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Why We Went Dark

January 19, 2012 – 8:03 am

Along with many sites on the Web, Absolute Michigan went dark on January 18th to protest a pair of truly awful bills that are on a fast-track for passage, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the Senate's Protect IP Act (PIPA).

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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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Bands, Entertainers & Labels, Blogs & Forums, Business, Community, Dig Michigan, Government, Lawyers & Legal Services, Media, Michigan, Telecommunications & ISPs, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages, Web Design & Media Production | Comments (3)

The Legend of Heikki Lunta

January 17, 2012 – 12:07 pm

Kenny Svenson of Traprock Valley as Heikki Lunta, Heikinpäivä Festival, Hancock, MI, ca. 2001 (www.csumc.wisc.edu)

Now I’ll sing my song , to make the snow come down
And I’ll do my snow dance . Whoops! I almost lost my pants
I’ll holler and yell,  And really give it ----
It’s Heikki’s snow dance song,  Heikki’s snow dance song

~from the original Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song

This weekend (January 20-21), the annual Heikki Lunta Winterfest (Hey-Key Loon-ta) takes place on and around Negaunee's Teal Lake. The festival celebrates the legendary (and pretty much made up) Finnish show god who is said to have the ability to perform a dance causing snowfall. I came across the original version of the Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song on a cool blog called Letters for George. In his Heikki Lunta letter, he explains:

There's a little town called Atlantic Mine about five miles away from Houghton where they hold an annual snowmobile race every winter. In 1970 the race was at risk of being cancelled because there wasn’t any snow. The race was sponsored by radio station WMPL in nearby Hancock. With no snow in sight, one of the station’s salesmen, David Riutta, composed a song called the "Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song." It took him about twenty minutes to invent the lyrics. "Heikki Lunta," it turns out, means “Henry Snow” in Finnish, and Riutta chose the name because his favorite musician was country western singer Hank Snow.

Heikki Lunta was said to live in the back woods of a Finnish farming community south of Houghton, and he reportedly had the ability to do a dance which would cause snow to fall from the skies. Riutta’s song asked "Heikki Lunta" to do his dance to make it snow in time for the snowmobile race. They started playing the song on WMLP, it immediately became a local hit, and, lo and behold, it soon began snowing. According to local lore, it snowed and snowed for days. So much so that they had to cancel the snowmobile race.

Click through for lots more including some photos. Now here's Heikki Lunta by Da Yoopers.

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By farlane | Posted in Area Information, Articles, Community, Dig Michigan, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, History & Libraries, Michigan, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (1)

Martin Luther King’s Last Visit to Detroit

January 16, 2012 – 9:05 am

I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job.

~Martin Luther King, June 23, 1963 Detroit, Michigan

Martin Luther King Jr, Walk to Freedom Detroit Michigan, 1963

The quotation above comes not from Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, but rather from the massive Great March on Detroit (also known as the Walk to Freedom and the Freedom March) that happened 2 months earlier.

On June 23, 1963, an estimated 125,000 people marched down Detroit’s Woodward Avenue carrying placards and singing “We Shall Overcome.” National and state leaders who marched along with Reverend King included United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, former Michigan governor John B. Swainson, and Detroit mayor Jerome Cavanagh. The march ended at Cobo Hall where the Reverend King was cheered by thousands of marchers when he emphasized that segregation needed to end.

King called the Great March “one of the most wonderful things that has happened in America.”

You can click to read the full text of King's speech and also hear some of the speech here and listen to some of King's last Detroit sermon. There’s a few pictures of the march at the Detroit News including this shot of the crowd on Woodward Ave from above (sorry – no direct link scroll down and look for it). You can also get a shot of King speaking at Cobo from Wayne State University.

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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Churches & Religious Organizations, Community, Detroit, Dig Michigan, History & Libraries, Media, Michigan, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (4)

2012 North American International Auto Show

January 12, 2012 – 12:02 pm

The 2012 North American International Auto Show aka the Detroit Auto Show runs January 14-22, 2012 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.

2013 Dodge Dart by ChriKett Photography

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

Blogs & Social Media from the Detroit Auto Show

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

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

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

Attending the North American International Auto Show

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

Detroit Auto Show Photos

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

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

Detroit Auto Show Videos

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

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By farlane | Posted in Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations, Articles, Blogs & Forums, Business, Cars, Trucks & Other Vehicles, Dig Michigan, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, Industry & Manufacturing, Media, Michigan, Shopping, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (3)

Absolute Michigan Giveaway: Lift Tickets to Shanty Creek

January 12, 2012 – 7:56 am

Absolute Michigan is committed to helping our readers get more out of Michigan with our regular giveaways of products and services from all kinds of Michigan businesses. It's free, fun and all you have to do to be eligible is to be on our email list!

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

Ski Month keeps rolling on Absolute Michigan with our latest giveaway, a pair of lift tickets to Shanty Creek near Bellaire in Northern Michigan.

