Comments on: Don't die like my brother. Don't die like MY brother! (Tom Magliozzi)

By: poose

poose — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 07:26:31 +0000

I, like most dedicated gearheads with a technical fetish (mine is for two-wheeled vehicles than can kill you if you look and them the wrong way) lived for Cartalk.

I was deeply saddened by the news. I never really knew one of them from the other-they were almost a Gestalt being (ala Red Dwarf episode “Legion”) and never thought one would be complete without the other.

Initial reports seem to indicate Tom died from complications to Alzheimer’s. I can’t help but think of others suffering from this, including another personal hero-Sir Terry Pratchett.

By: Eric Lund

Eric Lund — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 18:41:29 +0000

The way you give directions is by squares. “Back bay? Go down to Porter, then Harvard, turn left but cut over to Dante, that will bring you to Inman then to through to Union, then straight drive for five miles (one hour during the rush) and turn left.”

I’m glad you weren’t a cab driver: depending what part of Back Bay you’re trying to get to, it’s about 2.5 miles from Harvard Square. Bear right at the square, turn left on Mt. Auburn which takes you to Central, continue straight across the Harvard Bridge[1], turn left on Comm. Ave.[2] or Boylston St. That way, you stay on a numbered state route (Route 2A, though this part is maintained by the City of Cambridge). The complication arises because part of Mass. Ave.[3] between Harvard and Central is one-way-the-wrong-way; if you’re a pedestrian, just follow Mass. Ave. (which, in the photo, is the street entering at right and exiting at the top). Or take the Red Line from Porter, change at either Park St. (Green Line westbound) or Downtown Crossing (Orange Line toward Forest Hills) to the station nearest your destination.

[1]Which of course is located near the MIT campus.

[2]Commonwealth Avenue, a boulevard running from the Public Garden through Allston/Brighton into Newton.

[3]Massachusetts Avenue, which runs from Boston through Cambridge and Arlington into Lexington.

By: Curious Wavefunction

Curious Wavefunction — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:32:02 +0000

As someone who lives a 10 min walk from the Square and visits it a couple of times a week, I have happily glanced at that sign several times and will wistfully do so in the future. Nice story.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 01:30:07 +0000

Once upon a time there were farm roads criss crossing the country side. They merged here and there at key points, or just merged here and there randomly, and those crossings, where usually more than two roads met, became nodes. Eventually they became busy intersections in cities, and got named. You can’t swing a dead cat in the GBA without running int a a square. Not a single one is square.

“What?”

OK, go down this road and when you get to Porter Square, with the giant whales and the food market, ask for directions to Harvard Square.

By: Robert Gotschall

Robert Gotschall — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 01:24:21 +0000

Thanks for the picture. I’d never seen the “square” before and wondered about it every show.

By: Douglas C Alder

Douglas C Alder — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 23:25:55 +0000

So many enjoyable hours listening to click and clack over the years. Sad.

By: dean

dean — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:26:04 +0000

I saw this earlier today, and still got a chuckle when I read this in the announcement:

“In a statement announcing his brother’s death, Ray said: “Turns out he wasn’t kidding. He really couldn’t remember last week’s puzzler.”

It is worth noting that they ask that people donate to an Alzheimer’s fund or to their local NPR station in memory of Tom.