Some honorary street signs for 'Jim Hendry Way,' honoring the Cubs general manager, were put up in Park Ridge recently, but city officials were not informed of the plan. Apparently nobody can figure out why the signs were posted, and the only explanation that IDOT gives is that the order came "from the governor's office." Uh oh...
An 80-year-old man received his associates degree in General Studies from Harper College.
Usually it takes four years in office for it to happen, but grey hair has already been spotted sprouting on Barack Obama's head. Judge for yourself here (from a 2007 photo) and here (on the cover of Rolling Stone from this year).
Did you really like that spoof commercial for Jones Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage? If so, you may want to pick up tickets for New Years at the Lakeshore Theater -- they're only $20 and Robert L. Hines (aka "Toby Jones") performs and debuts his follow-up commercial.
Double Bike Match launched today: donate to World Bicycle Relief through the site and an angel will match it, so that two bikes can be purchased for needy people.
The latest hip urban trend? Raising chickens in your backyard. Says one owner: "They're like pets with eggs." Yeah, but most pets don't have their young eaten by the owner so, you know, not quite the same. (Here's a classic from our archives.)
Hey, did you miss Chicago Zombie's Zombies on Ice yesterday? There's plenty of photos on Flickr of the event at the Millennium Park skating rink, and a nice Sun-Times article on the event. The Sun-Times also mentions that SantaCon Chicago was at the rink on Saturday, but of course the drunken Santas were less behaved than those mild-mannered nice young zombies.
Yes, in the age of Wii and Golden Tee, people still play pinball. In fact there's a "tournament of champions" going on in Schaumburg this weekend. You can still enter so you may want to start loosening up those fingers.
In between all the other holiday parties this weekend, here's a freebie for you: Jelly Chicago and other local tech folks (including Gapes Block) are hosting a free holiday party at Noble Tree Coffee & Tea, 2444 N. Clark St., Saturday night at 10pm. It's free; just RSVP.
It appears to be Dobie Maxwell, who won Zanies' "Zaniest Person in Chicago" contest. Full list of winners at the Reader's blog.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the classic holiday movie A Christmas Story, based on author/screenwriter Jean Shepherd's childhood living in Hammond. To celebrate, the Lake County (IN) Convention & Visitor's Bureau is hosting "A Christmas Story Comes Home" now through January 11. The exhibit features animated displays from the movie, and special events throughout December include an ugliest lamp contest, "Mommy's little piggy" eating contest, the "Oh Fuuudge!" relay race, and an opportunity to meet Flick.
Many national chains are offering special free items if you vote (most, if not all, won't require you to show your "I Voted" sticker or slip as proof, either). Get in on some free coffee, donuts, chicken strips, or ice cream at participating businesses.
On Nov. 15, the Chicago Theater will host Video Games Live, multimedia concert featuring music from popular videogames -- and they've offered Gapers Block readers a discount on tickets! Just use the code CTVGL7 for 20 percent off when you place your order.
If you're a "hot chick" with a ticket to Tuesday night's sold out Barack Obama rally in Grant Park, Old Town resident Brad Feldman, 27, wants to take you out. If Brad's not your type, he's not alone.
To head off another "Great Egg War" this Halloween, an Evanston and Chicago alderman are asking area merchants to stop selling eggs to youths until after the holiday.
...or rather the othe way around as this one pooch demonstrated. We knew the city was popular tourist destination, but...
Tickets are now available to Obama's Election Night party in Grant Park. Get'em while they last. UPDATE: Sold out!
The History Channel devotes a whole hour Wednesday to UFO sightings in Illinois, including some weird glowing orbs in the Tinley Park skies.
The MY HERO Project and Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition have teamed up to create the "Looking for Your Lincoln Hero" contest as one of the many events that will mark the bicentennial anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. To enter, write an essay or create artwork that depicts the Abraham Lincoln-like qualities of a person you know. More details about the contest are here. According to the Tribune, winners receive a trip to Springfield to visit various Lincoln sites. The deadline is December 1.
Sure you tell your friends you don't believe in ghosts, but deep down you still love those Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown books. Well find out if there's anything normal in the paranormal at the Science of Spooky. Details in Slowdown.
Today Nov.15 is National Gaming Day at public libraries across the country. According to this map, only two CPL branches -- Mayfair and South Shore -- are participating, but you could probably find someone to play chess against at most branches.
Somewhere in the city, a gas station is going to offer petrol for 99 cents a gallon between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., thanks to a local car insurer. The catch: You have to sign up for a free quote on the insurer's website and won't find out the location until just prior to the event.
While it kept some indoors, the wet weather didn't dissuade everyone from taking part in Improv Everywhere's Chicago Mp3 Experiment a few weeks back. Luckily, those who didn't make it can still live vicariously through some just-posted photos and videos of the soggy event.
Lakeview resident Marco Paiz is making his torso available for tattoo practice. The Sun-Times reports that "he's open to an artist's ideas -- as long as they don't include swastikas, Satanic symbols or 'something totally crazy.'" You mean crazy like offering your torso to tattoo artists for free?
Barbara and Lee Mitchell of Glencoe got a parking ticket in the amount of $9,501,071.
In time for the last debate tonight, as previously noted, you can download, print, and don the mask of your favorite political candidate.
RSVP now to the Chicago chapter of Yes We Carve, a pro-Obama and pro-pumpkin project. The group has posted lots of swell stencils on their site, and will have a Chicago meet & carve on 10/21 in Hyde Park. See Slowdown for details.
Every year around this time, our 2004 Ask the Librarian column about the best haunted houses in Chicagoland starts getting lots of hits. I just made a couple updates, but it's basically still accurate four years later. (If you don't want to travel out of the city for a fright, the Park District hosts the Haunted Sanitarium in Lincoln Park and the Haunted Beach House at 63rd Street Beach, plus Trails of Terror in Peterson Park.)
