Gapers Block : Merge : Author

Complain in Song
The Complaints Choir of Chicago is getting ready to rehearse for their performance this fall, and they need your help: "Detractors, muckrakers, grouches and all citizens of Chicago: this is your chance to unite and voice your concerns and complaints in a hilarious choir conducted by Jeremy Jacobsen." Send your complaint and contact info to: complaintschoir@yahoo.com.
Friday September 21 2007 Music/Clubs

Green Space, a Quarter at a Time
As we mentioned Monday, today is National Park(ing) Day! Head to Milwaukee Avenue, just east of Western, to visit several parking spaces turned temporary public parks. The Trust for Public Land is offering free info, cupcakes and even a wishing tree. (Thanks, Meghan!)
Friday September 21 2007 Outdoors/Environment

OMG! Lulzcon 2007!
Reader Dubi asks, "Can 15 minutes stretch over a weekend?"
Friday September 21 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Desk Work
E. Thomas Gimbel, owner of the LaSalle Network staffing and recruiting firm, is 6'6"; he's found that having a desk to stand behind instead of sit behind has improved his workday immeasurably. [via]
Friday September 21 2007 Business/Shopping

Archival Art
Photographer Ian "only-connect" Lorenzo (whose photo was featured in Rearview on Thursday) does some amazing things with his flickr account. Individual photos shine, but it's best to view his archives page by page by page.
Friday September 21 2007 Photography

Buyer Beware
As if the overbuilding, high prices and cookie-cutter looks of so many of the new condo buildings, the Chicago Journal's Alan Shannon points out some other drawbacks.
Thursday September 20 2007 Arts/Architecture

The Tequilia Fund
A donation fund has been set up for partially paralyzed Windy City Roller "Tequila Mockingbird," (previous coverage here, here) to help pay for her medical bills (she was uninsured). You can donate via PayPal to TheTahirahJohnsonTrust@gmail.com. All funds will be transferred directly into her North Community Bank trust account and are tax-deductible. (You can use that same address to send her well-wishings, too.)
Thursday September 20 2007 People/Sightings

On the Map
National Geographic is bringing its popular Festival of Maps to Chicago Nov. 2 -- spread out over nine museums, libraries and other locations.
Wednesday September 19 2007 Arts/Architecture

A Note of Business
Our text ad service is just shy of sold out into October -- $25 for a week's attention at the top of our pages is a good deal. Click on "more" for an even better deal for our last remaining September slot.

We like to have ads run from Sunday to Saturday, but next week we've got an ad ending on Monday. We'll cut a deal for whoever wants the remaining five days (Sept. 25-29): $15 and it's yours. ~~First to email ah@gapersblock.com with their ad (no longer than 100 characters, including spaces) gets it.~~ Sold. But we still have plenty of room in October -- get in there while you can!
Wednesday September 19 2007 Gapers

There Once Was a Team Called the Cubs...
Photos and limericks about our North Side team. (Thanks, Enrich.)
Wednesday September 19 2007 Sports/Recreation

Metro-Remix
Metromix launched a full redesign today, and divorced itself URL-wise from the Tribune. It sure looks slick, but does it work any better?
Tuesday September 18 2007 Found on the Web

Blogging North of Devon
Rogers Park is the fifth bloggiest neighborhood in the nation, according to Outside.in. [via]
Tuesday September 18 2007 Weblogs

Fix Your Windows
Local software startup Humanized released a set of beta products yesterday. Beta products are small, free apps for Windows that do things like control your music player without actually looking at it, or perform search, language translation or mathematical typesetting wherever you need it.
Tuesday September 18 2007 Business/Shopping

Vote for the Local Collecter
The Apartments.com Collection Obsession contest has reached the finals, and local collector (and former GB staffer) Brenda Janish is a finalist! Vote for her collection of pin-ups every day through Oct. 19 to help her win.
Tuesday September 18 2007 People/Sightings

Day in the Life of a CPS Principal
One in four of Chicago Public School principals are new this year. Chicago Public Radio's David Schaper followed an elementary school principal around for a day to see what challenges she's facing.
Monday September 17 2007 Schools/Education

7 Bids for the Olympics
Well, now we know who our competition is. And the local press is already giving Chicago the lead.
Monday September 17 2007 Sports/Recreation

Design Sense
Stitch is "a rigorously edited selection of sleek home and personal furnishings." A very beautiful selection.
Friday September 14 2007 Business/Shopping

Designers, Set Your Palettes!
If you're into creative competition and don't have much to do on Friday afternoons, you'll want to check out the new ~~Photoshop~~ Layer Tennis!
Friday September 14 2007 Weblogs

Where to Fish
Want to go fishing? Here's where to go, and what you might catch there.
Friday September 14 2007 Sports/Recreation

Thin Crust
Someday, we're going to lose this reputation for only eating deep-dish pizza.
Thursday September 13 2007 Eating/Drinking

Lost Dog
Do you know where Reba is? (Thanks, Ellen!)
Thursday September 13 2007 Found on the Web

Bachelor No More
Crain's reports that William Wrigley, Jr. -- just last month named Chicago's most eligible bachelor by Forbes -- just got married.
Wednesday September 12 2007 People/Sightings

A Life-Changing Report
Tribune science reporter Peter Gorner is being credited with changing the lives of at least 13 children with a story about a rare form of diabetes -- as he himself was dying from lung cancer.
Wednesday September 12 2007 People/Sightings

Big & Green & Closing
~~You have till tomorrow to catch the very cool Big & Green exhibit at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, featuring 15 green building projects in Chicago or by local architects.~~ Ugh, turns out the exhibit was from 2004. (Sorry, the pages included the date, not the year.)
Tuesday September 11 2007 Arts/Architecture

"My Bed Wasn't On Fire"
A footnote in Del Close's biography, Wasteland was an anthology of short comics written by Close and fellow actor (now comics writer) John Ostrander in the late '80s. Here's a sample story, a parody of both Harvey Pekar's popular American Splendor and R. Crumb's drawing style. (This thread on a comics forum includes a great anecdote about Close supposedly undergoing tests for the US space program.)
Monday September 10 2007 Books/Authors

Teen Sex
Not what you're thinking: The Midwest Teen Sex Show is a great video podcast put together, apparently, by some very funny folks in northwest suburban Woodstock. [via]
Monday September 10 2007 Found on the Web

More on Hans Peterson
Kevin Guilfoile posts more of his research on murderer Hans Peterson on The Outfit Collective blog.
Sunday September 9 2007 In the News

Cheetah Gym Saga Continues
Drive-Thru contributor Dana says, "I walked by the Andersonville location this morning and saw a sign in the window that said 'Cheetah Gym will be reopening under new ownership on Sept. 9.' Quick turn-around, huh?"
Friday September 7 2007 Sports/Recreation

Wanna Be the Next Nitro or Lace?
That's right: "American Gladiators" is returning to TV after an 11-year hiatus. And they're looking for both gladiators and contestants here in Chicago. Show up at the Windy City Fieldhouse Sept. 16 for your chance.
Friday September 7 2007 Radio/TV

Pick Your Favorite
American Express and the National Trust for Preservation have teamed up for Partners in Preservation, a very worthwhile contest: 25 Chicagoland architectural and historical landmarks vie for $1 million in grants for preservation and protection. Who wins is dependent on votes, so vote for your favorite -- and in classic Chicago style, you can vote more than once, every day in fact.
Friday September 7 2007 Arts/Architecture

Cheetah Gym Ex-Members, Unite!
Are you an abruptly ex-member of Cheetah Gym? You might be interested in joining this forum to discuss a possible class action lawsuit against the company. (Thanks, Robert!)
Thursday September 6 2007 Business/Shopping

Oh, Berny.
Berny Stone, our vice-mayor, is being investigated for absentee ballots cast in his favor in the hotly contested 50th Ward elections earlier this year. He says it's probably happening all over the city, but no other alderman report similar investigations. Meanwhile Stone's name is coming up a lot in the convoluted story surrounding the closing of the Lincoln Village Theaters at Devon and McCormick.
Thursday September 6 2007 Politics/Activism

Relive Meigs
The latest edition of GoogleEarth includes a flight simulator (controls here). GB reader Dubi Kaufmann noticed that "One of the 27 airports available in the flight simulator is Meigs Field - FOUR YEARS after it was closed."
Thursday September 6 2007 Found on the Web

The Face of Cornbleet's Killer
Author Kevin Guilfoile has been writing about the case of Dr. David Cornbleet, the dermatologist who was killed in his Loop office. Until now, nobody seemed to have a recent photo of Hans Peterson, the man who confessed to the murder and who took refuge in the French Territory of St. Martin, where he has avoided extradition. Guilfoile believes he's found one.
Wednesday September 5 2007 In the News

Now It's Official
You may have thought it was a done deal, but today Chicago was formally made the United States' nominee for the 2016 Olympics host city.
Tuesday September 4 2007 In the News

Where's Our WiFi?
Wired puts the recent failure of Chicago's municipal wifi plans into national perspective. (Thanks, Matt!)
Tuesday September 4 2007 In the News

Who's Reppin' Us?
Jim DeRogatis asks, who speaks for the local music scene? The answer, in part, is the Chicago Music Commission, which just released an economic impact survey of the city's music industry.
Tuesday September 4 2007 Music/Clubs

Block 37 Over Budget
The Block 37 project is millions over budget, to the surprise of nobody. Crain's reports that the city is now in talks with the same firm that leased the Skyway to privatize the CTA station below the block.
Saturday September 1 2007 Transportation

Rolling the Tollway
Following the great success of Bike the Drive, the Chicago Bike Federation has somehow managed to persuade the Illinois Tollway to give Route 355 over to bicycle traffic on November 11. Six lanes, nothing but bikes.
Friday August 31 2007 Sports/Recreation

Zone 6
Chicagoist answers a question I've been wondering the last week or two: What's up with the new "Zone #" stickers on all the parking meters?
Friday August 31 2007 Transportation

Jazzing in Up
We probably don't have to tell you that the Chicago Jazz Festival is under way; here's a schedule and guide if you need one.
Friday August 31 2007 Music/Clubs

Coming Soon... Cheese
A trailer for I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, starring Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman and the City of Chicago. (Thanks, Dubi!)
Friday August 31 2007 Film

Labor Day Get-Together
Kick off the long weekend right: join Gapers Block staffers tonight at the Green Eye Lounge, below the Western Blue Line stop, from 9pm on for our monthly GB Get-Together. Details here.
Friday August 31 2007 Gapers

News About the Other Mafia
The Trib profiled the Chicago Craft Mafia in today's paper, including GB's own Cinnamon Cooper. The article offers a bunch of tips for just-starting crafters toward the end.
Thursday August 30 2007 In the News

Jazz Showcase Returns
Jazz Showcase, the late lamented venue, will rise again at Dearborn Station this winter. (Meanwhile, the old Jazz Showcase space on Grand is La Madia, an upscale pizza and wine place.
Thursday August 30 2007 Music/Clubs

Super Happy Fun Slide
A couple in Lombard left their teenage son at home alone for a week earlier this summer. He and his friends took the opportunity to build a 60-foot waterslide in the backyard. Potential for serious injury aside, that's pretty frickin' cool.
Wednesday August 29 2007 Found on the Web

It's a Fave
Fave is a new "Chicago neighborhood browser." Unlike most search tools, this one is a downloadable browser that supposedly doesn't transmit your search to the Internet, which leads me to believe it has an internal directory -- so it's more like an electronic yellow pages, I guess? If you're curious, they've got a storefront at Clark and Fullerton where you can try it out and ask more questions.
Tuesday August 28 2007 Found on the Web

Lakeview is Burning with Boredom Now
YoChicago magazine lays out what we've all suspected for years: Lakeview is losing its unique and quirky businesses thanks to the wave of condo development that has brought chains in to fill first-floor spaces.
Tuesday August 28 2007 City Life/Cultural

Lone Surfer of Lake Michigan
Detroit surfer Joe Bidawid landed safely in Chicago yesterday after paddling about 60 miles across Lake Michigan on his board. He did it to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Monday August 27 2007 Sports/Recreation

BREAKING NEWS: Serious Injury @ the Derby
Gapers Block just received word that Saturday night's Windy City Rollers bout was cut short by an incident that left Fury player Tahirah Johnson, aka Tequila Mockingbird, with a fractured cervical vertebra. She was rushed to surgery to relieve pressure and hopefully save her from paralysis. We'll keep you posted as details come in (below the break -- click on "More"); The WCR message board is another good place to watch for updates.

Update 8/26 afternoon: No news on Johnson's condition post-surgery, but we've been told that she regained some feeling and control over her left arm before surgery, so there's hope that it means she'll have an effective recovery.

Update 8/27: WCR released this statement today:
"We understand and are grateful for everyone's concern regarding Tequila's injuries. At this time we'd like to respect Tequila and her family by not releasing any information without their permission, but please know that Tequila is in the best of care at one of the top hospitals in the city.

