Dave and some like-minded individuals created SolarYpsi in 2005 with the hope of making their hometown a solar power destination through tying solar power generation to the electrical grid.

Their web site showcases real-time reporting of electrical production via solar panels, tracking panels are located on top of the Ypsilanti Food Coop, the Riverstreet Bakery, Ypsilanti City Hall and an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus stop.

Here's Google's Search Story Creator in case you want to try your hand. Head over to absolutemichigan.com/solar for more Michigan solar information.

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Smile by pairadocs

The Michigan International Auto Show returns to DeVos Place January 26-29, 2012 with manufacturers from around the world setting up their finest traveling displays. The show is West Michigan’s largest consumer show and offers you a chance to view your next new car with some 300 new vehicles on display. From sedans to vans, SUVs & trucks to hybrids and sports cars. If it rolls on 4 wheels, chances are you'll see it at the factory representatives from nearly 40 different manufacturers.

“This year, visitors will find vehicles displaying increases in innovations and design, as well as energy efficiency models as the auto industry rises to the challenges placed before it,” says Terry Burns, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association. “New models, new designs and new technologies are helping our industry bring itself back up along a path of recovery as we move into 2012 and beyond.”

A highlight of the show is the Million Dollar Motorway, which is expected to be bigger and better than ever before featuring a variety of high end cars including Bentley, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Maserati and Lamborghini, each valued at more than $100,000. There are also exhibits from the Gilmore Car Museum that offer you a chance to take a trip back in automobile history.

Here's a video from last year's show to give you an idea of what to expect.

Absolute Michigan is committed to helping our readers get more out of Michigan. To that end, we are adding an exciting new program featuring giveaways of products and services from all kinds of Michigan businesses. It's free, fun and all you have to do to be eligible is to be on our email list - sign up using the form below. We guarantee that we will not share your email address with anyone!

If your business is interested in participating, you can get all the information right here.

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2013 Dodge Dart by ChriKett Photography

The first Detroit Area Dealer Association (DADA)-managed Detroit Auto Show was held in December 1907 at Riverview Park. In 1987, the show was re-focused as an international event, and 2012 is their 24th annual under the new format. The center of the event are concept cars and exhibitions by car companies from Acura to Volvo and of course Detroit standards like Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC and Lincoln.

Blogs & Social Media from the Detroit Auto Show

Our favorite for coverage this year is mLive's Detroit Auto Show coverage. They have a look at Energy Secretary Steven Chu's visit to the show, some concept car highlights from the 2012 floor and the back and forth between Governor Snyder and a Wayne State student. After Snyder issued a call for grads to stay in Michigan, biomed engineering student Ramkumar Annamalai  asked him why if eduction was so important has Michigan seen cuts that remove a lot of what attracts top students.  It's an interesting exchange that highlights one of the real challenges manufacturing and research in Michigan are facing. You can also get comprehensive reporting from the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.

As usual, you can find unabashed car love with a healthy dose of humor from the  2012 Detroit Auto Show on Jalopnik.  Over at Autoblog they feature podcasts and articles including their Editor's top 5 picks from the show (spoiler: #1 is the 2013 Ford Fusion which also captured Autoweek Magazine's coveted Best of Show award). Another source that's getting more and more relevant is  Autoblog Green who has features on the frighteningly cute Tata, a sub-$19k Prius and the Smart-for-Us urban concept mini-truck pictured right. Pretty much everyone with a blog is covering it of course, from Motor Trend to Popular Mechanics.

The North American International Auto Show has gotten into the social media swing in 2012 with a Facebook page their NAIAS official Twitter. You can also of course dive right in to #NAIAS on Twitter.

Attending the North American International Auto Show

The NAIAS web site has everything you need to know about attending the public show and tomorrow night's black tie charity preview. If you do attend and take pictures or video, we'd love it if you'd share them with us in the Absolute Michigan Flickr group or shoot us the link to YouTube vids!

Detroit Auto Show Photos

The NAIAS has a nifty virtual show floor.  Christian Kettenbell took the photo at the top and he has a really nice slideshow from 2012. You can see a whole lot more by checking Detroit Auto Show and/or NAIAS on Flickr. The blogs & papers above are another great source of photos of production cars and concepts as well.    If you'd like to step back in time, check out this Detroit News Rearview Mirror feature The Detroit Auto Show: from beer gardens to tabernacles to Cobo Center.

Anything else to add or ask? Post it in the comments!

Detroit Auto Show Videos

You can watch the snarky, kind of slow and frankly down on the auto show 2012 North American International Auto Show Preview from Drive and the un-snarky and faster paced preview from Autoweek TV. Our favorite, however, is this selection of highlights from the Media Preview on the 2012 show floor by Global News ENG Cameraman Ben Jonah. Got other ones you like? Add them in the comments below!

