Life Magazine has a feature titled WWII: How Detroit Won The War that provides an excellent photographic look at how the Motor City retooled to become "The Arsenal of Democracy". Photos include Chrysler's Tank Assembly, Dodge's military vehicle production and Willow Run Bomber Plant where more than 18,000 B-24 Liberators were built between 1940 and 1945. They note that the auto industry's contribution to the war effort was valued at more than $50 billion worth of materials - an astounding 20% of the nation's war production.

You can see a ton more photos of the Willow Run Bomber Plant right here that provide a fascinating look into what Charles Lindbergh called "the Grand Canyon of the mechanized world." Here's the story of Willow Run (and how many newsreels did this guy voice??):

Photo Credit: Library of Congress photo LC-USE6- D-008797, Howard R. Hollem, photographer. Production. B-24E (Liberator) bombers at Willow Run. Looking up one of the assembly lines at Ford's big Willow Run plant, where B-24E (Liberator) bombers are being made in great numbers. The Liberator is capable of operation at high altitudes and over great ranges on precision bombing missions. It has proved itself an excellent performer in the Pacific, in Northern Africa, Europe and the Aleutians. Ford's Willow Run Plant, Michigan

Wind farm in Ubly Michigan by Ray Dumas

The 2nd annual Conference on Michigan's Future will be held Friday November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2009 at Crystal Mountain Resort near Traverse City.

The conference will explores visions of a sustainable future for Michigan, from the critical challenges facing our economy to strategies for developing a stable, enduring economic, energy and environmental future. It features forty speakers providing high-powered, cutting-edge presentations including Robert Costanza, Albert Bates, Thomas Greco, Richard Douthwaite, Patrick Moore, Harvey Wasserman, Richard Gilbert, Soji Adelaja, Joe Welch, and Dan Scripps.

Last year Absolute Michigan talked with Crystal Mountain GM Jim MacInnes about the last year's conference and you can watch it right here:

Photo Credit

The photos in the video are from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr. If you mouse over them you can see title and photographer's name and you can click to see more great work from them.

Pumpkin Patch by Larry the Biker

In his essay Threatening Agriculture, Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry says that it looks as if Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm will veto funding for agricultural extension programs after witholding the October payment for extension. He quotes dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University Jeffrey Armstrong as saying this would be devastating to Michigan's second largest industry in a variety of ways including the loss of millions more in federal matching funds.

“The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station system and MSU extension are providing the research, development, and education for Michigan’s emerging green economy,” Armstrong said.

If that funding is eliminated, or even if it is withheld, he says it would “destroy our ability to build the one economic sector in which Michigan has an advantage,” he says.

What that would mean is that MSU would have to shut down its 83 extension offices -- one per county - plus 15 agricultural and biological research stations and some other programs.

Jack notes that we're not just talking 4H here - we're talking after school programs in inner cities and a wide range of health and education issues that touch all aspects of our lives in Michigan.

I'll switch to italics to editorialize: This is about the most senseless thing I've ever heard of. Michigan is defined by what we grow and right now it seems like we're growing stupidity.

Here's Ford's 2010 Mustang, the history of the Ford Mustang from classic pony cars and the Ford Mustang entry on Wikipedia. You can check out the first Mustang commercial or settle back and watch this video on the making of the Ford Mustang:

The Nature Bar by SCOTTS WORLD

Time, Inc. bought a house in Detroit:

Why would we ever do such a thing? Because we believe that Detroit right now is a great American story. No city has had more influence on the country's economic and social evolution. Detroit was the birthplace of both the industrial age and the nation's middle class, and the city's rise and fall — and struggle to rise again — are a window into the challenges facing all of modern America. From urban planning to the crisis of manufacturing, from the lingering role of race and class in our society to the struggle for better health care and education, it's all happening at its most extreme in the Motor City. (Read TIME's Detroit stories.)

As a story, Detroit has been misunderstood, underreported, stereotyped, avoided and exploited for decades. To get it right, we decided to become stakeholders. Over the next year, we intend to flood the D-zone with journalists, photographers, videographers and bloggers from TIME and TIME.com, Fortune and Fortune.com, CNNMoney.com, Money, even Sports Illustrated. Some will live in the house — dubbed the "D-Shack" after Detroit-area native Kid Rock dropped by with a housewarming gift of a Gothic D (for the mantel) plus a keg of his Badass Beer — and others will stay there while reporting.

Beautiful View - MCS by MikeRyu

With questions such as "How do you survive in Detroit" (below) and What do you love or hate about Detroit answered by city residents and profiles from the Telway Diner's 85 cent burgers to urban farming supported by the kind of in-depth reporting (and national audience) that one of the world's largest news organizations can bring, I really think we'll find Assignment Detroit to be a phenomenal boon for Detroit and all of Michigan.

Be sure to visit Assignment Detroit to watch and read and explore Michigan's largest city through fresh eyes.

You might also stay tuned to AbsoluteMichigan.com/Detroit for features on the Motor City and definitely check out the Detroit Slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr (most recent).