A Chinese restaurant in Urbana, IL (if you know which one, let me know) has started using a wireless remote to let customers summon their waiter for food, water, the check, or just regular old attention. Makes me want to roadtrip for some ma po tofu.
Want to get crafty during the debate tonight? You can play some Palin Bingo, try your hand at a Build-O-Bama, or any of these Obama-themed craft projects. [via]
Improv Everywhere, the New York-based group of pranksters (you may remember their work from a This American Life episode several years ago), will be holding the first Chicago MP3 Experiment this Sunday in Lincoln Park.
Want to show some love to your favorite El stop (and if you have favorite El stop that might be a sign of something altogether different)? The CTA unveils its new online gift shop with items featuring various city stations. And who doesn't need a train system shower curtain?
It's been called "Wrigley Field North" for the way that Cubs fans take over Miller Park when their team plays there. That sort of exhuberance cost one man his job. But then he works for the Brewers so you can see where that might be a problem.
This Saturday, Sivananda Yoga offers a free Intro To Yoga open house. Or, alternatively, Screenz in Lincoln Park is offering free gaming until Wednesday while they test out their new game room; call store for info.
Mayor Daley in a floating chair. (Check out the magnetically levitating chaise lounge and other interesting stuff at Wired NextFest in Millennium Park for the next two weeks.
Head over to the monument at the center of Logan Square (Logan and Kedzie) this Saturday at 5:45pm for an ode to laughter through a cell phone-coordinated laughter symphony to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."
Today is National Park(ing) Day, and the Trust for Public Land has taken over some spots on the 1800 block of Milwaukee Avenue to raise awareness for the proposed Bloomingdale Trail.
Just like September 19ths of yore, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. What better way is there to annoy your boss, amuse your coworkers, and blow off steam on a Friday? None. You can celebrate like some Geologists at NIU and plunder some bandwidth, or like a teacher in Lisle and emphasize your "Rrrr"s all day long. Or have some grog and call it a day.
Thinking about going to Chicago Gourmet, the new high-end food and wine festival in Millennium Park next week? Use the code CG2008TEN when you buy your tickets and you'll get 10 percent off.
A local high school football coach lost his job this week. No, not for producing a winless season. For robbing a bank. How many yards do you get penalized for that?
Fans of adult toys (no, not those kind) will be geeked to find out that Kidrobot is opening its first-ever Chicago-based pirate store here next month. The purveyor of vinyl art toys and apparel will open the store in Wicker Park from October 4 through December.
Today and tomorrow, the Sustainable Living Roadshow is at UIC with a wide-ranging program of exhibits and workshops on how to live more green. It's free, from 10am to 7pm both days.
The FBI is on the hunt for the "Cross-Dressing Bandit", who robbed a Park Ridge bank wearing a black and pink dress, pink sun hat and white gloves. For a dangerous felon, he manages to stay well-coordinated.
How soon do you think before the protests start over this provocative ad for Cabana Cachaça on the Near West Side?
Looking for something a little different for this weekend? Get some friends together and enter the High Trek Adventure Chicago -- part scavenger hunt, part trivia challenge, part bar crawl.
Finally, you can cheat your way to success at Scrabble, and it's allowed. And it benefits children. 826 Chicago (the writing/tutoring nonprofit affiliated with Dave Eggers and the entire hipster universe) is hosting a benefit in October called Scrabble for Cheaters. The funds you raise allow you to buy "cheats." Like, for $400 you can reject your opponent's word for no reason. (If only everything worked that way... oh wait.) Details and sign-up at the 826 web site.
At first I thought I was going to have to go all the way to Iowa next August to get my fix of Hobo culture and stew. Not true -- it appears that Pullman is having "Hobo Fest" this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. They want to make the largest batch of mulligan ever made in Chicago -- and you can be there to taste it.
Shameless self-promotion: I interviewed rock and roll wrestler Bob Calhoun (aka Count Dante) about his new book Beer, Blood, and Cornmeal: Seven Years of Incredibly Strange Wrestling and did a little write-up for the Reader. Bob will be reading from BB&C at Quimby's tomorrow night.
On August 8, dozens of people joined author Amy Krause Rosenthal in Millennium Park to do... something. This is what they did. (You can do it, too.)
The Chicago Architecture Foundation will kick off a new tour soon featuring influential women in Chicago's history. The "Women of Influence Tour" will meet at Graceland Cemetery on select Saturday mornings starting September 6, and for the meager price of $10 (or free, if you're a CAF member) you'll learn about women who fought for civil rights, conducted the Underground Railroad and broke up the plot to kill President Abraham Lincoln...and see some pretty cool tombstones.
Even if you're a newer scooter rider (scooterer?), you should make your way to Slaughterhouse XIV this weekend. It's one of the country's biggest scooter rallies, and for $5 you get access to all sorts of events and rides, starting Thursday at Delilah's. Mount up!
Ron from Big Happy Funhouse tipped us to this site dedicated to Robert Lester and Team Wink, amateur racer and one of several members of The Outer Drive Hero Drivers Club, which runs clue-based car rallies in Chicagoland even today.
John Greenfield walked from Milwaukee to Chicago, and wrote about it for New City. He wrote about some previous walks for GB.
In case you missed the kick-off of the 50th annual Air & Water Show, featuring Bill Murray parachuting onto North Avenue Beach, the Tribune live-blogged it.
It's time for the Chicago Bar Olympics, a tournament of bar games being held at 15 bars across the city. If you're not up for the travel, maybe just the Beer Olympics at either Mahoney's or Cortland's Garage would suffice.
At 8:08pm on Friday, join Amy Krouse Rosenthal for a special "happening" to commemorate the special time and date convergence. The event, whatever it turns out to be, will be filmed by Steve Delahoyde. Look for the woman holding a yellow umbrella.
The Flugtag organizers have posted sketches of this year's flying hopefuls. If you want to know more about the last event, they've got history there too.
