Author Archives: mike@standardsmichigan.com
- Home
- Articles posted by mike@standardsmichigan.com (Page 19)
loading...
Turkey Trot
In 2024, a record-breaking 936 Thanksgiving Turkey Trots were hosted across all 50 U.S. states, attracting over 1.1 million participants and raising more than $3.6 million for charities. This figure comes from comprehensive data compiled by RunSignup, a leading race management platform that tracked events nationwide, showing a 21% increase from 2023. Florida led with 56 events, followed by other populous states like California and Texas.
For 2025 (as of late November), early indicators suggest a similar or slightly higher total, with at least 70 new races identified and low event churn (under 2%). Registration trends show events averaging 39% of 2024 totals already, pointing to continued growth in this beloved holiday tradition. These races—mostly 5K fun runs or walks—emphasize family participation, costumes, and community support, with over 90% held on Thanksgiving Day itself
Join us for the oldest race in Kalamazoo, the #WMU Turkey Trot! 🦃 Lace up and run with us on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Registration closes Thursday, Nov. 20, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Celebrate the race with an awards ceremony for the top male and female in both run and walk categories, and… pic.twitter.com/E7JeUDg8Wz
— Western Michigan University (@WesternMichU) November 12, 2025
Catcher in the Rye
Internet Archive: “Catcher in the Rye” 1951 , J.D. Salinger
Harold Bloom’s Catcher in the Rye Critical Readings
Selected quotes:
“I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot.”
“It’s funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to.”
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
“I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It’s nice.”
“If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she’s late? Nobody.”
Related:
“For Esme, with Love and Squalor” 1950, J.D. Salinger
— Edward Elderman (@edwereddie) November 26, 2025
Campus Rail Transit
The West Virginia University PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) system is a unique and innovative form of public transportation that serves the WVU campus and the city of Morgantown, West Virginia. The PRT system consists of a series of automated, driverless vehicles that operate on an elevated track network, providing fast and convenient transportation to key destinations on and around the WVU campus.
The PRT system was first developed in the 1970s as a solution to the growing traffic congestion and parking demand on the WVU campus. The system was designed to be efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly, and to provide a high-tech, futuristic mode of transportation that would appeal to students and visitors.
The PRT system currently operates five different stations, with stops at key campus locations such as the Mountainlair Student Union, the Engineering Research Building, and the Health Sciences Center. The system is free for all WVU students, faculty, and staff, and also offers a low-cost fare for members of the general public.
The PRT system has been recognized as one of the most advanced and innovative public transportation systems in the world, and has won numerous awards for its design, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. It has also become an iconic symbol of the WVU campus, and is often featured in promotional materials and advertising campaigns for the university.
More
Federal Transit Administration
West Virginia Department of Education: School Transportation
“Evaluation of the West Virginia University Personal Rapid Transit System” | A. Katz and A. Finkelstein (Journal of Transportation Engineering, 1987) This paper evaluates the technical and operational performance of the WVU PRT system based on data collected over a six-year period. The authors identify several issues with the system, including maintenance problems, limited capacity, and difficulties with vehicle docking and undocking.
“Modeling of the West Virginia University Personal Rapid Transit System” by J. Schroeder and C. Wilson (Transportation Research Record, 2002) This paper presents a mathematical model of the WVU PRT system that can be used to analyze its performance and identify potential improvements. The authors use the model to evaluate the impact of various factors, such as station dwell time and vehicle capacity, on the system’s overall performance.
“Evaluating the Effectiveness of Personal Rapid Transit: A Case Study of the West Virginia University System” by K. Fitzpatrick, M. Montufar, and K. Schreffler (Journal of Transportation Technologies, 2013) This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the WVU PRT system based on a survey of users and non-users. The authors identify several challenges facing the system, including low ridership, reliability issues, and high operating costs.
Association for Commuter Transportation: Accreditation Standards
Energy Standard for Data Centers
2024 Update to ASHRAE Position Statements
List of Titles, Scopes and Purposes of the ASHRAE Catalog
The parent title of this standard is ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings and is continually under revision; frequently appearing in electrical engineering design guidelines, construction specifications, commissioning and O&M titles in our industry and others.
