Sure, NTW was a great success in Detroit in 2007, but this year’s celebration is extra-special because it also marks the start of “2008: Year of the Car,” a summer-long festival in Southeast Michigan designed to celebrate 100 years of General Motors and Ford’s Model T. More than 120 auto-themed activities are planned for the region through early October.

Overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, NTW was established in the 1960s by President John F. Kennedy to celebrate the historical significance of transportation, focus on its future impact, and promote transportation-related careers. The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) is the official host of NTW in 2008. It designated this year “The Year of the Car” to tie into the centennial celebrations of General Motors and the Ford Model T.

National Transportation Week features a number of conferences and events that bring the transportation community together to discuss its future. Events include the GM Heritage Tour, which was held Monday, and MDOT/AASHTO Transportation Education Day — a day-long event promoting transportation careers to young people — scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at the Detroit Science Center.

For more information on area activities related to NTW, click here.

The summit — which runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Lansing Center - brings labor, environment, social justice and other progressive groups together to move Michigan forward.

Eight hundred people are expected to converge on the Lansing Center for this year’s summit, which will focus on three key issues: education, environment and health care. For $30 per person, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in forums on key issues, as well as network, plan and share best practices with fellow attendees. Examples of afternoon breakout sessions include, “Leadership and Diversity”, “Social Entrepreneurship” and “Arts in Organizing”. Keynote speakers at the event include Jim Hightower, a national radio commentator, writer and public speaker, and Amy Goodman, author and the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on 650 radio and television stations in North America.

For more information or to register for the 2008 Michigan Policy Summit, click here.

Back in March, MiLifeMiTimes’ Nikki Stephan wrote candidly about the event — dubbed as the nation’s largest free country music fest — even delving into the Hoedown’s history and how it was the launching pad for some of country music’s biggest stars. If you missed that post, you can check it out here. For Hoedown-specific information, an artist lineup and more, click here.

It’s called “Entrepreneurial Improv: The Battle of the Elevator Pitch”, and takes place next week, right after the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium.

An offbeat, slightly outrageous event that highlights how successful entrepreneurs need to think on their feet, the elevator pitch battle is a great way to relax and have fun with Michigan’s venture community. The event is sponsored by New Enterprise Forum (NEF), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1986 to help entrepreneurs in Michigan prosper and grow.

During the program, NEF will put four entrepreneurs in front of a judging panel and give them an imaginary company to pitch, with little time to prepare. This year’s pitch competitors include:

Roger Newton, Co-Discoverer of Lipitor and Founder of Esperion; Ron Reed, who raised $18M for Fullscope and is now a VC at Seneca Partners; Rich Sheridan, Master Orator and CEO of Menlo Innovations; and Dick Beedon, Winner and Defending Champion of last year’s NEF Elevator Pitch Battle and Founder/Managing Director of MacBeedon Partners. The judging panel for the event will include Pete Farner of TGap Ventures, Mina Sooch of Apjohn Ventures, and Michael Cole of the Bank of Ann Arbor & Ann Arbor Angels.

Registration and networking begin at 5:00 p.m. The program starts at 5:45 p.m. There is no cost for NEF members. The cost is $20 for non-members and $5 for students.

According to the site:

CBCampus.com and Apartments.com crunched some numbers and compiled a list of the best cities for recent college grads. They factored in entry-level job openings, rental prices for a 1 bedroom apartment, and a plenty of fellow young 20somethings.

Philadelphia ranked first, followed by Boston, New York, Phoenix, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. Los Angeles and Houston came in seventh and eighth, and Detroit and Atlanta rounded out the list.

This month’s Craft Uprising participants are Taryn Boyd of TalkingSquid with her handmade rugs from old t-shirts; Joey Merchant’s plush monsters from recycled fabrics; birch bark jewelry by Heather Fagan of BirdsGather; Michelle Kramp with one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories from recycled textiles; and Michelle Pappas’ recycled sweaters transformed into handbags and eyeglass cases.

