Solivagant Eileen

A comment from the NTSB chief at the ALPA conference yesterday really resonates in light of recent events. Jennifer Homendy said the media’s push to have immediate answers after an accident is a real problem & not helping.

She’s right, and it needs to change.

The Illinois Secretary of State has launched a hotline for folks who see ICE switching license plates. Tampering with or removing license plates is illegal in Illinois. If you see it, report it. Call 312-814-1730.

Adding: “Breaking Silence” on Janis Ian.

High-visibility clothing may thwart pedestrian crash prevention sensors Reflective clothing makes pedestrians stand out to human drivers, but it may make them invisible to automated crash prevention systems.

Hey, did you know that “The clothing that makes pedestrians stand out to human drivers may make them invisible to automated crash prevention systems, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests.”? www.iihs.org/news/detail/...

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/10/national-security-presidential-memorandum-nspm-8/

Trump's mechanism to pay the troops during the shutdown is by far the most illegal budgetary action he's taken as POTUS, potentially setting the stage to break everything.

It's also needless because Congress would easily pass a troop pay bill if Johnson were willing to gavel in.

Long thread.

Joan Baez I Am a Noise (2023) ⭐ 7.0 | Documentary, Animation, Biography 1h 53m

m.imdb.com/title/tt2659...

“Judy” (2019; Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland) and “Maria” (2019; Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas)

The documentary that came out last year (or so) was pretty good (and of course she’s portrayed in the Dylan film).

National Defense Ministry Honors 11 Soldiers for Refusing Illegal Orders National Defense Ministry Honors 11 Soldiers for Refusing Illegal Orders Honored for rejecting illegal orders during martial law, Marine death probe

The South Korean Ministry of Defense has awarded medals of merit to 11 officers for disobeying direct orders of superiors during the martial law fiasco, orders that they deemed to be contrary to the constitution and endangerment to democracy.
www.chosun.com/english/nati...

High-visibility clothing may thwart pedestrian crash prevention sensors Reflective clothing makes pedestrians stand out to human drivers, but it may make them invisible to automated crash prevention systems.

I missed this completely when it came out but: Back in January, IIHS reported: “The clothing that makes pedestrians stand out to human drivers may make them invisible to automated crash prevention systems.” www.iihs.org/news/detail/...

Sign the Petition Student Petition for Safer Streets in Kensington and Wheaton

"We, the students of Albert Einstein HS...are calling for immediate action to improve pedestrian safety along University Blvd W, Connecticut Ave, & Veirs Mill Rd. These roads are part of our everyday lives...But every time we use them, we’re put at risk."
www.change.org/p/student-pe...

PS. None of the above will save anyone’s life. But it may very well embolden yet another driver to driver less responsibly & or another transportation pro to blame road users for infrastructure flaws.

“8. DON'T put yourself in danger just because you have the right of way.” Right. So, given unsafe infrastructure is a given, never cross the street if you know what’s good for you. (6&7 are cyclist-centric so I’ll defer to the cyclists on those). /end

“5. DON'T ignore people on e-scooters and e-bikes.” Remember they are more likely to be the victims of traffic engineering and drivers, too./5

“4. DON'T be distracted while biking or walking, especially while crossing the road.” Right. Be constantly vigilant and stressed out because your government has created a nightmare by externalizing all costs of car culture onto you. Don’t even think about anything. And don’t be low-vision/hearing./4

“3. DO use sidewalks, bike paths and safe pedestrian crossings whenever possible.” Pretty sure most of us do this already, tho it can be safer to cross midblock than at some intersections. The lack of sidewalks, bike paths & safe crossings is an infrastructure problem not a user problem. /3

“2. DO be visible and predictable.” This is the “drivers don’t expect…” BS. Drivers should expect to obey the law. “Make eye contact” is nonsense. 2/

“1. DO look left, right and behind you.” Sure. And do this us the minimal “walk” & total crossing time engineers give pedestrians. (This also doesn’t help peds who are blind, with difficulty turning their heads…). /1

The Real Reason the Far Right is Demanding Action on Transportation Violence — Streetsblog USA A series of brutal deaths on U.S. roads and trains is sparking outrage on the far right – and a push for some disturbing policy solutions that will only make our country more violent.

A series of brutal deaths on U.S. roads and trains is sparking outrage on the far right – and a push for some disturbing policy solutions that will only make our country more violent. buff.ly/W6N4GAR

Open Letter to the Transportation Research Board Recently, the TRB made significant changes to its standing committees in response to Presidential Executive Orders, eliminating committees on climate change, equity, sustainability and most environmen...

TRB actions eliminating committees and potentially conference content regarding equity & sustainability are "inconsistent with the foundational purposes of the TRB" & "incompatible with the function of scientific inquiry in a free society" Sign on & share: forms.gle/zBknHfDNUZjj...

Join @davidzipper.bsky.social and I for a LIVE taping today at 6 PM EST... youtube.com/watch?v=rdFV...

The players are under contract, right? So I don’t think they can be raptured till it’s over (even assuming any of them are eligible).

Screenshot of MPD email: MPD Investigating Columbia Heights Fatal Pedestrian Crash (Washington, D.C.) – The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal pedestrian crash in Northwest. On Friday, September 19, 2025, at approximately 8:48 a.m., Third District officers responded to the intersection of 13th Street and Harvard Street, Northwest, for the report of a traffic crash involving a pedestrian. Upon arrival, officers located an adult female, unconscious and not breathing, suffering from injuries after being struck by a vehicle. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital, where after all lifesaving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead. The decedent has been identified as 61-year-old Rosa Cabezas of Southeast, D.C. The preliminary investigation revealed that the pedestrian was crossing 13th Street when she was struck by a Toyota Rav4 making a right turn from Harvard Street onto 13th Street. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on the scene. Detectives from MPD’s Major Crash Investigations Unit are handling this investigation. Anyone who has knowledge of this incident should call the police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. CCN:25143277

A driver turning right killed a pedestrian crossing 13th Street at Harvard Street NW Friday morning. 😢

Most of our communities are built for cars, not people… But it shouldn’t be that way.

What is the toughest part about navigating your community without a car? Let us know + sign up for #WeekWithoutDriving on September 29–October 5, 2025! buff.ly/CGrb9I2

YouTube video by Matthew Ryan The Hot Rock Ending

One of My favorite Robert Redford movies: The Hot Rock youtu.be/GI9q_r_SG_k?...

YouTube video by Arlo Guthrie (Jguth3) Arlo Guthrie/I Can't Help Falling In Love With You

Arlo covering Elvis: youtu.be/sSF89swJ9IU?...

What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism Militant, nationalistic, white supremacist violent extremism has increased in the United States. In fact, the number of far-right attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic...

This is an archived government report that found that “Since 1990, far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists.”

It existed yesterday and is gone today.

The IIJA packed the modern transportation needs into comparatively small competitive grant programs under the control of the WH, while sending multiple times that to the states to spend as they always have, with no oversight or accountability.
2/

Breathing fresh air, saying hi to your neighbors, physical activity… The benefits of not driving are endless!

What are your favorites? Let us know — and don’t forget to sign up for #WeekWithoutDriving on September 29–October 5, 2025!

🌟 Join the national movement: buff.ly/CGrb9I2

Ezra Klein, watch this.