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These visitors have generated $605 million of additional revenue, and between 2009 and 2010, the tourism industry grew by $2 billion, enough to generate an additional 10,000 jobs in Michigan. The campaign also generated $43 million in state tax collections, creating a return on investment (ROI) of $4.32 for each dollar Michigan spent on tourism advertising. Resident leisure travel rose 6.1% to $6.3 billion, and non-resident leisure travel that Pure Michigan ads are targeting rose 21.1% to $6.4 billion, the first time non-resident spending has exceeded Michigan resident spending for leisure travel.

While the state and national economies and overall tourism spending floundered in 2009, Michigan received 2% of all the tourism spending in the United States, good for a rank of 14th nationally, a success many credit to the Pure Michigan advertising campaign. George Zimmermann, VP of Travel Michigan says:

"Most Americans know Florida, California and Hawaii. We are just the opposite. We’ve only done a national campaign for just three years, with a modest budget. Michigan also is starting from a negative image of the Rust Belt, the depressed auto industry and urban decay in Detroit. The image of the state is much more favorable after visitors have seen the Pure Michigan ads.”

We encourage you to read on at Bridge for some other thoughts on the campaign including some criticism from Michael LaFaive of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.  They have a second feature that looks at how Pure Michigan stacks up against other state tourism promotion efforts.

One thing is clear, it's important to agree upon the numbers, because if the ROI is that high, Michigan would be foolish not to continue funding Pure Michigan.

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Over the eight days and nights of DDF—September 21 through September 28—a variety of Design Happenings will take place across at venues across the city of Detroit. The types of happenings will include studio tours, panels and roundtable discussions, fashion shows, and art battles to name a few.

Detroit Creative Corridor Center established the Detroit Design Festival to connect creative practitioners with one another, expose them to new markets and consumers, and of course put on display the creative talent that will help Detroit become a global center of creative innovation.

Art battles??!! Maybe someone can tell us what those are!

The site lists 85 Happenings, all "unfolded" in their blog. Competitions, presentations, panels, roundtables & lectures (Leon Krier next Tuesday sounds great), performances, benefits (25 chefs!), fashion shows, film screenings, cocktail receptions/dinners/parties, tours of all kinds, of art exhibits like Bordertown (cities and borders), Mind the Gap (public design ideas competition for Detroit's in-between spaces), Woodward Windows (empty storefront windows as galleries) - so many events of so many types at so many venues that it feels like Detroit may be generating some of the same energy that Grand Rapids will be for ArtPrize. Anyone think that the rest of Michigan should jump on board next year and celebrate the positive in all our communities?

Anyway, here's the video from detroitdesignfestival.com and we hope you get a chance to check out (and report on) some of the fun of DDF:

DDF - Fathead from Charlie Kelly on Vimeo.

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For the past eight months, the 29 year old has been driving a 1930 Model A as his everyday car. His project, dubbed “365 Days of A,” has him parking his Ford Explorer and Honda Accord and, for one year – with no exceptions for weather or distance – driving the beautiful blue Model A instead.

“It’s something I wanted to do for a few years,” says Klinger, who owns a 1919 Model T and ‘a few other cars.’ “I wanted to show that an old car like this can be driven every day.”

Head over to 365 Days of A to follow Jonathan through the ins (learning to slow down) and outs (fixing what goes wrong) and saga of his Model A experiment from Day 1 (October 13, 2010) to Day 252 (and beyond). Be sure to check out the FAQs for the who, what and where.

The video below looks at how they got the A into shape, and you can see a lot more on their 365 Days of A playlist!

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Painting A Picture Of Optimism by DetroitDerek Photography

Later this week (April 27-29) the 3rd annual  Future Midwest Conference kicks off in Detroit. It's the largest digital business conference in the Midwest and  seeks to accelerate business and cultural transformation by uniting community passions with emerging technologies. In 2011, they've selected Eastern Market in Detroit as the conference venue. In this interview, conference co-founder Adrian Pittman explains that:

FutureMidwest is a digital business conference that focuses on the impact of technology in five areas:

• Integrated marketing: How to integrate digital platforms into a well-rounded marketing mix
• User experience: How to create an engaging experience across a variety of digital media
• Mobile: How it's impacting information exchange and user access and how to utilize it
• Business Intelligence/Analytics: How to define metrics that matter most and apply them
• Regional growth: How the Midwest is participating in the information age

The conference features 2 full days of presentations, panels and exhibitions about technology, social media and how all of this ties into creating a new future for the Midwest. The 2011 conference debuts  Funded by Night, one-day competition to fund tech startups where 25 companies will create to will compete to win a $100,000 convertible note from two local venture capital firms Detroit Venture Partners and Ludlow Ventures.

