Category Archives: Animals

Groundhog Day Special: You survived a polar vortex, when…

Posted on February 1, 2019 by problogic

With Groundhog Day tomorrow, here are a few light-hearted, post-polar vortex thoughts from Northwest Lower Michigan. Please feel free to pass along your fun quips too and they will be added. …20 degrees fahrenheit feels like a frigging heat wave. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, environment, fun, weather | Tagged climate, polar vortex, winter | Leave a comment

A Quartet of Former Vintage Barber Shops

Posted on June 21, 2018 by problogic

As a follow-up to my previous post of old barber shops still operating, here are four (4) that no longer are used as barber shops. Two (2) are currently empty though the barber shop in Honor was a sign shop … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Animals, architecture, business, Cities, coffee shops/cafes, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, food trucks, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, Pets, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, Small business, third places, Uncategorized, urban planning, zoning | Tagged adaptive reuse, barber shops, Third places | Leave a comment

Fishy Town Names

Posted on June 3, 2018 by problogic

Here’s my working list of cities, towns, and villages that are named after fish, fish related activities, or include some form of fish terminology in their name. Please note that in some instances the place name may not have originally … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, cities, environment, fun, geography, history, Language, nature, place names, Wildlife | Tagged fish, shellfish | 2 Comments

Let’s stop dissing deserts!

Posted on March 14, 2018 by problogic

In response to a recent post about “transit deserts” on The Market Urbanism Report’s Facebook page, I made the following comment: “I think we need to rethink using the term ‘desert’ to describe an area lacking something. Deserts can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Animal rights, Animals, climate change, deserts, diversity, ecosystems, environment, geography, history, land use, nature, planning, Science, sustainability, topography, tourism, Travel, weather, Wildlife | Tagged Atacama Desert, deserts, ecosystems, flora and fauna, land use, Sahara Desert, Sonoran Desert, The Market Urbanism's Report, vacuums, wildlife | Leave a comment

I scream for Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor

Posted on July 25, 2015 by problogic

“I scream…you scream…we all scream…for ice cream!” One of the newest and sweetest delights of visiting Mackinac Island is Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor at the base of The Grand Hotel. True to the island’s quaint Victorian-era heritage, this wonderfully decorated … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Animals, architecture, bicycling, Biking, branding, business, cities, commerce, Cuisine, culture, economic development, entertainment, family, Food, fun, historic preservation, history, land use, Pets, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, signs, third places, tourism, Travel, walking | Tagged architecture, dogs, food, fun, Hudsonville Ice Cream, ice cream, mackinac Island, Michigan, pets, Sadie's Ice Cream Parlor, The Grand Hotel, Third places, tourism, travel, Westminster Dog Show | 1 Comment

“Bloom County” is back on the map!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by problogic

This week, after a 25 year absence, the world has been treated to the revival of the Bloom County comic strip. What a wonderful surprise. The zany and irreverent world of Opus (the penguin), Milo, Steve, and Bill the Cat has … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, art, cartoons, civics, Communications, culture, fun, humanity, inclusiveness, Love, pictures, politics, Social media | Tagged art, Berke Breathed, Bloom County, cartoons, comic strips, fun, humors, pictures | Leave a comment

A sea turtle’s underwater world

Posted on July 3, 2015 by problogic

An amazing and beautiful video from the World Wildlife Fund taken with a GoPro camera on the back of a sea turtle at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy!

Posted in Advocacy, Animals, art, climate change, environment, fun, geography, nature, Oceania, peace, pictures, sustainability, technology, tourism, video, Wildlife | Tagged animals, Australia, environment, Great Barrier Reef, nature, pictures, sea turtles, video, wildlife | 1 Comment

ULI’s 21 great ways to build healthy places!

Posted on March 6, 2015 by problogic

The Urban Land Institute recently released its Building Healthy Places Toolkit. The document “outlines 21 practical and evidence-based recommendations that the development community can use to promote health at the building or project scale.” The recommendations are broken into … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, Animals, architecture, bicycling, Biking, Bus transportation, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, culture, density, diversity, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, education, energy, entrepreneurship, environment, fitness, fun, geography, health, historic preservation, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, nature, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, revitalization, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, technology, third places, tourism, traffic, trails, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged architecture, cities, design, environment, healthy places, land use ULI, planning, staircases, stairs, stairways, sustainability, Urban Land Institute, urban planning | 1 Comment

Taking cute “Penguins” to the next level

Posted on November 30, 2014 by problogic

Saw the Penguins of Madagascar movie over the holiday weekend. While no Oscar contender, this fun and charming film is enjoyable for kids and adults alike. As usual, the spy-based humor, visual gags, and word play are a delight, just … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, art, entertainment, film, fun, movies, music, nature, satire, theaters, video, Wildlife | Tagged animals, animation, cartoons, cinema, comedy, film, fun, movies, nature, penguins, Penguins of Madagascar | Leave a comment

Carnivores around every corner…a place where polar bears and people coexist

Posted on November 2, 2014 by problogic

While reading a book that is especially enjoyable, I literally revel in it, not wanting the book to ever end. Never Look a Polar Bear in the Eye by author Zac Unger is just such a book. It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Animal rights, Animals, art, book reviews, books, Canada, cities, civics, climate change, commerce, culture, economic development, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Maps, nature, North America, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, Science, Small business, Statistics, sustainability, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning, weather, Wildlife | Tagged animals, Arctic, bears, Bill Bryson, biomes, Canada, Churchill, cities, climate change, environment, global warming, Manitoba, nature, planning, Polar Bear Alert Program, polar bears, tourism, towns, travel, wildlife, Zac Unger | Leave a comment