Shanty Creek boasts a 450' vertical drop and has 53 runs with 4 terrain parks and a 300' half pipe on its two mountains. With nearly 200" of snow every year and a wealth of additional resort amenities including a tubing park, 30km of cross-country trails, indoor & outdoor pools, a wellness spa and fitness center and multiple dining options, this full-featured resort is a top destination for Michigan skiers.

This Saturday, January 14 from 3-6 PM Shanty Creek Resort will host their 3rd Annual Beer and Boards Microbrew Festival, pairing a day on the slopes with an après-ski party featuring some of Michigan's best known master brewers including New Holland, Bells, Right Brain, Arcadia, Mt. Pleasant Brewing, Shorts Brewing Company, and more.

They also offer super-affordable $15 lift ticket on Summit Mountain (a section of the resort that includes a terrain park) along with $20 ski rentals if you need them and packages and Monday - Friday lift ticket specials that can help you stretch your skiing dollar:

4 For $44 Mondays - four lift tickets for $44; 9am-4:30pm on Schuss Mountain (Not valid 1/16 or 2/20)
2 For 1 Two-sdays - Two for the price of one lift tickets, rentals and group lessons
KHQ Wednesdays - $20 day lift tickets (through March 14), $10 night lift tickets (through March 14), $15 Rentals (5-9pm) and $7/Hour Tubing from 5-9pm (through March 14).
Thankful Thursdays - $15 day tickets, $10 night tickets, $20 day rentals and $15 night rentals for seniors (62+), military, police and firefighters.
9&10 News Fridays - Every Friday, ski Summit Mountain from 5-9pm for $9 and Schuss Mountain from 5-10pm for $10; rentals are $15 beginning at 5pm. Available every Friday night (excluding 2/17/12).

You won't need ski deals if you're this week's winner - just make sure you're signed up for our email list in the blue box at the top of the page!

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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Dig Michigan, Giveaway, Lodging & Travel, Michigan, Recreation & Sports, Resorts, Skiing, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

Winter on Sturgeon Bay

January 11, 2012 – 8:57 am

Here's a gorgeous time-lapse exploration of winter on Sturgeon Bay near Cross Village Michigan. Jay Burlage of Milapse writes that it's a great place to get away from it all and enjoy a cold snowy place for a bit. The music track is 'Farlem' by Galdson, and here's hoping this will give you a little dose of wintry pleasure!

As with all his videos, clicking for the full-screen HD view is recommended!

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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Boating, Diving & Beaches, Dig Michigan, Media, Michigan, Parks, Photography & Film, Recreation & Sports, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

Invasive Species in the National Parks

January 10, 2012 – 11:52 am

Goby by swatzo

Last year the National Park Service produced a series of short documentaries exploring invasive species in the Great Lakes. The series was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative showing how invaders are changing the ecosystems in national parks and what’s being done to stop them.

All four of them are available through the Great Lakes Echo. Part 1: Aquatic Invasives is below and it explores how zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby and other invasive species are creating havoc in Lake Michigan, causing the food web to tilt out of balance. People can help, clean drain and dry all boating and fishing gear to stop aquatic hitch hikers. here's Part 2: Invasive Plants in our Parks, Part 3: Spotted Knapweed, and Part 4: Emerald Ash Borer!

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By farlane | Posted in Animals, Articles, Attractions, Boating, Diving & Beaches, Community, Dig Michigan, Environment & Environmental Organizations, Government, Media, Michigan, Parks, Recreation & Sports, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

Looking forward with the Detroit Lions

January 9, 2012 – 10:40 am

"This may have been a loss. Even a lopsided loss. But it was nothing to be ashamed of."
~Mitch Albom

There's no doubt that the 45-28 thumping the Lions received at the hands of the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night was a tough reality check for Lions fans hopeful that the team had reached a new level. The internet fairly exploded with criticism of the Lions and a defensive scheme that was unable to force a punt, and then Lions players exploded back, demonstrating frustration and something of a lack of maturity.

To those tempted to hang their heads too low, let's remember that there are 32 teams in the NFL, and only 12 make the playoffs. Our Lions were one of these. The Detroit News has a look at strengths and weaknesses for 2012, and Michael Rosenberg of the Freep shows us that despite the "one and done" performance this year, these Lions do not have the problems of the 1999 Detroit Lions who lost Barry Sanders to retirement in mid-season and started Charlie Batch and Greg Hill and trailed 27-0 at the half in their playoff game.

Mitch Albom's column about the game and what it means offers further hope. He notes that while the final score was embarrassing, this team started the game tough and strong and is far from an embarrassment. Albom's advice?:

So you can weep, or you can put it in perspective. This was a dramatic Lions season. A 5-0 start. A postgame handshake that turned into mayhem. A mega-season from a Megatron. All those come-from-behind victories. A playoff berth. A Saturday night in the Superdome.

Pretty hot stuff for a perennially cold franchise. Remember, there were years when finding a parking space was the highlight of going to a Lions game.

