Scoreboard by mollyali

The Game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes starts at noon on Saturday, November 21, 2009. It doesn't have quite as much on the line, but it's always a big one. Read on for the our massive post on history of this rivalry with tons of links to historical and present-day info.

Originally posted November 11, 2006

According to ESPN, UM vs Ohio State is the #1 rivalry in sports. As even today a picture of Woody Hayes is enough to send me into the berserkergang, I'm not going to argue.

Both Michigan and OSU cruised to victories yesterday, setting up a November 18, 2006 showdown of #1 vs. #2 teams and causing ABC television execs to do the ad dollar dance. We are gathering links, stories, video and more.

1940 UM vs. OSU Program Cover
from the Art of Football
Bentley Historical Library

ESPN says that when Ohio Stadium opened in 1922, Michigan christened it with a 22-0 thumping of the Buckeyes. Wikipedia chronicles this historic rivalry (and what does it say that the rivalry merits a page?), saying that many refer to it as simply "The Game". Since 1935, it's been the final regular season game on both schools' schedules. This year, as is often the case, both schools are at the top of college football's rankings, adding fuel to the fire. The best site on the UM vs. OSU Rivalry from the UM Bentley Library and the OSU Library.

The two modern symbols of the rivalry were OSU coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes and UM coach Bo Schembechler. Bucknuts, an OSU fan site, says Woody Hayes was a "hot-tempered, difficult, and aggressive man". I think they also described the surface of the sun as "a bit warm". Hayes was the perfect arch-enemy: he hated Michigan (check the Bucknuts link or scroll to the comments for a great story illustrating this) and Michigan hated him back. What many may not know is that Schembechler was an assistant to Hayes at OSU from 1959-1963. There really isn't a great site about Bo, but Wikipedia's entry on Bo Schembechler probably has the best info including great trivia like the two teams have evenly split the last fifty seven meetings (from 1949 to 2005), with 27 wins apiece and three ties. Tiebreaker!
There's a whole lot of multimedia out there. The best video we found is at the bottom of the article. On the photo front, you can click the photo to the left for a great shot from Andrew Morrell. There's a great set of photos from Michigan vs. Ohio State 2003. and (just added) photos from the 1927 UM vs. OSU game opening Michigan Stadium on Michigan in Pictures. You can hear "The Voice of Michigan Football" Bob Ufer recite Burying Woody Hayes and other classic calls.

On Google video, there's a great 3 minute intro to an hour-long special from TFN on the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. From YouTube, you can see the 1968 thrashing at the hands of OSU and Desmond Howard running back a 91 yard punt return in his Heisman season. On the musical front, you can learn about the history of the Hail to the Victors song and see it sung from the top of Ohio Stadium. There's also a photo montage to The Victors. On the slightly strange side, how about Jean Luc Picard's orders regarding the Buckeyes? (Check out this photo of Patrick Stewart at the game!)

When you put together "musical" and "strange" and add a triple the recommended dose of "Ohio State", you get something that we have to give an "R" rating but also have to admit is pretty darn funny. Via Deadspin (language, crude humor) was a link to Schembechler in good spirits, back cheering for Wolverines in an Ohio newspaper. In the article, Bo reacts to a band called The Dead Schembechlers (language, crude humor x2). All we can say is that if it turns into a battle of the bands, Michigan could be in trouble.

U of M vs. Ohio State
by Fellowship of the Rich

Radio, Television & News

The game will be shown on ABC at 3:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 18. For radio stations, check out Michiguide.com's University of Michigan Sports Radio list.

In Let the Hype Begin Michigan TB Mike Hart says: "It feels great. It's going to be probably the biggest game in everyone's lives on our team. It's a huge game. We're undefeated, they're undefeated. We're playing for a Big Ten championship and a national championship. I don't think there's a bigger game out there."

