New beginnings :)

L'Shana Tova!

Peace And Happiness On Ramadan!

Traffic & free stuff (locals)

What works for an individual doesn't always work for everyone. Case in point: driving kids to school. According to the NY Times, only 15% of kids walk or bike to school - down from 50% of kids 40 years ago. Most kids (60%) are driven.

And why is this? Parents are worried about safety: A kid who's driven isn't going to be on the losing side of a car vs pedestrian collision. Unfortunately, when everyone drives, traffic gets worse and accidents increase.

Parents who drive their children to school make up about a quarter of morning commuters. More traffic also means more vehicular accidents, endangering the lives of children and the adults who drive them.
[...]
The [American Academy of Pediatrics] statistics on injuries and fatalities suggest that being driven to school in a passenger vehicle is by far the most dangerous way to get there [...]

I lived a half-mile from my elementary school. I usually walked. It would wake me up. Years later, helping with Mom's daycare kids, I found that if I picked them up in the car after school they would be restless, hyper bundles of energy - but if I walked back up the hill with them, they'd be relaxed and ready to settle down to homework when we got home. I'd be more relaxed, too. And yes, the article notes that research has found that exercise can increase learning.

But beyond that, not walking to school means they "face greater risks whenever they are pedestrians."

They have to learn when it is safe to cross and how to judge the speed of oncoming traffic. They must be taught to look both ways for traffic, even on one-way streets. Vehicles do sometimes make mistakes, and bikes can come from any direction.

So by driving kids to school, they may end up more likely to lose that car vs pedestrian collision later.

Free stuff - locals:

• If you live or work in Redmond and carpool, bike, walk, bus, or vanpool to work at least some of the time, you can get a $50 gift card. And if you aren't already using the bus (sorry bork and loba) you can get a free monthly pass or tickets.
  
• Also, Redmond residents can get a free bus ride tickets & a t-shirt if you pledge to not drive alone 4 times a month.

(no subject)

iTunes on random:

"Daughter of the Glade", Tricky Pixie, Live!
"Chickenman", Indigo Girls, 1200 Curfews
"Mal's Song", Michelle Dockrey, Basement Sessions
"This One's for the Girls", Martina McBride, Martina
"What A Good Boy", Barenaked Ladies, Gordon
"It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City", Bruce Springsteen, Live 1975-1985

I wouldn't have put those songs together. But I like it.

which person of the northwest are you?

from cooncat ... http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/