Since the cast and crew of The Dark Knight didn't leave any of their cool equipment lying around after they filmed here, the Tribune tells you how to become a real life Batman. And looking at the total cost, no wonder Bruce Wayne was a millionaire playboy.
There are plans afoot to reenact the 1968 DNC protests. Tell your parents.
This year's Chicago Air and Water Show will have a boatload of celebrities on hand: Bill Murray will jump from a plane, Gary Sinise will perform with the Lt. Dan Band, and Florence Henderson will sing the National Anthem.
Chicago-based Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority started by African-American college women, is turning 100. It's celebrating in D.C. with the "largest banquet style dinner in the history of conventions." Mattel's even commemorating the anniversary of the group with the AKA Centennial Barbie.
In an op-ed piece in the Terre Haute TribStar, Chicago gets a thumbs-down from one woman who states a preference for corn fields and cowpies. Maybe she hasn't gone to the Farm In The Zoo.
Somebody forgot to tell a South Side man that you can buy liquor legally in Chicago now. He was busted by cops in Tennessee transporting moonshine across state lines. Riding shotgun with him? His dog, Thunder.
It's Free Slurpee Day today! Also, enter to win a designer t-shirt from Chicago magazine, or $10,000 for your own design sense.
You can relax now: The list of "America's Best Public Restrooms" is out and, yes, Illinois has two of the top 10 spots, including one in Chicago. You can vote for the No. 1 place for No. 1 (or 2) here.
Yesterday some guy named Ringo Starr spent his birthday handing out cupcakes at the Hard Rock Hotel to spread "peace and love."
He's kept you safe from The Penguin for years. Now, Chicagoans, here's your chance to tell Batman you've got his back. A rally organized by "Citizens for Batman" will be held Tuesday evening on Wacker Drive between Monroe and Adams at the (ahem) Gotham City Community Center No. 5. Sure, they might be giving away some "Dark Knight"-related swag, but we're sure it has NOTHING to do with the movie which opens on July 18.
It's happening this Saturday--the first opportunity to worship the Bean.
The Cusp Conference looks promising, but save your pennies or get your boss to pay for it: full price tickets are $1500 'til July 31, $1750 thereafter for the Sept. 10-11 conference.
Static Studios had a robot dance party recently. The results were... interesting. (They also did the sound design on this sweet ad for Rotofugi.)
Looking for a roommate? Then sign up for the Flatmate Meetup, described as "kinda like speed-dating, but if things go well, you'll sleep in separate beds." It's July 9 at 9pm at Easy Bar, 1944 W. Division St. RSVP requested.
Keo the ape turns 50 today and the Lincoln Park Zoo is throwing a party for its elder statesman, one of the two oldest male zoo chimps in North America. If you have time, go over to the Regenstein Center for African Apes and show him some monkey love... um, or something like that.
Meet Vincent Falk. C'mon, you know him... the guy with the crazy colored suits? Hangs out in the Loop? Yeah, that guy.
Have you ever felt a strange attraction to the Bean, as though its power overwhelms you and you need to bow down before its greatness? You are not alone. Join others in this spiritual question to bow down before the Bean on July 5th.
Blogger Suttonhoo makes a visit to an historic replica Viking ship in Geneva and discovers a whole lot more lurking in the woods.
Tonight at ROOMS Gallery's monthly Salon, there will be theatre, film, burlesque, music and, um, clowning, all for just $3.
Next Wednesday, the Green Mill hosts Mortified, an evening of true horror stories. Think of it as Pathetic Geek Stories done live. Details in Slowdown.
It's only fitting that HOW and Marketing Mentor would host their first Creative Freelancers Conference in a town full of writers and creative business owners. They know their audience: no event starts before 9am. But can we wear PJs? Get the scoop on speakers and registration, and a discount by signing up before July 16 ... and enjoy incurring no travel expenses.
An entertaining slice of urban life or a pain in the...eardrums? Either way, the "bucket boys" are a familiar sight in Chicago and North by Northwestern has an article/video on the ubiquitous street performers.
We at GB are not immune to typos, so it's a good thing the Typo Eradication Advancement Team didn't spot us on their recent visit to Chicago. The Tribune tagged along on their trip down Milwaukee Avenue.
If you (or your dog) could use a self-esteem boost, head to Morton West High School (2400 Home Ave, Berwyn) tomorrow for the Great American Mutt Show. The events run from 10a-3p, and feature adoptable dogs, pet care tips, and most of all, a competition of pooches for awards such as "Smallest Big Dog," "Friendliest," "Best Listener" and "Best Lap Dog Over 50 Pounds." A "Dock Dog" competition will also be held to find the best animal that can make the leap from land to water.
Chicago can once again lay claim to being the hometown of the fastest rapper in the world, as confirmed by the Guiness Book of World Records. The title was previously held by Twista.
If you've driven past Wilson and Ashland lately, you've probably seen this impressive display in front of the Truc Lam Buddhist Temple. It's part of the temple's annual celebration of the birth of Buddha -- this year's celebration is this weekend, with an outdoor concert scheduled for Saturday at 8pm and an indoor ceremony Sunday at 10am. Call 773-506-0749 for more info.
The annual University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt kicked off over the weekend, sending hundreds of Maroon-ers out to the streets in search of (among other things) a Obama-styled haircut at the senator's very own barber shop and a disgruntled beekeeper. As of Monday afternoon no winners had been named yet. Here's the offical report and blog, though.
As if wild parakeets weren't enough, Hyde Park now is home to a band of feral cats who have set up shop in an alley near East 62nd Street. No reports of cougars in the HP, though... yet.
Did you miss the Chicago Pen Show? Were you even aware that there was a Chicago Pen Show? Apparently, some folks take pens quite seriously.
