Transportation
Dante in the City: Where Have All the Yellow Mustard, Orange Poppies and Blue Lupine Gone?
Julia Sneden writes: Surely, I thought, people have observed and learned a lesson from the large urban areas in the northeast and far west — but no, our small cities have replicated the poor planning and nutty zoning that have allowed the destruction of roadside beauty all over the country. We're right up there with the big guys. The roads that lead into our towns and cities are lined with fast-food joints and factories and car dealerships and shopping centers, so that reaching the center of town seems to take forever. more »
Friendship: Sally and I are great friends, though it's hard to understand why. We have so little in common
Rose Madeline Mula writes: We do both enjoy travel and have taken many trips together. I prefer a fixed itinerary. Not Sally, of course. She abhors being tied to a particular schedule. And while I much prefer to fly to a destination more than a few hundred miles away, Sally would rather drive — again, the schedule phobia, and also because her car has a huge trunk which she can pack with every article of clothing she has owned since college and still have room for all the treasures she'll buy along the way. more »
For Optimum Protection In Crashes: More vehicles earn top honors; NFL Stadia Crashes
The number of vehicles earning either of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier — Top Safety Pick+ — has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. Collision claims go up in ZIP codes around NFL stadiums on game days, especially when the home team loses, a new HLDI analysis has found. more »
Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: Carless in Chicago, Un-couching The Potato & The Sign
With Tommy gone, without my head wrapped around his caregiving, my nights on the couch are starting to fray. I'm getting lonely. I admit that evenings out to theatre, to dinner, to the event I just ordered tickets for, are becoming more appealing. I'm managing my dislike for nighttime driving by using taxicabs. I'm adjusting to getting gussied up as the sky darkens. To prevent head- and eye-droops as the evening wears on, I take catnaps. Slowly, I’m peeling this small and stubborn body off the couch. more »