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.

urban hope by buckshot.jones

Throughout each month we post items of Michicentric interest to our Michitwitter page. In case you missed them here is a look back at just a few of the items for the month June. If you find these interesting there are plenty more for you to check out. We encourage you to add any news items, events, links to vids, podcasts or whatever you find interesting about the Great Lakes State!

The photo featured in this post is from the Absolute Michigan Flickr pool and was shot by the very talented buckshot.jones. He states:

This little garden is on the near west side of Detroit. The significance for me is it may very well be on an empty lot where one of my mother's childhood homes once stood. I also find it significant because it makes a statement about the resourcefulness of the folks in Detroit- a turning lemons into lemonade kind of a thing. Around the corner, right off Cass Avenue, sits a vacant corner lot. The locals have salvaged old couches and discarded auto bench seats and have fashioned a small park with the make- do seating placed under of the shade of a few low hanging maple trees.

A Sampling from Michitwitter June 2009

The folks attempting to save Tiger Stadium lost their fight in preventing the demolition and the Freep let us know in their article Detroit commission votes to level Tiger Stadium.

A Detroit city commission has voted to demolish the section of Tiger Stadium left standing after much of the historic ballpark was knocked down last year.

The city’s Economic Development Corp. board voted 7-1 today to authorize the complete demolition of the stadium.

We often talk about how the buy local revolution and urban farming is gaining popularity and that farming is once again becoming a viable career choice. The State News ran the article More students opting to take on farming opportunities in summer, as career choices.

Growing up in metro Detroit, Adam Montri, outreach coordinator for the MSU Student Organic Farm, didn’t consider farming to be a career choice. “I definitely grew up in the suburbs and thought of agriculture as something you did on the weekend or after school or that kind of thing,” he said. Now, Montri, who graduated from MSU in 2001, owns his own organic farm in Bath, Mich.

In our state's quest to harness the power of wind a report was released that the Thumb area is ranked #1. From Crains Detroit Business West Michigan, Thumb best for wind energy, report says

Three regions in West Michigan and one region in the Thumb area have the state’s highest potential for wind energy projects, according to a report released Tuesday by a state board.

We were shown a ray of light shining through the darkness of our current economic quagmire. The Freep reported Economist: Michigan to start to recover in 2010

Comerica Bank's chief economist predicted today that Michigan's battered economy will finally start to recover next year, aided by a rebound in the national economy.

In another positive story on Michigan's economic turnaround Michigan.gov announced Granholm Announces Companies Investing Over $247 Million, Creating More Than 11,000 New Jobs in Michigan

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that Michigan's aggressive strategy to diversify the economy and attract investment to Michigan has resulted in 15 job-creating projects, which will generate more than 11,125 new jobs, retain another 846 and bring more than $247 million in new investment to communities across the state.

One of the more interesting and unusual biit of news came from mlive.com in their story University of Michigan researchers find clues at bottom of Lake Huron to ancient hunters

University of Michigan researchers have found the first archaeological evidence of ancient human hunting activity preserved under the Great Lakes.

Using detailed government data on lake floor topography, a research vessel and a remote mini-rover equipped with a camera, scientists found what they believe are hunting pits, camps and rock structures called caribou "drive lines" on the bottom of Lake Huron.

Much discussion has been made of late that the revitalization of our auto industry would be to go back to square one and the inventors, entrepeneurs and small company jump into the game for some fresh thoughts. Wired.com brought us Tesla Motors Founder: Let Me Run Detroit

Elon Musk has tackled electric cars, space ships and modular renewable energy stations. Now he wants a real challenge: running Detroit.

“When the mess gets sorted out, I’d like to have a conversation with whoever’s in charge at the time — the car czar or whoever — and say ‘I’d like to run your plants, if you don’t mind,’” Musk said, starting that conversation Monday at Wired’s first-ever business conference, Disruptive by Design in Manhattan.

Last but not lease Detroit's art community received some huge support and encouragement. The Detroit News reported Kresge Foundation steps up gifts to Detroit causes

Call it an artist's jackpot, or a clever gambit to help Michigan hold on to some of its best creative talent.

Today, 18 Detroit-area artists officially will win $25,000 each, the first awards of an unprecedented no-strings-attached annual fellowship program designed to keep the area's top visual artists from leaving the state in search of greener pastures.

UK Solar Power Experiment by david.nikonvscanon

The Michigan Energy Fair returns to the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama June 26-28, 2009. This year is the 4th annual and the weekend offers a chance learn all about how alternative energy can and is working in Michigan.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports:

This marks the fourth annual event and as many as 8,000 visitors are expected between June 26 and 28.

Keynote speaker will be Larry Flowers from the U.S. Department of Energy and special tours are planned, including the first Michigan-made wind system in Manistee County and a LEED-certified home tour in Kingsley. The event will conclude with wine tasting at the Douglas Valley Farm, vineyards and organic winery and cheese factory.

Lighthouse Colors by oliviaburger08

It's fitting that the Energy Fair is held in Manistee County as it's been identified as one of the best locations for wind energy in Michigan:

The Wind Energy Resource Zone Board, created by the Legislature in an energy package passed last year, has identified the four that would be best for wind farm development. (see wind maps)

The areas are Allegan County; portions of Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties; portions of Antrim and Charlevoix counties, and parts of the Thumb counties of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola, Bay and Saginaw.