"As soon as we have information to make available, including where folks can send well-wishes, we'll do so.

"Thanks again for your concern, and please thank our medical staff when you get the chance. They truly did an amazing job making sure Tequila stayed safe and cared for."
Sunday August 26 2007 Sports/Recreation

Hef is Your Friend
Speaking of skin, Playboy has created a (non-nude) social network for colleges. Playboy U harks back to the good ole days of Facebook: a .edu address is required to join.
Friday August 24 2007 In the News

Skin Flicks
Chicago-based Mr. Skin is your number one source for who's naked in what movie; Business POV interviewed the founder, Jim McBride, and discovered it's also a $6 million-a-year moneymaker with 44 employees. (NSFW)
Friday August 24 2007 Business/Shopping

Of Boxers and Pit Bulls
The story of a former boxer and pitt-bull fighter from Freeport, IL. [via]
Thursday August 23 2007 Sports/Recreation

Conrad Noir
Noted without comment: Toronto Star photographer Lucas Oleniuk and columnist Jennifer Wells reflect on the Conrad Black trial. (Thanks, Charlie!)
Thursday August 23 2007 Print/Magazines

Saving the Point or Missing It?
Hyde Park's Promontory Point is the subject of much preservationist activism in the face of the Park District's plans to replace the limestone steps and lake wall with concrete. Hyde Park Progress looks at the changes to the steps and general upkeep since the Park Districts' plans were put on hold.
Wednesday August 22 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Taxi Cab Confessions
HACK is a blog by taxi driver and artist Dmitri Samarov, created as a companion to his pretty amazing website. Check out his other "Hack," a minicomic about his day job.
Tuesday August 21 2007 Weblogs

Is That a Ninja In Your Pocket?
Shawnimals is coming out with even tinier versions of its pocket ninjas, with a loop so you can have one guard your keychain. Sweet! In other art/craft news, two of Delicious Design League's Flatstock posters are now for sale on UrbanOutfitters.com.
Monday August 20 2007 Arts/Architecture

Downtown Poshness Poolside
Apartment Therapy Chicago let us in on a cool option for a downtown getaway: The Hotel Intercontinental offers access to its amazing Roman Bath-style pool and fitness center for just $15. (Check out the virtual reality tour of the pool in the Amenities section of this {unfortunately all-Flash} site.)
Sunday August 19 2007 Sports/Recreation

We're Tied for 9! We're Tied for 9!
The University of Chicago tied for ninth place with Columbia University on US News & World Report's annual list of America's best colleges.
Friday August 17 2007 Schools/Education

Come and Knock on My Door
Quick, what was the bar in "Three's Company" called? That's right, the Reagle Beagle. And now you can visit it and the rest of the Seventies and Eighties, right at Michigan and Grand.
Friday August 17 2007 Eating/Drinking

Pessimism Reigns Eternal
Got an overconfident Cubs fan in your midst? Here's a song to help bring them back to earth, courtesy of the Beachwood Reporter.
Thursday August 16 2007 Sports/Recreation

New Brew in Town
Half Acre Beer is a new brewing company in Chicago (although its beer is actually produced in Wisconsin). Looks promising; we'll track down a six-pack and review it in Drive-Thru.
Wednesday August 15 2007 Eating/Drinking

Hot Neighborhoods Are Impoverished Too?
Crain's reports that retail doesn't always follow rapid development of new neighborhoods. Some spirited discussion of the article at YoChicago.
Tuesday August 14 2007 City Life/Cultural

Hundreds of Channels and Nothing On
A moment of web zen: "TV DX Photos by Channel seen from Macomb, IL Since 1983" -- in other words screenshots from stations seen with a long-distance TV antenna. [via]
Monday August 13 2007 Found on the Web

Hacking the Menu
Over in Drive-Thru, we're wondering: what menu hacks have you come across?
Monday August 13 2007 Eating/Drinking

Don't Jenks It
Despite the White Sox' continued suckitude, closer Bobby Jenks has been a bright spot. On Sunday, Jenks tied Jim Barr's all-time record of 41 consecutive batters retired. (Here's a great little profile from back just before Jenks joined the Sox in '05.)
Monday August 13 2007 Sports/Recreation

Friday Fun: Astronaut
Our very own Felix has created a fun little time-killer: the Astronaut syncs random flickr photos to appear with key words from a song by Dan Frick.
Friday August 10 2007 Found on the Web

It's Hot. Watch Movies.
Looking for some movies this weekend? There's a ton to see, and none of it involves a major cineplex. Saturday is another night of Movies in the Park and is Home Movie Day, and Chopin Theatre is hosting a tribute to director Ingmar Bergman on Saturday and Sunday for $7 a show or $20 per day. See Slowdown for details.
Friday August 10 2007 Film

We're Now a One-Paperboy Town
The Tribune is going to deliver the Sun-Times.
Thursday August 9 2007 Print/Magazines

"Who Do You Love? You Love a Car!"
As reader Pat says, "if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."
Wednesday August 8 2007 City Life/Cultural

Nice Shirt
I'm digging the Chicago Shirt from Rock'n Clothing.
Wednesday August 8 2007 Business/Shopping

La Sardine, DesignRed, Lakeshore Theater
What do they have in common? They're all in Chicago Magazine's 2007 Best Of issue.
Wednesday August 8 2007 City Life/Cultural

Parody Songs & Sculpture
Via the Beachwood Reporter, the somewhat bizarre year-end gifts of Sam Zell. (It's copyright Saltator Sepulcri, which translates roughly to "dancer [of/on] graves," ~~so I'm gonna guess they're social satire, not real gifts.)~~ UPDATE: They're real!

GB reader Paula writes, "I wish they were social satire, but they are real and he does give them out as gifts every year. A friend of mine works at a financial company in Chicago that works with Zell and every year they get a bizarre moving sculpture piece that has a button to activate the movement and the voice of Sam Zell pontificating about something important to him. In her front office they have them lined up on shelves and they drive her nuts because guests love to push the buttons, but there’s no off switch so once you start the monologue you’re stuck until it ends. Bizarre."
Tuesday August 7 2007 Found on the Web

Bloggers of the World... Unite?
Should bloggers unionize?
Monday August 6 2007 Weblogs

Things for Sale
FoGB Ron Slattery is selling some of his stuff. And what interesting stuff it is.
Monday August 6 2007 Weblogs

Say Hey, Let Me Play Too
The Cubs are for sale, and Ernie Banks wants in. Mr. Cub made an offer last year, before the Cubbies were available, and has talked to three of the investment teams getting ready to bid.
Sunday August 5 2007 Sports/Recreation

Shooting Racism
A University of Chicago assistant professor in psychology has devised a videogame which tests racial bias based on whether you shoot black or white men holding cellphones, wallets or guns.
Friday August 3 2007 Schools/Education

Scenes from a Movie Theater
Our former film critic Gordon McAlpin and his wonderful Multiplex comic got some attention from Boxoffice Magazine.
Friday August 3 2007 Film

Feeling Safe
If you're not one to read Fuel, you might want to make an exception -- the current thread about what people do to feel safe at night is interesting and pertinent.
Thursday August 2 2007 Gapers

A Body of Words
Dictionary editor and local blogger Erin McKean was the guest columnist for William Safire's "On Language" column in the NYTimes last weekend.
Thursday August 2 2007 Print/Magazines

Pillow Fight Today
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.
Thursday August 2 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Your Attention Please...
The CTA Tattler runs down a list of some of the CTA's rules of behavior.
Wednesday August 1 2007 Transportation

If I Had a Million Dollars...
Guy goes to a bar and a Miller Beer promo girl hands him a game ticket. It says, "Nobody Knows I... Just won a million dollars." Guy gets excited -- and Miller Girl takes the ticket away. Guy starts talking to a lawyer.
Wednesday August 1 2007 In the News

A Garden Sprouts
In East Garfield Park, at Maypole and California, a community garden is taking shape in a formerly vacant lot.
Tuesday July 31 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Blog
Zorn points to a blog panning our governor: BloggingOnBlagoBlog, from the Illinois Republican Party.
Tuesday July 31 2007 Politics/Activism

Lake Michigan Stories
Got a good story or photo involving Lake Michigan or another of the Great Lakes? HealthyLakes.org wants to hear/see it. They're running a photo and story contest through the end of August, with prizes awarded each month. (Thanks, Hugh!)
Tuesday July 31 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Want to Write About Comedy?
The Bastion is looking for writers.
Sunday July 29 2007 Weblogs

The Items We Carry
On Tuesday, Naz started a flickr group called The Items We Carry -- just pictures of the things you have in your pockets or on your person every day. As of this writing, three days later, there are 630 members and 320 photos of people's stuff. Join up, or just kill time on a slow summer Friday going people-watching in slightly different way.
Friday July 27 2007 Photography

Trump Marches On
YoChicago checks in on the progress at Trump Tower.
Wednesday July 25 2007 Arts/Architecture

Creative Loafing Buys the Reader
The Chicago Reader has been bought, along with its sister paper, the Washington City Paper, by Creative Loafing, an Tampa-based chain of four southern alt.weeklies. Here are two PDF press releases, from the Reader and one from Creative Loafing. UPDATE: Here's Michael Miner's take on it.
Tuesday July 24 2007 Print/Magazines

Hub to Hub
George Aye and Sara Cantor, the couple behind Hubwear, did a nice interview with Gridskipper.
Tuesday July 24 2007 Business/Shopping

Ask(About Chicago)MetaFilter
There was a flurry of Chicago-related questions on Ask.MetaFilter the last couple days:
• Does the mafia still exist in Chicago?
• "For a novice, what is a good bike route from Chicago's North Side to the loop?"
• Temping in Chicago?
Monday July 23 2007 Found on the Web

A Different Kind of Tour
The Residents' Journal has organized "ghetto bus tours" for folks interested in learning more about what it's like to live in the projects. Tickets are $20 if you're interested.
Monday July 23 2007 City Life/Cultural

Where to Get Leighed
Nerve.com has a neat interview with Karen Abbot, author of Sin in the Second City, about the famed Everleigh Club. (Thanks, Matt!) Medill News Service offers up a record of another recent interview.
Sunday July 22 2007 Books/Authors

Printers' Ball Busted
The aforementioned Printers' Ball was raided by the police last night. Reasons were not immediately clear. (More at Chicagoist.)
Saturday July 21 2007 Books/Authors

Steve@TheMovies-Spotting
Our own Steve Prokopy is a guest host on the latest episode of the popular local podcast Filmspotting. Adam Kempenaar and I discuss Rescue Dawn, which he reviewed last week, and Sunshine, which he reviews this week. You can download the episode here.
Friday July 20 2007 Film

Looking for Laughs
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.
Thursday July 19 2007 Radio/TV

You Should Have a New City Sticker By Now
...which means you've either added another one to the column, or you've removed the old one and have a sticky smear on your windshield. Here's a sure-fire method for removing the old sticker and the glue.
Wednesday July 18 2007 Weblogs

First, Do No Harm
Expanding her focus on the plight of the chronically ill in today's healthcare system, past GB contributor Kimberly Soenen and friends have launched Project Sin Alma.
Wednesday July 18 2007 Found on the Web

Critics find Fox Revolting, Boycott
The Chicago Film Critics Association (of which our own Steve at the Movies is a member) is slapping 20th Century Fox with a boycott, claiming the studio is discriminating against some of its member critics from less prominent media — specifically, Internet-based critics. (Thanks, Dee!)
Monday July 16 2007 Film

Smart in the Suburbs
The Smart Car is available in Chicagoland -- out of a tiny storefront on Route 14 in Palatine.
Monday July 16 2007 Business/Shopping

Bike Messenger POV
Ever wonder what it's like to be a bike messenger? Crain's tags along with Josh Corby, part owner of the Four Star Courier Collective, and shoots some first-person footage, slipping through traffic.
Friday July 13 2007 Business/Shopping

Trib2.0
The Tribune is previewing the upcoming redesign of its website, and it's ...well, boring. Nice web2.0 social networking-type features, but man, how 'bout a little pizazz?
Thursday July 12 2007 Print/Magazines

Three-Card Monte Tour
Apartment Therapy drew attention to City Walks Chicago, a tour ~~book~~ deck of cards, with which you can design your own walking tour of downtown.
Wednesday July 11 2007 City Life/Cultural

Jeff Tweedy <3 Chicago
Wilco's frontman tells American Airlines' magazine all about his city crush.
Wednesday July 11 2007 People/Sightings

CME+CBOT=?
Shareholders of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade agreed to their pending merger, which means Chicago will be the world capital of commodities for the foreseeable future. There's already speculation that the new "CME Group, a Chicago Board of Trade company" (official acronym TBD) may start looking for more acquisitions.
Tuesday July 10 2007 Business/Shopping

