Turns out Grandma's cancelled Paramount+ subscription hasn't run out yet. The whole family is very much looking forward to tonight's viewing.* ___ * We're still mad at how dirty Paramount did the creative team. The Ellisons poison everything they touch.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Watch Full Movie on Paramount Plus

Avatar Aang, the world's last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a

paramountplus.com

Since I'm feeling reminiscent today, here's a word association puzzle that a geographically-specific group of '90s teens will appreciate: Aurelio's Record Swap Off The Alley

Reminds me of the great sod fight during Lollapalooza '92 at the World Theater. Though, that's back when tickets were under $30 and easily available (or you could sneak in if that was your thing). Honestly a bit surprised to see the $400 ticket + $2000 travel crowd rolling in the mud like we did.

Rain, Mud And Big Firsts Mark Lollapalooza’s 3rd Day

Olivia Dean and Jennie made history onstage, while Chicago teens and an impromptu sapphic mud-wrestling match brought their own memorable moments.

blockclubchicago.org

Discovered two new arguments that warrant auto-blocks: 1) Disagreeing with AIPAC is antisemitism. 2) J Street and AIPAC are the same blah blah ZIONIST blah blah.

These things are one of the most useful purchases I've ever made. There are so many projects they let you safely tackle as one person.

A "science journalist" and "fact checker" claimed that "most Americans have never met a Jew." I pointed out how wildly false this assertion was and got blocked (along with seemingly anyone else who noted the error). Just a reminder that there's a whole lot of misinformation out there.

Justin Schuh@justinschuh.com · last wk.

No. Just no. The truth is that about 50% of Americans have a Jew in their close social circle (50 people). It gets to about 75% if you expand to a standard social network (150 people). And if it's just loose acquaintances (600 people) then you've covered 98% of Americans.

No. Just no. The truth is that about 50% of Americans have a Jew in their close social circle (50 people). It gets to about 75% if you expand to a standard social network (150 people). And if it's just loose acquaintances (600 people) then you've covered 98% of Americans.

Some people don't understand bourbon color theory. For sipping, Jim Beam Black or Evan Williams White are fine. For mixing or cooking you can save some cash by swapping the colors. If you really want to spend more on your bourbon I won't disparage you, but I rarely see the point.

Justin Schuh@justinschuh.com · last wk.

I just found out there's a new Coca-Cola Cherry Float flavor. The old Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla was discontinued almost two decades ago, and I'd suffered all these intervening years without the perfect Jim Beam mixer. Finally, the world is returning to some semblance of normalcy.

I just found out there's a new Coca-Cola Cherry Float flavor. The old Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla was discontinued almost two decades ago, and I'd suffered all these intervening years without the perfect Jim Beam mixer. Finally, the world is returning to some semblance of normalcy.

I'm kinda torn. The WHCD exemplifies the worst kind of sycophantic access journalism and just needs to die. At the same point, pretty much everyone there deserved the hour of berating and boredom that they suffered through as Trump thoroughly bombed on stage. Really, a pox on all their houses.

Trump bombs in WHCD return and unleashes on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in anti-media rant

Even Republicans looked stunned amid the stone-faced White House Correspondents’ dinner ballroom of journalists before president revealed ‘Trump 2028’ punchline

independent.co.uk

I keep finding myself in conversations where I'm arguing that AI is a groundbreaking tech that will be as pervasive as the Internet *and* that we're probably in an AI bubble. Like, I was a tech worker during the dot-com bubble; it's hard not to see the parallels after you've lived through them.

My out-of-pocket cost for fixing the obstructed kidney is about $2500 (entirely in-network). And the insurer total is a made-up six-figure number that defies credulity. Similar health events with Kaiser cost us tens of dollars out of pocket. It's a shame we mostly killed staff model HMOs in the US.

Justin Schuh@justinschuh.com · last mo.

I really miss Kaiser Permanente since leaving California. I kinda hate medical stuff, so my ADHD goes into overdrive when dealing with the insanity of provider networks, coverage, etc. A staff model HMO is just so much simpler. It's a shame Kaiser is about the only one of those left in existence.

Starting to wonder if they don't eventually cut bait on this one as it keeps dragging out. Daddy's net worth is down 40% since the offer was made and Oracle's future prospects aren't looking good. And the Saudis at least seem increasingly less interested in these sorts of foreign investments.

Micah Loewinger@micahloewinger.bsky.social · 2w ago

Paramount has to pay about $650 million per quarter to WBD shareholders if this drags on or $7 billion to get out of the deal www.cnbc.com/2026/07/20/p...

My Dad's mom died in 1990 and spent her last decades in a nice little apartment in Chicago where she didn't need a car. My Mom's mom died in 2016, and had to live with family in her last decades because she was in suburban Florida. Growing old with family can be great, but it shouldn't be mandatory.