Forget potholes; cougars are the new urban menace. Police got a call from someone who claims they saw a cougar near Lawrence and California at about 3:15 a.m. (not too long after closing time at the bars ... hmmm). Meanwhile, authorities in Stickey say a photo of a cougar prowling around their area is a hoax. Still, there are a couple of eyewitness reports of a big cat near the water reclamation plant.
Our neighbors to the south, in Marion, Indiana need some help. The Marion-Grant County Humane Shelter is closing down at the end of May or early June and all animals need to go to a loving home. Unfortunately, any animals still at the shelter at its time of closing will be euthanized. There are some dogs whose status is urgent and photos and more details on those dogs can be found here. If you're looking to adopt and dog or cat and can find your way down to Marion, Indiana, please consider this an option.
Meet Lee Linderman, the Northwestern student currently ranked 150th out of 6 million Guitar Hero III players.
...horses, one of which escaped from the Noble Horse Theater in Old Town early this morning and wandered the streets for a while. Our new city slogan: "Chicago: Where the Zoo Comes to You."
It's rather vague to me how this all works, but if you want to chase people around for three weeks and 'kill' them with water, then join the Chicago Assassins in their upcoming June bout of secret agents and water guns.
The Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention starts today in Lombard. The Chicago area has an admirable pedigree in the story of pulp fiction, being the birthplace of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs and magazines like Weird Tales. Gotta love those tawdry covers.
This week marks the beginning of the annual 2nd Story Festival, wherein writer/performers regale you with tales, accompanied by a DJ. Organizers predict that over the course of the festival, they'll serve 5,000 glasses of wine. Place bets now on how many will be yours.
Dig out your party dress: Yelp is throwing a prom this Saturday, April 12, and you have till tomorrow to RSVP. You need to be a Yelp member, but it's otherwise free.
That's right, Zombie Pub Crawl. April 26 in Andersonville. $10 in advance. Be there or be eaten.
Starbucks is offering a free cup of its new Pike Place Roast starting at 11am today. Hopefully the lines won't be as long as they were this morning at the Jamba Juice giveaway.
Some of the greatest minds of our future have been given funds to tackle the pressing problem of zombie attacks, thanks to the University of Chicago's UnCommon Fund, a program designed to provided funding for, um, unique student projects. Other proposals that received modest grants include a clothing-optional Halloween Party. OK, to be fair, other approved projects are a bit more serious.
Don't forget to turn off unnecessary lights between 8 and 9pm tomorrow night, March 29. It's part of Earth Hour, and Chicago is one of the partner cities. Do what you can to make the skyline go dim.
They didn't make it to Superdawg, but a Chicago political strategist and his trusty companion did manage to travel all the way to Mars. For naught, as it turned out.
Chicago's Pillow Fight Club celebrated International Pillow Fight Day today with a mass flying-featherfest in front of the Art Institute of Chicago on S. Michigan. If you didn't catch it, here are some photos. (Nice to see white stuff that isn't sleet or snow falling from the sky, isn't it?)
I wonder what's going on here at 3912 S. Vincennes Ave.? UPDATE: Google has taken the scene down; Gawker has the screenshots.
Despite the recent snizzle storms, spring is here, and it's time to plant stuff. Even if you lack a lawn, you can still get into the gardening spirit by "seed bombing" your nearest vacant lot. This video, shot in Pilsen by locals Fresh Cut Media, provides a concise how-to and tips on the latest trend in guerrilla gardening. Seed bombs away ...
It's nowhere near Halloween, but you could fashion your own "paranormal" museum tour right now. Start at the Field Museum, where "Mythic Creatures" await, then head down to the National Museum of Mexican Art, where Chupacabras lurk. For extra credit, visit the International Museum of Surgical Science to creep yourself out with actual medical history.
The Field Museum's new exhibit "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids" proposes zoological origins of the world's storied beasties. Cyclops? Just a pygmy elephant. More debunking in the Trib.
The marketing whizzes for the upcoming The Dark Knight (read: Batman) movie thought it would be a cool idea to promote the film's fictional district attorney Harvey Dent as a real candidate here in Chicago. The early returns weren't too good: police gave them the boot.
Running late for his son's tennis game, a Lake Villa father did what any of us would do - hopped in the family four-seater plane and landed on the golf course adjacent to the courts. Police speculate that a trespassing charge is in the works, though what's a guy to do when the club's tower doesn't respond to a request for clearance?
That massive 360° coverage campaign the Methods Reporter planned for last weekend's Chiditarod really paid off.
Reader CT writes, "Who needs to wait for 2016? Chicago is playing host to over 1000 competitors from 50 countries this very weekend." That's right, it's HAIRWORLD 2008!
Interested in learning more about audio and video podcasting and other social media? You might want to sign up for PodCamp Chicago, an "unconference" scheduled for early June. [
Navy Pier will be the site of the first Chicago Comedy Fest, slated for this fall. Some of the funniest people in comedy, many with local ties, will perform. Oh, and Jim Belushi will be there too. Check the official site for more details.
Found on Songza: The Theme from Hot Doug's by bee.
Canadian comedy fest Just For Laughs is teaming up with TBS to create a Chicago edition of Just For Laughs: A Very Funny Festival. The festival, which will feature Ellen DeGeneres, is slated for Summer 2009, so you still have plenty of time to work on that Rabbi/Priest/Northsider joke.
The 2008 Chiditarod has been announced. Pull your team together!
According to a (strange) Canadian newspaper, Chicago Heights police are investigating the possible UFO abduction of a woman jogging in a forest preserve. Then again, there was that UFO incident near O'Hare last year. Maybe they have their eye on a nice bungalow in the area.
The legendary Swap-o-Rama-Rama -- part swap meet, part political statement, part DIY Project Runway -- finally hies itself to Chicago on March 29 at the AV-aerie, 2000 W. Fulton. Bring $20 and a bag of your cast-off clothes, linens, and other goodies, then raid other people's stuff and gussy it up with the sewing machines, silkscreens, and other supplies on the premises. There will also be workshops and a fashion show. What is Swap-o-Rama-Rama, you ask? Watch this.