The Freep's sports blog has History Lessons by Bill McGraw that talks about the history of the rivalry and adds that ESPN Classic will show seven of the best recent games starting this morning at 10 a.m. (1974) and 2 p.m. (1995), but they won't be airing one of the best in memory - 1969, when the 12th-ranked Wolverines upset the top-ranked Buckeyes, 24-12.

University of Michigan Wolverines Blogs & Forums

the M Zone
M Go Blog
Blue Cats & Red Sox
Michigan Football Saturdays
UM Official Athletic site
The Fort
Schembechler Hall
Mr Wolverine

Ohio State Buckeyes Blogs & Forums

BuckeyeCommentary.com
Around the Oval
OSU's Beat Michigan Week site
The Buckeye Extra
The Horseshoe Lounge
Official OSU Athletics site
OSU Expat Blog

Here's a cool Bo Schembechler commemorative video from last year:

Click here to view the embedded video.

All that reading make you thirsty? Check out the First Annual Ohio vs Michigan Wine Clash!

This Saturday the University of Michigan Wolverines travel to East Lansing to play the Michigan State University Spartans at Spartan Stadium. The rivalry between the two teams and their fans is intense and the Lansing State Journal takes note of this in their article "Rivalry ingrained in players from families - Intense feelings have bubbled up since childhood."

Wikipedia says that the Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy is awarded to the winner of the annual football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans. U of M holds the series edge at 67-29-5, and the trophy has been in Ann Arbor until last year when the Spartans defeated the Wolverines 35-21 and ended a five-game losing streak in the series. Relive the Spartan 2008 victory through this slideshow from the Detroit Free Press.

The game takes place at Noon EST and pits the 1-3 Spartans vs the No. 22 ranked 4-0 Wolverines. Although Michigan has the unbeaten record and the national ranking, the home team has won the last 12 out of 17 games and the Spartans are desperate for a win following a 3 game losing streak. That being said Michigan hasn't lost to Michigan State in consecutive seasons since 1967.

You can read a transcript of a live chat with Shannon Shelton and Mark Snyder, who will cover Saturday's game on the Detroit Free Press's website. Another transcript is available at mlive.com "Live chat: Join Michigan football beat writer Dave Birkett at noon to talk Michigan-Michigan State." Also at mlive.com you can listen to "The Press Box Podcast: There's pressure on Wolverines, Rodriguez to beat Spartans." The Lansing State Journal's Assistant Sports Editor, Barry Kiel and MSU beat reporter, Joe Rexrode discuss the upcoming match-up against Michigan in this streaming video.

MSU vs U of M Video Spirit Rally

Choose sides and get in on the discussion over at SpartanTailgate.com or MGoBlog. These are great resources with all the news and updates you need regarding MSU and U of M sports.

Michigan in Pictures has a couple of posts from awhile back about Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (where Saturday's game will be played) and Michigan Stadium aka The Big House.

Somewhere we have to note Whack-a-Wolverine from the Lansing State Journal and we definitely want to hear what YOU think about the rivalry and the game!

Red, White and Chrome Dream Cruise by kelley girl

The 15th annual Woodward Dream Cruise happens this Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. It's billed as the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture, and with more 1.7 million visitors and over than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles, it delivers. Be sure to check out their Woodward Dream Cruise history page!

Speaking of history, Michigan in Pictures has an excerpt from Cruisin' the Original: Woodward Avenue from Arcadia Publishing that features some excellent photos from the 1950s. Did someone say photos? Check out this Flickr slideshow of Woodward Dream Cruise photos.

The Detroit News are official sponsors of the event and are featuring extensive Woodward Dream Cruise coverage of the activities, photo galleries, live video on Cruise day and live blogging as the event unfolds. Do not miss their Interactive: Your guide to the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Absolute Michigan's video correspondents Scott Allman and Jim McClain visited the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2008 and got some great shots of the cars along with interviews with the interesting and colorful characters that make up the world's largest one-day car event:

It's definitely worth clicking over to see the high quality version.

emil hates rhubarb by yodraws

Taste the Local Difference says that rhubarb is in season. They note that rhubarb is high in Vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber and that one cup of diced rhubarb contains about 26 calories. It's often called the "pie plant and for centuries, the dried root of the plant was used for healing purposes and so prized that Russian czars had a state monopoly over "crown" rhubarb. The leaves of rhubarb contain oxalic acid and are unsafe to eat in quantity (so don't).

