Bleed Bluer than Ivy
Local emcee Vic Mensa delivered an unbelievable freestyle rap on 106 & Park's The Backroom. [via]
Gapers Block has ceased publication.
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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TODAY
Monday, May 13
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Monthly Archive
October 2013
You've Dressed Up, Now Dress Better
The RedEye is once again running November of Dressing Nicely, a campaign to get people to give a damn about how they're dressed. And Ernest Wilkins reminds you that it doesn't have to cost a lot.
Skim Milk
Childhood obesity among CPS kindergartners seems to be on the decline, with some experts crediting healthier school lunches. The weight of older kids has plateaued, however.
In the Army Now
Mayor Emanuel is pushing for the Marine Military Math and Science Academy to take over a neighborhood middle school in the West Loop.
Another Suit Against CPD
The family of an activist who died after Chicago police put her in a holding cell for over 24 hours is suing the City for between $6 million and $9 million in damages.
Best Hot Tub Ever
More than 900 gallons of hot chocolate will be poured to set a new world record for the largest cup of the delicious liquid ahead of this weekend's Hot Chocolate 5K and 15K.
Scary Parents
While it's pretty clear fears of predators and poisoned candy on Halloween are unfounded, some parents are turning to "trunk or treating" between cars in parking lots as a safer alternative.
The Last of the Bests
NewCity's Best of Chicago issue hit newsstands this week, with categories ranging from best al fresco dining to best public restroom to best reason Dominick's won't be missed too much.
Noteworthy
A DePaul student whose note to the thief that stole her bike went viral got a new set of wheels from a man who saw a story about her on the news.
"Guess who's back in town..."
Speaking of Poltergeist III, there's an entire fanpage devoted to the 1988 film, in which angry spirits follow Carol Anne to the Hancock Tower.
Chicago is a Scary Place
The Geography of Horror puts 200 of the top-rated horror films on IMDb on a map, by decade -- including a couple right here in Chicago. Candyman, Child's Play and, uh, Poltergeist III didn't make the list. [via]
"I will always be from that 312."
Grantland's Rembert Browne imagines Michelle Obama's response to Kanye West's odd comments about the president and first lady on Ryan Seacrest's show. [via]
An Account of Two Men
The Reader takes us through the lives and circumstances leading up to the moment Ryne San Hamel's Mercedes hit cyclist Bobby Cann on Clybourn Avenue this summer.
The Spooky Bits
Serious Eats shares some of the tasty offal dishes around the city, from blood pudding to crispy pig ears.
Red Scare
The California plant where Sriracha is produced may be shut down after residents complained it emits an intense spicy odor, so now is a good time to stock up on the hot sauce, writes ChicagoNow blogger Ana Fernatt.
Prentice Remembered
A short documentary revisits Old Prentice Hospital and the failed effort to preserve it for its architectural significance. [via]
Cuter Than a Speeding Bullet
A local food vendor's money was almost gone with the wind when he dropped stacks of cash on the ground, but his superhero costume-clad grandchildren wrangled the bills before they blew away.
Upward to God
The Christian Science Society of Dixon in western Illinois is getting a lot of attention this week after the Internet noticed the shape of its new church on Google Maps.
The church is showing it has a sense of humor in light of the attention: its Facebook profile cover photo now features a "giant fig leaf" over the Google Maps image.
Yo Dawg, I Heard You Like Mashups
Mashup kings The Hood Internet have put their album FEAT up on MashupDJ for you to remix. [via]
Checking In
Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. began his time in prison on Tuesday, but his efforts to gain publicity in the process are probably not the best idea, say experts who advise keeping a low profile instead.
Reimagining the CTA
At the Beachwood Reporter, Natasha Julius offers some suggestions on how to re-do public transportation in Chicago. Step one, kill Metra. (Craighton Berman's CTA map for 2055 is also worth another look.)
Lula Becomes Fat Rice
After dropping cryptic clues about their annual restaurant-wide Halloween costume, Logan Square's Lula Cafe is teaming up with their neighbors Fat Rice for a special one-night-only meal tomorrow.
"North Loop" & Environs
Giuliana Rancic's extensive guide to Chicago for E! Online covers River North (known "North Loop" in the guide) and no further than Lincoln Park's Original Pancake House.
Now Hear This
Podcast Thing, a new site from Max Temkin and Veronica Corzo-Duchardt, helps you find your next favorite podcast.
Kingmaker vs. "Kingmaker"
After a report from the Better Government Association on the Speaker Madigan's political footmen, the Sun-Times reports Madigan shot back with an angry letter to the Democratic Caucus, accusing BGA President Andy Shaw of trying to "become a kingmaker in Illinois politics."
Karaoke Court
The frontman of local band MINES made his national TV debut on "Judge Mathis" this week when Brian Sulpizio, the engineer who recorded the band's first album (and musician in Health and Beauty), sued them for not paying for the full cost of making it.
Rising to a Crime
The Tribune captured the scene on the street the morning after a deadly shooting in Logan Square.
Yellow for a Reason
The telltale yellow hue of cabs got its start in Chicago, when a study commissioned by cab company owner John Hertz found that it was the easiest to see from far away.
Fifty Shades of Mistaken Identity
Women are inundating local actor Luke Grimes with selfies and Facebook messages after Luke Grimes, a different actor, was cast for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie.
Pointillist Wedding Party
Speaking of weddings on the cheap, a couple got married on the sly at the Art Institute this weekend, in front of Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte."
