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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Monday, April 29
The Milwaukee Avenue Mini Golf Course is a one-day event that will transform a series of public parking spaces on Milwaukee Avenue from Kimball to Central Park into a nine-hole mini golf course on Sept. 21.
A Gapers Block favorite, Moe's Tavern at 2937 N. Milwaukee, is offering you the opportunity to be the one to design the mini golf hole for the bar. Interested parties should call the tavern directly at 773-227-2937.
Shaun Sperling, the kid who vogued at his bar mitzvah in that viral video a couple weeks ago, is now an attorney and an advocate for HIV/AIDS issues.
The viral video:
Headed to Jazz Fest after work? Give the Reader's guide to the festival a quick look for tips on who to see.
The White Sox have announced that they will offer discount tickets throughout the next three home stands. Lower deck tickets aren't discounted -- but you can get them half-price on Sept. 13 through GB's own special deal.
The mess that is the Circle Interchange might be getting a $375 million fix-up, pending a few design and funding decisions. (un)Fun fact: the Circle Interchange is home to three crashes per day, as well as 25 million hours of delays every year.
Tickets go on sale at noon Saturday for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild's Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer at Bridgeport Art Center Nov. 17.
An avalanche of coverage followed the closing of Charlie Trotter's, which happens tonight. Mark Caro published a masterful three-part tribute to the chef and his restaurant, and Phil Vettel had one last dinner. Janet Rausa Fuller did a quick piece for the Sun-Times. Grub Street went inside for the big 25th anniversary dinner last weekend. The Toqueland ran a two-part interview with Trotter. Time Out's David Tamarkin reflects back on his cover story five years ago, and Chicagoist delved into the dark side regarding a lawsuit over pay.
Prince announced "Welcome 2 Chicago a "residency" of unspecified length at the United Center starting Sept. 24. The concerts will benefit economic justice charity Rebuild the Dream. Tickets go on sale on the 6th.
The first commercial flight for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner will be a United flight from Houston to O'Hare on Nov. 4. Meanwhile, Ron Akana, a United flight attendant, retired this week after 63 years in the air.
During a rare glimpse of the origins of the fabled Chicago grown liqueur, RedEye staff sample the beverage on camera. They react exactly like anyone who has ever tried Malört for the first time.
Lupe Fiasco recently gave an opinion on the "Trap Rap" phenomenon. Fiasco also discusses the influence local rapper Chief Keef has on the Chicago hip hop scene.
The main theme that hovers around the presidency of Barack Obama is race. Is America still uncomfortable with the ethnic background of the sitting president?
Sci-fi fans have descended on Chicago for the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, which opens today and runs all weekend.
Varsity-like gang sweaters used to be a thing among Chicago's gangs. More about them. [via]
First Lady Michelle Obama is currently on the cover of a Spanish magazine called Fuera de Serie. The article is called "Michelle Tataranieta De Esclava, Dueña De América" (Michelle Granddaughter of a Slave, Lady of America), and features a portrait that superimposes the her head onto the body of an African Guadeloupean female slave painted by French artist Marie-Guilhelmine Benoist in 1800.Of course, people in the states are outraged.
Kartemquin Films' archivist shares some pickup lines recorded during the filming of Hoop Dreams.
As of yesterday, Illinois' credit rating has been downgraded by S&P in response to the state's failure to fix the pension system. Only California has a lower credit rating, but without the (apparently) ominous "negative outlook."
Haptic Lab has a line of city quilts that outline the streets of cities in stitches. Chicago's quilt runs from 26th Street up to Lawrence, and west to about Cicero.
AT&T is opening a "destination" flagship store at 600 N. Michigan Ave. this weekend, putting them in direct competition with the Apple Store at 679 N. Michigan Ave.
President Obama got on Reddit yesterday for an AMA (ask me anything) session. It swiftly reduced Reddit's servers to a pile of rubble, but in the meantime Obama answered plenty of pretty bland questions.
Tonight at 6pm at the Universidad Popular at 28th and Hamlin, there's a bilingual discussion of biking issues in the Little Village and the City's new bike plan, as well as the anti-violence marches in the neighborhood this month.
Forty-sixth Ward Ald. James Cappleman was chased by a woman with a knife on Friday after he called the police twice to report her public drinking.
On Sept. 5, the Media Burn Archive, the Museum of Broadcast Communications and the Studs Terkel Centenary Committee are hosting a free screening at the MBC of four episodes of Studs Turkel's "Studs' Place," the TV show he starred in back in 1950-51, recently discovered in Turkel's basement after 60 years.
The Chicago Teachers Union is expected to file a 10-day strike notice today, and plans to protest at the Daley Center across from City Hall on Labor Day. UPDATE: The strike notice has been filed.
Chicago Beer Geeks has a write-up and pictures from Zoo Brew, the Craft Beer Festival held at Brookfield Zoo, which, despite the rain, was a great time. Their next event is the Fugly Chandelier Contest, tomorrow at Sheffield's.
Neighborwoods' map of the city etched in (what else?) wood would make a good gift, eh?
BP's finally released the full list of gas stations where the "off specification" fuel from the Whiting plant was sold. If you think you have a problem, file a claim here.
As if the Drew Peterson trial couldn't be more of a circus, the jury all wore sports jerseys yesterday. It's not the first time they've coordinated their outfits.