Whenever I hear rhubarb, I think about strawberry-rhubarb pie and also baseball announcers saying we've got a real rhubarb on the diamond". I wondered about that (because that's apparently what i get paid to do) and found the best explanation of the origins of that slang and a whole ton more about rhubarb at everything2.com:

Today a rhubarb is synonymous with melees and free for alls, but in Shakespeare's day when a play called for a crowd scene, the director gathered an assembly of actors and had them noisily mutter something akin to "Rhu-bar-bar, rhu-bar-bar ,rhu-bar-bar, which reverberated through the theatre like the sounds of an angry horde. " Try it. I'll bet you sound pretty threatening,  especially if you've got a couple of friends with you. From this "rhubarb" eventually came to be theatrical slang for "commotion." Rhubarb meant 'to make crowd noises', and actors who did it  were called "rhubarbers." This standard stage practice then became a verb "rhubarbing", eventually "rhubarb" came to mean, "fight."

I think we were talking about rhubarb as food, though, so here's a recipe for Lizzy’s Rhubarb Bread from MyNorth.com:

Tag Team by dailyinvention

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb (or more to taste)

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix together all bread ingredients. Pour into two 6-inch greased and floured loaf pans. Before baking, mix together and sprinkle topping over batter. Bake at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes or until an inserted broom straw [or toothpick] comes out clean. Makes two 6-inch loaves.

For all things rhubarb visit the rhubarb compendium website...

On the photo above, Stefan writes: My grandparents do almost everything together. They're inseparable and an unstoppable team when it comes to making rhubarb pie.

The photo is Midcentury Mondo Atomic Modernism from docksidepress. You'll probably want to see it bigger

We'll get back to Linda's Weird Wednesdays next month! In the meantime, check out Happy Birthday to you, Traverse Colantha Walker on Michigan in Pictures.

Lori Larson (Daylily18) has some of the most amazing bird photography I've seen. As an added bonus, she uploads photos like this "biggee-sized"!

In addition to a great set of Bluebird photos, her sets include Woodpeckers, Warblers and Finches, Redpolls and Sparrows. It's not just birds though - be sure to check out her Nature, Macro and Explored set (slideshow).

Here's her Flickriver.

PS: For more about bluebirds, head over to Michigan Bluebird on Michigan in Pictures!

Click this photo from Brooke Pennington for the Spring slideshow from our Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

Here's the link to Brooke's photo (which you can see bigger in his Spring photo gallery) and here is some Spring wallpaper from Michigan in Pictures.

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)

caterpillars (Laura) has a degree in anthropology and studio arts, many cameras (mostly film) and a yard full of lionhead rabbits. She will also totally shoot your wedding, event, or portrait, so contact her.

Check out her Michigan slideshow. Her photo sets include metro-detroit, MCS and SuperSampler you may just want to dive into her Flickriver.

The Real Fab Five, photo by Dave Hogg.

For any successful organization or business, you have to have integrity, and you have to make everything as straightforward as you can make it.
~Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson

(via Michigan in Pictures) Sometimes when I don't know what I'm going to post on Michigan in Pictures, it's a happy thing. Other days, like today, it's not.

Last night we lost a man who has done as much as anyone to bring athletic excellence to the Palace and the state of Michigan. On his photo from December of 2005, Dave wrote "These five guys have brought a lot of joy to the Motor City in the last 18 months." I think that Detroit Pistons owner William "Bill" Davidson certainly merits consideration as a sixth man.

William Morse Davidson was born on December 5, 1922 in Detroit. He played football in the Navy during World War II and was a member of the track-and-field team at the University of Michigan, where he majored in business, following it up with a law degree from Wayne State in 1949. He eventually transformed the family business, the Guardian Glass Co., into Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass.