Art in the Alley is a collaboration with Spunky Monkey Art Association whose mission is to illuminate the value and joy of arts and culture within the diverse Downriver communities. Spunky Monkey will host art related activities in the alley behind Biddle Gallery.

The city of Wyandotte purchased the Masonic Temple on Chestnut in downtown Wyandotte with the hope of turning the space into an art center. Tours of the building will be given to generate interest for potential occupants. There will also be a live performance by Apartment 4 and Rogue Satellites.

Submission from Biddle Gallery.

Whether you’re looking to hit the town or need some new ideas for an evening at home, expand your entertainment horizon with a few of these useful tools.

1. Upcoming - A true social media pioneer, Yahoo’s Upcoming lists thousands of events and keeps track of who’s going where. Follow Uncle Jerry’s worldwide backgammon tour, and see if the ex is headed for the Kate Nash show before you commit to tickets. Paired with Twitter and Dopplr, the “What are you doing tonight?” phone call becomes obsolete.

2. Filmcrave - I’ll admit — it’s good to be alone when Del Griffith is found at the church and my eyes inevitably do their best waterfall impression. But, for the most part, movies are meant to be social. Filmcrave bridges the online gap between film and friends as a commonplace for chat, trailers and lists of favorites. None of your pals up for the new Willie Aames feature? Find a willing companion at Filmcrave!

3. Metromix Detroit / 313rd - For years a go-to source in L.A., New York and Chicago, Metromix has finally landed in the Motor City. With plenty of photos and in-depth coverage, bar and restaurant reviews find themselves teamed with the latest in music, movies and television. 313rd aims specifically for food and drink with an all-local flair and simple but intuitive interface. Both sites welcome your contribution.

Flickr ID: Mr.Thomas

4. Second Life - Want to check out the symphony? Prefer a night at the club? A trip to an art gallery perhaps? Sure. But what if it’s 4 in the morning? No worries. Do it all from the comfort of the couch with a couple of clicks. If you still haven’t discovered Second Life, now’s the time to visit the free virtual world that never sleeps.

5. Joost - The TV-on-computer movement is building steam, led largely by YouTube’s quick hits of skateboarding dogs and teen diaries. But as streaming video continues to improve, Joost brings full-length (and completely legal) episodes of your favorite shows both new and old. Ren and Stimpy, CSI and The Twilight Zone are all here. Share your “joy joy” with other viewers in each program’s live chat room.

6. Yelp - A reviews site formed around community, find the best in restaurants, nightlife and shopping rated by “Yelpers” across America. A good steak in Flint. The best theatre in Traverse City. A tour of Muskegon. It’s all available on Yelp. Build a trusted list of neighborhood friends and say goodbye to poor acoustics and the constantly-distracted-by-his-watch waiter.

7. Fanista - A new home for “prolific entertainment reviewers and creative connectors,” start by sharing a selection of your top films, games and music. Browse through the visual profiles of others and make their favorites your own. Or, more importantly, use the service to proclaim your affinity for Toni Basil.

8. Facebook - While it’s fun to keep tabs on whose “single” status moves “in a relationship,” the social network’s application program continues to extend its capabilities. Social Gaming Network is developing games specific to the platform, many allowing direct competition with your Facebook chums. Who can resist a good round of Scrabulous?

9. GRNow - A West Michigan transplant or G-Rap native, you’re bound to find the perfect excursion with a quick browse of Grand Rapids’ top entertainment guide. Don’t miss the 2008 Summer Festival Preview.

10. Ask MetaFilter - For years, Ask MetaFilter has been my favorite website on all of Al Gore’s internet. Although not limited strictly to entertainment, its premise is simple: ask a question, receive an array of responses from the vast MetaFilter community. This is stuff you won’t find with a pair of Google keywords. A five dollar lifetime membership earns one question per week, so you can finally figure out how those expressway signs calculate travel estimates. Reading and learning, however, are free.

