Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Thursday, October 23
Robert Feder inadvertently started a tiff between Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper thanks to vague comments from Roeper to Feder about his return to reviewing movies on his own site and Starz. The former "At the Movies" duo quickly made up, but not before Ebert penned a great post about TV film crit.
Don't forget, the city's winter parking regulations go into effect at 3am tonight.
Chicago police and perp pix from the 1900s and 1950s and 1960s. Those turn-of-the-century overcoats weren't at all flattering, were they?
That's good advice for any aspiring band -- the Joe in question being Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro and "father of alternative rock in Chicago."
In A/C, we feature a photo essay by Alexander Vertikoff taken from the new book Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home: Chicago's Forgotten Renaissance Man.
Insider Chicago is a new publication by Medill School of Journalism students, aiming to be your guide to Chicagoland.
Animal Kingdom, an eccentric pet store and animal rental business in Hermosa that once supplied many of the trained animals for local TV shows, is closing in December. Stop by for a blast from the past (and a sale on all pets in the shop).
The Chicago Loop Alliance is filling empty storefronts in the Loop with art exhibitions and studios. Currently, Pop-Up Art Loop's current tenants include Chicago Underground Film Festival, the Chicago Photography Collective and artist Sara Schnadt.
Remember how earlier this month when that 872 area code took effect, it meant that you had to start dialing 11 digits no matter where you lived? Well, if your condo or apartment buzzer is hooked into your telephone, that callbox needs to be reprogrammed to reflect the change. Not only can this cost a chunk of change to fix, but it also means that your package and food deliveries can be derailed.
As we posted in Transmission last week, the Chicago Music Commission is asking for new local music to play at O'Hare and Midway. What's more, you can browse O'Hare's entire track list by terminal, time and date on their website. For example, here's what was playing in Terminal 1 on April 29, 2009.
The Chicago News Cooperative has a story on the only two "artisan distilleries" in Chicago -- both, coincidentally, are family ventures.
Gwen Sharp of Sociological Images came across a piece on the Los Angeles Times Daily Mirror site showing drawings and names of Chicago women who postponed their traditional Thanksgiving dinner on November 25, 1909 so they could meet British Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst at the train station and escort her to the Congress Hotel. What a radical idea, to postpone a holiday meal by five hours so you could meet a politically active woman. (Thanks, Sue Strauss!)
The Church of Scientology has announced plans to move their Illinois headquarters to Printer's Row in 2010.
Per CBS, Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for Chicago plumbers. Sinks and garbage disposals are crammed with the distasteful likes of turkey skin, bones, ham grease, vegetable chunks, and more. The likeliest sink-jamming culprits? Out-of-town guests.
The New York Times discovers the latest hot restaurants in Chicago, including Paul Kahan's new Big Star, Xoco, a certain heavy metal burger bar and America's best pizza.
On Roger Ebert's blog: a bunch of old Siskel and Ebert episodes going as far back as 1980.
It's not just Black Friday, it's also a reduced service day in Chicago. Most city-run institutions will be closed which the city hopes will help fill a budget hole. This is the second of three reduced service days this year, the first one was on August 17, the last one is on Christmas Eve.
In Transmission, we have Part II of our Chicago Music Interns feature where we follow up with some former interns to see where they landed after fetching coffee for summers on end. If you're stuck at an empty office today, this might bring you some solace.
You may not be able to ride the rides at Kiddieland anymore, but you will be able to ride one Kiddieland ride at Six Flags.
While you're bellying up to the turkey (or just at home, eating pizza), consider making this the day you adopt a cat or dog! Chicago Animal Care and Control is open for adoptions today (and tomorrow!) from 4-7pm at 2741 South Western.
If you're going to be out and about with a camera tomorrow, perhaps you should consider contributing to the Picture Black Friday project.
Chicago has a lot of glass brick.
If you want to liven up your holiday dinners, forego the Settlers of Catan tournament and go with serving a Standing Ribeye Roast. We got the details in this week's Drive-Thru feature.
Demolition of Mies van der Rohe's "Test Cell" at IIT is under way, and architecture critic Blair Kamin still thinks it's a good thing -- and indirectly addresses the criticisms raised by Edward Lifson (previously).
Daniel Kraus's The Monster Variations is a dark, coming of age tale about three boys during the last summer they will spend together as friends. To find out more about this wonderfully told story, read my review over on the Book Club page.
To entice shoppers to Andersonville this holiday season, the Chamber of Commerce is offering reimbursements for parking or CTA rides up to the neighborhood if you spend $20 in a local store. Details online.
Bears linebacker Lance Briggs has a (sort of) secret hobby, and he knows where to go to to get his sequential art fix. Listen here as he talks about growing up with comics, keeping that love alive in the NFL, and his fan site. GO BEARS! GO COMICS!