"Rock over Chicago," as Wesley Willis used to sing. How about "winter dome over Chicago?" (Don't laugh -- Moscow's getting one.) Andrew Mason of local start-up The Point -- which applies the principles of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point to enable people to organize fund-raisers, boycotts and other campaigns for change -- estimates the collapsible weather shield would cost "$10 billion." Campaign contributors won't pay a dime until the project reaches its funding goal.
So what the Packers made it to the NFC title game and the Bears... well. We'll get even with them somehow...
For those of you that don't like to stand out in the cold, much less run through it naked (read: are normal), you can experience the grand finale of UChicago's annual winter celebration Kuviasungnerk through photos, and video. Neither one of which is remotely safe for work.
Today is the last day to register for the Chicago Assassins' Inaugural Tournament. Part tag, part urban (squirt gun) death match, this three-week long tournament sets participants hunting after a single name - all while knowing that someone out there has theirs. The last remaining assassin wins the tournament and a $200 cash prize. Reflective aviators optional.
A little birdie told me about this shindig, especially if you're into bikes and bike people. Ring in this New Year in high style at Holy Roller's New Year's Eve. This dance party benefits West Town Bikes. The evening's entertainers include Matt Roan + E, DJ Andrew Foster and DJ Coyote DG. Enjoy a midnight dance-a-long with Chicago's own Team Band. There's a secret location that you have to RSVP for, as well as some other fancy spy like stuff. Details in Slowdown.
A Chicago cop plans to swim the entire perimeter of Lake Michigan... in the summer, not now, silly. He's no fool.
Links Hall artists are offering a series of "skill-sharing" workshops in January, where you can take a short class for a small fee in topics such as screenprinting, toy theatre and basic winter bike maintenance. There's also a potluck-style skill share at the end of January, where you can bring your own crafty expertise to the party.
You've got some time to plan, but put it on your calendar now: on March 29 from 8 to 9pm, turn out all your lights.
A new study sponsored by AXE (a male grooming brand) finds that flight delays can lead to romantic connections. Thanks to its poor on-time percentage, O'Hare places a respectable 13th on the list of major US airports; Midway limps in at number 31. The best matchmaker? Philadelphia International Airport. Start rearranging your connecting airports, people.
Lake Michigan deposited a Chicago Park District trash bin onto the shores of Holland, Michigan last week. Much poking with a stick ensued.
Subterranean hosts national design competition "Style Wars" tonight, which is described by its founders as "Project Runway" meets "Iron Chef". Hopefully the guy trying to revitalize Zubaz doesn't show up.
Pabst Blue Ribbon lovers, prepare to have your minds blown at The Empty Bottle tonight. For one night only, view an exhibition of PBR-inspired art while guzzling your favorite low-cost libation. Doors open at 7pm for the exhibit, followed by the Bottle's weekly free show at 9pm (details in Slowdown).
Seeking "serenity now"? Head to Elemental Gallery and Gift Shop's "Festivus Celebration" this Saturday, Dec. 8. Be sure to bring your list of grievances.
John C. Reilly will take the stage at the Cubby Bear tonight - in character as Dewey Cox - to promote his upcoming film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Fingers crossed that Chris Gaines joins him for a number or two. [via]
...right here in Chicago. Check out the full flickr set. [via]
Every Tuesday, Chicago Underground Comedy presents some of the finest in local funny people for just five bucks at The Beat Kitchen. This week, catch Hey You Millionaires plus Mike & Duane.
At the risk of inciting a lot of bad scat singers, The Northlight Theater and The Spot are teaming up to hold the second of their Ella Fitzgerald Karaoke Contests this Wednesday, Dec. 5. Tone-deaf renditions of "Too Darn Hot" notwithstanding, it's a good way for Northlight to promote their production of "Ella" that's currently running.
Santacon. Next Thursday. Prepare yourselves.
The SEED Conference, put on by 37signals, Coudal Partners and Segura Inc., is returning to IIT's Campus Center January 18. Get your tickets now.
Wanna see "nerds" beating the hell out of each other? Head over to the University of Chicago where their Fight Club-esque "Thunderdome" combat society is hoping to body slam the image of 90-pound, slide rule-wielding weaklings. Not everyone is in awe of the physical spectacle. "We come almost every week, mostly to laugh," said one second-year student.
Grab yer fursuit and head on over to Schaumburg this weekend for the 2007 Midwest FurFest.
Register now for this year's Mustaches for Kids mustache competition.
Local, self-described "joggler" Perry Romanowski just set a new world record for running a 50-mile ultra-marathon while juggling three bean bags. Romanowski did it in an amazing 8 hours, 23 minutes, and 52 seconds with no more than four drops--a half hour less than the old record. Hold on there... there was an old record to beat?
The now annual Sadie Hawkins' Day Race & Style Ride is back again, November 10th. What is it? "Sadie Hawkins Day Race/Style Ride is an on-street, in-traffic, point-to-point bike adventure for couples or pairs... There are prizes for the fastest couple, fastest tandem team, fastest out of towners, best dressed, and more." Last year's inaugural event drew people from out of town, generated a ton of missed connections and suffice to say, there were a few couples that are still together to this day.
If you didn't make it to the 11th Annual North Halsted Street Halloween Parade and are wondering about what you missed, check out some photos. Better yet, all you parade-goers out there can join Gapers Block's flickr group and post your own pics for us to see. Surprisingly, this Gaper did not see a single, in-the-flesh faux Amy Winehouse all Halloween -- not even at the heavily populated parade. Did you? UPDATE: Here's one -- thanks, Ron!
CNN's running some entertaining video of Illinois Institute of Technology students and their pumpkin slinging machines. Even their brand new President gets in on the action. Sweet.