Any video with a space cow in it has to be good, and the 2010 conference video is no exception!

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Chrysler spokeswoman Anita Thawte explained "Mr.  Daniels has starred in numerous Hollywood films and is well known in promoting an Upper Peninsula lifestyle that meshes so well with the power and payload of the U-series."

The specs of the vehicle are indeed impressive:  a massive 177 sq. ft. hood that can hold 7 deer, a gigantic bed that is rated for 4 tons of pasties and a powerful and eco-friendly V14 diesel that can operate in zero-emission mode when burning maple syrup.

Chrysler is reportedly exploring other concepts including "Smuggled from Saginaw", "Got a Ride from Grand Rapids" and "Walked over from Washtenaw".

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via Leelanau.com: Donald Trump unveils "Trump Leelanau" in Maple City (many, many more there as well!)

Mar 30, 2011: Weird Wednesday: April Fool's Day - Michigan's State Holiday?

Apr 1, 2010: Tim Allen co-opts Pure Michigan, declares for Governor

Apr 1, 2009: Bank bailout "tweak" to spur auto industry

Apr 1, 2008: Canadian Freeze Ray wreaks havok on Michigan

Apr 1, 2007: Massive trade sends Legislature, Governor to Guam - things are looking up for Michigan and the Tigers

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reboot by TerryJohnston

Full Disclosure: I saw these folks in action on the behalf of Absolute Michigan Community sponsor The Center for Michigan and was quite impressed with their work!

Birmingham-based agency Brogan & Partners is offering one small business in Michigan the tools and support to reinvent and refresh its brand through the Michigan Business Reboot Contest. The contest is a chance for Michigan-based businesses to win a $75,000  marketing and public relations makeover  that includes marketing strategy, creative, social media and public relations. The deadline is next Friday (April and all you have to do to enter is to explain in 250 words or less (or with a video) why your company deserves a reboot.

So much of Michigan's current "brand"  is tarnished with the endless stream of cuts and losses that we thought it would be a good idea to ask Brogan's Creative Director Laurie Hix about the assets she thinks Michigan companies should be basing their brands on in 2011:

"Every Michigan's business brand should be based on their competitive differentiator. Of course, that differentiator needs to connect to its target audience, but you can't pander to your audience. Just like a teenager trying to be in the popular group shouldn't try to be something he is not. If it's not based in truth your brand will have no foundation and will crumble. And in today's era of social media you will be called out on it.

So what assets should Michigan companies be basing their brands on? What they excel at and what sets them apart. But admittedly, when you are beaten up like many Michigan businesses feel, sometimes it's hard to step away, look at yourself honestly, peel away the layers and see what makes you different. That is where an agency like ours can help."

Click the button for a shot at a reboot and add any thoughts you might have about the assets YOU are branding on below!

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"Winds of Change" Point Betsie
Lighthouse by Michigan Nut

The Pure Michigan Facebook fan page topped 200,000 fans over the weekend. According to the Street, this makes Pure Michigan one of only four state tourism Facebook pages with more than 100,000 fans and the first state tourism Facebook page with over 200,000 fans:

"We could not be more pleased with the increase of Pure Michigan Facebook fans," said George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, a business unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "As we look ahead to summer travel, our fans are sharing their favorite vacation spots and experiences, which we know will result in new and more visitors to Michigan."

Tourism is a major source of revenue for Michigan's economy. Since its launch in 2006, the award-winning Pure Michigan campaign has attracted seven million new, out-of-state visitors to the Great Lakes State, visitors who spent $2 billion at Michigan businesses and paid $138 million in Michigan taxes, primarily sales tax. The campaign generated $3.29 in tax revenue for the state for each dollar spent on Pure Michigan advertising.

Way to go, Pure Michigan and speaking of Facebook, don't forget the Absolute Michigan and Michigan in Pictures Facebook pages!

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The budget process has just begun, but already Michigan is feeling the pain with news that the big-budget movie featuring Iron Man, the Hulk and Captain America -  The Avengers has decided not to shoot in Michigan.

"They were all set to come here," said Chris Baum of Film Detroit, a division of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. When producers couldn't get confirmation that they would still qualify for the incentives, they decided to pull out of the state, Baum said.

You can see Mitch Albom discussing the issue in a video below. He asks in  his excellent article on how (and why) Michigan should fight this if  any other field grew 100 times over -- from $2 million to $225 million -- in two years and if any other field kept our young, bright minds from leaving or brought more attention to the beauty and talent of our state. The answer is definitely "Heck no!" and  I think Albom makes a great case for what a baffling move this is on Snyder's part to shoot our booming media production industry in the head. Mitch writes that the paltry $25 million allocated to the program will do little:

Either way, he kills the future of the film/TV/video game industry here. With such a low cap, few new projects will come. Many have pulled out in the last few days. Studios just washed millions down the drain. Folks who moved here to be part of a growing industry will leave again.

