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May 29

The latest: I’m so overdosed on apathy and put down on sympathy.

Professional triumphs and personal catastrophes have kept me from my weekly (monthly) blogging routine yet again. Let’s cut right to it.

My latest story for the Chicago Tribune, about the Illinois EPA’s handling of the VW Dieselgate settlement money, took on a life of its own but actually got some results. This story is now outdated, because that’s how news works, but please take a look, especially if you are an Illinois resident. The issues in this story are still relevant and are by no means over.

HowStuffWorks published my story about my trip to the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas in March, which was a blast to attend and to write about. I also wrote about the safety of our tap water, the new European law that mandates emergency telematics systems, how to ensure your car is safe for road trips, the technology that drives the rebirth of the VW Microbus, and the everyday heroes who fix potholes on their own dime. I also updated a couple older articles about vibration problems and alternators.

It was a busy month at U.S. News & World Report. If you’re shopping for a vehicle soon, check out my pieces on the most reliable used SUVs and used luxury cars on a budget, the best large luxury SUVs for families, and the best trucks for families. I also wrote about common driving mistakes and how to interpret dashboard lights.

I’m now writing reviews for car-ED, including the Toyota Prius c, Toyota 4Runner, and Lexus RC 350. I also put together a piece on dealing with insurance if your car gets totaled. I’ll have more up on car-ED in the next few days, including driving impressions of some new vehicles I drove last week at the Midwest Automotive Media Association spring rally at Road America.

Thanks to the always-excellent Less Than Jake for the lyrics.

Apr 6

The latest: A lot of pressure in the middle of those shoulders.

(In case you were wondering, the weird LEGO minifig is from the “Yellow Submarine” set.)

Again, it’s been a month since my last weekly update. I made my first trip to Las Vegas (the story isn’t up yet, but will be up soon), but I have no excuses for the other weeks. I couldn’t talk for a while because of a cold (and laughing my ass off in Las Vegas) but it didn’t stop me from writing and shouldn’t have stopped me from posting. So I’ll keep it simple. There’s some fun stuff in here.

Chicago Tribune: Going camping? The best vehicles for ‘glamping’ include pickups, vans

HowStuffWorks: Mahindra Roxor Reimagines the Beloved Jeep CJ

HowStuffWorks: Audi’s New Cars ‘Talk’ to Nearly All Tolls

HowStuffWorks: Are People Dying to Find Fenn’s Treasure?

HowStuffWorks: The GM Car That Has No Steering Wheel or Pedals

U.S. News & World Report: All-New 2018 BMW 8 Series: Everything We Know

U.S. News & World Report: All-New 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: What You Need to Know

U.S. News & World Report: 10 Best Compact SUVs for Families in 2018

U.S. News & World Report: 4 Best Minivans for Families

More next week. Or not.

Thanks to Atmosphere for the song lyric. Come back to Chicago soon, okay?

Mar 6

The latest: All our time can’t be given back.

Rather than dwell on all the reasons this post is weeks overdue, let’s get right to it. In addition to my regular contributions to my usual sites, I have a few exciting new publications to add to the list. First off is the Chicago Tribune. I took a look at sunroof safety (which also appeared in the print edition on Sunday, February 25) and I interviewed Chicago Auto Show patrons about ride-share vehicle preferences.

At October, I got my first taste of beer writing with a story about the first craft breweries in the country to go 100% solar. It took months to make this piece happen, and I’m really proud of it.

Over at car-ED, a new site that helps readers find the perfect vehicle, I wrote an overview of the Chicago Auto Show, along with a closer look at the VW Arteon and the Ram 1500 MOPAR accessories.

For HowStuffWorks, I wrote about controversial geoengineering techniques, took a look at sound bathing as a means of relaxation, talked to the team behind Nissan’s 370Zki concept debut at the Chicago Auto Show, explained Porsche’s decision to turn to 3-D printing to supply classic parts, and nabbed a co-byline with the site’s founder by updating How Manual Transmissions Work.

At U.S. News & World Report, I covered the new options in vehicle subscription services and put together comparisons of the Honda CR-V and Acura RDX, BMW 5 Series and 3 Series, and Kia Sorento and Ford Edge. I also contributed to the site’s annual Best Cars for the Money Awards with overviews on the best values in 3-row SUVs and luxury midsize cars.

That’s about it for now. I have another Chicago Tribune story on the schedule, along with plenty more. I might try to do these updates on Monday mornings from here on out; clearly, Friday afternoons are simply not happening.

Song lyric in honor of the recently reunited Smashing Pumpkins.

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