Michigan Energy Fair Links

Recap of the 2008 Michigan Energy Fair

Get lodging, dining and visitor information for Manistee and Onekama from Absolute Michigan

Recap of the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair

Recap of the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair

The Michigan land Use Institute reports on the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair (with video) and also on the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair.

Check Absolute Michigan keyword energy for a gigawatt more related links and articles.

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.

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"...

I came across this very cool photo from the heyday of the American auto industry yesterday. It's interesting to me to think about how deeply our nation identified with the manufacturing and innovation represented by these cars and how much goodwill Ford, GM & Chrysler were able to squander with ill-advised production.

Slowly, it appears that they are earning it back. The Freep reports on yesterday's Ford Motor Company announcement of plans to retool their Michigan Truck plant in Wayne:

Ford is in the process of transforming Michigan Assembly, previously known as Michigan Truck, from a plant that previously built large SUV's into a plant that will build the compact European version of the Ford Focus starting next year. And, starting in 2011, Ford plans to begin building an electric version of the Ford Focus.

...“We are fighting for the soul of manufacturing in Michigan, in the United States of America and worldwide,” Mulally said.

Ford said the electric version of the Focus will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a targeted range of 100 miles and can be recharged through a 120-volt or 240-volt electrical outlet.

You can read about the 47 MPG Fusion Hybrid at Ford and also check out this video on the Fusion:

Planet Detroit by paulhitz

National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" is currently running a series titled "Remaking Michigan, Retooling Detroit" which explores Detroit's struggle to regain vitality in the face of seemingly insurmountable economic conditions. It shows that there is beacon of hope out there if approached with creative, innovative thought mixed thoroughly with a good dose of bold entrepreneurship and commitment.

Once in a while
you get shown the light
in the strangest of places
if you look at it right

~Robert Hunter

Michigan, the national leader in recession, depends on an auto industry that will never be as big as it was. So how does the Detroit area diversify? Who's hiring, or investing in something new? Morning Edition reports on Detroit's desperate race to replace the jobs that the automakers eliminate.

Features in the NPR series include:

Kalamazoo: A Potential Beacon for Detroit?

Detroit Industry: The Murals of Diego Rivera

Scholar: It's Time For The Post Automotive Era

Smaller Firms May Come To Michigan's Rescue

Michigan, Detroit Prep Themselves For A New Era

Geithner then went on to lay out an innovative plan wherein all bonuses and pay for financial companies would now be paid in autos from the struggling Big Three. "We recognize that the major problem facing the car companies is that too few people are buying cars right now, both due to economic uncertainty and the fact that it's pretty much impossible to get a loan right now, at least until we give the banks another couple hundred billion. That's the beauty of this plan: the Government will buy cars from the Big Three which we will then turn around and give to financial companies, spurring demand and sales of pent-up inventory."

Recently ousted General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner expressed support for the plan and remided everyone to come on down this Saturday & Sunday for their 'Buy one, get one free' Sales Event.

AIG CEO Edward Liddy, reached at his private island fortress, responded "This is an outrage. We're trying to untangle the largest financial mess in history here and now the government is stepping in and trying to tell us how to pay the people who created this mess. Do you have any idea what kind of mind it takes to fritter away $173 billion? There's a lot more coming and can't just pull in any schmuck off the street and expect them to be able to blow it."

The office of Citibank's Vikram Pandit responded that while Pandit was unable to offer comment because he was busy deciding between "the red yacht or the blue one," he did feel that a partial payment in Hummers might be acceptable, especially if they could be charged to Citi's new Ratejacker line of credit cards.

More April Foolishness...

Canadian Freeze Ray Wreaks Havok - weird science from our Northern neighbors

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

Five Things You Need to Know for Friday, April 1st, 2005 (Google, Izzo, Michael Moore & more)

Registrants can save at least $25 by signing up today for the $110 early registration fee. The registration fee increases to $135 from April 1-May 4. Registration on the day of the event, if still available, will be $185. A limited number of student registrations are still available for only $35 for college and high school students as well.

The conference seeks to encourage workforce development and economic growth, showcase Michigan as a state that is embracing green economy and to provide a networking platform to build relationships and public/private partnerships in Michigan's green sectors. The agenda includes a panel discussion with Apollo Alliance Director Kate Gordon and numerous breakout session that explore what people all over Michigan are doing today and where we might go. The keynote speaker appears to have been a fortuitous choice:

“One reason we decided to extend the deadline is the fact we received exciting news this week that our keynote speaker, Van Jones, was tapped by the Obama administration as a Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation,” said DELEG Director Stanley Pruss. “We know that people are excited more than ever about hearing how Michiganders of all socio-economic backgrounds can be a part of the new green economy.”

Jones believes it's time to create the Clean Energy Corps - a modern version of FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps. He will be working on the President’s agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources and will also help to shape and advance the Administration’s energy and climate initiatives with a specific interest in improvements and opportunities for vulnerable communities.

