The Watering Hole

[Nitro]

Not totally sure why (lots of new stuff, Gallery on Fulton, MSU med school, etc)

I think this site when it first gained its popularity was inhabited by a lot more professionals in the design, construction, and development worlds. We all used it as a site to tease others a little and find info on stuff going on in our professional world.

Then came a wave of general interest from the public and this place became over run by people (some of which thought they knew more than they did).

I can't speak for everyone but I'll say personally I used to love posting to this site on a daily basis. However, as its popularity grew, conversations became dominated by certain people. Frankly, I didn't care to hear their opinions and I stopped sharing what was going on in my world and I retreated. Now I'm only here once a week or two. I check in to see what's going on, but due to the volume decrease in posts over the last few years I'd suspect that others felt the same way I did.

My personal opinion.

[amylynne]

Josh (fotoman) and I have been unable to view Urban Planet at home for about a week now. No problem accessing it at work, but nothing will come up at home. We probably don't have anything insightful to say anyway... or at least I don't.

[egrguy]

Nitro, excellent point and I also fear you are probably spot on. The initial information sharing was incredible. Sigh...

[mgreven]

Funny, I feel the traffic has picked up since this was brought up.

Not like I have any really good info to share, but I know I post less because I have it coming to me in my RSS program on my computer and phone. Really nice to read the latest posts, but not as easy to quick hit "respond". I still read it as soon as a post goes up, but rarely visit the site.

[Allison Slater]

If this is one of the source problems then, how can we improve the situation to encourage that level of information sharing again?

[egrguy]

Funny, I feel the traffic has picked up since this was brought up.

Not like I have any really good info to share, but I know I post less because I have it coming to me in my RSS program on my computer and phone. Really nice to read the latest posts, but not as easy to quick hit "respond". I still read it as soon as a post goes up, but rarely visit the site.

I don't ever have any "insider" info either, but I sure loved the banter provided here. I may also think that the lack of any real substantial development "towers" may affect things as well vs a time when the JW Marriott and Bridgewater were both going up at the same time.

[Veloise]

Interesting article.

“What makes a community a desirable place to live? What draws people to stake their future in it? Are communities with more attached residents better off?” In other words “what makes a community sticky?

[RegalTDP]

I love how the online map sites refer to the Southwest Area Neighbors as "Swan." Here's Bing Maps, which just updated GR's neighborhoods sometime recently:

I like the name "Swan" better. Think it could catch on? How about "Seca" or "Neca"?

Edited December 14, 2010 by RegalTDP

[Allison Slater]

I thought it always was "SWAN?"

[RegalTDP]

I thought it always was "SWAN?"

I thought people knew SWAN as an acronym, but not as a name in and of itself. I think the neighborhood should just change its name to Swan. I mean, Google and Bing both adopted it, so it's pretty much etched in stone.

Edited December 15, 2010 by RegalTDP

[walker]

It's been so slow here, this is just a test to see if the forum still works:

A duck walks into a bar. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender, and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The next day the duck comes back again. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "Look duck. We don't have any grapes today, we didn't have any yesterday, and we definitely won't have any tomorrow. If you come back in here and ask for grapes again, I'm going to nail your webbed feet to the floor." So the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender and asks "Got any nails?" The bartender says "No." Then the duck says ""Oh good. Got any grapes?"

[gvsusean]

It's been so slow here, this is just a test to see if the forum still works:

A duck walks into a bar. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender, and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The next day the duck comes back again. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "Look duck. We don't have any grapes today, we didn't have any yesterday, and we definitely won't have any tomorrow. If you come back in here and ask for grapes again, I'm going to nail your webbed feet to the floor." So the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender and asks "Got any nails?" The bartender says "No." Then the duck says ""Oh good. Got any grapes?"

lol i like it

[gvsusean]

It's been so slow here, this is just a test to see if the forum still works:

A duck walks into a bar. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender, and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "No" so the duck leaves. The next day the duck comes back again. He goes up to the bartender and says "Got any grapes?" The bartender says "Look duck. We don't have any grapes today, we didn't have any yesterday, and we definitely won't have any tomorrow. If you come back in here and ask for grapes again, I'm going to nail your webbed feet to the floor." So the duck leaves. The duck comes back the next day, goes up to the bartender and asks "Got any nails?" The bartender says "No." Then the duck says ""Oh good. Got any grapes?"

lol i like it

[wingbert]

Looks like a big winter storm is coming. How can I tell? Hyperbole is in full effect on channel 8.

[egrguy]

Everyone was right this time. Crazy eh!?

[GR Jackson]

Everyone was right this time. Crazy eh!?

I was ready to be angry with the hype machine, but I was wrong.

[MJLO]

So the census bureau has been releasing state data week by week different states. Every week I check it, and of course all the states I want to see they wait to release. Well they released a couple this week, and next week a couple more. But I'll be darned, the a-holes are waiting till the very end to release the Michigan numbers. I know I'm a nerd. I'm like a kid who can't sleep waiting for the next video console to come out.

[RegalTDP]

So the census bureau has been releasing state data week by week different states. Every week I check it, and of course all the states I want to see they wait to release. Well they released a couple this week, and next week a couple more. But I'll be darned, the a-holes are waiting till the very end to release the Michigan numbers. I know I'm a nerd. I'm like a kid who can't sleep waiting for the next video console to come out.

No worries, MLive's got your back. Coming next week, apparently.

[MJLO]

Can anyone explain to me what all of this talk about the Governors budget means? I'm hearing all this talk by Idealogues, but from a clinical perspective I can't figure out the meat and potato's of it all. From what I can tell it sounds like what is being done is what has been done in states that have been taking our jobs and population for the last four decades. It sounds like maybe Michigan is trying to be brought to a level where we might be more able to compete with those sunbelt states. There is also the issue of the state appointed manager of failing cities. I just want the facts. I'm not looking to incite some useless political debate. All i've heard has been on the news, and I can't make heads or tails.

[John E]

MJLO,

What Governor Rick is doing is bring Michigan to fiscal responsibly and getting people to take care of themselves. Others should not be forced to pay for other peoples needs.This can bring personal responsibly back as was in the olden days.

~John Eisenschenk

[Timize]

Can anyone explain to me what all of this talk about the Governors budget means? I'm hearing all this talk by Idealogues, but from a clinical perspective I can't figure out the meat and potato's of it all. From what I can tell it sounds like what is being done is what has been done in states that have been taking our jobs and population for the last four decades. It sounds like maybe Michigan is trying to be brought to a level where we might be more able to compete with those sunbelt states. There is also the issue of the state appointed manager of failing cities. I just want the facts. I'm not looking to incite some useless political debate. All i've heard has been on the news, and I can't make heads or tails.

Rachel Maddow explains it a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpO1QFMDtM

[GR Jackson]

I understand the budget to essentially cut spending almost across the board, eliminate the business tax, and eliminate earned income tax credit and tax pensions to make up for the elimination of the business tax. Not a very nuanced understanding, but there's some broad strokes.

[GR Jackson]

Did anyone go see the butterflies at the Meijer Gardens this year?

[fotoman311]

Did anyone go see the butterflies at the Meijer Gardens this year?

Not yet, but I did hear from a friend who is an employee there that yesterday they broke the single day paid attendance record.

[GR Jackson]

Not yet, but I did hear from a friend who is an employee there that yesterday they broke the single day paid attendance record.

I wonder how many people from across Michigan, or even out of state come to see this. It seems like a pretty unique event.