The decorated Olympian from Michigan?

Olympic speedskater Ryan Bedford, who may live in Midland, Michigan (his TEAM USA profile is unclear) finished 12 among 15 skaters in today's 10,000M event. (Not that NBC noticed) His red, white, blue hair took gold.


Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images North America

Feather Bowling in the D

This Smithsonian.com video about Feather Bowling in the basement of Detroit's Cadieux Cafe is worth watching. But I can't seem to embed without auto play. Most annoying.

Remember Bourdain shot a No Res at Cadieux last year. That video below. Click to play, thank you. (Although it looks like the producer actually video taped his television set while the episode aired???)



Click here to read the rest of the Smithsonian.com report.

Thanks, Jay and Ted, for sharing the fodder in this posting.

Kid Rock on America Live

Give the Kid a TV show! Also, remember to click "close" in the upper right of the initial frame to avoid the ad. Or be patient. It goes away about the time you are done reading this.

Red marks the spots

The red indicates where 1) wind power potential is "outstanding" and 2) fights about projects to harvest the power - especially offshore - is "highly likely."

Improved transit in Detroit is not an option

MLive blogger Jonathan Oosting's post today about CNNMoney's report today about Detroit's proposed Woodward light rail line reminds me... I never embed this video (which was released more than a year ago by the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study group)

Jonathan also reminds me that - dagnabbit - I missed last week's PBS special about how the Motor City symbolizes the need for public transportation reform in America.

Rust Belt exhibition in San Fran

Photographer Katherine Westerhout examines the abandoned buildings of Buffalo, Detroit and Philadelphia in her latest exhibition Rust Belt, showing in San Francisco through February.

Brad and Jay, checked this out? Duke Ellington once played in Detroit's Vanity Ballroom, the image on screen right after she talks about "watching the light change."

Absolutely $400 million is a win

Just me, or is it truly refreshing to see a high level leader - in this case Ohio Governor Ted Strickland - get visibly tweaked about the constant naysaying and pathetic pace of progress? Especially over public transit. Near the very end Gov. Strickland says "my brother, this is 2010." Hilarious.

Rust Belt in the Red 2010

Illinois: $13 billion deficit

Indiana: tax revenues $75 million short of forecast and on pace to spend down $1 billion surplus by June 2011

Michigan: at least $1.6 billion deficit

Minnesota: $1.2 billion deficit

New York: $8.2 billion deficit

Ohio: believes everything is OK

Pennsylvania: $500 million shortfall

Wisconsin: approx $200 million deficit

Carp carping will continue

Today's Carp Summit in D.C. returned a 25-point "plan" and $78 million to keep the Bighead and Silver carp building up troops in the Chicago Canal from attacking the Great Lakes.

Check the official website for the full Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.

The plan "falls short" according to a release issued by Michigan Gov. Granholm.

Wisconsin Gov. Doyle reportedly is "disappointed."

Detroit Free Press Outdoor Writer Eric Sharp straight up blasts the plan in the first sentence of his latest column.

So the suspense continues. Great Lakes advocates remain on edge: will that damn fish get in the Lakes?! Is it already here!!! At least one respected Great Lakes scientist is hopeful we can "keep these suckers at bay."

Check out all the carp going crazy in this recent report from WZZM. It's truly amazing footage.

"We have real rivers"

The Grand River through downtown Lansing - as in Jackson and Grand Rapids - is a mess. Floated it in 2000. But an hour or a little more downstream its beautiful .... and swimmable. No reason it can't be like that through the city. Although that's an expensive proposition. The part in this video about "I don't even know if they know they're on the water" is sad but probably true.

State of the Rust Belt 2010

Illinois State of the State address

Indiana State of the State address

Michigan State of the State address

Minnesota State of the State address

New York State of the State address

Ohio State of the State address

Pennsylvania expected in February

Wisconsin State of the State address

UPDATE: Cleveland State of the City speech (PDF) by Mayor Frank Jackson

Government spending tree chart

Some of the waste-elimination strategies the Mackinac Center proposes are risky propositions for Michigan. But the point about responsible spending of taxpayers dollars is on target. And who doesn't appreciate a good visual aid...


Source: Mackinac Center

Trolley T's

Milwaukee's mobility mavens today posted videos of streetcars operating in cities around the world. They anticipate their own downtown system up and running in a couple years. Order one of the shirts below to support the movement. Cincinnati often sells out of a similar shirt. Wonder which forward-looking Midwest city will print one next?