MeRead.txt
things recently in my browser or otherwise consumed
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
NYT: Back to New Orleans, Gently
# [T]he city of exuberant indulgence has, almost overnight, become even more affordable. It’s a strange kind of affordability, though: Because tourists have yet to return en masse, the budget options sit wide out in the open, just waiting to be picked. » (0)
Sunday, November 26, 2006
NYT: In Cincinnati, Life Breathes Anew in Riot-Scarred Area
# The magic of Over-the-Rhine is in its compact brick buildings. Mostly two- to four-story walkups, few are significant individually. But together they create a historic district with a scale and grace reminiscent of Greenwich Village in New York. … But unlike the last boom, where small developers rehabilitated buildings one at a time, Over-the-Rhine’s current wave of gentrification is driven by Cincinnati’s corporate and philanthropic elite, whose strategy is to buy entire blocks. “This is a race,” said Bill Donabedian, a director at 3CDC. “If we don’t move quickly, we will lose these buildings forever.” » (0)
NYT: Cities Compete in Hipness Battle to Attract Young
# “It’s a zero-sum game,” said William H. Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution, noting that one city’s gain can only be another’s loss. “These are rare and desirable people.” They are people who, demographers say, are likely to choose a location before finding a job. They like downtown living, public transportation and plenty of entertainment options. They view diversity and tolerance as marks of sophistication. » (0)
Saturday, November 25, 2006
DFP: Stadium items can be yours: Parts of Tigers’ past will be sold
# Beginning Monday, the City of Detroit will seek bids from companies to handle the sale of seats and other memorabilia from Tiger Stadium. The sale, likely to take place in the spring, marks a major step toward the eventual demolition of the ballpark. “We do not want hoarders buying everything and then gouging the public,” said Peter Zeiler, a special projects manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., which is handling the sale for the city. » (0)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
NYT: Iowa Finds Itself Deep in Heart of Wine Country
# “Stan Olson used to grow corn and soybeans on hundreds of acres here on the Raccoon River west of Des Moines, but no more. These days, Mr. Olson’s empty grain silo is useful only as a rustic image to promote his new vineyard and tasting room.” » (0)
Friday, October 20, 2006
NYT: As Smoke Clears, Scots Breathe Easy Behind the Bar
# In an article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association on Oct. 11, Dr. Menzies, a clinical research fellow in the Asthma and Allergy Research Group at the University of Dundee, said the study showed that the smoking ban “has led to a rapid and marked improvement in the health of bar workers.” “Indeed,” he added, “on average employees had been working in a bar for more than nine years, but improvements in health were evident only one month after the introduction of a smoke-free policy.” » (0)
Sunday, October 15, 2006
NYT: It’s Official: To Be Married Means to Be Outnumbered
# The American Community Survey, released recently by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation’s 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier. … “It’s partially fueled by women in the work force; they don’t necessarily have to marry to be economically secure,” said Andrew A. Beveridge, a demographer at Queens College of the City University of New York. “You used to get married to have sex. Now one of the major reasons to get married is to have children, and the attractiveness of having children has declined for many people because of the cost.” » (0)
NYT: Planet Google Wants You
# People may think they use Google because they like it, but really, “it’s the reverse,” said Rashi Glazer, a business professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a director of its Center for Marketing and Technology. “You use something and in seeing yourself using it, you say to yourself, ‘Hey, I’m using it all the time, must be because I’m loyal to it.’ It becomes a virtuous circle.” » (0)
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