Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

30 Jul 2009 10:23

tags

Biz: A big web-only news experiment, AnnArbor.com, missed its launch date

  • Old launch date: Monday. New launch date: Tomorrow. Today, the Ann Arbor News, a 174-year-old Michigan institution, prints its last issue. On Monday, their parent company, Newhouse, was supposed to launch a Web product to replace the newspaper, giving some overlap time for users to get used to the product. But AnnArbor.com, which will include a twice-a-week print component, wasn’t ready so they didn’t launch it. Which means that tomorrow’s launch date leaves zero room for error and the possibility that the town will be without a primary news source if it gets delayed again. Talk about tightropes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

17 Jul 2009 11:05

tags

Biz, U.S.: Michigan hits a level of unemployment few states have hit

  • 15.2% the highest level in any state since 1984 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Jul 2009 13:38

tags

U.S.: Obama makes a tough concession on unemployment

  • My expectation is, is that we will probably continue to see unemployment tick up for several months. And the challenge for this administration is to make sure that even as we are stabilizing the financial system … are people able to find good jobs that pay good wages?
  • President Barack Obama • Regarding the ticking-ever-higher unemployment rates, which have been a thorn in his side lately, but not one he’s unwilling to take head-on. He’s on his way to Michigan, a state with 14.1% unemployment, to talk about some economic job-type stuff. That’s right, we live in an industrialized nation where a state has 14.1% unemployment. Insane. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

04 Jul 2009 23:29

tags

Music: Dear Sufjan Stevens: The world needs you. Where are you?

sufjan0704small
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

26 Jun 2009 13:13

tags

Biz, U.S.: Michigan begins its abusive relationship with General Motors anew

  • General Motors decides to make a car in Michigan again. You know the story: State hosts corporation, state becomes dependent on corporation, corporation decides to offsource most of its work, state goes into economic seizure, corporation goes bankrupt. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? Well, Michigan – 14.5% unemployment and all – plans to go back to its mistress and let them make cars in Michigan again. The Spark, unlike most of GM’s recent hogs, is small and compact – and it’s gonna be made in Michigan. Maybe this could be the start of a brand new relationship where GM screws them over again. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2009 09:39

tags

Offbeat: 1955: This kid went missing. 2009: Uh, found, possibly!

  • 54 years later, Steven Damman comes forward. Back in 1955, this kid was at a Long Island bakery with his parents. Then he disappeared. Now, nearly 55 years after his case left the spotlight, a Michigan man purporting to be Steven Damman has revealed himself. Uh, wow. That’s random. His possible dad, Jerry, said about the finding: “You never give up hope, [but] things dim after all those years.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2009 22:47

tags

Sports: The Red Wings are pretty much Detroit’s only reason to smile

Which, of course, means that they’ll probably lose Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals tomorrow night. Why does God hate Detroit? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

03 Jun 2009 10:20

tags

Biz, U.S.: GM’s bankruptcy is not going to help Michigan’s economy one bit

  • 780,000 number of jobs lost in Michigan in the last decade; that’s a LOT source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 May 2009 23:09

tags

Biz, U.S.: Need startup funding? Look no further than, uh, Kalamazoo

  • Silicon Valley’s drying up Despite the bevy of great ideas out there, one area can apparently handle so many great ideas, and venture capital in Silicon Valley is starting to dry up. And we’re in the Internet era, remember. You can be innovative anywhere! source
  • Silicon Valley’s drying up Despite the bevy of great ideas out there, one area can apparently handle so many great ideas, and venture capital in Silicon Valley is starting to dry up. And we’re in the Internet era, remember. You can be innovative anywhere!
  • Toledo’s giving grants Fortunately for startups willing to move their entire business to the Midwest, municipal governments are offering to give significant financial help. But those purses close if they’re not willing to invest in the community. source
  • Silicon Valley’s drying up Despite the bevy of great ideas out there, one area can apparently handle so many great ideas, and venture capital in Silicon Valley is starting to dry up. And we’re in the Internet era, remember. You can be innovative anywhere!
  • Toledo’s giving grants Fortunately for startups willing to move their entire business to the Midwest, municipal governments are offering to give significant financial help. But those purses close if they’re not willing to invest in the community.
  • Rust belt tax breaks You can guess why cities in Ohio and Michigan are so aggressive about getting tech companies in their cities – two good reasons, in fact, GM and Chrysler. Which is why they want startups to stick around. No fly-by-nights. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Apr 2009 10:09

tags

Offbeat, U.S.: We hate high schooler Willa Chen because she’s too perfect

  • Perfect SAT. Perfact ACT. Perfect PSAT. Willa Chen, a supergenius from Canton High School in Michigan, hit on the holy grail of high-school test-taking. She got a perfect score on each of the major national standardized tests. Chen says she didn’t study too hard but tries to learn all the time. Whatever, four eyes. You and your Princeton-going self make us all look bad. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>