From William Davidson's Wikipedia entry, I learned that Davidson was only the second owner the Pistons have ever had and that his name is on the Palace floor along with Piston legends who all played during his tenure: Dave Bing, Bob Lanier, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Chuck Daly, Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas. The Detroit Pistons web site tells the story of his involvement with the Pistons and the WNBA's Detroit Shock:

Mr. Davidson owned the Pistons since 1974 and won three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), three WNBA Championships (2004, 2006, 2008) and one NHL Championship (2004). He became the first owner in sports history to win championships in three different professional sports leagues during the 2003-04 calendar year (NBA – Detroit Pistons, NHL – Tampa Bay Lightning and WNBA – Detroit Shock). In September 2008, Davidson's contributions to the game of basketball were honored when he was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (view his induction speech)

In 1988-89, the Pistons began play in The Palace of Auburn Hills, a state-of-the-art arena built with Davidson's financial support: a privately-financed facility, which when combined with the Pistons, formed the foundation of his entertainment business.

...The Pistons have played in the postseason in 19 of the past 25 years, including 11 of the past 13 seasons. Davidson acquired the Detroit Pistons in 1974 from the late Fred Zollner, the man who founded the team in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the 1940s. With a franchise-record seven straight seasons of recording 50 or more wins, the Pistons have won 384 regular season games (.669 wining percentage) since 2001, including a franchise-record 63 wins in 2005-06. The club has compiled 73 playoff wins in that same span and made six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Detroit has won six Central Division titles in the last seven seasons and nine overall since 1987-88. Only the San Antonio Spurs have won more division titles in the same 20-year span.

The Detroit Shock joined the Washington Mystics as the first two expansion teams in the WNBA in 1998 and the team was an immediate success in the upstart league. The Shock have won three championships since their inception (2004, 2006, 2008) and set a WNBA attendance record (22,076) in Game 3 of the 2004 WNBA Finals while also becoming the first team since 1890 to go from the worst team in a professional sports league to the best team.

The Detroit Free Press has a nice article on Bill Davidson that tells more of how Davidson presided over the transformation of a team that was "basically a laughingstock" into one that has won 3 championships and appeared in the post-season far more often than not. You probably will be happiest, however, with Mitch Albom's September 2008 interview with Bill Davidson. They also have a nice photo gallery as does the Detroit News (the second photo in the gallery is great!)

Be sure to check the above photo out bigger and see more great work from Dave in his Your Favorites slideshow.

More links as they roll in... (and please add ones you find in the comments!)

• Mitch Albom's column from Sunday, March 15
• Detroit Bad Boys Bill Davidson, 1922-2009
• Need4Sheed RIP Mr. Davidson - Thank You for the Memories and Championships, You will be missed.
• Bill Davidson's NBA Hall of Fame Induction speech via Need4Sheed
• WDI Namesake, Bill Davidson, Dies has a lot of information about his charitable works in Detroit - over $200 million in donations and more in his time given.
• Farewell, Mr. D from the Pistons & NBA TV
• Definitely watch this tribute to Bill Davidson from WDIV for some great footage of Bill Davidson and of the Pistons.

fotek is working on a great set of Photomatix HDR photos of St. Anne's Church in Detroit (slideshow). He says that it's such a beautiful church that pictures will never do it justice, but I think he may be wrong.

Some of his other sets include Detroit and Mt. Clemens and you should check out his Flickrriver too!

Weird Wednesday already? Nope. Huge piles of ice were pushed by NE winds into homes along Linwood Beach (just north of Bay City), forcing evacuations and causing damage. Linwood Beach residents return to find ice piled around, inside and atop their homes from the Bay City Times begins:

"I was making a grocery list in the kitchen and the next thing you know, we had this," said Angie Hughes, nodding at the ice resting inside her kitchen.

