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Now that I've had a good night's sleep and the sun is out for the first time all year, I have the energy to start reading the news again. On January 2nd, most of the stories are about things that have changed since Wednesday: Chicago had 416 murders in 2025, the lowest number recorded since 1965 when the city had 620,000 (23%) more people. In 2025, the hottest temperature recorded at Inner Drive Technology WHQ was 34.3°C (93.7°F) on June 23rd; the coldest was -20°C (-4°F) January 21st. Officially at...

Welcome to stop #136 on the Brews and Choos project. Brewery: Polyanna Brewing, 245 E. Main St., RoselleTrain line: Milwaukee District West, Roselle (Zone 4) Time from Chicago: 49 minutesDistance from station: 800 m She may not look like much, kid, but she's got it where it counts. After 135 Brews & Choos stops in the Chicago area and another 13 in the rest of the world, I finally missed a train. The Milwaukee District West line runs hourly on weekdays. I planned to stay only half an hour at Polyanna...

Welcome to stop #135 on the Brews and Choos project. Brewery: More Brewing, 121 W. Railroad Ave., BartlettTrain line: Milwaukee District West, Bartlett (Zone 4) Time from Chicago: 59 minutesDistance from station: 50 m The original More Brewing in Villa Park was stop #24 on the Brews and Choos Project, back in March 2020. It was, in fact, my penultimate review before Covid-19 shut everything down for 3½ months, making the disappointing brewery that much more disappointing. I have to say, the Bartlett...

Welcome to stop #134 on the Brews and Choos project. Brewery: Suncatcher Brewing, 2849 W. Chicago Ave., ChicgaoTrain line: Milwaukee District West, Milwaukee District North, and North Central Service; Western Ave (Zone 1) Time from Chicago: 9 minutesDistance from station: 1.2 km Suncatcher opened just 13 months ago on land and in an unused supply shed rented from a garden supply store. This means they have an amazing outdoor space that I will take Cassie to visit at some point when the sun is out and...

My morning commute today had mild temperatures, clear skies, and a nearly-empty platform: My office is nearly empty, too. And I'm leaving early-ish, though my laptop will stay here until Monday. And I have no meetings, so I can fix a lingering bug without anyone interrupting me. So far, today doesn't suck. I shall endeavor to enjoy it.

The Brews & Choos Project will celebrate its 6th anniversary on February 7th. When I started in 2020, I thought I would get most of it done that year. I managed to visit 25 breweries by March 7th (Lunar Brewing in Villa Park was 25th), before pausing in the pandemic panic until breweries with outdoor seating opened up again. It turns out, I only have 9 places to visit within the Chicago city limits, and another 13 in the Metra zone outside Chicago. Short of another pandemic or massive economic...

The temperature tried and tried but couldn't get above -6.1°C over here. It should keep going up slowly for the next day. And we might even see the sun tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world: Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, has been arrested following the stabbing death of his parents. In response to the Reiners' deaths, the OAFPOTUS posted some truly deranged crap on social media, further demonstrating how he's completely lost it. Brian...