Kyle Kramer is covering the Republican National Convention for VICE magazine, and was barred from entering a blogger party Sunday because of his tumblr.
Columbia College Chicago has just compiled a booklet out of letters from 22 students about their fears of violence in Chicago.
The Onion makes light of the city's high murder rate by reporting it as a fad.
Kristen Studard and Joe Avella practice interviewing for an HR position in a new video. (Reminds me of a recent XKCD comic.)
UniWatch's uniform power rankings put the Bears and Cubs in the top five best uniforms in all four major leagues. (The rest: Sox at 39, Blackhawks at 49, Bulls all the way down at 67.)
Time Out notes that with his concerts at Wrigley Sept. 7 and 8, Bruce Springsteen will be the first musician to perform at all four major league stadiums in Chicago.
Chicago was a center for the gag trade -- including the sometimes odd, often off-color "gag box" mailer.
Funny filmmaker Steve Delahoyde says, "I made it eight full days before using my infant son as a prop in a stupid short film."
The CTA will provide free rides to students on the first day of school next week, thanks to a $150,000 donation from the Sun-Times. And 500 students at five high schools will get free CTA fare all year through a $50,000 grant from philanthropist Wendy Abrams.
Speaking of the Sox, Chicago magazine has a great feature profiling Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, the team's sometimes reviled, longtime announcer and one-time GM.
Today is the fourth annual Kronos Free Gyros Day! Fill out the coupon form, find the closest participating restaurant and collect your free gyros sandwich. (Consider putting a couple bucks in the Fisher House donation box while you're there.)
TS Flynn writes a tribute to Paul Konerko and the Sox experience in The Classical.
A kids' gig poster project, a comedy film festival and equipment for a beer CSA are among the projects on GB's curated page that end really soon. Give'em a hand!
Stat of the Day: You are never more than 1.5 miles from a hot dog stand within Chicago city limits. (Cincinnati is the most hot dog hungry American city, however.)
The northeast corner of Grant Park, including Daley Bicentennial Plaza, will be renamed Maggie Daley Memorial Park and receive a $55 million renovation.
Justin "Nordic Thunder" Howard won the Air Guitar World Championship this weekend in Oulu, Finland. We interviewed him in 2011 after he won the US Air Guitar championships right here in Chicago. He became a two-time champ in Denver earlier this month.
Cheryl Kent writes if Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital is demolished without review, it will be done outside of the city's legal process. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks has been either unable or unwilling to rule on the building's landmark status since its removal from the June 2011 agenda, and a closed-door negotiation has been substituted for the city's formal process. Put another way, if the landmarks commission doesn't do its job, who does?
The new CTA Station Watch blog shared plans for a major renovation of the Wilson Red Line stop and surrounding area, to begin next year.
As you may have heard, Lake Shore Drive was shut down between Grand and North avenues for about three hours last night due to flooding during Sunday night's storms. Portions of Western, Roosevelt and Ashland were closed as well.
The police cracked down on gangs this weekend in an effort to curb violence, arresting 300 people and confiscating more than 100 guns. And speaking of guns, UofC Crime Lab researchers determined that most guns recovered by police in crime investigations are purchased in the suburbs -- one in five was bought at a single Riverside Riverdale gun shop.
This past Thursday, a group of women from Chicago began driving to the office of Missouri politician Todd Akin to deliver some helpful information to the guy who took it upon himself to define "legitimate" rape. They're turning it into a listening tour of sorts; you can follow their travels online.
Lee Bey reminds us that the Chicago Spire was supposed to be fully inhabited by now. Now we have a hole in the ground and a bizarre promotional video.
As a way of personifying the violent summer here, CNN spent a night with the Cook County Hospital trauma unit.
Now that the elections are heating up, Mother Jones is featuring Tammy Duckworth in its current issue. It notes that her "alive day" anniversary is just a few days after the election.
Additional details of the Millennium Reserve are emerging with the recent announcement of several new initiatives. Among them is the Burnham Wildlife Corridor [top story], a 3.5 mile, 60 acre lakefront restoration project on the South Side. More than 400 native trees and shrubs have already been planted, but 100,000 plants will be seeded beginning in fall 2013.
Ice cream truck owners are claiming the city forgot about them in the mobile food and the food truck ordinance, and that it's going to make their business more difficult.
WBEZ created a helpful interactive map to illustrate which lines would be affected by the proposed CTA route restructuring.
Chicagoist reminds that registration is open through August 31st. This first ever conference will be held at the Tribune Tower.
Congratulations to local artist Steff Bomb, who was victorious in TLC's Craft Wars!
Whet Moser puts the current culture clash over bicycles into historical perspective by looking at Chicago in the 1960s.
The legendary and tasty restaurant will be opening a second location in Uptown (in the space formerly occupied by Marigold) next month.
Shauna Prewitt was raped while attending U of C; she became pregnant with her attacker's daughter, and later she successfully battled him in court for custody. Now a Chicago-based attorney, she wrote about the legal difficulties of women who become pregnant through rape, and penned an open letter to Rep. Todd Akin's recent comments on "legitimate rape."
Jacquelyn Heard describes her experience serving as Mayor Daley's press secretary for 14 years.