And we look like fools. Imagine a state that yells, "Come on in!", leads the nation in a program -- then three years later shuts it down. Would you want to do business here?

Learn about Snyder's thinking right here and see how the Center for Michigan reads Snyder's budget. One thing is sure - the numbers don't add up, something that is puzzling given Snyder's "Nerd" reputation. WLNS reports that:

Ernst & Young has found that Michigan's film incentives generate nearly 6 dollars in economic activity for every dollar spent. It also shows the production of movies and TV shows in Michigan during 2009 and 2010 generated 812 million in economic output and more than 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs. A senate fiscal agency previously said the incentives generate 10 cents in new tax revenue per dollar spent. Governor Snyder's budget proposal calls for the elimination of the film tax incentive program and orders a 25 million dollar cap on film credits starting later this year.

In case anyone is keeping track, that is well above the $3 figure we've heard for Pure Michigan. Here's Mitch talking about the issue.

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Mack-in-touch Apples by ( Jennifer )

A month ago, Absolute Michigan participated in the the Creating Michigan Culinary Destinations conference (read our live blog) where the Michigan Culinary Tourism initiative was launched. For the video below, we spoke with Melody Johnson of the International Culinary Tourism Association, keynote speaker Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's, Linda Jones of the Michigan Wine & Grape Council and a number of attendees to get a sense of what culinary tourism can mean for Michigan.

Check out the Michigan Culinary Tourism page for links to foodie tours and other resources.  We're also wondering about your thoughts on how culinary tourism can play a role in Michigan's future - let us know your thoughts and interesting culinary experiences in the comments!

This video features photos from several photographers from the Absolute Michigan pool: blondieyooper, richard deming photography, photoshoparama, oldog_oltrix, southen, detroit derek, trish p and jennifer. Stay tuned to absolutemichigan.com/Culinary for the latest on Michigan's booming epicurean industry!

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USA Today's cool Super Bowl Ad Meter has the ad in the middle of the pack in terms of response from their panel (the panel seemed to like dogs a whole lot). It did a lot better in terms of being shared on Facebook, clocking in at #3. See all the 2011 Super Bowl ads on YouTube. Detroit-born Eminem will perform at the Grammys on Sunday and is up for 10 awards, and his appearance as a champion of the city was praised by everyone from fellow rappers to Slate Magazine, who write in the best roundup I found:

An ugly missed field goal set up the night's best ad, one so strong I don't even mind that it was paid for with my taxpayer dollars. In a mesmerizing 120-second spot, Chrysler, which still owes the U.S. government $5.8 billion, sets out to introduce its new 200 model and to rehabilitate Detroit's tarnished image while they're at it. The ad's co-stars are the city itself, shot in blue-gray hues, and one of its proudest sons, Eminem, who drives a 200 around town wearing a look of defiance familiar from his turn in 8 Mile.

The rapper's impact is diminished slightly by the weak, stop-motion spot for Lipton Brisk iced tea he was featured in earlier in the evening, but the opening strains of his anthem "Lose Yourself" are the perfect accompaniment to this audacious ad. "I got a question for you," the ad's salt-of-the-earth narrator says in a voice-over. "What does this city know about luxury? What does a city that's been to hell and back know about luxury?" He goes on to offer a compelling answer, arguing that Detroit is a city whose residents have auto-making in their bones. Anyone who has driven a Sebring, the unloved model the 200 is replacing in the Chrysler fleet, might uncharitably note that Detroit's years of experience haven't always served it well. But the spell the ad casts doesn't admit such thoughts. It left me pumping my fist and pledging to buy American everything.

Anyway, here's the ad (view in HD on YouTube) - we're interested to know what you think, either in the comments or on our Facebook.

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Her face became the symbol of women's empowerment, and her death is the end of an era.

Geraldine Hoff Doyle of Lansing, the woman behind an iconic image of a bandana-clad, muscle-flexing Rosie the Riveter during WWII, has died, according to her family.

Doyle was 86 upon her death, a lifetime older than the 17-year-old factory worker who was captured in a United Press International photo in a metal-pressing plant near Ann Arbor.

Her photo was later used by the U.S. War Production Coordinating Committee in an illustrated poster called, "We Can Do It!"

The article says that Doyle didn't realize it was her in the poster until 1984. The photo to the right was taken in 1941 when Doyle was 17 and appears on to the cover of a 1986 Time-Life book, 'The Patriotic Tide: 1940-1950'.

You can hear a tribute to Doyle over at NPR and you may want to check out the song Rosie the Riveter by the Four Vagabonds and Wikipedia's entry on Rosie the Riveter. In closing here's an excellent video from the Library of Congress (yes, the Library of Congress is on YouTube ... my life just got better).

