The latest idea-that's-been-around-for-a-decade-and-the-media-is-just-discovering is urban farming, specifically urban farming in Detroit. The New York Times has picked up the story and dutifully regurgitated it without a half-second of rational thought, advocating the wholesale leveling of the "failed city" of Detroit.

To complete today's bout of self-referrentialism, the New York Times ran my article on "crazy car colors" — check out the great slide-show and see how I got the name of a porno into a NYT article. [NYT]

The front page of today's New York Times business section has an excellent feature taking an in-depth look at post-bankruptcy GM. Bonus #1? An insider-y Ward Sutton cartoon. Bonus #2? Two quotes from our very own Ray Wert!

The Freakonomics blog over at the NYT has launched a contest looking for the best homage to the worst stretches of road in America. Maybe they should start with these Detroit potholes, here or even New York's exploding streets. [NYT]

The New York Times Ethicist blog asks today whether GM selling Hummer is the right thing to do. They posit the honorable thing should be to kill it. Kind of like newspapers.

In-crowd kids already knew "Carpocalypse" was the hip term for the current state of the domestic automotive industry. Now, even the NYT's using it. But they're not the only ones. Feeling self-referential? You betcha.