All of this is going to take time. There's going to be a lot of pain for a lot of people.

The greatest risk is if the situation at Delphi doesn't work itself out. An organized or wildcat strike would have a great impact on General Motors and make those potholes out there much wider and deeper.

In this regard, downtown Detroit, including its cultural, entertainment and recreational amenities, is an asset that currently falls well short of its potential.

It will be swamped by the job losses that come out of Ford, GM or Delphi. Theoretically, everybody would say it's got to have a negative effect, but in the end it's going to be such a small effect most people wouldn't notice.

Look, Daddy: Teacher says that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.

I get offers to do huge-budget music videos with big production companies all the time, but I have no interest.