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I LOVE Lake Michigan by lorijohernandez

The Prima Civitas Foundation is a non-profit economic & community development collaborative that seeks to help the State of Michigan re-invent itself for the 21st century by creating the network that is necessary for local, regional, and state growth in today's knowledge-based economy. They're offering a $2500 prize in their I Love Michigan Video Contest about which they say:

Do you love skiing "up north?" Do you love campfires and making s'mores at a state park? Do you love swimming in the Great Lakes? Tell us why you love Michigan! Better yet, show us! Submit your original video to our I Love Michigan video contest and you could qualify to win cash prizes! Be original, be funny or be serious. It's up to you! Video submission begins November 1 and ends January 31.

If you're interested, check out the contest rules and also have a look at their video explaining how the contest works.

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Grand Rapids Chalk Flood 2009
by RichardDemingPhotography

The Detroit News has an interesting feature on how Michigan companies are learning to use Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and other social media sites. Social media advertising is projected to climb 68% to $7.5 billion this year and jump to $38 billion by 2015, so it's definitely something that savvy business owners need to incorporate into their strategies. David Murray, president of the Social Media Club in Detroit, says:

"Honestly, companies need to stop looking at their customers as numbers, and they need to start looking at them as people," said . "You want to make sure you're not on Facebook just to be on Facebook."

They discuss Nestle's failure in the realm successes and talk about successes by companies like Ford and although they miss Michigan's Twitter leader, Biggby Coffee CEO Bob Fish who uses his biggbybob Twitter to drive traffic as he drives around Michigan, they do feature one of my favorite Michigan companies, Moosejaw*:

Moosejaw has used Twitter numerous times to help customers replace stolen products.

After learning a customer's coat was stolen, Moosejaw asked its Twitter followers to vote on a replacement. Two hundred votes later, the Madison Heights retailer shipped the winning jacket to the customer.

Social media provide an "opportunity to surprise customers and delight them with something unique," Moosejaw spokesman Gary Wohlfeill said.

You can connect with Absolute Michigan on Facebook, join the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr (there's a great photo contest) and follow me on Twitter! Do you have a story about how YOUR business or organization is using social media?   Share it in the comments!!

* seriously - sign up for their email - you will laugh your head off!

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The Legendary Dog 'n Suds Drive-In located in Montague Michigan. It has been the sole surviving Dog 'n Suds Drive-In for the state of Michigan, and opened in 1963. View it bigger in Stacy's slideshow from the Dog n' Suds.

VOf the shoot, Stacy writes:

Local car club and the owner of Dog-n-Suds agreed to help me out in capturing images! I had casually mentioned that it would be fun to photograph a vintage car under the neon sign. By the time the photo shoot came up - we had about 12 - 15 cars!

Congratulations, Stacy. You'll receive a sponsorship on Absolute Michigan, an internet radio interview about your business courtesy of Vertio and (because business is 12% coffee) 2 pounds of coffee (your choice) from Higher Grounds Trading Company.

This prize is only the first of a summer celebrating 100,000+ photos of Michigan in our Absolute Michigan pool. Stay tuned to Absolute Michigan all summer long for more great contests!

Tune in Monday for an all-new photo contest that we really think you'll be able to dive into!!

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The People of Detroit: Happy Cream
by Noah Stephens

The 7th Annual Local First Street Party takes place this Saturday (June 12) in Grand Rapids and puts that philosophy in practice by highlighting local food, beer & music. This year, their free concert is headlined by The Verve Pipe! Head over to their site for more about this great event.

Speaking of local business, there's still time to enter Absolute Michigan's Michigan Business Photo Contest, the first giveaway in our summerlong Absolute Michigan Summer Photo Celebration!

All you have to do is click the link above for details on how to submit up to 3 photos that show any facet of any Michigan-based business or somehow promote Michigan businesses and buying from Michigan businesses. The contest deadline is next Monday (June 14) and the winner will receive:

• One year Michigan SEO and Category Sponsorship package on Absolute Michigan ($1250 value)
• A Private Label Radio Program that tells the story of your business courtesy of Vertio
• 2 pounds of coffee (your choice) from Higher Grounds Trading Company

Take a good look at the graphic below - spending your money locally really makes a difference!

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Many more videos from Pure Michigan TV at YouTube.

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LANSING, MI APRIL 1, 2010 In a shocking move, longtime Michigan resident and Pure Michigan spokesman Tim Allen has announced both his takeover of the popular Pure Michigan ad campaign and his candidacy for Michigan Governor.

