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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Neither of these new laws would stop piracy, which Absolute Michigan is opposed to. Both, however, would put control of online content in the hands of large entertainment corporations and the government, placing a giant burden on web media outlets like Wikipedia, WordPress, YouTube ... and even little old Absolute Michigan.

With our Absolute Michigan, Michigan in Pictures and Leelanau.com websites all down yesterday, there was some time to think about the issue, and we'd like to share one thought: We live in a world very different from the early 1700s when Parliament enacted the Statute of Anne to address the concerns of English booksellers and printers (you can look it up ... for now, on Wikipedia).

We are encouraged at every turn and by every consumer device to sing along to commercials, dance to the latest music and in general, swim in a sea of ever-present media. You can debate the pros and cons of doing that but it seems that expecting our candid videos, blogged observations or Facebooked^TM thoughts won't incorporate background music or samples, brand names is flat-out silly. We need intelligent and well thought out laws that recognize the modern world, and SOPA and PIPA definitely aren't either of those things.

Click here to watch a short video or read more about this issue and please take a moment to contact your elected officials through the links we provide!

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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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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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Crow's Nest by Jeff Gaydash

Great Lakes Echo has a cool series about City Recycling in the Great Lakes Region that looks at how brownfields and abandoned industrial centers are being reborn in our region. About a month ago, Courtney Morra wrote Former truck factory could make Michigan a movie star, an in-depth feature on the Raleigh Michigan Studios reconstruction project well underway at the General Motors Pontiac Assembly Center (video from employees on last day). LA based Raleigh Studios is  the country's longest-running film studio with over 2 million square feet of production space. The project is slated for opening this year and  will add significantly to their capacity and create over 5,000 new jobs:

The studio will be equipped for 3D animation and special effects, and serve as a learning center for Michigan film students. Students are expected from the nearby Detroit College for Creative Studies and Oakland Community College.

...The new studio's financing includes $11.1 million in Michigan Film Infrastructure tax credits, according to a report from Crain's Detroit Business.

“The infrastructure credit was put in place to encourage the building of film infrastructure projects, including studios, sound stages and post houses,” said Michelle Begnoche, a communications representative from the Michigan Film Office. “Approved applicants receive a 25 percent tax credit against their Michigan business tax.”

There is a Raleigh Michigan Studios site that is apparently coming soon, but you can get information on the Raleigh Michigan Studios Facebook. There's also a section at raleighstudios.com that includes a studio map, location,  a photo gallery and information about the unique design of 9 sound stages (175,000 sq. ft.) and support space. You can also get more at Raleigh Michigan Studios on mLive including this video tour & interview with the devleopers.

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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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Many more videos from Pure Michigan TV at YouTube.

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To do it, we used the WordPress plugin WPtouch - something you could probably use too if you're lucky enough to have a WordPress blog!

Check it out and let us know how it works on your phone.

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Untitled by Vanessa Miller
Vanessa has a great set of photos from
allied media conference oh8

Wiretap's Jenny Lee has a great article called In Detroit: Arsenal of Creativity. It begins:

“Michigan will be the next film capitol of the world,” Clint Eastwood said in a recent interview following the release of his new film Gran Torino, shot in Detroit. The state's generous tax incentives for film production have spurred a boost in jobs in a year that's seen declines in nearly every other industry. While it's exciting to see the rise of film-based enterprise in Michigan, we can't rely on it, or any single industry to fill the enormous hole left by the decline of the auto industry. Amid the current crisis we have an opportunity to fill the gap in our region's economy with diverse local initiatives, including community-based media, which thrives off the city's creative past and present.

It continues and ends well as it does a great job of introducing you to Allied Media Projects (AMP) and looking at some of last year's conference recommendations like building community wireless and broadband, cultivating local music and teaching media arts. You should go read it.

AMP hosts the annual Allied Media Conference in Detroit, which attracts North America's most creative and skilled media makers and social justice organizers. The 11th AMC takes place July 16-19, 2009 - check it out!

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Sarna mentions the Independent Media Conference - there's a link.

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.cadillac buildings-detroit. by tEdGuY49 ®

Note: they have a special "no frills" registration for $100 - amazing deal!

Detroit will host the Creative Cities Summit 2.0 (CCS2) on October 12-15, 2008 at the Renaissance Center. CCS2 is an interdisciplinary conference on the economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects of what makes great cities.