Looks like an interesting conference for anyone who is seeking to get involved in the growing "green wave" that is building in Michigan and across the country - register today!

Welcome back to the Ross Sandelius Michigan Music Show. Yesterday Ross provided a photo for our Rothbury post and this morning he tipped me off to the 240-hour "Assembly Line" concert that will take place March 20-30, 2009 at AJ's Music Cafe in Ferndale.

The Assembly Line concert will bring the two worlds together as the music marathon pays tribute to American workers, products and automobiles. The Danny Boy marathon attracted singers ranging from local business owners to the governor of Michigan. The Assembly Line will also call on musicians from all segments of society to come together in the heart of hard-hit Main Street America and help pay tribute to the down, but not out, American worker.

"We call on every manufacturing plant, every car dealership, garage mechanic to join us," O'Neil said. "We call on politicians, loan officers, credit agencies, builders to join us. We call for music to heal us in these trying times.

"We call on the corporate world to join us to help us in our Main Street solution to this American challenge."

The Assembly Line Concert will feature at least 240 acts, performing for 240 hours, nonstop, at AJ's Cafe, 240 Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, Mich.

Each of the 10 days will highlight different aspects of the American partnership between workers, employers, politicians and the media. One day, political leaders will play 24, one-hour sets; another day, auto workers; and another day, local Detroit bands. Even members of the media will have their own day to play.

Well cool. Hope you get a chance to check it out and if you get some YouTube or photos, post links in the comments!

My Detroit by Ross Sandelius

Here's a shot of Ross's 9' print on the wall at AJ's.

windmill (sepia) by idiot_girl

In Training Turbine Installers: A Michigan First, the blog Got2BeGreen tipped us off to:

A school in southwest Michigan called Kalamazoo Valley Community College is launching a first-of-its-kind program to train people to install wind turbines. If you want to get one of those green jobs that Van Jones and the others keep talking about, you might want to sign up.

...the KVCC Wind Turbine Technician Academy program is set to begin in October. It will run for 26 weeks, be based on a European certification standard and train people in the installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of commercial-scale turbines, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

From the Gazette's article:

There is a similar program to it in Alberta, Canada, but when this program launches in October through KVCC's Michigan Technical Education Center, it will be the only one like it in the United States, said Jim DeHaven, vice president for economic and business development for KVCC.

"People are going to be coming from all over the country to get into this class because the waiting list is so long in Alberta," DeHaven said.

"It's going to put us on the national and international map," he said.

The article also notes that KVCC will be offering a program starting this summer to teach people to service commercial-grade wind turbines and Got2BeGreen called out a similar program that Delta College in Bay County is working on.

The 49ers were after gold but it looks like the 09ers will be after wind!

Face Plant by by Rudy Malmquist

We try to be as positive as possible, but I do hope that everyone (and yes, I'm looking at you elected officials) is preparing to need to do extraordinary things to keep our state and the people in it afloat.

1. Jack Lessenberry spoke with Ismael Ahmed, director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, who worries that Michigan is nearing the cliff, staring down:

...an explosion in poverty, in need, in families slipping below the water line, just at a time when he knows he is going to have to do much, much more with less money...

(Ahmed says) "We've seen a dramatic increase in poverty in the state. More than one-fourth of children are living in poverty. "More than 2 million people are living below the poverty line, and that's still increasing. And when you count people who are working but who just don't make enough to live, that increases to about a third of the state."

2. When we look at our massive deficit, it's instructive to look at what's behind it. Peter Luke at mLive points out that tax cuts have left Michigan unable to invest in itself:

The Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution is simple. The state can collect up to 9.49 percent of personal income in taxes and fees approved by the Legislature. Anything over that has to be returned to taxpayers. The aim was to cap the growth of government.

...in funding essential services, state government in 2010 will collect a little more than half -- $14 billion-- of what the father of the modern conservative movement in Michigan thought appropriate.

For all the hand-wringing over how to return to prosperity, Michigan is unable to make long-term investments in its future.

Luke gets bashed in the comments on his article, but the case he makes that we have cut ourselves into a corner is worth a little thought.

3. On the bright side, the Michigan Policy Network says that our corner is nowhere near as dark as California's:

The projected FY2009 budget gap is 672 million dollars. This number is significant, and additional cuts or tax increases are needed to stabilize Michigan’s economy. However, this budget deficit is only 2.9% of the size of the total projected budget, a comparatively small margin. While the situation seems significant, consider California. The nation’s biggest state has an astounding projected deficit of 35.9 billion dollars. That’s 35.5% of the total projected 2009 budget.

4. The Freep takes a look at a few measures designed to spark our sputtering economy.

5. Finally, I'd like to direct you over to Michigan in Pictures where you can see this photo from the pentax hammer bigger and hopefully take a little hope into your day from these words:

In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

water bottles by shrff14

Last week I received a rather shocking bit of news from J Carl Ganter. Carl is a childhood friend, fellow Michigander and founder of a super cool organization grappling with the world water crisis called Circle of Blue. What he sent me was a link to his article Energy Drink: New Study Shows Added Costs of Bottled Water. It begins:

As the world launches stimulus plans and energy initiatives, there's a new way to save, as it turns out, lots of oil: cut back on bottled water.