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer explained how this all came about in a 9 AM press conference unveiling "Pure Tim Allen" on the morning of April 1st:

"With John Cherry's abrupt withdrawal, we had been looking at a ticket of Geoffrey Fieger and Sparty. We felt pretty good about our chances, but a Zogby-Harris pollster came to us with the results of a poll showing that 32% of the residents of Michigan thought that Tim Allen already was the Governor through his work on Pure Michigan. From Home Improvement, Toy Story and of course his many voice-overs, we knew that Tim had piles and piles of money. With Pure Michigan struggling for funding, the whole thing was a natural fit."

Brewer continued "Quick phone calls over to Allen's people and Travel Michigan Vice President George Zimmerman showed all parties in favor of the move. While we felt good about our chances, adding a name (and voice) like Tim Allen definitely increases our chances in 2010."

Zimmerman was equally exuberant about the scheme and revealed that Travel Michigan is already hard at work on a new line of commercials declaring "Balancing the budget begins at Michigan.org." Even Michigan Republicans reluctantly supported the move, with current front-runner Mike Cox declaring "While we're obviously saddened that Allen will be running against one of our 732 Republican candidates, those commercials just make you feel so darn good!"

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Apr 1, 2011: Jeff Daniels to star in Chrysler Emigrated from Escanaba commercials

Apr 1, 2009: Bank bailout "tweak" to spur auto industry

Apr 1, 2008: Canadian Freeze Ray wreaks havok on Michigan

Apr 1, 2007: Massive trade sends Legislature, Governor to Guam - things are looking up for Michigan and the Tigers

Also see more April 1 articles from Absolute Michigan and some interesting news from Traverse City. Have any more to add? Post them in the comments!

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Voting is underway, and it's a great chance to see what some artists feel Michigan has going for it.

Poster: Handmade Michigan by Joseph Cissel

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The Last Paczki by cseeman

While groundhogs are a sign of spring's approach around the country, the appearance of paczkis in grocery stores in Michigan lets you know that spring is not too far off. Our Fat Tuesday Paczki Day page on Absolute Michigan will load you up with 110% of the USRDA on these sugary treats that are a Michigan tradition.

If you're looking to work off all those extra calories, Seeking Michigan has a cool feature on the real father of The Twist, Detroiter Hank Ballard. Click through to read it and we'll let Ballard take us out with his rendition of The Twist.

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In our first Absolute Michigan Radio feature co-sponsored by Traverse Legal, we talk with Traverse City Chamber of Commerce director Doug Luciani about Pure Michigan and its impact on Business.

If you're supportive of Pure Michigan, please call your lawmakers today! Here are links to the Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan Senate and Michigan Governor!

Childs Play by Arace

Play: AbsoluteMichigan Radio - TC Area Chamber of Commerce President Doug Luciani on Pure Michigan Campaign Funding
(click title to listen)

With: Doug Luciani

Sponsored by: Absolute Michigan , Traverse Internet Law

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Belly Up by photoshoparama

Social media is changing the Michigan wine landscape. Michigan By the Bottle is teaming up with Black Star Farms for the state's first virtual wine tasting conducted through Twitter. Tweet & Taste Michigan will be held on March 8, 2010 at 8pm.

Michigan wine fans are invited to log onto their computers and participate as we taste through a flight of wines, selected by Black Star Farms winemaker Lee Lutes. Along with myself, featured participants include Lutes, Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi (winegenie@Twitter), wine educator Bill Wilson (WineforNewbies.net), George Heritier and Kim Adams (Blogs.GangofPour.com), Mike Fifer (TheWineMonologues.com), Chris Ternes (thewineauxs.blogspot.com), and Joel Goldberg (MichWine.com).

We will be tasting 2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling, 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir, and 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay. Participants can pick up the wines at their local wine shop or order online at BlackStarFarms.com. Black Star Farms is offering $.01 shipping between Feb. 23 - March 9 to business addresses to encourage participation.

During the event, participants will log onto Twitter and search using #ttmi, the Tweet & Taste Michigan hashtag. As the facilitators and winemaker taste through the wines, users can share impressions and ask questions, by adding the #ttmi hashtag to every tweet to ensure everyone participating sees it.

The event, which I will be expanding in future months to include other Michigan wineries, is designed to encourage wine lovers and newbies from throughout the state and beyond to sample a little of what Michigan's wine regions have to offer.

Full details of the event can be found on www.TweetAndTasteMichigan.com.

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"There's so many different ideas about how to turn around Michigan," Let's Save Michigan organizer Sean Mann said Wednesday. "We believe creating viable, attractive cities is key to turning around Michigan's economy."

A contest began this week that accompanies an exhibit at the museum called "Government Support for the Arts: WPA Prints from the 1930s." Entries are being accepted until Feb. 15 on the Let's Save Michigan Web site.

Organizers want the posters to serve as a "call to action" for the state, which has seen its economic struggles intensify amid the collapse of the U.S. auto industry. Michigan's jobless rate was 15.1 percent in October, a national high.