Know another spot to find entertainment online? Leave a comment and let us know.

1. MySpace - With more than a million members worldwide, highly customizable pages, and free bandwidth to post MP3s, there simply isn’t a better place to promote your band, venue, or event than MySpace. MySpace offers high levels of customization that allows for sleeker designs with all the inherent usability of the basic page. Oh, and bands, let us download some of your songs directly from your page. A few free MP3s can bring a lot of new fans.

2. Last.fm - The next best thing to MySpace for music is Last.fm. Touting itself as “the Social Music Revolution,” Last.fm’s original contribution is the Audioscrobbler, a plug-in for your computer music player that tracks the songs you’ve played and sends the data directly to your Last.fm dashboard to connect you to “neighbors” with similar tastes, suggest new music, and rank your favorite songs. Last.fm plays well with MySpace and Facebook too.

3. Detroitcity.com - Perhaps like politics, all social networking is local. Featuring all the same tools you’ve used on Facebook and MySpace, Detroitcity’s goal is to “create an online environment for people to connect in the Michigan music industry.” That’s Michigan, not just Detroit, so westsiders and Yoopers should feel just as welcome as D-Town scenesters.

4. Detroit Club Scene - If you enjoy dressing to the nines for a sweaty night of clubbing and carousing to some of the best electronic and techno music around, then you’ve probably dropped by Detroit Club Scene before. The site’s very active Forum is the place for Michigan DJs to talk shop, for promoters to get the word out, and for the rest of us to plan our nightlife and tell all about it the day after.

5. Webvomit / Five-Three Dialtone - Webvomit’s Jasper and Five-Three’s JRC didn’t create their blogs with the intention of becoming authorities on the Detroit music scene, but these two constant concert-goers and dedicated music fans deliver daily with commentary (sometimes insightful, sometimes snarky) on what’s happening in the scene, and the scene shows up daily to comment with opinions, attitude, and jibes. Also check MotorCityRocks.

6. The Impact 89FM - The rise of satellite radio has forced local stations to utilize websites and social media applications to draw listeners, adding features like live streaming, message boards, video, podcasts, and blogs. One of the best in Michigan is East Lansing independent college radio station The Impact, which plays a wide-range of new music and offers a variety of shows, all with their own MySpace pages.

7. The Hype Machine - So many music blogs, so little time! Luckily, The Hype Machine is here to help you find out what bloggers are saying about your favorite bands. Search for a song or artist and you’ll get a list of blog posts, streaming audio, and the ability to let other Hype Machine members know if a blogger is right on or dead wrong.

8. Muxtape - Do you love making mix CDs for your friends but are finding that they don’t have time for dingy plastic discs with their fancy iPods and Zunes? Muxtape lets you post your mixes online for a wider audience than the girl you have a crush on or the friend that you want to cheer up. Why not share your most recent break-up mix with the entire internet? It’ll make you feel better.

9. iLike - iLike is a social networking site that connects people solely by musical tastes. You can discover your musical compatibility with others, share playlists, and recommend songs. And iLike offers lots of free mp3s to download. It’s a great place to discover new music and meet people who dig what you dig. There’s also a nifty widget available for your Facebook profile.

10. Michigan Music Festivals - Although the internet can bring music to your fingertips, sometimes you just have to shut down your laptop, get in your car, and immerse yourself among hundreds of people to discover new music. And Michigan boasts a number of renowned music festivals every year. Sometimes, dancing in a sweaty crowd of people is much better than sitting alone in front of a computer screen.

Any music communities you use that didn’t make the list? Leave a comment and let us know.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will embrace technology in a whole new way on Tuesday, May 13 when Honda’s beloved ASIMO humanoid robot focuses its attention on the DSO’s nationally acclaimed youth music programs by conducting the orchestra as it performs “Impossible Dream” to open a special concert performance with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

On May 14, ASIMO will demonstrate its unique capabilities for hundreds of area school children prior to a specially arranged master class at the DSO, where a select group of music students will receive personal music instruction from Yo-Yo Ma. Students from the Detroit School of Arts (DSA) will participate in the master class on-stage in front of the audience of area children, which will include a group of young students from neighboring Windsor, Canada.