Get your camera out! Just one week left to enter CMAP's Images of Northeastern Illinois photo contest, of which GB is a sponsor.
In a particularly aggressive move, the Cubs erected blank billboards to block a competing billboard located on a nearby building.
The Washington Post is closing its national bureaus, including the one in Chicago.
The Parking Ticket Geek and Reuters blogger Felix Salmon got into a back-and-forth about the Chicago Parking Meter story (and I got a few questions in) here.
Dwain Kyles and Calvin Hollins, the former owners of the E2 night club were sentenced this morning to two years in prison for "indirect criminal contempt."
Chicago Storytelling got homeless people and CTA buskers to tell their stories in their own words.
Ken Green wrote in Tailgate yesterday about the death of up-and-coming boxer Francisco "Paco" Rodriguez in a bout this weekend. While his death is tragic, it did have a silver lining: he was an organ donor, and gave a kidney to his uncle and other organs to at least seven people. Learn more here. [via]
Chicago's handgun ban will be reviewed by the Supreme Court, and 38 states have weighed in against the law.
Yarn-lovers, start your needles. The folks who brought you the fabulous Threadcakes competition are now sponsoring a Threadless-tee inspired knitting/crocheting contest called Threadknits. Now through January 16th. Details and rules online.
Fox News Chicago discovered that it's easy to get past TSA security at O'Hare and Midway without any form of photo ID. Just need a credit card with the same name as your ticket. [via]
Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna is quoting the Tribune on things it didn't publish.
Chicago-area photographer Richard Susanto's vibrant close-up of a flower is one of the submissions to National Geographic's annual International Photography Contest highlighted on Boston.com's Big Picture blog.
NPR legend Carl Kasell is retiring from NPR News after 34 years, but don't worry, he'll still appear on "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me."
Dave Lamoureux spends most of the year as a futures and options trader in Chicago, but he sets world records catching bluefin tuna from a kayak on the Atlantic, unassisted.
The Chicago-Kent College of Law has opened the Center for Open Government. They'll focus on helping people challenge closed government practices under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, and other similar acts. An Oak Lawn resident who is suing her village for deciding to fire public employees by a private consensus, instead of a public hearing, is their first client.
When Becca's iPhone was snatched from her hands on the Green Line, she posted about the incident on her blog and quickly realized she wasn't alone. According to a few of the comments and an employee she spoke to at the Oak Park AT&T store, iPhone theft on the Green Line may be a growing trend. As always, stay alert.
Reuters finance blogger Felix Salmon has some problems with the Chicago News Cooperative's Dan Mihalopoulos's story on the Chicago Parking Meter deal.
Al Gore is going to be on Chicago Public Radio tomorrow morning at 9am to talk about climate change, among other things.
Block 37 may be having problems, but one thing's good: The Blue Line / Red Line transfer at Washington is now open. (Thanks, Clint!)
Tom Latourette pens a tribute to the Bears' current crappy QB -- and all the ones before him -- for the Beachwood Reporter.
The latest battle in the war against the Asian Carp invasion is a victory for the fish. Researchers have found DNA evidence that suggests members of the species are living beyond two electronic barriers built to keep them out of the Great Lakes.
Chicago native Jose Garces brought the city even more culinary acclaim as he walked away with the title "The Next Iron Chef" in the Food Network reality series contest.
Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are beginning to make appearances on city streets, and Carbon Day Automotive launched Chicago's first electric charging station this summer.
Robert Cameron, photographer, known for his aerial shots of Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other places, has passed away at age 98.
At least it's giving it the old college try. Oh, and disregard the giant but totally unrelated Sears photograph.
In addition to losing last night's game, Devin Hester had a was made an ass of when a player for the Philadelphia Eagles tackled him, leaving him pantsless.
A Southtown Star political reporter laments the dirty tricks and strategies she encounters. For instance: "Last week while researching claims from a local Tea Party activist, I found myself asking a family for proof that they had lost an unborn grandchild." [via]
Jessica Reaves of the Chicago News Cooperative explains.
David Axelrod was in town recently and James Warren sat down with him over a meal at Manny's. Warren's subsequent story briefly recounts Axelrod's journey from being a Chicago journalist to a senior advisor to the president.
So many opportunities to do your holiday shopping hand-made/local/independent this weekend! Come say hi to Gapers Block at the DIY Trunk Show this Saturday; pick up cool student art at SAIC's annual holiday show; or peruse the Modern Vintage Holiday Market for neat vintage stuff.
Logan Square denizens may be excited to know that they have a new neighborhood record store as of today. It's run by the folks behind Chicago Independent Distribution.