Judges will select 25 finalists and the public will pick winners, which will be announced in March. There's a $1,000 top prize and the runner-up gets $250. Some posters also could be produced for sale.

The DIA is hosting an exhibition titled Government Support for the Arts: WPA Prints from the 1930s through March of 2010 (click through for a gallery) and you can get all the details on the contest and enter through the Let's Save Michigan web site.

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Leelanau Tarts (fo-lomo) by farlane

Old Orchard Brands debuts 'Very Cherre' premier line of cherry juice on mLive begins:

Move over exotic pomegranate, acai and mangosteen. The All-American tart cherry could be the next rage in superhealthy “superfruits.”

Old Orchard Brands is giving the simple pie fruit a chic makeover with its introduction of a premier line of juices called Very Cherre.

The Sparta-based fruit juice company will debut the 100 percent tart cherry juice product this week at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, J.W. Marriott and other Amway properties. There, Very Cherre — available in Pure Tart Cherry and three cherry blends — will be added to sauces, mixed in cocktails and sold in gift shops.

“I think it's a superb product,” said Gerhard Schmied, vice president/director of food and beverage for the Amway Hotel Collection. “It's from our own backyard. I can't emphasize how important that is.”

Very Cherre juice is made from Montmorency tart cherries grown in the Leelanau Peninsula. The northern Michigan region is the biggest producer of the Montmorency cherries.

Read the rest at mLive and check out verycherre.com - kind of cool to see a private company promoting their product AND the region it's grown in! (especially since it's in Michigan!)

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Today I'm at the Michigan Downtown Conference in Lansing. This morning I'll be posting some updates from the conference as I'm able. This afternoon I'm on a panel with Julielyn Gibbons, Ryan Knott and Bigby Coffee co-founder Bob Fish, talking about new media marketing and promoting our downtowns.

capital evening by cmu chem prof

Downtown Lansing

Flash back to last night at 9 PM. I checked into the Radisson and then went out to walk around downtown Lansing. I spent some time talking to a guard at the city jail about the "vibe" downtown (or lack thereof).   She said that when there are events, the area is humming but that on nights when there's no planned festivities, it's ghostly.

Over on Facebook, Bill Palladino noted that in his travels, state capitols are seldom (Austin TX, go get a drink of water)   happening places. Richard pointed out several others that were doing well. In any case, I think there's something a little sad about a city that is supposed to be the heart of Michigan with shuttered storefronts, perpetually torn up sidewalks and lack of life.

Durant Hotel by detroitsky

Dan Kildee, Keynote Speaker

"Our ability to make progress is determined in large part by our ability to work together"

Dan Kildee is the Genessee County Treasurer and director of the Genessee County Land Bank who has worked to use Michigan's new foreclosure law for community development and neighborhood stabilization. He's also pretty proud that he drew Rush Limbaugh's ire for his plan to reduce the size of Flint (and ultimately cities across the country) to reduce their size and increase the ability to deliver services.

Dan notes that even in our terrible economy, it's easier to build on a green field than to reinvest in our cities. He says that Michigan's foreclosure system had a large role in creating our downtown problems by setting up a system that rewarded speculators. Now, he says, the system allows cities to treat urban land as if it has value and to apply community values and vision.

He had a very interesting talk in which he looked at the toolbox that is available to Michigan downtowns and some success stories from Flint including the redevelopment of the Durant Hotel in Flint as rental housing for students and young professionals. He notes that 70% of Michigan's population lives on 8% of the land and that an overwhelming 97% of Michiganians feel that redevelopment in existing urban centers is preferable to building new. With a decent set of tools, he says all that's missing is a bias on the part of lawmakers and our laws to support this pattern of development.

Lansing Mayor Virg Benaro asked us to close our eyes and imagine when the auto industry was in its heyday and how we built great cities during that time. Now, as the auto industry contracts we are still left with these great cities, but what are we doing to preserve and restore them. He then talked about how East Lansing and Lansing - two one horse towns driven by MSU and the Capitol could be 10 times the city if they worked together. He also called for cities and their surrounding communities to cooperate and build the brand of Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit and other cities.

Why Live in Detroit? by Derek Farr

Niche Marketing: Success through creativity and collaboration

A panel with Elissa Sangalli Hillary (Executive Director of Local First in Grand Rapids),
Claire Nelson (Co-Owner & Operator of the Bureau of Urban Living & cofounder (with Liz Blondy) of Open City Detroit) and Liz Blondy (Founder of Canine to Five Detroit Dog Daycare) talking about what they do and how small business can be a driver of vibrant downtowns.

Elissa noted a commonly cited statistic (view graphic) that shows 73% of dollars spent at a local business stay in the community as compared to 43% if you spend your money at a national chain. She discussed some strategies they are using to give small businesses access to pooled advertising and purchasing.

