a result of Steve's. I will concentrate on these three things and I will explain how they make Steve's Family Diner siginficant to the community. Steve's is special to the community, and everyone values its presence. Steve's is a second home to many people, where relationships have formed and families have grown closer. Conducting research on this site has made me realize that Steve's Family Diner provides something special for the community, something that no other place in the community can do!

Response to Yesterday's Class Discussion

Listening to yesterday's class discussion was quite interesting. It seemed like everyone had very insightful things to say about coffeehouses. I agree with Hisam when he mentioned that people our age usually go to coffeehouses because they provide us with a palce to go when nothing else is going on. Coffeehouses give my friends and I a place to go when we can't find anything to do or when we are just bored. I also agree with Stephanie when she said that kids go to coffeehouses because they don't want to stay home. Coffeehouses act as an outlet for kids that just want to get out and relax.

Reading this article by Michael Marriot really caught my attention because it made me think about this growing phenomeon. Coffeehouses have become extremely popular and it looks like they will be around for quite some time. This article touched on the many aspects of coffeehouses, and it provided various opinions. Marriot provided quotes from frequent coffeehouses goers, something I found to be interesting. Hearing different viewpoints on the same thing (a coffeehouse) certainly is intriguing. Many people like coffeehouses because it allows them to do various things such as reading a book, relaxing, enjoying a cup of cup, hanging out with friends, etc. People like coffeehouses for different reasons, but the common factor that everyone shares is their liking for coffeehouses.

Response to "Jiving with Java"

After reading "Jiving with Java" I found this article to be very entertaining and interesting. The sudden increase in the popularity of coffeehouses is certainly worth talking about. I know that until a couple of years ago, I never even considered entering into one. Now, my friends and I will go every so often because they can be a good time. The line in the article that says, "We have everyone" (464) really jumped out at me. I thoguht about it, and it really seems quite true. Almost everybody now goes to coffeehouses! It is nice to have a place where people can go to just relax. Coffeehouses provide a place for people to go when they simply need a break from their busy lives as well as a place where they can enjoy their friends company. Coffeehouses provide people with many simple pleasures.

The last two paragraphs also caught my attention. When reading these paragraphs about the high levels of caffeine addiction among many people, I could not tell whether the writer (Michael Marriot) was either being sarcastic or serious. I hope that coffeehouses haven't become "middle-class crackhouses" (465) for some people. I believe that Marriot was simply poking fun at people who constantly visit their local coffeehouses. It will be quite interesting to see if this phenomeon lasts for years to come.