Bridget O’Brien
@bridgetemob.bsky.social
Philadelphian, Chicagoan, Catholic lay minister • she | her
“And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:”
“And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:”
I just saw a sponsored content ad that began “When I’m feeling lazy…” and continued on to a 20-ingredient recipe and—look. The recipe looked good! But we are using very very different definitions of “lazy” here.
November 28, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I just saw a sponsored content ad that began “When I’m feeling lazy…” and continued on to a 20-ingredient recipe and—look. The recipe looked good! But we are using very very different definitions of “lazy” here.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
"Snow squalls" always sounds like a fight between winter wizards to me
November 28, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"Snow squalls" always sounds like a fight between winter wizards to me
I abandoned expensive haircuts in 2020, but I would like to get some layers and bangs, so I’ve been searching for curly hair stylists. I just clicked on a page that looked promising—and learned that this place charges DOUBLE to cut 3C-4 hair vs 2A-3B hair. DOUBLE.
The open racism of it!!!
The open racism of it!!!
November 28, 2025 at 5:07 AM
I abandoned expensive haircuts in 2020, but I would like to get some layers and bangs, so I’ve been searching for curly hair stylists. I just clicked on a page that looked promising—and learned that this place charges DOUBLE to cut 3C-4 hair vs 2A-3B hair. DOUBLE.
The open racism of it!!!
The open racism of it!!!
I gasped loudly enough that my cat relocated.
I told him the lot that would probably get Bluesky going was the collection of Amtrak memorabilia
November 28, 2025 at 1:55 AM
I gasped loudly enough that my cat relocated.
Probably not.
…I’ll call you!
…I’ll call you!
Bob's burgers: bob and deli guy
YouTube video by selfmadebullyleague
youtu.be
November 27, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Probably not.
…I’ll call you!
…I’ll call you!
On Thanksgiving, my church puts little note cards in the pews so that people can write down something they’re grateful for, and then the priests read a selection following communion.
It was very notable how many this year expressed solidarity with immigrants.
It was very notable how many this year expressed solidarity with immigrants.
November 27, 2025 at 7:19 PM
On Thanksgiving, my church puts little note cards in the pews so that people can write down something they’re grateful for, and then the priests read a selection following communion.
It was very notable how many this year expressed solidarity with immigrants.
It was very notable how many this year expressed solidarity with immigrants.
Aesthetic & theological preferences in liturgy are VERY legitimate, but there have been some dismissals of GIA-type music On Here recently that lacked ANY charity, and—boy I wish those people could have been at our Thanksgiving Mass this morning.
November 27, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Aesthetic & theological preferences in liturgy are VERY legitimate, but there have been some dismissals of GIA-type music On Here recently that lacked ANY charity, and—boy I wish those people could have been at our Thanksgiving Mass this morning.
I am not a Parade Person, but I can watch the Chicago Thanksgiving parade from my apartment, and that’s pretty cool.
November 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM
I am not a Parade Person, but I can watch the Chicago Thanksgiving parade from my apartment, and that’s pretty cool.
Important reminder for today:
The movie Best in Show was not based on the National Dog Show.
The National Dog Show was started in response to the movie Best in Show.
The movie Best in Show was not based on the National Dog Show.
The National Dog Show was started in response to the movie Best in Show.
November 27, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Important reminder for today:
The movie Best in Show was not based on the National Dog Show.
The National Dog Show was started in response to the movie Best in Show.
The movie Best in Show was not based on the National Dog Show.
The National Dog Show was started in response to the movie Best in Show.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
What I would say, sans IPA, is Mary is usually higher and more towards the front of the mouth, marry is in the middle, and merry is lower and more towards the back- but in my regular accent I merge all three and end up with comically different accent impressions when trying to demonstrate this
November 27, 2025 at 3:06 AM
What I would say, sans IPA, is Mary is usually higher and more towards the front of the mouth, marry is in the middle, and merry is lower and more towards the back- but in my regular accent I merge all three and end up with comically different accent impressions when trying to demonstrate this
The turkey was fully thawed! It has been appropriately dry-brined and is now resting, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
(If you salted your turkey three days ago: I admire you, I admit your superiority, don’t come for me. That was never going to be me, and I’m taking this as a win for me.)
(If you salted your turkey three days ago: I admire you, I admit your superiority, don’t come for me. That was never going to be me, and I’m taking this as a win for me.)
November 27, 2025 at 12:55 AM
The turkey was fully thawed! It has been appropriately dry-brined and is now resting, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
(If you salted your turkey three days ago: I admire you, I admit your superiority, don’t come for me. That was never going to be me, and I’m taking this as a win for me.)
(If you salted your turkey three days ago: I admire you, I admit your superiority, don’t come for me. That was never going to be me, and I’m taking this as a win for me.)
A TRUE frustration.
November 26, 2025 at 10:36 PM
A TRUE frustration.
