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Patrick McDonough

@citybeautiful21

21st-century Urban Planning, Public Transit and Rail geekery from a husband and dad who rides buses and bikes. Wake Forest / Boston sports fan. Views are mine only.

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Latest posts by Patrick McDonough @citybeautiful21

Generative AI will never be able to do research like a PhD student. It will never have that level of self doubt or the urge to take up unrelated hobbies.

11.03.2026 01:39 πŸ‘ 174 πŸ” 28 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

This puts me at 10 people released. I filed my 1st habeas petition 29 days ago. I am an incredibly small-time, nobody lawyer who knew nothing about immigration law the day I submitted that case. I barely know any more today. I had never sued the federal government and now I've beaten them 10 times.

09.03.2026 19:24 πŸ‘ 11230 πŸ” 2510 πŸ’¬ 307 πŸ“Œ 123

Train + feet is still a win!

09.03.2026 11:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Are you self piloting a canal boat? If so, congrats, you’re living one of my travel dreams!

09.03.2026 11:21 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Add one word to a film to ruin it.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ Socks

09.03.2026 11:03 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations! Love to see this coming to fruition.

05.03.2026 23:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Glad for the coffee! Sorry about the car.

05.03.2026 01:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Text from NYT stating "With his selection, he is trying to accomplish several goals at once. He is on the hook to respond to please from many of his voters in low-income neighborhoods to expand the availability of free child care. He also needs to project his administration's seriousness about extending free services to all New Yorkers - including families who may be very eager for child care but are not living in poverty. 

The four communities Mr. Mamdani has chosen include mostly low-income neighborhoods with increasingly gentrified pockets, whose residents include upwardly mobile parents who have the resources and connections to push for greater expansion."

Text from NYT stating "With his selection, he is trying to accomplish several goals at once. He is on the hook to respond to please from many of his voters in low-income neighborhoods to expand the availability of free child care. He also needs to project his administration's seriousness about extending free services to all New Yorkers - including families who may be very eager for child care but are not living in poverty. The four communities Mr. Mamdani has chosen include mostly low-income neighborhoods with increasingly gentrified pockets, whose residents include upwardly mobile parents who have the resources and connections to push for greater expansion."

Solid reporting on @mayor.nyc.gov rolling out the 2-K program for free early childcare. (gift link) The attributes of the locations chosen for the pilot show that the policy architects are thinking about how to do coalition-building through policy. Interesting!

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/n...

04.03.2026 14:21 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
a lion on grass with a person saluting in camo gear 

Toronto Zoo removes costly fences for lion enclosure, opts to hand out camouflage clothing to patrons - inspired by city cycling infrastructure. Be Safe Be Unseen is their new slogan.

a lion on grass with a person saluting in camo gear Toronto Zoo removes costly fences for lion enclosure, opts to hand out camouflage clothing to patrons - inspired by city cycling infrastructure. Be Safe Be Unseen is their new slogan.

Toronto Zoo removes costly fences for lion enclosure, opts to hand out camouflage clothing to patrons - inspired by city cycling infrastructure. Be Safe Be Unseen is their new slogan.

02.03.2026 14:10 πŸ‘ 217 πŸ” 61 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 11
Interior of a bright, cozy coffee shop with great food - Zephyr Coffee

Interior of a bright, cozy coffee shop with great food - Zephyr Coffee

Zephyr Coffee, Patterson Place, Durham

Zephyr Coffee, Patterson Place, Durham

Just a note to let Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro know that Zephyr Coffee on 15-501 is ***VERY*** good. Excellent espresso drinks, and the ham and cheese croissant was outstanding. It’s in Patterson Place by Asian Bistro and the cigar shop. Definitely give them a try!

02.03.2026 17:27 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Let's try this again πŸ‘‹

Hi Bluesky - I'm Massachusetts' Attorney General. You might know me from suing President Trump nearly 50 times, beating Uber and Lyft in court, or being the first woman of color elected to statewide office in MA.

I officially left X today - help me find my MA people?

21.02.2026 16:32 πŸ‘ 13763 πŸ” 3498 πŸ’¬ 896 πŸ“Œ 187
Jesse Jackson playing basketball with Marvin Gaye

Jesse Jackson playing basketball with Marvin Gaye

Jesse v Marvin

17.02.2026 10:24 πŸ‘ 1278 πŸ” 309 πŸ’¬ 21 πŸ“Œ 27

Are we sure it’s not because landlords became less greedy

14.02.2026 11:53 πŸ‘ 375 πŸ” 60 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0

sometimes, if you’re up early enough, you can hear them turn the birds on

11.02.2026 09:27 πŸ‘ 3161 πŸ” 520 πŸ’¬ 49 πŸ“Œ 21
Preview
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now. - Bolts Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?