Believe. Belong. You take your steps in the NFL. The defense needs big help, but by all signs, the Lions are a team stepping up. Even if their last image of the season was a stumble.

Indeed. Here's looking forward to next season ... and your comments. We'll close with a link to the highlights of the post-game conference and this 5 minute recap of the game which doesn't include a look at the Touchdown That Wasn't But Should Have Been (which would have given the Lions a 20-7 lead).

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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Blogs & Forums, Detroit Lions, Dig Michigan, Media, Michigan, Recreation & Sports, Sports, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (3)

Detroit Lions ROAR into the Playoffs

January 6, 2012 – 10:14 am

The Detroit Lions face the New Orleans Saints tomorrow night at 8 PM. The Lions went 10-6 in 2011, finishing 2nd in the NFC North. The Bleacher Report has a nice preview of the game, and while nobody is giving the Lions much of a chance, there's no doubt that we are one of the few teams in the NFL who can get in a shoot-out with a team like the Saints and have a chance of coming out a winner.

Matthew Stafford by clintdavis
More sports from Clint!

While there's no doubt that Megatron aka Calvin Johnson is a huge factor, Mitch Albom notes another thing Lions fans can take comfort in:

We've got a quarterback.

No matter what happens Saturday night in New Orleans, no matter what unfolds in this first Lions playoff season since the last millennium, Detroit fans can say that sentence and take comfort in it.

We've got a quarterback.

It is no small deal.

Until Matthew Stafford came of age this season, the guy behind center for Detroit was a phantom. He changed faces, numbers, body types and 40-yard dash speed, but he remained invisible, a shadow, a wispy symbol of a team that was, in the end, going nowhere.

Stafford changed all that. He can flat out play the position. He's not the fastest, strongest or biggest. But he has the intangible, the "it," he makes a play, he leads a huddle, he swaggers, he yells, he engineers comebacks and puts the ball on a dime.

You know the "other guy"? That quarterback who always played for the great teams that came into Detroit and kicked butt?

That "other guy" now plays for the Lions.

Stafford was one of four 5000 yard passers in 2011 along with as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. ESPN has an in-depth look at Stafford that's worth a look. Now settle back and enjoy this great highlight video...

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By farlane | Posted in Articles, Detroit Lions, Dig Michigan, Media, Michigan, Recreation & Sports, Sports, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

January is Skiing Month on Absolute Michigan!

January 5, 2012 – 2:15 pm

Mulligans Hollow by Second Glance Photos Kevin Ryan

January is Ski Month on Absolute Michigan, and all month long we are celebrating skiing in Michigan with original articles and features on downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding along with photos and videos that take you up close and personal with the Michigan ski experience. We'll also have features on Michigan ski pioneers and the rich history of skiing in the Great Lakes State, and from our friends at Seeking Michigan and the Archives of Michigan we'll have a feature on the Suicide Hill ski jump in Ishpeming.

At the center of it all is a giveaway of 4 pairs of lift tickets to 4 great Michigan ski resorts:

Crystal Mountain (click for giveaway details)
Shanty Creek (giveaway coming next week!)
The Homestead (giveaway posted Jan 17)
Boyne Mountain (giveaway Jan 24)

All you need to do to enter is be on our email list - sign up at the bottom of the article! We're not alone in celebrating skiing this month. Governor Rick Snyder has proclaimed January as Discover Michigan Snow Sports Month, citing the fact that we are home to more downhill ski areas than any other state and encouraging Michigan residents and visitors to use this month to take advantage of it.

Black Diamonds Will Have
to Wait... by ( Jennifer )

The Michigan Snowsports Industries Association has jumped on board, offering a program called Discover Michigan Skiing that will give you a beginner lesson, ski or snowboard rental equipment and a beginner-area ski lift pass or cross-country trail pass at 23 Michigan ski facilities! It's available through January 31 and costs just $20 for cross-country skiing; $30 downhill skiing and $40 snowboarding. The program is open to everyone 7 years and older and you can get all the details at their website goskimichigan.com. While you're there, don't miss Cold Is Cool - a promotion that gives every Michigan 4th Grader FREE skiing at participating Michigan resorts.

All in all, it's a great month to be skiing in Michigan. We'll take you out to the slopes right now with the masters of ski videos, the good people at Warren Miller Entertainment and their feature on Boyne Mountain, one of the early and present leaders of the Michigan ski industry.

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

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

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By farlane | Posted in About Absolute Michigan, Articles, Destinations, Dig Michigan, Lodging & Travel, Media, Michigan, Recreation & Sports, Resorts, Skiing, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

Why We Went Dark

The Legend of Heikki Lunta

Martin Luther King’s Last Visit to Detroit

2012 North American International Auto Show

Absolute Michigan Giveaway: Lift Tickets to Shanty Creek

Winter on Sturgeon Bay

Invasive Species in the National Parks

Looking forward with the Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions ROAR into the Playoffs

January is Skiing Month on Absolute Michigan!

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