Nau, the outdoor atelier whose clothes are eco-friendly is hosting a Film & Fashion Night in the South Loop on Tuesday, November 7th from 8pm to midnight. There's going to be BMX Ballet, food and drink (first drink free or so we hear) and other festivities. Learn about sustainable economy! It's free if you download, print and bring this ticket. More details in Slowdown.
If you love dogs in costumes, check out Sam & Willy's 5th Annual Pet Parade this Sunday on the Boulevard Park at Henderson and Paulina. Prizes for Funniest, Scariest, Most Creative, and Best Overall costumes. Registration starts at Noon, and the parade begins at 12:30.
The RedEye is running a Chicago's Most Beautiful Dog contest. In case Cute Overload wasn't enough for you anymore.
For six minutes tonight the International Space Station and shuttle will be visible in the sky above Chicago. The Trib has your timetable.
On Oct. 27/28, people around the world will do the "Thriller" dance en masse simultaneously in an effort to break the world record (yes, there's a world record for this.) The local contingent is organizing now.
Reader Dubi asks, "Can 15 minutes stretch over a weekend?"
Our pals at Time Out Chicago are looking for the funniest person in Chicago. Are you that special one? Send in a filmed clip of your talent to TOC by September 20; the finalists will be subjected to online voting to determine the winner, who will get a bag of swag and bragging rights.
After reading about the lone Powerball ticket worth $314 million that was sold recently in Indiana, I started dreaming about how my life would change if I had that much money, and wondered why I don't buy lottery tickets more often so that I can win and start my own Chappelle-like series of revenge missions. This Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing will be for a $250 million jackpot, so if you find yourself in a checkout lane with a dollar or two to spare, it might be your lucky day.
The Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby for Special Olympics Illinois just commenced, with several thousand plastic quackers released into the Chicago River's murky green waters.
Hot dog clogs major artery (and other assorted puns).
You can call it by its other name, Wizard World. This convention, the Midwest's largest, will feature legions of creators, fans, Suicide Girls, and that one stacked chick from "Battlestar Galactica." This Thursday through Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
I'm ruining this a little by telling you, but there's a pillow fight flash mob happening in Daley Plaza at 2pm today. Grab a pillow (maybe one from the couch in reception?) and look for people in red shirts.
The Old Town School of Folk Music wants to set the Guinness World Record for largest music lesson as part of its 50th anniversary. All they need is you and your guitar. And by "you" I mean everyone. Register online or by phone at 773-728-6000, then show up with your ax at the Welles Park Gazebo on Tuesday, August 7, around 6-ish to get all tuned up. The lesson starts at 7:30, and it's totally free.
Ex-cons in North Lawndale are pursuing the noble art of bee-keeping as a career. (Insert pun about freedom being "sweet" or "media buzz" here.)
This weekend, the Music Box is being invaded by that other form of moving pictures: TV. The first-ever Chicago TV Pilot Competition showcases comedy television pilots based on ideas from Chicagoans. It even comes with its own commercial, by FoGB Steve Delahoyde.
I bet when you think of conventions, sleazy salesmen or geeks in Klingon costumes come to mind. Me? I think of yarn. Especially since I just found out about YarnCon. Organized by two crafty chicas, YarnCon is possibly the first hip, urban yarn convention in the country. Put October 13th on your calendar if the idea of buying locally made goods related to yarn thrills you. Put August 15th (application deadline) on your calendar if selling goods related to yarn is more your thing.
Neo-Futurist playwright Sean Benjamin recently received 21 packets of taco sauce for two tacos from the Taco Bell drive-thru. Then he wrote a play about it. Now he wants your help collecting one million condiment packets for his Condimentometer project. Because why the hell not? You have more condiment packets than you could ever possibly use, right? Bring (or mail) your packets to the Neo-Futurarium at 5153 N. Ashland, 60640, and be a part of something big and meaningless.
The Spindle (the stack of cars in Berwyn's Cermak Plaza most famously seen at the beginning of Wayne's World) is coming down to make room for a Walgreen's, and it's unclear whether the current owners are willing to spend the money to place the artwork in another location. Better drive by Cermak Plaza and see the Spindle one more time before it drives off into the sunset...
A Cook County jury ordered a woman's lover to pay her husband $4,802.87 for stealing her love. Then it gets weird.
After receiving over 1,000 submissions, the Public Radio Talent Quest, a nationwide search for a new voice in NPR programming, has been whittled down to ten lucky semi-finalists, three of whom are from Illinois! You have until Monday, July 2 to vote for who of this bunch will advance to the next stage of the five-part contest, so visit the website and listen to their promising submissions.
A map of all the Apple and AT&T stores in Chicagoland: go get an iPhone.
Lake Forest has decided to make part of a mile-long stretch of beach a kid-free zone. Persons appearing to be under 21 will be asked for ID by parks and recreation Sandmen, uh, Stalkers, er... staff.
As of today, Cheikh "Bamba" Dione is the first fleet-based hybrid taxi driver in Chicago. Oh, and if you attend the formal unveiling, you may be lucky enough to watch David Hudson receive CCC's Cab Driver of the Year award and then witness his hand print and signature rendered in wet cement for CCC's "Walk of Fame."
Due to high temperatures this weekend, the Jackson and State Street bridges were unable to close without receiving a cold shower of water from a Chicago River fireboat.
Suspicious Clowns 9 is the current show at the Live Bait Theater and I hear it's good. Quite good. The Reader approves too. Friday and Saturdays all through June.
The US Rubik's Cube National Open starts tomorrow at the Chicago Cultural Center.
There's always room for one more cicada story, isn't there? A lad in Downers Grove found a blue-eyed cicada in his backyard, a one in a million find (among "hundreds of millions of cicadas," per a killjoy researcher).
