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Name: farlane
Nickname: farlane
Member since: 2006-09-01 14:03:16
Website URL: http://absolutemichigan.com/
About me: My name is Andrew L. McFarlane, and I have been the publisher and editor of Absolute Michigan since October . Feel free to send him an email. My editorial philosophy with Absolute Michigan is to try and promote the state of Michigan as a place to visit, for business that doesn't mess up the natural beauty we are blessed with, and most importantly as a place to live your life with the people you love.

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Do Leelanau photos confirm a Michigan cougar presence?

November 4th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Regardless of whether these photos are real or not, cougars have been officially confirmed in Michigan. From John Flesher of the Traverse City Record-Eagle:

State wildlife officials say they've confirmed the sighting of a cougar in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula.

The Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday it had determined that a trail camera in Chippewa County snapped a photo of a cougar wandering by one night last month.

Also, the DNR said it had verified two sets of cougar tracks found recently in the U.P. One was spotted near DeTour in late October and the other this week near Gulliver in Schoolcraft County

The Game: Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

October 23rd, 2009 at 8:22 am

As you're not counting the 6 other people who posted messages from your address last night, I'm going to agree with you Danny.

The Game: Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

October 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm

When did this become the unofficial "I Hate UM" page?

I also wonder if these Buckeye fans might be nursing an inferiority complex roughly the size of ... I dunno ... Purdue or Cincinnati?

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald edited by Joseph Fulton

October 15th, 2009 at 8:15 am

Hey Jason - I found the version with the audio so you can listen to Gordon Lightfoot throwing it down again!

Detroit Tigers Pennant Panic

October 4th, 2009 at 10:02 pm

Playoff-hungry Tigers return to dome:

After all this, the Tigers still control their own destiny. They're just destined for a much tougher place Tuesday.

Two weeks after the Tigers bid farewell to the Metrodome, less than a week after they hoped they'd seen the last of the Twins, it's time to head back one more time. And Tuesday's American League Central tiebreaker, live on TBS at 5:07 p.m. ET, could bring out a tougher atmosphere than Detroit has seen there before. Win and the Tigers will be headed to New York for the American League Division Series. Lose and they will endure an offseason of heartbreak.

Seeking Michigan: Driving to the Dinosaurs

October 1st, 2009 at 6:15 am

One of my best friends growing up lived right next door to Lund's, and we would play around in there.

There's not much online, but I did find E.K Lund Preacher Artist Magician Centenarian from the blog Dull Tool Dim Bulb that has a postcard of some of the art and this:

Lund's Scenic Garden of ten acres in Michigan included these life-size figures propped up among the pines. Mr. Lund was a minister, artist and professional magician. His best trick was living to the age of 100, but he died in 1999. The garden, which was located between Leland and Glen Arbor, MI has been dismantled.

Leonid Meteor Showers in Michigan

August 12th, 2009 at 7:49 am

The 2009 Leonids will be in November. Here's what NASA has to say:

Astronomers from Caltech and NASA say a strong shower of Leonid meteors is coming in 2009. Their prediction follows an outburst on Nov. 17, 2008, that broke several years of "Leonid quiet" and heralds even more intense activity next November.

"On Nov. 17, 2009, we expect the Leonids to produce upwards of 500 meteors per hour," says Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. "That's a very strong display."

see captionForecasters define a meteor storm as 1000 or more meteors per hour. That would make the 2009 Leonids "a half-storm," says Jeremie Vaubaillon of Caltech, who successfully predicted a related outburst just a few weeks ago.

Photo Friday: Heaven by SashaW

June 30th, 2009 at 5:23 pm

Whoops - I'd say it was a typo but I did it twice!

July Michigan Event Calendar

June 18th, 2009 at 8:34 am

I'm actually shocked that you weren't a regular attendee, Jenny.

Michitwitter for May 2009

May 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am

Economy takes toll on event sponsorships at mLive relates that all across Michigan, festivals and events are seeing noticeably reduced sponsorship dollars, making it a serious challenge to mount events.