"Once we saw the first two piles of ice coming over the seawall, we just ran," Steve Hughes said Monday, returning to assess the damage. "I just remember hearing the kitchen window explode and the kitchen table getting thrown back.

"It was just incredible to see. It's got to be about 50 tons of ice that came up here in less than a few minutes."

It has some great photos from this latest ice incursion from Saginaw Bay and also from a similar incident in 1946 when Lake Huron ice devastated homes along the bay.

I actually don't know what my dad would have titled this photo, but I think that because he was a fan of words, he probably would have titled it something. You can check out a few more of his photos (including another shot of this maple tree & bucket from further away) or allow me to pull out the projector and cue up the slideshow.

All over Michigan people are driving spiles into trees and collecting the sap that spills out. If you have a maple tree or two, I encourage you to seek out a few spiles and try tapping a maple tree or two and making maple syrup. It's pretty easy and a great way to connect with Michigan.

Michigan in Pictures has a bunch more about syrup.

Our latest Photo Friday comes to us from above Traverse City and shows the west and east arms of Grand Traverse Bay, divided by the Old Mission Peninsula. Be sure to check this out larger.

Matt (Airplane Lane) has a bunch of sets from all over the world, but if you're specifically focused on Michigan, check out sets incuding Union City Lake, Saline and Aerial Photography (slideshow)

Apparently, the long layoff from baseball has affected our bat speed, and we missed the opening of Spring Training 2009.  In 2008, the Detroit Tigers dropped like a fly ball at a peewee game. They began the long climb back to the top last week with spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

Brandon Inge by Peggy

Spring Training Schedule & Tickets

You can get the Tiger's spring training schedule and tickets from Spring Training Online. We used to link to MLB.com for this but they decided to go after bloggers a couple years ago and we're scared of them! The home opener is Wednesday and Justin Verlander has the start. As Roar of the Tigers reports in comic strip form, Justin also has a birthday ... and a special surprise!

Meet your 2009 Detroit Tigers

Mack Avenue Tigers has decided to take on the fool's errand of projecting the Tiger's achilles heel bullpen. He also offers his thoughts on the Tigers rotation and likely batting order. Brian at Tigerblog.net weighs in on who he thinks will assume the mantle of fifth starter for the Bengals. Ian over at Bless You Boys went on his morning prowl and found some tasty morsels including Tiger prospects, Jack "I think I belong in the Hall of Fame" Morris and a little something about Adam Everett's glove. At the Daily Fungo, Mike is profiling Tigers, wishing Tiger legends and  happy birthday and also doing an interesting podcast.

Something went haywire with the 40-man roster page at Tigers Central but you can weigh in at their forums on all kinds of topics including your expections for the 2009 Tigers.  Bob Wojnowski from the Detroit News thinks that while the quieter Tigers of 2009 have some promise, he's not going to get all giddy ... yet. The Freep takes a video look new Tiger left fielder Carlos Guillen.

Tigers on TV, Tigers on the Field

I think the MLB operatives have probably wandered off to check for steroids in the water cooler, so I'll let you know that the Tigers will be featured in MLB TV's 30 Clubs in 30 Days tonight at 8 PM. All 162 Tiger games in 2009 will be televised, mainly on FOX Sports Detroit, which will also show four spring training games on March 16, 19, 22 & 29. The Detroit Tigers 2009 Schedule has them opening away (at Atlanta on Friday, April 3) with the home opener on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:15 vs the Blue Jays. You can see more Tigers video from their web site and also

Here's a cool local blog from Lakeland, FL called "Lakeland Local". In addition to spring training coverage coverage from a Lakeland resident's perspective, the blog features photos and links to photographers, local news & blogs and a nice Lakeland area event calendar (perfect for the spring training visitor who might not be all that interested in spring training). For the duration of spring training, you'll be able to find Lakeland Local in the Absolute Michigan blogroll to the right!

photo: Lakeland Flying Tigers by Lakeland Local

Lakeland, Joker Marchant Stadium, Tiger Town and Tiger Spring Training history

The Detroit Tigers began coming to Lakeland, Florida for Spring Training in 1934 and have been coming back every year, making for the longest lasting relationship between a Major League baseball team and a Spring Training host city. According to Lakeland's page on Joker Marchant Stadium, "Joker" Marchant was the longtime and popular director of Lakeland's Park and Recreational Department. When not hosting the Detroit Tigers, the stadium and Tiger Town complex are the home of the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Also see the google map of Tiger Town and check out Ballpark Digest's visit to the Joker Marchant!

