It's been a while since I checked out one of my favorite blogs - Governing.com's 13th Floor - and man, have I been missing out.
These guys are great at passing along information about innovative, creative and sometimes downright wacky things going on in other cities or being attempted by state and local governments.
Let's take a quick look at some good ones from just yesterday.
How about the Bum Bot? Apparently a bar owner in Atlanta has developed a robot that rolls around outside of his bar and sprays loiterers with a jet of water to move them on their way. Apparently the thing is pretty popular since its inventor thinks he has a shot at being mayor. His platform: a robot on every corner and a spray of water for every vagrant. Video included.
DId you ever wonder what people in 1955 thought the world would look like in 1975? Apparently there's a whole website devoted to that and it is AWESOME. The site, Paleo-Future.com, includes some maps like the Super Metropolis Map of 1975. Like the 13th Floor says, it's a pretty "spot-on prediction" of what shape regional development would take if not by 1975 then at least by the 1990s. Unfortunately, one of the predictions that hasn't yet come true was the optimistic view of how we would get around in these Super Metropoli:
They will be saved from traffic self-suffication by high speed transportation -- perhaps monorails that provide luxurious non-stop service between the inner centers of the supercities as well as links between the super-metropolises themselves.
And finally, do find yourself dreamily wishing you could go to that paradise known as California - at least the one portrayed in those ubiquitous commercials with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rob Lowe? Well, for now you may have to settle for the state's own Youtube channel. While not Laughing Baby good, there are apparently some pretty entertaining videos on their from a variety of state agencies. Bonus: none of the videos feature a certain second-most famous animatronic groundhog.
Ok. Back to work everyone.