In the first peer-reviewed study of its kind, researchers at the Pacific Institute found that in 2007 alone bottled water in the U.S. used "the equivalent of between 32 and 54 million barrels of oil--roughly one-third of a percent of total U.S. primary energy consumption."

The report, just published in the February 2009 issue of Environmental Research Letters and authored by Peter H. Gleick and Heather Cooley, finds that "bottled water is up to 2000 times more energy-intensive than tap water. Similarly, bottled water that requires long-distance transport is far more energy-intensive than bottled water produced and distributed locally."

Here's a link to the full report. In the interest of establishing the Michigan bona fides for this post, I should also point out that the water bottles in the picture are from Ice Mountain, which is bottled in Michigan.

People and Land (PAL) is an organization focused on growth and change in Michigan, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Every day, decisions made by local officials and state leaders about how Michigan’s land is used have great impact on both regional quality of life and our state’s economic future. Those decisions are often chaotic and damaging.

PAL is focused on Six Pillars for Prosperity, an agenda to reinvent Michigan as a global economic player. With this agenda as a guide, Michigan needs to carefully plan how communities and regions grow so they will develop in ways that create outstanding quality of life and economic prosperity, and strategically position those communities and regions as contributors to the New Economy.

327 Chevy Volt by mikeh5856

The Michigan Messenger asks: Will batteries recharge Michigan's economy? To answer it, they turn to science writer Howard Lovy, one of the founders of Ann Arbor-based nanotechnology and microsystems publication Small Times. Lovy has covered science, technology and business for Michigan and national media including Wired and the New York Times and provides the best analysis of what over $350 million in tax credits for battery manufacture will mean for Michigan.

Lovy notes that while lithium-ion battery manufacturing for electric hybrid vehicles will not in and of itself be a huge employer for Michigan, the issue is vitally important for one reason:

Infrastructure.

It’s even coming out of the mouths of GM, which appears to be ahead of the other U.S. automakers when it comes to reading the proverbial writing on the wall. Larry Burns, vice president for research and development for GM, has called for “sharing the public/private risks and rewards — possibly creating a partnership between the U.S. government, auto manufacturers and suppliers, the energy and infrastructure industries …”

What many in the U.S. Congress — and Detroit’s critics across the country — failed to grasp is that the auto industry is infrastructure and just as important to our national health and future as rebuilding crumbling bridges. And, a key part of that infrastructure involves batteries. An investment in the auto industry, in batteries, is akin Eisenhower’s launch of the Interstate Highway System. Old Dwight pictured the system as being used for national defense. Civilian use, of course, completely overshadowed the need to move missiles around.

Better batteries, stand-alone fuel cells, for our automobiles will eventually translate to better, smarter power for our homes and offices. It is directly related to new smart grid technologies that will replace our creaking, old 20th century electric power infrastructure.

This is a great article and I really hope you can take a moment to read it. You might also want to hear GM CEO Rick Wagoner discuss the lithium ion battery pack that powers the Volt and other hybrids:

2008_03_04_UofM_HistoryMuseum_Walking
by Andy Tanguay

Jack Lessenberry writes about the frustrations of journalists at the bare cupboard of swag at this year's Detroit Auto Show and the seeming idiocy of holding an event like this in sub-arctic Detroit in The fossil show in the Metro Times. He then says:

However, I actually think I might go to the auto show for the first time in years, and not just because I have been thinking of replacing the 1927 Bugatti convertible Wayne State issued me. No, I think this might be a really fascinating year, somewhat like a trip to the end of the Cretaceous Era, when the dinosaurs were on their way out, but not quite extinct. Most people's attention would be drawn to the surviving giant lizards, still stomping and thrashing around. But I would go to see the primitive mammals.

They would have been mainly little rat-like things, nondescript, but they would have been the future, much like the hybrids and electric cars are now. My analogy isn't perfect: The dinosaurs, scientists now think, died almost all at once, thanks to a meteor or a comet, sort of that era's equivalent of a Republican-controlled Senate. Vehicles powered only by petroleum will be with us for some time. But it is not at all clear how long any of the Big Three will last; the experts don't expect a stand-alone Chrysler will make it to 2010,

But there will still be cars of some sort, and the next generation of hybrids will be on display, as will further examples of the supposedly soon-to-be-available electric cars. Some of these things will flop. Others may not.

That's an interesting take on a Detroit tradition that is fallen on hard times. And given that some of the mammals are made in Michigan, I don't think that's an altogether depressing take on the matter.

Speaking of dinosaurs...

...now even huskier!

The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing is a great place to learn about Olds and about the automotive industry in Lansing. The page on the Reo Motor Car Company Plant from the National Historic Landmark program says that:

By 1907 Reo had gross sales of four million dollars and the company was one of the top four automobile manufacturers in the US. After 1908 however, despite the introduction of improved cars designed by Olds, Reo's share of the automobile market shrank due in part to the development of giants like Ford and General Motors. Reo's stagnation must be attributed in large part to Olds himself, who was talented mechanically but not administratively.

