Tponetom Member Username: Tponetom
Post Number: 18 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 7:28 pm: | |
 June 29, 2007 Lowell: I am, without question or peer, the most successful person you will ever meet. At the age of 16, I reached the pinnacle of success. The very first time I spoke to Peggy, I told her, in a matter of fact voice, that we would be getting married some day in the near future. She replied, “Yes, I see, but,,,,,,,,,, what was your name again?” I have used that extremely apocryphal story many times to introduce myself to a new correspondent. It usually draws a smile or a weird suspicion as to what may follow. Well, relax. From the day I was born, I have been a one man Chamber of Commerce, championing the City of Detroit. I had accessed the Fabulous Ruins site some years ago. Five, Six or Seven years ? I never once took notice of the Forum Link until three weeks ago. It hooked me at once. Most of the Forum’s postings are of a personal nature, except for one salient fact. That being, that people are interested enough to participate. Liberace was quoted as saying, “Some people are saying nice things about me and some are saying bad things about me, but thank God, they never stop talking about me.” Those words are apropos in promoting a thought, word or deed. In more simple terms, they are words to get a movement, moving. I sign some of my correspondence, after my signature, with the cryptic, LPM/Ret. I let the correspondent figure out what it stands for. It is my way of leveling the playing field when I get a letter from a pompous ass who gets carried away with his/her own importance. LPM stands for Licensed Master Plumber, Retired, which I am. So, why am I writing to you? First of all, because I love to write. Ego and that sort of thing. But more important, I know that the written word is a challenge to any recipient to read it and then read it again, and then again if necessary to scan the possible implications, truths or falsehoods that they might interpret in those readings. When they do that, you have an exquisite communication with that person to discuss, debate or flat out argue with you over the veracity of the subjects you have written about. Detroit will never regain the posture and position it had sixty years ago, But sixty years from now it might reveal itself in a state that we cannot even imagine today. That state has to be a homogenous mix of all people, all of whom are contributing to the same goal of peace and prosperity. (Notice, I put peace ahead of prosperity.) What is my motivation in all this rhetoric? That’s easy. I have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, not to mention 75 other nephews, nieces, siblings and in-laws, all living in the Detroit area. My most fervent wish is that they have the opportunities that I have had to follow their own piper. I have always been a maverick, not a rebel. My experiences (read life) as a Detroiter were greatly enhanced, buttressed if you will, by my fantastic parents, great neighbors, insightful educators and a city that offered so many avenues of opportunity for all the rainbows you might want to chas Tponetom P.S. My check is in the mail |
Rrl Member Username: Rrl
Post Number: 857 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 7:50 pm: | |
Tponetom- Welcome to the forum, we can use all the LPM/Ret's around here we can get. The kind, well spoken words are also a welcome change to some of the guff that typically adorns these threads. One word of warning: once you start participating at DYes, it's an addiction that is difficult to resist. Enjoy. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2486 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 8:13 pm: | |
Jjaba and Tponetom exchanging tall tales about Detroit -- that would be my fantasy thread. |
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge
Post Number: 163 Registered: 08-2006
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 10:56 pm: | |
welcome, Tponetom. Looking forward to hearing some of your stories. |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 4365 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 11:00 pm: | |
Jjaba and Tponetom would make an HOF thread all on their own! <<<laffin |
Classico Member Username: Classico
Post Number: 26 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 11:02 pm: | |
Welcome, Tponetom. Talk about quite the introduction. I look forward to the great stories you have to offer. |
Buddyinrichmond Member Username: Buddyinrichmond
Post Number: 187 Registered: 02-2004
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 11:19 pm: | |
Yeah great introduction even if it is a bit creepy. |
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez
Post Number: 291 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 10:17 pm: | |
wait...WTF....i Mean WTF???I am not laffin'....although may be a bit freaked out by all of this. Guess I have been away too long (damn senior study schitt). Tponetem has ro either be on drugs or a'moling.... |