I could talk on and on about the eye-popping agenda they have created and amazing speakers who will attend - headlined by Dr. Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy, and Charles Landry, author of The Creative City. I could muse about how all the attendees from all over the world might influence the conversation about the re-invention of Detroit and Michigan. I could say that if you can't make it during the week, you might want to check out the Unconference on Sunday @ MOCAD.

However, I think it'll be enough to ask you to watch the videos in our Creative Cities 2.0 playlist below (including a little Detroit easter egg) and tell you to register now! See you there!

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6 by Dane Van

From June 26th to the 29th, 2008, the inaugural Detroit Windsor International Film Festival takes place all around Detroit and Windsor. Screenings and events will be held at the Scarab Club, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Detroit Public Library and the campuses of Wayne State University, the College for Creative Studies and the University of Windsor.

The mission of the DWIFF is to engage the community in the growth of the film culture of the region and to promote storytelling through film, video, games, the web, music and other channels. To support that mission, there will be activities for students of film and media and also more industry professionals including panels such as director Josh Becker (Xena, Hercules, Evil Dead) and about Michigan as a location for making movies, workshops, demos, speakers and a job fair. The center of much of this activity will be the Cineflow TechFair at the College for Creative Studies which will include an opportunity to see the tools and workflow used in the production of modern cinema and new media.

There will also (of course) be a variety of film screenings and the Children's Program at the Detroit Public Library will present specially selected films from the East Lansing Children's Film Festival collection.

All in all, it looks like a pretty cool addition to Michigan's growing list of film festivals!

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One such item is a venture of GM and the College of Creative Studies (CCS) who have created an art education program with Detroit Public Schools called You Make a Difference (view video). GM explains:

The program pairs together a GM designer and a College of Creative Studies student in Detroit. Six times a year, the duo visits a local high school and teaches students the basics of automotive design. Since the kids are new to the topic, they start with the fundamentals-- drawing straight lines and elipses. Over the course of the program, students learn the concepts of perspective, angles and shading and then put all their knowledge together by sketching their dream car, which is put on display at the College of Creative Studies.

"I want them to know that whatever you do, as long as you are passionate about it, it will reward you in the long run," says David Rojas, a HUMMER designer who mentors the art students at Mumford High School in Detroit.

This year, the program has grown to 22 schools and has expanded outside Detroit to the cities of Pontiac, Mich., and Los Angeles. For some kids, "You Make a Difference" is the first step on the path to a career in car design. In fact, three students have already gone on to receive scholarships at CCS.

I'm curious what folks think about bringing business into the classroom in programs like this and more extensive ones like the Henry Ford Hospital's Early College where public school students a high school diploma, an Associates Degree from Henry Ford Community College, and certification in specific health fields.

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Hands at Work by detroitsky

Tim Pulice's Pulice Report blog has announced the Arresting Site of the Month for May 2008. The inaugural selection is Michigan Innovators and Tim writes:

I first ran across this terrific online destination last summer, which dovetails perfectly with the spirit of this blog, wherein I look to spotlight Michiganders who display creative zeal. Bud Gibson is doing just that. Along with Diana Wong – who now is in an advisory role – Gibson founded the site in June of 2007, and has compiled an impressive archive of video interviews with business and community leaders across the state, including MicroMax's Rachel McCormack, the Ann Arbor Film Festival's Donald Harrison, Metro Parent's Alyssa Martina, Blight Busters' John George, and many others...

Read on and learn how to submit your favorite Michigan web site or blog.

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In addition to bringing more stories, columns and blogs to the homepage, they have also added a "You at Freep.com" section that allows you to start your own blog, recommend articles and post photos and other content.

You can take a tour of the new features with Mike Wedland, offer feedback on the new design (and/or rage about where all the Kwame forum posts went) and of course, follow their continuing coverage of Lindsay Lohan.

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Capitol, Landing MI by Irina Vasiliu

Below you'll find a news release from Governor Granholm regarding an agreement to add a 21.9% surcharge to the new Michigan Business Tax to replace the 6% Michigan Service Tax.

The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News have details on the agreement as well.

Granholm, State Lawmakers Agree to Replace Service TaxReplacement Helps State's Fiscal Stability

Protects citizens from massive cuts to public safety, health care, education

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., Senate Majority Leader Michael D. Bishop, House Speaker Andy Dillon, and Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer along with legislative members have agreed to replace the service tax that went into effect at 12:01 a.m. today. Under the agreement, revenue generated by a service tax will be fully replaced by a surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax (MBT).