Taxicab Controversy
A cab driver tried to make a gay couple exit the car on the Kennedy Expressway after seeing the two men kiss, according to a complaint filed on their behalf.
Sweetest Places
Zillow calls Chicago the seventh best city for trick-or-treating in the country, and gives Ravenswood the city's top neighborhood ranking.
The Bartered Wedding Party
Saya Hillman and Pete Aiello got married recently, and managed to bring their cash outlay down from $24,000 to a little over $200. Here's how.
Appetite for Profit
Locally led #Foodiechats has figured out a way to make money off its weekly Twitter chats.
Chicago's Top High School Hoops
ChicagoSide ranks the top 25 high school basketball stars of all time. You may be surprised that Derrick Rose is only seventh on the list.
Theatrical Blogging
The Trib expanded theater critic Chris Jones' Theater Loop column into a full-fledged blog.
A Jailbird Deferred
Jesse Jackson, Jr. showed up yesterday to a North Carolina federal prison to begin his 30-month sentence a few days earlier than his scheduled surrender date (this Friday) and was turned away. Update: he is in custody as of this morning. Persistence pays off!
Reminder: GB's Microbrewery Crawl is Saturday!
Gapers Block's Microbrewery Crawl is coming up this Saturday, Nov. 2, and there are still a few tickets left! Join us for brewery tours at Lake Effect, Finch's, Metropolitan and DryHop, where you'll get to see how each one makes their beers -- and enjoy samples of the finished product.
Segregation Then and Now
The Chicago Reporter compares the segregation of Chicago's schools in the 1960's with inequality seen in CPS today.
Behind the Bottom Loop
A short film looks back at the history of the South Loop, from the Burnham Plan, through the Century of Progress, and into today.
A Storied Team
Bleacher Report asks if the Bulls will become "America's Team" once again during a season that already resembles a classic sports movie, with Derrick Rose as the returning hero and the dominating, "Hollywood as hell" Miami Heat as the villains.
Housing as Crime Prevention
With studies finding 48% of people in Chicago's homeless shelters are convicted felons, advocates are looking for ways CHA and other groups can get ex-offenders off the streets.
Not Guilty, Still Arrested
Carl Chatman, exonerated last month of a 2002 rape he didn't commit, was arrested by Berwyn police for not registering as a sex offender -- which he is not required to do since he was cleared of guilt.
Kindness of Strangers
An anonymous donor paid $30,000 to get the gas turned back on at Clara's House, a shelter for homeless and battered women in Englewood.
This Week in Corruption
Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios said testimony linking him to corruption is "bull****," the Tribune describes a West Side pastor as living a mansion while his tenants live in substandard conditions, and three more former executives of Sacred Heart were indicted.
What They See
Small children with angel wings, basketball players lying in pools of blood, and gray figures wielding handguns adorn haunting images painted by grade-schoolers at Richard J. Daley Academy showing the violence in their communities.
Haunting Protips
Leah Pickett breaks down Halloween happenings in the area, including haunted houses, costume balls, and spooky drive-in movies.
Sayonara, Sushi
The Reader's Michael Gebert laments the loss of authentic Japanese restaurants in River North and Streeterville.
The Rocking Confines
Wrigley Field is the second best stadium for live music in America, according to Rolling Stone. [via]
Heating Up
More Chicagoans are signing up for gun training ahead of the legalization of concealed carry in Illinois next year.
Get Crazy with the Cheez Whiz
The Reader's latest Cocktail Challenge involves Cheez Whiz. Revel Room's Robbie Guevara manages to make something fairly decent sounding with it, but I think I'd still order a Furball over a cheezy bloody.
Honoring Bobby Cann
Today at 1pm, the section of Clybourn Avenue near Larrabee will be renamed Bobby Cann Way, in honor of the cyclist who was hit by a drunk driver and killed in May. Tonight is also Critical Mass, and the route will likely swing past to pay respects.
New South Shore Route
A new two-mile stretch of South Shore Drive, through the old US Steel South Works site, opens to the public this weekend. If Dave Matthews ever brings his Caravan back to Chicago, it'll now be easier to get to. [Previously]
Neighborly Advice
Deadspin shares a note left by a Chicago driver on the windshield of his neighbor's truck, telling him he's "parking like an a-hole," but in a nice way.
Charity Delivered
A viral video of pranksters sneaking into a restaurant after-hours to cook pizzas for the homeless didn't take place in Chicago (as some media are misreporting), but we'll take some credit since the pies were baked at a Chicago-style eatery in Columbus, OH.
Fee Rides
Aldermen are playing with the idea of making bicyclists buy a $25-a-year license and take a safety course to ride in the city.
ChiTube
Billing itself as a new kind of Netflix, ArchLive is a Chicago-focused Internet television channel that streams locally-produced programs. [via]
Create Together
There are now enough coworking spaces for them to specialize. Design Cloud has turned its gallery space into a coworking office for freelance creatives.
Chicago, City of Necessity
Lee Bey unearthed a 1961 documentary, The City of Necessity, that shows Chicago in great transition, culturally and physically.
United States of X: Personality Edition
A new study describing the relative personality of residents of each state pegs Illinoisians as extroverted and open, but a little less agreeable than the national average. I don't know what they're talking about.
Pick the History Museum's Next Show
The Chicago History Museum is "crowdsourcing" its next exhibit by collecting suggestions on Facebook.
The Students, United
In These Times reports that going to school during the teachers strike and school closures radicalized many CPS students, and they are organizing across the city.
Budget by the Boatload
Mayor Emanuel debuted a nearly $7 billion budget for Chicago today while calling on legislators in Springfield to pass pension reform.