Honda hopes ASIMO’s appearance will draw attention to the DSO’s nationally acclaimed youth music programs — particularly the DSO’s effort to encourage and support involvement of children in Detroit.

Michigan’s most comprehensive pre-professional training program for orchestra, chamber, wind and jazz musicians, the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles (CYE) program boasts nine different classical and jazz ensembles. Nearly 500 students weekly ages 8 to 24 come from dozens of Southeast Michigan schools and colleges to participate weekly. Visit the DSO on the Web for more information.

600 pages are scanned manually, then added to Google’s Book Search portal. The site will eventually house, the company hopes, each of the estimated 50 to 100 million books in the world.

Through Book Search, users can track down a book on any topic they’re interested in and read a small portion. If the book’s not protected by copyright, users can download the whole thing. If it is, or if they just want to read an original, they can use Book Search to find copies to buy or borrow.

Read the rest to learn how centuries-old literature is being preserved and brought to the digital world.

Eastwood will both direct and star in “Gran Torino,” set for release in December. A Minnesota TV station announced the preference for Michigan due to its 42% tax credit. An Eastwood cameraman has also mentioned a July trip to begin shooting.

Government officials remain silent. But the sixth “Dirty Harry” sequel could very well drive the Oscars through the Great Lake State. An official announcement would likely come from Governor Granholm, though there is no word quite yet.

Eastwood isn’t alone. The Free Press spoke recently with Janet Lockwood of the Michigan Film Office.

Lockwood says she is looking at a stack of 90 scripts considering shoots in Michigan. The biggest official title, the crime drama “The Fifth Mafia,” starring Armand Assante, Ray Liotta, and James Van Der Beek, will begin shooting in the Grand Rapids area next month.

“Ced N Teri,” the hilarious new series created by Mikey Brown, is redefining what it means to be a “sit” com. The politically incorrect comedy about two full-time couch potatoes and a cat, shot locally at the Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck, is quickly finding an audience on the mini screen at YouTube.

Each “Ced N Teri” also features a local band or rapper who plays a song at the end of the episode and during the closing credits.

“Putting bands into the plot of the show was inspired by the British sitcom The Young Ones,” Brown said. “I used to watch when I was a kid. And we figured local bands would get their fans to watch the show and fans of the show would get turned on to some bands they might not have known about otherwise. So it is a fun way to cross promote our show and bands we like.”

Several made-in-Detroit bands have graced the mini screen including The Brown Stripes, Blair, Hellen, Alison Lewis and Outdated Fate. Rapper JJ Sacks even portrayed Teri’s crazy ex in one episode as he serenaded her from the backyard with a special song about big booty. Awwwww, isn’t that special?

And, in the soon-to-be-released Episode 8, look for funky rocker Jamie McCarthy who will also make a cameo appearance as a guy from The Repo Depo. He’ll break into “I’d Rather Be Ced N Teri” on Teri’s guitar. Before he repos the guitar, that is

Jamie will be stopping by to play his song and a few others at the premiere of “Ced N Teri,” Episode 8, on Sunday, May 4, at the Park Bar in Detroit. Doors open at 8 pm. 18+ are welcome. Come and hang with the cast and crew at this free event - besides, it might be the only time that Ced and Teri actually get off the couch.

For more information about and to see the previous episodes, visit www.cednteri.com or www.myspace.com/cednteri.

Submission from Lee Runchey.

“Ghostly Swim” features 19 songs from the “Ghostly International galaxy,” with artists Matthew Dear, Dabrye, The Chap and others. And, as part of the arrangement, mascots BoyCatBird make their animated debut in a video featuring music from the compilation.

