MichiBlogger

THE LATEST CARNIVAL OF HOMESCHOOLING IS UP: The One Week Short of a Year Carnival of Homeschooling. Lots-O-Links.

JUST NOTICED THIS FROM A FEW WEEKS BACK: Central Michigan University is more than doubling the size of its Center For Applied Research and Technology (CART), which is the home of the National Dendrimer and Nanotechnology Center:

The new space is currently about 60 percent occupied. Ideally, according to [Brent Case, director of technology business development at CMU], tenant companies will be involved in nano or biotechnology, looking to further develop and commercialize its product or demonstrated technology.

“We’ve had the most luck recruiting companies from out of state,

THE COAST GUARD HAS CANCELLED ITS PLANS FOR MACHINE GUN RANGES ON THE GREAT LAKES. FOR NOW. MichiBlogger noted the plans last month, including the proposed ranges for Lake Michigan.

Though the plan is cancelled, it seems clear that the issue is not gone despite many leaders and politicians in both the US and Canada who opposed the firing ranges:

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, had also expressed reservations about how the Coast Guard went about its proposal.

“I earlier stated my reservations about the Coast Guard failing to effectively communicate to the public its initial plans,” Hoekstra said in a statement. “The Coast Guard’s decision to cancel … such exercises reflects an understanding that a thorough vetting process is essential to ensure a minimal environmental, recreational and commercial impact on the region.”

Like Hoekstra, the Coast Guard itself seems to be focusing more on the way the plan was put into motion and the specifics rather than the general idea of machine gun training ranges:

“The Coast Guard appreciates the thoughtful comments we received and we will work with the public to ensure the Coast Guard can meet any threat to public safety or security. We are committed to addressing the concerns that training be safe, preserve the diverse uses of the Lakes, and protect the environment,” said Rear Adm. John E. Crowley, Jr., commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District.

“As a native son of the region I take the Coast Guard’s role as guardians of the Great Lakes very seriously. The Great Lakes are one of the nation’s most precious resources. The current NPRM is unsatisfactory and I will take the time to get this right. We will not conduct live-fire training on the Great Lakes to satisfy non-emergency training requirements unless we publish a rule, and I intend to reconsider the number, frequency of use, and location of water training areas as well as other concerns raised by the public. I am also committed to pursuing environmentally-friendly alternatives to the lead ammunition we currently use.”

Sounds like a new proposal won’t be long in coming. As long as they go about it the right way and maybe consider fewer and/or smaller designated ranges, I see no reason why they shouldn’t be allowed to train with their weapons on the Lakes. If they ever need them, we want them to be proficient with them.

WELL, IT APPEARS THAT MICHIBLOGGER HAS “ARRIVED”. The site received its first spam comment today. How exciting.

WHEW: Ford: No way we’ll make four-door Mustang. Mentioned, with dread, here.

THIS SPRING THE OLD BLUE LICENSE PLATE WAS VOTED INTO RETIREMENT. Kyla King points out
New plates available after New Year’s Day.

Here are the Secretary of State’s Renewal Instructions for blue plate owners.

My wife is particularly fond of her blue plate and is unhappy that she won’t get to keep the registration number.

Make your own license plate images (for any state) here.

VERVE PIPE FAN? I’m not, but I’m sure a lot of folks are excited that the band will be playing at The Intersection this Saturday evening.

More info at Going Gonzo.

THOUGH I’M CERTAINLY NO GREENIE, I fully support alternative sources of energy, particularly when they’re home-grown and/or environmentally friendly. I mean, what’s not to like?

So even though skeptical of wind-power being able to have a significant impact on the state’s (and nation’s) energy appetite, I’m glad to see Great Lakes Politics report that Wind Power Blows Through Michigan Legislature. What’s great about this is that it’s a tax credit for the production of wind power. This puts the burden on independent developers and rewards them if they’re successful, rather than just throwing money into the project up front and all of us keeping our fingers crossed that it’s cash well spent.

Also, Great Lake Politics points out some great maps of wind density for power generation along our state’s Great Lake shorelines. Here’s the 50m map:

Hmmm. Looks like the wind coming off of Lake Michigan is pretty strong. Guess we didn’t need a map to know that, did we?

THE H₂O PODCAST: “A central location where you can hear Audio Files on Water and other Environmental Issues.” Hopefully we’ll be able to find good stuff on the Great Lakes once it ramps up. (Hat Tip to Dave’s Blog)

THE NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IS UNDERWAY. GVSU trails NW Missouri State 7-3 part way through the second quarter. Catch the action on ESPN2.

UPDATE: Was able to listen to a bit of it on the radio, but didn’t know who won until just now when we got home. Of course, it was Grand Valley by a score of 17-14.

QB Cullen Finnerty ends with a record of 51-4. 51 wins is apparently the most for any college quarterback. Ever.