Bob Schaefer
@bobszilla.bsky.social
A hot cuppa tea on a cold winter's day. Chicagoan, architect, listener, reader, traveler, time waster
Family food pr0n. Forget the Thanksgiving feast. The night before is where it’s at.
November 27, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Family food pr0n. Forget the Thanksgiving feast. The night before is where it’s at.
Fare thee well to Jimmy Cliff, who was my first, largest entry to reggae music. ‘The Harder They Come’, both the soundtrack and the movie, meant a lot to the eighteen year old me away at college and gobbling up new-to-me music.
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Fare thee well to Jimmy Cliff, who was my first, largest entry to reggae music. ‘The Harder They Come’, both the soundtrack and the movie, meant a lot to the eighteen year old me away at college and gobbling up new-to-me music.
Starting my week at a client with low sun illuminating Streeterville highrises. Wish I could stare out the windows all day but I’m here for work.
November 17, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Starting my week at a client with low sun illuminating Streeterville highrises. Wish I could stare out the windows all day but I’m here for work.
Finally (for my Friday anyway), ‘Music of the Mind,’ the Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibition of Yoko Ono as artist succeeded in allowing me to dispel all pre-conceived notions of her work thru the Lennon lens. Also, I love exhibitions where it’s not just looking but participating.
November 17, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Finally (for my Friday anyway), ‘Music of the Mind,’ the Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibition of Yoko Ono as artist succeeded in allowing me to dispel all pre-conceived notions of her work thru the Lennon lens. Also, I love exhibitions where it’s not just looking but participating.
The sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial has expanded to five floors of lost 840 North Michigan Avenue retail. By turns whimsical, provocative and head-scratching, riding the escalator to five floors of the exploration of the CAB theme of “Shift” was 75 minutes well spent.
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 AM
The sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial has expanded to five floors of lost 840 North Michigan Avenue retail. By turns whimsical, provocative and head-scratching, riding the escalator to five floors of the exploration of the CAB theme of “Shift” was 75 minutes well spent.
Moving to the Chicago Architecture Center, Ellen Harvey’s ‘The Disappointed Tourist’ is lost places, large and small, natural and human-built, as painted postcards. Endlessly fascinating, and also sadly just endless as more and more places disappear.
November 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Moving to the Chicago Architecture Center, Ellen Harvey’s ‘The Disappointed Tourist’ is lost places, large and small, natural and human-built, as painted postcards. Endlessly fascinating, and also sadly just endless as more and more places disappear.
Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination. The Art Institute’s rotating exhibitions in their print and drawing gallery have been batting 1.000 for awhile now. Works by Munch, Redon and Ensor and more curated and gathered as an evocation or a mindfuck.
November 17, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination. The Art Institute’s rotating exhibitions in their print and drawing gallery have been batting 1.000 for awhile now. Works by Munch, Redon and Ensor and more curated and gathered as an evocation or a mindfuck.
At the Art Institute, Elizabeth Catlett: “A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That Implies” One of those “where has this been all of my life” introductions to an artist where the quote in the exhibition title says a lot. Courageous and creative storytelling in print and sculpture.
November 17, 2025 at 2:33 AM
At the Art Institute, Elizabeth Catlett: “A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That Implies” One of those “where has this been all of my life” introductions to an artist where the quote in the exhibition title says a lot. Courageous and creative storytelling in print and sculpture.
Mostly I took pictures today, but I was at a few too many places selling books, and the MCA double discount days was enough for me to take home these two recently released titles from my list.
November 15, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Mostly I took pictures today, but I was at a few too many places selling books, and the MCA double discount days was enough for me to take home these two recently released titles from my list.
Amazing day off today with visits to AIC, CAB, CAC, MCA and a few non-acronymic places. I’ll have a few more things to say and some photos of cool art and architecture at point, but I’m mostly spent. In a good way.
November 15, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Amazing day off today with visits to AIC, CAB, CAC, MCA and a few non-acronymic places. I’ll have a few more things to say and some photos of cool art and architecture at point, but I’m mostly spent. In a good way.
Feeding my head, heart and soul with art and architecture downtown on a gorgeous fall day.
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Feeding my head, heart and soul with art and architecture downtown on a gorgeous fall day.
How long has this been going on (Brian Eno on Apple Classical)?