Word from Kartemquin Films regarding their in progress film: "Kartemquin is currently working on Typeface, a documentary about cultural preservation, rural renewal and graphic design history in the Midwest.To support these efforts, we're holding a benefit on June 15th at the Center for Book and Paper Arts here in Chicago. Toad Hollow Vineyards is providing the bubbly, MJ Catering is bringing the sweets and a number of local artists (including Jay Ryan and Dennis Ichiyama) are donating original works for the silent auction." While the much lauded Helvetica opens the same night at the Siskel, it is a weeklong engagement. So, why not support the locals? Looks good to me.
Got a car you'd like to show off? It's not too late to register for this year's Chi-Town Kruze, scheduled for Sunday June 2. Billed as Chicago's Largest Outdoor Car Show, the Kruze is two things: a parade around a three-mile loop between Roosevelt and Randolph near the lake, as well as an outdoor car show in the south parking lot of Soldier Field. Admission to the show is $5, and if you have a car you'd like to show off (pre-1987 only), it costs $20 to register. Participation for the parade portion is free to both drivers and spectators.
At Schadenfreude's Rent Party tonight, a rare site: The Reader, Time Out, Chicagoist and Gapers Block duking it out in a three-round slam tournament. Just because we're all friends doesn't mean we can't bring it! Details in Slowdown.
Celebrate being exactly who you are today by eschewing the self-help aisle, loving those extra few pounds, and doing something that's absolutely unenlightening. It's the first annual national Freedom from Self-Improvement Day!
The latest in Chicago skull news. A 26-year-old man was discovered by police to have four human skulls in his apartment, with one boiling on the stove. In a strange turn, everything seems to be on the up-and-up since his job involves making anatomical models. I'd reconsider any dinner invitations for a while though.
Proving the steel-like endurance and cultural power of teen movies, the 20th anniversary re-release of Dirty Dancing will be shown tonight (and tomorrow) at 7:30pm at the AMC River East 21 (at 322 East Illinois). In addition to the visual treat of mid-career Swayze, you'll also get to see a documentary about the making of the movie, complete with cast interviews. Click here for tickets.
In preparation for mating season, officials at the Shedd Aquarium rolled out the sexy rocks of sweet penguin love for their Gentoo and Rockhopper penguins. It's a lot like Happy Feet, except the penguins will be knocking flippers instead of dancing.
On Saturday, like some ill-conceived SNL skit come to life, poor Cardinal Francis George took a tumble after slipping in holy water while blessing Easter baskets. He has a minor hip fracture, but he's doing fine.
Got any blood you're not using? Donate it on May 5 at Sacred Art, 2040 W. Roscoe, 11 am - 5 pm, for the store's second-annual blood drive. Donors will get discounts and free gifts at other Roscoe Village stores during the drive. Contact Sarah at 773-404-8790 or sacredartstore-at-gmail-dot-com to make an appointment and give the gift of life, y'all.
Pornography and feminism: two great tastes that taste great together! Tonight you can watch the documentary, "Hot and Bothered: Feminist Pornography," a look at how women are changing the industry from behind the camera. The screening is followed by a Q&A with director Becky Goldberg, a panel discussion with some local filmmakers, and some naughty raffle prizes from Early to Bed and others. All this empowered sauciness takes place tonight at 7:30 at the Leather Archives & Museum, 6418 N. Greenview. There's a $5 suggested donation, and of course you have to be 18.
The Field Museum of Natural History will return the skulls of 14 Maori (which were acquired sometime in the mid-19th Century) to their New Zealand homeland and, specifically, the Te Papa national museum.
Keeping track of the City's conventions so you don't have to. The APAI's annual conference is in town this week. Theme: "We Know What Works: Moving From Research to Policy to Practice". No word on what the clients of all these parole officers will be up to while their POs are here in Chicago.
If you've never gotten a chance to join local artist-gardner-ecologist Nance Klehm's urban food workshops, you are in for a treat this spring. Klehm has just announced a new series of "Living Kitchen" workshops that will include foraging for food in the urban landscape, cheese-making, pickling, sourdough and medicine. According to Klehm, "Living Kitchen is about direct experience with what is living and growing around us, new tastes, simple food-making processes, and sharing with others."
Like any newly emergent virtual world, Second Life can encompass both wickedness, and virtue, but what it definitely is not, is irrelevant. The 3rd annual RL (real life!) Second Life Community Convention is taking place this August at the downtown Hilton. With program tracks including Education and Business/Future of the Metaverse, its sure to host some interesting events. It may be months away, but once you log on you'll see that's barely enough time to get a good skin, let alone your bearings in SL.
Salt-stain Marys? Please. That's so 2005. All the cool kids are seeing Jesus Christ in a southwest neighborhood tree now. What? Well, maybe you're not squinting hard enough. Here, try practicing on this grilled cheese sandwich.
Hey, remember the tattoo artist who misspelled "CHI-TOWN"? Well, several other local tattoo artists have apparently intentionally had the misspelled word tattooed on themselves, as a show of support for the artist. If that sounds like a good idea to you too, stop by Jade Dragon Tattoo on Sunday, and you can get a "CHI-TONW" tattoo for free.
Blogger Dan Telfer points out that after the snows melt and the temperature rises, we'll have to deal with the chitinous grossness of the 17-year "locusts" (though, actually, they're cicadas, not locusts). Not to worry though. The crunchy little buggers are apparently quite tasty. You first.
The second annual Chiditerod was this past weekend, and there are lots and lots of photos and video. Check them out here, here and, of course, on flickr. (Not to mention today's Rearview.)
Hard though it may be to believe, the remains of the last king of Yugoslavia--and likely the only kingly bones buried on American soil--rest in Chicagoland. King Peter II is currently interred in Libertyville's Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava--but not for long if his heirs have their way.
The worst kind of typo is one in a tattoo, and that's what happened to Michael Duplessis. He's suing Jade Dragon Tattoo because they gave him a tattoo that says "CHI-TONW".
If you were walking past State Street this morning and wondered what all the hubbub was about... Apparently, a man climbed a construction crane near the Chicago Theater and said he'd jump. Police say the would-be sidewalk diver has done this before. Update: Happily, he did not become the man who fell to earth.