Joseph Freed & Associates will lose control of Block 37, despite the development's scheduled opening this month.
With days getting shorter, the evening commute is getting darker. The Active Transportation Alliance is giving away free bicycle headlights from 5pm to 7pm tonight at the Milwaukee/Damen/North intersection. The catch: You have to be on a bike to get a light.
Unsurprising news of the day: the city's privatized parking meters have been lucrative. And since rates go up Jan. 1, they're the gift that keeps on giving.
All this focus on dinner eclipses the most important meal of the day, as we point out in this week's Drive-Thru feature.
Kids Eat For is a web site that features "Kids eat free" and other food specials for kids at nearby restaurants. Click here for deals in Chicago.
Roland Burris was admonished by the Senate Ethics Committee for "providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into [his] appointment to the Senate." Burris will continue to hold office through next year.
Coming to the end of a banner week in his career, Mayor Daley told a reporter at a United Negro College Fund benefit last night that the media is partly to blame for Oprah Winfrey's decision to end her show in 2011. "So you keep kicking people, people will leave, simple as that."
Is Chicago BBQ better than Memphis? Michael Nagrant thinks so.
Chicago's own Indiana Jones, Universtiy of Chicago celebrity palentologist Paul Sereno, unveils five new species of ancient crocodiles that he unearthed in the Sahara over the past few years. The new findings include the PancakeCroc. We're guessing it didn't eat flapjacks.
Did you acquire your newest fashion design at an event sponsored by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County? Perhaps.
The moderate State Rep. Beth Coulson is worried that she could be Scozzfavaed in the race for Mark Kirk's congressional seat.
It seems Oprah, and her 453-local-employee-run Harpo Inc. studios are not fleeing the Windy City for L.A. as earlier speculated. Oprah is actually leaving her talk show altogether. The announcement will be officially made on her show (after 25 years on the air) Friday with the last show scheduled on Sept. 9, 2011.
OutsideTheLoopRadio.com, whose Chicago-interest audio magazine podcast and WLUW radio show is celebrating its third year on the air, is hosting a live taping Friday, Nov. 20 at Toons Bar and Grill. The event is free with some quite interesting guests stopping by.
After work snack alert: The Billy Goat Tavern celebrates its 75th anniversary today with 75-cent cheezborgers and beers. (If you followed us on Twitter, you'd have heard two days ago.)
Just a reminder, this Sunday is Bleeding Heart Bakery's grand opening for their Oak Park location: free mini cupcakes, donut holes, and a birthday cake raffle. Keep up with the tasty goings-on here.
Gowalla is an app on your iPhone that lets you share places you've been, and features lots of neat icons for landmarks. Chicago's one of its popular cities, so you'd think they'd a custom icon for the Hancock Building like they do for the Bean and Sears Tower.
Chicago-based illustrator and videogame artist Vincent Proce shares some concept art for Mortal Kombat characters done before he left Midway Games earlier this year [via]
You are beautiful. It's true.
Note to would-be muggers, maybe wearing a bright orange coat isn't the way to go. Also, don't "go nuts" and decide to "go on a spree."
The Reader's cover story this week tells the most interesting Chicago political story (not involving a scandal) in recent history: an openly gay leather master running for state rep against the incumbent lesbian daughter of a clout-heavy alderman.
If you're a whiz with your W2s, the Center for Economic Progress has volunteer opportunities to help low-income families prepare their taxes. Last year, their volunteers did over 33,000 returns and brought back $52 million in refunds for families across Illinois.
BusinessWeek thinks Tinley Park is the best place in America to raise your kids. Last year they thought it was Mount Prospect, so I guess they just really like Chicago suburbs. (Thanks, Dee!)
Gordon McAlpin does a beautiful job capturing the decaying beauty of Portage Park's Patio Theater in today's Multiplex. (See it bigger here.)
The Chicago edition of The New York Times, produced by the Chicago News Cooperative, debuts Friday.
Chicago Public Schools has a chronic truancy problem, but the students aren't the only ones who skip school. FOX Chicago's Mark Saxenmeyer analyzed CPS records from last year to find out how often teachers were absent from school -- and how often those absences fell on Mondays or Fridays -- and made the database available online. [via]
The CTA Holiday Train returns this weekend. Full schedule here; check out past Holiday Train photos on Flickr for some idea of what to look for. [via]
GB flickr pool contributor mick.chicago demonstrates why automated news aggregators still have a ways to go with this unfortunate placing of a St. Patrick's Day photograph of the Chicago River next to articles about the Michael Scott death.
The South Side's unemployment rate is the second highest in the nation according to census data analyzed by the Chicago Reporter.
