Events

Parker and I took our first walk in pouring rain, but things seem to have cleared up. The Tribune expects OK weather for the 1:20 start: Despite a wet, gloomy and cool start to the day, conditions should improve dramatically this afternoon in time for the Cubs opener. Temperatures around 7°C this morning will rebound into the teens later today with the passage of a warm front. The Cubs, now 2-4 for the season and having already replaced their benighted reliever Carlos Marmol, would at least not lose a...

From Randall Munroe, an especially brilliant comic this morning:

Chicago has finally gotten up to 21°C for the first time since December 1st. My screens are back in, my dog got some good walks, and my apartment is fresher. I just hope it's like this on Monday.

It's unclear whether Arizona State Representative Bob Thorpe (R) thinks legislators there are in danger, or he just wants to sell body armor. Either way, he seems to have figured out how to realize dystopia: State Rep. Bob Thorpe (R) sent an email on Thursday to all Arizona House and Senate members, inviting them to attend an event this coming Wednesday at the capitol, where someone from a company called Arizona Tactical is scheduled to educate lawmakers about the protective vests it sells. In his...

ICYMI: James Fallows looks at United Airlines diverting a flight because a passenger complained. I found a blog about urban sustainability I probably won't have time to read, even though it's interesting. The Cubs have been in first place all season. (They're 2-1.) This is the coldest April opening in 20 years, with Saturday's predicted 19°C temperature the warmest Chicago will have been in 18 weeks. Singer-songwriter Antje Duvekot has a new video. Back to the mines.

First run

Instead of a bunch of stoplights and crosswalks—and a bunch of accidents involving pedestrians—the village of Poyndon, 20 km north of Manchester, created shared space at its busiest crossroads: Now, a year after construction wrapped up, a video called "Poynton Regenerated" makes the case that the shared space scheme maintains a smooth flow of traffic while simultaneously making the village center a more attractive and safer place for pedestrians, leading to increased economic activity downtown. In the...