In this year's economic climate, that difficulty has become the norm for organizers of many annual events that tap the business community for corporate sponsorships.

"Everybody's facing the same challenge," said Pat Driscoll of 8 Point Promotions, who works to link prospective sponsors with events, including Muskegon's Summer Celebration.

Many corporations, particularly in the financial sector, have cut budgets used to sponsor annual events. That means some events that received funding this year got less -- and that's if they received anything at all.

Chuck Daly, 1930 - 2009

May 16th, 2009 at 7:02 am

Check out Celebrating Chuck Daly at Detroit Bad Boys and add a comment below or on the DBB post on Daly.

Downsizing Flint ... on purpose

April 29th, 2009 at 7:18 am

There is a discussion about this on Exposure.Detroit that you may want to join in on. I posted this over there:

I was talking with someone yesterday about this being a model for Detroit and in some ways, the whole state.

In Michigan we have the very difficult challenge of providing a level of services that were developed at a time when our economy was a lot bigger. As a school board member, I can see the equivalent of urban blight creeping across our public services as we continue to try and do the same job without the same money.

I would love to see a big block of stimulus money go to "downsizing grants." With $50,000,000 you could do 1,000 grants of $50,000 to nonprofits, governmental agencies and businesses to take a fresh look at all kinds of vital things that we do and figure out how to do them with the resources and users that we have now instead of what we had when we thought them up.

Bing Cherries at Fulton Street Market

March 29th, 2009 at 5:05 am

I don't exactly know Max, but it seems to me that a lug is about 3' x 1' and 1' deep. It might be the same volume as a bushel.

It is what they use to gather cherries, so I guess it's because that's what farmers had available!

I have a photo of some wooden ones and here's a lug of Ranier cherries from Washington

If I find out more I will post it here.

MSU Men & Women in Sweet Sixteen

March 28th, 2009 at 6:02 am

Spartans Rally Past Jayhawks, 67-62

Kalin Lucas scored seven points in the final 49 seconds, including 5-for-5 on free throws, to help Michigan State rally for a 67-62 win over defending national champion Kansas Friday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals. Lucas shot just 5-for-15 from the field, but his teammates remained confident in their floor leader, who was the Big Ten player of the year. Lucas was matched up with Kansas' Sherron Collins, who scored 20 points but was thoroughly outplayed late in the game. (29-6).

Also see MSU seniors' Detroit dream stays alive, thanks to lucky-good combo from Sports Illustrated and There is no 'I' on this Michigan State team from CBS Sports which is very negative about the Spartan's team and chances but worth a read nonetheless.

Looking ahead to the 2:20 PM game on Sunday, is Louisville-MSU a great matchup from the Indy Star and Yes, Louisville looks unbeatable, but ... from the Freep.

10 Day Assembly Line Concert on behalf of Big Three

March 21st, 2009 at 12:46 pm

Updated with a video from the opening of the concert...

Remembering Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson

March 15th, 2009 at 7:17 am

Added a bunch more links and a video.

You're welcome Kathy - Dave got such a great shot!

State of the State 09

February 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

Whoops. I should add "solely".

State of the State 09

February 5th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

Hey JPW, I certainly DON'T hold the Governor responsible for our current state of affairs. Many, many more people sat on their hands and looked away and deferred a choice to bring us to our current straits.

Michitwitter for February 2009

February 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am

Weather Underground reports that Gaylord set a new record low temperature of 17 degrees below zero this morning, breaking the old record of 16 degrees below zero set in 1995.

In case you're wondering, Traverse City would have laughed it off as it doesn't come close to the record low of -27 set in 1918. And in case you just don't have any actual work to do, you may be interested to know that Pellston aka "The Icebox of the North" was at -25 below yesterday, just missing the 1970 mark of -26.

Michigan's State of the State 2009

February 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 am

If you want to read my take on the State of the State going in, it's over at Michigan in Pictures.

Exploring Detroit's urban gardens

January 22nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm

We were quoting from a blog that appears to be gone. Can you post a comment with the correct facts? I have heard that same claim numerous other places so it would be nice to get the facts.

Thanks!