Open Mike Night- Living the Good Life At the H Hotel

Mike Budziakowski

Coming to Midland as a Canadian export, there were a number of lifestyle changes I needed to make to adapt to my now beloved small-town American way of life. And no, those changes didn’t involve moving from an igloo to a dorm room or trading in my huskies for a Volkswagon Golf, which seem to be recurring misconceptions.  In fact, it was the complete opposite.  Coming from Toronto, one of Canada’s largest metropolitan centers, I showed up to Midland and was at once humbled by its quaint and intimate atmosphere.  I fell in love immediately.  Midland is the Juliet to my Romeo, sans the tragic ending.  I hope. 

But as a city boy I will always have a place in my heart for the lavish excesses that only a big city can offer.  Even the crisp smell of polluted air brings a tear to my eyes—both because of my love for it and the fact that it burns a little.  But I soon found that Midland has some big-city characteristics hidden behind its small-town charm.  It’s little wonder, then, what with the opening of the new H Hotel, here in Midland, I packed up a weekend’s worth of clean clothes and checked into suite 302. Surely as a writer assigned to enlighten my readers with the newest and best that Midland has to offer it was my responsibility—nay, my duty—as lifestyle columnist to deliver you my unbiased account.  Before we move on I would like to thank Northwood University for picking up the tab. They are not aware of it yet, but the bill is in the mail.

Part of the Dolce family of hotels and resorts, the H, located at 111 West Main Street, offers all the luxuries that you would expect from any upscale hotel chain.  Boasting an indoor lap pool & whirlpool, a fitness center, two massage rooms, nearby fitness trails, and tennis and golf facilities, the H undoubtedly has given Midland something to talk about. The rooms were immaculate, and the detailed and opulent furniture was of considerable quality. Having stayed at various hotel chains during my travels through both Europe and North America I was astonished at the quality and comfort that this hotel offered.

Certainly my experience was not limited to my room, and a proper stay would not have been complete without a stop at the lobby bar after a taste of what H’s premier restaurant, The Table, had to offer.  Five Diamond and Four Star-certified, Chef Anthony Demes leads a team of culinary professionals who have contributed to The Table’s well-deserved reputation.  Now, at the risk of ruining an otherwise flawless critique, I have to concede that the Salmon was a little on the dry side and tasted of freshly woven sneakers.  However, whatever disparagement that may have arisen from dinner was soon forgotten as I sat at the lobby bar and treated myself to a beer.  Rather, I treated myself to a few beers (surprised?) and was astonished at the selection and variety that the H had to offer.  From common domestics to unusual and rare imports, the selection was reminiscent of my travels to the Bier Gartens of Prague.  Ah, Prague… Remind me to regale you with my tale of a night spent aboard a buoy on the River Vltava with a woman named Oksana, where we debated the dynastic origins of the House of Hapsburg while heavy bass-beats from the Karlovy Lane Dance Club misted low across the water like the fading voice of some forgotten inamorata. But I digress…

Club l enthusiast or not, this bar offers an incredible selection for all beer drinkers.  Of course, if your tastes lie in the realm of wine or spirits you will have little trouble quenching whatever thirst you may have, as the H boasts an incredible variety of wine in a large, climate-controlled wine cellar.  The night ended (slightly hazily) in perhaps the most comfortable bed I have yet to sleep in.   Luxurious feather bedding and down blankets and pillows truly accentuate the comfort for which the Dolce Hotel group is renowned for.  It is without reservation that I highly recommend the H; even for one night to unwind and kick back. Its ideal location, big-city amenities, and small-town charm make it a place everyone should visit.

I look forward to my return….but in the meantime I have a homework assignment for you—do Madonna’s children have last names? 

Until next time, wink.

Marijuana: The Real Stimulus Package

Muaz Halees

We need to legalize marijuana. I’ll wait for all the supporters and detractors to rid themselves of superfluous comments.

(Waiting.)

(Waiting.)

(Waiting.)

Now that we’re all ready to have an intelligent conversation about marijuana, I would like to continue. Legalization will improve a number of health, social, and economic issues we currently face as a society.

Let’s start with the numbers compiled by Harvard Professor Jeffrey A. Miron.  He asserts that “$7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement would be saved and if it were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it would generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.”  You should probably re-read that last sentence to accurately grasp the potential profits available if legalization is realized.  This study does not account for the potential profit windfalls realized if the government serves as the sole proprietor of the marijuana industry, which would put the profits in excess of $30 billion dollars. 

Legalization would create two distinct revenue streams.  The companies that sell marijuana would have to pay income taxes and all sales of the drug would also be taxed.  The taxpayer money that is spent senselessly prosecuting marijuana offenders could be spent in a number of more efficient ways, or returned to the taxpayers.  The budget for drug enforcement may not have to be so large or could be re-focused on preventing far more dangerous sorts of drug abuse.  The jail space wasted on marijuana offenders could be better utilized to house real criminals. 

The war on drugs is a failure of nearly biblical proportions.  I am not employing hyperbole; in fact, I am actually understating the miserable results of this ill-fated war.  The only way to mitigate the losses incurred is by legalizing marijuana.  Prohibition has not prohibited anyone from acquiring marijuana, as evidenced by the 85% of high school seniors that admit to its use.  I don’t understand why we give credence to third party detractors on this issue while we routinely dismiss their moral and ethical arguments regarding the sale of cigarettes, alcohol, birth control, fur, caged chickens, or any number of other issues they decry. 

Opponents to legalization claim that its use causes crimes. This is a lie.  There is correlation between the two, but not causation.  Their argument is tantamount to claiming that abortions cause global warming.  Our prohibition of marijuana may actually be fueling the crimes associated with it.  Violence is used to resolve marijuana disputes because that is the only avenue available.  These violent methods were employed during the underground casino age and during alcohol prohibition.  The violence associated with these two industries decreased systematically after both industries were partially or completely legalized. 

Legalization of the drug would remove the pejorative connotation associated with it.  Scientists and doctors could research its health benefits without fear of castigation.  There may be more money allotted to researching those potential benefits.  Its legalization may also force parents to engage in serious, poignant conversations with their children on the topic of drug use.

The debate should take place, and the supporters of legalization should not be grouped into the same category as the potheads working at the local 7-11.  We are made up of a wide range of individuals, but most noteworthy are those in the economic field that support its legalization, such as Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman and a number of other economic visionaries. They signed a petition in 2005 extolling the financial virtues of marijuana legalization, so don’t be so quick to dismiss this argument. The arguments against legalization have always been stale and baseless; this economic downturn, however, may provide the motivation needed to overturn a failed referendum.