Download the entire album for free and watch the video online. Plus, check out this great feature on Cool Hunting.

A side effect of “transfat free!” Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen have started an education drive, petition and website to help preserve the animals’ environment.

“We’ve seen pictures of orangutans set afire and beaten. You really just want to reach out and do all that you can to help save them,” Madison told the Ann Arbor News.

Check out the whole scoop at TreeHugger, and scroll to the article’s end to learn more about the effects of palm oil.

The original university-based venture fair, this nationally attended two-day event offers the opportunity to build relationships with an unparalleled business network of distinguished private equity industry leaders, leading university research faculty, and entrepreneurial business professionals.

During MGCS, life sciences, technology, energy and service companies from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin will comprise the thirty “Best of the Midwest” emerging and growth business ventures slated to present over two days. Participating presenting companies include XG Sciences, an East Lansing-based business focused on a new type of nanoparticle made of graphite which holds significant promise in the battery, fuel cell, printable electronics and bio sensor arenas, and FlexSys, an Ann Arbor company focused on bringing a superior blade for the wind turbine to market.

One of the longest running programs of its kind, this year’s Syposium is expected to bring together 450 attendees including investors from across the country, executives of early stage and emerging growth companies and related stakeholders.

MGCS is hosted by the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Tickets to the event are $395 through May 7 or $495 afterward. The student rate is $75.

For more information, visit MCGS on the Web.

From the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts to the Suttons Bay Art Festival to four fairs in Ann Arbor, thousands will take pleasure in Michigan’s thriving art community. “While they differ in size and scope,” explains MLive, “each one offers the chance to connect with a creative vibe.”

If you’re looking for even more artsy festivities, ArtFairCalendar’s Michigan section lists nearly every local event from now until the end of the year. And if by chance you happen to be traveling, the site database is filled with hundreds of events throughout the country.

Recently launched, the site allows users to search thousands of area hotspots using a number of filters — neighborhood; type of food, music, or event; or by a certain date — enabling you to narrow down what you want to do - and fast.

With party photos, insider stories and reviews on hot restaurants and bars, and user reviews, Metromix.com is a free, one-stop local entertainment stop covering local areas as varied as Birmingham and Ann Arbor to Detroit and Royal Oak.

The site also features music, movie and TV reviews, a calendar of upcoming local events and opinion polls. Know of a cool upcoming event or local nightspot you’d like to see listed? Submit it here.

Check out the site for yourself here.

40 other colleges and universities are already participating in what is known as iTunes U. Michigan Tech has been a participant since last summer, posting a selection of engineering lectures.

The Detroit Free Press first questions if educational material is actually being downloaded. But Stanford University reports 1.8 million dollars since joining the program in 2006.

Materials added by the university will include “lectures from a Saturday morning physics class, teaching material from dental courses, university news releases, even a complete archive of speeches by U-M President Mary Sue Coleman.”

And unlike the pop hits and movie rentals, iTunes will provide all U-M audio and video at no charge.

Learn more from the official press release.

If you live in or near Metro Detroit, you may want to cancel them. That’s because BravoBravo!, the fabulous annual soiree for young professionals, comes back to the D that evening. And trust me - it’s a night you won’t want to miss.

Now in its ninth year, this awesome evening will showcase over 50 food and beverage providers, plus DJs and live performances — all in support of the magnificent Detroit Opera House.

Put on by the young professionals of the Michigan Opera Theatre Volunteer Association, BravoBravo! 2008 will be hosted by WDIV-TV Local 4 Anchor and Detroit Icon Carmen Harlan and co-hosted by the NFL’s Braylon Edwards. The organizers of BravoBravo! 2008 have made tremendous efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the event, and will do so by using biodegradable serving materials and recycling glass and plastics the night of the event.