The University of Chicago department of admissions did a nice riff on Carly Rae Jepsen's ubiquitous hit song. Not nearly as over the top as the Chicago Young Republicans' take.
According to the Atlantic Cities Chicago is the fourth most requested destination for couch surfers, but we're tied for ninth place for the price of a hotel.
Object Design League have the perfect butter dish for your most political friend.
Capitol Butter Dish from ODLCO on Vimeo.
The Reader's Steve Bogira delves into statistics that show that poverty is Chicago's deadliest killer.
If it seems like graffiti in your neighborhood is staying up longer than usual, you're not imagining it -- the Graffiti Blasters' funding has been cut back to save on the City budget.
The CTA is floating a "decrowding" plan that would eliminate 12 bus routes but add more trains to most of the L lines. Tracy Swartz thinks it might work, if it's done right.
Chicago Public Schools and the Teacher's Union inched closer to a strike on Wednesday, with CTU giving its president authority to call a strike and the school board approving a $25 million contingency plan.
ABC 7 reports work will begin on the Bloomingdale Trail later this month. When it finishes in 2014, it will the world's largest elevated park. Your move, New York.
To counteract some of that anti-bikeness, why not hit the Four-Star Bike Tour or Fork and the Road's "global snack" biking food tour? They're both Slowdown picks for this Sunday.
John Kass proposes a toll system for bicyclists in the city, complete with a "Rahm-PASS" electronic toll thingy. Folks at the Chain Link bike forum are suitably bemused and dismissive. (Meanwhile, the Sun-Times' Mark Konkol doesn't hide his feelings about cyclists behind parody.)
The Second City Training Center is holding an open house this Saturday, Aug. 25. If you've ever thought about taking an improv class, this is a good opportunity to learn more.
Pitchfork has released the results of The People's List, a poll of the 200 best albums released in the past 15 years, to commemorate the site's 15th birthday. Not a lot of surprises in the findings (few albums by women or minorities, and a lot of Radiohead at the top), but worth a glance.
A Chicago man is suing Heinz for patent infringement for allegedly stealing his design for its Dip & Squeeze packets.
Koren Grieveson, the Beard Award-winning chef of avec, is leaving the restaurant and moving to New York, apparently to get married. Grub Street's Mike Gebert puts it in perspective.
That's the title of a book returned to the Chicago Public Library returned this week that's been checked out since 1975. The lendee found it while cleaning his Naperville home, and returned it during the CPL's amnesty period, so he got away with it scott free.
Three guests at the JW Marriott Hotel at Adams and LaSalle have contracted Legionnaires' Disease in the past month. The hotel has notified 8,500 guests who've stayed in the hotel to watch for symptoms.
Megan Nolan was forced to pay $810 for allegedly removing a Denver boot from her car -- except it was a car she didn't own. She fought back and managed to win despite harrowing odds.
There's a certain door in a certain O'Hare parking garage that does a mean impression of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. [via]
A Chicago Sojourn takes us on a two-part tour of Peterson Avenue's Mid-Century architecture.
The newest installment of our documentary series The Grid explores the experimental music and intermedia events of LAMPO.
If you're just looking for an excuse to go shopping the Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival this weekend is as good a reason as any. Lots going on between Aug. 24 and Sept. 6.
Deadspin's Drew Magary is pretty down on the Bears, but nothing compares with their own fans.
I stopped by the Illinois Wine pavilion at the Illinois State Fair last weekend and sampled some great local wines. One that blew me away, though, was Sweet Desire Mead from Wild Blossom Meadery, based in Beverly at 100th and Western. Aged in bourbon barrels for a year, it comes in traditional or somewhat racier bottles.
The new owners of the Purple Hotel, that long-closed landmark on Touhy in Lincolnwood, want to give it a new name. This feels like a Sears Tower moment, but if you want to give them a hand, here's where to do it.
CTA crews began construction Monday on the city's first "bus rapid transit" line, which will run for 16 miles along Jeffrey Boulevard. Service is expected to begin this fall.
Now that Augusta National Golf Club will allow women as members, the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek checked with Chicagoland's four men-only golf clubs to see if they'll change their ways.
GB flickr pool contributor Chicago Joe photographed a remarkable view of one of yesterday's isolated showers.
Legendary restaurant Charlie Trotter's served its final dinner last night. Grub Street's Huge Galdones offers a slideshow of the $2500-a-seat proceedings.
Crain's breaks down the $49.7 million dispute between the City and Chicago Parking Meters LLC in a handy infographic.
The Urbanophile runs down several ways to look at cities globally and marks Chicago's status against them. Meanwhile, London's World Cities Culture Report left Chicago out (though it did limit itself to one city per country, so only NYC ranks in the States.)
The Sky Scratcher is a cardboard cat-scratching tower modeled off the Sears Tower (add your own antennae).
The Trib notes some of the street, town and business names around Chicagoland that can make travel for visitors confusing.
WSJ reports that some big, early investors are selling off stock as the share price drops further below $5.
Gov. Quinn chose the end of Ramadan to sign into law a bill that gives college students the ability to reschedule tests or assignments when they conflict with a religious holiday.
This looks to be a year on hold for the Bulls. Our own Evan Moore wonders if they've waved the white flag already, while the Bleacher Report makes a case that Reinsdorf should sell the team.