Cutting Class, Changing History
50 years ago in Chicago, over 200,000 students- around half of those enrolled in public schools- boycotted classes to protest segregation.
A Drive Down Memory Lane
WCIU put together a short documentary about the history of Wacker Drive, from its inception by Daniel Burnham to the movies filmed on the two-tiered road. [via]
Cycle Nicely in Style
Sarah Becan's awesome "League of Courteous Cyclists" t-shirt (previously) is available again for pre-order.
Made in Chicago
From an alarm clock that screens your calls while you sleep to a wireless iPhone flash, this list of indie products made here is great for early holiday gift list inspiration.
Goodbye Center Square
The Center Square Journal officially called it quits today. The site will remain up as an archive.
Swinging Pads
Cosmopolit Home facilitates "nightswapping," trading a night in a home on the network for a night for someone else in yours. There are places to stay all over Europe and the US, including a few here in the city, from a guest room to a house with way too big a yard to be near downtown.
The Mean Streets
Is ridesharing like prostitution? That's the allegory made by a writer in the Chicago Dispatcher, the city's paper for cabbies.
Fight for Your Rights
A rally against governmental surveillance is being planned for Federal Plaza this Saturday, part of a national campaign in support of Fourth Amendment rights.
Pizza Pride
Seven Chicago slices are included in the Daily Meal's ranking of the 101 best pizzas in the country, with Spacca Napoli's Bufalina coming in highest at #23.
BP Behind Petroleum Mess
Residents living near the shipping yards on the South Side are saying stored "petrocoke" produced at a nearby BP oil refinery is polluting their neighborhood, coating cars, streets, and buildings with a greasy black dust.
Body Table Wizardry
The Chicago Pinball Expo was this past weekend, and Ars Technica got a look at some of the new custom machines.
More Fun Taxes
In a continuing effort to close Chicago's budget gap, Mayor Emanuel will propose increasing the taxes on cable TV and hiking parking fines and towing fees.
One-Two Punch for Bears
After tearing a groin muscle, Bears QB Jay Cutler is out for at least four weeks, and injured linebacker Lance Briggs will be out for six weeks as well.
Busted by a Selfie
A Gresham man who robbed a designer he met on Instagram was arrested after she provided police with a picture he posted of himself online.
Bid on a Bit of Oprah
Oprah Winfrey is auctioning off a bunch of stuff from her homes in Chicago and elsewhere, including antiques, fossils and several portraits of hers truly, to raise money for her foundation's college fund. Beachwood Reporter notes some of the odder items for sale.
Docs Starter
Good Pitch Chicago is bringing seven aspiring documentary filmmakers together with supportive nonprofits and funders who can make their films come true.
Andrew Bird Adds a 4th at 4th Pres
If you missed out on tickets to Andrew Bird's Gezelligheid concerts at the Fourth Presbyterian Church, you have one more chance. A fourth show has been added for Dec. 12, and tickets go on sale at 10am Friday.
Wait in Case of Fire
Chicago firefighters failed to meet federal standards for response speed up to half of the time in some South Side neighborhoods, an official audit found.
Passing Grades
Local journalists give Mayor Emanuel mixed grades on his Midterm Report Card for his handling of school closings, violence, the city's nearly $1 billion deficit, and other issues.
That Bridge is Swingin'
Forgotten Chicago examines the history of swing bridges, a now mostly extinct bridge type, in the city.
No Boundaries for BYOB
From beauty salons to mechanics, technically any business in Chicago can be BYOB if they want to- and some local leaders are looking at ways to regulate the tradition (or at least get some money from it).
Chicago's Live Lit Scene Gets a Nod from P&W
There are currently more live lit events in Chicago than in New York or San Francisco according to Poets & Writers magazine, which published a piece featuring Ian Belknap of WRITE CLUB, Dana Norris of Story Club, and Keith Ecker of Guts & Glory.
Tax 'Em if You Got 'Em
Mayor Emanuel wants to increase the cigarette tax by 75 cents, making the total taxes on Chicago smokes the highest in the country.
Murses Take Center Stage
For the first time in its nine-year history, Chicago Fashion Week dedicated an entire runway show to menswear.
Lit the Fuse
Writers, it's time to submit your work for the Reader's annual Pure Fiction issue, which comes out in January.
Chicago in a Martini Glass
Absolut teamed up with Threadless for a "Chicago" vodka. It's flavored to emulate a dirty martini -- but NPR's Scott Simon thinks a different spice blend would have been more appropriate.
What Else Can't Daley Recall?
Former Mayor Daley apparently doesn't remember much of the planning and politicking of Millennium Park, at least according to depositions he gave in the ongoing lawsuit pitting the Emanuel administration against the Daley-connected owners of Park Grill.
Read the whole deposition here:
Truck Ruins Red Line South Debut
A truck crashed through the median wall on the Dan Ryan and landed on the Red Line tracks near 68th Street last night, damaging the third rail less than 24 hours after the southern portion of the line reopened after months of construction. Trains are being routed around the accident on the single northbound track.
Oh Hail Snow
Though it's not as cool-sounding as "thundersnow," another precipitation hybrid, graupel, may hit Chicago next week.
UNO Problemo
Gov. Quinn suspended all payments to the United Neighborhoods Organization (UNO), the largest charter school operator in Illinois, while an SEC investigation of the organization is underway.
Latest Cuteness
A male dolphin was born at the Brookfield Zoo this week, and another dolphin is expected to give birth later this fall.