November 13, 2025 at 1:29 PM
How long has this been going on (Brian Eno on Apple Classical)?
Sent from my sister’s house in the Colorado Rockies. Alright, you win.
November 12, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Sent from my sister’s house in the Colorado Rockies. Alright, you win.
I’m loving everyone’s northern lights photos from a somewhat darkened lakefront. But even through the West Loop light pollution it’s pretty cool.
November 12, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I’m loving everyone’s northern lights photos from a somewhat darkened lakefront. But even through the West Loop light pollution it’s pretty cool.
Meanwhile tonight on the UIC campus…🎇
November 12, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Meanwhile tonight on the UIC campus…🎇
Was going to recommend this but paging through it, it’s probably beyond what you’re into. Julian is mostly obsessed with post-60s heavy prog and hard rock. But there’s a cool chapter about how the Beatles 1966 visit to Japan inspired the Group Sounds garage and psych era.
November 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Was going to recommend this but paging through it, it’s probably beyond what you’re into. Julian is mostly obsessed with post-60s heavy prog and hard rock. But there’s a cool chapter about how the Beatles 1966 visit to Japan inspired the Group Sounds garage and psych era.
Lake effect snow totals are notoriously localized and variable. But there’s a forecast of 12-18” with a ceiling of 2 to 4 feet! Chicago’s record snowfall which occurred in the 1967 blizzard is 23”.
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Lake effect snow totals are notoriously localized and variable. But there’s a forecast of 12-18” with a ceiling of 2 to 4 feet! Chicago’s record snowfall which occurred in the 1967 blizzard is 23”.
I can’t get over this forecast discussion from the National Weather Service in Chicago regarding the lake effect snow event overnight tonight into tomorrow morning. 3-5” per hour snow rates! And one of my favorite weather phenomena, thundersnow! forecast.weather.gov/product.php?...
November 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I can’t get over this forecast discussion from the National Weather Service in Chicago regarding the lake effect snow event overnight tonight into tomorrow morning. 3-5” per hour snow rates! And one of my favorite weather phenomena, thundersnow! forecast.weather.gov/product.php?...
I ordered a physical CD copy of this which I will have in my hands tomorrow. And I streamed this today, and my god, “miracle” only hints at the glorious melding of fury and melody and intensity at a particular point in time. 40 years on, I can’t believe how good Hüskers were/are.
November 8, 2025 at 2:20 AM
I ordered a physical CD copy of this which I will have in my hands tomorrow. And I streamed this today, and my god, “miracle” only hints at the glorious melding of fury and melody and intensity at a particular point in time. 40 years on, I can’t believe how good Hüskers were/are.
Down in Indianapolis earlier today. Most of the day was cloudy but there was gorgeous autumn light at Marrot Woods Nature Preserve later in the afternoon.
November 3, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Down in Indianapolis earlier today. Most of the day was cloudy but there was gorgeous autumn light at Marrot Woods Nature Preserve later in the afternoon.
The White River in Noblesville Indiana as seen from the Greenway trestle.
November 1, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The White River in Noblesville Indiana as seen from the Greenway trestle.
November in Noblesville, Indiana on a pretty fall day
November 1, 2025 at 8:58 PM
November in Noblesville, Indiana on a pretty fall day
Halloween is the only day I use an orange Pigma Micron to journal because pumpkins are orange I guess. I hate the way it looks on white quadrille paper.
Yes, I’ll select a pen color based on holidays, seasons, mood.
Yes, I’ll select a pen color based on holidays, seasons, mood.
October 31, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Halloween is the only day I use an orange Pigma Micron to journal because pumpkins are orange I guess. I hate the way it looks on white quadrille paper.
Yes, I’ll select a pen color based on holidays, seasons, mood.
Yes, I’ll select a pen color based on holidays, seasons, mood.
Twofer #TurretTuesday North Avenue, Wicker Park (photo taken in early evening autumn light on Sunday).
October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Twofer #TurretTuesday North Avenue, Wicker Park (photo taken in early evening autumn light on Sunday).
Kudos to Criterion for always getting the flash sale discs so quickly in my hands. Now I just need to stop listening and reading so I can start watching.
October 28, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Kudos to Criterion for always getting the flash sale discs so quickly in my hands. Now I just need to stop listening and reading so I can start watching.