A guy tried to rob the gate at the Northside Summerfest in North Center by claiming he was there to relieve an employee, then stuffing his pocket full of cash.
Find out what Google auto-fills when people type "Why is Illinois so..." [via]
Errol Morris directed a short documentary about sports-themed funerals for ESPN's new "It's Not Crazy, It's Sports" marketing campaign. The film features an unnamed -- and very much alive -- Cubs fan. [via]
Is it a secret if an event is widely publicized and hundreds of people are expected to attend? Yes, if the event is Dîner en Blanc and the exact location of the "chic picnic" to which everyone wears white is unknown. Get on the waiting list to be notified about where to show up on Aug. 24.
It's hard for parents to figure out which school their kids can attend when the family moves. Hard enough that CPS has created a School Locator app to aid the process.
Rallies to protest Russia's trial and conviction of the activist band Pussy Riot are happening all over the world today; Chicago's will be from 4:30 to 6:30pm outside City Hall. Amnesty International will live-stream a public reading in NYC starting at 6:30pm.
Several Muslim gravestones in an Evergreen Park cemetery were desecrated with anti-Muslim graffiti this week, the latest in an up-swelling of hate crimes in recent weeks.
When I was a teenager, The Alley was a mecca for counterculture kids. Today, that title belongs to Belmont Army. NewCity talks about why.
This Sunday, from 9am to 5pm at Fosco Park, NBA star Dwyane Wade's Wade's World Foundation will be holding auditions for youth between the ages of 7-18; kids selected will then move on to vie for the top spot in his annual "Chicago Has Talent" showcase on Aug. 25.
Tickets went on sale today for Lebowski Fest Chicago Nov. 9-10. (Get limbered up with Lebowski burlesque tonight.)
Among the many events this weekend is the Chicago Korean Festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday on Bryn Mawr between Kedzie and Kimball. It's probably your only chance to see traditional Korean wrestling (ssireum) this year.
There is now a plaque marking the spot where Barack and Michelle Obama had their first date and first kiss. You can visit the spot at 53rd Street and Dorchester.
The City, Army Corps of Engineers and architect Jeanne Gang announced plans yesterday to redevelop Northerly Island into a diverse marshland habitat with a pond and areas for camping. "To me it's like a picture of what the city was like before the city was built," said Gang ...except on a man-made peninsula that was built in 1925.
Singer-songwriter Tom Schraeder is organizing Chicago, I Love You, a 30-day arts and music festival at Lilly's in Lincoln Park. He spoke with Chicagoist's Jon Graef about why he put the festival together.
Showfile is a social network built around music festivals and concerts: explore your friends' taste in music and keep track of which shows you've gone to see.
Check out the new ward maps that will go into effect following the November 6 election. By the way, do you need to register to vote or change your address with the Board of Elections?
Also in the Reader, Leor Galil introduces you to MC Tree G, a different model of up-and-coming Chicago hip hop.
Story Corps' recording trailers are back in Chicago today through Sept. 15 in Millennium Park and at WBEZ's South Side bureau. Read about Story Corps' first visit to Chicago in Detour.
The Reader's Mike Sula makes a case for eating squirrel. He served it in burgoo at an April Soup & Bread event.
Groupon is offering a $30,000 deal today for a Cubs "Game Day Experience", benefiting Cubs Charities. The deal gets you the opportunity to throw out the first pitch on Aug. 30, a tour of the stadium, memorabilia and a suite for you and 13 of your friends.
Forty-five years ago, Chicago marveled and mocked a brand new Picasso sculpture. Ask the Librarian covered its controversy back in 2004.
If, at some point in the past 50 or so years, you stood in line for a hot dog and fries at the Parky's on Roosevelt Road, you know the unmatchable feeling of a real Chicago stand and the way that the best of them transcend the notion of a restaurant. Just when condemnation seemed inevitable for the building that housed the iconic spot, Chicago native Brendan O'Connor, a man with a dream and curious palate, set out to save it.
Thanks to his creative take on sausage, and the overall fast food experience, the Food Network show "3 Days to Open With Bobby Flay," chose to help O'Connor and Big Guys Sausage Stand become a reality. Bobby Flay himself showed up at the small, narrow-roofed building at 7021 W. Roosevelt Road in Berwyn and worked with O'Connor and his team to turn passion into crowd-pleasing originality. Ultimately, they stayed true to O'Connor's vision of creating a classic atmosphere, with a nod to the Chicago "Super Fans," while taking a truly unique and modern approach to traditional menu items. So far, Big Guys has been well-received, living up to its promises of big flavor, competitive prices and the quick-but-satisfying turnaround perfected by the best Chicago hot dog stands for decades. Check out the food, the vision and the Bobby Flay touch Mon-Thru 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-3am; Sun 11am-6pm.
The Music Box Theatre is screening a 70mm print of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master tonight at 10pm as a benefit for the Film Foundation, thanks to a post by Time Out's Ben Kenigsberg. Tickets were just $10, but they sold out in less than 20 minutes. Try your luck outside the theater.
Just a reminder: jet practice for the Air & Water Show begins today, so if you've got a nervous pet, you might want to give it some tranquilizers today.