Pop-ups aren't just for hip stores: The Chicago Public Library has opened a mini-branch in the Water Works building across from Water Tower Place -- perfect for registering for a library card.
To celebrate the release of Crescat Graffiti: Vita Excolatur, a book of graffiti found in U of C's Regenstein Library, author/photographer Quinn Dombrowski has launched the RegRemix contest -- do something nifty with the graffiti in any medium by Dec. 20 to be entered. See here for full details. [via]
If you're standing there waiting for a subway train and someone busts out with "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca, this might be what's going on.
An excellent Q&A with University of Chicago Press senior designer Isaac Tobin. [via]
Garrison Keillor reflects on art for The New York Times after a visit to The Art Institute: "I see no reason to paint flowers. You can buy fresh flowers. Still lifes are only an exercise. And abstract expressionism is for the lobbies of big insurance companies. The true calling of an artist is to paint women and the greatest challenge is the naked female form. That's what separates the true artists from the wallpaper-hangers."
Michigan Avenue magazine's semi-controversial photoshoot of some of Chicago's hottest TV news personalities in last month's issue is finally online. You can get a closer look at Packer Schopf Gallery starting this Friday.
The Trump Tower hasn't gotten any taller, but it's just moved up in the rankings to the sixth tallest in the world thanks to a revision in the way the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat measures buildings.
You may have noticed his Goons hanging out in a nearby alley or tunnel, but now the elusive Chicago street artist responsible for the highly recognizable creations has managed to bring them to life with a stop-motion video sponsored by Orbit.
Local band The Lust Killers have an interesting gimmick to promote their Chicago shows.
It seems Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (AKA McPier) is struggling to keep high revenue-generating conventions in Chicago, with the Society of Plastics Industry and the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society moving their conventions to less costly locations. Dennis Byrne at Chicago Now has an idea of who's to blame. Meanwhile McPier, which manages conventions and trade shows at McCormick Place and Navy Pier, isn't doing so well themselves.
It's been a tough week for LGBT media, just ask the now closed Washington Blade (or don't). But like all print media, it's time to evolve. Chicago's oldest LGBT weekly, Windy City Times just released a new iPhone app, providing local, national and world LGBT news and entertainment pieces to join its Facebook and Twitter social networks.
An amendment by Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe to block the transfer of detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center was shot down today in the Senate with a vote of 57-43.
Chicago playwright Marisa Wegrzyn won the 2009 Wasserstein Prize for her new play, Hickordickory.
Local fitness guru Stephanie Mansour of Step It Up with Steph thinks you can get in exercise anytime, anyplace. Like when you're waiting for the no. 22 Clark street bus.
Threadless and Griffin have teamed up to put the former's t-shirt designs onto the latter's iPhone 3G/S covers. The first two designs went on sale today -- and we've got one of each to give away! Details after the jump...
All you have to to enter is send an email to contests@gapersblock.com with "Threadless" as the subject line and your name and mailing address in the body. We'll choose two winner as random at midnight tonight. Good luck!
UPDATE: Congrats to Nina and Kevin!
The Wall Street Journal looks at the proliferation of outdoor surveillance cameras cropping up around the city and discusses the safety-vs.-privacy issues.
A Pittsburgh Steeler fan says he was poisoned and blinded while drinking at a bar near Soldier Field following a post-game altercation with Bears fans.
If you do, you should check out the videos GB reader Anna sent us documenting the Wicker Park coffeehouse's last weeks and the interesting folks who worked and hung out there.
The Village of Bensenville has reached a $16 settlement with the City of Chicago, clearing another obstruction to O'Hare's expansion. If you want to hear it from the horse's mouth, here's the village's press release [PDF].
As the city gets ready to tear down a Mies van der Rohe building on the IIT campus, former "Hello Beautiful" host Edward Lifson writes a letter to Blair Kamin at the Tribune.
Chicagoist interviews Chicago Current founder Geoff Dougherty.
Remember how Generation X supposedly all slackers who hate their jobs? Yeah well, apparently the recession is is a good excuse to bring that stereotype back, with a twist.
L. Stolpman shows you how over at Chicagoist.
BlackYouthProject.com is a new site hoping to be both a resource and community for young blacks in Chicago and nationwide.
Careful of that Chicago lightning, longhairs, or you could end up in a Chicago overcoat.
Consider yourself invited to DanceNOWChicago's next guerrilla dance party. Time? 6:45 pm on Wednesday, November 18. Venue? The crosswalk between the southwest and southeast corners of State and Lake. The song? David Bowie and Mick Jagger's cover of "Dancing in the Streets". Visit DanceNOWChicago's blog for more details.
Senator Burris supports a transfer of prisoners from Gitmo to Thomson.
