December 03, 2003

BPI and Housing

The Business and Professional People For the Public Interest are a little heralded group, but they have been instrumental in offering legal assistance to those resisting the continued segregation of housing in Chicago. Since representing the plaintiffs in the landmark Gautreaux case, BPI-Chicago has rolled up its sleeves and pitched in to help communities better organize in order to have a more influential voice in CHA's plans.

- rc | 3.12.03 ~ Politics/Activism

This American Girl

A reporter for Newcity checks into the world of American Girl Place, and finds it disturbing. (Edit: this isn't the first time that Newcity has reported on the Chicago-based doll church; when AGP was casting its stage show, Newcity sent one of its employees to try and pass herself off as a 13-year old. Although she did not get to audition, hilarity of a sort did ensue.)

- jma | 3.12.03 ~ Business/Shopping

Google Defines City Of Big Shoulders

It's possible that one could wax poetic about Chicago using Google's new "define:" keyword. (Define: turns up definitions of words, and I find them quite comical.) For example: Microsoft codename / the original version of the four-bridge deal / the well-known rock band / a bustling Great Lakes Port. Not quite the same as the poem, which most of us are familiar with: "They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys."

- bs | 3.12.03 ~ Found on the Web

Good To Be A North Sider

The North Side Boys keep getting better: the Cubs signed Minnesota Twins reliever -- and career White Sox Killer -- LaTroy Hawkins to a three-year deal Tuesday. In much less infuriating news, the White Sox acquired solid, lovable short stop Juan Uribe from the Colorado Rockies.

- rc | 3.12.03 ~ Sports/Recreation

Chicago Emmys?

Did you know there were regional Emmy awards? I sure didn't. Anyway, Robert Feder's column has the rundown of the winners, including a breakdown by TV station (not surprisingly, the big network-owned stations won the most), and the somewhat surprising news that Winsconsin stations racked up some wins (apparently it's actually the Chicago/Midwest Emmy awards, which covers territory outside the city and state limits).

- jma | 3.12.03 ~ Radio/TV

Young Weight Problem

The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children reported today that nearly one quarter of kids aged 3 to 7 in Chicago are overweight.

- ah | 3.12.03 ~ In the News

New Detractor Issue

The Saturnine Detractor, a Chicago-born quarterly web magazine of feature journalism, reviews, opinion, fiction, and artwork, recently published its second issue. Check it out.

- rah | 3.12.03 ~ Found on the Web

Rink of the Damned

The destruction of the Rainbo Roller Center (to make room for new condos, natch) has uncovered six bags' worth of human bones in the rink's basement. Police are investigating. Perhaps the new condos will be haunted....[Trib login: gapers/gapers]

- ac | 3.12.03 ~ In the News

  ^ Top of page  |  Content © 2003 - 2009 Gapers Block All rights reserved.