Little Italy: Mostly Mob-Free
Chicago Daily News tells the story of Dead Man's Tree, and finds Taylor Street is largely free of mob influence.
Monday July 9 2007 History

Last Chance for Pitchfork
We're closing entries in our contest for three pairs of three-day passes to the sold-out Pitchfork Music Festival at noon, so get in there now! UPDATE: We have our winners! Congratulations to Elizabeth Monkus, Matt Avery and Bob Atkinson!
Monday July 9 2007 Gapers

Kwik-E Mart Walk-through
Not willing to drive all the way to 63rd and Harlem for a Squishee? The Methods Reporter has your hook-up.
Friday July 6 2007 In the News

Hooping It Up Downtown
Looking for something a little different this weekend? How about a hula hoop dance party in Millennium Park? HooperPower and Chicago Hoopdance are celebrating World Hoop Day with an interactive performance tomorrow night from 7 to 9pm. Grab a hula hoop and join in for free!
Friday July 6 2007 Theatre/Dance

Read, Listen & Watch
Green Lantern is hosting a book launch/video screening/reading tonight from 7pm to 9pm at 1511 N Milwaukee, 2nd flr. Josh MacPhee will discuss his new book, Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority, our own Anne Elizabeth Moore will do a short reading and discuss the demise of Punk Planet, and Dara Greenwald will present her rotating collection of short videos that make you laugh and cry. It's free; BYOB.
Thursday July 5 2007 Books/Authors

Tastes of All Kinds
Over in Drive-Thru, we've got some companion coverage geared toward the Taste of Chicago: Christine Blumer provides tent-to-tent recommendations on the drinks of Taste to go with Tribune reporter Monica Eng's ratings of all the food choices. (No really, she tried them all; it cost $1100.) And David Hammond offers up an alternative Taste of his own -- a guide to eating cuts not usually found on American plates.
Thursday July 5 2007 Gapers

Delving into the Past
Once you're done poking around in Architectural Artifacts, head over to Urban Remains, which specializes in salvaged items from the turn of the century to the 1930s, primarily in Chicagoland. (Photography fans should check out this page.)
Thursday July 5 2007 Business/Shopping

Pitchfork Ticket Contest!
We've got three pairs of three-day passes to the Pitchfork Music Festival July 13-15, courtesy of Boost Mobile and Schubas, and we're giving them all away! To be entered in the drawing, send an email including your name, address and phone number to contests@gapersblock.com by July 9! Good luck!
Tuesday July 3 2007 Gapers

Chicago Infoporn
Crain's offers a treasure trove of information with its Market Facts feature this week. Check out maps of census data and an interactive skyline tour, and PDFs of all sorts of market information.
Tuesday July 3 2007 Print/Magazines

Beanbags Away!
Don't know how I missed this yesterday: Cornhole, aka Baggo, makes the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
Friday June 29 2007 In the News

Decorate Your Walls
Dan Grzeca (pronounced "Jet-sah") designs concert posters as well as fine art screenprints; he's now selling them on Etsy in addition to festivals and craft shows.
Friday June 29 2007 Arts/Architecture

Speaking of Tunnels...
The Tribune takes a tour of the tunnels below the Green Mill and other businesses at the Broadway/Lawrence intersection; watch a video here.
Thursday June 28 2007 History

Where to Stand in Line
A map of all the Apple and AT&T stores in Chicagoland: go get an iPhone.
Thursday June 28 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

H4x0r5 in T|-|3 N3VV5
Chicago magazine profiles Jeremy Hammond, the hacktivist founder of Hackthissite.org. Lots of links for further exploration in his Wikipedia entry.
Wednesday June 27 2007 Found on the Web

Interested In Some Literature?
Mimi Smartypants comes up with the best response to a religious tract pusher I've heard in awhile (last item).
Wednesday June 27 2007 Weblogs

An Oldie but a Goodie
We've linked to this site about the old freight tunnels under the Loop before, but I just came across a 1933 article in Time about them. "Bowels of Chicago," indeed! (You might also be interested in the Central Electric Railfans Association.)
Wednesday June 27 2007 History

Goodbye Girlie-Q
We just got a note from Bloody Belle of the Girlie-Q Variety Hour, letting us know that the infamous queer burlesque and variety show is no more. Is the timing coincidental to its usual home, the Hothouse, being in danger of losing its lease? Maybe, but more importantly Belle is moving to New York. She says a couple of performers, Backdoor Aly and Mae the Bellydancer, may be planning a new show, possibly to run in Hamburger Mary's upstairs cabaret. Stay tuned, and keep your eye on Ray's Guide for your general burlesque news.
Tuesday June 26 2007 Theatre/Dance

Phone Reader
The Reader now offers its restaurant, film, music and event listings in a mobile version for your phone. Could come in handy the next time you're planning with friends who "dunno, whadda you wanna do?"
Tuesday June 26 2007 Print/Magazines

Helping Our Allies
Kirk Johnson, a journalist whom we've written about before, has launched The List Project, an effort to help resettle Iraqi translators and others who have assisted American and British troops in the war and who are now targets of insurgents. (Thanks, Nate.)
Tuesday June 26 2007 Politics/Activism

Striking in the Conference Room
Jack Flash, singer-guitarist for the local band Bang! Bang!, has been wearing thrift-store ties cut into lightning bolts for some time -- and now you can too. Bang Bang Ties are professionally tailored (not by Flash) and are available online and at Strange Cargo. [via]
Monday June 25 2007 Business/Shopping

New York Swapping Times
Coudal Partners' awesome Swap Meat got a nice write-up in the New York Times Magazine. Its wild success has led them to keep the swap open till at least the end of the summer.
Saturday June 23 2007 In the News

A What Reuben!?
Over in Drive-Thru, we're discussing questionable and strangely named menu items -- such as the ill-advised tilapia reuben and the disturbing Porker McGee. Join us, won't you?
Friday June 22 2007 Eating/Drinking

Going Out Tonight
Going.com lands somewhere between Upcoming and Yelp -- a social network for actual socializing. They're throwing a launch party for their Chicago channel tonight at Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee, starting at 7pm. RSVP and more info here.
Thursday June 21 2007 Found on the Web

Norwood Park + Park Ridge = Norridge
Here's an examination of suburban naming trends in Chicagoland.
Thursday June 21 2007 Weblogs

Son of a Preacher Man
Chicago magazine has an interesting profile of the least-known son of Jesse Jackson, Yusef, who recently moved into publishing by investing in the resurgent Radar Magazine.
Wednesday June 20 2007 People/Sightings

Ze Frank Replacement
People who miss The Show with Ze Frank should check out the Wheezy Waiter, a video blog by Craig, the lead singer of Driftless Pony Club. It's not exactly the same, but hopefully it'll help with your jones. [via]
Wednesday June 20 2007 Weblogs

Kill Your Automated Operator
Bringo is a Chicago-based web company that helps you find a dentist. Even more useful, though, it'll get you past those annoying automated phone trees. Awesome.
Wednesday June 20 2007 Business/Shopping

Bat Suit Revealed!
As you know, the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is filming around town right now. An alert apartment dweller shot some photos with her phonecam of Batman doing some unsafe stuff on a back deck, revealing to the world the look of the latest costume. HollywoodChicago also has some video of filming in Buena Park.
Tuesday June 19 2007 Film

Punk Planet Closing Up
Punk Planet is ceasing publication. The 13-year-old independent magazine has fallen victim to the same distributor bankruptcy issues (though a different distributor) as McSweeney's, and find themselves with no option but to close down. PunkPlanet.com and the book publishing unit will continue on, but PP #80 will be the last.
Monday June 18 2007 Books/Authors

Cutting Out the Middle Man
Jim DeRogatis examines the stranglehold TicketMaster maintains over tickets for concerts, theater, sports and other events, and points out that LiveNation, TM's biggest customer, recently began selling tickets for all local venues (all the way out to Alpine Valley) at the House of Blues box office, without a service fee. The Metro and Schubas have long offered the same option. (DeRo runs down the fees, and also reminds us that the war on TicketMaster started here in '94.)
Monday June 18 2007 Music/Clubs

Preserve This City
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois is holding a conference on preservation this weekend, starting tonight with free tours of the K.A.M. II Synagogue and Hyde Park Bank. Much more is planned throughout the weekend, and it's not too late the register.
Friday June 15 2007 Arts/Architecture

DIY Loop Tours
The Chicago Loop Alliance offers Loop the Loop, three free podcast tours of the Loop covering notable art, theatre and landmark destinations. Nice perspective renderings of key buildings, too.
Friday June 15 2007 City Life/Cultural

Messages from Space
Out in Palatine, there's a family whose baby monitor suddenly began picking up video from the Space Shuttle this week.
Thursday June 14 2007 In the News

Help Pay for the New Roof
If you live in a condo building, you might be interested in CondoPerks, a new service that lets condo association members earn money for the association by shopping online. Help defray that landscaping bill bit by bit!
Thursday June 14 2007 Business/Shopping

Hideout Block Party: -Metro, +Bird
The Hideout Block Party is no longer being curated by the Metro; they've moved their big 25th anniversary shindig to an as-of-yet unnamed elsewhere. (No hard feelings between the venues, apparently, just a change of plans.) But the show will go on; so far Andrew Bird is the only confirmed performer. (Speaking of Mr. Bird, he'll be on Conan O'Brien tonight.)
Thursday June 14 2007 Music/Clubs

Art of Protest
An ordinance to privatize the selection of public art, among other things, proposed by Mayor Daley and the Department of Cultural Affairs is being considered by the City Council this morning. Artists and activists will be protesting the silencing of artists' voices at City Hall starting at 10am. You can help keep public art meetings open by calling or emailing your alderman's office -- look it up here -- or head on down and join them.
Wednesday June 13 2007 Arts/Architecture

Aloha, Mr. Coates
Jim Coates, the Tribune's computer columnist, said farewell today with a column looking back on how he spent the last 14 of his 40 years at the paper. Whet Moser and Scott Smith offer rememberances.
Tuesday June 12 2007 Print/Magazines

Out of the Heartland, Into the Grid
Chicago magazine has redesigned its website, cleaning up the layout, doing away with their awful URLs and adding another blog: Jeff Ruby's Push, detailing his road to fatherhood.
Monday June 11 2007 Print/Magazines

Better Than Hands Across America
Student Films Across America is a collection of, you guessed it, short films by students from around the country, including one from Chicago. Head to the Lakeshore Theatre tomorrow night at 7:30pm to see An Open Door by local film student Sean Jourdan and others, all for the same $10 you'd spend watching another lame Hollywood blockbuster.
Friday June 8 2007 Film

Turning the Alleys Green
NYC's Streets Blog summarizes a new pamphlet from the Chicago Department of Transportation: The Green Alleys Program [PDF]. Some interesting stuff in there.
Friday June 8 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Four Stars at the Five Star
It's Transmission Thursday again -- stop by Five Star, 1424 W. Chicago, after 9pm tonight for drink specials and DJ Brad Owen. Make sure to say hi to Nilay; he's got a sticker for you.
Thursday June 7 2007 Gapers

Our Younger Cousin
Our good friends at Chicagoist are celebrating their third anniversary tonight at the Subterranean. If you're looking for a way to escape the heat after work, you could do worse.
Thursday June 7 2007 Weblogs

Lincoln Park Pirate Watch
ChicagoTows.com is a nearly real-time database of Chicago vehicle towing. Keep your eye on those pirates. (Thanks, Pat!)
Thursday June 7 2007 Transportation

Another Billboard Controversy
A billboard for a spa in Glenview diagramming a woman's physical flaws (and their cosmetic solutions) is drawing fire from local women. "I don't want to sound like a chauvinistic pig, but this is a man's world," the spa owner said, refusing to take the ad down.
Wednesday June 6 2007 Politics/Activism

That's Customer Service
The CTA may suck in a lot of ways, but at least there's one employee willing to retrieve the walkman you dropped on the tracks.
Wednesday June 6 2007 Transportation

Collaged Clothing
Check out the very interesting textile artwork of Marcy Sperry, who also blogs about Rogers Park life at Thank You for Your Submission.
Tuesday June 5 2007 Arts/Architecture

Yet Another Googlemap, Posting Edition
Outside.in is already an interesting place to check for posts about Chicago, but here's another neat tool they recently added: blogger maps. Now you can check out which places we and other local blogs have been writing about.
Tuesday June 5 2007 Weblogs

No Tank for 8 Games
The Bears' Tank Johnson has been suspended by the NFL for eight games next season as a result of his arrest on weapons charges last year. Which means, unless he gets time off for good behavior, we'll see him suit up for the first time Nov. 11.
Tuesday June 5 2007 Sports/Recreation

FeedGoogler
The rumor is now official: Feedburner has been purchased by Google. Here's Feedburner's official announcement.
Friday June 1 2007 Business/Shopping