The Reo Motor Company did moderately well into the 1920's, but REO struggled during the Great Depression, ultimately ending car production in 1936. Here is a look at the Image of the Month from January 2007 at the Archives of Michigan featuring a set of blueprints of the R.E. Olds Mansion in Lansing.

Having featured many Michigan Notable Books on Absolute Michigan it seemed appropriate to dig up the 2005 notable book - "The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown U.S.A." by Lisa M. Fine (You can read excerpts from the book by following the link)

"The Reo Motor Car Company operated in Lansing, Michigan, for seventy years, and encouraged its thousands of workers to think of themselves as part of a factory family. Reo workers, most typically white, rural, native-born Protestant men, were dubbed Reo Joes. These ordinary fellows had ordinary aspirations: job security, decent working conditions, and sufficient pay to support a family. They treasured leisure time for family activities (many sponsored by the company), hunting, and their fraternal organizations. Even after joining a union, Reo Joes remained loyal to the company and proud of the community built around it.

Lisa M. Fine tells the Reo story from the workers' perspective on the vast social, economic, and political changes that took place in the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Lisa Fine explores their understanding of the city where they lived, the industry that employed them, and the ideas about work, manhood, race, and family that shaped their identities."

R.E. Olds: The Man Behind the Wheel

Matt writes: This is a VERY early cut of a documentary I am producing on R.E. Olds, founder of the Oldsmobile and REO car companies. This was played in 2004 at the REO Car Company Centennial celebration (my first big premiere!) and I am currently recutting it for the R.E. Olds Museum in Lansing, MI. (direct link to video)

Additional Resources:
Photos of the REO Motor Plant - Library of Congress

Reo Motor Company - Michigan.gov (History, Arts & Libraries)

An exhaustive compilation of Oldsmobile links - Automotive World Magazine

THE REMARKABLE STORY OF A BABY REO; 1905 TO 2008 - The Auto Channel

At 102, Baby Car Goes Home Again - The New York Times

Oldsmobile was America's oldest nameplate - The Detroit News

We say Detroit Auto Show, you say..?

We're going to continue to call the 2009 North American International Auto Show the "Detroit Auto Show" until we receive a convincing argument to stop. "North American International Auto Show" is just too long and NAIAS sounds like some kind of acronym thought up to make everyone happy that doesn't. The NAIAS history page doesn't explain why the Detroit Auto Show changed its name after 82 years in 1989. Concept Carz suggests that it was because Detroit Auto Show became an international event that year, but Edmunds says that BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo first joined the show way back in 1957.

Blogging the Detroit Auto Show

If you like your coverage on the irreverant side, look no further than the 2009 Detroit Auto Show on Jalopnik. Get daily updates on mlive's Detroit Auto Show - Concept Cars, New Vehicles, Rumors, Pictures, Videos. Over at Autoblog they pile up the photos as fast as the car companies can dish them out - check out this post on the Detroit 2009: Little Bigtime - Concept C takes Lincoln in a brand-new direction for a taste. If you like your cars oil-free, you should keep an eye on Autoblog Green (be sure to check out BREAKING: Detroit 2009 - GM building Volt battery packs with LG Chem cells - this is good news for Michigan). Watch a video on GM's battery plans at Freep.com. Pretty much everyone with a blog is covering it of course, from Cars.com to Motor Trend to Popular Mechanics to the Hello Kitty blog. We were going to run down newspaper coverage as well, but it's enough to give you the links to the Detroit News Auto Show pages - their article on Big 3's hybrid message: We will survive; we will be green probably sets the tone for 2008 - and the Freep's NAIAS coverage.

Detroit Auto Show Photos

The photo at the top right is murcielago roadster by joojanta from the Absolute Michigan pool. He has a great set of photos called NAIAS 200x with more. 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 and you can get daily pics from the official 2009 North American International Auto Show media site through MSN. 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 and the 1957 Detroit Auto Show from the Michigan Historical Museum.

Detroit Auto Show Video

Once again, the blogs and papers above have video. For more, we turn to a YouTube search on Detroit Auto Show (see the most recently added NAIAS videos). A few notable ones are the Motor Trend Electrifying! - Chrysler 200C Concept - 2009 Detroit Auto Show, the North American International Auto Show 2009 the Detroit Auto Show Preview 2009 in HD from MSN Autos US, Edmunds Inside Line presents 2009 Detroit Auto Show Preview: NAIAS and Chinese Autos Lead 2009 North American Intl. Auto Show from Santa Barbara Arts TV.

2009 NAIAS Highlights: Detroit Auto Show - edmunds Inside Line:

Attending the Detroit Auto Show

The NAIAS web site - ok, so I'll type it - has everything you need to know about attending the public show ($12 for adults this year) and the black tie charity preview. If you can't attend, you might squint your eyes and see if this detnews.com virtual tour does the job for you. If you do attend and take pictures or video, we'd love it if you'd share them with us on Flickr and YouTube!