ASHRAE 90.4 defines an alternate compliance path, specific to data centers, while the compliance requirements for “non-data center” components are contained in ASHRAE 90.1 . The 90.4 structure also streamlines the ongoing maintenance process as well ensures that Standards 90.1 and 90.4 stay in their respective lanes to avoid any overlap and redundancies relating to the technical and administrative boundaries. Updates to ASHRAE 90.1 will still include the alternate compliance path defined in ASHRAE 90.4. Conversely the 2022 Edition of 90.4-2022 refers to ASHRAE 90.1-2022; cross-referencing one another synchronously
Links to noteworthy coverage from expert agencies on the 2022 revisions:
HPC Data Center Cooling Design Considerations
ASHRAE standard 90.4 updates emphasize green energy
ASHRAE updated its standard for data centers
How to Design a Data Center Cooling System for ASHRAE 90.4
Designing a Data Center with Computer Software Modeling
This title resides on the standing agenda of our Infotech 400 colloquium; hosted several times per year and as close coupled with the annual meetings of ASHRAE International as possible. Technical committees generally meet during these meetings make decisions about the ASHRAE catalog. The next all committee conference will be hosted January 20-24, 2024 in Chicago. As always we encourage education industry facility managers, energy conservation workgroups and sustainability professionals to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process. It is one of the better facilities out there.
Start at ASHRAE’s public commenting facility:
Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts
Update: May 30, 2023
Proposed Addendum g makes changes to definitions were modified in section 3 and mandatory language in Section 6 to support the regulation of process heat and process ventilation was moved in the section for clarity. Other changes are added based on comments from the first public review including changes to informative notes.
Consultation closes June 4th
Update: February 10, 2023
The most actively managed consensus standard for data center energy supply operating in education communities (and most others) is not published by the IEEE but rather by ASHRAE International — ASHRAE 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers (2019). It is not required to be a free access title although anyone may participate in its development. It is copyrighted and ready for purchase but, for our purpose here, we need only examine its scope and purpose. A superceded version of 90.4 is available in the link below:
Third ISC Public Review Draft (January 2016)
Noteworthy: The heavy dependence on IEEE power chain standards as seen in the Appendix and Chapter 8. Recent errata are linked below:
We provide the foregoing links for a deeper dive “into the weeds”. Another addendum has been released for consultation; largely administrative:
ASHRAE 90.4 | Pages 60-61 | Consultation closes January 15, 2023.
It is likely that the technical committee charged with updating this standard are already at work preparing an updated version that will supercede the 2019 Edition. CLICK HERE for a listing of Project Committee Interim Meetings.
We maintain many titles from the ASHRAE catalog on the standing agenda of our Mechanical, Energy 200/400, Data and Cloud teleconferences. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Originally posted Summer 2020.
ASHRAE International has released four new addenda to its energy conservation consensus document ASHRAE 90.4-2016 Energy Standard for Data Centers. This document establishes the minimum energy efficiency requirements of data centers for design and construction, for the creation of a plan for operation and maintenance and for utilization of on-site or off-site renewable energy resources.
It is a relatively new document more fully explained in an article published by ASHRAE in 2016 (Click here). The addenda described briefly:
Addendum a – clarifies existing requirements in Section 6.5 as well as introduce new provisions to encourage heat recovery within data centers.
Addendum b – clarifies existing requirements in Sections 6 and 11 and to provide guidance for taking credit for renewable energy systems.
Addendum d – a response to a Request for Interpretation on the 90.4 consideration of DieselRotary UPS Systems (DRUPS) and the corresponding accounting of these systems in the Electrical Loss Component (ELC). In crafting the IC, the committee also identified several marginal changes to 90.4 definitions and passages in Section 8 that would add further clarity to the issue. This addendum contains the proposed changes for that aim as well as other minor changes to correct spelling or text errors, incorporate the latest ELC values into Section 11, and to refresh information in the Normative Reference.
Addendum e adds language to Section 11 intended to clarify how compliance with Standard 90.4 can be achieved through the use of shared systems.
Comments are due September 6th. Until this deadline you may review the changes and comment upon them by by CLICKING HERE
Universitat de Barcelona
Education facility managers, energy conservation workgroups and sustainability professionals are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE standard development process. Start at ASHRAE’s public commenting facility:
Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts
The ASHRAE catalog is a priority title in our practice. This title appears on the standing agenda of our Infotech sessions. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [12-54]
Category: Telecommunications, Infotech, Energy
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Neal Dowling, Jim Harvey, Mike Hiler, Robert Schuerger, Larry Spielvogel
Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings
Addendum av to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2022, Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This addendum creates more exacting provisions for envelope alterations. The new format is intended to better communicate the requirements, triggers, and allowances associated with performing an envelope alteration to promote energy efficiency within the impacted area(s). Consultation closes October 6.