Claire talked about her small business and how Detroit offered an opportunity to start a business that would have been impossible in New York City where she moved from. She talked about the importance of creating a climate that's business friendly and also - through events and collaboration - draws folks to burgeoning downtowns. She also drew a laugh by noting that small business in Detroit doesn't face too many threats from national chain stores.

When Liz Blondy came on I lost wireless, making me again think that about the best thing a downtown can do is to deliver a free wireless cloud. She explained her philosophy of focusing on free networking and and promotional efforts rather than exclusively advertising. Small actions like referring waiting customers to another business to pass the time cost nothing and reap big rewards. Wireless is apparently back.

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Chevy Volt by wizardkitten

Autotopia from WIRED reports that GM is claiming that the forthcoming Chevy Volt will get 230 MPG.

That's more than four times higher than the Toyota Prius, the current EPA fuel-efficiency champ.

The figure is based on development testing using methodology drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Company CEO Fritz Henderson offered no details on how GM arrived at that figure, but he predicted the Volt will be the first mass-produced vehicle to top 100 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Coupled with the car's expected electric-only range of 40 miles, Henderson said the Volt could all but free consumers from petroleum. According to the Department of Transportation, nearly 80 percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles each day.

“From the data we've seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to drive in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” Henderson said. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

There's some interesting discussion about whether or not that's possible after the article and also at Slashdot, where they note that this is what's behind the cryptic "230" ad campaign that pointed to today as the date when everyone (anyone?) who has been wondering about this would finally be able to sleep at night and know what is 230? (also has a link to the Chevy Volt Facebook if you want to befriend this potentially game-changing car.

If you have other questions, maybe Chevy Volt Co-Creator Jon Lauckner can answer them in this video below.

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I read the news today, oh boy. by Alana M. Layer

Like many in Michigan, I felt a profound sense of shock and unreality at yesterday's filing by GM for bankruptcy. It will probably come as a surprise to no one that Michigan will feel the brunt of the effects:

In the latest round of cutbacks, announced Monday as part of GM's historic move to file for bankruptcy, an estimated 8,900 jobs will be lost at GM facilities in Pontiac, Orion Township, Livonia, Flint, and Ypsilanti Township. The cuts will follow the closure of a Grand Rapids stamping plant on Friday that employed hundreds more. Nationwide, GM plans to eliminate 21,000 jobs at 14 plants, plus three warehouses, in eight states.

Michigan's share of the total job loss: 42 percent. And that doesn't count the trickle-down impact on suppliers, stores, real estate and other segments of the state's economy.

descent by b.plus

Your source for information on the Carpocalypse, Jalopnik, has a map of GM plant closures and a list of the 10 vehicles they think bankrupted GM. The Detroit Free Press lists what we know and what we don't, and Tom Walsh looks at the GM that might emerge from bankruptcy. Bloomberg looks at how little the nation appears to care about GM's bankruptcy and says that although the 2 month strike on GM in 1970 had major impacts, the nationwide effect of this filing will probably be a lot less:

...GM has been reducing payrolls for three decades. Its U.S. employment peaked in 1979 at 618,365, when it was the nation's largest private employer and auto manufacturing accounted for 4.1 percent of GDP. At the end of this year's first quarter, autos were 1.5 percent of the economy, and GM had 88,000 U.S. workers.

In Requiem for the General, Jack Lessenberry muses about General Motors' Albert Sloan and his slogan "a car for every purse and purpose" and that he doesn't think that any of GM's most vocal critics like Ralph Nader and Michael Moore ever through they'd see this. Of course Raph Nader and Michael Moore have something to say that I think you will find interesting and perhaps a little unexpected.

The Wall Street Journal headline blares GM Collapses Into Government's Arms and notes that General Motors will be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (to be replaced by Cisco). The New York Times looks ahead with the ad campaign for the "new" GM which is already under way. They had a link to a YouTube video which appears to have been removed. You can see the video (replete with iconic imagery) and also read GM's FAQ on their bankruptcy at GMreinvention.com.

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Boing Boing

...Stereoptic movies go back to 1922, but the early 3-D methods did not work well and were never use in studio films.The 1950's golden age of the 3-D movie began with the release of Bwana Devil in 1952, and was made possible by Polaroid's polarization process and the associated 3-D glasses (captured by this memorable Life Magazine photo). From what I can discern, the Chrysler Pavilion's movie was the very first commercial example of the Polaroid method -- and in Technicolor to boot! It would take another 13 years for it to see reach movie theaters because of the interruption of the war, and high production cost.

And here, through the magic of YouTube, is Chrysler's Worlds Fair feature presentation "In Tune With Tomorrow"...

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