Capitalistic Community Development
Forbes profiles two former payday loan company owners who are now buying up thousands of South Side apartments, applauding their redevelopment work as succeeding where government failed, despite the company's lack of civic values.
Celluloid Saturday
This Saturday is packed with film options. There's Home Movie Day, the Music Box of Horrors marathon and the Internet Cat Video Film Festival. Not to mention the Filmless Festival.
United States of X: Food Edition
Deadspin ranked Chicago-style deep dis pizza #1 on its rundown of the Great American Menu." Cincinnati chili came in last, below getting hit by a car.
Behind Bars for Bail
Thousands of suspects are stuck in Cook County jails because they can't make bail, which is set in a bond court procedure that usually lasts less than two minutes. As the Reader's Mick Dumke reports, many want to fix the system, including Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
The Camera Adds Ten Wows
Chicago Magazine shares views of familiar structures from unfamiliar angles.
Gotham City Pilgrims
The A.V. Club's Pop Pilgrims revisited the locations where Christopher Nolan filmed The Dark Knight, which they credit for starting a film making boom in Chicago.
Beware, Users of the Bloomingdale Trail
Now that the Bloomingdale Trail's construction is well underway, the police warn they will actually arrest people who head up on the tracks.
Hold the Raccoon
An investigation found that a man was selling wildlife to Chinatown restaurants. But he (allegedly) sold turtles, raccoons, and deer, and two out of those three actually sound delicious.
Pop Up the Question
In what could be a defining moment for nuptials in Chicago, a local man got help from the ever-present Puppet Bike when he proposed to his girlfriend. Can this be the beginning of a new tradition?
Tech Hubub
With a preference for building practical products, Chicago tech companies raised more than $600 million dollars since the beginning of last year, and interest in "Silicon Prairie" startups seems to be on the rise.
Drive in Peace
Complaints of drivers swerving into traffic and brandishing guns during gang members' funeral processions prompted a new ordinance allowing cops to ticket and impound vehicles of unruly funeral-goers.
Shaking in Your Seats
Low Carb Comedy is in the spirit of the season with a couple of trailers for upcoming horror flicks.
Historic Bronzeville Apartments to be Renovated
DNAinfo Chicago reports City Council approved $125 million in tax incentives on Wednesday to renovate Bronzeville's Rosenwald Courts apartment building that once housed Nat "King" Cole, Quincy Jones, and Gwendolyn Brooks.
ORD Adds Capacity
The new runway at O'Hare opens today, allowing planes to take off or land as often as every 15 seconds.
SEC's on UNO's Case
The SEC is investigating UNO for possible violations surrounding its past bond offerings.
Watching the Watch Dogs
Polygon takes an investigative look at Chicago's system of surveillance cameras, through the prism of Ubisoft's upcoming video game, Watch Dogs. (Read GB's past coverage of the CPD's blue light cameras.)
Importing Pollution
Koch Carbon is stockpiling petroleum coke, a byproduct of tar sands oil refining, along the Calumet River, alarming environmentalists. The carbon-rich material was blamed for respiratory problems in Detroit, until it disappeared last month. Guess we know where they ended up.
Return of the Fauna
Trees and plants left over from George Lucas's epic wedding at Promontory Point were used to build an "outdoor classroom" at a North Side school.
Trial of Bucktown Beating Suspect Begins
Jury selection started this week for the trial of a man accused of brutally beating an Irish woman and her friend with a baseball bat in 2011.
Organizing to "Take Back Chicago"
An energetic crowd of thousands of residents, activists, and union members came together yesterday to call for an increase in the minimum wage, an end to school closures, and other progressive reforms.
New Neighbors
The Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III are moving to an undisclosed location on the West Side to draw more attention to gun violence in Chicago.
Beer & Scam Fest
The Crab & Beer Thirsty Fest was supposed to happen this summer at McCormick Place, then the Zhou B Arts Center. In reality, though, it was a scam designed to hit foodies in the pocketbook.
[via]
Cliff-Dwellers Keep Their Perch
The Cliff-Dwellers Club, which not long ago was facing expulsion from its top floor clubhouse on Michigan Avenue, now has a 15-year lease and a brand-new renovation.
I've Got the Moves Like Darger
Channel your inner outsider. Draw Like Darger. Participate in creating a large-scale, collaborative landscape using reproductions of the coloring books from Henry Darger's collection at the Chicago Cultural Center this Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10am to 1pm.
Down to the Wireless
A study found that AT&T's wireless network is the best in Chicago, while Sprint ranked last in calling, data, and texts.
Start an Argument on Facebook
Thought Catalog's "35 Important Things Only Chicagoans Will Understand" should give you plenty of fuel.
A Classic Behind
Sometime last year, Michelle L'Amour (aka the Ass that Goes POW) performed "Butthoven's 5th Symphony" on her finely tuned instrument. It's apparently floating around the interwebs right now under the title "How the 1% Twerk." [via]
Michelle L'amour performs "BUTTHOVEN'S 5TH SYMPHONY" from franky vivid on Vimeo.
Holding Out for History
The man who discovered a trove of documents belonging to Harvard's first black graduate, Richard T. Greener, is threatening to burn the papers if Harvard doesn't make him a better offer.
Leave Your Monocle at Home, Mr. Peanut
This weekend's Northwestern game against the Minnesota Gophers at Ryan Field will be completely peanut-free, making it easier for people with allergies to attend the game.
South Red Line Reopens Sunday
The CTA's Red Line South project is nearly complete, and the line will reopen on Oct. 20 -- on time and on budget. Meanwhile, a construction manager has been chosen for the 95th Street Terminal reconstruction.