The State Senate is expected to complete work on the tax package in the early hours of this morning and the State House is expected to approve it later today. Under the agreement businesses will be granted legal protection if they fail to collect the service tax until effective date of the new law.

"This agreement protects health care, public safety and education while replacing revenue from the service tax," said Governor Granholm. "I applaud the members of the business community and the legislators who worked with us to craft this fair and responsible compromise."

Senator Bishop (R-Rochester) offered the following statement: "I appreciate the spirit of compromise to repeal a tax that would have devastated Michigan business. It is only through continued good faith negotiations, compromise and dialog that we can set Michigan on a track for renewed economic prosperity."

"These negotiations were very difficult due to our challenging economic climate, but I am confident that this agreement is a fair compromise that will allow the state to provide the services necessary to support our businesses and attract new businesses to a state that has a tremendous quality of life," said Speaker Dillon (D-Redford Twp.). "I commend Michigan's business community for their willingness to step up and work towards a solution."

"By working with the business community and each other, we reached a compromise that gets rid of the service tax and keeps our promises to fund schools, public safety, and health care," said Senator Schauer (D-Battle Creek). "This is the type of reasonable approach that will protect our priorities and position us for economic growth."

Under the agreement, the replacement for the service tax will phase out under certain economic conditions.

The MBT, which takes effect January 1, provides tax cuts for more than 60 percent of Michigan businesses and provides tax cuts to both small businesses and Michigan's major manufacturers, while encouraging job creation in Michigan.

The MBT helps stimulate Michigan's economy by relying more on profit, providing tax credits to companies that locate or create new jobs in Michigan and tax credits for entrepreneurial and R&D activities. In addition, a significant cut in the personal property tax will help the state's largest employers and commercial businesses.

"With this agreement in place, we can continue working on the economic plan that will help grow our economy and create jobs," said Lt. Governor Cherry.

# # #

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Carousel by jnhkrawczyk

"We've got a shift starting in 36 hours that we've got to charge 6% more on ... and I don't know how to do it."
-John Evans, president of Evans Distribution

Welcome to Michigan, where we somehow seem to be stuck in the Reality TV version of Groundhog Day: Your Government inAction. With just hours remaining before a confusing, unexplained and really random 6% Service Tax goes into effect, everyone who might have to pay the tax is watching the clock and wondering what Lansing will do. Read on for much more...

The Freep's Susan Tompor writes that the new 6% service tax is like one of those bad snowstorms that everybody hoped would skip town. Even the forecasters warned that this thing couldn't last long. This oddly crafted tax on services -- 6% on nails but not hair; 6% on ski lift tickets but not golf -- is so dopey that most expected it ultimately had to be repealed.

Over on Michigan Liberal the editor of a major Michigan web site spars with a long-dead Michigan governor over the much-hatedness of the Service Tax.

An article on the Service Tax Impasse the Detroit News looks at business owners preparing for the tax and also at the state of diplomacy in Lansing:

On Detroit talk radio, House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, pointed fingers at each other for the negotiations breakdown Wednesday over the service tax. The House passed its own plan and then adjourned until Tuesday.

Bishop called "garbage" a House-passed bill that the Senate rejected Wednesday night and chided: "We don't want to let the facts get in the way of the speaker."

Dillon shot back that the so-called "garbage" is backed by a large share of the business community.

Meanwhile, over at the Michigan Treasury, they have posted a disorganized jumble of information about the tax at the top of their page that includes an explanation of services taxed.

Find much more about this issue at 6% of x? Untangling Michigan's Service Tax on Absolute Michigan.

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Grand Traverse Resort by danperry.com

Hey there, if you happen to be in the Traverse City area tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov 6) Absolute Michigan will be in the "Tech City" area for the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce Business & Technology Expo from 9 - 5 at the Grand Traverse Resort.

We're be giving away a $500 Absolute Michigan sponsorship, so drop by, say hello and enter to win!

(and if for some reason our posts tomorrow are late, you'll know why!!)

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Half Staff by Apocaplops

UPDATE Oct 25: Carol of ArborLaw.com writes:

I actually have the entire list of services descriptions covered by the law, on my blog at Arborlaw.com. When the law came out, I cross-referenced the NAICS codes (which are incorporated into the new law specifically by reference) with the section numbers from the bill and the expected new numbers for sections in Michigan Compiled Laws. If you want to see this to determine whether your business services are covered, go to http://arborlaw.com/blog/services-tax. (it's a big list!)