Arriving guests will also stroll the “green” carpet and enter the Detroit Opera House, which will be transformed into a posh, trendy club atmosphere. Perusing the grand lobby, patrons will have the opportunity to sample Detroit’s best cuisine, including steak bits and sautéed calamari from Como’s, fire grilled shrimp and cold asparagus spears with white truffle champagne vinaigrette from Creative Gourmet Events, the Detroit Beer Company’s award winning Louisiana Jambalaya, steamed mussels from Majestic Café, Mario’s Italian sausage, Slow’s famous mac and cheese, and treats from Mosaic, the restaurants of the new MGM Grand, and more.

Tickets for BravoBravo! 2008 are $65 in advance and $85 at the door. Patrons can also purchase a VIP table which includes 10 tickets, reserved seating and a bottle of premium alcohol for $1,500. Tickets are tax deductible, and are available in person at the Detroit Opera House ticket office (1526 Broadway, Detroit 48226), by phone at (313) 237-SING (7464) or online at www.bravobravo.org. Attendees must be 21 and over.

Joining Clinton will be hip-hop’s De La Soul, Broken Social Scene and Aly & AJ. A local Pure Detroit Stage will feature The Dead Bodies, Great Lakes Myth Society and Next Great American Band’s The Muggs. To date, almost 60 performers have been confirmed with additional major acts to be announced next month.

For more, check out the coverage from The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, or visit the official website.

In addition to five Great Lakes and 3,000 miles of coastline, our parks system provides an amazing benefit. In fact, the DNR says, “Nowhere in Michigan are you more than an hour’s drive from a state park.” With 25 million visitors each year, each of Michigan’s 100 state parks presents a unique experience.

For those people whose favorite parks are of the “theme” variety, Michigan’s Adventure is preparing for the summer season with new rides and attractions. The state’s largest amusement park will introduce the Funnel of Fear and Michigan’s first “suspending looping roller coaster,” the Thunderhawk. To learn more, visit MLive.

You can follow progress toward the grand opening on this thread at AtomicDetroit. And see construction photos, menus and more at the Sonic Michigan MySpace.

The News-Herald reports that the Cherry Limeade efforts will result in 2,000 new jobs. Applications for the first restaurant are available at TCF Bank in Southgate.

From their website: “The Ypsilanti Bicycling Coalition (Bike Ypsi) is a group of local cyclists who like riding bikes and engaging in bike-related shenanigans.”

If you aren’t able to make it on the 4th, weekly rides begin each Sunday at 1 p.m. There’s also a Google Group for those looking for some bike-related banter. Learn more about all of Bike Ypsi’s efforts at bike.ypsi.org.

As part of the celebration, select stores will be distributing pairs of special 3-D glasses. Customers can use the specs to view Bjork’s new 3-D video for her latest single, “Wanderlust.”

Participating Michigan locations include The Record Lounge and (my personal favorite) Flat, Black and Circular in East Lansing; Wyatt Earp Records in Flint; Record Time in Roseville; Rock-A-Billy’s in Utica; and Sound It Out Records in Traverse City.

Pitchfork has a review of the video and some pretty impressive images (even in 2-D screencap form). And find local coverage of Record Store Day at the Post-Rockist.

D-Tales has written a full review following a recent visit. Sure, the site admits, there are the inevitable kinks to work out. But the store “has loads and loads of potential.”

While some sections are still to be fully stocked, the author concludes “my first impression of Zaccaros’ Market was one of promise.” Read the analysis, visit the official MySpace and see the coverage from the Detroit News.

Volunteers are asked to keep personal journals, handwritten or typed, with no restrictions on length or content.

People of all ages are welcome to participate and encouraged to sign-up their family and friends. Entries focus on daily life and are compiled into seasonal volumes. For more information or to participate, visit the official website at det-win.org.

And now is a good time to check out Post Secret if you haven’t done so lately. The confessions are still growing strong, many finding their way into a successful series of published books.

