Heads up

A word about the header (and please don't be scared by the pun, I like them!): I got it from James Lileks' lovely site about Fargo (it's there, just scroll down his main page) and did a little cropping.

Downtown Fargo is one of my favorite places to hang out. The West Acres area (in southwest Fargo) seems to be the fertilizing soil for chains. That is, chain restaurants, clothings stores, shopping, etc. Which, while nice when you want to eat somewhere new, is not exactly my favorite thing. The homogenization of small town (or rather, medium-sized city) America is something of a crime, in my mind.

So downtown Fargo, in its recent and lovely renaissance, is the spot where all kinds of locally owned establishments are popping up.

And here's why I like local better than national (or worse, multi-national): Local is good because it gives back. Instead of profits going to some mega-corporation far, far away, profits are invested back into local businesses and the community (through taxes). Local businesses buy goods and services from other local businesses. Local businesses provide jobs (in a way that McDonald's and Walmart never can), often more jobs (and better jobs) than their chain counterparts. Local businesses inspire and foster innovation.

But above all, local businesses are unique; they provide diversity. And diversity is what makes a city or a community or a region what it is.

So yes. I suppose this is a sort of philosophy of why I write what I write. Now go local!