Political analyst George Weeks writes that in decades of following how Lansing deals with financial crisis, I have never seen enactment of such a bizarre, crazy quilt, irrational, inexplicable, unfair and — most of all, confusing to taxpayers — tax.

Crain's Detroit Business goes further, calling this The best tax plan lobbyists can buy. Law and accounting services are not taxed, but the broad category of management advice, strategic planning and financial planning and budgeting will be taxed. Hmmm. So a company buying consulting services to help it keep its doors open is making a “discretionary” purchase?

Like many in Michigan, we're wondering which of the services we provide like online publications (probably not), internet consulting (probably so) or graphic design & marketing (who knows??!!) would be subject to the service tax.

Assuming that movements to repeal or change the tax fail, mLive's blog gives some idea of what services might be subject to the tax come December 2007. The nebulous "consulting services" is made a whole lot clearer when you click over to see businesses classified under 5416 Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services. It's surprising to find that in addition the list includes items that are absolutely essential to the development of new businesses in Michigan like site selection, start-up consulting, marketing, and a host of science and technical services.

We invite you to add your thoughts, comments and suggestions for making some sense out of what looks like a fiscal nightmare for Michigan.

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Moon Patrol by powerbooktrance

Each post at Michigan Innovators is a video podcast interview with innovators who can or have had an impact on Michigan's economy. Two professors at the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University, Diana Wong and Bud Gibson, started the site with hopes that it would become a "highly visible repository of stories that showcase the modern, innovate spirit lurking in the Michigan economy" and also to provide material for their classes.

Their features look at the entrepreneurs and companies working in cutting edge technology such as Aaron Crumm's Adaptive Materials (making fuel cells that provide a 10x improvement over battery power, "technology concierge" Bruce McCully of Dynamic Edge, and Linda Girard, who explains how to Find & Convert Web Customers with her company Pure Visibility.

In addition to searches by industry (web communications to medical research) and by people and place, the blog also allows allows searching by themes like Defining New Markets or Technology & Culture, where you can delve into issues the technological and cultural divide between the US & China.

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An appeal to reason by Apocaplops

StateGate seems like it might be nearing its conclusion with an 13th hour deal reached at 4 AM when legislators were apparently too tired to fight anymore. The LSJ reports:

"This budget agreement is the right solution for Michigan," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in a news release after the vote. "We prevented massive cuts to public education, health care and public safety while also making extensive government reforms and passing new revenue. With the state back on solid financial footing, we can turn our focus to the critical task of jumpstarting our economy and creating new jobs."

Leaving aside the question (for now) of how much harder it will be to create jobs with a reputation as a state that is financially unstable, let's take a look at what was added to an income tax hike - the "sales tax expansion", a 6% tax on services. The Detroit News lists some of the services that might be taxed in New levy to tax 23 services.

The list appears to make little sense, with ski resorts subject to the tax but not golf course, janitorial service providers but not plumbers, tanning but not haircuts and financial & business consulting but not legal and accounting services. What do you bet that TV ads won't be subject ... and also that we'll be hearing a lot more like this from every industry affected?

"Any service tax should be across the board on all services and not single out specific areas of the economy," Stephen Kircher, president of Boyne USA Resorts' eastern operations, said in a statement.

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Summer Night in Old Town by sabatoa

The Model D empire continues its inexorable march to talk about what's going right in Michigan cities with Lansing Area Capital Gains. The first issue includes a feature by managing editor Brad Garmon on the resurgence of Michigan's Capital City that begins:

It doesn't take an urban planner or a census taker to tell you that Lansing has turned some subtle but significant corner on its transformative journey to thriving cityhood. All it takes is a Thursday visit to the corner of Michigan Avenue and Larch Street on a hot summer night when the Lansing Lugnuts are in town...

As with other Model D productions, they blend well written articles with excellent photography and neighborhood profiles (Old Town is their first feature) to deliver a two-fisted uppercut to the jaw to the Michigan's moaning mainstream media.

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The first video we're featuring on the channel is Scuba Diving a St. Clair River wreck. The video is from Marine City, Michigan on the St. Clair River, and it is an interesting look at what it takes to dive a shipwreck in a river with a swift current and a lot of vessel traffic.