Intersecting Cultures
Theatre, meet Radio: Chicago Public Radio's Sylvia Ewing has joined Steppenwolf as producer of "cultural intersections." The new position will oversee such projects as the CPR-Steppenwolf "Traffic" series of live performances recorded for radio, for which Ewing was one of the producers.
Friday June 1 2007 Theatre/Dance

Bring a Book, Take a Book
Looking for something new to read? Well, new to you, anyway? The Reader Book Swap is tonight at Nick's Uptown. Details in Slowdown.
Thursday May 31 2007 Books/Authors

Four Star Pie Chart
Chicago.Metroblogging's Fuzzy Gerdes has created our local entry into the very cool flags of the world as pie charts
Wednesday May 30 2007 Found on the Web

Listen to Something New
Chicago Public Radio's new station, Vocalo.org, is semi-live. DJs are streaming periodically on the site, and you can sign up to submit your audio clips.
Wednesday May 30 2007 Radio/TV

Does This Look Infected?
Drug-resistant staph infections are spreading through Chicago's population, thanks to the public hospital system, a study says. Yikes.
Tuesday May 29 2007 Health/Fitness

ORD to MDW
Hubwear has redesigned, and boy does it look good. Time to pick up a new travel t-shirt. (And speaking of t-shirts, Threadless is having another big sale this week.)
Tuesday May 29 2007 Business/Shopping

Endangered in the City: Newsstands
Crain's reports on a vanishing feature of Chicago: sidewalk newsstands.
Friday May 25 2007 City Life/Cultural

Out of Exoskeleton, Into Belly
The cicadas are finally arriving, at least in some places (I haven't heard any yet). The Trib has a great, surprisingly creepy time-lapse video of cicadas molting, and Drive-Thru's own David Hammond and some friends are getting some press for a cicada dinner they've thrown. They'll be on the Jerry Agar show, WLS 890-AM, at around 9am this morning.
Friday May 25 2007 Outdoors/Environment

School Lunch Program
The Reader takes a look at Chicago Public School's lunch program and efforts to improve it. You might also be interested in Lori Barrett's in-person take on the same, awhile back in Drive-Thru.
Thursday May 24 2007 Schools/Education

We're Four
We're pretty excited about our fourth anniversary party tomorrow night at the Hideout; you should come! For a little taste of the evening's fun, check out our musical guests the Heaven Seventies and Occidental Brothers Dance Band International on MySpace.
Thursday May 24 2007 Gapers

The Journalistic Code
The Knight News Challenge has been kind to Chicago. Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism received a grant to create scholarships for programmer-journalists -- such as Adrian Holovaty, creator of ChicagoCrime.org, who also received a grant and has left the Washington Post to start EveryBlock. Geoff Dougherty of (recently redesigned) ChiTown Daily News also received a grant to continue his citizen journalism project. UPDATE: Also, Daniel Sinker, co-editor and publisher of Punk Planet, received a Knight Fellowship at Stanford (thanks, Mark).
Thursday May 24 2007 Schools/Education

Sing Us a Song, You're the Cabbie, Man
Ross Wolinsky interviews Ray St. Ray, the Singing Cab Driver, over at Jargon Chicago. ~~Coincidentally,~~ St. Ray was interviewed in the Columbia Chronicle ~~not three weeks~~ a year ago. (thanks for pointing out the inaccurate dateline, Mark!)
Thursday May 24 2007 City Life/Cultural

"Harold's 6 Piece"
A musical tribute to Harold's Chicken Shack. [via]
Wednesday May 23 2007 Found on the Web

Furniture for Easy Living
Wickes Furniture opens its first downtown store this morning at 2606 N. Elston, around the corner from Target. Go check out the "urban innovations" furniture displays by WNUA and LITE-FM deejays and other noted hip, fashionable people.
Wednesday May 23 2007 Business/Shopping

Yet Another Googlemap, Duffer's Edition
Like golf? Crain's Chicago Business has the map for you, listing 191 courses in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
Tuesday May 22 2007 Sports/Recreation

Gin and Openings
Over in Drive-Thru, we've got a looong list of openings that have just happened or will in the next month or so. And Tim Lacey recommends opening up a bottle of gin.
Tuesday May 22 2007 Gapers

Expect a TSA Weapons Advisory
A man in Marquette Park died last night after being stabbed -- with a house key.
Monday May 21 2007 In the News

We Go Together...
Did you know that the musical Grease was set in Chicago? The movie version wasn't -- it's in California -- but hey, it makes a good segue to the fact that "Sing-Along Grease hits the Music Box Theatre starting this Friday. The film's songs are subtitled in case you forget the words (as if), and there's a goodie bag and costume contest before the show. Get your tickets now, because the weekend showings are sure to sell out.
Monday May 21 2007 Film

Google Buying Feedburner?
Interesting rumors are popping up about Google purchasing local RSS feed company Feedburner for about $100 million in order to move into the RSS ad market. GigaOm isn't so sure the deal makes sense.
Saturday May 19 2007 Business/Shopping

Sad Spring for Local Papers
Sun-Times Media Group continues to suffer, and is now considering closing or selling 25 of suburban weeklies it spent the last decade consolidating.
Friday May 18 2007 Print/Magazines

Alt.Media Slam Jam!
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.
Friday May 18 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Illinois Is Average America
Illinois is the state that most closely reflects the whole of America, according to US census analysis by the Associated Press.
Thursday May 17 2007 City Life/Cultural

Lurking in the Loop
Time Out Chicago's cover feature this week is a "Loop Survival Guide," and it's pretty good. The guides to dive bars and greasy spoons are of particular interest; the pedway piece isn't nearly as comprehensive as ours.
Thursday May 17 2007 City Life/Cultural

Blogging with Child
Thinking about parenthood? The recently Chicago Moms Blog should help give you a realistic look at life after kids.
Thursday May 17 2007 Weblogs

Anger... Rising... Must... Fight...
Despite our huge number of highways and interminable construction, Chicago only ranks seventh in road rage, according to the annual In the Drivers Seat survey.
Tuesday May 15 2007 Transportation

Swap Met
Man, we were all set to tell you about the awesome Jay Ryan poster that went on sale yesterday over in Coudal.com's Swap Meat, but they sold out before morning. So instead, go check out the equally awesome Brendan Dawes C-prints of 2001: A Space Odyssey and all the other cool stuff.
Monday May 14 2007 Business/Shopping

Take a Class
Looking for something to do this summer? How 'bout a project? Classes start soon for furniture making, book and paper making, figure drawing and other arts.
Monday May 14 2007 Schools/Education

Mature Audiences Only
A substitute teacher at a Chicago elementary school thought it would be a good idea to show the R-rated film Brokeback Mountain to an eighth grade class. Not surprisingly, the family of one of the students is now suing.
Monday May 14 2007 In the News

Two Weeks Away
Gapers Block is four years old. Isn't that crazy? We're celebrating at the Hideout on Friday, May 25, with bands, giveaways and more — you should come. Details in Slowdown. (Oh, and check this out.)
Friday May 11 2007 Gapers

Justice At Work ...Sorta
The jury took just one day to find Juan Luna guilty in the notorious Brown's Chicken Massacre case. Meanwhile, R.Kelly's child porn trial still hasn't started, five years after charges were brought.
Friday May 11 2007 In the News

Foodies, Start Your Engines
...And head up to Devon Avenue: the first shipment of Indian mangoes has arrived.
Friday May 11 2007 Eating/Drinking

Fancy Fillet-work
That red snapper you got at the sushi joint? Possibly not the real thing, the Sun-Times reports. Tilapia and sea bream are nice, but that's not what we ordered. (D'oh! Link fixed.)
Thursday May 10 2007 Eating/Drinking

First Person Shooter
Wafaa Bilal, an Iraqi-born artist, has set up a little target practice in Flatfile gallery -- and he's the target. Domestic Tension is an installation involving Bilal, a room and a motorized paint gun controlled by a webcam; line it up and try to shoot him. Follow his video diary and learn more on CrudeOil.us, or see it in person; the installation lasts till June 1.
Thursday May 10 2007 Arts/Architecture

Farm Project
Did you know there's a small organic farm on the edge of Cabrini Green? It's possible you've even eaten its produce at one of the city's top restaurants. [via]
Wednesday May 9 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Local Lit
City bookworms have another web destination in Literago, which intends to serve as "a portal to news and information about literary goings-on in and around Chicago."
Tuesday May 8 2007 Books/Authors

37signals' Business Philosophy
Those familiar with 37signals will have heard a lot of this before, but Business POV's interview with Jason Fried gets to the heart of the company in a pretty succinct manner.
Tuesday May 8 2007 Business/Shopping

The Artist's Guide to Making Money
1. Create art
2. Print guide
3. ???
4. Profit!
Monday May 7 2007 Arts/Architecture

Bug Watching Tips
Wondering about the best place to watch the 17-year cicadas emerge from underground? The Tribune's gardening blog has some helpful tips. You might also want to check out Cicadamania.com, which has plenty of info about the impending onslaught, and this map from UofI.
Monday May 7 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Back to School
A quick update on Allen Lee, the Cary-Grove High School senior arrested for an essay: he's being allowed to return to class Monday.
Sunday May 6 2007 In the News

Glasner House Renewed
Newsweek takes a look at the renovation plans for Frank Lloyd Wright's Glasner House, with not one but three videos explaining what will happen. [via]
Friday May 4 2007 Arts/Architecture

How to Open Someone's Wallet
How to Open Things is a new site that allows you to set up contests for ways to open ...well, whatever you want. The creator was recently interviewed on WindyBits.
Friday May 4 2007 Found on the Web

Save the Viking!
No, not the street artist -- the replica of the Gokstad Viking ship, which is weathering away in dry dock out in Geneva. It's on the Landmarks Illinois endangered list, and there's an international movement afoot for its preservation.
Wednesday May 2 2007 History

Sports in Five Heats Up
If you haven't read Sports in Five in awhile, now is a good time -- not only does Chicago have two teams in the playoffs, but we've just added coverage of the Windy City Rollers to the mix. (Sky in Five coming soon, and if you're interested in covering the Force, we'd like to hear from you.)
Tuesday May 1 2007 Gapers

Return on Investment
At the beginning of April, the Tribune profiled baseball card collector Lionel Carter, who was about to put his collection up for auction, fearing for his safety after home invaders stole some of it. The portion he's auctioned so far has earned $1.6 million. NPR interviewed him yesterday.
Tuesday May 1 2007 In the News

Crain's Overseas
Crain's Chicago Business' full Doing Business in India feature is now online. It's a pretty interesting look at how Chicago-based businesses are moving into India, such as how McDonald's is finding success in a country where cows are sacred, and how John Deere is changing the way road construction is done.
Monday April 30 2007 Print/Magazines

Writing On the Walls
Shawn Hazen moved to Chicago about a year ago, and almost immediately began taking pictures of the city's vibrant type. [via]
Monday April 30 2007 Photography

The Canyonization of Evanston Continues
While everyone is still abuzz about the Calatrava Spire (it just won approval for a zoning change, btw), developers have quietly pushed a plan for a 49-story condo tower in downtown Evanston that would become the tallest building ever in Chicago's suburbs. If you've visited Evanston lately, you know that it's gotten pretty tall in recent years, but this one would be twice as tall as what's there now.
Friday April 27 2007 Arts/Architecture

Nesting Time
This week's Reader is the "Nest Issue," taking a look at people who've transformed their rental apartments into thoroughly personalized spaces -- included GB friends Brandy Agerbeck and Derek Erdman.
Friday April 27 2007 City Life/Cultural

Profiling or Prevention?
An Asian-American student at northwest suburban Cary-Grove High School was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct over what he wrote in a homework essay that was apparently very violent but not aimed at anyone or anything in specific. The kid is a straight-A student with no known history of violence, so the question -- which will no doubt be argued in court -- is whether he was really a threat or if this is an overreaction in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre.
Thursday April 26 2007 In the News

"My Happening, & It Freaks Me Out."
Wonder how Roger Ebert's appearance at the Overlooked Film Festival went? Mark Caro has a report.
Thursday April 26 2007 People/Sightings

Best Olympics T-Shirt Yet
Whet Moser shares a 2016 t-shirt design I think in some circles would sell at least as well as the official one.
Wednesday April 25 2007 Found on the Web

Top Dog
They haven't got much attention from the local press, nor did they have a winning record in their first season, but the Chicago Hounds can at least claim one thing: Greg Puhalski was named UHL Coach of the Year.
Wednesday April 25 2007 Sports/Recreation

Watch It Happen
The Reader has posted the video documenting the point-blank shooting of an unarmed man by an out-of-uniform police officer mentioned in its current cover story.
Tuesday April 24 2007 In the News

Very Bloggy Up North
Outside.in recently surveyed itself to determine the bloggiest neighborhoods in the country -- and Rogers Park came in at #5. Nice shout-out for the 24/7 North of Howard Watchers.
Monday April 23 2007 Weblogs

