EDITOR'S LETTER
The Furnace is Kickin'
DAMMIT CALGONI
Remember in the FOX sitcom Ally McBeal,
when Ally would find herself in precarious situ-
ations and her"theme song"would spontane-
ously play?
Over the last month, I had Kenny Loggins
trailing me singing "The Heat Is On" (which
doubly sucked since I'm not a fan of his or that
song!).
Our magazine got a little roughed up in
March. While anticipating flak from one of
our feature profiles, we didn't prepare for the
criticism that visited us from some readers,
including a few progressive-minded rabbis.
During its conceptual phase, Red Thread's editorial
formula was conceived as if we dipped the Jerusalem
Report into Heeb
and sprinkled a little JN on top for
good measure.
And, having received feedback from anyone gracious
enough to give it, I'm reminded that we do indeed have a
spirited, motivated and thoughtful community; also, what
constitutes a "good" read can be quite subjective.
Last month's Post-Date Post column ["Single Men and
the Women They Know — Biblically!"] and Man on the
Street ["Who's Up for a Slap and Ticklen — accompanied
by an arguably provocative profile on gentlemen's club
entrepreneur Alan Markovitz — proved too much for
some.
On Post-Date Post: We neither condemn nor condone
the personal behavior of the subjects featured (in any sto-
ry); but there is a moral imperative many believe should
permeate a Jewish publication. While casting judgment
is not our mandate, exercising what to publish is; to that
end, we acknowledge an error in discretion.
On Man on the Street: We believe not everything needs
to be erudite and, as such, posed questions we offered as
humorous. Our apologies if you believe our execution did
not match our intent.
With hindsight, we recognize the border between
"edgy"and "bawdy" is finely drawn and easily crossed. To
those who expressed concern that some material in Red
—
Thread may not be suitable for young eyes,
we say determining what is age appropri-
ate is not unique to this publication. The
dailies, magazines, TV and the Internet are
rife with material I wouldn't share with my
kids.
While we neither write nor market RT
to children, the reality that we are car-
ried within a family-oriented community
newspaper is not lost on us. With that, my
colleagues and I appreciate your com-
ments; and the ire from last month says
you're interested.
THE NEXT ROW TO HOE
How to "fix" Detroit has been a topic of conversation
since before I was born. From monorails to the slots, one
plan after another has been floated, touted, promoted
and, sadly, discarded for lack of viability.
However, perhaps it's time to get back to basics, as it
were, and revisit an industry that fed our city well before
the advent of the horseless carriage — farming. Why can't
a patchwork of Victory Gardens and commercial farms
intersperse between still viable neighborhoods and the
city center?
Does that have to be a pipe dream? The benefits seem
obvious: tax revenues (where none currently exist), locally
produced commodities, a return to agrarian ideals and
so on. While I'm no tree hugger (sorry, Michele Saulson), I
do know that letting vacant homes rot while citizens de-
mand a taxed infrastructure be maintained for posterity
seems incompatible.
You'll read about a disparate group of individuals and
companies who have made or are intent on making
urban farming a reality in the city of Detroit. It's high time
the idea becomes a real part of the solution instead of
just another discarded plan.
Join in the conversation through our Facebook page
or, better still, by coming to the next RT coffee klatch.
The first one was great — and attendance exceeded our
expectations. This one could be even better.
Our April coffee klatch will be from 9:30-11 a.m.
on Wednesday, April 6, at the Borders Books
on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.
As always, it's totally casual — no pressure, no cost —
and we'll have our Bake Station danishes in tow.
Bryan S. Gottlieb
bgottlieb@redthreadmagazine.com
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RED TIMER') I April 2011 5