N.P.R. Spotlights HOUSTON

National spotlights do not often do the city of Houston justice, but National Public Radio has focused a week of coverage, part of The Urban Frontier radio series, by sending Steve Innskeep to cover the growth of Houston as it relates to urban growth everywhere, airing all five segments last week from Monday to Friday. Houston is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, as well as one of the least hard-hit by the current recession. It continues to provide an excellent quality of life at a very affordable price, which attracts new people constantly. Of course, the do point out the sprawl and the massive size of it all, but it is a very good series.

Click on the links below to read the articles, and to hear the full broadcast stories.

Houston: Texas-sized Sprawl, No End In Sight

Greener Houston Grapples with Diversity & Sprawl

Fighting Gentrification With Money In Houston

Novelist Visualizes Houston's Past, And It's Future

Mayor's Dilemma: Can Houston Grow & Be Green?

-FUPPETS- For Readers X

You know that classic Twilight Zone episode where the old crotchety man wishes that everyone was dead so he could be all alone with his books? Then, when every living being on Earth is wiped out except for him, he rejoices too jubilantly and breaks the glasses which allow him to read, upon which he breaks down in despair? BULLSHIT! Hold those books real close to your face! You can read em! Long live reading!

The Descent of Taste: How did our ancestors evolve the instincts to make Art? - ( Anthony Gottlieb - The New York Times )

In Bolivia, Untapped Bounty Meets Nationalism: Underneath the salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia, lies the world's largest lithium reserves. - ( Simon Romero - The New York Times )

Why Radio Continues To Be Popular - ( Libby Purves - The Telegraph UK )

Stanford Writes In World Smallest Letters - ( Science Daily - Here is a link to a video from Stanford detailing this achievement )