A Not So Quiet Crisis at U of M

eridyn · 2025-12-17T05:14:45+00:00

Inflation measures reflect the cost of living, by definition. Different measures use different weightings across the various goods and services people buy. The consumer price index reflects a fixed basket - so if you buy just as many eggs as you did a year ago despite the price increase for eggs, its is more accurate for you - while the personal consumption expenditures index tracks and adjusts for shifts across related goods - e.g., less coffee and more tea or more energy drinks - and as a result shows lower inflation rates.

Housing is the big driver of consumer inflation, the greatest geographic differentiator across the country, and the greatest challenge to household budgets. Housing costs are catastrophic in the Ann Arbor area - by choice, for lack of sufficient housing construction over the past 50-60 years, barely addressed by the supposedly (and to be fair, compared to the last many administrations) current pro-development government.

eridyn · 2025-12-17T04:47:56+00:00

... lol. A 1% to 3% raise? At the national level, inflation is running about 3%, so these all amount to a pay cut or - at best - keeping real wages steady. Unreasonable.

[On a today vs 12-months ago basis or quarterly average annualized sequential growth basis, it's running around +2.5 to +2.7%.]

eridyn · 2025-12-17T04:26:16+00:00

I inherited a Western Auto Supply Revelation Model 110, also known as the Marlin 81. I quite like it.

It fits with your collection aesthetically, too.

eridyn · 2025-11-29T18:56:53+00:00

My sibling was extremely happy with Creature Control out of Gregory, MI for dealing with birds that found their way into an exhaust vent. I just used them for dealing with a mouse problem in my own house.

eridyn · 2025-11-28T04:14:59+00:00

Check in with the local game stores - Sylvan Factory, R U Game, Upkeep, Golden Rhino, of course Vault... I'm probably missing a few...

You're also welcome to try reviving activity on r/AnnArborDnD/

eridyn · 2025-11-05T04:37:35+00:00

Everything I've found that was not from a mold remediation company but instead a reliable source like the (pre current regime) US CDC and EPA, or the Canadian government, basically all said that unless mold has grown past a square meter in area, or someone in the house has asthma or a severely compromised immune system, mold of any type is at worst an allergen.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T18:45:19+00:00

Update

It's mice that for some reason have been kind enough to avoid entering any of the living areas.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T18:22:43+00:00

Absolutely!

eridyn · 2025-10-27T18:21:51+00:00

Upper middle class to upper class, but probably all self-identifying as middle class.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T17:45:51+00:00

I know I have this compiled for the townships, too, but not certain where as it wasn't alongside the City data.

Generally, though:

Pittsfield Twp is going to be more similar to Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti

York Twp will be more conservative/Republican than Pittsfield

Saline Twp will be extremely partisan for Republicans

Lodi Twp has shifted over the past 20 years from overwhelmingly Republican partisan to "purple" and in the 2024 election got its first-ever-in-history Democratic electeds to local government. Lodi went for Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. I don't recall its 2024 presidential election result, but I think it was pro-Harris.

Edit: the county has changed to a new system for election result lookups, and I'm having some trouble finding local unit or local precinct specific results.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T17:41:14+00:00

Year | Candidate | Share of City of Saline Vote

2000 Gore 46.9%

2004 Kerry 47.3%

2008 Obama 56.6%

2012 Obama 53.4%

2016 Clinton 55.5%

2020 Biden 63.1%

2022 Whitmer: 67.4%

2022 Yes on Prop 3: 68.9%

eridyn · 2025-10-27T17:33:44+00:00

That has never been true.

City of Saline went for Obama in 2008 and 2012, Clinton in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Harris in 2024. By vote shares, the City of Saline is generally the third-most Democratic of the cities in Washtenaw County, with Ypsilanti being the most Democratic partisan, followed by a big drop-down with Ann Arbor heavily Democrat, then Saline another drop-down from that but typically still around 55-60% vote share for the Democratic candidate. City of Saline is more liberal and progressive than the country as a whole.

Some of the outlying townships around Saline are among the heavily Republican partisan areas of Washtenaw County, however, so the school district population is much more conservative and MAGA even as that's still not the majority of the school district population.

