jeff lundberg . com

Light Rail Coming To Detroit

The Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study (DTOGS) released a press release outlining a plan to secure federal funds to build a light rail transit system along the Woodward corridor in Detroit. The rail system would be a starter line for a more regional transit system. Imagine going from Pontiac to Birmingham, to Royal Oak and Ferndale, and all the way down to Detroit's New Center, Wayne State University, and Fox Town all on light rail?

The initial line would run up Woodward Avenue starting next to Comerica Park, Ford Field and the Fox Theater, and run up to the State Fairgrounds at 8-Mile road. The idea is that Oakland county would be able to extend the line further up Woodward and into the surrounding cities. This is definitely something the region needs.

Here's a demonstration of what it might look like:


At an initial cost of $371 million, the DTOGS Project, led by the Detroit Department of Transporation (DDOT) is looking to secure up to 60% of the funds from the Federal Transit Administration. The remaining funds would come from "other Federal, state and local funding sources". DDOT is working with the URS Corporation, a consulting firm with previous success in helping cities through the Federal review process.

Construction on Woodward Avenue could begin as soon as 2011. Finally! Mass transit in Motown!

Download the Woodward LRT Press Release

Read More · Detroit News Article · comments (6) · trackback url ·

Life Without Arrogance

Arrogance might not be such a bad thing afterall...

From Little Bites of Point:

When a person asks if they look fat, the answer is always yes. People who are fit, know they are fit. It's perhaps unfortunate, but common sense requires that you acknowledge that people who look good know they look good, even if well advised politeness or political correctness causes them to suppress any expression of that which is plain to see.

He goes on:

Instead of suppressing the best among us with guilt, jealously and socialist policies, imagine a world in which all extraordinary people were deluded into believing they are average, then realize how grateful you are the world has not been deprived of the benefits derived from their contributions.

read more · comments (6) · trackback url ·

U.S. Debt

Jim Jubak writes:

The taxes you paid on your recently filed 1040 included roughly $4,300 to cover your household's annual share of the interest payments on the $9.4 trillion in public debt owed by the U.S. government.

David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States:

The most serious threat to the United States ... is our own fiscal responsibility.

Read More · comments (8) · trackback url ·

Caller ID: TOLL FREE CALL

I actually started to recognize one of the numbers. At 9:00 PM on a Sunday night, the phone rang. "Who could that be", I thought. The number 877-303-8757 "TOLL FREE CALL" showed up on the second ring. I picked up, but there was nobody on the other side. We've been getting all sorts of random calls lately. They seem to come through at random throughout the day, but Sunday night? That's a little rediculous. I looked up the number on several reverse phone number lookup sites such as:

• 800notes.com
• whocallsme.com
• number-lookup.com
• whocalled.us
• everycall.us

Some of the reports claim the number belongs to "GC Services". I finally just called the number back. A woman answered "GC Services how may I help you". I reported the many calls. She asked if I had a Capital One card. I do not. She then asked for my phone number. I reluctantly gave it to her... I figured I was already getting several calls a day from this number. How much worse can it get? She said she couldn't find the number in the system, but that she would remove it from their call list.

Is it just me or does that not make any sense? If my number isn't in their system, why am I getting calls? Nevertheless, if the calls stop, I'll be happy. Wasn't the National Do Not Call Registry supposed to prevent calls like this? I think I'll file a complaint.

 · comments (2) · trackback url ·

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream at MPCon XX

It actually tasted quite good!



 · comments (0) · trackback url ·

Internet Explorer 8 Has Arrived

Microsoft's next-generation web browser, Internet Explorer 8, has arrived. In a surprising move, after the demo of IE8 and its new features at today's session of the MIX08 conference. I hope the direction that the IE team has been able to go (as far as standards compliance) is an indication of the direction Microsoft will be headed in the future.

read more | digg story · comments (1) · trackback url ·

Michigan Charity Gaming Tournament Bounces Back

A year after his high school shut down his charity Halo 2 tournament because police said the game was too violent, Zach Wigal is hosting a Halo 3 tournament that could raise $7,500 for local autism charities.

read more | digg story · comments (1) · trackback url ·

Why National Healthcare is a Mistake

Why don't we want National Healthcare?

• When the former prime minister of Italy needed heart surgery, he came to the U.S.
• When the Minister of Health in Canada found out she had breast cancer, she came to the U.S. for healthcare.
• About 7,500 foreiners came to the John Hopkins last year alone.
• Survival rates for almost any disease is higher in the U.S.
• The U.S. drives much of the medical innovation in the world. 18 of the last 25 medical nobel prize winners live/work in the U.S.
• The more the government gets involved, costs go up, quality goes down, waits go up, choice goes down...
• Canada has over 800,000 people on waitlists for care... Many in chronic pain, and some may die due to lack of care.
• 750,000 people in the U.K. are on waitlists. Treatable illnesses like cancer go untreated, and become untreatable by the time people get care.
• and on and on...

 · comments (0) · trackback url ·

Ron Paul Interviewed By Glenn Beck on CNN

Visit RonPaul2008.com · comments (4) · trackback url ·

Abolish the IRS - Eliminate Income Tax - Return to Year 2000 Spending Levels

Visit RonPaul2008.com · comments (1) · trackback url ·

Ron Paul 2008

Visit RonPaul2008.com · comments (6) · trackback url ·

Ron Paul is for:

• The Constitution of the United States
• Individual Rights
• Privacy and Personal Liberty
• Small Government
• A Non-Intervention Foreign Policy
• Free Markets and Open Trade
• Abolishing the Internal Revenue Service
• Repealing the 16th Amendment
• Sound Monetary Policy

Visit RonPaul2008.com · comments (5) · trackback url ·

Ron Paul has:

• never voted to raise taxes
• never voted for an unbalanced budget
• never voted to raise congressional pay
• never taken a government-paid junket
• never voted to increase the power of the executive branch
• voted against regulating the internet
• not participated in the lucrative congressional pension program
• returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year
• repeatedly been named the Taxpayers Best Friend in Congress

Visit RonPaul2008.com

 · comments (4) · trackback url ·

Comcast Customers Limited To 90GB/Month

Comcast has revealed some details about its mysterious bandwidth limitations. Previously the company had only said that it would shut down customers who went over what the company considered average use. But given that the company doesn't seem to have a definition of average use, it's difficult to know whether you're in danger of being shutdown.

read more | digg story · comments (3) · trackback url ·

Prix Fixe - Inexpensive Fine Dining in Metro Detroit

You don't have to be a personal friend of the chef's to get a deal on dinner at many of metro Detroit's upscale restaurants.

Cafe Bon Homme in Plymouth offers a $30 three-course prix fixe menu. Little Italy in Northville has four courses for $19.95. The Rattlesnake Club in Stroh's River Place in Detroit features "a monthly prix fixe Food and Wine Fest menu of three courses for $45". In Farmington Hills, Tribute has a two-course $20 menu. Forte in Birmingham has a two-course Lunch Box menu for under $10, and a two course meal for $19.95. Gravity (Milford) offers a $25 three-course menu. I'll definitely have to try each one of these.

read more · comments (6) · trackback url ·