Navy to honor the Arsenal of Democracy with new USS Detroit warship

[photo of previous USS Detroit by PHAN Alex J. Recalde] Their have been six previous USS Detroit warships. Construction on the seventh USS Detroit is expected to begin this December or January of 2012. When complete, the ship will be 378 feet long, 57 feet wide, and have a cruising speed of 40 knots.

The first USS Detroit was built by the British in 1813 and captured by the Americans in the Battle of Lake Erie. The most recent USS Detroit, nicknamed "Dirty D", was decommissioned in 2005 after 35 years of service.

WWII Sea Jeeps - Ford Amphibian Vehicles in Rouge River

This photo is from the early 1940s (1940-46) showing the "Sea Jeeps" - amphibian vehicles made by Ford. The Sea Jeeps were not a success due to the fact that they were too slow on land and not seaworthy enough in the open water. This was one weapon in Detroit's "Arsenal of Democracy" that had to go back to the drawing board.

Imported From Detroit

I'm a sucker for anything that promotes Michigan and especially, much-maligned Detroit. So, when the Chrysler 200 commercial started last night saying, "I've got a question for ya, what does this city know about luxury?" amidst the backdrop of the factories in the Motor City - I was a bit nervous as to how this spot would turn out. Then, the stark images turned to famous Detroit landmark's such as the Joe Louis Fist, Spirit of Detroit, Campus Martius, and the Fox Theatre among many others. Gradually, the riff from Eminem's "Lose Yourself" started getting louder and then Eminem got out, walked into the Fox Theatre, and looked straight into the camera saying, "This is the Motor City, and this is what we do", I was hooked.

Incidentally Rockford, Michigan resident, Kevin Yon, provided the voice-over for the spot.

Anyone else catch the glimpse of the flag pole at Tiger Stadium?

We will be closed 1/20/11 to 2/1/11

Just a quick programming note here - we will be closed January 20, 2011 through February 1, 2011. All orders placed by 5pm Wednesday, January 19th will ship on January 20th. Orders placed January 20, 2011 through February 1, 2011 will ship Wednesday, February 2nd.

List of the 2011 Michigan Notable Books

The 2011 list of Michigan Notable Books is the 10th year that this list has been compiled. Each year the Library of Michigan sponsors a list of the 20 books that "highlights exceptional 'Michigan books' published in 2010 that bring attention to Michigan authors and topics. Books that showcase the range of experiences of Michigan's citizens and life in the Great Lakes by well-established and first-time authors can be found."

• Apparition & Late Fiction: A Novella and Stories by Thomas Lynch
• Blues in Black and White: The Landmark Ann Arbor Blues Festivals by Michael Erlewine, Stanley Livingston (photographer) and Tom Erlewine
• Chrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit's Coolest Creation by Steve Lehto
• Detroit Disassembled by Andrew Moore
• The Detroit Electric Scheme: A Mystery by D.E. Johnson
• Eden Springs: A Novella by Laura Kasischke
• Freshwater Boys: Stories by Adam Schuitema
• The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery by Bryan Gruley
• Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
• A Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks: A War Memoir by Godfrey J. Anderson
• Mine Towns: Buildings for Workers in Michigan's Copper Country by Alison K. Hoagland
• Picturing Hemingway's Michigan by Michael R. Federspiel
• Reimagining Detroit: Opportunities for Redefining an American City by John Gallagher
• Sawdusted: Notes from a Post-boom Mill by Raymond Goodwin
• Sixty to Zero: An Inside Look at the Collapse of General Motors and the Detroit Auto Industry by Alex Taylor III
• The Sweetness of Freedom: Stories of Immigrants by Stephen Ostrander and Martha Bloomfield
• To Account for Murder by William C. Whitbeck
• Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams edited by M.L. Liebler
• Wounded Warrior: The Rise and Fall of Michigan Governor John Swainson by Lawrence M. Glazer
• You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face- Blindness, and Forgiveness by Heather Sellers

Order by December 16th to ensure a Christmas delivery

I'm taking a quick break from handling orders, phone calls, and shipping out a plethora (I just love that word) of gift baskets to make a quick announcement. A lot of folks worry about their orders being delivered in time for Christmas (I don't blame them not wanting their gifts to be late) so I wanted to make it super simple for our awesome customers. If you order your (in stock) gift basket or gift box by December 16th - I guarantee we will ship it in time for a Christmas delivery.

Many of you are taking advantage of our option during the online checkout process to have us hold your order for shipment on December 17th so it will arrive a bit closer to Christmas. This is a great option to choose because nearly every year I have an unfortunate customer wait to place their order closer to Christmas so it won't be delivered too soon only to find that the gift basket they had wanted to purchase was no longer in stock. Don't let that happen to you - order today and choose the option for us to hold it for shipment on December 17th.