Local cafes, if they are any good, have a wall full of event and concert posters. The coffee shop bulletin board should be a quick way to find your people if you are in a new city and want to get involved in the local culture.

Here's a snapshot of the wall at Beezy's Cafe in Ypsilanti, with links down deeper to the events and issues of the day which encompass world politics, art, poetry, roller skating, and finding a place to live.

Politics

The Organization for a Free Society is hosting a benefit fundraiser concert for PFC Bradley Manning in Detroit on Friday, March 4, at the Trumbullplex. Find details on the Facebook page for the event.

Manning has been accused of aiding the enemy in conjunction with his involvement in leaks of classified information. The charges are severe enough that he now may face the death penalty for the crimes. Manning is the alleged source of the diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks; he is currently in solitary confinement at a military base at Quantico. A news release from the American Forces Press Service spells out the specifics of the alleged crimes.

Roller skating

The Ann Arbor Derby Dimes are hosting a Mardi Gras Masquerade Skate Party at Rollers Skate Park, 19750 Sumpter Road, Belleville on Sunday, March 6. The party is a fundraiser for the Dimes' continuing efforts to build a banked skate track; this 2010 AnnArbor.com story gives background on the group.

Rollers Skate Park reopened in 2010, and this Belleville Lake Current story describes the work to rehab this rink which was a popular destination during the roller skating heyday of the 1950s to the 1980s.

Housing

The Quaker House Residential Community is looking for housemates. It is located at 1416 Hill St. in Ann Arbor and is affiliated with the Ann Arbor Friends Center.

Poetry

The 12th annual Ypsilanti Youth Poetry Slam is at Woodruff's on Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m. It's sponsored by Ozone House's Project SpeakOUT, with support from 826Michigan. Call 734-485-2222 for details.

Art

Eastern Michigan University's graduate student art show runs through March 17, 2011 at the Ford Gallery on the EMU campus. The faculty exhibition is at the University Gallery through April 15, with a reception on March 23. The Eastern Michigan University Art Department website has more details.

Sculptor Richard Hunt will be speaking at Eastern Michigan University's Halle Library on Tuesday, March 8, at 5:30 p.m. A 1998 interview in Sculpture Magazine describes his abstract metal works each as a "unique shrine to the human spirit."

Body art

A poster for Brite Idea Tattoo depicts a gentleman in a suit with a light bulb over his head. This photo set on Flickr has many shots of the interior of this tattoo parlor, located at 30 N. Huron St. in Ypsilanti.

Regulation of the tattoo industry in Washtenaw County was the subject of this 2010 AnnArbor.com story. This list of licensed, inspected, and approved body art facilties in Washtenaw County is maintained by the Washtenaw County Environmental Health Division.

Edward Vielmetti reads the signs on the wall for AnnArbor.com.