Coast Guard abandoning Michigan lighthouses

The Detroit News ran an interesting article over the weekend about the state of Michigan's lighthouses. Once a necessary navigation tool for the ships that plied the Great Lakes - now decaying in their obsolescence and abandoned by the Coast Guard. The bottom line (as with most things these days) is the cost of maintaining these structures that are no longer needed due to technological improvements such as GPS.

The tab to restore the lights or keep them looking as they once did has been paid by private organizations and groups of volunteers. Unfortunately, these folks can't raise funds quick enough. Michigan has lost about 350 lighthouses just since 1995 according to the Detroit News article.

Read the article at The Detroit News.

Pfizer sales pfizzle and Michigan loses more jobs

Pfizer sales suffered in 2006 and the result is that Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo residents lose places of employment while the state loses another 2,410 jobs. Pfizer is looking to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2008. This makes the Michigan cuts alone nearly 25% of their planned total job cuts. This might hurt on a state level, but the real pain is in the communities of Kalamazoo/Portage and Ann Arbor.

There is a great quote from Tom Watkins, former state school superintendent, in the Free Press article -

Michigan adds jobs in tear drops, like Google, and loses them in roaring tsunamis.

Too true.

It's like we are a ship taking on water and we are bailing it out with a teaspoon.

What is our esteemed Governor's plan?

We’re going to have a whole ‘Stick Around Ann Arbor’ campaign for these employees, because we want them to stay here,” Granholm said.

I don't fault Granholm for Pfizer cutting these jobs. The blame lies with Pfizer - if you want to blame someone. They're cutting costs to raise their bottom line and keep the shareholders happy.

Granholm's position as governor of Michigan is to work with the state legislature and formulate a plan for job growth. Pfizer didn't cut these jobs because Michigan's tax rates were unfair or they didn't like the mole on Granholm's face. They are looking after their bottom line as do all major corporations.

Our state needs some serious fixing - any solutions?

Read the Detroit Free Press article

Read the Ann Arbor News' take on the Pfizer closing

Lake Superior State's 32nd annual banished words list

Each year Lake Superior State processes thousands of words that the public recommends should be banished from "the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness." The list is whittled down by a committee in December and released in January. Here is this year's list in no particular order.

• GITMO - shorthand for U.S. military base in Cuba
• Combined celebrity names (i.e. Bragelina)
• Awesome - Rats, that's a favorite of mine. Probably due to watching Napoleon Dynamite too many times.
• Gone/Went missing - Is that in Nebraska? Can you get me directions to Missing?
• PWN or PWND - popular phrase online gamers use instead of "own" or "owned"
• Now Playing in Theaters
• We're Pregnant - Oh yeah big boy? I thought you were just gaining a little weight.
• Undocumented Alien - no documents = Illegal
• Armed Robbery/Drug Deal Gone Bad
• Truthiness - Hmm, sounds like a bad tasting granola bar. Maybe it is - they say that sometimes the truth is hard to swallow ;)
• Ask Your Doctor - and make the pharmaceutical companies some cash!
• Chipotle
• i-ANYTHING
• Search - as in the internet
• Healthy Food
• Boasts - as in our motel boasts king-sized beds and a jacuzzi.

View the list with additional comments at www.lssu.edu/banished/.

Average Michigan gas price has gone below $2

For the time being, Michigan drivers can fill their tanks on sub-$2 gas. Whether it is due to the mild winter weather, politics, or the generosity of OPEC (hah, doubt it) we have an average Michigan gas price of $1.95. I filled up yesterday morning for $1.93 and by last night it had dipped down to $1.89. Not too shabby.

Gas price data courtesy of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.

Out with the blue (license plates) and in with the new

The new standard license plate for Michigan drivers became effective on January 1, 2007. This new standard plate replaces the familiar old blue plate with white lettering. Now the background is white and the lettering is blue in order to make it easier for law enforcement to see your plate number. According to the Secretary of State's website the new plate is -

Clean in design, rust-resistant, tamper-proof and easily identifiable.

Does this mean that the state admittedly sold us license plates that were not rust-resistant or tamper-proof before this new plate became available? ;) I think my first-ever blue plate can attest to the fact that they were not rust-resistant.

So, when it is time for you to renew your plates this year you will have the option of the new standard plate (at no charge) or the other "special plate" (aka extra revenue makers for Michigan) - Spectacular Peninsulas for $5. The other special cause fundraising plates are still available at $35 a pop.

For those wondering what to do with your old blue plates -

I will pay the postage for you to send them my way. Old license plates make great projects for crafty individuals like myself. Drop me a line in the comments for this post if you want to get rid of your old plate. I would rather recycle them than have them get tossed in the trash.

Seriously, I really want your old license plates. :)

Expect the unexpected at Menards

Okay, this is not really "Michigan" themed, but I was so struck by something you wouldn't expect to find at a home improvement store that I had to write about it. After glancing through the Menards ad for this week I tried to think in my head a conversation I might have either in my head (no, no one ever answers my questions) or with my wife before firing up the truck and heading to Menards where I can save big money.

It might go something like this -

*while scanning the flyer and making my list* "Lets see, I need some 8 foot studs, finishing nails, a new belt sander, and . . . Holy Wah! Menards has a 3 lb stick of Summer Sausage for only $5.49! That will go over great for the wife's bridge party tomorrow afternoon. I wonder if they sell cheese and crackers too?"

Who goes to Menards and buys a giant stick of Summer Sausage? I don't know - it just struck me as odd. Maybe everyone else expects to find Summer Sausage at Menards. I don't.