I got an email from Sarah last week about a link I posted in my Carousel about the decaying buildings in Detroit. Let’s start with that!

“Hi Gala – I just wanted to send a note about the link you posted to the Huffington Post article on Detroit. It makes me sad that you (and lots of other people) believe the city is falling to ruins. People love taking photos of decay, but forget to mention that most of the time those buildings are surrounded by life.

The first image of the train station is across the street from one of the best bbq places in the city – beautiful interiors and packed every single night. Also in Corktown.

Lots of journalists and photographers talk about the old Cass Tech High School, but neglect to shoot the new high school which is across the street, not 50 feet away.

Please help remind people that the city and its people are still here and good things are happening instead of adding to the mass of people who believe Detroit is only abandoned buildings and crime. Check out Model D which is loaded with positive stories on the city.

Detroit is such an amazing place to be right now. It’s essentially a clean slate for anyone looking to start a business – I have a friend who opened an independent movie theater in an old elementary school last year… I mean, how cool is that? It’s also great for meeting ambitious, creative people and building communities. Detroit SOUP is a great example – they host dinners once a month, take donations and then people get up and talk about what they’re working on. Everyone votes and the winner walks away with $500 or so to fund their project. And there are some great hidden gems like the studio where I take trapeze classes just tucked away in a loft space or this fantastic Jazz Club called Cliff Bells.

I live just outside the city and love spending time downtown. Like a lot of 20 and 30-somethings I’m really passionate about making sure the city doesn’t get a bad rap just because old decaying buildings look cool.”

Sarah, thank you for writing in with all this great information about Detroit! I was a little uneasy about posting the link in the first place, because I wondered how it made people in Detroit feel–so thanks for helping me provide a more balanced view of how things are! (& I apologise to anyone in Detroit who was bummed out by the HuffPo link I posted last week!)

On Leadership, Teams, Success & Happiness by Mark Suster. He also quotes from David Brooks’ piece on why Amy Chua is a wimp:

Practicing a piece of music for four hours requires focused attention, but it is nowhere near as cognitively demanding as a sleepover with 14-year-old girls. Managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics, understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group — these and other social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session.

Cindy Gallop’s curator interview on AHAlife is awesome.

I just discovered Masters of Style, which is this GREAT series where they profile various fashion designers. I watched the John Galliano episode & looooooved it. So far, they’ve also profiled Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier & Alexander McQueen.

How Yoga Makes You Pretty – Part I from Elephant Journal.

So true… So 7 chicks get into a hot tub… Why personal development is profitable by none other than Danielle LaPorte.

I love this, it’s so retro. Are you ready for marriage?

I’m sure this is nonsense, but this article states that you can determine whether your relationship will succeed based on whether you are the eldest, youngest, middle or only child. ?!

What women want: For you to want them from Salon. What a mess. Thoughts?

The irony is that when women do perform this charade of male fantasy, in hopes of being a successful sex object, the response can be intensely negative. According to Rothbart, dudes kind of freak when their girlfriends start acting like porn stars: “They don’t want their real women and their fantasy women to inhabit the same body.” The cynical take is that this is a sign that even the porn generation isn’t ready to leave behind the whole wife-whore dichotomy.

Wired published a piece by Josh Harris about his bid for the MIT media lab.

Aw! Lauren Moffatt featured me on her blog! Thanks very much!

A red blessing from everyone’s favourite Spiritual Cowgirl, Sera Beak!

OKCupid got bought by Match.com. This means they’re going to try & charge for it now. What a shame!

Check out this rad blog: WWFYGD?

I was vacationing in Miami after years of low self confidence and bouts of depression and self harm. I was going for a walk on the beach and a girl whose path crossed mine looked me in the eye and said, “Fuck yeah, Girl!” I’m not sure why she said it, but at that moment, I decided that I wanted that to be the response to everything I do. Thus, “What would fuck yeah girl do?” has become my new – for lack of a better word – mantra.
Whenever I am doubting myself or having a difficult time making a decision in my personal life, I ask myself, what is the most empowering decision you could make for yourself right now? Then, I visualize going through with that decision and imagine how free and strong I would feel. I’ve found that this practice is excellent for removing self-doubt and taking my power back.

This old thing? Actually, it’s new from The New York Times.

How Hef got his groove back, also from The New York Times. I am a little obsessed with everything Playboy! (Today I met a woman who used to work at the Playboy Club in Manhattan!)

Ellen Von Unwerth (my fave) for Guess. Great pictures!

Here’s a video that shows the scale of the universe!

Additionally, you may be interested in my (not-too-wonderful) picture of the hawk which landed on our air conditioning unit & proceeded to eat a pigeon!

Gay adults on how they were “born this way”.

The dog I rescued, who broke my heart. Warning: will bring tears to your eyes!

Why am I not smarter than my eating disorder?

Men: the new romantics? (Oh like this is so horrifying.) AHEM…

It looks like Match.com — newly wed to OKCupid — is celebrating its honeymoon with the release of a massive survey on the state of singlehood in America, and the results are fittingly romantic: Men want commitment and children. But here’s the surprising part: At certain ages, they are actually more likely than women — those creatures said to have itchy ring fingers and ticking ovaries — to want these symbols of domestic bliss.

Finally, baby animals in the snow. You’re welcome!

Atmosphere – Minnesota Nice feat. Felipe Cuauhtli, Prof, Mr. Gene Poole by rhymesayers