ANSI Standards Action Weekly Edition | Given ASHRAE’s revision redlines are frequently uploaded here
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an ANSI-accredited continuous-maintenance standards developer (a major contributor to what we call a regulatory product development “stream”). Continuous maintenance means that changes to its consensus products can change in as little as 30 days so it is wise to keep pace.
Among the leading titles in its catalog is ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. Standard 90.1 has been a benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the United States and a key basis for codes and standards around the world for more than 35 years. Free access to ASHRAE 90.1 version is available at the link below:
READ ONLY Version of 2022 ASHRAE 90.1
Redlines are released at a fairly brisk pace — with 30 to 45 day consultation periods. A related title — ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings — first published in 2009 and far more prescriptive in its scope heavily references parent title 90.1 so we usually them as a pair because 189.1 makes a market for green building conformance enterprises. Note the “extreme prescriptiveness” (our term of art) in 189.1 which has the practical effect of legislating engineering judgement, in our view.
25 January 2023: Newly Released ASHRAE 90.1-2022 Includes Expanded Scope For Building Sites
ASHRAE committees post their redlines at the link below:
Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts
Education estate managers, energy conservation workgroups, sustainability officers, electric shop foreman, electricians and front-line maintenance professionals who change lighting fixtures, maintain environmental air systems are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process.
We also maintain ASHRAE best practice titles as standing items on our Mechanical, Water, Energy and Illumination colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [Various]
Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy Conservation, Facility Asset Management, US Department of Energy, #SmartCampus
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel, Richard Robben
Under Construction: ASHRAE WORKSPACE
More
ARCHIVE 2002-2016 / ASHRAE 90.1 ENERGY STANDARD FOR BUILDINGS
US Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program
ASHRAE Guideline 0 The Commissioning Process
Why Software is Eating the World
* Many standards-developing organizations aim to broaden their influence by entering the product standard and certification domain. Although our primary focus is on interoperability standards (within a system of interoperable products), we also consider market dynamics when product performance specifications are incorporated by reference into public law.
This map shows how US households heat their homes. Source: https://t.co/FYhAQ4U9iV pic.twitter.com/Vyw02f7Wa2
— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) December 18, 2024
Love data like this, even though I would set temperature at a different scale. I like it warm. pic.twitter.com/itJgsZWZlK
— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) December 15, 2024
Mortuary Arts
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;
for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
“Marat Assassinated” | Jacques-Louis David 1793
There are several ANSI accredited standards that apply to mortuary science, particularly in the areas of forensic science and medicolegal death investigation. These standards are developed to ensure the highest levels of professionalism, quality, and consistency in the field. Here are some key standards:
- ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendations: The American National Standards Institute in collaboration with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences has developed various standards, including those related to the handling and processing of human remains. For example, the ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 094-2021 outlines procedures for postmortem friction ridge print recovery, emphasizing systematic approaches and legal compliance during the process
ANSI/ASB Standard 125-2021: This standard focuses on the general requirements for medicolegal death investigation systems. It covers infrastructure, personnel training, and competency requirements to ensure high-quality death investigations. It also references other professional guidelines and accreditation checklists from organizations such as the National Association of Medical Examiners and the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.
These standards are integral to maintaining rigorous protocols and ethical practices within mortuary science and related fields. They help ensure that procedures are consistent, legally compliant, and respectful of the deceased, ultimately contributing to the reliability and credibility of forensic investigations. For more detailed information, you can refer to the ANSI and ASB standards documentation available through their respective organizations.
Standard for Interactions Between Medical Examiner, Coroner and Death Investigation Agencies
Anatomical Donation
Anatomical donation programs are supported by relatively stable best practice literature that are highly cross-referencing. The organ donation industry grows at a surprising clip and, as such, has its share of sketchy actors.
Our discussion today — at 15:00 UTC– is limited to the safety and sustainability of the support facilities for human cadavers only; with attention to the most recent construction projects.
Images:
Representative Literature:
Relevant Codes & Standards:
ASHRAE International
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM International
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute
International Code Council
International Building Code
International Mechanical Code
International Plumbing Code
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
National Fire Protection Association
More:
American Association for Anatomy
American Association of Tissue Banks
IEEE: Virtual Reality Application in Anatomy Education: A Bibliometric Analysis and Future Direction
Anatomy Meets Architecture: Designing New Laboratories for New Anatomists
National Donor Day: February 14
Join us today at 15:00 UTC. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
Welcome
Standards Michigan Group, LLC
2723 South State Street | Suite 150
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA
888-746-3670
DIRECTIONS
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
Layout mode
Predefined Skins
Custom Colors
Choose your skin color
Patterns Background
Images Background
error: Content is protected !!
Skip to content