The article tackles what being “green” really means, and looks at the people responsible for the eco-friendly event. Success begins with “questioning everything,” says organizer Sarah Haynes. And with new solutions, Rothbury will direct its benefits specifically toward its home in Michigan.

The event will make available low-cost, non-bottled water, fresh local produce and around-the-clock recycling stations. And “to keep it simple, every single plastic cup, plate, and fork coming from a food vendor will be compostable.” The focus will be on “doing it right, not just as window dressing or marketing.”

GreenBase delves much deeper in the complete festival examination. But, in brief, “it just might live up to its hype.”

As Nev explained in this recent post, the lucrative legislation package includes a number of incentives, including:

-A 40% refundable tax credit (42% in core cities) against Michigan Business Tax (MBT) liability for qualified film or digital media pre-production, production, and postproduction costs incurred in Michigan;

-A 50% refundable MBT tax credit for expenditures incurred by an eligible production company to provide on-the-job training for Michigan residents in advanced below-the-line crew positions on qualified productions;

-A 25% tax credit against MBT tax liability for film/digital media infrastructure investment of $250,000 or more.

Complete details of all incentives are detailed on MichiganFilmProduction.com.

It’s only been a week, but the new incentives seem to already be doing their magic; according to the Governor’s weekly radio address:

“Each year, the Michigan Film Office averages six scripts from companies interested in filming in Michigan. Today, we’re reviewing nearly 80 scripts from companies interested in doing business in Michigan.”

Yeah, I’d say 80 in one day compared to 6 in an entire year is quite a difference. I also like the fact that if the incentives do work and producers select Michigan for upcoming films and TV shows, they will bring high-quality jobs to Michigan residents — and fast. Also in her April 11 radio address, Granholm noted that the film industry is the second largest high-tech, high-paying, non-polluting industry in the world and generates over $50 billion in direct domestic economic activity each year. It can give Michigan’s economy an immediate shot in the arm while it takes years to reap the benefits of other economic development incentives.

Continuing the theme, Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki is “a one-stop shop for great ideas and information for all types of librarians.” And the Superpatron blog is a superb resource for all types of library-goers. Find book covers as inspiration, location via text message and the adventures of Super Librarian. And don’t miss the section on Library 2.0.

The Michigan author penned the original novel following inspiration in a creative writing class at East Grand Rapids High School. Now a Chelsea resident, Kasischke is a teacher herself at the University of Michigan.

MLive has additional details on the author and her successes. Find out more about the film (with stars Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood) at its official website or IMDB. And read through a discussion of the original novel at BuzzSugar.

The GRAM received Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program in March, making it the first newly built green museum in the world. And to match its world-class building, the GRAM has now delivered a world-class exhibition with Rapid Exposure: Warhol in Series, featuring works by America’s most famous Pop artist, Andy Warhol.

This exhibition features some of Warhol’s best-known works–the Campbell Soup Cans, the purple cow wallpaper, the Marilyn Monroes. But the real reward is Warhol’s more serious paintings. If you have fallen for the caricature of Warhol as an innocent, aloof, and clueless naif, (a caricature that Warhol willfully sought to portray during his lifetime), then this exhibition will reveal a depth of content and feeling that may surprise you.

You’ll see representatives from Warhol’s Death and Disaster paintings, with images of the Sing Sing electric chair, a man in free fall after jumping from atop a skyscraper, a deadly car crash, and a human skull. You’ll see a series of Warhol’s Chairman Mao paintings, and four paintings of endangered species nearby four paintings of the last of the world’s reigning queens. You’ll see a rare political piece, a glib painting in pastels of Richard Nixon from 1972 titled “Vote McGovern.”