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has endorsed Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in the race for Senator Burris's seat. This is a big endorsement for Giannoulias as it will likely win him affluent progressive voters in the Chicago area.
And even Grover Norquist, among other prominent conservatives, are calling Mark Kirk's reasons against moving the Gitmo prisoners to Thomson "scaremongering."
Members of the Graduate Employees Organization at UIUC are on strike after contract negotiations broke down over tuition waivers.
Newly disclosed documents reveal that the FBI tracked Studs Terkel as a suspected communist for much of his life. His complete file is available in this (rather large) PDF.
The 1976 White Sox's shorts and collared shirts came in third place in UniWatch's Worst Uniform Ever competition.
Police have confirmed that Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott was found in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart earlier today. Update: Early investigation has determined that Scott appears to have shot himself.
Speaking of selling, Daley says pretty much any public asset, including our water system, is available for lease to the highest bidder.
As Crain's says, "MillerCoors needs the quickie mart," and particularly so in Chicago.
The holidays are coming, and what better way to show your spirit for the season and the city with these charming Chicago Flag Snowflake cards from local paper good entrepreneurs 16 Sparrows.
The Discovery Channel will air a three-part reality series about the Cook County Jail starting this Thursday. Scariest line in show's description from Discovery's website: "Every day is a battle for control." Uff da.
The state's maximum security Thomson Correctional Center could be the new prison site for the Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Rumor is that it's at the top of the White House's list.
Yesterday Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago) endorsed Governor Quinn citing Quinn's contributions to Latino and immigration issues. This should help Quinn with the hispanic vote in Illinois.
With 24,000 LEDs and 4,000 Swarovski crystals, it'd be hard not to be seen in CuteCircuit's Galaxy dress, commissioned by the Museum of Science and Industry for its current exhibition, Fast Forward: Inventing the Future.
Effective February 1. the Associated Press reports one way fares will increase by six percent alongside a $2 ($5 to $7) increase for weekend fares and a $1 ($2 to $3) increase for buying tickets on the train.
You have a chance to win the VIP treatment by entering the Chicago Fire's text-for-tickets contest going on now. A winner will be announced later today. Get details in Tailgate.
This Saturday (10am-noon), gather up your unwanted paper debris and head down to the parking lot in front of Jewel, Kmart, and Staples near Ashland and Division: WPB is teaming up with Secure EcoShred to tear up your printed materials for free. 3 box/bag limit, $5 box/bag after that.
A nonprofit started by an award-winning chef is helping make fresh farmers market produce available in Chicago's low-income communities. Alan Lake has the story in Drive-Thru.
If you lived in Chicago in the late '70s and early '80s, the news that Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson are reuniting tonight to host the Ch. 2 news at 10 will surely get your attention. If you weren't here during that time, it's sorta like Loggins and Messina getting back together. What?...You don't get that reference either?
Governor Blagojevich is trying to delay his trial until September.
"Bunky's Pickle" has a nifty photo of three Chicago recording studios from a 1976 issue of the Billboard Recording Guide, all staffed, unsurprisingly, by total dudes.
The tragedy of the shooting at Fort Hood struck close to home today as the body of Army Pfc. Michael Pearson, one of three soldiers killed from the area, returned to his family in Bolingbrook.
One car, 43 tickets.
Mayor Daley tried to answer calls for comprehensive snow removal through private bidding on side street clearance, but that didn't work. He promises overtime and some creative responses will get the job done.
Hey, fill out the Gapers Block 2009 Reader Survey and help us improve the site. As incentive, we're giving away a pair of tickets to see The Jesus Lizard at Metro on New Years Eve!
Culinary Culture is a new social network for "serious and aspiring foodies" launched today by Threadless cofounder Jakob DeHart and his wife, Mischa.
Ork Posters is turning its studio into a temporary poster shop for the holidays -- details in A/C.
Want to keep up the locavore lifestyle this winter? The Local Beet has your guide to winter eating.
Santa and the John Hancock Observatory are having a mini casting call, of sorts, on Nov. 14 and 15. All you have to do is deck out your kids (11 and under) in their best elf outfit for a chance receive four VIP Radio Disney passes to meet Mitchel Musso during The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
We know Route 66 "officially" begins at Buckingham Fountain, but it's recently been decided that it ends at Santa Monica Pier... which is fudging, actually, though fans of the "Mother Road" aren't complaining.
MoveSmart.org has launched its Neighborhood Finder, which helps you choose where to live in the city based on criteria such as population density, access to farmers markets and number of libraries.
In Transmission, we profile Chicago rock cellist Helen Money and her latest album In Tune.