Watch "The Watch"
Save the El trip downtown and experience "The Watch" by Chicago Ideas Week Artist In Residence and Bronzeville native Hebru Brantley in less than a minute.
Hebru Brantley "The Watch" Art Installation from Nick Brazinsky on Vimeo.
Clearcutting Patch
AOL's Patch is laying off its last remaining local editors in Chicago. The sites will stick around, but there won't be anyone dedicated to reporting on those neighborhoods.
Get Your Start-up Booted
Profit and Laws is offering a scholarship to its Business Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs on Nov. 1 to one lucky Gapers Block reader. The bootcamp is like going to business school, only you skip accounting, you're done in one day and there's no debt. They have experts in law, finance, product development and professional client development to give you one-on-one attention to help you create your roadmap to start your business. Apply here.
A View of the Exit
Rumor has it Jenny McCarthy may soon be shown the door at "The View" due to poor audience reception. "Viewers want to tune out the second she opens her mouth," an insider told Radar.com.
A Major Infestation
Abandoned properties in Englewood are turning into dumping grounds that attract rats "so big the cats are scared." Residents want action, but the City can't trespass to kill rats on private property.
On the Rails, Off the Rails
Enthusiasm for trains seems to be high in Chicago, with 3.5 million people taking Amtrak last year, but Steve Rhones says amidst ongoing controversies, Metra should be done away with (the organization, not the trains).
Beef with Bill Kurtis
Broadcaster Bill Kurtis and his Tallgrass Beef Company are being sued by the former CEO, who says he's owed back pay.
Starting Up the South Side
The University of Chicago announced plans to build its own tech incubator that will capitalize on research done at the school and provide support to startups.
CHA CEO Steps Down
Chicago Housing Authority CEO Charles Woodyard has resigned after being in the position for two years. According to WBEZ's Natalie Moore, it's to spend more time with his family.
United States of X: Reading Edition
The Jungle is the local pick in Business Insider's map of the most famous book set in every state.
The CPS Closed School Diaspora
Only about 62 percent of students from closed schools have ended up in "welcoming" schools; instead they've scattered to as many as 57 different schools throughout the city.
It's Almost Time for the South Lake Shore Drive Extension
Starting October 27, you'll be able to travel from Rainbow Beach to 92nd Street on the brand new US-41 extension through the former United States Steel site. The Trib has a great aerial photograph of the road, and an earlier aerial is embedded after the break.
Funny First Timers
Six Chicago-produced comedy TV pilots selected for the New York Television Festival are playing tomorrow at the Music Box.
Only Humanely Raised Tofu
Chipotle will be testing out its shredded tofu option at all its Chicago locations.
Just to Cover the Walls
A Chicago man visiting New York unwittingly bought four signed Banksy paintings for $60 apiece when the artist secretly set up a table in Central Park.
Saving the Puppets Again
Underground Multiplex's cofounders stumbled upon a trove of sets, scenery and marionettes from the Puppet Parlor Theater in Ravenswood, which closed after a fire and the death of one of its creators. They've launched a Kickstarter to help pay for a permanent home for the collection
Mega Octopus Versus Giant Hearts
RedEye took a trip behind-the-scenes at the Shedd to see how they patiently train Opal the octopus.
Last to Arrive, But a Winner in Our Book
The last participant to cross the finish line for yesterday's marathon was a Venezuelan man who has a rare muscle condition -- it took him 16 hours to complete the course.
A Political Marathon
Thousands of people marched downtown this weekend, calling on Congress to pass immigration reform and stop deportations.
Don't Blame Bartman
Yes, it's been 10 years since the infamous Bartman incident. But rapper Serengeti (as well as certain Cubs players) think it's time for Cubs fans to move on and stop blaming Steve.
Knotting up Fluid Dynamics
Earlier this year, physicists at the University of Chicago figured out how to tie vortex knots, which were previously only a theory.
RIP Josh Marks
Josh Marks, a finalist on the third season of "MasterChef" who earlier this year was arrested for assaulting a UofC police officer during a bipolar epsode, passed away Friday night, of an apparent suicide.
Chicago has Ideas
Chicago Ideas Week kicks off today and runs through the 20th. Tickets for some events are still available, and many talks will be live-streamed.
More Laurels for Hyde Park
Two UC professors have been awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for their work in asset prices (I don't know what that is, either). Fun fact: one of these awardees is known as the "Father of Modern Finance."
Rome is Burning
Michael Ferro is the CEO of Wrapports, owner of the Sun-Times and Reader. And Chicago magazine's profile of him makes him sound a little like Nero.
It's for the Dogs
After watching Dog TV is with her dog Abby, Aimee Levitt found the pet-focused network to be "unrelievedly sexist" and too boring for her pup.
Inside the Bottle
Consequence of Sound gets the story behind the music at the Empty Bottle in Ukranian Village.
No Challenger, but Plenty of Ammo
While the next election is over a year away, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has already raised over $5 million dollars, including over $1 million last month alone.
The New Chicago (Magazine)
Chicago magazine just launched a major website redesign, which matches the one the print edition debuts next week.
Going the Distance
One competitor in the Chicago Marathon could be the first person to ever win three major marathons in a season -- and she races in a wheelchair.
Sex Trafficking on Stage
The new play Shadow Town throws a spotlight on sex trafficking in Chicago. (For more on the topic, read Danny Fenster's 2010 story in our archives.)