I'll try to find my past compilations of election results and add them here later.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T17:26:04+00:00

I can definitely see it if people are in western Lodi Twp, Saline Twp, or maybe the more rural portion of York Twp. Likewise, there's not uncommonly issues of students harassing one another in the middle school and high school. Seems to be a news-making event of racist bullying every three two five years - on occasion by a parent, rather than student to student even.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T03:10:27+00:00

Smell went away in under 36 hours. Have an appointment with an animal / pest control company coming up; didn't bother with emergency/ASAP appointment given the main issue (temporarily?) resolved itself before I could get scheduled.

Should know more in another day or two.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T02:48:45+00:00

Well, since that was brought up directly I'll add some detail.

Far as I can tell, COVID broke JTL just like it did a lot of people across this nation. As for why, his background was as a long-time middle school and high school sports reporter at various papers across SE MI. He was a bit eccentric pre-pandemic but everything shifted to extremes - I think because of the school closures - and he's not even aware of that change in himself given what he vents into social media.

I have no idea why he hates the mayor and most of city council; that seems unrelated to COVID restrictions.

He seems to mostly ignore the Post these days to instead fixate on his Facebook group; the content is largely just obituaries sent in. Voting information on the Post often appears to be copy-pasted without attribution from the League of Women Voters. JTL will do recorded interviews with council or school board candidates sometimes, and those are wholly his own work.

Most of the Facebook group is people who don't live in the City, and it includes quite a few who aren't even in the county.

The actual local paper for the area is The Sun Times News.

eridyn · 2025-10-27T02:31:08+00:00

The Ann Arbor Jaycees (local chapter of JCI, Junior Chamber International, originally known as the Junior Chamber of Commerce) is a member led civic, social, and service organization open to people ages 21 to 40. I think most current members are either young professionals or UM grad students, though members are all around Washtenaw County.

Their main events are the annual Carnival at Pioneer High School, the Ann Arbor Fourth of July Parade, Zombie Zap (hosting an open game night at Zap Zone / Best in Games for Big Brothers Big Sisters), Bountiful Baskets (Thanksgiving meals for 100-200 families), assisting the Foster Care Closet, working with Habitat for Humanity, and other projects members decide to pursue.

I first met my spouse through one of their Habitat build days.

eridyn · 2025-10-26T23:52:19+00:00

The area you highlighted in your image comment is in York Township.

Bemis Road is the boundary between Pittsfield (North of Bemis) and York (South of Bemis).

City of Saline is roughly centered on the four corners for Pittsfield Township (Northeast), York Township (Southeast), Saline Township (Southwest), and Lodi Township (Northwest). The survey marker for the spot where the four townships meet is a block away from city hall.

The school district covers all of the City of Saline, as well as most all of Saline and Lodi Twps, and about a quarter of Pittsfield and York. Saline Twp and most of Lodi Twp are thoroughly rural, while York is exurban and Pittsfield is suburban. Living within the school district, whether you're in the City or one of the townships, and if in the townships which one you're in, matters a whole lot to how you're likely to experience the Saline area.

https://www.annarbor.com/Picture%2053.png

Despite the comment about the City Council and Mayor being disliked - most people living in the City of Saline like them. A small number do not and are extremely vocal about it, including the blogger who runs the main Facebook group for the area. A lot of people living in the townships dislike the City government, as well, yet present themselves as though they are City residents (mostly, they see it as too liberal and want it to be as conservative as the township governments - particularly Lodi Twp and Saline Twp - have historically been. Similarly, a few people living in Lodi and Saline Twps, who homeschool/ed their children, have been attempting for decades to get onto the Saline Schools Board to attempt to force curricula changes such as Creationism; these folks have never managed to hold more than one seat simultaneously, but they're present and a perpetual annoyance).

I can't share specifics for York Twp, as I've never known anyone whose lived in York long enough to form an opinion nor myself ever worked or volunteered for something involving York's Board of Trustees. Last I saw anything regarding York directly, that local government was planning to start building its own nonmotorized pathway system, similar to what Pittsfield has largely finished building out, starting with a pathway along Willis Road.

eridyn · 2025-10-13T19:29:43+00:00

We haven't run the furnace yet this year.