Ravine Member Username: Ravine
Post Number: 1062 Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 11:03 pm: | |
Well, THAT'S a dim-bulb reaction... |
Pamequus Member Username: Pamequus
Post Number: 117 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 2:49 pm: | |
Creepy??? Freaked out??? on drugs??? Get a grip boys.......TP is a marvelous story teller. He's a fantastic addition to the forum. Jimaz.... I agree completely! |
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez
Post Number: 293 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 4:24 pm: | |
phhhhhtttt...."marvelous" is, I assume, a relative term to be sure. |
Ravine Member Username: Ravine
Post Number: 1070 Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 8:38 pm: | |
How about NOT posting veiled insults at a correspondent whose posts are way way WAY more interesting than 98% of the drivel we usually see around here? Tponetom: More!! More!! |
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez
Post Number: 294 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 10:37 pm: | |
sounds like "my check is in the mail" was somehow diverted to c/o Ravine. whatever. Spot ON about the "drivel, however, the next time you want to sport wood over this ersatz JJaaba doppelganger, may I suggest you simply reserve a suite at the 8Wood perhaps? and why doth the abbreviation "LPM" stand for "Licensed Master Plumber"? methinks it might be "LMP/RET"....ego-and-that-sort -of-thing-atcha... |
Pamequus Member Username: Pamequus
Post Number: 118 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 11:54 am: | |
Oh well, takes all kinds Fortunately, Tp isn't the sort to be run off by one angry soul. |
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez
Post Number: 295 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 12:56 pm: | |
pass the kool aid! |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5451 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 7:45 pm: | |
Jimaz, what kinda Detroit story you want from jjaba? He's got a million of 'em. Subjects: Joe Louis, streetcars, Hudsons, Hank Greenberg, electric buses, Cass Tech., Belle Isle in the 1940s, Detroit before expressways. jjaba, a votre service. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2596 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 8:05 pm: | |
Jjaba, I'd just like to see you and Tponetom trade notes. It seems neither one of you can tell a Detroit story badly. Any story would do. It doesn't even have to be true. |
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks
Post Number: 587 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 12:12 am: | |
this just made me remember Woody. He was an older African American man that I used to hang out with at The Post downtown and Wheelers Bar in the late 80's - early 90's. He always wore a suit and a hat and was the sweetest most interesting character. I really loved hanging out with him. I wish he was still alive and I could see him again. What a character. I just had to tell you all what I was thinking. |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5453 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 2:20 am: | |
There was The Sheik and the Cedars of Lebanon downtown. They were Arab night clubs with belly dancers, strippers, etc. So we went there in high school. "Sasha" would do her bumps and grinds. "Nadja" had another routine. "Afafa" would do her thing. Then, they'd come out of the dressing room and sip Cokes with the guys. We ofcourse knew them from Mumford HS as Suzie Cohen, Brenda Goldberg, and Shelly Fleishman. Nice Jewish girls working in the family business. Sometimes at a smoker in somebody's basement, they'd rehearse for us. It was all innocent fun. jjaba Westside Bar Mitzvah Bukkor. |
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765
Post Number: 1649 Registered: 01-2004
| Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 7:41 am: | |
damn libs |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5455 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:14 pm: | |
So where do you go for belly dancing in Arab cafes now? In the 1940s, Joe Louis was the rage. In summertime, everyobdy was out on their porches with radios. When the fights came on, you could stroll from block to block and hear the fights down the block. The same with Tigers games. If you knew somebody, they'd offer you an iced tea or a Pepsi on their porch. jjaba loved to stuff a bag of Planters Peanuts down the Pepsi neck for one wonderful everying snack. Along about 11 at night, people would try to lay out on the couch and go to sleep. Maybe mom would grab a pillow and a light blanket for you. Back porches were better for quiet and in our two-flat, we had a second floor backporch for those hot nights. The downstairs tenant has their front porch with awning dad installed for them every spring. jjaba, Westsider. |
|