The annual Sadie Hawkins Ride is this Saturday, starting from the Blue Frog. Find a partner and go!
OK, food stamps aren't involved, but a variety of organizations in the Chicago area and elsewhere are providing assistance to families who are having a hard time buying food for their pets.
The CTA and Pace will freeze rates for two years under a deal brokered by Gov. Quinn -- but service cuts still loom.
NewCity's Best of Chicago is live. My favorite: Best accomplishment not yet carved on Burris' tombstone: Knew When to Quit
The CTA doesn't have a monopoly on doomsday scenarios. Illinois is one of ten states the Pew Center for the States reports as headed towards financial disaster.
Check out this podcast of Chicago superstar Lupe Fiasco's interview on Chicago Public Radio about the The People Speak, a new documentary spinoff of sorts from The People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. An excerpt preview of the film will show at 8 tonight along with live readings by Fiasco and others at Northwestern University's Leverone Auditorium.
Today only, Chicago is hosting a 24-hour decentralized somewhat guerilla-type art event. Dozens of artists, some internationally known, are either showing art pieces or performing them around the city. Get the details in A/C.
Ever wanted to learn how to make stencils? Christian Scheuer gives you some tips in A/C.
Esquire magazine talked to Rolling Meadows' Bryan Anderson, an Iraq War veteran, for their Veterans' Day "What I've Learned" column.
Are you a fan of WGN's top meteorologist? Maybe you'd be interested in a custom "Snuggle Up with Skilling" Snuggie.
Apparently, Mutual of Omaha and Oprah are no longer sparring over the use of the phrase "a-ha."
Twenty-five students from a middle school in Gresham were arrested for reckless conduct last week after starting a food fight.
A criminal crew got creative on the North Side Monday night by attempting to break into a jewelry store via the beauty shop next door . They didn't make it into the jewelers, but they made off with some beauty products, prompting some pretty funny one-liners at the end of the article.
If you were wondering why Chicago's Sonotheque club has no show dates after 11/15, well here's your answer -- the venue's been sold, according to Time Out. Will it become another of the new owner's Beauty Bar outposts? Only time will tell.
Politico lists Illinois as one of the ten Democratic senate strongholds that could lose a seat to the Republicans in 2010.
White Sox Pitcher Mark Buehrle won the American League Rawlings Gloden Glove award.
The first of 1,000 Illinois prisoners to be released early as part of a cost-cutting measure are springing free. Only 62 are to be released today, getting out of their sentences up to a year early.
Mark Swimmer would like to remind you that your default phone system password is not secure.
Tweet Home Chicago is a site intended to help you find other Chicagoans worth following on Twitter.
Not content to just participate in NaNoWriMo, FoGB Phineas Jones of Octophant is doing NaNoDrawMo. Ex-Chicagoan Mike Rohde is too, but in his trademark SketchNotes style.
There are just five days left to donate to help make the beautiful Soup and Bread Cookbook happen. If you were (and/or are) a fan of this delicious and fun project at the Hideout last winter, help them out by making a donation to offset the printing costs.
Second City reunion tickets going for $1800? That's no joke.
The CTA has lots of ideas about how to fill the budget gap, but nobody knows which one will actually work.
Alderman Eugene Schulter wants Chicagoans to have preferential seating at Millennium Park, but Mayor Daley wants everyone to remember suburban "business leaders" paid for the park too.
Check out some of the new paintings coming out of SAIC's MFA program in A/C.
Come hear stories of mixtapes from past loves at the Hideout tonight, as contributors to Cassette from My Ex read from the book and illustrator Arthur Jones presents a hilarious loss-of-virginity tale in Post-It Note form.
37signals is far from the only developer putting together useful web-based tools in Chicago. ThinkLink produces Thinklinkr, a collaborative outliner, and Mocklinkr for clickable design mockups.
How do Chicagoans describe street addresses? Is Armitage "two-thousand" north or "20 hundred"? Straight Dope tries to figure it out.
If you've enjoyed the Audissey podcast tour of Chicago or recommended it to a tourist in your life, check out their entry in the Forbes Boost Your Business contest.
Chicago Current, the new public affairs site (and print magazine) created out of the ashes of Chi-Town Daily News, is now live.
We've got a new regular feature in Drive-Thru starting today: The Dog Show, an exploration of the city's hundreds of hot dog stands. First up, Superdawg.
Local musician and co-editor of THE2NDHAND C.T. Ballentine left his McKinley Park apartment on Friday afternoon and has not been heard from since. If you're able to help locate him, his friends have set up a Facebook group for the search. UPDATE: Looks like C.T. has been found.