Today, Aug. 15, is the 200th anniversary of the Battle (or Massacre) of Fort Dearborn. Whet Moser has some reading recommendations for you.
In 1992, a young, suburb-dwelling Shaun Sperling achieved a major feat: he did the entire dance accompaniment for Madonna's "Vogue" video for the people at his Bar Mitzvah party. It's 100% awesome, and I hope he still has the shirt.
How are you at building sand castles? Test your mettle against other granular architects at Edgewater's second annual Chicago SandCastle Open this Saturday. [via]
GB contributor Erin Watson has launched a Kickstarter for a book of poetry based on @Horse_ebooks tweets. It's the latest addition to the GB curated page on Kickstarter.
The Empty Bottle is holding a garage sale this Sunday; if you've got some stuff to throw in there, get in touch.
Gang members will no longer be allowed to post recognizance bonds (aka I-bonds) when they're arrested, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said yesterday.
Eric Martin, a Columbia College film student and a cab driver, is working on a documentary, Cab Slaves, about the exploitation and corruption he sees in the city's taxi industry. He's raising money on IndieGoGo to help fund it.
In Mechanics, Jason Prechtel gives an in-depth overview of the battle between parishioners, preservationists and Alderman Colón over the future of St. Sylvester's rectory on Palmer Square. Meanwhile, Ben Joravsky reports in the Reader on another political preservation fight.
Adrian Holovaty, who founded the wonderful EveryBlock, is leaving the company after five years. Holovaty's only plan is to stay in the city and work on some new projects.
Gawker turned its eyes to Chicago's murder rate yesterday, but as Whet Moser notes, the sensational "world's deadliest city" headline glosses over the reasons behind the statistic.
But United's customer service was less so when an unaccompanied minor from San Francisco was left stranded at O'Hare on her way to a Michigan summer camp in June.
The Woodstock Institute shares data on foreclosures in Chicago, including an interactive chart that lets you compare trends in your community area to others around the city.
Got a Kindle? You can download a new book of collected Trib coverage of chef Grant Achatz for free.
BoomTownRack is trying to pick up where the dearly departed WindyCitizen left off, creating a place for people to share interesting links, pictures and more.
Chicago filmmakers Jamie Gallant and Vern Cummins are working on 51° South, a documentary series about the Falkland Islands.
51º South: A Prologue from 51° South on Vimeo.
Speaking of art, the murals to go in Rogers Park underpasses (previously) have been chosen; the styles range from graffiti-inspired to realist to an iteration of You Are Beautiful.
The murals will go up on the Chase, Estes, Greenview/Sherwin, North Shore and Rogers Avenue CTA underpasses and the Birchwood, Estes, Farwell, Morse, Rogers and Touhy Avenue Metra underpasses.
Chicago 1955 by Aaron Wooten
Street artist Roa created a cool -- if slightly disgusting -- angular illusion artwork in Pilsen. [via]
Sweet Chi Town collects a few 1985 Bears commercials to help you get in the mood for this season.
A. Finkl & Sons may be moving south, but that didn't stop it from getting slapped with 26 OSHA violations last week.
Legendary tenor saxophonist Von Freeman passed away over the weekend at 88. The Tribune's Howard Reich offers an appreciation.
UPDATE: Astrophysicist Sean Carroll also eulogizes Freeman. (Thanks, Mitchell!)
The latest on Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s health condition: The Mayo Clinic announced that he's being treated for bi-polar disorder.
If you're intrigued by suburban companies moving back downtown (including today's United announcement), you may be interested in Forgotten Chicago's "Corporate Kings of the Suburbs & Stern Pinball Tour," which will visit several midcentury suburban corporate campuses. Their upcoming Hyde Park modernist walking tour looks promising too.
Streetwise vendors don't just sell magazines. They also clean the streets and upcycle trash into handmade gift items, like these cool photo frames made from recycled CTA cards.
Starting August 20, the Chicago Public Library will be offering amnesty for overdue books. No fines, no questions, no nothing -- for three whole weeks. So if you've had a copy of Tropic of Cancer checked out since junior high school, now's your chance to return it.
CBS Sports reports that UNC posted what appears to be the college transcript of Bears' defensive end Julius Peppers. If they're his, let's just say he wasn't hired for his grades.
So it's Shark Week, but before you turn on the TV, think a little about helping to conserve this awesome species. Head to The Grafton tonight for a special "fin-raiser" benefit for Shark Angels who work to keep sharks in the ocean and out of soup. You can also go see real live sharks in action at The Shedd, where there are also discounts available on general admission all week long.
Daniel X. O'Neil maps the city's filming location permit data and learns about the second season of "Boss" in the process.
The air is cooling off, the summer winding down and the general feeling of fall is setting in. If you feel like you need to kick off Chicago's most comfortable season with a little pick-me-up, consider acupuncture at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine. For $5 a session you can experience the benefits of this traditional Chinese process and maybe be inspired to make it a regular part of yours.
Motorola Mobility may be moving downtown, but Google is cutting 700 of those jobs. More context is provided by the NY Times.
Chicago Canine Rescue, which adopted out the dog who was punched to death by its owner last week, has started a fund for supporting behavioral training for abused animals in the dog's name.
The stars of the local show All About Chris had quite a time during last weekend's Bud Billiken Parade, particularly because they were being hounded by their female fans throughout the parade route. One swarming event is after the jump.