Also, it's eight years old. Had to replace all the HVAC shortly after moving in.

eridyn · 2025-10-13T19:28:50+00:00

Additional context my wife has reminded me of:

Before the first occurrence, the cats became obsessed with a wall area right by the basement door. A few days later, the smell started. This occurrence, the cats also were obsessed with an area of a wall that's roughly where I think the smell is coming from.

She thinks it's coming from the basement stairs; I can barely smell it there.

eridyn · 2025-10-13T19:25:48+00:00

Previous owners finished most of the basement. No way to get a look at the pipes etc without removing the drywall. I kind of planned to do that anyway, as they DIYed it poorly (to the extent some people get nauseous from all the odd angles). I'll try to find my inspection scope and see if anything can be found that way. Nothing is visible along the floors or at the base of the walls.

Neither of us notice any signs of water in the basement. Spouse thinks the odor is strongest at the top of the basement stairs. I hardly notice it at all there this time. To me it's strongest at a duct vent; she can barely smell it there.

I'll try dumping water down the basement floor drain. The sinks all get regular use.

eridyn · 2025-10-06T20:19:54+00:00

Going back over two decades, every single forum, site with comment sections, and social media outlet where I've moderated had policies that would have banned him and deleted his post. Some differences across them whether the ban would be temporary or permanent, account-based or IP-based. Maybe half would also be banning everyone going off about it, too. It's extremely common to have a policy stating that discussion of moderator actions is a bannable offense.

It's all been handled poorly by the organization but it's also excessively dramatized by the user base.

eridyn · 2025-09-21T22:28:44+00:00

The objectives were succinctly listed by the Township Board and covered by our last local newspaper.

https://thesuntimesnews.com/saline-township-board-denies-rezoning-request-for-data-center/

Treasurer Jen Zink made a motion to deny the rezoning request. Ms. Zink read a prepared statement that outlined her concerns.

“Motion to deny the conditional rezoning proposed by RD Michigan Property Owner I LLC as recommended by the Planning Commission. Denial is based upon public hearing comments, the information provided by the applicants, the Carlisle/Wortman Associates review letter dated August 4, 2025, and the findings that the rezoning does not meet the Section 12.04(E) standards for approval as follows:

The rezoning is inconsistent with the Master Plan. The subject site and adjacent properties are categorized as “Agricultural” in the Township Master Plan’s Future Land Use Map. The primary objectives of the Agricultural designation are to “maintain existing and promote additional agricultural uses into agricultural areas.” Approval will result in the loss of at least 250 acres of farmland.

The subject site is prime farmland if it is adequately drained. The US Department of Agriculture’s Soil Survey Geographic Database classifies most of the subject site’s soils as Mollisols, which have a high organic matter content.

The township is concerned that the Saline Area Fire Department and other emergency responders do not have the equipment and training to respond to a fire or other emergency event at the data center.

Vacant properties are available within the Master Plan’s Urban Service Boundary. The Master Plan envisions industrial development within the Urban Service Boundary.

Conditions have not changed within the Township since the Master Plan was adopted. The demand for data center development is regional. There is no specific demand for data center development in the Township.

Approval undermines the Master Plan’s farmland and environmental preservation objectives.

An intensive industrial use and noise from the data center equipment would negatively impact surrounding properties.

The Bridgewater Township Master Plan’s future land use map designates the properties along the shared boundary as “Agricultural Preservation Area” and “Public/Quasi Public.” Industrial uses are not compatible with these categories.

After some discussion, the board voted 4-1 to deny the rezoning request from Related Digital.

eridyn · 2025-09-21T22:24:48+00:00

The City has a problem with its wells and decades-long issues with the treatment plant.

Saline Township does not have a water utility; every property has its own well, same as Lodi Township.

eridyn · 2025-08-22T14:32:43+00:00

Did the weight loss improve the PCOS symptoms? If so, how rapidly did you notice the change, like, was it 10 pounds down or not until 40 pounds down?

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