No. 10 in Renewable Energy
That's where we rank in SustainLane Government's recent survey of major cities. The Chicago Center for Green Technology thinks we should be number 1.
Friday April 20 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Who Copied Who?
Interesting reading about TribLocal.com yesterday; in early March I learned about the Sun-Times' plans for something very similar: NeighborhoodCircle.com, which was top secret at the time. Wonder which came first?
Friday April 20 2007 Print/Magazines

1 Down, 59 to Go
Intelligentsia's Black Cat espresso is number five on Esquire's list of "60 Things Worth Shortening Your Life For." We also have a place to try number 35, "duck fat potatoes." [via]
Thursday April 19 2007 Found on the Web

Too Late, Slowpokes
If you were planning on running in the Chicago Marathon this year, I hope you signed up already: direct registration closed today, a bit earlier than usual. There are still limited spaces available through the Chicago Area Runners Association and a number of other organizations; check the list on this page. (Thanks, jaymce!)
Wednesday April 18 2007 Sports/Recreation

They're the Wirtz
As readers of Sports in Five know, the Blackhawks' season is over, finishing 13th in their division. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the man every Hawks fan blames: Bill Wirtz.
Wednesday April 18 2007 Sports/Recreation

Coffee on a Mission
Those wondering what will fill the java void left by Filter's eminent demise (you know, besides the several other coffeeshops in Wicker Park) can rest easy: Blend is ready to be your new fix-provider. YoChicago sheds some light on the "faith, hope and love" idealism on the shop's website -- safe to say you won't be meeting many one-night-stands there. (Thanks, Trish!)
Tuesday April 17 2007 Eating/Drinking

Small Birds, Collected
Diane Sudyka, best known for her concert posters and other printmaking, has been spending time at the Field Museum preparing bird specimens. The work has inspired her to draw birds to fill her own Tiny Aviary. (Thanks, Jennifer!)
Tuesday April 17 2007 Arts/Architecture

Looking for Lunch?
GrubHub, the food delivery search site, has redesigned. BusinessPOV interviewed the founders about it.
Monday April 16 2007 Eating/Drinking

Adrian Runs Free
Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, the organization charged with returning "Adrian" the Quizno's coyote to the wild, blogged about his release. The photos are heartwarming. (Thanks, Dubi!)
Monday April 16 2007 Outdoors/Environment

Olympic Decision Pending
The decision of the US Olympic Committee comes down tomorrow, and I don't know about you, but I like Chicago's chances over LA a whole lot better now that Mitt Romney has thrown his support behind us.
Friday April 13 2007 In the News

Chicago in Videogames
Over on Ask.MetaFilter, there's a thread compiling videogames that are set, in whole or in part, in Chicago. The list includes "Duelin' Firemen," in which a jet and the Space Shuttle crash into the Sears Tower. (Fortunately, it was never released.)
Thursday April 12 2007 Found on the Web

Dollar Store on the Radio
The Third Coast Audio Festival has teamed up with the Dollar Store for this year's Shortdocs series: create a two- to three-minute audio story about one of three items found at a dollar store and send it in by Aug. 30. (I'm working on one for that sweet mug.)
Thursday April 12 2007 Radio/TV

Ebert vs. Black
Roger Ebert wrote a letter in 2004 in support of union workers at Sun-Times should they decide to go on strike, and got a chastising letter back from former Hollinger chairman Conrad Black. Ebert's reply pulls no punches. (Thanks, AZ!)
Wednesday April 11 2007 Print/Magazines

Casting a Wider Net
Chicago Sportscast already produces some of the best podcasts on our local sports teams (including one by our own Bears in Five columnists), but they're not satisfied. So they're launching networks in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, D.C., Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Auditions are already taking place; if you know a sports nut in one of those towns, put'em in touch.
Wednesday April 11 2007 Sports/Recreation

Help Wanted at Coudal
From FoGB Jim Coudal: "We need some help with Swap Meat, Jewelboxing and some other projects this summer. We need an intern. We pay interns and we expect a lot from them. If you're the one, [email info@coudal.com] with the phrase "C'est Moi" in the subject line, and send us something to prove it."
Tuesday April 10 2007 Business/Shopping

Five Six-pointed Stars?
Over at Chicagoist, Benjy ponders whether the city would add another star to the flag if we win the 2016 Olympics. An interesting and relevant question considering the meanings of the other stars. He's giving us a lot of credit for staying power by saying we'll need to update our logo in nine years if it happens, but for the record: we'll change if the flag does.
Tuesday April 10 2007 Weblogs

C-O-Y-O-T-E!
Last Thursday, the Max Weinberg's band on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" performed an "improvised" song about the coyote who wandered into the Loop Quizno's. [via]
Monday April 9 2007 Radio/TV

Odd CraigsList Prostitution Bust
So wait, the 17-year-old daughter ran the prostitution ring!?
Monday April 9 2007 In the News

Records'n'Stuff
The WLUW Record Fair & Other Delights is next weekend, and there are still a couple booths available should you want to unload some of your music -- or posters, crafts, clothes, whatever. Get on it now!
Friday April 6 2007 Business/Shopping

Third Cop Fight Taped
There's a third cop fight caught on tape, and the cop doing the fighting in this one is allegedly the brother of Anthony Abbate, the cop who beat up the bartender last month. This time the victim is a visiting police officer from Washington, D.C. And Mayor Daley would really like it if the police would behave themselves.
Wednesday April 4 2007 In the News

Getting You Ready for the Big Weekend
Still haven't figured out what to do for Passover or Easter? Christine Blumer has you covered with this week's Drive-Thru feature.
Tuesday April 3 2007 Gapers

Really Old School Beats
It's not every day that we get to report on a concert consisting of the oldest song in recorded history (Tribune link, includes video of the performance).
Monday April 2 2007 Music/Clubs

The Trib Sells to Zell
The anticipated sale of the Tribune is official, and local real estate tycoon Sam Zell has bought it. In an interesting twist, Zell announced that he will sell the Cubs, leading immediately to speculation on who might buy them. Solid perspective from the Beachwood Reporter, of course.
Monday April 2 2007 Print/Magazines

Show Your Support
Free Hot Doug!
Monday April 2 2007 Eating/Drinking

Block 37 on Fire
Hungry Mag's Michael Nagrant alerted us that there's smoke rising from the Block 37 construction site. He sent in a photo; there's nothing showing up on the live webcam, although it doesn't show the area Michael photographed. We'll keep you posted if/as we learn more. UPDATE: More photos on Chicago Carless, and here's a story in the Trib.
Saturday March 31 2007 In the News

Neighborhood Focus
The Reader kicked off a new project focusing its attention on the city one neighborhood at a time. First up is Uptown. It seems to be the idea of the moment; we've been contemplating doing something similar, and YoChicago has been devoting days to specific neighborhood lately: today is Ravenswood Manor Day.
Friday March 30 2007 City Life/Cultural

Your Name in Lights
Good fun for a Friday: the Chicago Theater marquee generator. UPDATE: Dubi Kaufmann, the site's owner, has been asked by the theater's owner to take down the image.
Friday March 30 2007 Found on the Web

How to Get from Chicago to London
As explained by Google Maps. Step 20 is a doozy.
Friday March 30 2007 Found on the Web

GB Around Town
Join Gapers Block editor Andrew Huff (me) and contributor Daniel Tucker (also of AREA) as well as people from Optional Events, the New World Resource Center and Polvo, tonight for a talk about event calendars and listservs at A+D Gallery tonight at 6pm; more info in Slowdown. Also, for those with drinkin' on their mind, we'd love to see you at the Black Rock tomorrow night for our monthly GB Get-Together. We'll be in the back room from 9pm on; see you there!
Thursday March 29 2007 Gapers

Speaking of the Bears and eBay...
Reader Zach informs us that some of those Bears SuperBowl XLI Champions shirts that got sent to Africa have found their way to eBay. A must-have for the ultimate superfan.
Tuesday March 27 2007 Sports/Recreation

The Blues Line
Speaking of the NYT, the Grey Lady turned her attention to our glorious transit system this weekend, and noted its "precarious" funding situation and crumbling condition.
Monday March 26 2007 Transportation

Get Your Ghet On
Hey, did you hear? Oakland's Ghetto Gourmet is in town for a couple underground dining dates over the next couple days. More details -- and later this weekend, a report from the first dinner -- in Drive-Thru.
Friday March 23 2007 Eating/Drinking

Through Rain, Sleet or... Slowly
Chicago's postal service is the worst in the nation, according to a recent survey, and the Southwest Herald's Ray Hanania wants to hear your horror stories. You can even send them by mail, if you dare.
Friday March 23 2007 City Life/Cultural

Small Is Cool
Apartment Therapy: Chicago wants to see someone local win the 2007 Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest. If you think your tiny pad has what it takes to beat all comers, enter by April 6.
Thursday March 22 2007 Arts/Architecture

Chicago 101
Gridskipper got it right when they called it "the Beginner's Guide to Chicago;" not many surprises on this list (though the shout-out to UIC's bowling alley is refreshing.) And hey, we're "twice as smart and half as nice as the folks in St. Louis and Minneapolis" here in the "capital of the Midwest." Great.
Thursday March 22 2007 Found on the Web

Plan Your Bus Trip
The RTA actually listened to a customer, reports the CTA Tattler: you can now choose "buses only" on the RTA Trip Planner. (Meanwhile, the RedEye now has a CTA blog of its own.)
Thursday March 22 2007 Business/Shopping

Button Up!
Hey, Busy Beaver is having a design contest for its next So&So button set! You could be famous in one-inch increments!
Wednesday March 21 2007 Arts/Architecture

Pretend You're in Third Grade...
...and go on a factory tour!
Wednesday March 21 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Put It in Your Little Black Book
Want to see a movie tomorrow night? There's an advance screening of Black Book, a WWII period piece set in Nazi-occupied Holland, tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7pm at Landmark Century Center Cinemas, 2828 N. Clark St., courtesy of Nerve.com and Sony Pictures Classics. It's free, but you have to RSVP here to get in.
Monday March 19 2007 Film

Yet Another Googlemap, Gangsta Edition
In connection with the current Fuel question: If you don't know what gang claims your neighborhood, you should check out the handy googlemaps on the invaluable ChicagoGangs.org. I just found out that the kids in red and black on my block are members the Almighty Black P-Stones.
Monday March 19 2007 City Life/Cultural

Chicago's CFO Resigns
The city's chief financial officer, Dana Levinson, resigned today to take a job with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Even as he leaves, however, he insists that taxpayers won't be on the hook for the 2016 Olympics if we get it.
Friday March 16 2007 In the News

St. Patty's Shopping
Once you've had your fill of green beer (or better yet, beforehand), head over to the Empty Bottle for this month's Handmade Market, where you'll find everything from soaps to jewelry to accessories made of recycled bike tires. Details in Slowdown.
Friday March 16 2007 Business/Shopping

Check Your Email Before You Fly
O'Hare and Midway now offer a service that will email or text you with up-to-date flight information. That'll help, right?
Friday March 9 2007 Transportation

Passage to India
Crain's Chicago Business sent a team to India to examine how outsourcing and the rise of South Asia in the business world will affect people here. Great team coverage.
Friday March 9 2007 Print/Magazines

Visit Beautiful Woodstock
Northwest suburban Woodstock was named one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2007. [via]
Thursday March 8 2007 Sports/Recreation

Last Chance to Win!
Hey! We're closing our reader survey tonight, so if you haven't told us a little about yourself, please take a minute to do so. You could win a $50 gift certificate to Threadless, who's having another $10 sale right now. (Or it could be for somewhere else if t-shirts aren't your thing.) It's anonymous except for your email, and if you're not interested in winning, even that's optional. UPDATE: Survey closed! Thanks for participating!
Wednesday March 7 2007 Gapers

Farwell Farewell?
Get ready for another fight over the Farwell Building: it's back up for review by the Landmarks Commission tomorrow. This time the odds of preservation are a bit slimmer, as the city's planning officials are throwing their support behind the plan to gut the building and slap its façade onto a new Ritz Carlton hotel and condo high-rise. Once again, Preservation Chicago and Lynn Becker are pushing for people to protest the proposal; the fight isn't just for the building now but for Hanig's Shoes, the ground floor tenant that will close after 30 years if the project is approved.
Wednesday March 7 2007 Arts/Architecture

Beasts! I Tell You
Several local artists contributed illustrations to the new book, Beasts!, and many of them will be at a release party/book signing at Quimby's this Friday. Read Kara Luger's preview and interview with Madison, Wisconsin's Little Friends of Printmaking over in the Book Club.
Tuesday March 6 2007 Books/Authors

Hello, Sports Racers
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.)
Tuesday March 6 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Parenting 2.0
Chicago Parent magazine has redesigned its website, which now includes a whole bunch of blogs covering a variety of aspects of parenting, from feminist childrearing to being a working mom to just being a dad.
Monday March 5 2007 Print/Magazines