Fun Marathon Facts
Did you know that the Chicago Marathon used to be sponsored by Old Style? And that there are eight runners who have competed in every marathon since its inception in 1977? [via]
Chow Downtown
A different kind of rally is taking over Daley Plaza today as eight food trucks from around the city serve their wares to the lunch and dinner crowds.
Red Dot in the Blue City
As Republican candidates for governor begin to make the rounds, they may even make a stop in Chicago at the GOP "clubhouse" in Lincoln Park.
Gals in the Garage
NewCity profiles Kamaca Reavis and Crystal Kimmey, the "greaser girls" of Bucktown.
Save a Little Dough So You Can Watch Movies About Dough
The Chicago Food Film Festival returns Nov. 21-23 at Kendall College; tickets are on sale now, but if you get yours today (and only today), you can get a 24% discount.
Dominicks' on the Block
Safeway Foods announced during its quarterly earnings report yesterday that it will pull out of the Chicago market by early next year, selling or closing its 72 Chicagoland Dominick's stores, which face increased competition on both the low and high end. Four stores, including two in Chicago, have already been sold to Jewel's corporate parent.
Speed Cameras a Future Money Maker
The nine speed cameras the City has installed so far have already caoght nearly 205,000 speeders since Aug. 27. They're giving out warnings for now, but those busts would have netted $13.9 million in fines.
Dirty Cops Do Time
A former CPD police sergeant caught shaking down drug dealers for protection money was sentenced by a federal judge to 22 months in prison.
You've Got to be Bleepin' Me
Any White Sox fans looking to relive the low points of the past season are sure to enjoy a supercut of Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson's best awkward silences, screams, and other meltdowns of 2013. [via]
When a House Isn't a Home
Despite efforts to hold property owners accountable and provide money for improvements, the Tribune finds that vacant buildings are still a growing problem in many Chicago neighborhoods.
Dem Bones Are All Over the Place
Construction workers digging up human remains in the Gold Coast is actually not a big deal- thousands of bodies are still buried where cemeteries used to be.
One is Enough
A local company is hoping electric unicycles will catch on with commuters looking to shorten that trip from the L to the office. [via]
King Cuffed
Federal prosecutors filed charges against 33 members of a West Side gang, including its alleged "King," saying they were responsible for several murders, trafficking narcotics, and running drug markets in Wicker Park and Humboldt Park.
Da Coach's One Regret
Mike Ditka said not running against Barack Obama for the senate -- a race he "probably would have" won -- was the biggest mistake of his life because he could have kept Obama from becoming president.
Five Star McDining
McDonald's treated food writers in New York to a fancy five-course dinner made from fast food ingredients, from pre-dinner cocktails to dessert. Kung Pao McNuggets, anyone?
Is Gentrification Always Bad?
GB alum Britt Julious answers, which Curious City examines the role of corporations in neighborhood redevelopment.
Seriously, Don't Do This Drug
Krokodil, a Russian drug used as a cheap "alternative" to heroin, has arrived in Chicagoland: three women in Joliet are being treated for the drug's side effects, which include severely damaged skin, gangrene, and abscesses that expose bone to the elements. [via]
Judge My Apple Pie, Please!
Need an expert opinion? In addition to Oct. 20th's Bucktown Apple Pie Contest, the folks at Bang Bang Pie are also holding a contest for the best apple pie later this month.
RIP Handy Andy
Former Cubs player Andy Pafko, who played during the team's last trip to the World Series in 1945, passed away at 94.
Pun the News
If you prefer your news with some double entendre, you'll enjoy DNAinfo's coverage of a man who removed his clothes before representing himself in court: Hung Jury in Trial of Naked Man.
This Cake Takes the Cake
Girl and the Goat's Stephanie Izard got married this past weekend; her cake, made by pastry chef Mathew Rice, featured "layers of Strawberry Nesquik-infused chocolate marble cake with bacon buttercream, and a Cheez-It-flavored cake with a crunchy filling of chocolate ganache, peanut butter and chocolate-covered Cheez-Its."
The Hard Numbers
A trader pleaded guilty to helping defraud investors of more than $500 million dollars in one of the largest fraud cases ever prosecuted in Chicago.
Our Patty's Past
From The Jungle to "Cheezborger, Cheezborger," the hamburger has a more storied history in Chicago than you might think.
CTA Reverses Course
The CTA announced today that it will continue to allow passengers to add money to the old Chicago Cards and magnetic strip passes while they fix the many, many problems with Ventra.
Ham-tastic Transit
With all of the hair-pulling over Ventra transition chaos, keep in mind it could be even stickier. We could have Transit Ham.
A Good Use for Baby Weight
A Lincoln Park gym is offering a fitness class for new parents where they use their little ones as weights, lifting and pushing them around in strollers.
Cap is Not Locked In
With a revised price tag of $60 million per block, building a park over the Kennedy Expressway on the Near West Side may be a bit too expensive for the City.
Sitting Down for Change
Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Jan Schakowsky were arrested during a protest outside the U.S. Capitol calling on the House to take up immigration reform.
Sometimes You Kick
A documentary about Dr. Quentin Young, a lecture series about craft, a "wall-less" community center in Bronzeville and a line of liquor-infused spice mixes are among the campaigns on GB's curated Kickstarter page.
Yoga on the West Side
Mershawn Feltus was in prison for nearly 20 years for a murder he committed when he was 17. Now he's running a yoga studio in Austin, teaching people to balance mind, body and spirit.
Apply Your Own Mascara
FOX 32 News anchors may soon look a little less sparkly: the station has fired its makeup artist, and now expects on-air talent to pretty themselves up.
