M.L. Elrick (@elrick), Marc Fellhauer (@MarcFell) and Shawn Windsor (@ShawnWindsor) appear live in the Red Shovel Network as the best power trio since They Might Be Giants and their metronome. Brandon Knight of Distributed Power pops in to talk solar power.

THE STRAIGHT DOPE: Shawn rushes to RSN HQ after penning his thoughts for the Detroit Free Press on the Tigers’ big trades, but the Tigers suck and this isn’t a sports podcast, so we don’t waste any time on this latest pathetic move by the hometown 9. 

DTE won a rate increase in May that will jack up most folks electric bill by nearly 9%. So what do they do next? Request ANOTHER 9%increase! ML breaks it down.

ML and Brandon discuss why ML switched to solar power, the benefits of going solar – and how DTE just made a move that hurts homeowners who generate their own solar power.  

Marc asks whether it’s possible to cut all ties to the power company. Brandon says yes … sort of.

ML explains how Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is trying to make it easier for people with power outages to get money back from the electric companies.

THE GREAT DEBATE: A second ESPN personality wades into the political fray. The boys spar over what he said, why he may have said it — and whether sportscasters should add political commentary to their repertoire.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: This week’s (dis)honoree is a well-known cartoonist who tried to cash in on the mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

ROOM 7609: Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music is one of the smoothest cats around. And “Limbo” is one of his coolest tunes. But he wasn’t smooth enough or cool enough to keep his model girlfriend from getting lured away by ANOTHER smooth operator. Find out who the other players in the love triangle are — and what other super groovy tune Ferry wrote after his ex- published a memoir. 

* Please be sure to let our sponsors know you heard them on the podcast! We can’t go on without continued sponsor support, and they really do keep track of referrals from loyal listeners.* Get podcast news on Twitter @elrick or on Facebook at “ML Elrick” * Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, where you’ll find previous episodes and so much more!* Become a show sponsor by donating.* REPRESENT! Show your Soul of Detroit pride with great merchandise, ranging from our super groovy t-shirts, stickers and signed copies of “The Kwame Sutra: Musings on Lust,