Quite a Building
Via Coudal and Edward Lifson: 360° VR photos of the Elks Veterans Memorial Building in Lincoln Park.
Monday March 5 2007 Arts/Architecture

Jump to the Front of the Line
No more waiting around outside for your cheap tickets. Hot Tix, the half-price ticket agency run by the League of Chicago Theaters, now offers ticket sales online.
Monday March 5 2007 Theatre/Dance

YouTube at the Bar
Tap.tv, a Burr Ridge-based technology company, has set up a YouTube-esque video jukeboxes at several area bars. To use LiveBar.net, you upload videos to the site, then text a code to the service when you're out at, say John Barleycorn or Moe's Cantina. The jukebox will then switch from whatever random video it was playing to yours, all for free. So far it's almost entirely commercials and "Family Guy" scenes.
Saturday March 3 2007 Business/Shopping

WBEZ2.0
Chicago Public Radio debuted a clean new website design this evening.
Friday March 2 2007 Radio/TV

Help Us Get to Know You
(This is mainly for the benefit of our RSS readers.) Gapers Block is currently doing a demographic survey of our readership. Please help us out by spending a couple minutes filling it out. Thanks!
Friday March 2 2007 Gapers

Don't Tour This Store
Medill News reporter Brad Flora took a tour of The Boring Store, 826CHI's new "not a secret agent supply store," and was nice enough to take photos.
Thursday March 1 2007 In the News

Robocop is Watching You
The Chicago Police have a new weapon in their arsenel: the automated license plate reader, capable of scanning thousands of plates an hour and checking them against stolen vehicle reports. And, one would imagine, expired plates.
Wednesday February 28 2007 Transportation

Tech Kind of Town, Chicago Is
Participate Media CEO Alan Warms has some thoughts about the benefits of being a tech start-up in Chicago.
Wednesday February 28 2007 Business/Shopping

Keep an Eye on the Election
You voted today, right? Keep an eye on the results for your ward and others on the Board of Elections site, and/or tune in to WBEZ, who'll be running special election night coverage tonight, including a live visit to Ald. Ed Bus' campaign headquarters.
Tuesday February 27 2007 Politics/Activism

Quick, Book a Flight
Are you headed to SXSW? Or are you a big enough fan of the Metro and Chicago music to fly to Austin for a great concert? Then we've got a contest over in Transmission that's just for you.
Tuesday February 27 2007 Gapers

The Language of Carnivale
Ever wanted to learn Portuguese? Casa de Cultura Brasileira has you covered. Opened in January, the school and Brazilian cultural center offers classes from beginners up to advanced levels, and the next round starts in March.
Tuesday February 27 2007 Schools/Education

A City Paved with Wood
Chicago once had 481 miles of wood-paved streets; only two small stretches remain today. YoChicago has a video of one of them: Wooden Alley, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. [via]
Monday February 26 2007 History

Haven't You Always Wanted a Monkey?
Well, think twice. "Imagine how agile a cat is and multiply that by a squirrel. This little thing bites. You name it — bitten: bite your hand, bite your ear."
Monday February 26 2007 In the News

Congrats, Jennifer Hudson
Chicago native Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for best supporting actress.
Sunday February 25 2007 People/Sightings

Presidential (Hopeful) Portrait
Big fans of Barack Obama may be interested in bidding on Southern folk artist Panhandle Slim's portrait of the senator and presidential candidate.
Saturday February 24 2007 Arts/Architecture

"ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU ARE LEAVING THIS TRAIN!"
Awesome story at CTA Tattler of someone kicking three drunk, obnoxious guys off the Brown Line.
Friday February 23 2007 Transportation

Oscars with Musical Accompaniment
Speaking of the Oscars, here's one of the more novel tie-ins I've heard of: The Delafields will be playing at Simon's Tavern, 5210 N. Clark st. -- but only during the commercials and "boring parts," allowing you to catch the awards and a concert.They'll also have an Oscar pool, with prizes like a massage and tax consultation -- from members of the band! How's that for service?
Thursday February 22 2007 Music/Clubs

Preview of Act One
This American Life, the TV Show, debuts in a month (March 22, specifically) on Showtime. Check out the trailer here. (Still tickets available for the live performance at the Chicago Theatre March 1, btw.)
Wednesday February 21 2007 Radio/TV

CTA Bother You? Call Blago.
The Tribune's Kyra Kyles recommends that instead of pissing and moaning about CTA problems, you call write and email Governor Blagojevich and tell him to support the RTA's budget requests. Here are his numbers: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121. You could take it a step further by looking up your local, state and federal reps at Civic Footprint and bugging all of them. (Thanks, Will!)
Tuesday February 20 2007 Transportation

Penn & Sagal
Friend of GB Greg writes, "Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me was a lively guest on the Penn Jillette radio show yesterday, talking about the foie gras ban, Jack & Jeri Ryan, his own show, and other things of Chicago interest. For those who missed it, it's now up on the podcast."
Tuesday February 20 2007 Radio/TV

Local Paper Does Good
Congrats to the Lakefront Outlook, an 11,000-copy free weekly covering Bronzeville, on winning a George Polk Award for outstanding journalism. Last month The Reader's Hot Type column covered the paper's investigative report on Dorothy Tillman and the blind intern who helped write it. UPDATE: The award-winning article in PDF format. (Thanks, Whet!)
Monday February 19 2007 Print/Magazines

Red Eye Rage
The Tribune is suing Fox News over the network's use of the name "Red Eye" for its late-night talk show — which is currently called "Gary Gutfield's Show" on Fox News' website, although the URL hasn't changed.
Monday February 19 2007 Print/Magazines

Designing Rearview
Wondering what those things are in today's Rearview photo? It's called "Pinch," a salt cellar and pepper shaker designed by GB alum Craig Berman. Pinch was awarded an honorable mention last night in Design Within Reach's Modern + Design + Function: Chicago Furniture Now competition.
Friday February 16 2007 Arts/Architecture

Don't Park Here
A sign of the times: A collection of parking space barricades, at Slats.org.
Friday February 16 2007 City Life/Cultural

Olympic Sized Donor Pool
Chicago 2016, the campaign to bring the Olympics here, is throwing its first public fundraiser March 1, and it already has $6 million in ticket sales.
Thursday February 15 2007 Sports/Recreation

Real Estate Resources
Blockshopper is a relatively new site that calls itself a "real estate news service for ... the residents themselves." However, in practice, it's more for the residents neighbors, not so much for the subject of the site's news briefs, which are written apparently without actually contacting the people involved. Speaking of checking on the neighbors, ever wonder how your rent compares to the rest of neighborhood? Check it on the Rentometer.
Wednesday February 14 2007 Found on the Web

Buy Art, Save Lung
Artist and friend of GB Phineas Jones caught pneumonia over the holidays, and ended up with fluid in one of his lungs. As you'd expect, he has some big medical bills, but he's uninsured, so he's selling art on his site, No Commercial Potential, to cover the costs of "lung reclamation." Help him out and get some beautiful art in the bargain.
Tuesday February 13 2007 Arts/Architecture

Drive-Thru Now Open
We're pleased to announce the launch of Gapers Block's newest section, Drive-Thru, devoted to the city's vibrant food scene. We'll be covering everything from restaurants and bars to businesses like Kraft and McDonald's to recipes to where to find some random ingredient. Oh, and foodporn, lots of foodporn. Be sure to check out this week's Detour feature, too, by one of the Drive-Thru contributors.

If that weren't enough, we've also redesigned the Gapers Block Book Club page, which has been quietly morphing into a blog on the Chicago literary scene.
Monday February 12 2007 Gapers

The City's 26th Sibling
Let's give a big family welcome to Lahore, Pakistan, the latest of Chicago's sister cities.
Monday February 12 2007 City Life/Cultural

The Anti-Valentine Store
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.
Saturday February 10 2007 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Photoshop for Alderman
Speaking of Sandi Jackson, there's something fishy going on with the photo on one of her campaign billboards. (Thanks, Martha!)
Friday February 9 2007 Politics/Activism

Secret Benefactor
RIP Herb Linneweh, the frugal, mild-mannered retired janitor who stashed $700,000 away in envelopes around his house, to be given to seven charities after his death. Your feel-good story of the day.
Friday February 9 2007 People/Sightings

Yet Another Googlemap, Night Food Edition
Chicago Restaurants at Night, courtesy of Urbanspoon.
Friday February 9 2007 Eating/Drinking

From Buildings to Papers?
The latest news about the Tribune's potential sale: Billionaire real estate mogul Sam Zell is said to be interested in buying the company.
Thursday February 8 2007 Print/Magazines

No Need to Finish the Bottle
As of January 1, it became legal in Illinois to take home your leftover wine from a restaurant, provided the bottle is inside a clear, tamper-proof bag. Unfortunately, a Chicago ordinance contradicted the new law, keeping it illegal in the city. As of today, however, that ordinance's days are numbered, reports the Winediva.
Wednesday February 7 2007 Eating/Drinking

Tune Your TiVo to 11
Tonight's episode of "Chicago Tonight" will feature Chicagoist's Rachelle Bowden, CTA Tattler's Kevin O'Neil and Gapers Block's own, uh, me talking with Phil Ponce about news blogs. I can't promise it'll be riveting television, but tune in between 7 and 8pm tonight anyway.
Wednesday February 7 2007 Gapers

Single in the City
How far are you willing to go for a date? Chicago magazine is looking for people to profile in their annual singles feature.
Wednesday February 7 2007 People/Sightings

Mau's Massive Move
Bruce Mau, Toronto's star designer, is moving to Chicago. He was apparently wooed by the warm reception he received in connection with "Massive Change," the show he curated at the MCA last year. (Thanks, Craig.)
Tuesday February 6 2007 Arts/Architecture

Capping Our Bears Coverage For Now
You've probably had enough of the Bears for the time being, so we'll lay off until Sunday. Besides, the Beachwood Reporter has collected more than enough Bears-related links to last you the next couple days.
Friday February 2 2007 Sports/Recreation

Robuchon Comes to Chicago
Chicago magazine's Dish reports that the rumors are true: Joël Robuchon will open an outpost here in 2008. Foodies, prepare your palates and start saving now.
Thursday February 1 2007 Eating/Drinking

Snacks for Your iPod
AudioSnacks is a local company that produces audio tours for places around the world, downloadable to your mp3 player. They've got a handful for Chicago, including one narrated by Jewish hip-hop poet Kevin Coval.
Thursday February 1 2007 City Life/Cultural

It's Not Delivery, It's Charity
This week is National Take-Out & Delivery Week, and GrubHub has teamed up with Meals on Wheels to make it an extra-special nonholiday: for every meal ordered through the site through Feb. 4, GrubHub will donate one meal to Meals on Wheels.
Wednesday January 31 2007 Eating/Drinking

SexyRexy.com Was Taken
MidwestBusiness.com's Brad Spirrison proclaims his love of RexGrossman.com. It's a decent site, but you'll want to turn down your speakers, or you'll be treating the office to "Sexy Rexy's Back." (By the way, you *really* don't want to visit sexyrexy.com -- unless you want your IT department flagging you for visiting a pr0n site.)
Wednesday January 31 2007 Sports/Recreation

Get Your Tech News Here
Awhile back, I was talking to Tom Sherman about how there ought to be a site that covers the Chicago tech scene. Like Tech Social, but with news, too. A month later, he launches Windy Bits. Way to go, Tom.
Tuesday January 30 2007 Weblogs

Serving and Protecting Via the Web
Nice profile of Adrian Holovaty, creator of ChicagoCrime.org and master of the Google mash-up, in the American Journalism Review. What they don't mention is his fine guitar playing.
Monday January 29 2007 People/Sightings

Chicago, Still Bang Bang
We do have a love-hate relationship with Capone and The Outfit, don't we? On one hand the mob strengthens our tough big city image, and on the other hand it'd be nice if the tourists would just get over it.
Monday January 29 2007 People/Sightings

Humanized Launches Enso
Humanized, a local software start-up, just launched their premier product, and did it with a bang: the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg wrote a favorable review of Enso today. If you're on Windows, it's worth checking out. (Disclosure: I'm their PR guy, but I still thinks it's cool. Can't say that about all my clients.)
Thursday January 25 2007 Business/Shopping

Time on Da Mare
Ahead of next month's election, Time takes a look at Mayor Daley and the political environment that has allowed him to reign for so long. (Thanks, Dee.)
Tuesday January 23 2007 Politics/Activism

O'Donovan's Contract Asshattery
Over on Ask.MetaFilter, someone has posted about O'Donovan's canceling his friend's contract for a Super Bowl party without notice, even though it's been on the books for over a month. Keep that in mind next time you're looking for a place to host a party.
Tuesday January 23 2007 Business/Shopping

Borat Obama?
The Morning News thinks our local presidential candidate could do with a name change.
Monday January 22 2007 People/Sightings

Site Updates & New Features
Pardon our dust: we're making some small changes and rolling out some new features this week. First off, we've added an easier way for you to get to our blogs, Transmission and Book Club (and soon Drive Thru, our food blog!) You may need to refresh your browser to get it to show up correctly.