Active Transportation Alliance@activetransportation.org · 2w ago

"according to HUD and census data, 73% of Americans live in suburban and rural communities, where it is difficult to live without a car. The problem isn’t going to be “How do I age in place?”; it is going to be “How do I get out of this place?”"

The over-the-top greystones peppered throughout the city are one of my favorite things about Chicago.

SideStreets@sidestreets.bsky.social · 3w ago

Build me a castle, but make it fit on a standard Chicago lot.

This feels like a worse version of the heavyweight SOAP interfaces and XML bloat that proliferated 20 years ago. I'm not an AI doomer, but no good can come from slapping a chat interface in front of every service you can find.

Eris@isolyth.dev · 3w ago

That's it. Wrap it up. Bubble pops 9:30 am EST TOMORROW. It's done.

The kids' track camp got postponed for the week due to the heatwave, but it looks like the air quality would have ended it anyway. On the plus side, Chicago does have the densest air quality sensor network in the world (~1.2 sensors per square mile), so we at least know exactly how bad it is.

At first I wasn't buying any of the theories around Lindsey Graham's death, but with McConnell still being "alive" and now Sam Neill's passing, I'm wondering if someone isn't building a torment engine to fold space into a hell dimension. #MakesYouThink

I'm assuming Lindsey Graham finally succeeded in drinking himself to death. He sure seemed to be on that trajectory for the last decade.

Downzoning in Chicago, like in many areas, resulted in: —Less housing —Higher housing costs —Higher white population share

Joseph Miscimarra 🇺🇸@jmisci.bsky.social · 4w ago

Not to rub salt on the wound but this is a tiktok post from one of the Metra board members that Brandon Johnson just re-nominated. Just pure left-NIMBYism So I am not expecting much upzoning or TOD effort from Metra anytime soon (unless it’s 100% affordable and therefore unsustainable)

I just had a fiber optic laser probe routed to my kidney through a path I'm too polite to discuss. The plus side is that they cleared my kidney obstruction and I should be recovered in a week or two. Though, it does currently hurt quite a bit, and I'm on a lot of drugs.

Justin Schuh@justinschuh.com · 4w ago

Looks like a crude drawing of a kidney. I knew they were marking the side, but I guess it's a good idea to note the organ as well.

Looks like a crude drawing of a kidney. I knew they were marking the side, but I guess it's a good idea to note the organ as well.

Not disagreeing in the slightest with the sentiment, but literally the worst people to be leading the charge.

Steven T. Dennis@steventdennis.bsky.social · 4w ago

*SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND CALL ON PLATNER TO WITHDRAW FROM RACE; DSCC CUTS OFF FUNDING

Is there any history on using RCV to pick a fallback candidate after the original winner drops out? Just, ya know, hypothetically?

FWIW, I'd be wholly supportive of splitting states where the results would be politically representative and economically viable. Give me 2 Illinois, 2 Floridas, 3 Californias, & 4 Texas—each with healthy industries and urban centers. I don't see it happening, but it'd be a boon for the country.

Justin Schuh@justinschuh.com · last mo.

These counties are 5% of the state population and take over $2 in state funds for every $1 they pay in taxes. They're literally +90% short of the votes they'd need and would be fiscally bankrupt without massive ongoing subsidies from upstate. @npr.org shouldn't be treating this nonsense seriously.

What's the deal with Mitch McConnell? Paramedics found him unconscious from a heart attack 3 weeks ago. Since then he's been in the hospital without any word. Had a similar situation with my dad, who didn't regain consciousness. This is about when we made the hospice call. He died a few days later.

Is Mitch McConnell dead? What we know about his health

Rumors that the Kentucky senator had died or was near the end of his life spread on social media in June 2026.

snopes.com

These counties are 5% of the state population and take over $2 in state funds for every $1 they pay in taxes. They're literally +90% short of the votes they'd need and would be fiscally bankrupt without massive ongoing subsidies from upstate. @npr.org shouldn't be treating this nonsense seriously.

The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state : Up First from NPR

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the birth of a new nation. But if you read the Declaration closely, it’s not just about creating something new;  it...

npr.org

Took the car to the dealer for an oil change. On the ~15 mile drive home the oil light intermittently came on, eventually followed by the check engine light. I pop the hood after it's home and see the oil cap is missing and the dipstick shows almost no oil. The dealer is now sending a tow truck. 🤷

It wasn't fake. We spent 3 years regularly culling 10%-15% hens to fight bird flu—with a random distribution that hammered a supply chain still reeling from COVID. Price spikes were inevitable. Some parties may also have abused the situation for profit, but that's nothing like it being "all fake."

Denny Carter@dennycarter.bsky.social · last mo.

the egg price thing under biden was all fake lol

Is Ezra Klein actually a Keyser Soze, and we'd all just just been bamboozled into thinking he was a Verbal Kint?