Day Fifty-Eight: Fins To the Left, Fins To the Right

Let's face it, Kansas is not known as a hotbed of cultural diversity. To the coastal dweller our Midwestern state might appear to be a melting pot of wheat farmers, cattle raisers, and corn growers. But the college town of Lawrence is a world within a world when it comes to diversity in Kansas.

No, it might not be a melting pot like New York City, but at the very least Lawrence is an interesting and enjoyable fondue.

Proof that Lawrence stands out from the majority of the state can be seen in the latest presidential election results. While the Republican contender McCain grabbed the majority of votes in the state by a large margin (16 points), Lawrence heavily favored Democrat Obama (64% to McCain's 34%).

Proof of diversity within Lawrence itself can often be found on a stroll down Massachusetts Street. The college crowd dominates the downtown scene on most weekend nights, and their presence somewhat desensitizes the rest of Lawrence to "the bizarre."

Driving home, you might not give a second glance to the guy wearing the cheap plastic Halloween wolf mask (in mid-February) walking down the sidewalk eating a burrito, or to the grown man on the corner in the pink tutu.

Okay, maybe the man in the tutu gets a second glance.

There usually is something out of the ordinary waiting to catch your eye in Lawrence. Today this old Cadillac fit the bill.

Now, while I can appreciate the beauty and nostalgia of cars from this era, I am not a "car guy" myself. I could not look at the shape of the fins or the style of taillights and tell you the year that this car was made.

And for that I default to my siblings and parents -- THIS IS A TEST TO SEE IF YOU ARE READING MY BLOG -- drop a comment and let us know what you know about this car!

I know this much: as classic as your car might be, you still have to feed the meter or face the wrath of the Lawrence parking patrol (notice the yellow envelope on the windshield).

That's too bad for this car's owner - parking tickets in downtown Lawrence can cost you upwards of 2 dollars!

Lawrence certainly is no New York City.