April 2006 – Page 2 – 1000 Brussels

Why blogs don’t help democracy

Because they reward people who rush to the extreme and ignore compromise, like Maryscott O’Connor.

No net for Hemel

According to the Register the town of my birth has run out of broadband connectivity. Whether this is due to rampant net use among the denizens of Hertfordshire’s premier alliterative new town, or just BT being a bit crap, we don’t yet know.

Citicorp building, NYC

The excellent Damn Interesting tells the story of the Citicorp building on Lexington Avenue, an imposing New York skyscraper, which due to a minor change of plan during construction, was almost blown down by the wind.

Settle-Carlisle Partnership

The Settle to Carlisle railway has an excellent website, with links to good places to stay along the line, plus history and a little online shop.

Oxford, Iowa

The New York Times, which has a few good pieces today, links to the story of Oxford, IA, whose 700-some population has been photographed by Peter Feldstein, first in 1984, and again this year. The story is interesting, but this quote gives an illustration:

One of the town’s oldest residents is Iowa Honn, who turned 96 on April 1. Mrs. Honn was born in Oxford, and she said her father named her Iowa because “he said I was the prettiest girl in the prettiest state.” She has only lived outside of Oxford for three years, when she moved to Iowa City, about 15 miles east, with a current population of about 60,000. “I hated every minute of it,” Mrs. Honn said. “I hated city life. I traveled some with my husband, but I liked best when I got home and I could kiss the ground here.”