You can view more diving videos from noquartergiven and (if you're so inclined) check out the Brethren of the Coast Diver's Benefits Network (from video divers Rick and Deanna Saterstad) for information about them and their business.

* Even includes the ability to adjust color, contrast & brightness
link to chime.tv screenshot on Flickr ('cause Flickr asks for one and they're really so helpful to Absolute Michigan too!)

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Lucas Seidenfaden recently took his camera (and Peleng 8mm fisheye) to Detroit. I thought that the results were pretty cool.

It was made even cooler when I clicked to the slideshow of Lucas's Detroit photos. Hooray for Flickr's User Interface Division!

Just in case you missed it, you really should click over to Michigan in Pictures and check out the post Danny Lane's sculpture ‘Borealis' at the Renaissance Center for much more about this fantastic sculpture.

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Afterwards, the Michigan Library Consortium will host a Remix Party in the popular online environment Second Life (noon - 1 PM EST). Search for "Michigan Library Consortium" in Second Life.

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The current version of Introduce Your Michigan Business or Organization is right there.

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Michigan's State Capitol by Apocaplops

It's a new year and a new session of Michigan government that features new legislators and a change in the balance of power in Lansing. While one thing - our state's economic challenges - has not changed, there's always an opportunity to change the low participation in state government by Michigan's citizens. The best place to start is with you: get involved, let your legislators hear from you and make your investment in Michigan (your tax dollars) count.

Keeping Michigan great starts with you.

Our government is elected by, paid for, and serves us. It takes the people to dictate how the government is run. It starts on election day by voting for those you think best represent your interests. It continues with each of us communicating our agenda to our public servants, the elected officials. Face it, if they don't hear from us, how are they going to work for us??

All next week, we'll be reviewing the various branches of government and their websites. Stay tuned, and get involved. It's your government.

Absolute Michigan's Michigan Government Series

Your State, Your Michigan Government: The Executive Office

Your State, Your Michigan Government: The State House

Your State, Your Michigan Government: The State Senate

Your State, Your Michigan Government: The Courts

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Shapiro Geometry by anikarenina

Issue Media Group (publishers of Model D and other emagazines) have launched their latest internet publication, metromode. The publication delivers engaging articles, videos and excellent photography on Ann Arbor and Michigan's new tech corridor.

ePrize, based in the Royal Oak area, is the largest internet promotion agency in the world. In the video below, company founder Josh Linkner says there is phenomenal talent in the Detroit region and talks about how the company is helping to create a "reverse brain drain" by creating a tangible success story and attracting employees to the region.

Visit the ePrize web site.

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Country Schoolhouse by nomm de photo

The Detroit News reports that some Democrats, Republicans and public policy experts are saying Michigan needs to take a look at extending the sales tax to cover more services and (perhaps) lowering the sales tax overall by a penny (6 ¢ to 5 ¢) to help offset a projected half billion dollar budget deficit. While a tax on all services would generate close to $9 billion, business-to-business services (engineering, legal services, accounting) would likely be exempt due to the adverse impact that could have on economic development. Likewise, medical services would probably be off limits as well reducing the overall revenue to just under $3 billion.

Michigan taxes 26 of 168 services (ranking 39th in the US) and increasing taxes on services is opposed by most business groups including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce who say it's a "very bad idea" and that a service tax could lead to reduced competitiveness with neighboring states. Thomas Clay of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan says:

Our tax structure is archaic, obsolete. All that economic activity in the service area is not connected to the tax system. If you had a tax on personal services, you could reduce the rate and have sales tax revenue that would grow in the future.

Read Michigan may tax services in the Detroit News and tell us what you think about such a measure in the comments.

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director, cinematographer by Geoff George

Yesterday, Great Lakes Politics wrote:

The Michigan Senate is working overtime at the moment, accomplishing more than they have all year. This afternoon, they passed the Michigan Motion Picture Incentive Plan by a unanimous vote ... Michigan is currently one of the only states in the union that offer Hollywood absolutely no incentives to shoot in the Great Lakes State. We have been losing almost $1 billion in investment as movies that are set in Michigan are filmed in Toronto or elsewhere. This, of course, is on top of the music videos and automotive commericials that were also shipped to production companies outside of Michigan.

Read more in Senate Passes Michigan Motion Picture Incentive Plan at GLP and also this article from WOOD TV.

Also, be sure to check out the term-end Lightworks Film Screening at the University of Michigan this Friday & Saturday nights (Dec 15 & 16, 2006) if you're in the area!

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