recursion

It's been a while since I've visited Planetizen (their sad lack of RSS feed doesn't help). I should visit more because they have some great links. Here's some good ones.

Preservationists Fear for Havana's Future. I feel the same way. I've never been to Havana, but it's always seemed somewhat romantic to me that there's a little bit of the world with almost no US influence. No fast food chains, no strip malls, no SUVs...When the embargo is finally lifted, all that could come crashing down.

Why the SUV Is All the Range is a pretty even-handed treatment of the controversy over SUVs, including rollovers, light truck fuel efficiency standards, and crash compatibility. For more on this, I highly recommend High and Mighty by Keith Bradsher.

Christian Science Monitor has a nice series on America's shrinking frontier states. The dwindling heartland: America's new frontier (part 1) and Un-plain ways to reinvent the Plains (part 4) are both really good. This is an amazingly far-reaching problem. These states recieve huge federal subsidies relative to their tax output, and will continue to do so as their populations shrink, because they can never have less than three electorial votes no matter how few people they have. As more and more people in the populous are represented by fewer congresspeople (the number of representitives is capped), our representitive democracy will become less democratic. The Atlantic Monthly had some thoughts on the problem with democracy and how to repopulate the plains states in their 2003 Real State of the Union issue.

Give DPZ a Chance is an article about New Urbanism taking off on college campuses. Check out the hilarious faked dorm photo.

The American Dream Does Not Look Like Sprawl is an article about those that aim to bring down the New Urbanism.

One of the more peculiar things about small towns is their insistience of having the "World's Largest X".

Since everything is on the internet, there's a website to track the World's Largest Roadside Attractions.

Here's some I've visited or seen:

• Buffalo (Jamestown, ND)
• Prairie Chicken (Rothsay, MN)
• Loon (Vergas, MN)
• Tiger Muskie (Nevis, MN)
• Cow - Holstein (New Salem, ND)

I think it would be awesome in that cheesy way to have a World-Wide "World's Largest" Tour to see as many of these things you could visit.

My friend Gabe has a new webblog, Total Waste of Life. Not much there yet, but I'll keep an eye on it for you...

I was going to say anything about this because I didn't feel there was anything for me to add. I remember being sad when I heard a few years ago that Mr. Rogers was retiring. Like most American children, his show was a part of my childhood.

Then I got an email from my dad...

It's not the honors and not the titles and not the power that is of ultimate importance. It's what resides inside.

- Fred Rogers

Your Mom reminded me of your reaction to Mr. Rogers when you saw him on TV at the age of 3 and heard his famous song about being neighbors. "You're not my neighbor!" Was it because we lived out in the country at the time (Portageville) or did you think he was a dork?

RIP, Mr. Rogers.