Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Michigan-- Part 3

7. JUMPING THE SHARK-- The phrase "jump the shark" was coined at the University of Michigan to refer to a point in a TV series when the plot becomes so ridiculous that everyone knows it is on its way out. Such as when the Fonz on "Happy Days" went water skiing and leapt over a shark.

8. DA YOOPERS IN DA CANADA-- Had the British chosen a border proposed by the US at the end of the Revolutionary War, Canada would have gotten the whole Upper Peninsula.


9. BERRY GORDY'S TIN EAR-- Motown's founder made Detroit an epicenter for soul, but when Marvin Gaye recorded "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," he was unimpressed and refused to release it. he gave it to Gladys Knight and the Pips who had a hit with it. In August 1968, Gaye's version appeared on his album. Disc jockey E. Rodney Jones of Chicago's WVON started pushing it and it finally became a single version. It is now considered to be one of the greatest soul recordings ever.


10. Michigan is called the Wolverine State, but this animal generally lives farther north. In 2004, a wolverine was spotted 90 miles north of Detroit, the first confirmed sighting of one in almost two centuries.

One theory of how the inhabitants of Michigan came to be called wolverines is that the Indians called white settlers that as an insult because of their gluttony.

Some Mighty Interesting Stuff here, Mark Jacob. keep Up the Good Work. --Cooter

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