Recovering bookseller, skeptical lawyer, diarist manqué. Clinically exasperated. Mom always said, "you learn something new every day if you're not careful."

Urbs in Horto
Joined October 2012
"I have seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that dogs think humans are nuts." ~ John Steinbeck
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👍 to the Ballot Tracking feature for Vote By Mail (I used the secure drop at my early voting 🗳️ site):
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MC Pastoret retweeted
When they first arrived, Irish immigrants in Chicago did the jobs no one else wanted – including digging the 96-mile Illinois and Michigan Canal. #ChicagoStoriesWTTW wttw.com/chicagostories
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Undisclosed location, new glass.
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Oh, this… just this!
A Great Blue Heron scans for fish to spear at Lincoln Park
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MC Pastoret retweeted
The story of the Irish in Chicago is one of political and economic ascent. It is also a complicated one, marked by the same exclusion they once endured. The Irish may have come with nothing, but they changed everything. to.wttw.com/4zN9nHs #ChicagoStoriesWTTW
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MC Pastoret retweeted
I looked them up and they appear to be at the Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) in Tucson, Arizona. If you adopt both of these dogs together — or any animal from this center — I will pay for a month's worth of pet food and help you find a good pair of pants. 24petconnect.com/PimaAdoptab…
Saw something very cute at the shelter today
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Nose 👃🏻 news 🗞️ for your Friday:
Our noses have two nostrils because they each perform a different function. The nose serves two purposes: - Helps us breathe - Detects scents Our nostrils perform both roles, but typically one handles breathing, and the other picks up scents. 🧵⬇️
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Goddamn leaf blowers once again shredding the peace of a beautiful October morning.
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And of course each passenger who boards and cannot pay because the terminal is out of order is greeted with the announcement: “fare payment is required.” Anyone working on this, @cta? Anyone at all?
There’s an audible ping as the driver marks each boarding passenger who does not pay (because the terminal is out of order), & each time I hear that, I think “another $2.25 down the drain, @cta…”
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There’s an audible ping as the driver marks each boarding passenger who does not pay (because the terminal is out of order), & each time I hear that, I think “another $2.25 down the drain, @cta…”
Always pains me to see this @cta —especially on a high ridership route like the #22
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Always pains me to see this @cta —especially on a high ridership route like the #22
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WE'RE HIRING 📣 📣 📣 We’re looking for a full-time reporter to cover Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Norwood Park and other Far Northwest Side neighborhoods. You’ll cover everything from local school council meetings and community policing efforts to restaurant openings and real estate developments. Apply by 11/15: buff.ly/UAZkvII
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MC Pastoret retweeted
Betsy, @Delavegalaw, I don’t mean to one-up you, but just now, I correctly identified 3 creatures on my couch—a husband, a dog, and a cat, the latter of which was hard because she is sleeping and closely resembles a meatloaf. 100%.
I don't want to brag, but this morning I walked outside and saw a squirrel, a cat and a bird. I was able to identify them all. 100% correct. I'll tell you about it again tomorrow.
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Joe Brainard
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MC Pastoret retweeted
The ongoing stretch of gorgeous mid-October weather will continue through at least the end of the week. #ILwx #INwx
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Chicago people — go outside right now and look to the south and our moon in that glorious clear sky!
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What are those Tampa Bay fans waving around over their heads?
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Noah radiated decency; his keen insight informed what became NPR's original sound; his interest in places far from power enriched our understanding of the nation and its people. Lovely tribute from @scottdetrow npr.org/2026/10/18/nx-s1-555…
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