First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Dating Protocol

As we approach 2015, are traditional gender roles still relevant when it comes to dating?

Veterans Day

Installation of a 25-foot sculpture Unconditional Surrender by Seward Johnson, outside the Memorial of Caen museum in France. Photo by Stephane Mahe for Reuters.

Snail Mail

At the entrepreneurial car wash in my neighborhood, they have a card stand perfectly situated in the narrow walkway between dropping off your vehicle and the cash register. You can’t miss it. I’ve wondered lately if anyone, other than grandparents, still mails out birthday cards? Do you?

Illustration by Yusuku Yonezu

Staying in the Present

This was a tough week, both micro and macro. At its worst moments, I tried to stay clear of disappointments from the past and anxiety about the future and focus on now. I managed that about 20% of the time. How was it for you?

Don’t Forget

Be Bold by Lee Crutchley

Feel Good Story of the Day

It has been a bleak 48 hours for a partisan news junkie like me. I’ve been on a media fast for the last two days, only occasionally glancing at headlines, just to know the score. Plus, it gets dark so early now, I feel myself being pulled into a pre-winter malaise. (That it was 85 degrees here in L.A. makes it only weirder.) This morning, the only part of the newspaper that I did read was the food section. The Times did an in-depth feature on donut shops across New York City. I was especially taken with these mini cake donuts accompanied by a dark chocolate dipping sauce. Yum.

Election Day Blues

Photo from newyorkshitty

RIP, Tom Magliozzi from Car Talk

There are few things as reliably joyful as Tom Magliozzi’s laugh. It’s infectious. As I make my way to the market on Sunday mornings, Car Talk lifts up my day, and even in reruns, it has never failed. I didn’t know that brothers Tom and Ray, aka Click and Clack, both graduated from MIT. But it’s not surprising. The show was folksy, but whip smart. My heart opened whenever I listened to Car Talk and it broke hearing the sad news today. Here’s a great idea: In honor of Tom’s passing, the family suggests making a donation to NPR.

A tribute cartoon by David Sipress