Looking for info about the real estate market in the Greater Lansing-area. Here’s an update from local Realtor Mike Bowler. Check what he has to say about the real estate inventory, the average price for the sale of a home and for interest rates. Here’s what he says on his video report:

I’m watching the weather on television tonight because of the 60s coming to mid-Michigan.  Here’s what WLNS says about a big shot of spring that’s on the way.  I first learned about it from a tweet from their forecaster, David Young.

There’s one more day left in Team Lansing’s road trip to the SXSW (South by Southwest) conference in Austin, TX.  They are part of a nationwide competition where teams from a variety of cities are driving to the conference with a list of tasks to complete before they get there.

The Lansing team is comprised of Tech Smith employees. This is a Lansing-area company that has rocked the web world with its products and has helped put our area on the map as a trendsetter in the new economy.

The team is scheduled to arrive in Austin tomorrow, Thursday, and they are driving a new Chevy Traverse with built-in wi-fi and they are blogging, tweeting and Face-booking the whole way.  Check them out and cheer them on.  These folks are the new Ransom Olds’ for our area because of their role in being innovators.

The Lansing City Council said a big “No” last night to a chance to get their pay lowered by the same percentage they are asking from city employees.

Check out this Lansing State Journal story about how the city council deadlocked at 4-4 on a resolution by Council-member Brian Jeffries for the council to lead by example and take a pay reduction just like the people who work for them.

The excuse given by Council President A’Lynne Robinson for opposing Jeffries was that the council hadn’t had enough time to study his proposal.

Any comments?  How important is it that the council take the same pay reduction given to employees required to take furlough days?

Last night’s Lansing City Council meeting got pretty combative last night and new Council-member Jessica Yorko was occasionally in the line of fire.  These meetings have to be stress producers for council-members, staff and definitely for residents watching on television.  How do you cope?

Here’s what Ms. Yorko said on her Facebook page about what the meeting was driving her to do.  I really like her attitude.  She seems to be dealing with it.

I ask the question in the title to this post rhetorically because you would have to be deaf to not hear the sarcasm from all sides at the Lansing City Council meetings broadcast on Comcast Channel 12.

Is sarcasm a good thing or bad for the operation of city government?  Are the residents of Lansing paying a price for the open warfare of words that takes place every Monday night at the city council?

Looking up the definition of sarcasm in my online Webster’s dictionary I found:

a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual.

Our city is facing dramatic and historic issues where the city budget is being pressed and will continue so for the indefinite future.  It WILL affect the level of services and what citizens can expect.

There has never been a bigger need for working together than now.  It’s not happening.

The answer lies not in sarcasm, but in respect for each other.  It’s a problem for the public commenters and for the city council members.

The city council needs a time out chair for offenders.  The level of discourse has degenerated and it continues to plummet.

Anybody agree?  Disagree?

Check these comments taken from the television by two commenters.  How would you rate them?  Sarcastic? Productive?  Non-productive?

I’ve driven by Sawyer’s Gourmet Pancake House on the corner of Pine and Saginaw in Lansing, but I have never eaten there.  After watching their YouTube video about their restaurant, I have to admit I can’t wait.  How did I miss this place?  Check their video and their online menu. Any reaction?

What’s the local doctor’s offices seeing right now?  Check out this story from WILX.com about how there’s a spike in cases with ringworm and red eye.

I’ve heard about the fancy gourmet, high-end cupcakes in the big cities like Washington, D.C.  But, here in Lansing?  Take a look at this YouTube video of the Sugar Shack on Lansing’s eastside.  They also have a Facebook Fan Page. Do they have anything for a Weight Watcher?

There are lots of maple trees in the city of Lansing and mid-Michigan and on March 20-21 at the Fenner Nature Center, there will be a chance to watch how their sap is turned into maple syrup.

It’s free, very visual and very family-friendly experience where everybody is allowed to get up close and to see how the sap is collected by drilling into the trees and then boiled into maple syrup.

Michigan ranks high on the list of states producing maple syrup.

The Lansing State Journal writes about Fenner’s maple syrup demonstration.