Facets Cinematheque hosts a discussion this evening on the subject of violence and the movies, a discussion motivated by the recent tragic shootings in Colorado. Full details and an RSVP link available here.
Special, updated versions of FOX's popular '90s sketch comedy series "In Living Color," scheduled to air this year, have been shelved -- at least for now. In a radio interview, Chicago comedian Lil Rel, an ensemble cast member of the rebooted series, shares his thoughts on why the laughs may have been put on hold.
Speaking of the military, September 8 commemorates the 200 year anniversary of the Battle of Fort Dearborn (it's represented as one of the stars on our city's flag, in case you didn't know) with a reconciliation between Pottowatomi tribe members, military reënactors, descendents of soldiers in the battle, Mayor Emanuel and other dignitaries. The celebration will be part of the the 6th annual Festival on Prairie Avenue sponsored by the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
Two Navy vessels will be joined by the Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy docking at Navy Pier as part of Navy Week. They're on the first scheduled Naval cruise of Lake Michigan since 1999.
The Chicago Honey Co-op's minivan, which was loaded with their booth gear and a couple of beekeeping smokers, was stolen over the weekend from their Ukrainian Vilage workspace.
R. Kelly has cancelled his scheduled concerts for the much-hyped Love Letter Cruise after claiming that organizers were unable to pay him. The whole cruise has been nixed, too; passengers will receive refunds.
An unmarked police car went around the gates at the Kedzie Brown Line crossing after a Loop-bound train passed -- and was hit by a northbound train. The car's driver and the conductor were taken to the hospital, and are reported in stable condition. The CTA is running a shuttle to take passengers between the Kimball and Western stations.
Photo by redditor Dookster
Is it just wishful thinking on Woodfield Mall's part, or is Kuma's Corner opening a location in the Schaumburg mall?
The police have been writing fewer parking tickets this year, but revenue is up... because LAZ parking attendants are picking up the slack.
Old Chicago is a Tumblr full of photos from years gone by. Follow it along with Calumet412, Chicago Past and the Chicago History Museum.
If your nose is stuffed up and your sinuses are aching, there's a good reason: Chicago's mold count is the highest on record this week.
Kid Koala's latest track, "8 Bit Blues," takes you from Chicago to LA to New York.
Hell if I know, but this site will give you some f*ckin' suggestions. (Or maybe you just need a drink.)
Starting today, local music education nonprofit Rock for Kids is launching an eBay auction of autographed 8x10 photos from 150 bands, including The Temptations, Pat Benatar, The Village People, Nickel Creek, Naughty By Nature, Ben Folds and more. Bid early and often to win your favorites. Bidding starts at $8.10 and proceeds benefit the charity that brings music education to at-risk youth in Chicago.
The launch of Chicago's bike share program has been postponed till next year, in part due to software glitches in Alta Bicycle Share's system. The same problems have delayed a similar program in New York. CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein told WBEZ yesterday that it will be better anyway to wait until next year to launch all 400 planned share stations at once, rather than just 50 this year.
Buff up on your Chicago history with a South Loop Historical Society walking tour of Northerly Island next Tuesday, August 14.
Chicago's beloved 16-inch softball, the sport of the everyman, was invented by a bunch of Ivy Leaguers in the exclusive Farragut Boat Club in 1887. Adam Doster shares that historical tidbit and many more in The Classical.
This of course gives me the opportunity to re-post the wonderful mini documentary Royko at the Goat, in which the veteran journalist talks about softball at the Billy Goat Tavern in 1982.
If you dug the Chili Peppers' set at Lollapalooza, you can download the show for $9.95 from their official bootleg site.
Vanilla Ice will perform at the Big Dig beach party at North Avenue Beach this Sunday.
Mitch O'Connell collected a hundred weird and innuendo-filled panels from comic books.
The president and first lady will be in Chicago this weekend to raise a bunch of campaign funds; three of the four fundraisers are birthday themed.
Get caught smoking a joint and it's a $250-500 ticket now. Get caught building a marijuana farm inside a South Deering house, and it's going to be a much bigger headache.
The RedEye has mapped out bar brawls across the city. Either the North Side likes to fight more than the South Side, or the police just don't get called as often south of Roosevelt.
The Sun-Times is publishing a weblog about the Drew Peterson trial -- by Peterson's lawyer, Joseph "The Shark" Lopez. Michael Miner notes that it's not the first time Lopez has blogged one of his own trials.
The CTA has decided that, since it's already ripping up most of the stations on the north portion of the Red Line anyway, why not eliminate the slow zones in the area too, while it's at it. That work was originally planned for 2015.
Mildblend Supply Co., the store that was the target of a "flash mob" robbery during Wicker Park Fest last month, is bouncing back with a party tonight from 7 to 9pm to celebrate the launch of an in-store pop-up shop for Nudie Jeans. The Kickback and DJ Jesse De La Pena perform.
MillerCoors signed on as sponsor of the CTA's annual "Penny Rides" program on New Year's Eve through 2015. (Previously.)
The Illinois Family Institute is recommending parents pull their children from classrooms led by gay or LGBT-friendly teachers.