Get your Tiger on with these Bengal bookmarks...

• Mack Avenue Tigers, Detroit Tigers Weblog, TigerBlog.net, Roar of the Tigers, Bless You Boys and The Daily Fungo are all excellent Detroit Tigers blogs
• If you're looking to talk it up with other Tiger fans, check out TigersCentral.com (great history there too!) and MotownSports.com's Tiger Board
• The Tigers official web site through MLB always has great photos and video
• Photos: Keep an eye on Detroit Tiger photos at Michigan in Pictures, the Detroit Tigers photo group and recent photos tagged with "detroit tigers".
• Even MORE photos: the photostream of MLB photographer Emily Smith!
• Absolute Michigan keyword "tigers" has a bunch more Detroit Tigers stories & links.
• Got another link? Add it below! Also, if you go to spring training or come across any stories we miss, please post a comment below!

Snow Plow by Seeking Michigan

As the wind howls through the state this morning, I thought it might be a good time to shovel out a few stories - you can see a photo a snowplow in Bessemer from the Archives of Michigan over on Michigan in Pictures this morning!

Last week mLive reported that the Saginaw County Road Commission became the first road agency in the state (and maybe the country) to use GPS to display where the plow trucks have gone. Road Commission Manager Brian J. Wendling acknowledged ''It's not a foolproof means of knowing what the road conditions are, but it will at least allow (motorists) the ability to see if a plow has been through the area." Check it out on the Saginaw County Road Commission web site. It's a little crude, but on days like today it's probably useful!

You might also be interested in this article about Michigan road salt and salt mining on Michigan in Pictures. For a look at what plowing was like in the days before modern plows (and when the plow operator had a taste for whiskey), check out Old Harry in the Northern Michigan Journal:

Fifty years ago in Leelanau, so the old timers tell it, the winters were much rougher than what we have today. Whether this is really so or merely the result of memories changing over the course of time is open to debate, but without the modern snow fighting equipment we have now-a-days, it's for sure that the winters back the must have at least seemed tougher.

Anyway, back then few people had their own snow plows, snow blowers were unheard of, and the primary weapon in the war against Old Man Winter was the shovel. Harry drove plow truck for the county in those days; a great big old Osh Kosh monster that roared and belched black smoke as it pushed the snow off the roads.

Seeking Michigan posted this 16mm demo film of the Armstead Snow Motors Company concept snow vehicle. It was filmed in 1924, and the concept is applied to a Fordson tractor and a Chevrolet automobile. The original film is part of the collections of the Archives of Michigan. In case you're interested in how this wild machine works, here's the text of the original patent.

Armstead Snow Motors from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.

Star Trek: The Experience by Ralph Krawczyk Jr
Ralph's Trek slideshow

David Coates has produced a great preview (be sure to watch in high-quality) of the Star Trek exhibit at the Detroit Science Center. It opens tomorrow (February 14) and runs through Labor Day 2009:

The show will cover about 12,000 square feet on two levels. Visitors will be able to wander around a replica of the original Enterprise's bridge or the transporter room from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (and have your picture taken). They can see re-creations of the Guardian of Forever set from the classic episode "City on the Edge of Forever," along with Capt. Picard's quarters. Or ride one of two flight simulators. Even the elevator will be decked out.

More about the exhibit in Final Frontier Wednesday: Star Trek in Detroit, Agreements in DC on Absolute Michigan.

