https://michpics.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/pure-michigan-vs-pure-greed-at-hartwick-pines/
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/08/oil_lease_proposed_under_400-y.html
Michigan’s largest stand of old growth pines, some 400 years old, may have oil drilling underneath them at Hartwick Pines State Park.
What does preserving Michigan’s heritage matter when some oil company can make a huge profit. Welcome to RickSnyder’sLand where all values are monetary.
This past July, I had a long weekend in Detroit with my brother and a couple of his friends from Traverse City. Staying in the Marriott, across the street from the Renaissance Center, we made full use of all that downtown Motown had to offer. This included two Tigers games at Comerica Park where we enjoyed the Camacho Cigar Bar at the stadium and saw the Tigers beat Minnesota twice. Dinners were found at the Pegasus in Greektown and at Jacoby’s German Biergarten on Brush Street. We discovered the recently opened 1701 Executive Cigar Bar on Cadillac Square and enjoyed its hospitality one Saturday evening.
Behind third base at the Tigers game
During our entire stay we used public transportation in the form of the People Mover, a couple of cabs, and a lot of walking. We saw a lot of great architecture while exploring the town on foot. Detroit is a great place to visit, especially if you are guys on-the-town for a weekend.
It’s been hockey week in my household. Last Friday, we made the trip up to East Lansing to see my alma mater, Michigan State, play, and eventually best, the Nanooks of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks 2-1. Less than two years out from their national championship, the Spartans are rebuilding and are a long way from being a good, college hockey team. Still, they defeated a better team and we hope for improvement during the rest of the season.
Last night we were off to the Motor City to see the defending National Hockey League champion Red Wings play the Columbus Blue Jackets. One highlight of the evening was seeing Gordie Howe conducting a book signing on the concourse. The Red Wings bested Columbus 3-0 in Chris Chelios’ 880th victorious game in the NHL.
Probably my hockey viewing will all be on the TV from here on out but it was good getting out and supporting my teams. Also, we contributed some money to the Detroit economy, which can sorely use it.
Susan J. Demas sums it up perfectly in her recent blog post on MLive.com about the increasing demands for water and the likely regional disputes over it. Here is an excerpt from her post:
Many Southern and Western members of Congress just turned their backs on the Midwest in their gleeful rejection of the Big Three auto loan. Well, boys and girls, we have what you need. And when your water supply runs out in the next decade or two, don’t come crying to us. We might have been shortsighted and put all our eggs in the automotive industry. But at least we weren’t stupid enough to live in places we couldn’t survive.
In my lifetime there have been repeated proposals to divert Lake Michigan water southwest to serve the desert cities. There will be more as they become more populated and politically influential. That is why the recently signed Great Lakes Compact is so important to the future of the Great Lake states and Ontario and Quebec.
16 Minutes from Hell 