Chicago’s got the prettiest Odyssey. (And, I legitimately think, as a longtime Odyssey reader who has read several translations, the best. Daniel Mendelsohn’s translation is gorgeous, faithful, and clever, the notes incredibly helpful and interesting.)

Shout out to the dude at the coffee shop who saw my Silver Jews t shirt and let me know the Random Rules video was shot inside Rainbo Club and that they used to play there all the time. Dk why I didn't make the Drag City connection earlier. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPD0...

An incredibly disappointing outcome. Whatever goodwill that may have remained between transit advocates and the admin is gone. This feels like an act of direct hostility and antagonism to the organizers that worked so hard to get NITA passed.

Oh good that seems like what we want.

I assumed the Warde-Sam interview was gonna be “yep I’m staying for the foreseeable future. Mike Boynton is a great guy. Go Blue. Later.” It really is not.

TIF dollars are meant to support public infrastructure to improve the community for residents. That's why I supported investments in streets but won't ask taxpayers to finance a parking lot at a sports stadium complex. Listen to my remarks from today’s Finance Committee ⬇️

If you're a Sox fan, you're going to wonder why you haven't been supporting Jim, James, and Josh for years. Better coverage of the team does not exist.

We're at 4 so far. 996 to go! soxmachine.com/products

I know I'm #BIAS and all, but this is my non joking take re: Michigan (I filed three this AM)

@nbeaudrot.bsky.social genuinely curious if you know who Mike Martin is without looking it up

Uncanny. 110 years later and the story is exactly the same. #BuildTheTunnel

What has to be wrong with your brain to think you’re doing anybody a service (self included) to leak to Spiro. Do your job.

Horse shit

Justice will not be done until England loses this match after Harry Kane goes over the bar in penalties

If you can hug and mug Haaland on corners with no call there’s no way you can take a goal off when he’s engaging w similar physicality.

😑

I just sent a letter to my alderman urging him to reject Mayor Johnson's appointment of Lester Barclay to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority board of directors. You should too ➡️ www.savetransit.org/nita-board

I wrote a bit about Elizabeth Jane Howard (and had the audacity to compare her to Trollope!) in my newsletter a while back.

Without another credible prog running in that lane, making the run off seems quite plausible. And I don’t think he’d win a run off but it’s not impossible. IOW responsible progs should be trying to draft a nominee. Buckner round 2 maybe? He’s obviously superior to MBJ and has a shot w mods too.

In case you were wondering if Johnson understands transit or housing even a smidge.

Very sorry to report the kids are still doing the Mark Prior towel drill

I think Jeff would say these numbers are still quite subject to change but seeing Chicago up 5.5% while cities overall are DOWN 19.9% seems like cause for concern to me.

Not announcing this until two hours before kickoff may have been an issue. The Mayor’s office and a complete failure of logistics: name a more iconic duo.

I think Jeff would say these numbers are still quite subject to change but seeing Chicago up 5.5% while cities overall are DOWN 19.9% seems like cause for concern to me.

Chicago has vast park resources going to no use

Sigh.

Not that I needed further proof that A City That Works is, like, Matrix plugged into my obsessions but dropping "cognitive behavioral therapy is really good" as a subhead is a pure dopamine hit. The post that contains it deserves many, many more readers citythatworks.substack.com/p/community-...

I BELIEVE

Just made the first installment of donations to the campaign of Patrick Gilsenan for alderman of the 32nd Ward! Patrick is a former staffer for Alderman Martin. Knows ball! @patgilsenan.bsky.social 💪 secure.actblue.com/donate/pgfor...

You know what you don’t see a lot of anymore? Pianos with explosives rigged to a single key and sheet music left out with a melody that ends on that key.

Over at A City That Works: you should be very, very suspicious about the claims you hear regarding CPD’s clearance rates.

Holy shit

Jay Bennett's demos for "Mermaid Avenue" have surfaced on Bandcamp: jaybennettmermaidavedemos.bandcamp.com/album/jay-be...

USA 2 : 0 Australia ▪ xG: 1.43 - 0.48 ▪ xThreat: 1.55 - 0.78 ▪ Possession: 61.3% - 38.7% ▪ Field Tilt: 56.4% - 43.6% ▪ Def Action Height: 50.2 - 47.9

Crikey! Dos a cero, mate!

I BELIEVE!!!

Spicy but correct take. Metra radiates out of the regional core for over 50 miles. Rethinking how Metra fundamentally operates its existing radial service will free up the CTA to pursue new neighborhood-to-neighborhood routes.

I love this insight into CTA bus operations from a driver. They suggest starting a new team dedicated to managing bus spacing. Bonus: “Michigan Avenue cries for bus lanes”

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) This is the best of the BOND'S starring the self-effacing Roger Moore—there's a robust perversity in the way the film gets you rooting for the bionic monster Jaws when he tears a truck apart in a childish temper.

I think Henry might stab Lalas.

Beginning to doubt the commitment of Texas Tech to the mental health of Brendan Sorsby

Everybody is saying it I get it but it really is crazy that Australians are celebrating Christmas right now

I was there when Edson Arantes do Nascimento first laced his boots I told him he would never sell any shirts with that name

I’m losing my shape. To the teams. Coming up. From behind.

You know what time it is

By now the Beer 1, Beer 2, Mixed, and European Farmhouse yeast families are pretty well known, but there is also a family called African Beer, from African farmhouse brewing. I finally took the time to look into that a little bit, to see what it is.