The Pritzkers' Hyatt Hotels Corp. is receiving a $5.2 million TIF as part of the Harper Court redevelopment project on 53rd Street. The seven schools surrounding the TIF district are losing $3.4 million from their budgets -- which happens to be the about the amount that CPS loses in property taxes because of the TIF. Meanwhile, Penny Pritzker serves on the CPS board. Curtis Black explains.
Reason to Give is another good way to help students in need. They're gearing up for their annual back-to-school event Aug. 22; a $10 donation sends a kid to class with a full backpack.
The Chicago Sister Cities Festival runs through Friday in Daley Plaza. Get out of the office and explore the world on your lunch break.
The Gay Liberation Network plans to protest outside of the Chik-Fil-A on Chicago Avenue today at 4:30pm. Details on Facebook.
The annual Perseid meteor shower is this weekend, and the Illinois Science Council wants to prep you. Join them in Evanston for a talk tomorrow night, then head up to the beach up there or at Montrose or 12th Avenue in the city on Saturday or Sunday night for a viewing party.
The RedEye's Tracy Swartz wants to know which CTA station is the worst, Division on the Blue or Sheridan on the Red?
WBEZ's Curious City answers the question, is salt mined under Chicago, and if not, why is there a huge Morton's Salt warehouse here?
It's been a tough week for MegaBus, first with a tragic accident on I-55 that killed one passenger and injured 38, and now with a bus striking a 76-year-old pedestrian who later died from her injuries.
The new marijuana ticketing law netted 11 people in its first weekend. The process is long: the alleged weed has to be taken to a police station to be verified, and there's plenty of paperwork; ultimately offenders receive tickets of $250 to $500.
Beavers Donuts has filed a lawsuit against the City of Evanston, challenging its existing rule that mobile food trucks must be owned by brick and mortar restaurants.
The University of Chicago is the 5th happiest college in the country, according to a recent survey from Newsweek and The Daily Beast. If the U of C is no longer "where fun comes to die", consider this t-shirt (long a staple of the typical UChicago wardrobe) a collector's item.
Chicago photographer Missy Weimer is selling three handmade books of her 2010 Chicago pools project. One is still available.
Mitt Romney is in Chicago today. If you want to catch a glimpse, he's got lunch fundraising stops at Harry Caray's and Maggiano's in River North.
Has your relationship gotten stale? Chicago startup Lovendar aims to help couples reconnect and bring a little spark back. (And not in a dirty way... necessarily.)
Want to see a time-lapse video of the storm that temporarily shuttered Lollapalooza on Saturday?
Lollapalooza Storm Timelapse (Aug. 4, 2012) from Angus Finlay on Vimeo.
GB flickr pool contributor Zol87 spied a new CTA train car winding its way through the streets on a truck bed.
A Wendella tour boat hit the dock just west of the Michigan Avenue bridge, injuring seven.
Jenn Gibbons, who was rowing around Lake Michigan to raise money for breast cancer research when she was sexually assaulted in her boat (previously), is back on the water.
The Onion ran a video featuring a blurb about "Sears extremists" flying a plane into the Willis Tower in retaliation for changing the building's name. People on Facebook are very upset.
Now that the show is over, the contents of the Lollapalooza VIP Lounge at the Thompson Hotel (332 S Michigan) will be dismantled and sold tomorrow morning. If you want your place to look like Keith Richards' 1960s coke den, this is the sale for you.
Kevin Guilfoile relates a mystery about baseball and memory in his new book, A Drive Into the Gap, which is published by Field Notes Brand Books.
Field Notes Brand Books: A Drive into the Gap, by Kevin Guilfoile from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.
Whether you're hanging on to the last days of summer or begging for them to end, the start of the school year is almost here. Since expensive school supplies are a burden for low income families, Heartland Alliance set up a great website for you to sponsor a child for the start of school, or the whole year. Own your geekery, and let some kid know the joy of sharpening brand new pencils this year.
In yet another chapter of the seemingly endless Bleeding Heart Bakery saga, questions have been raised about the bakery's recent garage-style liquidation sale. It seems that some of the items being sold may have belonged to the building's owner -- that is, a bank.
A Yale University study showed that commuters will go to great lengths to keep strangers from occupying the neighboring seat -- "pretending to be busy," putting on an iPod, claiming the seat's being saved, even making a "'don't bother me' face." Obviously this study didn't include the CTA.
Donald Liu, a pediatric surgeon at Comer Children's Hospital, drowned this past weekend in Michigan while successfully saving two small children who were struggling to stay afloat in Lake Michigan. Many grateful parents have flooded the comments section with touching messages--take a look.
A joint Tribune and Medill Watchdog investigation exposes the extraordinary level of control and corruption of Rosemont's ruling Stephens family.
Ald. Sandi Jackson shared details of her husband's collapse and hospitalization with the Sun-Times' Michael Sneed. She said it was due to debilitating depression, possibly brought on by a recent gastric bypass surgery, exacerbated by an overloaded work schedule.
Jenn Gibbons completed her mission to row around Lake Michigan yesterday, raising $45,000 for Recovery on Water, the rowing team for breast cancer survivors she founded in 2007. (Previously.)
Lollapalooza's scheduled performances today have been suspended due to impending severe thunderstorms. Attendees have been evacuated to "pre-established underground evacuation and shelter sites along Michigan Avenue." Good planning, Perry! UPDATE (5:45pm): the concert will re-open shortly.