The Scion PR folks continue their quest to make the brand "cool" by hosting activities at FOUR in Wicker Park. Most days you can paint your own little ceramic Scions while listening to DJs and enjoying refreshments but there are a few movie premieres and other events too. Details on the website.
Chilly? Could be worse. Temperatures are about to drop to within billionths of a degree above absolute zero at U of C's Gordon Center for Integrative Science. Assistant Professor Cheng Chin intends to lower the temperature within a two-foot cylindrical vacuum chamber to -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit in order to study the Big Bang. One hopes Dr. Chin remembers to wear a hat and scarf.
Feeling not-so down with Cupid? Chicagoist and Apartment Therapy point us to a pop-up store from Altoids in Lincoln Park aiming to provide "the lovesick, lovelorn and Cupid-wary of Chicago ... a sanctuary from all the romantic overtures." Stop in between now and Valentine's Day and get free chocolate-dipped Altoids, coffee and cupcakes from Angel Food Bakery, anti-Valentine's cards and more. Yes, all for free. Open noon to 10pm at 912 W. Armitage Ave.
Tense Forms, the collaborative multi-disciplinary, project-based workgroup, is holding their 2nd annual Winter Showcase at Subterranean on February the 2nd at 8pm onwards. The showcase features an insane amount of buttons (1000+), a wall of televisions screening all kinds of visual art as well as live music.
The divide between improv and stand-up comedy isn't exactly church-and-state, but it's not so often that the twain shall meet. That's what's notable about Thomas and TJ's Tuesday Riot—it's the first show at iO, the former ImprovOlympic, to include stand-up. Each week features sets from three comics, followed by an improv set by Thomas Middleditch and TJ Miller. Read the minireview at Time Out's blog and check out next week's show with guests Prescott Tolk, Pat Brice and Brendan McGowan.
After last year's small success in Chicago, we've heard word that the Bicycle Film Festival will be back again. Currently, founding director Brendt Barbur and co are looking for new submissions for the 2007 round of film festivals set to take place in up to 15 cities: "We are looking for films with a strong theme or character of bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos." The deadline is February the 17th so you have about a month to get going or fine-tune that piece you've been working on. Details at the site or take a look at the flyer here.
A group of Chicago cyclists (myself being one of them) have organized a ride to raise awareness of the growing number of cyclist fatalities in the Chicagoland area. Named the "Fallen Rider Memorial Ride", the ride will start at the Thompson Center at 6pm tomorrow, January the 3rd and will ride to Diversey and Pulaski at an easygoing and respectful pace. The goal? To highlight how important driving and cycling are to Chicago and how the two require attention and respect. A PDF flyer can be viewed, downloaded, printed and passed along from here.
As in past years, you can ride CTA busses and trains for one cent until 6:00 AM New Year's Day. (Also note extended hours on some routes.) Happy New Year!
...at Stitchfest 2, held January 1, 2007, from noon to midnight. Join other crafty folks (and your tools; they'll supply the yarn) in a show of support for the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline. More in Slowdown.
Plans are underway for a Harry Potter conference in Chicago in August 2008. It looks like it will be organized by these people.
The Annual Santa Rampage/Get Drunk With Santa event is happening on Saturday, Dec 16th. (The bike community is hosting their rampage on the same day, but the details haven't been announced yet.)
To say that comedian Lisa Lampanelli is "politically incorrect" is like saying Michael Richards "ruffled a few feathers." The difference is that Lampanelli does it on purpose, and she's actually funny. Lampanelli gained notoriety from her appearances on several Comedy Central roasts, particularly that of Pam Anderson (the YouTube clip is here, but even with the bleeping it's still not work-safe). She was later invited for a couple of clean-but-still-dirty visits to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and now she's headlining her own tour. Lampanelli does two shows at the Vic this weekend, and they're both 18 and up for good reason. Details and Ticketmaster links in Slowdown.
Forget Miami v. Detroit. For the seventh straight year, Skokie shows the world how it's done by pitting Semite against Sikh on the gridiron, all in the name of collecting canned food. Details are in Slowdown.
The world's largest rubber-band ball is coming to town. Eugene, Oregon resident Steve Milton created a ball 5 1/2 feet high and weighting over 4,000 pounds. To celebrate his achievement, Office Max is flying him and his ball to town, where he will officially be inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records next Tuesday. I expect to see plenty of photos of this event on Flickr.
Swap Simple is on at the Hopleaf tonight from 7 pm until midnight. Just bring your unwanted books, DVDs and video games and swap 'em for stuff other people bring. Drop your stuff at the door and get tickets in return. Then "purchase" your new stuff with these tickets. And plus there's all that yummy, yummy beer for sale at the delightful Hopleaf bar. For questions, contact [at] swapsimple [dot] com.
Ever want to grow a mustache, but afraid that people will ridicule you? Well, here's your opportunity: register to participate in Mustaches for Kids and when someone makes fun of your 'stache, you can say, I'm growing it for charity."
Metblogs not only reminds you that tomorrow is Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day, it's also kind enough to provide a list of places to play.
Though I'm not a big hat person, I just love it that we have a Milliners Guild in Chicago. Its existence makes me want to be a big hat person, as if wearing beautiful hats could transport me to the same era that the phrase "Milliners Guild" conjures up. I guess you don't know until you try. And tonight is a good time to try, as the Guild is showing off its merchandise. Details in Slowdown.
Sadie Hawkins is a fictional day from a L'il Abner strip. However, it is now also a bike race organized to encourage women of all kinds who ride bikes to come out and race for fun, as well as to benefit the Chicago Women's Health Center. There's a pre-race fashion party on Friday, Nov 10th in the Fulton Markets with the race happening on Nov 11th, followed with a post-party the same day. Want to race? Want to have fun? Check out the myspace.
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