Tag Archives: Michigan

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Gingerbread Latte

Michigan West

ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Davenport University, Kent County Michigan

Davenport University Facilities

Self Reliance: Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson is an essay that emphasizes individualism, nonconformity, and the importance of trusting one’s own instincts. Here are some passages from this influential accomplishment that informs American culture:

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”

” A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

“To be great is to be misunderstood.”

“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.”

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.”

These excerpts capture the essence of Emerson’s philosophy in “Self-Reliance,” promoting the idea of individualism, self-trust, and the pursuit of one’s unique path in life. 

We have avoided listing interpretations offered by artificial intelligence algorithms because those algorithms are informed by at least one-hundred years of biased interpretation by scholars funded by the US federal government which has long since grown hostile to individualism; worthy coffee-house debate.  We recommend you consult the original text, linked above.

Kent County Michigan

Drivers facing the yellow-light-dilemma

Center for Digital Education | University of Michigan

 

Stochastic hybrid models for predicting the behavior of drivers facing the yellow-light-dilemma

Paul A. Green | University of Michigan

 Daniel Hoehener & Domitilla Del Vecchio | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  

Abstract:  We address the problem of predicting whether a driver facing the yellow-light-dilemma will cross the intersection with the red light. Based on driving simulator data, we propose a stochastic hybrid system model for driver behavior. Using this model combined with Gaussian process estimation and Monte Carlo simulations, we obtain an upper bound for the probability of crossing with the red light. This upper bound has a prescribed confidence level and can be calculated quickly on-line in a recursive fashion as more data become available. Calculating also a lower bound we can show that the upper bound is on average less than 3% higher than the true probability. Moreover, tests on driving simulator data show that 99% of the actual red light violations, are predicted to cross on red with probability greater than 0.95 while less than 5% of the compliant trajectories are predicted to have an equally high probability of crossing. Determining the probability of crossing with the red light will be important for the development of warning systems that prevent red light violations.

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Seed the Future

Food Safety

Overdoor, France, ca. 1825; | Smithsonian Design Museum

Education communities have significant food safety responsibilities.  Risk gets pushed around global food service counterparties; a drama in itself and one that requires coverage in a separate blog post.*

Since 2013 we have been following the development of food safety standards; among them ANSI/NSF 2: Food Equipment one of a constellation of NSF food safety titles whose provisions cover bakery, cafeteria, kitchen, and pantry units and other food handling and processing equipment such as tables and components, counters, hoods, shelves, and sinks.  The purpose of this Standard is to establish minimum food protection and sanitation requirements for the materials, design, fabrication, construction, and performance of food handling and processing equipment.

It is a relatively stable standard; developed to support conformance revenue for products.  A new landing page seems to have emerged in recent months:

Food and Beverage

https://www.nsf.org/testing/food

 

You may be enlightened by the concepts running through this standard as can be seen on a past, pre-pandemic agenda:

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Packet – Final Draft

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Summary – August 21-22 Ann Arbor NSF Headquarters

NSF 2 Food Equipment Fabrication Agenda – FEF – TG – 2021-01-12

Not trivial agendas with concepts that cut across several disciplines involving product manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance.  We find a very strong influence of organizations such as Aramark and Sodexo.   More on that in a separate post.

Ranchview High School Cafeteria / Irving, Texas

This committee – along with several other joint committees –meets frequently online.  If you wish to participate, and receive access to documents that explain the scope and scale of NSF food safety standards, please contact Allan Rose, (734) 827-3817, arose@nsf.org.   NSF International welcomes guests/observers to nearly all of its standards-setting technical committees.   We expect another online meeting hosted by this committee any day now.

Keep in mind that all NSF International titles are on the standing agenda of our Nourriture (Food) colloquia; open to everyone.  See our CALENDAR for the next meeting.

University of Indiana

Issue: [13-113] [15-126]

Category: Facility Asset Management, Healthcare, Residence Hall, Athletics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Tracey Artley, Keith Koster, Richard Robben

*See “Food Safety Risk Management: Evidence-Informed Policies and Decisions, Considering Multiple Factors, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”


LEARN MORE:

ANSI Blog | Changes to NSF 2 Food Safety Equipment Standard

NSF International Food Safety 2018 Meeting Summary – 2018-08-22 – Final Draft

2017 Food Code | US Food & Drug Administration

Hygiene Requirements For The Design Of Meat And Poultry Processing Equipment

ARCHIVE: NSF 2 Food Safety

“What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town”

What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town

Terry Nguyen | BA Public Policy

Ben Green |Assistant Professor, School of Information and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Partner | Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition

Introduction. [Abstract].  The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, necessitates targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. To address these issues, states with existing data center tax breaks should adopt sustainable growth policies for data centers, mandating energy audits, strict performance standards, and renewable energy integration, while also requiring transparency in energy usage reporting. “Renewable energy additionality” clauses should ensure data centers contribute to new renewable capacity rather than relying on existing resources.  If these measures prove insufficient, states should consider repealing tax breaks to slow unsustainable data center growth. States without tax breaks should avoid such incentives altogether while simultaneously implementing mandatory reporting requirements to hold data centers accountable for their environmental impact. Broader measures should include protecting local tax revenues for schools, regulating utility rate hikes to prevent cost-shifting to consumers, and aligning data center energy demands with state climate goals to avoid prolonging reliance on fossil fuels.

Related:

Sharan Kalwani (Chair, Southeast Michigan Section IEEE): AI and Data Center Demand

Gallery: Other Ways of Knowing Climate Change

 

Well Water Quality

Michigan Central | Water 330 | 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code

Water testing helps ensure that well owners have safe, clean drinking water.

Protect the water quality of your water well

One of the first activities upon waking is interacting with water. Approximately 25% of households in the state of Michigan rely on private well water as their primary drinking water source.  This figure comes from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), which estimates nearly 1.12 million households use private wells out of a total of roughly 4.1–4.6 million households statewide (based on U.S. Census data and population estimates of about 10 million residents, with an average household size of 2.5).

Other sources, such as Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan Water Stewardship Program, report slightly higher figures of 44–45% for overall groundwater reliance (including public systems drawing from aquifers), but the specific share for private household wells aligns with the 25% estimate from EGLE. Rural and southeastern areas of the state have the highest concentrations.

Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch Menu | 10:30 – 1:30 AM Heritage Room

Michigan State University Alumni Chapel

Michigan State University | Ingham County

How Daylight Savings Time Affects Your Body

“Nothing is everything that doesn’t happen at this very moment”
Being and Time: Martin Heidegger

S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald

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