Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Best of the Net 3/11-3/18

Detroit is happy and kind

Detroit recently made two lists that will make Detroiters proud. First, Business Insider reports that Jetpac, a company known for its "social travel" app, analyzed millions of Instagram photos for photos of people smiling and laughing. Jetpac's analysis revealed Detroit to be the ninth happiest city on its list of the twenty happiest cities in the United States.

Maybe Detroiters are happy because they help each other out. MLive reports that OnStar's roadside safety service revealed that Detroit drivers make more "Good Samaritan" calls through OnStar to assist other drivers than the drivers of any other U.S. city.

3-D printing saves a boy's life

University of Michigan doctors and engineers used 3-D printing to create a splint for 18-month-old Garrett Peterson's bronchi, the airway that conducts air into the lungs. As reported by MLive, Garrett has a rare disorder that caused his bronchi to collapse into the size of small slits. U-M doctors performed a surgery to implant the splints, and Garrett's bronchi have remained open. This procedure will allow Garrett's parents to eventually take him to their home to Utah after he has spent his entire life in hospitals.

Here's a video of Garrett's struggles and the doctors who saved him:



Detroit Institute of Music Education

Detroit has influenced American and international music for years. Now, Detroit is adding a music college. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME) will open at the Bamlet Building on Griswold in Downtown Detroit. DIME will offer students the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in music with courses in guitar, bass, vocals, drums, songwriting and music entrepreneurship.

Two popular Michigan beers are back

It's hard to find a beer "Best of" list that does not include at least one beer from Bell's or Founders. Even if Mother Nature is not ready for Spring, each of these two brewers is celebrating Spring with the release of a popular beer. Bell's is releasing it's popular wheat ale (and one of my longtime favorites) Oberon on March 24.

Founders released its KBS, or Kentucky Breakfast Stout, today as part of KBS Week in the Grand Rapids area. Ratebeer.com recently named KBS the Best Beer in America. For a list of bars serving KBS in the Grand Rapids area, read this report by MLive.

Three Michigan schools go dancing

The NCAA men's basketball tournament starts this week, and Michigan has placed three teams in the "Big Dance." Although that might not seem like a big number, two talent-rich basketball states, Illinois and Indiana, surprisingly did not place even one team in the tournament this year.

Big Ten champion Michigan and Big Ten Tournament champ Michigan State hope to advance deep into the tournament while MAC champ Western Michigan look to make some noise by upsetting higher ranked teams.

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