Speaking of eBay... a man in Essex, England bought an old film canister on eBay that turned out to contain a long-lost Charlie Chaplin film, Zepped, produced by Chicago's Essanay Studios in 1916. He and a friend are researching the film and twittering their progress.
The eBay Mobile Boutique will be at the Wrigley Building, 400 N. Michigan Ave., on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11, from 11am to 6pm. Folks'll be on hand to help you search, shop and ship for the holidays.
Time Out's feature story this week is all about Chicago places and things they love except for one little thing. Tell us what you you love but would change about the city in Fuel.
You can learn some amazing trivia about the city by just reading the brief descriptions of city parks. For example, Gompers Park was named after Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, who got his start in Labor as president of a local cigar makers' union.
The Campaign to End the Death Penalty's annual conference is taking place this weekend at the University of Chicago. Tickets to the Keynote Address by Howard Zinn on "The Power of the People" are available to non-conference goers, details in Slowdown.
Starting Monday, Chicago locations of Dunkin' Donuts will offer a new 99-cent menu. Keep an eye out for Dunkin' employees handing out $2 gift cards on your morning commute.
Inspired by our recent post about vintage photos of Chicago, Berg with Fries went out and reshot most of the images from the same spot for a little then-and-now action. (Thanks, Amanda!)
It's not, er, hard, as the Paupered Chef demonstrates.
Whither the Jack Brickhouse bust that sat between the Michigan Avenue Bridge and Tribune Tower? Not to fear, per Steve Johnson, Jack's out for repairs.
Thought not the most toxic city in America, according to Forbes. That honor belongs to Atlanta. (We're tied for third with Houston, behind Detroit.) [via]
Photographer Michael Wolf took pictures in the "central downtown area" (we just call it the Loop, New Yorkers) with a telephoto lens, sneaking peeks into the offices and apartments of individuals who either can't afford blinds or don't bother to use them. Yeah, that's not weird.
With the City slashing programming in an effort to balance the budget, Pitchfork has preemptively created a petition to save our free music festivals from the chopping block. Add your name here
The Gene Siskel Film Center, after having great success last year with a Jim Henson/Muppets retrospective, is kicking off a second month-long retrospective this weekend. You can see The Muppets Take Manhattan, a collection of rare TV appearances by the Muppets, or a compilation of musical moments from "The Muppet Show." See the Film Center Website for a complete schedule of screenings.
Have you been reading Travel Writing by Peter Ferry along with the Gapers Block Book Club this past month? The November meeting is coming up on Monday, and it will be a special event as author Peter Ferry joins us for our discussion. Get the details in Slowdown. Plus, find out what the Book Club will be reading next year -- the 2010 book list is revealed!
Imagine a wall with the name of every person from your neighborhood who had died for decades. Imagine having to walk past it everytime you went to the grocery store. Now imagine how you'd feel if the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation would result in the wall being torn down.
Our good junior senator owes nearly $650,000 in legal fees in a six-month period.
In Transmission, we have a chat with a few local music industry interns who give us the low down (and sometimes dirty) truth about their jobs with some of our favorite Chicago labels.
Gapers Block is one of 12 recipients of Community News Matters grants from the Chicago Community Trust and Knight Foundation. We're receiving $35,000 to expand our original local reporting, with a priority on stories about underserved communities and issues that affect them. More details in A/C.
It will smash into your house, and you will be confused.
After Daley equated a new school for Altgeld Gardens to a gang victory, funding a new charter school in the area may be the best way out of a sticky political situation; big emphasis on "political."
For the first time in decades the Christmas tree in Daley plaza will be a single spruce. This year's was found in the wilds of Palos Heights.
If you owe the state $1,000 or more in unpaid taxes, you'll find yourself on this list.
Or just throw it on the couch. With pillows like these from local crafter Beth Cummings of Diffraction Fiber, you can lie on your city pride. These pillows are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles so they're extra great. So are some of these other ones she'll be selling at the DIY Trunk Show on November 21st.
Sufjan Stevens' Illinois may have reached the top spot on Paste Magazine's list of the decade's best albums, but it also marked the end of his planned 50-state project, which he now says he may have taken "too seriously." Incidentally, Chicago's own Wilco snagged second place on the official list and #1 among readers with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Voting for NewCity's Best of Chicago survey closes at midnight -- and Gapers Block is up for "best local general-interest blog." Help us vote it up.
Apparently, Republican Senate hopeful Rep. Mark Kirk is wooing an endorsement from former Gov. Sarah Palin. Crain's Greg Hinz thinks this is "awfully dumb." And, it seems, Kirk's Democratic challenger, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias couldn't agree more.
Reeling's 28th annual Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival starts Thursday Nov. 5. Check out some of this year's highlights in A/C.