More Love for Local Food
Both Carriage House and Embeya made Esquire's Best New Restaurants list. [via]
Fun Tax
Tickets to live performances in Chicago could be the most taxed in the country if the City increases taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and other amusements to address a $338.7 million budget shortfall.
Revenge of the 'Burbs
A new study finds that only one in four jobs created downtown between 2002 and 2011 went to city residents.
Around the World in 10 Films
The Chicago International Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, and Bill Stamets narrows the list down to 10 to see in the Sun-Times.
Buy Your Own Robes, Too
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle wants judges to pay the full cost of their health care benefits, instead of the $1 dollar each month they currently pay.
Drones in the City
Ben Raatz has a personal drone that he's been testing out around town, getting a top view of Buckingham Fountain and the South Loop.
United States of X: Sports Edition
Slate makes the obvious choice for Illinois on its map of the US in which each state gets one signature sport: 16-inch softball.
Beyond the Books
While printed books may be in decline, libraries are in the midst of something of a renaissance in Chicago and across the country, offering new digital services like access to 3D printers and online tutoring.
Income Gap, Giffed
Nickolay Lamm mapped income onto real estate in Manhattan to show the inequality between neighborhoods. He's since done similar maps for Chicago and other cities.
The City at Night
Max Wilson compiled more than 200,000 photographs to produce Windy City Nights, a six-minute timelapse film of our beautiful city.
Chicago Timelapse Project - Windy City Nights from Max Wilson on Vimeo.
Music Training
Pullman Rail Journeys, which runs vintage Pullman railcars on Amtrak's City of New Orleans line, will have musicians from the Old Town School of Folk Music performing on some trips.
To Protect and Serve
An investigation found that Ald. Ed Burke's work as an attorney won local property owners more than $18.1 million dollars in property tax refunds, costing the City more than $3.6 million dollars in tax revenue.
Street Food Showdown
While some foodies were underwhelmed by the turnout, food trucks from around the city competed for the first-ever Chicago Vendy Awards. "Olga's Snacks" won the day.
All She Wrote on the Calendar
The live-lit series That's All She Wrote turns one year old this Sunday, and commemorated the moment with a special show as well as the release of a calendar listing dates for more than 40 live lit shows around the city.
You Only Lincoln Once
A mini Abe Lincoln lives it up across the state in a new ad by Enjoy Illinois, journeying from down in Springfield to up on the skydeck of the Willis Tower.
Walking the Walk
Two men are going the distance to speak out against bullying, walking 921 miles from Chicago to New York City.
Details of Southwest Side Killing Emerge
Prosecutors said a 19-year-old woman and her boyfriend brutally murdered her ex-boyfriend's brother, cut up his body, and buried it in the backyard of her family's home.
Women & Children First For Sale
Women and Children First, one of the few feminist bookstores in the country (and the only one in the city) is available for purchase. It'll be sad to see things change, but the current owners are willing to help with the transition, which hopefully means it will remain a feminist bookstore.
Feed the Feds
County Barbecue is offering a free sandwich to government workers furloughed during the shutdown.
Furloughed Military Workers Back On the Job
Associated Press reports that thousands of civilian military personnel furloughed at Illinois military installations due to last week's government shut down have returned to work on the orders of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Improving Cycle Security
Tired of their own bikes being stolen, the founders of BikeSpike (previously) and the Bike Index are making it harder to steal bikes and easier to recover them.
Make No Little Plans ...Again
A century after original Burnham Plan, the Tribune is looking a new Plan of Chicago. And the RFP is open to anyone.
Big Day in Ventra Transition
Today's a significant milestone in the transfer to Ventra cards: CTA Tattler reports that magnetic stripe cards will no longer be sold at CTA stations, and Chicago Card users will no longer be able to put money on their cards. (Chicago Card Plus users still have some time to auto-load their cards.)
Ex-CBOT Chief on the Lam
Former Chicago Board of Trade Chairman Patrick Arbor is in Europe, allegedly to avoid paying millions in child support to his ex-wife. A warrant had been issued for his arrest.
So Much Green
Police found over 166 pounds of marijuana, worth more than $1.1 million, when they searched a Southwest Side home.
Immigration on the March
Leaders from Chicago's major labor organizations are planning a "massive" march and rally on October 12 to call for an end to deportations and passage of immigration reform.
The Lost Menagerie
A Curious City investigation finds that Union Park was once home to a zoo of sorts, although the iron cage that held "Bob the bear" was pretty far below today's standards.
The Spooky Season Begins
Haunted Houses are set to open in arenas, corn fields, jails across the Chicagoland area.
The Home of House
Here & Now revisits house music's emergence in Chicago after the death disco at the end of the '70s.
Dept. of Logical Conclusions
Ald. Deborah Graham has proposed banning BYOB at restaurants within dry precincts, in reaction to a new banquet hall within a dry district in the 29th ward. Graham is the same alderman who helped make it possible for a convicted felon to open a liquor store with TIF money in an area with a moratorium on new liquor license. Ward Room has a good perspective on it.
Look to the $kies
Officials finalized locations for the first 11 100-feet-tall electronic billboards Mayor Emanuel touted as a new source of revenue for the City.
Is This Why the Parks are Closed?
It's National Taco Day today (according to whom, we're not sure) so you should eat some tacos to celebrate, right?
The Countdown of Monte Cristo
The last Bennigan's in the city will close at the end of the year. It was saved from the scrap heap in 2009, but this time rising rent is doing it in.