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

MSU College of Human Medicine by Eridony

Going up

The New York Times reports that in the midst of the darkest economic times Michigan has seen in decades, the University of Michigan is spending billions to grow with nearly three million square feet new buildings for science, medicine, health, art, business, sports, food service and student housing under construction and five others  in the design stage.

wizardkitten at Blogging for Michigan packed a lot of positive economic stories for Michigan into a post about how Obama's "Green New Deal" can create jobs, ease global warming and lessen our dependence on foreign oil all at the same time. She links to a nice article about Michigan-based Hemlock Semiconductor and also to related stories in the Freep and LA Times and notes that when added to our burgeoning movie industry, those folks out on the west coast might start to think that we are OK after all. Especially if - as she reports elsewhere - Gov. Granholm is tapped for the post of Queen of England.

Fallen by jnhkrawczyk

Going down

Unfortunately, it's not all (or even mostly) good news. Comerica Bank's preliminary November Michigan Business Activity Index (28k PDF) fell 4 points to 79 - the lowest level in 16 years. The November reading was down 13 points from November 2007 and 27% from its October 2003 peak of 108. That decline rivals the largest previous peak- to-trough decline of 33% between September 1978 and June 1980.

Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry notes that while Washington doesn’t have to live within its means and can borrow and borrow and borrow - hello $11,000,000,000,000 national debt - state governments are not so lucky (also check out his interview with Chris Christoff, the Freep's Lansing Bureau chief). Jack notes that every few months, Michigan has a "revenue estimating conference" wherein budget controllers assess expected revenues as compared to budgeted expenditures. When revenues fall short, it's time for cuts. A round of cuts is expected this month, and it likely won't be the last. He says that our elected officials can go to their usual strategy of blaming each other (and solving nothing) or steal a page from the past:

Back in the 1970s, Governor Milliken used to convene regular weekly meetings of what he called the “quadrant,” the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate. They would get together and discuss how best to solve state problems.

Governor Jennifer Granholm should try that. She is in a position to serve as an honest broker. She can’t run again. These are desperate times, and saving the state needs to take top priority.

In a move that seems oddly desperate, General Motors is selling about 200 vehicles from its collection of 1000 vintage GM cars & trucks. They will be sold at Barrett-Jackson's 2009 Scottsdale Auction and could raise as little as $5 million.

And speaking of roller coasters...

Reports suggest that the Tigers are no closer to filling the roll of closer. Rollercoaster Jones, where are you?

The North Pole by luna.nik

Dear Santa,

I realize that we in Michigan seem to be asking for a lot of stuff lately: auto bailouts, people to listen to Tim Allen and come visit us, a football team that can win a game, etc.

However, I thought it might be worth writing a little list out in case you were wondering what to get us.

• A little patience to go with that auto bailout. We understand that the Big Three have been anything but proactive in turning their companies around but it does look that with cars like the GM Volt and the Ford Fusion hybrid, they are headed down the right path.
• Some discussion about just what's wrong with providing health care for people. The car companies are being bashed for providing health care and benefits to their employees. At one time, this was the highest expression of the American dream, but somewhere along the line it became something stupid or outright evil. Why is this? ...and why isn't it wrong when the providee is a US Representative or Senator?
• An owner who cares enough to hire a GM who gets it. Granted, this isn't a weighty concern in the broader scheme of things, so think of it as a stocking stuffer. If it's not too much trouble, could you bring Mr. Ford just a glimmer of judgment that would allow him to hire a GM of the caliber of Dumars or Dombrowski?
• The wisdom and courage to protect our water. The Great Lakes and Michigan's water are facing an army of threats: pollution, sulfide mining, diversion and invasive species. It will be tempting to sell our water out to buy our way out of our current problems. When we have sold and ruined it, however, we will have less than nothing.
• A little realization for all of us on what we do have here in Michigan. I think we all have a tendency to get so down about what's going wrong for us here in Michigan that we forget the amazing bounty we have been blessed with. If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you - these are not empty words, and even in these dark times, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Please add anything you're hoping for below and we at Absolute Michigan hope that you and yours receive a bounty of blessings this holiday season.

Built in America by radiospike photography

Pretty much everyone (Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, mLive, NY Times and Wall Street Journal) is reporting that President Bush has approved a $17.4 billion bailout. Assessments vary, but as the WSJ writes:

...it likely will achieve what officials recognized as a more important -- and perhaps conflicting -- goal: preventing a collapse of one of the country's most important industries, at a time of broad economic weakness. The administration was particularly worried about what it termed a "disorderly" collapse of the industry.

"We lost 533,000 jobs last month," Mr. Bush said in an appearance Thursday. "What would another million jobs lost do to the economy? What would that do to the psychology in markets? What would that do -- how would that affect the working people? And so as you can tell, we're all in, in this administration. And if need be, we'll be in for more."

Watch Bush's conference via The YouTube. After listening to his speech - I have to wonder What took so long??? Actually, I'm also wondering: will it be in time or are we already over the cliff, Thelma?

A2 City Reflections by Behind
My Blue Eyes ~~ Stevie Exxxx

Before we go into some positive economic stories from Michigan, here's The Big Fat Auto Bailout Collapse from The Daily Beast and Mitch Albom saying Hey, you senators: Thanks for nothing:

There ought to be a law — against the hypocrisy our government has demonstrated. The speed with which wheelbarrows of money were dumped on Wall Street versus the slow noose hung on the auto companies’ necks is reprehensible. Some of those same banks we bailed out are now saying they won’t extend credit to auto dealers. Wasn’t that why we gave them the money? To loosen credit?