I solemnly swear that I didn't intend this photo by digital viking to be any kind of commentary on Valentine's Day when I picked it as our this week's Photo Friday. I will, however, roll with it!

Be sure to check out this shot larger. It's from his Cold as Ice set (slideshow), that includes some brilliant black & white work like this shot of some frozen piers. His other sets include Feathers and Fur and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

I'm guessing from his Flickriver that he enjoys photographing the natural world and the things we have built as they fade away.

I'm pretty sure that this week's Photo Friday would make awesome wallpaper since it's my wallpaper and it does indeed look awesome.

Chris (hardyc) lives downriver and work in Ann Arbor. He says he's a photo hobbyist who is interested in all aspects of photography and finds a good part of his life either taking pictures, using Photoshop or just trying to be creative.

He's got a bunch of sets. A few that caught my eye were Huron Metro Park - Oct 2008, Lake Michigan Lighthouses and the seasonally appropriate Roses - definitely view the slideshow!

You can get more of his pics, including videos, blog and more at hardyc.com.

Matt (iraceonpedals) says he's a guy who loves to travel, ride bikes, take pictures, be with his dog, girl and finds most things generally interesting.

In addition to his sets like A-Deuce (slideshow) and his collection of photos from Northern Ireland (which I of course can't link to it being all Michigan, all the time and all), I think you'll find The Adventures of Ripley Rockwilder (and friends) interesting, including her latest in Dotbama's Secret Service.

View this photo large to see the crazy duck explosion and check out Matt's Flickriver!

Ice Rink by Allan M

The event started in 2005 as a tuneup to Super Bowl XL and was called the Motown Winter Blast. It's now called Detroit's Winter Blast and it happens February 6-8, 2009.

In what has become typical Michigan media fashion, the Detroit News fills the glass half full, dwelling on what you won't get. They grudgingly allow that 40 musical acts, 60 restaurants and three downtown hotels (including the newly-renovated Book Cadillac) offering discounted rates to families just might make it worth the trip. Not to be out-glummed, the Freep leads with the 2 of clubs as well but does finish nicely:

"We could have taken the philosophy, if you can't do it the way you did it in the past, then you shouldn't do it," (Festival organizer John) Witz said. "We took the different philosophy. We tried to create as much magic as we can for as little cost as possible ... "We are featuring more made in Michigan products this year. The wine tasting is going to be with Michigan wines," Witz said. "The ice sculptures will have a Michigan theme."

The festival will include ice-skating exhibitions, marshmallow roasting, ice sculptures, and an arts and crafts area. Festival-goers can skate in Campus Martius Park for free, courtesy of michigan.org.

The MetroPCS Dine in the D program is back. The program offers diners a 15% discount at some of Detroit's finest restaurants. This year, the participating restaurants will each donate up to 10% of their sales (before tax) to Michigan's Children's Center.

MSNBC adds that a major attraction will be the ice slide at Campus Martius Park. It's called the Arctic Blast and it opened last Friday and you can get a live look-in at it on the Campus Martius Park webcam.

More information and full schedule of performances are on the official site for the Detroit Winter Blast. If you want to see more photos, check out Detroit Winter Blast by Rohn Photos and Motown Winter Blast by Pasque.

The 55,000th photo was added to the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr yesterday. It's titled MI snow by joojanta and is pretty darned appropriate for the snowy, snowy winter we've been having!

As always, we are amazed and gratified at the fact that so many of you share photos of such great quality and diversity with us. Without you, Absolute Michigan wouldn't be anything close to what it is.

Thank you one and all!

Pete Meade is from Lansing. He says this photo offers a slightly different view from last week's snow storm. You can see more of his snow shots right here and get this photo gigantilicious-size too!

His photo sets include Winter, Autumn, Mackinac Island, The Asylum and Americana (view slideshow).

Check out Pete's Flickriver too!

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!

Tim says that he's a resident of Northern Michigan who loves the area and all it has to offer. When he's not behind the camera, he's either working, writing, out on the water, on his bike or on a trail - or just relaxing and thinking of that next image.