The 2010 edition of the Not For Tourists guide to Chicago is out, but you can download PDFs of the various sections for $1.50 each.
Check out this website devoted to pictures of Chicago-style food. It won't help your situation, but it sure is beautiful.
Is mathematics ultimately invented or discovered? And for that matter, does that make God the ultimate mathematician? Tonight at 5pm, Dr. Mario Livio will lead a free lecture at Columbia College exploring a question that's plagued mathematicians, scientists and philosophers for centuries, based on his new book, Is God a Mathematician?
The book Designing Obama overshot its Kickstarter funding goal of $65,000 by more than $15,000 -- and the Post Family is celebrating with a launch party tonight at 7pm.
Ever wonder what Wilco's practice loft looks like? LoftLife Magazine gives you a peek. [via]
The new area code 872 goes live on Saturday, so don't forget you'll need to dial an area code for any Chicago number -- even if it's in the same area code as your phone.
A. Favorite immortalizes Sinatra's favorite skyline on a greeting card.
Revitalize Des Plaines! will be of great assistance if you're interested in our northwestern neighbor's politics, history and, in one case, amazing sheet music.
Despite Block 37's problems, the development announced 13 new leases, including a few Chicago companies like Bleeding Heart Bakery, the Comic Vault and local designers.
With the Cubs' change of ownership, they have become the first professional sports team with an openly gay owner.
LTHForum's ronnie_suburban lost his bet that a coworker couldn't survive for a month eating nothing but sausage pizza. The Trib has a writeup, DiningChicago has a list of local pizzerias the victor sampled.
Elementary school students in Oak Park, Naperville and Villa Park are learning early about making "zero impact" on their environment. They're recycling, composting food scraps after lunch and sending far less trash to area landfills.
The West Chicago branch of Sims Recycling Solutions is featured on tonight's episode of "Dirty Jobs" on Discovery Channel. UPDATE: Chicagoist points out that Ghost Lab visits The Metro tonight, right after "Dirty Jobs."
The Trib launched ChicagoBreakingSports.com on Sunday, pushing Tribune property sports content out throughout the day like they do on ChicagoBreakingNews.com. Which got me wondering: what other "breaking" domains do they own?
When Chicagoland bride-to-be Teanne Harris's fiancé left her days before their Halloween-themed wedding and reception, it was too late to cancel the arrangements -- so she and her mom moved it to the Des Plaines retirement home across the street. [via]
No joke! If you bring a banana to the Chicago Theatre box office today starting at 11:30am, you get a free pair of tickets to the 11/18 dress rehearsal of Cirque du Soleil's Banana Shpeel show. Hold your fruit! Those tickets are all gone.
Don't believe the traffic reporters or myriad online maps? Well then see for yourself. TrafficLand has expanded to Chicago.
It's migration season for thousands of birds, and Chicago is both a major stopping point and a major hazard. The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors offer tips on how to help rescue birds that are stunned or injured after a collision with a building.
If you pick up a copy of the Trib next week and notice something different, there's a good chance it's because the paper will be testing whether or not it needs the Associated Press.
Wondering what Chicago's President™ would be wearing to match this week's weather? Obama-Weather.com has your answer.
About 28 years ago a fellow by the name of Dan Goodwin scaled both the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower and a few other famous skyscrapers. Now he's back with a book. Look out! There goes the Spider Dan!
Eight Forty-Eight's Alison Cuddy interviewed Mayor Daley on jobs, TIFs, schools and more. His responses ranged from optimistic to delusional -- listen for yourself.
If you think karaoke isn't embarrassing enough, you might be interested in Movieoke, which -- you guessed it -- allows you to act out scenes from movies. Chicago Movieoke is at the Whistler tonight at 8pm, with additional dates later in the month.
Man-eating Tsavo lions at the Field Museum? Great story, but exaggerated, says a new study.
Sarah Perez's Longo Monster costume came in third for "Scariest Costume" at the 13th Annual North Halsted Halloween Parade this weekend. She tells Boing Boing about how her creation came about.
During tonight's 5:30pm broadcast, NBC Nightly News will profile CPS Shakespeare, Chicago Shakespeare Theater's annual program where students and faculty from local public high schools perform one of Willy's plays--this year's production was A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Playboy makes a cameo appearance in what I think is a spec work ad for FAO Schwarz. [via]
The Trib asked its readers how they'd fund the CTA and came up with some pretty great answers.
Crain's Chicago Business just announced its annual 40 Under 40 list, and our very own Andrew Huff was selected as one of the luminaries. Congratulations, Andrew!
Roger Ebert's Film Festival isn't until next April, but passes for the festival go on sale today. If you want to attend you should probably buy your passes soon, because they sell out quickly.
