That 'Divine' nature lover - Bette Midler

You never know what you might find when you tune in to National Public Radio. I listened today to a "Talk of the Nation" interview with Bette Midler - the Divine Miss M herself - and while I've always been a fan of her music career, I was pleasantly surprised to hear of her New York Restoration Project, an effort she founded to re-green New York City. Divine, indeed!
In fact, one of my passions is how cemeteries can be an integral part of greenery in cities (and countrysides, too!). My other blog is devoted to the issue of planning and land use and cemeteries, so I encourage Miss M. to consider that in all her good work.

North Carolina growth

I've blogged in the past a couple of times about North Carolina, which has surpassed my home state of New Jersey as the 10th most-populous state in the nation. One was an essay, reprinted from an earlier blog, urging North Carolinians to make sure to consider mass transit it their growth plans. The other was a post about people meeting to discuss the state in the 21st century.
Now comes an article by a California planner, who notes that the amazing growth experienced by North Carolina is very similar to what California experienced after World War II. Seems like more words of wisdom -- and warning -- about a state that can no longer be ignored. As this writer suggests, just ask Barack Obama.