This photo is part of his pictured rocks 2007 kayaking trip set (slideshow). Some of his other sets include ann arbor car show 2008, petoskey images and Kayaking Point Aux Barques.

Check out some of gorgeous winter photos from Tahquamenon Falls in his Flickriver.

Tina says she took this in the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge (a secret path to Narnia).  Have a look at the Narnia pics from the Absolute Michigan pool.

She is a Cancer Survivor, Volkswagen fanatic, Animal lover, Kayaker who suggests:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr. Seuss

You can view this photo bigger and check out her sets including Michigan Birds, Flowers and Pure Michigan (slideshow).

Follow the yellow leaf road by the pentax hammer

Absolute Michigan wishes
the very best in 2009
for you and yours.

We hope that you will
continue to help us tell
Michigan's many stories.

Holiday Train, photo by StormchaserMike Photography

The holiday season seems to too often become about things that I have no desire to celebrate - busy-ness, consumption and another excuse to fight about the fact that we are a country that is predicated on the acceptance of all religions and lack thereof.

Still, there's a part of me that sat at the top of the stairs, waiting for the report as to whether or not Santa came, one that snuggled in bed with my grandmother listening to the radio announcer tracking that red and white clad superhero of wishes and dreams, who sang carols with my family around the tree on Christmas Eve.

That part wants - with much thanks to Samara and Paws of Roar of the Tigers - to wish all of you a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa a belatedly Happy Eid al-Adha, a Happy Winter Solstice/Yule and a Happy Winter Season for those who prefer not to celebrate anything.

Be sure to check Mike's Holiday Train out bigger and his whole Holidays slideshow.

Santa Claus Girls by Skywalker_ranch

Dennis has a great set of photos of Grand Rapids charity Santa Claus Girls in action (slideshow) writes that volunteers started showing up at around 5:00am to load Toys and Gifts for 13,000 children of Kent County. This is the 100th year that Santa Claus Girls have operated this massive operation to provide presents for every child in Kent County. The Grand Rapids Press has some great features on the Santa Claus Girls that features stories from people whose lives have been touched by the charity.

"If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have had anything sometimes. I thought, 'I'm doing it this year, and I'm going to continue.'"
— Loretta Homrich, of Sparta, remembers receiving candy and clothing from Santa Claus Girls as a child.

Across the state in Detroit (in Highland Park) two anonymous secret Santas handed out $11,000 in cash to needy folks. This is a really inspiring story and I hope you get a moment to read it and view the photo gallery.

Welcome To Christmas by Kristina_5

Under the "Bet You Didn't Know" heading, here's the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, a Midland based non-profit that was established in 1937 and is the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world. Subjects learned in their classes include the History of Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus, proper dress and use of make-up, Santa Sign Language (whatever that is), live reindeer habits and Santa flight lessons. Looks like classes are held every October so if you have visions of sugar plums dancing in your head, bookmark their site!

The enormous Santa to the right towers over the tiny town of Christmas, Michigan. Exploring the North explains that Christmas (pop 400) was given its name by a Munising man who started a roadside factory to make holiday gift items in 1938. The factory is long gone but the town is still Christmas crazy. For more Michigan Christmas-craziness, check out Madman Mike's massive compendium of Michigan holiday fun.

Accuweather notes that Santa is going to need Rudolph's nose and then some as up to a foot of new snow is on the way. Bill Simonson (aka Huge) is hoping that as Santa fills up his bag, he can include a little something for Michigan sports fans. His Christmas Wish List includes a QB for UM, some toughness in the paint at MSU, a refund for Lions fans, coaching lessons for Michael Curry, a bullpen for the Tigers and to please make sure every child has a sports hero and a parent who will hug him or her before he or she goes to bed on Christmas Eve.

When you're down this far, almost every direction is up, right?

The photo is The Detroit Lions Perfect Season by heypat and I must say that the Lions looked like they would let nothing stand in their way of 0-16 yesterday...