Take Back the Parks
The police are organizing community actions to retake parks and playgrounds from gang violence.
A Final Visit to Fox and Obel
The Streeterville grocery store, which struggled with bankruptcy and health department woes in recent months, will be closing Sunday after 12 years.
The Tale of Trapper John
A former city Animal Control worker is continuing his mission of catching stray cats and turning them over to shelters, but is seen as a "vigilante" by advocates of kitty catch-and-release.
Sacrilicious
Kuma's is drawing some heat for its new burger, the Ghost, which features slow braised goat shoulder, a red wine reduction and a communion wafer garnish.
The End of Eye Contact
There won't be any need to put down that smartphone during your commute -- unless you're driving -- once 4G wireless service comes to underground El lines.
From a Promise to "Probably"
CPS officials clarified their promise not to close any more schools for five years, saying they would still close them for safety reasons. Obviously, the teacher's union is upset.
Ventra Overload
Lots of people still haven't received their new Ventra card from the CTA (I finally got mine on Tuesday). One guy got more than a hundred.
Stars of the Silver & Smaller Screens
While the definition of "film" is changing in the YouTube era, NewCity profiles 50 leaders of Chicago's motion picture scene.
Pourin' Again
A replica of the "Fountain Girl" statue returned to Lincoln Park almost 60 years after the World's Columbian Exposition-era original was stolen.
Obamacare's 404
Many users who logged on to the brand-new health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act encountered glitches and error messages as 6.1 million other people visited the websites.
A Record Breaking Quarter Century
Record Breakers, the formerly suburban record store attached to its music venue sibling Reggies, celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend with in-store performances by such bands as Magicks, White Mystery and Canasta, plus deep discounts on records and CDs.
Obsessing Over Film
Majestic Disorder profiles Brian Chankin, owner of video store and more Odd Obsession (previously all the way back in 2004).
The Migration Patterns of Hipsters
Hipsters have been haunting Chicago's neighborhoods since the 1890s. Aimee Levitt tracks their movements through history in this week's Reader.
See Something? Say Something
That's what Ald. John Arena did when he spotted two men working under a parked car with a Sawzall earlier this summer. He jotted down their license plate and helped police bust catalytic converter thieves.
Will Report for Food
Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism is facing criticism for an internship program that places students in newsrooms after an investigation revealed the school provided students with a meager living stipend while also getting paid by the host organizations.
Prickly Prairie
Chicago's last remaining wild cacti are growing in secret on the far Southeast Side of the city.
The Chicago Voice
Groupon staffer Sam Cerniglia is trying to go big with his singing career as a contestant on "The Voice."
Art is a Lie, but Those aren't Real
Former River North gallery owner Alan Kass will serve six months in prison for selling hundreds of fake works of art.
Home Site Takeover
Speaking of the Blackhawks' victory lap, a video promoting Chicago is front-and-center on the City of Boston's homepage today after Boston's Mayor Thomas Menino made good on his bet with Mayor Emanuel over which city's team would win the Cup.
Favorite Things for Sale
Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios campus in the West Loop may be put on the market.
Lord Stanley, Presiding
The Blackhawks took time for ceremony before their 6-4 win against the Capitals Tuesday at the United Center, adding a fifth Stanley Cup championship banner to their collection.
A Series of Tubes
City CTO John Tolva has a plan to put Chicago at the forefront of the tech world. Think broadband in sewer lines, among other things.
Everybody's Bopping Now
The latest dance style on the South and West sides is bopping, popularized by Lil Kemo and others in hip hop videos.
Fewer Red Light Cams Soon
The City announced it is pulling 18 red light cameras from intersections around the town, just as the new speed cameras start issuing tickets instead of warnings.
Real Talk at the Rink
The Hoffman Estates Park District knows how to keep the crowd at their youth hockey league games in check. [via]
New Problem, Same Solution
Chicago Public Schools is looking into addressing overcrowding on the Northwest and Southwest Sides by building new charter schools in the area.
Thought Partners
Michigan Avenue spoke to the planners behind Chicago Ideas Week about bringing together a community of big thinkers to take on the issues facing Chicago.
Imagination Station
City officials hope their wavy, modern vision of a CTA stop at Washington-Wabash will encourage more people to take the El downtown.
No More Doggies in the Window
Collar & Leash, the city's oldest pet shop, is going out of business after its owners stopped selling dogs and cats because they could not tell if the animals came from puppy mills.
So. Much. Beer.
Karl Klockars runs down the long list of upcoming breweries in Chicagoland in Time Out... and adds further thoughts at Guys Drinking Beer.
"The New Insane Asylums"
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told 60 Minutes the prison system is unable to provide appropriate care to inmates with mental illnesses, including over 2,500 people at Cook County Jail.
Government Shuts Down, Obamacare Goes Live
While the Federal government is officially shut down, U.S. agencies' local offices will most likely stay open, and people across Illinois can now sign up for health insurance using the new exchange created by the Affordable Care Act.
Extending the Run
The Chicago Commercial Collective aims to enable smaller theaters to extend popular shows when their schedules would otherwise prevent it.
Your Fellow Commuters
State troopers pulled over people texting while driving on the Kennedy during Monday's morning commute. Between 7am and 9:30am they ticketed 135 people.
Dancing Out the Door
Chicago native Marina Shifrin spent the last two years working in the CGI coal mines at Taiwan's Next Media Animation in relative anonymity. That is, until her dance-interpreted resignation video this weekend went viral. [via]
UPDATE: New Media Animation created a response video.