But most startling of all are Warhol’s representations of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. On the day that I visited, the room that houses these paintings was undoubtedly the most quiet in the entire building. There is a wall of sixteen Jackie Kennedys, some taken from images on the morning of November 22, 1963, some from the funeral procession on the streets of Washington, DC; all of them sorrowful. There is also the heartbreaking Jackie II (1966): an uncharacteristically unbusy painting depicting two identical, parallel images of the president’s widow looking off in the distance, soaked in a mournful lavender background. And there is the complete portfolio of paintings titled Flash–November 22, 1963. A collection of fourteen silkscreen prints, the set concludes with an image of Kennedy in complete blackness but for an outline of his face and shirt collar, highlighted by the same lavender used in Jackie II.

The Kennedy paintings are a breathtaking reminder of the power art can have in our lives, as well as proof of the special experience that the GRAM can offer the residents of Michigan. Hopefully, Rapid Exposure is only the first of many important and prestigious exhibitions that will be visiting this state-of-the-art museum in the future.

Rapid Exposure: Warhol in Series runs through June 15, 2008.

Although the site focuses largely on the coasts, there’s been more than one mention of the modern in Michigan.

A new book presents 40 of the homes in 264 pages of color. Each profile includes floor plans, a resource list and a “how I did it” explanation. Self-described as “the ultimate home decor book for the DIY-savvy,” pick up the hardcover online at Amazon or find it at your local bookstore.

In this essay, a Seattle-area blogger describes his hometown of Romeo. A profile of a town more powerful than numeric demographics, the author tells the city’s history before discussing its evolution into today.

A compelling read for urban, suburban and rural dwellers alike, the author concludes, “Back in Romeo I was more or less normal, if a little on the eccentric side.”

Gadling begins its tour of the area’s hotspots with an in-depth look at MGM Grand. While not the first of the hotel and casino’s reviews, the coverage is comprehensive and from the viewpoint of a city outsider. There’s more Detroit topics in the site archive.

For a complete travel guide already available, check out the Detroit section of Wikitravel. I’ve been monitoring the page for a few months, and it’s been improving steadily. Categories such as “See,” “Eat” and “Buy” are straightforward and home to dozens of useful resources. And there’s even tips on how to “Cope” with the freeways.

The site hopes to make things simple, allowing folks with a little knowledge to “share their stories with those in search of a new Michigan adventure.”

Recent posts include a list of the top 25 Michigan campgrounds (complete with Google Maps!), fishing in Lake Erie, and a wonderful mashup of performing arts theaters.

Check out the site and add your experience. And don’t miss the wonderful feature on the Best of Michigan.

Several groups have joined to form a clean boating campaign that educates their local communities and limits pollution. This Times Herald article details the efforts and provides a list of tips useful on any state waterway.

A similar program from Michigan Sea Grant promotes Clean Boats Clean Waters. The initiative welcomes volunteers to demonstrate to boaters proper cleaning techniques and to share information about invasive species. Beyond the program, there’s a mass of knowledge available on Michigan Sea Grant promoting knowledge and maintence of our Great Lakes.

Launching April 14-18, the new program will honor customers with one point for each dollar spent at the GM Renaissance Center, River East Center and the Millender Center. The points will be redeemable for valuable rewards such as lavish dinners, manicures and spa services offered at the three locations.

“We are excited to launch the rencen reward program,” said Rhonda Savage, marketing coordinator for Hines Management. “We hope that by rewarding our loyal customers, we will encourage other building tenants and Detroit residents to take full advantage of the many services, shops, restaurants and amenities available at all the centers.”

To become a rencen rewards member, customers must complete the membership application available at all stores and at the Customer Service Desk located on level A in the GM Wintergarden in the Renaissance Center. For more information on rencen rewards, please visit www.gmrencen.com.

The Tribune features a selection of islands accessible by ferry. From the mighty Huron to the top of Lake Superior, getaways are found across the Great Lakes. Check out the story for some springtime recommendations, and find out the home of the nation’s only island national park.

To learn more, Wikipedia has a list of each Michigan island with detailed information on many. National Geographic Traveler reviews islands across North America including our very own Mackinac. The home of the Grand Hotel scores higher than Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and Florida’s Key West to earn top honors.