Dan Sinker

Just kinda think a summer of insane weather worldwide should maybe be a wakeup call for action on a global scale but what do I know

Man Califone is such a good band

One side obsession from my research into the 1920s is the extensive network of ELECTRIC trains that used to connect cities and towns across the central Midwest called the Interurban. We had this more than a hundred years ago. The things we had and the things we lost.

I drove thousands of miles across the country this summer and the number of data center cooling systems I saw being trucked across interstates was astounding. A few years ago, you’d see windmill blades pretty regularly. But this was orders of magnitude more. Every state. Everywhere.

absolutely fucking not.

Depertment.

The new global forever stamps are cool as hell.

Happy May Day from Chicago.

This Wilco/Sesame Street felt banner is definitely one of my fav new additions to the art collection.

You got that new Cheeze-It slogan I asked for?

Sure do boss, nice and horny just like you asked for.

It’s Steve Albini’s birthday today. RIP forever, friend.

America flying too close to the sun here.

Absolutely still one of the best moments of my life, Colbert was thoughtful and curious and it’s a loss for all of us to not have him on TV after today

My phone just reminded me that six years ago Steve Albini reached out about me making some masks for the staff of Electrical Audio and I sent him back a bunch of pics of a prototype to determine placement for the logo. Didn’t end up doing the thing, but so fun to play around. He’s missed every day.

Rebel Spirit season two wraps today with a look back across all the conversations Akilah had these ten episodes, a moving call for a new reconstruction, and a supercut of calling Confederates losers. https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/episodes/episode-10-the-flags-we-plant/

At the doc this afternoon she asked what I write about, and I had to be like “oh mostly the Confederacy and the Klan,” an things got real awkward after that.

It's never lost on me the miracle that is the library.
https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-04-24-library/

With the Trump administration switching into anti-Catholic overdrive this week, I wrote about a time a hundred years ago when Catholic students from Notre Dame beat the shit out of the Klan. A feel good story for the ages. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-04-17-notre-dame/

The thing I think about whenever Palentir comes up is that I once played Werewolf sitting next to a guy that worked at Palentir and he spent the entire time trying to convince me that the company wasn’t evil while simultaneously picking off every villager in the game.

I wrote about despair and, what else, trying. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-05-14-trying-redux/

Fascism always fails.

I wrote about The Westing Game, book bans, and not lying to kids as part of my "Foundational Texts" essay series. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-06-01-westing-game/

I love that there are people that gassed Trump up so hard that he went to the Supreme Court to witness his argument being dogwalked by even the shitty justices.

The thing that is hard about writing is conclusions. Also introductions. And the middle stuff.

I’ma start putting eggs in my gas tank.

It’s independent bookstore day today! Visit your faves!

Last year I wrote about the indie bookstore that changed my life: https://dansinker.com/posts/2025-04-26-indie-books/

Parked next to a BYD Chinese electric at a Walmart in Fullerton California. I didn’t think they were legal in the US??

Happy the shittiest tax day in recent memory.

Shipped a few hats.

Don’t worry, you can still get yours: https://shop.dansinker.com/collections/your-head-is-cold

I wrote about making choices, forks and branches, and the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure classic, The Cave of Time. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-04-30-cave-of-time/

Stay humble.

NEXT WEEEEEEEEK: Rebel Spirit Season 2 drops. This season, we take on... the Confederacy. Trailer out today. https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/episodes/coming-soon-rebel-spirit-season-2/

Do you need a hat, I got a hat https://shop.dansinker.com/collections/cover-your-head

I wrote about Chicago's iconic Channel 5 News Team, about journalism, and about living. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-03-31-channel5/

Arsenal winning the Premier League is a hell of a reminder to never ever ever give up

I wrote about dead confederates and the new season or Rebel Spirit. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-05-19-rebel-spirit/

Just wrote a text: “When you’re ready do you want to take first crack at writing the end of the Civil War?” Must be Rebel Spirit season…

It's new Rebel Spirit day!!!!! Episode 2 is basically the thesis statement for the season. Give it a listen! https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/episodes/episode-2-the-rotunda/

I wrote about Arsenal, hope, and never accepting that something is done just because logic, history, and everyone else tells you it is. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-05-24-arsenal/

Note to myself.

I'm on a research trip this week and last night I wrote about the past and the present and the fuzzy lines that separate them. https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-03-24-muncie/

George Dale loved a fight. He loved getting in them, with the Klan, for sure, but with anyone really. And he loved watching them. Here's a little work-in-progress I wrote about both.

https://dansinker.com/posts/2026-06-12-fight-night/

Today on Rebel Spirit, Akilah continues her quest to get a new monument in the Kentucky statehouse by talking two two incredible monument makers about what makes a monument really work. https://rebelspiritpodcast.com/episodes/episode-3-making-monuments/

Zohran byline in the Athletic writing about Arsenal (gift link). https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7315454/2026/05/29/arsenal-premier-league-zohran-mamdani/?unlocked_article_code=1.mFA.BuKg.wk5HvLnZkQmV&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta