The Ann Arbor Independent - A locally owned newspaper in Ann Arbor

Legend has it that Helen of Troy had a face that launched a thousand ships. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, on the other hand, has a  "job creation" strategy that has launched a recall effort. It's a strategy that has resulted in Snyder…

by Francis Lam Slayers of elitists and other warriors of the downtrodden: Look! I bare my throat to you, fleshy and fat and ripe for the kill. But before you draw your blade, let's talk about this for a minute. Is the increasing cost of…

by Betsy McMillin Most days I really enjoy my kids, my job as mom.  I am, for the most part, amused throughout the day by what they say and do, and am emotionally on a pretty even keel. Then there are those other days.  I call them…

by Chris Savage There's a certain sort of comfort one can get by being a political commentator who stands on the outside looking in on the political machinations of society. Removed from the fray, one can wax eloquent about what others are…

David Jesse, former higher education reporter for AnnArbor.com, reported in the Detroit Free Press, that thanks to pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, officials at the University of Michigan have decided to…

Think of it as the political Miss U.S.A. contest. The swimsuit competition. The catwalk. The talent competition. Then, the judges vote. In this case, the judges are, literally, voters, and millions of them are suffering some serious…

Yelp. Yelpers. Yelping. If you've not visited the online food community Yelp.com, you're missing out on some of the most frank, honest and spot on restaurant reviews around. The Ann Arbor Yelp.com community is full of reviewers whose…

by Erika McNamara A quick review of the menu for Memorial Day grill extravaganza left me wondering if hotdogs, short ribs, steak, and all of the side dishes that accompanied the main meat feast this year would all be enough. Well if it…

by Betsy McMillin Parent says: "Great job cleaning your room kiddo!  Oh man, if only you did everything this quickly and thoroughly!'" Ouch. May as well give the kid a big hug then punch the kid in the gut. Such back-handed compliments…

A2P Notes: According to a study published in February 2011 by the Pew Research Center, Americans are pretty evenly divided in their attitudes toward the "sweeping changes in the structure of the American family that have unfolded over the…