Second, we're proud to announce our new job board, part of the Chicago Job Board Network with MidwestBusiness.com, the Illinois IT Association and Chicagoist. Listings are free for the next 30 days, so be sure to try it out!
Monday January 22 2007 Gapers

Bears Win!
As you've no doubt heard, the Bears are going to the Super Bowl!
Sunday January 21 2007 Sports/Recreation

Seven on the Verge
Preservation Chicago has announced its seven most endangered buildings for 2007, and it's a doozy, including the recently-in-the-news Farwell Building and the Wicker Park commercial district along Milwaukee Avenue.
Friday January 19 2007 Arts/Architecture

Help Found
A quick note to those who've contacted us wanting to join the GB staff: We're working our way through the many, many submissions, and will be getting in touch with everyone very soon. (If you think you've got what it takes to contribute but have been hesitating to apply, you've still got a little time! Details here.)
Thursday January 18 2007 Gapers

Trib's Auction is Closed
The Tribune Company received just three bids in its self-auction, and none look all that appealing, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Chandler family, the former owners of the LA Times who own 20 percent of TribCo.'s stock, made the best offer, but it's just a little higher than the current stock price. Read the Chandlers' letter here [PDF]. One of the others was for just the broadcast division.
Thursday January 18 2007 Print/Magazines

Double Your Chair-Throwing Fun!
Feder reports that Jerry Springer "bodyguard" Steve Wilkos, a former Chicago cop, will be getting his own show on NBC later this year. It will be filmed in the NBC Tower studios, like Springer, and will feature Wilkos "offering advice and doling out his version of justice," i.e., headlocks.
Wednesday January 17 2007 Radio/TV

Beware the Hardhat Bandit
The Washington Post puts Chicago's 2006 bank robbery record into a national context, while sharing a few of the nicknames the police have given some of the more notorious bandits.
Tuesday January 16 2007 In the News

"Hi, I'm the Tribune, and I'm in trouble."
The Beachwood Reporter does a send-up of the Mac vs. PC commercials featuring our hometown papers -- the difference being that neither the Trib nor the Sun-Times comes out on top.
Tuesday January 16 2007 Print/Magazines

Obama: Announcing ~~This Week?~~
Barackwatch rolls on: rumor has it he'll announce his presidential candidacy on Oprah sometime this week. In the meantime, he delighted crowds yesterday with appearances at two MLK Day events as he tantalized politicos with why he's going to run. UPDATE Obama filed paperwork to form an exploratory committee today, which isn't quite announcing his candidacy, but darn close. Watch his video statement here.
Tuesday January 16 2007 Politics/Activism

Bobtail Salutes the Bears
The Bears won yesterday, which means we all win: report to Bobtail on Broadway between 5pm and 7pm today and receive a free ice cream cone or hot cocoa! (I'm going with the cocoa.)
Monday January 15 2007 Eating/Drinking

Your Bloggy News Fix
Chicago Magazine did a profile of several of the city's newsblog type things, including GB, Chicagoist, Metroblogging, The Beachwood Reporter and CTA Tattler. Fun to see your favorite editors in pixel form!
Monday January 15 2007 Weblogs

Now Hiring
Yep, Gapers Block is looking for a few new staff members; details here. Also, you might want to check out Transmission, our music blog, which just got a major facelift.
Monday January 15 2007 Gapers

Can't Bear It
With today's overtime win against the Seahawks, the Bears will face the Saints next Sunday for the NFC Championship and their first trip to the superbowl since 1985. Great news, to be sure, but does that mean we have to suffer through Mike Ditka singing "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" with CBS2's Vince Gerasole?
Sunday January 14 2007 Sports/Recreation

An Oyster Shucker's Manifesto
The Reader's cover story is a profile of Mark Mavrantonis, executive chef at Fulton's on the River and an oyster afficianado. He's writing a Kitchen Confidential-style "manifesto" about oysters; read some excerpts here.
Friday January 12 2007 Eating/Drinking

Ride That Tin Horse
Lowen & Navarro are playing tomorrow night at the Park West, and friends of GB Tin Horse are opening for them. The show is nearly sold out, but Tin Horse has your hook-up: enter their raffle by 3pm today and you could win a pair.
Friday January 12 2007 Music/Clubs

Zoom All the Way In
The Trib's Dave Wischnowsky gives a little background on this amazing panorama of the skyline.
Friday January 12 2007 Photography

Let's Hear About the El
CTA Tattler reports that Alderman Joe Moore will call for City Council hearings on the continued devolution of CTA train service. Full text of Moore's resolution here.
Thursday January 11 2007 Transportation

"Rome"-an Wine Hits Town
If you come across a bottle of this stuff in the next few days, be a sport and add a photo to the GB flickr pool. [via]
Wednesday January 10 2007 Radio/TV

Gender-Neutral Dorms?
The University of Chicago is contemplating gender-neutral undergraduate housing -- an idea the Maroon editorial board endorses.
Wednesday January 10 2007 City Life/Cultural

Food Briefs: Haute and Hot
Here's yet another review of Alinea -- this time in MIT Technology Review -- and Serious Eats included Skokie's Poochie's in a list of the best hot dogs in the country. (Thanks, Matt & Chicagoist)
Tuesday January 9 2007 Eating/Drinking

Mapping the City, Wiki-Style
Wow, since we last checked in, the WikiMapia of Chicago has really filled out. You should add to it yourself, before everything's tagged. (Sad to see the Wicker Park entry remains a battleground.)
Tuesday January 9 2007 Found on the Web

Alderman Troutman Hooked by Feds
This should make the 20th Ward aldermanic race a bit more interesting: Alderman Arenda Troutman was arrested by federal agents today, on charges that she took bribes related to a mall built in the ward.
Monday January 8 2007 Politics/Activism

Chicago Supernova
The University of Chicago's Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes was awarded a couple million hours of time on a government supercomputer to run supernova simulations. The simulations could shed light (heh) on "dark energy" and other little-understood phenomena.
Monday January 8 2007 Schools/Education

Moonrise Over Chicago
Here's an incredible photo of a moonrise over Chicago, circa 1985. Eerie and strange -- read the comments to learn how the photographer did it.
Monday January 8 2007 Photography

Oprah In the News
It's been an eventful week for Oprah Winfrey. First, a lawsuit was filed against her and her show by a woman who was injured in the stampede to get a good seat at a taping. Then she got ridiculed for her comments in a Newsweek story about her building a school in South Africa regarding why she didn't build one in the US. Then news broke that police had arrested a man who tried to extort $1.5 million from our resident billionaire.
Sunday January 7 2007 People/Sightings

The Trib's X-Files Experience
The Columbia Journalism Review reports on the unexpected popularity of the Tribune's story on the O'Hare UFO sighting [previously], which has gotten over a million pageviews and has turned editor John Hilkevitch into a sort of celebrity. (Thanks, Matt!)
Friday January 5 2007 Print/Magazines

From Slave to Priest
Interesting article on Augustine Tolton, the first black priest in America, who preached in Quincy and the South Side of Chicago in the late 1800s.
Friday January 5 2007 Religion/Spirituality

One a Day, Again
Speaking of song a day projects, the local band Beatnik Turtle just launched TheSongoftheDay.com, which, true to name, delivers a new off-beat song daily. (Thanks, Greg!)
Friday January 5 2007 Music/Clubs

Annual Bloggies Plea
It's Bloggies nomination time again -- take a moment or two and nominate your favorite blogs! (May we suggest Gapers Block as a fine nominee for best topical blog and best group blog?)
Friday January 5 2007 Gapers

Hungry for the Win
Hungry Mag, the local foodblog edited by Michael Nagrant, has been nominated for the Best Group Foodblog award at Well Fed Network. Vote by Jan. 9 to help this hometown blog do good!
Thursday January 4 2007 Weblogs

In Defense of the Farwell
Lynn Becker makes an impassioned case for why the Commission on Chicago Landmarks shouldn't allow a developer to move forward on its plans to tear down the Farwell Building on Michigan Avenue, build a parking garage, and then "skin" the garage with the Farwell's exterior. The commission is voting on the plans today at 12:45pm; the meeting is open to the public, should you wish to be heard on the subject. UPDATE: The building has been saved ...for now.
Thursday January 4 2007 Arts/Architecture

Still Champion, But Not a Record
Well, so much for that. Jason Pisarik made it 33 hours and 5 minutes in the ESPN Zone Couch Potato Contest, long enough to solidly beat the competition, but far short of the world record of 69 hours and 48 minutes.
Wednesday January 3 2007 Radio/TV

One a Day
Eight Forty-Eight interviewed musician and teacher Michael Droste this morning about his just-completed One Song Every Day project , which began as a New Year's resolution in 2006. Listen to the interview here (mp3).
Wednesday January 3 2007 Music/Clubs

If Only They Ran Simultaneously
The Museum of Science & Industry's 2007 schedule is kind of funny: Body Worlds returns for an encore Jan. 17 to April 29 -- followed in May by "The 'CSI:' Experience."
Wednesday January 3 2007 City Life/Cultural

Couch Potatoes Go for the Record
Over at the ESPN Zone, four guys -- including defending champ Jason Pisarik of Lombard -- settled into black leather recliners and got ready for some serious vegging. Their mission is to sit and stare at a television for as long as they can, getting up only for 15 minute breaks every eight hours. If one can last until 8am Thursday, he'll set a new world record.
Tuesday January 2 2007 Radio/TV

Barbershop Blues
The Hyde Park Hair Salon, which cut Harold Washington and Mohammed Ali's hair and still give Barack Obama a weekly trim, will be looking for a new home after the University of Chicago bought its building with the intention of selling it to developers.
Friday December 29 2006 In the News

Podcasting Your Muse
Add the Art Institute to your list of local cultural centers with podcasts. Musecast will deliver stories and info about the museum's current and upcoming exhibits and events every six weeks.
Friday December 29 2006 Arts/Architecture

Home-town Representin' -- and Not
Trib TV critic Maureen Ryan names Shawn Ryan (no relation) "Chicagoan of the year in television" for his role on "The Shield." In the meantime, Keep Going's Geary Yonker would like Jim Belushi to quit playing The Face of Chicago on TV.
Thursday December 28 2006 Radio/TV

Shop at Threadless
Fairly soon, you'll be able to shop at Threadless in person (besides stopping by their Ravenswood headquarters, that is). The first store has been spied at 3011 N Broadway, the old Leather on Leather Ltd. location in Wrigleyville.
Wednesday December 27 2006 Business/Shopping

Squatting on Hester
Devin Hester is a top contender for Rookie of the Year, but the contest to squat on his name on the web has already been won, apparently by these guys. At least second place, DevinHester.net, was nabbed by someone local.
Tuesday December 26 2006 People/Sightings

Holiday Choose Your Own Adventure
A seasonal diversion from Schadenfreude & AlphaZeta.
Friday December 22 2006 Found on the Web

Away in a Manger
Posting will be light(er) here on Merge for the next few days, as most of the staff is scattered to the winds, visiting family and friends. Hope you have a very happy holiday!
Friday December 22 2006 Gapers

The Nativity News
Hey, remember how the City decided not to show the trailer for The Nativity Story at the Christkindlmarket back in November? Well, a church group apparently decided it was important to take a stand, so it's now showing on a continuous loop at the fair, although with the sound off. And 32 Baby Jesuses, stolen from nativity scenes around the city, turned up in a St. Symphorosa Church parishoner's yard, sorted by design.
Thursday December 21 2006 Religion/Spirituality

"Good King Lovie Smith"
Some revised Christmas Carols for you, mostly Chicago-related, courtesy of the Beachwood Reporter.
Wednesday December 20 2006 Found on the Web

Go Green
Know anyone who's living the green lifestyle? Chicago Magazine wants to hear about them. Nominate people for the Green Awards.
Wednesday December 20 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Find A Spot
ParkWhiz is another site to help you find a parking spot, with a rating system and distance gauge -- find a parking garage within a five-minute walk of your destination, for instance. They're rolling out a new "marketplace" early next year, which will allow drivers to reserve and pay for parking spaces in participating garages online, well before they arrive at the ticket box.
Wednesday December 20 2006 Transportation

Night Life in Chicago
...circa 1959. [via]
Monday December 18 2006 Found on the Web

What Would Jesus Bomb?
Anybody else spot these anti-war posters mimicking T-Mobile's "Fave 5" campaign on the Red Line this weekend?
Monday December 18 2006 Transportation

City Spits on Crown Fountain
Mike at Chicago Carless noticed that, sometime recently, the City installed security cameras on top of Crown Fountain.
Monday December 18 2006 Arts/Architecture