I am strongly pro-diversity in accents and dialects—until we get to how almost all of you have lost the marry / Mary / merry distinction, and then I want to send everyone to speech class.
November 26, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I am strongly pro-diversity in accents and dialects—until we get to how almost all of you have lost the marry / Mary / merry distinction, and then I want to send everyone to speech class.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Today, after months of requests, I toured the Broadview ICE Processing Facility. I want to share what I saw.
The facility has no food vendor, no medical care, and detainees have to use toilets in the middle of shared cells. These are in no way suitable conditions to be holding anyone — period.
The facility has no food vendor, no medical care, and detainees have to use toilets in the middle of shared cells. These are in no way suitable conditions to be holding anyone — period.
November 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Today, after months of requests, I toured the Broadview ICE Processing Facility. I want to share what I saw.
The facility has no food vendor, no medical care, and detainees have to use toilets in the middle of shared cells. These are in no way suitable conditions to be holding anyone — period.
The facility has no food vendor, no medical care, and detainees have to use toilets in the middle of shared cells. These are in no way suitable conditions to be holding anyone — period.
The Algorithm showed me an adorable video of a toddler seeing a large crèche and running up to say “¡Hola, Maria! ¡Hola, baby! ¡Hola, Jésus, Hola Mama Maria! Abrazo, Mama Maria.”
and people in the comments were arguing about whether Mary is theotokos or christotokos.
and people in the comments were arguing about whether Mary is theotokos or christotokos.
November 26, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The Algorithm showed me an adorable video of a toddler seeing a large crèche and running up to say “¡Hola, Maria! ¡Hola, baby! ¡Hola, Jésus, Hola Mama Maria! Abrazo, Mama Maria.”
and people in the comments were arguing about whether Mary is theotokos or christotokos.
and people in the comments were arguing about whether Mary is theotokos or christotokos.
Pretty pumped that the Groff-Mendez-Radcliffe Merrily is going to be in movie theaters.
November 26, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Pretty pumped that the Groff-Mendez-Radcliffe Merrily is going to be in movie theaters.
I’m visiting friends next week and I’m so glad, because I’m so, SO crabby, and every moment at work that I remain calm and pleasant is currently a personal victory.
November 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
I’m visiting friends next week and I’m so glad, because I’m so, SO crabby, and every moment at work that I remain calm and pleasant is currently a personal victory.
While we’re doing Thanksgiving discourse I’m going to say that I’m taking a page from Baltimore’s book and making sauerkraut for Thanksgiving.
November 25, 2025 at 3:22 AM
While we’re doing Thanksgiving discourse I’m going to say that I’m taking a page from Baltimore’s book and making sauerkraut for Thanksgiving.
I think I have landed on warlock for the DnD campaign I’m about to start (likely to be the last, at least for a long time 😭), but now trying to figure out whether to go straight warlock or multiclass with sorcerer. We’re starting at level 7.
November 25, 2025 at 2:58 AM
I think I have landed on warlock for the DnD campaign I’m about to start (likely to be the last, at least for a long time 😭), but now trying to figure out whether to go straight warlock or multiclass with sorcerer. We’re starting at level 7.
All of "Silver and Gold" by Sufjan Stevens counts as Advent music, because even the Christmas music is kind of sad.
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM
All of "Silver and Gold" by Sufjan Stevens counts as Advent music, because even the Christmas music is kind of sad.
(We all know the real reason people say this, which is: “Single adults without children can’t possibly have full adult lives.”)
I wish so deeply that there were a way to get people to stop asking “Are you going home for Thanksgiving / Christmas?”
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
November 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
(We all know the real reason people say this, which is: “Single adults without children can’t possibly have full adult lives.”)
I wish so deeply that there were a way to get people to stop asking “Are you going home for Thanksgiving / Christmas?”
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
November 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I wish so deeply that there were a way to get people to stop asking “Are you going home for Thanksgiving / Christmas?”
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
I am a middle aged adult. The home that I have is the one live in, and calling anything aside from that “home” makes a whole lot of presumptions.
Every time I see another Thanksgiving Travel news story I become more relieved that I will be home for Thanksgiving (as much as I would genuinely love to see people.)
November 24, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Every time I see another Thanksgiving Travel news story I become more relieved that I will be home for Thanksgiving (as much as I would genuinely love to see people.)
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Caught an Uber ride with one of the OG concrete cowboys from Strawberry Mansion, who told us a story about his horse I-95, so named because he ran away the morning after he got home and made it about 10 miles along 95 North before getting tuckered out. All the way to the Walmart on Aramingo.
November 24, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Caught an Uber ride with one of the OG concrete cowboys from Strawberry Mansion, who told us a story about his horse I-95, so named because he ran away the morning after he got home and made it about 10 miles along 95 North before getting tuckered out. All the way to the Walmart on Aramingo.
Reposted by Bridget O’Brien
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
November 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.