NEW: Abigail Spanberger this afternoon ordered that all state agencies leave ICE's 287(g) program.

This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.

Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.

04.02.2026 22:35 πŸ‘ 11884 πŸ” 3109 πŸ’¬ 133 πŸ“Œ 411

CNN is reporting the real reason Trump is closing the Kennedy Centre for two years is not for renovation: β€œthe Kennedy Center does not have a 2026/2027 season. There would not have been any programming to announce."

02.02.2026 19:45 πŸ‘ 5698 πŸ” 1584 πŸ’¬ 232 πŸ“Œ 257

Since a lot of the coverage is omitting this detail: The Kennedy Center HAD a $250 million renovation and expansion just a few years ago, in 2019.

02.02.2026 12:38 πŸ‘ 4067 πŸ” 1369 πŸ’¬ 21 πŸ“Œ 88
Post image Post image Post image

β€œObserving human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned.”

Judge Biery re asylum seeker Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-year-old son

31.01.2026 21:56 πŸ‘ 194 πŸ” 46 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 5

it's like SUPER cold for North Carolina today but I went to the farmer's market and on the way back I saw people 10+ years my senior, which is saying something, holding up NO ICE protest signs and I said hey fantastic job it's cold and they said "not as cold as in Minneapolis" blessed people

31.01.2026 16:10 πŸ‘ 1339 πŸ” 128 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 4

Hollllly moly, when it turns the corner. That is a lot of people.

23.01.2026 23:08 πŸ‘ 1493 πŸ” 262 πŸ’¬ 13 πŸ“Œ 9

Time Person of the Year should be Minnesotans

22.01.2026 16:18 πŸ‘ 842 πŸ” 81 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 3

The Nobel Peace Prize becoming so prestigious that wars are fought over a head of state coveting it is some real monkey paw stuff for Alfred Nobel.

19.01.2026 08:47 πŸ‘ 10096 πŸ” 1778 πŸ’¬ 144 πŸ“Œ 52

Huey Lewis and the Newts

17.01.2026 00:28 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Announcing a Multi-foundation $6.5M Commitment to Ensure Performing Artists are at the Center of Technology Innovation

When artists lead, technology becomes more human.

Artists Make Technology is our new $6.5M partnership with @dorisdukefdn.bsky.social to ensure performing artists help design the digital future.

When artists lead, technology becomes more human. https://bit.ly/3Lq9O7h

08.01.2026 19:55 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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Showed up to the spot dressed like the bus, smdh

05.01.2026 23:49 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
That’s why HAVN designed the EMF-blocking beanie.
Powered by our proprietary WaveStopperβ„’ Technology, it forms a barrier that blocks over 99% of WiFi, 5G, and Bluetooth radiation right where it matters most: your brain.

That’s why HAVN designed the EMF-blocking beanie. Powered by our proprietary WaveStopperβ„’ Technology, it forms a barrier that blocks over 99% of WiFi, 5G, and Bluetooth radiation right where it matters most: your brain.

They gentrified the tinfoil hat

01.01.2026 20:57 πŸ‘ 11405 πŸ” 3298 πŸ’¬ 249 πŸ“Œ 315

Further proof of the violence and lawlessness of the New York City subway system

02.01.2026 16:33 πŸ‘ 189 πŸ” 39 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 1
Fireworks over Grand Army Plaza

Fireworks over Grand Army Plaza

BREAKING: Explosions felt across New York City as full socialism begins

01.01.2026 05:10 πŸ‘ 22330 πŸ” 2896 πŸ’¬ 333 πŸ“Œ 155
A forlorn landscape of layered rocks in the foreground, with hills fading into the background haze. At upper top right, a small crescent moon, and a bright star.

A forlorn landscape of layered rocks in the foreground, with hills fading into the background haze. At upper top right, a small crescent moon, and a bright star.

Open up this picture fully.

Then look at the surface of Mars.

Then look up to the top right.

Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.

Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.

That's Earth.

30.12.2025 21:30 πŸ‘ 4761 πŸ” 1874 πŸ’¬ 76 πŸ“Œ 152

MoCo in MD is like looking into Chapel Hill / Carrboro’s grim future.

29.12.2025 14:31 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0