Ruby Sinreich's blog

Better late than never, TTA has developed a website, GoTriangle.org, that will help a user get from any spot to any other spot in the Triangle using the wide array of transit systems we have here.

I was skeptical it would work, but I entered my home address (on a street not served by transit), and it asked me a few more questions and was eventually able to figure out where I was. It even offered two routes, one with less transfers and the other presumably faster. It even tells you what the fare will be, which is useful with multiple systems.

The interface could be a bit smoother and the software is a bit buggy, but I'm quite impressed with the features. You can jump to an earlier or later itinerary, and save locations and connections. There's even a version for mobile handheld computers (how many transit riders have these?). I wonder how well it prints.

I'm going out of town for the next week so I offer this topic for discussion, which was submitted by Paul Jones:

In today's Chapel Hill Herald, Dan Coleman hands out "Awards" to various people and organizations. This is a time honored journalistic tradition of which one of the high point is the Texas Monthly's "Bumsteer Awards" and Esquire's "Dubious Awards."

What awards would the readers/posters of orangepolitics.org give and to whom? No reason that Dan, Texas Monthly or Esquire should be the only ones giving out awards. How about a thread on year end awards that we wish we could give?

Meanwhile, I am working on introductions for each of the archive topics (see them over to the right, from "About..." to "UNC"). If you'd like to write all or part of one, submit it via the "Contact Us" link. Please keep it brief. Your submissions might not be acknowledged, but if we use it you'll get credit.

A fond farewell to Wallace Kuralt, propietor of the Intimate Bookshop, who went down fighting. His literary empire grew to eight stores, but eventually he had to close every location due to being unable to compete with the huge chains and online retailers who get sweetheart deals with book wholesalers. He took up the fight on behalf of all independent booksellers.

I didn't know him personally, but he had a profound impact on me. When I was in elementary school, my mother had a store downtown (where Pepper's is now). Along with the Varsity Theatre, the Intimate was my main afterschool program. I went there daily, took one of the many small chairs scatterred throughout the children's section, and read everything I could get my hands on. My favorite nook (a 2-foot wide space between two shelves) was dubbed "Ruby's corner" by the staff.

I just want to thank Mr. Kuralt for providing this opportunity for me and countless other Chapel Hillians to read to our hearts delight.