Katherine 🎶📚
@katherinemelb.bsky.social
High School Music teacher in Chicago - ✝️ - North Texas CoM alumni - urbanist/YIMBY - environmentalist - metal guitarist and classical/jazz trombonist
If you haven't already, you've got to read Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner. It was a game changer for me in college.
November 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
If you haven't already, you've got to read Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner. It was a game changer for me in college.
DNC consultants trying to figure out how they're going to fumble this is 2028:
November 5, 2025 at 5:09 AM
DNC consultants trying to figure out how they're going to fumble this is 2028:
The reason Chicago still has such a large share of drivers is that the CTA is a consistently mediocre rider experience. I've spent an hour today waiting at transit stops because the system can't stick to its own schedule. Why would anyone who owns a car pay $5 for this luxury?
October 12, 2025 at 4:42 AM
The reason Chicago still has such a large share of drivers is that the CTA is a consistently mediocre rider experience. I've spent an hour today waiting at transit stops because the system can't stick to its own schedule. Why would anyone who owns a car pay $5 for this luxury?
Charging quarters for laundry in a 3-flat when we already pay utilities is diabolical. Whatever spare change you skim off your rent pigs is probably canceled out by making the unit less desirable.
August 3, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Charging quarters for laundry in a 3-flat when we already pay utilities is diabolical. Whatever spare change you skim off your rent pigs is probably canceled out by making the unit less desirable.
State politicians need to realize that the success of Chicago is the success of Illinois. Downstate Illinois would look like rural Kentucky without Chicagoland's economy.
Support our schools. Fund our transit. Repair our infrastructure. House the homeless. It will pay dividends.
Support our schools. Fund our transit. Repair our infrastructure. House the homeless. It will pay dividends.
August 3, 2025 at 11:36 PM
State politicians need to realize that the success of Chicago is the success of Illinois. Downstate Illinois would look like rural Kentucky without Chicagoland's economy.
Support our schools. Fund our transit. Repair our infrastructure. House the homeless. It will pay dividends.
Support our schools. Fund our transit. Repair our infrastructure. House the homeless. It will pay dividends.
Had to stick with Duolingo long enough to hit this milestone
August 1, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Had to stick with Duolingo long enough to hit this milestone
Looking at the map, this is effectively cutting parking minimums citywide. There are still some areas undeserved by transit that are going to need special attention (Southwest side, far northwest side, far south side).
July 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Looking at the map, this is effectively cutting parking minimums citywide. There are still some areas undeserved by transit that are going to need special attention (Southwest side, far northwest side, far south side).
Good morning BlueSky 🐈
July 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Good morning BlueSky 🐈
A (very) rough map highlighting vacant and surface parking lots near a very busy train station 18 minutes from the Loop. Want to ease the rapid displacement happening in Logan Square? Build housing, not parking.
July 23, 2025 at 3:10 AM
A (very) rough map highlighting vacant and surface parking lots near a very busy train station 18 minutes from the Loop. Want to ease the rapid displacement happening in Logan Square? Build housing, not parking.
I was in Seattle with my family this week and we came across a Slate electric pickup truck on display. These aren't Kei-class trucks, but they're considerably smaller than typical US pickups, and claim to be very affordable, very practical, good safety, domesticallu made, and very repairable.(Cont.)
July 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I was in Seattle with my family this week and we came across a Slate electric pickup truck on display. These aren't Kei-class trucks, but they're considerably smaller than typical US pickups, and claim to be very affordable, very practical, good safety, domesticallu made, and very repairable.(Cont.)
People are rightfully dunking on this, but you could argue that they're trying to be pragmatic under the current administration by taking a more rural conservative approach.
Here's a better way to do that:
Advocate for the freedom to build, import, and drive Kei-class trucks.
Here's a better way to do that:
Advocate for the freedom to build, import, and drive Kei-class trucks.
July 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
People are rightfully dunking on this, but you could argue that they're trying to be pragmatic under the current administration by taking a more rural conservative approach.
Here's a better way to do that:
Advocate for the freedom to build, import, and drive Kei-class trucks.
Here's a better way to do that:
Advocate for the freedom to build, import, and drive Kei-class trucks.
He's like the artist version of "the cool pastor" who occasionally slips a swear word into his sermons to be edgy.
July 16, 2025 at 3:38 PM
He's like the artist version of "the cool pastor" who occasionally slips a swear word into his sermons to be edgy.
It's so bad, yall. I came across this heap of garbage up for auction on a cruise ship last week. Genuine sign of societal decline. There was a lot of horrible art on those walls that gave what I call "bald eagle with a flamethrower" energy, but this is one that I refuse to believe was hand-painted.
July 16, 2025 at 11:26 AM
It's so bad, yall. I came across this heap of garbage up for auction on a cruise ship last week. Genuine sign of societal decline. There was a lot of horrible art on those walls that gave what I call "bald eagle with a flamethrower" energy, but this is one that I refuse to believe was hand-painted.
Looking at the metrics, cruise ships slightly beat out short-haul flights as the most emitting common form of transport (CO2 per passenger kilometer), but this doesn't account for the fact that most cruise-goers begin and end their cruise vacation with a combination of short and long-haul flights.
July 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Looking at the metrics, cruise ships slightly beat out short-haul flights as the most emitting common form of transport (CO2 per passenger kilometer), but this doesn't account for the fact that most cruise-goers begin and end their cruise vacation with a combination of short and long-haul flights.
Seattle photo dump (3/3)
July 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Seattle photo dump (3/3)
Seattle photo dump (2/3)
July 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Seattle photo dump (2/3)
Seattle photo dump (1/3)
July 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Seattle photo dump (1/3)
Also, their assessment that "density = ugly" is just wrong. Sure, corporate apartment designs usually suck, but those designs are the result of zoning codes that people like them defend.
The higher-density parts of Chicago are full of absolutely gorgeous multi-family buildings like this one.
The higher-density parts of Chicago are full of absolutely gorgeous multi-family buildings like this one.
July 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Also, their assessment that "density = ugly" is just wrong. Sure, corporate apartment designs usually suck, but those designs are the result of zoning codes that people like them defend.
The higher-density parts of Chicago are full of absolutely gorgeous multi-family buildings like this one.
The higher-density parts of Chicago are full of absolutely gorgeous multi-family buildings like this one.
This misguided hope in the future of AI to be a force for good reminds me of the Farmer Hypothesis from the Three Body Problem trilogy.
June 12, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This misguided hope in the future of AI to be a force for good reminds me of the Farmer Hypothesis from the Three Body Problem trilogy.
Seemed like a good time to get one of these
June 8, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Seemed like a good time to get one of these
Haven't posted my playing in a while, so here's a practice clip (phone audio). Song is Gored by Loathe.
June 7, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Haven't posted my playing in a while, so here's a practice clip (phone audio). Song is Gored by Loathe.
If teachers are forced to embrace AI tools for "teaching", then by the end of the decade, school will just be various chatbots talking to each other.
May 31, 2025 at 3:27 PM
If teachers are forced to embrace AI tools for "teaching", then by the end of the decade, school will just be various chatbots talking to each other.
I just want to stay updated on local happenings 🤦♀️
May 31, 2025 at 2:58 AM
I just want to stay updated on local happenings 🤦♀️
Got this 1891 Wagner cast iron skillet on Facebook Marketplace today. The smooth surface feels great! It's too bad Lodge doesn't make these given that they basically have a monopoly on new cast iron.
May 19, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Got this 1891 Wagner cast iron skillet on Facebook Marketplace today. The smooth surface feels great! It's too bad Lodge doesn't make these given that they basically have a monopoly on new cast iron.