- published: 21 Jul 2011
- views: 945998
Michigan (i/ˈmɪʃɨɡən/) is a state located in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake". Michigan is the 8th most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area. Its capital is Lansing, and the largest city is Detroit. Michigan was admitted into the Union on January 26, 1837 as the 26th state.
Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair. Michigan is one of the leading U.S. states for recreational boating. The state has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds. A person in the state is never more than six miles (9.7 km) from a natural water source or more than 85 miles (137 km) from a Great Lakes shoreline. It is the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River.
Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is often noted to be shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula (often referred to as "the U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile (8 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The Upper Peninsula is economically important due to its status as a tourist destination. There is also a variety of natural resources to be found there, including a sizable amount of iron ore.
The legality of cannabis concerns laws which in most countries regulate the, use, possession, cultivation, transfer, and trade in Cannabis. Since the beginning of widespread cannabis prohibition around the mid 20th century, most countries have not re-legalized it for personal use, although more than 10 countries tolerate (or have decriminalized) its use and/or its cultivation in limited quantities. Medicinal use of cannabis is also legal in a number of countries, including Canada, the Czech Republic, Israel and 16 states of the United States. In the Netherlands cannabis is formally illegal, but Justice-guidelines show that no action is to be taken in case of possession of a small amount and sale under strict conditions.
Some countries have laws that are not as vigorously prosecuted as others, but other than the countries that offer access to medical marijuana, the majority of countries have various penalties ranging from lenient to very severe, and everything in between. Some infractions are definitely taken more seriously in some countries than others when it comes to regarding the cultivation, use, possession, or transfer of cannabis for recreational use. A few jurisdictions have lessened the penalties for possession of small quantities of cannabis, so that it is punished by confiscation and a fine, rather than imprisonment. Some jurisdictions/drug courts use mandatory treatment programs for young or frequent users, with freedom from "narcotic" drugs as the goal. A few jurisdictions permit cannabis use for medicinal purposes. There are also changes in a more restrictive direction as in Canada. Drug tests to detect cannabis are increasingly common in many countries, and have resulted in jail sentences and people being fired from their jobs. However, simple possession can carry long jail sentences in some countries, particularly in parts of East Asia, such as Malaysia where the sale of cannabis may lead to a sentence of life in prison or even execution.
Sufjan Stevens ( /ˈsuːfjɑːn/ SOOF-yahn; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came. He is best known for his 2005 album, Illinois, which hit number one in the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and for the song "Chicago".
Stevens has released albums of varying styles, from the electronica of Enjoy Your Rabbit and the lo-fi folk of Seven Swans to the symphonic instrumentation of Illinois and Christmas-themed Songs for Christmas. Stevens makes use of a variety of instruments, often playing many of them himself on the same recording, and writes music in various time signatures. Though he has repeatedly stated an intent to separate his beliefs from his music, Stevens also freely draws from the Bible and other spiritual traditions, incorporating mystical elements into his music often.
Stevens was born in Detroit and lived there until the age of nine, when his family moved to Petoskey, Michigan. In Petoskey he attended the Petoskey High School, the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated from Harbor Light Christian School. He went on to attend Hope College in Holland, Michigan and earned a Master of Fine Arts from The New School in New York City.
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE IT
SOME CALL IT TAMJEE
SOME CALL IT THE WEED
SOME CALL IT MARIJUANA
SOME OF THEM CALL IT GANJA
NEVER MIND, GOT TO...
(CHORUS)
SINGERS SMOKE IT
AND PLAYERS OF INSTRUMENT, TOO
LEGALIZE IT, YEA-AH YEA-AH
THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO
DOCTORS SMOKE IT
NURSES SMOKE IT
JUDGES SMOKE IT
EVEN LAWYER, TOO
SO YOU'VE GOT TO...
(CHORUS)
IT'S GOOD FOR THE FLU
GOOD FOR ASTHMA
GOOD FOR TUBERCULOSIS
EVEN NUMARA THROMBOSIS
GO TO...
(CHORUS)
BIRDS EAT IT
ANTS LOVE IT
FOWLS EAT IT
GOATS LOVE TO PLAY WITH IT
SO YOU'VE GOT TO
(CHORUS)