Former Bull Paul Shirley and Sheepdogs frontman Ewan Currie talk sports and music in ChicagoSide's version of Lollapalooza coverage.
WBMX-FM 102.7 was instrumental in the creation of Chicago house music. DJ Derrick Carter just released a new mix in homage to the station's noontime Hot Lunch Mix. [via]
The new law allowing police to ticket people for possession of half an ounce of pot or less goes into effect on Saturday -- which is convenient for a certain segment of Lollapalooza attendees, Ward Room notes.
Speaking of parking, two of four new parklets in parking spaces open this week, at 5228 N. Clark St. and 2559 N. Lincoln Ave. The one in Andersonville was partially funded on Kickstarter and co-designed by Studio Murmur and moss design, who has led PARK(ing) Day events in Chicago for several years. The next two parklets open on 47th Street next week.
Parking.Chicago.com aims to serve all your parking needs. Meanwhile, ChicagoStreetSweeping.com is another site (in addition to SweepAround.Us) that helps remind you when to move your car for street sweeping.
Tickets for the musical Kinky Boots go on sale this morning. To celebrate, Chi-Scream will be giving away free ice cream sandwiches throughout the city, starting at 10am at the Bank of America Theatre at 18 W. Monroe. Follow @BroadwayChicago on Twitter to get the scoop (ha ha) on the cart's whereabouts.
A tactical officer with the Chicago Police Department has pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy -- a fancy way of saying that he made a lot of money by stealing drugs and cash from one gang and giving them to another.
Chicago's murder rate went down in July, according to Supt. McCarthy; we only had 49 homicides, compared with 55 in 2011. McCarthy says this means the CPD's gang violence reduction strategy is beginning to work. Need I mention that Second City Cop and crew disagree?
Lupe Fiasco brought vegan food to Englewood's Payless Grocery as part of his foundation's pledge to feed 100 people every night of Ramadan, as they did last year.
Chicago's segregation isn't just along racial lines, but income lines too. Interestingly, Bucktown is on the rise, as the only area outside Lincoln Park where more than 30 percent of residents make more than $200k.
Built In Chicago doubled their list of Chicago's biggest digital companies to 100 this year (previously). Google/Motorola Mobility, Groupon and CareerBuilder top the list; Forbes' Kelly Reid delves into the list.
Flosstradamus' set at West Fest was cut short by the police due to noise restriction violations, which led to a chant of "f*ck the police" that allegedly got them banned from outdoor performances for the rest of the summer. Undeterred, they've just released a new mix called B⚠NNED.
If you're going to Lollapalooza, the Transmission staff can help you choose between competing stages Friday, Saturday and Sunday with our annual "Stage Clash" feature. And even if you're not going, you might want to check out our list of unofficial parties and shows around town, some of which are tonight.
Head over to the Daley Plaza farmers market between 11am and 1pm to witness the Country Chef Challenge, an "Iron Chef" style cookoff pitting Spaggia's Sarah Grueneberg, Frog n Snail's Dale Levitski and Telegraph's Katie Wyer.
Nicole Hollander has been drawing Bad Girl Chats, an outgrowth of her Sylvia comic, for awhile now. She's running an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds to keep it going for another year.
From potential employers, anyway. Gov. Quinn signed into law a measure forbidding companies from requesting Facebook and other social media passwords of employees and applicants.
It's been a cruel summer for food critic Steve Dolinsky. First Graham Elliot kicks him out of his restaurant, now Schwa unexpectedly closes for the night and cancels his reservation.
Bloodshot Records turns 18 this year, and the label has just announced how it will celebrate: with a big concert at Mayne Stage Sept. 22.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who declared today "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" to show support for the restaurant's political and religious positions, has been posting pictures of lines forming outside of Chick-fil-As all over the country on his Facebook page; however, he mistook the suburban Wheaton branch for the Chicago one. Big difference there in clientele, pal.
Chi City Sports has some great pixilated logo t-shirts for the Bears, Bulls and Cubs -- but what about the Blackhawks and Sox?
Comedian and podcast host Marc Maron opens a six-show stand at Mayne Stage tomorrow night. Chicagoist's Chuck Sudo interviewed him on the occasion of his 300th podcast.
The Reader moves out of its longtime offices at 11 E. Illinois today, heading for the Sun-Times Building a few blocks away. The paper's staff has been blogging about the process all week.
The festivities surrounding the World Bike Messenger Championships begin tonight ahead of the actual races this weekend. Get on your bike and join in.
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans go awry. Like when you set it up to propose to your girlfriend on the Wrigley Field scoreboard, and she's off buying drinks when it appears. [via]
Ron Washington, a chess hustler who worked at North Avenue Beach for more than 20 years, drowned in Lake Michigan on Friday.
Winnetka native Conor Dwyer was part of the 4x200 freestyle relay that earned Michael Phelps' 19th Olympic medal.
Sen. Mark Kirk continues to make progress recovering from his stroke, and recently met with colleagues, but he's not yet ready to do fundraisers.
A United flight from Dallas to Denver had a run-in with a bird while in the air yesterday. The flight wasn't affected, but the plane is a bit sore.
