Remembering coverage of JFK's assassination

CBS News is recognizing the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination by live streaming its coverage of the event. It's one of most simplest but most effective ways I've seen of remembering how the dominant TV network of that time, anchored by Walter Cronkite, reported the shattering news.

Auburn's Rural Studio making a difference

I am proud of many things that Auburn University, my undergraduate alma mater, does.  But certainly one of the best is the Rural Studio, run by the College of Architecture, Design and Construction. The studio is designed to teach students about the social responsibility of architecture while also providing homes and buildings for communities in poor, rural Alabama. Founded in 1993 by two architecture professors, Samuel Mockbee and Dennis K. Ruth, the Rural Studio has built more than 80 remarkable projects in Hale, Perry and Marengo counties. Much of the construction materials used in the projects are discarded or salvaged.

One of the Rural Studio's most interesting projects is the $20,000 house.  According to studio's web site:

"The $20k House is an ongoing research project at the Rural Studio that seeks to address the pressing need for decent and affordable housing in Hale County, Alabama. 

Nearly 30% of individuals in Hale County live in poverty. Due to the lack of conventional credit for people with this level of income, and insufficient knowledge about alternative sources of funding, trailers offer the only chance for home ownership . . . The $20k house project intends to produce a model home that could be reproduced on a large scale, and thereby become a viable alternative to the trailer in this area. The challenge is to build a house for $20,000, ten to twelve thousand of which will go towards materials and the remainder on contracted labor. Once a truly successful model has been designed, the aim is to sell the houses in conjunction with the “502 Direct Loan” provided by the Rural Housing Service."

Here is a recent story about the Rural Studio with photos of its work.

101 Objects that made America

The November issue of Smithsonian magazine features what the magazine calls the "101 Objects that Made America."  The objects were selected from the 137 million artifacts in the museum's collection. Like any project of this kind, the list includes both the obvious and not-so obvious.  The former include the Bald Eagle, a gold nugget, and the Model T.  The latter include Pueblo jars, a suitcase from Japanese internment, and R2-D2.

I found all the objects fascinating, but here are seventeen that especially resonated with me:

• Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit
• Lewis and Clark's compass
• Remington typewriter
• Louis Armstrong's trumpet
• Justice O'Connor's robe
• Lincoln's top hat
• Appomattox table and chairs
• Greensboro lunch counter
• Levi's jeans
• Morse telegraph
• Stagecoach
• Negro League baseball
• Teddy bear
• M*A*S*H sign
• Geronimo portrait
• Thomas Jefferson's desk
• Star-Spangled Banner