Where’s your tight grip on those funds, senators? Where’s your micromanaging of the wages in banking? Or do you just enjoy having your hands around blue-collared throats?

The carmakers did get a modicum of hope on Saturday, and the Wall Street Journal looks at considerations facing the White House in what appears to the likely granting of funds to the carmakers from the financial bailout package. You can also check out Gov. Granholm, former governor Mitt Romney, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Wal-Mart president Lee Scott and Google CEO Eric Schmidt discussing the auto bailout and the wider economy on Meet the Press (if you want to skip the Rod Blagojevich-fest that leads off, scroll to 20:30).

One of the items lost in the general shroud of gloom hanging over Michigan last week was the news that MSU was awarded $550-million nuclear physics project by US Energy Department. Michigan State University will be the site for a new $550-million research Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that will employ at least 300 people. The equipment:

...would be at least 1,000 times more powerful than the machines now running at MSU's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In some cases, 100,000 times more. It will be used to provide intense beams of rare isotopes for researchers which will lay the groundwork for study in a number of fields, including treating cancer and providing technology for border security.

Last week also saw the launch of the Keep Michigan Working program, a partnership of state, local and community officials designed to assist workers and businesses with challenges posed by the economic downturn. Head over to mLive to read more about the program that will focus on attracting businesses through financial incentives and developing a workforce to support emerging industries like alternative energy, life sciences and information technology. Be sure to also check out the info on the Keeping Michigan Working site including a list of high-demand jobs & job facilitators in your area of Michigan.

I had hopes yesterday that I'd be able to include the Lions triumphantly fighting off NFL history in this feature. I think we all could have guessed how that turned out. However, even though they moved to 0-15 and a heartbeat from "worst team ever", Lions kicker Jason Hanson set an NFL record for most career field goals over 50 yards. Congratulations to a real class act! Here's Jason Hanson's Wikipedia page and also his player bio from the Detroit Lions.

The teeny photo above is V8 by Ralph Krawczyk Jr. It needs to be seen bigger, so go look!

snow shovel by Latitude 45

The Ann Arbor Business Review asks where is America's love for Detroit? The answer, it seems, is not in the media:

We know the U.S. auto industry has been working through some issues for some time now, and we realize that Detroit isn't a national symbol for prosperity.

But come on.

The one thing this state needs to face today is the sobering fact that yes, the rest of the U.S. really does hate Detroit.

They look at how a story on urban farming got spun into an indictment of city planning by Bloomberg (sort of balanced, but is there a "best practice" for shedding half your population and revenue?) and link to a painful slideshow on Detroit's ruins (painful for subject and unholy web 1.0 clunkiness) that appeared in Time.

It may be that coverage of auto bailout vs financial bailout wasn't biased, I know that I've seen more and more of this Detroit and seemingly Michigan contempt in my travels around the net. Nasty comments, cheers of "burn baby burn", charges of $150/hr UAW average pay all make me wonder exactly what we did to earn this. Heck, we're even seeing an increase of hate crimes within Michigan.

Where's the love, Michigan?

Freep columnist Drew Sharp says that the Detroit Lions players like Dominic Raiola aren't the ones who should be apologizing to fans for the "product" that is Detroit Lions Football. I'll give you two guesses as to who he thinks should apologize (one for each of them).

I was going to take you out with a Jim Rome Hate-Down on the Motor City Kitties featuring "The Super Bowl of Tanking" and a clear path to 0-16:

I can see that a Lions win would be totally meaningless in the bigger picture, but I think it would somehow make a difference for me.

How about you?

Star Trek - TOS Bridge Set by tkksummers

The Detroit Free Press reports that:

"Star Trek: The Exhibition" is to make its first Midwest stop at the Detroit Science Center beginning Feb. 14, the museum is to announce today. Tickets are to go on sale Friday, in time for people to buy as Christmas gifts for their favorite Trekkies.

"We are thrilled to be the first Midwest venue for the exhibit," said Todd Slisher, vice president of science programs at the museum. "I think it's one of the major blockbuster exhibitions traveling around the country."

You can learn more about the exhibition (with photos) from TrekMovie.com and though the Detroit Science Center web page on the Star Trek exhibit.

While you're checking out the strange and unusual, be sure to take a trip to the salt mines beneath Detroit via Michigan in Pictures!

Distant frontiers appear to have gotten closer in Washington as well, with the Detroit News reporting yesterday that Democrats in Congress and the White House have reached an agreement in principle on a bailout package. It's clear that the auto industry will have nothing like the free reign of the finance markets, however:

The changes to the plan hammered out Tuesday leave little wiggle room for the automakers, which will have to radically cut costs, restructure debt and negotiate new concessions with the United Auto Workers in a few short months to hold on to the loan money. Shareholders and others are also likely to have to make concessions.

OK, here's a little (low quality) video tour of the exhibition: