Given the seemingly endless reports of bad economic news around the country and around our state, it’s a distinct pleasure to spotlight this job-driving guide as the Arresting Site of the Month for October. Grab a camera and get rolling.

Note: Nominations for November are due on Monday, October 27, and I’ll announce the winner on Monday, November 3. Thanks once again for your interest and your participation.

Recent financial news got you down? The place to share your blues is this Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20 in Lansing. The state capitol will host the Old Town BluesFest, a free event packed with acts from around Michigan and the country. Acts (tentatively) include George Bedard & the Kingpins, Madcat & Kane, The Alligators, and more, all of whom you can see and hear while visiting the many food and craft vendors on hand. Dig in.

It was such a terrible day, and there has been so much written about it in the seven years that have followed. The University of Michigan has assembled a comprehensive set of documents and other resources that detail the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001, the history of terrorism around the globe, and more. It’s difficult to relive the horror of that morning, but BBC News maintains a timeline of events, including video.

in and of itself a change, as we drove her to and from her last school every day. Zoë amazes us more and more with each passing week for many reasons, including the fact she’s so interested in learning and exploring. We’re lucky she’s our child, and look forward to the rest of this milestone year in her life. We can’t wait to hear all about Day One.

It bills itself as “…a partnership that provides one place online for people to find information relating to the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region of North America” and the Great Lakes Information Network consistently achieves that goal, and has been doing so since the early ’90s. I wrote about the Ann Arbor-based GLIN in this space back in March and, given its breadth and depth, I’ve selected it as the ”Arresting Site of the Month” for September. GLIN’s pages focus on the Great Lakes themselves, plus the region’s economy, education, environment, and tourism, and it’s easy to search by state or province, as well as by individual lake.

There also is a section on maps and geographic information systems, where you’ll encounter portals, galleries, and links that offer a swath of further detail. Speaking of the latter, GLIN nominates its own “Site of the Month,” and its extensive archive in this regard dates back to 1996. You can jump in anywhere and be sure to discover facts and figures about the Great Lakes, but a good place to start is the information center. Whether you’ve lived in Michigan or elsewhere around the Great Lakes your entire life, or you’re a recent transplant to this beautiful area, you’re bound to learn something new at GLIN.

‘Tis the season…football season, that is. There are many ways to get the scoop on your favorite college gridiron program. Devotees of my alma mater, the University of Michigan, should peruse MGoBlog, bursting with facts and opinions on the Maize ‘n Blue. The aptly named Michigan Sports Center will also keep you update on all the goings-on in Ann Arbor.

In the interests of equal time, followers of the Green and White should head directly to the Michigan State page of fanblogs.com. If you consider yourself a forward-thinking lover of everything East Lansing, then check out The Enlightened Spartan.  

Let the rivalry begin anew.

The 29th installment of one of America’s finest musical gatherings is a Motor City traditon, and a splendid way to mark Labor Day. The Detroit International Jazz Festival will cook and swing on six stages in and around Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park and, as is tradition, the 2008 lineup boasts stars from near and far. In addition to talented-beyond-their-years high school and university ensembles, stalwarts like Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, and the peerless Hank Jones will entertain the huge crowds downtown from August 29-September 1, as will ”A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit,” which will spotlight these two musical hotbeds. The festival Web site is packed with jazz links, a photo gallery from last year’s event, and more. Get ready to thrill your ears and eyes over four days at an event that brings together longtime jazz lovers and so many others — especially kids, just beginning to experience this magnificent American art form — fittingly set in the heart of a city that continues to play a large role in its ongoing development.  

Whaddya know?! Found out today that I’m slated be on set as an extra in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It!, starring Ellen Page, and which begins shooting next week here in Michigan. I should know soon how many days the filmmakers will use me, and I’m honored to have been chosen, along with hundreds more area residents, by the talented folks at Real Style. It’s amazing to see how quickly the state is attracting movie business since Governor Granholm signed incentive legislation in April. This region is known for keeping wheels turning, now let’s see if we can keep reels turning.

My daughter loves taking public transportation. If she can get on a train or a bus, it’s a great day. Yesterday was one of those great days. I picked her up from preschool late in the afternoon and, although it was rush hour, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority buses did a great job getting us around town, and we made our connections with relative ease. AATA, aka “The Ride,” will be especially busy this week, with the Ann Arbor Art Fairs running full blast now through Saturday. AATA is running shuttle service to the event, so please take advantage, as you’ll save gas, and save yourself plenty of parking headaches. I plan to do just that not only during the fairs, but have made a promise to myself and to my daughter that, from now on, we’ll use this splendid bus service regularly.