Events

Rolling Stone describes how Wrigleyville became Douchebag Central: Chicagoans have strong feelings about Wrigleyville. While a local might have more nuanced thoughts on neighborhoods like Logan Square (gentrified, filled with hipsters, great places to eat) or Wicker Park (gentrified, filled with yuppies, great places to eat), say you're going to hang out near Wrigley Field, and you'll probably get a blank stare. You really go out of your way to visit there for two reasons: Cubs games and shows at the...

New York Times reporter Jonathan Mahler watched the debate with the sound off. He still had no doubts who won: It was a little shimmy of her shoulders — cheeky, insouciant — accompanied by a big, toothy grin. Her opponent smirked. She looked as if she was having fun. He, not so much. Visually, anyway, there was a discernible arc to the event, with Mr. Trump growing more agitated as the night wore on, and Mrs. Clinton becoming almost giddy with what felt increasingly like genuine pleasure. Which brings...

Not even a full day after the debate and the reactions I'm seeing are across-the-board horrible for Trump. First, the usual suspects: Josh Marshall here, here, and here. From New Republic, Brian Beutler, Jeet Heer, and Ryu Spaeth. Paul Krugman. But the other side of the aisle doesn't seem happy either. Check out: Red State ("Desperately delusional Trump") Rod Dreher US News (with reactions from across the globe) Bill Kristol Fred Barnes Of course, it's not Trump's fault he tanked after 15 minutes of...

A 12-2 win over the Pirates got the Cubs to their 100th win of the season. This is the first season they've hit 100 since 1935. Even in their pennant-winning 1945 season they only won 98. Could they make history this year? I'm starting to feel more hopeful.

The first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is about to begin. I'll be sipping on one or more martinis and making snarky comments. For real live-blogging check out Josh Marshall and Andrew Sullivan. Oh, and the Times. I was going to watch PBS, but apparently Bloomberg will be fact-checking in real time. Let the games begin... 21:04 EDT: Oh, can't do Bloomberg. Moved back to PBS with Gwen Ifill, Mark Shields, David Gergen, and a few other sane people. 21:06: Bad timing! My big New...

My goal yesterday was to walk at least as far as I did back in June, when I hoofed it from Uptown to Highland Park (28.95 km, 4:32:52, 32,595 steps). Well, yesterday I didn't, for a couple of reasons: first, I'm recovering from a cold. Second, it was 5°C warmer yesterday than June 16th. And third, I started later in the day, so I had less time to do the trip. Also I was a bit stupid: around hour 3½, I hit the wall, but didn't realize I had, until I finally stopped in a convenience store and downed a...

As of yesterday's final home game, the Cubs have won 99 games and lost 56—the best record in baseball this year—including 57 games at Wrigley, which tied the team record set in 1933 and 1935. There are six games left in the season, so the Cubs won't pass 107 games (last reached in 1907) or their team-record 116 wins (set in 1906). But who cares? The only record that most of us Cubs fans want to see broken is the one for most World Series won in a season, which currently stands at 1 (last set in 1908)....

I didn't walk as far as I'd planned today, but it was still pretty damn far. And hot. So I'm pooped. More later.

Tonight I've gotten invited to hear Lin-Manuel Miranda speak at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and after that, a masquerade. Then tomorrow is Chicago Gourmet. Then Sunday I'll either plotz or walk 30 kilometers. (Though in truth I'll probably be fine as my cold, tapering though it is, makes me not want to indulge too much.) Meanwhile, here are some articles that I may read in the next few hours: This month has been really hot and rainy in Illinois. Bleah. One more thing Trump is wrong about: Stop and...

Garrett Epps, writing for The Atlantic, warns that the advent of Trumpism comes mainly from an erosion of our collective understanding of and belief in the reasons our Constitution was written in the first place: Trumpism is the symptom, not the cause, of the malaise. I think we have for some time been living in the post-Constitution era. America’s fundamental law remains and will remain important as a source of litigation. But the nation seems to have turned away from a search of values in the...