They Beat Us To It
Some of you may know that Naz and I are the guys behind El Boton (limited edition pins make a great gift, by the way). We're a bit jealous, therefore, that Coudal Partners beat us to this great idea.
Friday December 15 2006 Stuff

Political Stock-picker
Via the comments on RotSC: Prediction markets for the 2007 aldermanic races, powered by locally based Inkling Markets.
Friday December 15 2006 Politics/Activism

In Memoriam
Chicago Bauhaus Studios master craftsman Berthold Schwaiger passed away this week. (Thanks, Brenda.)
Friday December 15 2006 Arts/Architecture

Chuck's Tree
Evanston-based Pop Matters has a great story about the making of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Thursday December 14 2006 Radio/TV

Like MovieFone, But Faster
Jellyvision has launched the "Daily Dis or Dat," a quick flash trivia game based on their popular "You Don't Know Jack" series. Press buttons and win (virtual) cash!
Thursday December 14 2006 Found on the Web

The Last Four Miles
Friends of the Parks has proposed a plan to connect the chain of lakeshore parks along the South Side, buying property and creating an archipelago of islands where the lakefront is built up.
Wednesday December 13 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Scrum Over Scrabble
Hey, just a reminder that GB staffers will be getting together at the Black Rock this Friday for the holiday edition of our monthly Get-Together. Now that we know that the bar exists solely to support a rugby team, we'll be putting together a quick scrimmage in the back room. Join us!
Tuesday December 12 2006 Gapers

Rookie of the Year
Congratulations to Bears Safety Devin Hester, who now has two NFL records under his belt: a tie for longest return from earlier this season, and now the most returns for touchdowns in a single season. He ran back two in last night's win against the Rams.
Tuesday December 12 2006 Sports/Recreation

Forget That It's a School Night
Biannual publication AREA Chicago is holding a fundraiser at Danny's Tavern, 1951 W. Dickens, tonight from 10pm to 2am. It's free to get in, but 25 percent of the bar proceeds will go to AREA -- so drink up!
Monday December 11 2006 Print/Magazines

Super Bowl Mumble
Chicago Magazine has posted the lyrics and a video for "The Super Bowl Mumble," this year's smash-hit update of the "Super Bowl Shuffle."
Monday December 11 2006 Sports/Recreation

Vote Early, Vote Once a Day
The 2006 Weblog Awards nominees have been announced, and there are two local sites among them: Glorious Noise for Best Music Blog and The Becker-Posner Blog for Best Law Blog. You can vote for them and/or any others once a day from now until the 15th. (Thanks, Jake.)
Monday December 11 2006 Weblogs

Pop Over to Pops
Looking for something to do tonight? Head over to Pops for Champagne tonight after 9pm -- they're celebrating their 25th anniversary and the grand opening of their new location, 601 N. State in the Tree Studios building. Jazz Conspiracy performs, and lots of champagne will be served (duh).
Saturday December 9 2006 Eating/Drinking

Shooting Downtown
Three people were shot on an upper floor of the Ogilvie Transportation Center, leading to a lockdown of the building. If you take Metra from that station, you might want to dawdle awhile or take the CTA, which is honoring Metra passes. (Thanks, Carrie!)
Friday December 8 2006 In the News

Time for Another Vote
Looking for a time-waster? AOL Cityguide's Best of Chicago poll is open for voting -- go pick some winners.
Friday December 8 2006 City Life/Cultural

Valet Secrets
The Trib takes a look at valet parking. Apparently I've been undertipping for years.
Thursday December 7 2006 Transportation

Tracking the Tracked
From the team behind the political aggregator Real Clear Politics comes BuzzTracker -- as if you needed another way to keep up on celebrities. (To be fair, you can track lots of other stuff, too.)
Thursday December 7 2006 Found on the Web

Eating on Someone Else's Dime
Chicagoist did some investigating into the Channel 5's LeeAnn Trotter ~~departure from the station~~ "Good Eats" segments and ethical concerns regarding her restaurant "reviews." [Correction/Update: Trotter's not leaving the station, and Chicagoist has a follow-up story up now.]
Thursday December 7 2006 Radio/TV

Latin Kings King Collared
The Feds busted at least 21 members of the South Side Latin Kings gang -- including its "Supreme Inca," Fernando "Ace" King.
Wednesday December 6 2006 In the News

Aldermanic Debate
We don't normally carry a column over from one week to the next, but Richard Carnahan has the week off and his column from last week is still generating discourse -- including comments from one of the aldermanic candidates mentioned. So it's staying up.
Wednesday December 6 2006 Politics/Activism

Art in America
United States Artists, a new nonprofit arts organization, announced its first round of $50,000 fellowship awards, and two Chicagoans are on the list: Nick Cave (no, not that one, this one) and Chris Ware.
Wednesday December 6 2006 People/Sightings

The Reason for the Season
"Put Marduk back into Zagmuk."
Tuesday December 5 2006 Weblogs

Packing Them In
The New York Times continues its slow discovery of how great Chicago is with its latest installment, the West Loop.
Tuesday December 5 2006 City Life/Cultural

Attendance is Optional
Optional Events is a colorfully presented event calendar, with more of an activist bent to the listings.
Tuesday December 5 2006 Found on the Web

Posh Gifts
I miss its old location on Southport, and I wish it still carried more real restaurant china instead of reproductions, but I still love P.O.S.H. Where else in the city can you find a cat butt plate and a vintage Italian army belt?
Monday December 4 2006 Business/Shopping

CSO Returns to the Airwaves
Gramophone reports that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is recording albums again -- under its own label, CSO Resound. January's release of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and mezzo Michelle DeYoung will be the first since 2001, and will be available on iTunes. The CSO also announced a return to radio broadcast in '07 with the debut of the BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series on WFMT. Read the official press release here.
Monday December 4 2006 Music/Clubs

Nice Holiday Cards
Picked out your holiday cards yet? If not, consider a set created by one of the students in Marwen's after-school art education program. (Thanks, Maureen!)
Friday December 1 2006 Business/Shopping

Unaccompanied Minors, Accompanied by TAL Host
Unaccompanied Minors, a feature film based on a This American Life episode, makes its Chicago premier Sunday, 12/3 at 1pm at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. TAL host Ira Glass will be on hand to talk about how radio translates to the big screen, and director Paul Feig will do a Q&A. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids 12 and under. More info and ticket purchasing at Chicago Public Radio.
Thursday November 30 2006 Film

Unspin Your City
Amazon just unveiled Unspun, a new ranking site where users rank such things as the best small live music venues in Chicago, best websites about the city, best coffee houses... lots here, and lots to do to clean up duplicates and typos. (It runs on Ruby on Rails, but this isn't the rumored Amazon-37signals collaboration.)
Thursday November 30 2006 Found on the Web

Sing, Sing a Song
You've been hearing about live band karaoke for years, but you've never tried it. Well, now that the holidays are here, there's no excuse: get up there and belt out "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" or "Jingle Bell Rock" to break the ice. You can blame it on the egg nog if you bomb.
Thursday November 30 2006 Music/Clubs

Keep Yer Movie Away from My Manger
There's room at the Christkindlmarket for a nativity scene (as well as Islamic and Jewish holiday symbols), but not for The Nativity Story. The movie was dropped as a sponsor because the City thought the marketing was "too aggressive."
Wednesday November 29 2006 In the News

Populated Street Photography
Photographer Lee Balterman shot Chicago in the '50s and '60s, and unlike many of his street photography compatriots, he included people -- lots of people. [via]
Tuesday November 28 2006 Photography

Wither the Rhino-topped Choco-apple?
Praytell where one might find this bizarre confection? It's in the Chicago Cuisine flickr pool, so it must be local. Shoot an email to inbox @ gapersblock if you can enlighten us. UPDATE: It's available somewhere in the Christkindlmarket at the Daley Center. (Thanks, Mary and Laura!)
Monday November 27 2006 Eating/Drinking

Electric Train to Peotone
Should the proposed Peotone airport ever get built, Metra is ready to provide service.
Monday November 27 2006 Transportation

A Big Guide to the Web
Big Fat Blog, a fat acceptance blog written by GB alum Paul McAleer, recently launched the Big Fat Index, a guide to FA websites and other resources.
Saturday November 25 2006 Weblogs

Thanksgiving Help
If you're scrambling for Thanksgiving dinner options and ideas, allow us to point you to last week's Detour feature, "Taking Care of Turkey Day," as well as One Good Meal this week and last -- and, for that matter, last year and the year before too! Good luck, and happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday November 23 2006 Eating/Drinking

Lupe Breaks Out
Lupe Fiasco's star just keeps rising: GQ named him the Breakout Man of the Year, and he'll be on "the Late Show with David Letterman" tonight. Check Transmission to find out how to see him free at the Park West Friday night.
Wednesday November 22 2006 People/Sightings

Reader Blogs Up
The Reader has added two more blogs to its growing stable: The Food Chain covers restaurants, while On Film covers -- well, you can probably guess.
Wednesday November 22 2006 Weblogs

An American Home
Over at YoChicago, they posted a photo of a $1.45 million Lakeview home with an American flag engraved on the address plate ...and all hell broke loose in the comments.
Tuesday November 21 2006 Arts/Architecture

Walt's Favorite Multiplex
Did you know Walt Disney grew up in Chicago?
Tuesday November 21 2006 Film

Catch a Chick Flick Tonight
Tonight's your first chance to catch the new improved Thax Douglas, Rock Star™. His band, Chicken and the Chick Flicks, performs at the Beat Kitchen tonight at 5:30pm (ahead of Pat McCurdy's regular Monday night gig.)
Monday November 20 2006 Music/Clubs

Gathered in the Agora
Edward Lifson, host of WBEZ's "Hello Beautiful," offers a wonderful play-by-play of the dedication of Magdalena Abakanovicz's Agora public sculpture in Grant Park.
Sunday November 19 2006 Arts/Architecture

Bars Raise a Red (or Blue, or Yellow) Flag
The Wall Street Journal reports that Chicago has more than its fair share of college alumni bars, and hypothesizes that it's because (sorry, Northwestern) we lack a local football powerhouse to root for.
Sunday November 19 2006 Eating/Drinking

What It Is
By way of again plugging the Crispin Glover movie and appearance at the Music Box this weekend, allow me to point you to an interview with the auteur on 848 this morning, and a review of the film by our very own Steve at the Movies.
Friday November 17 2006 Film

Still A-Spiring
In case you've been wondering, that Calatrava-designed "spire" building proposed for the lake shore is still in development, but the name has been changed from Fordham to Chicago after the original developer bowed out. Here's the whole team as it stands now. Still no start date for construction, though.
Friday November 17 2006 Arts/Architecture

Local Economy Flagging?
Jill Jaracz attended the City of Chicago's Sharing It Banner Auction, and notes that this year's bids were far lower than last year's.
Thursday November 16 2006 Weblogs

Bigots Rejoice! Craigslist is OK!
Follow-up from February: A federal judge ruled that Craigslist was not liable for running housing ads that discriminated against particular groups of people. The ruling stated that CL is a service, not a publisher, and therefore is protected under the 1996 Communications Decency Act.
Thursday November 16 2006 Politics/Activism

Blink and You'll Miss Him
Jay-Z will be swinging through Chicago for half an hour on Saturday as part of a seven-airport tour of the country in support of his new album, Kingdom Come. Anybody know exactly where he'll perform? Or even which airport he'll be at? Email us at inbox[at]gapersblock.com.
Wednesday November 15 2006 Music/Clubs

Make Rolly Fingers Proud
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."
Wednesday November 15 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Pitchfork on Ritscher
Pitchfork has a long, thoughtful obit for Malachi Ritscher. Worth reading. (Thanks, Jen.)
Tuesday November 14 2006 People/Sightings

We Warned Them
The CEO of Federated Department Stores tells the Trib that the switch from Marshall Field's to Macy's has been tougher than expected. Duh. However, the former Field's stores helped Federated report its best months ever in September and October.
Tuesday November 14 2006 Business/Shopping

Busy Theater Schedule
Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote 365 short works in one year and starting, er, yesterday, 52 theater companies are going to perform them all -- each is performing seven of the plays over the course of a week. Andersonville's Dog and Pony Theatre is first in line; check here for the full schedule. And, for more on the genesis of the project, there's this recent profile of Parks from the New Yorker.
Tuesday November 14 2006 Theatre/Dance

Cut Down Too Soon
The Bears may have won, but Chicago's bid for rock-paper-scissors supremecy was cut short this weekend. Local teacher Jason Kieronski lost in the first round of the world RPS championship in Toronto.
Monday November 13 2006 Sports/Recreation

Support Supportive Housing
Alderman Rey Colon will be meeting with Logan Square residents tonight at 7pm at the Armitage Baptist Church, 2451 N. Kedzie, to discuss a proposal to turn the building at 2800 N. Milwaukee into a supportive housing residence -- permanent affordable housing and social services for people who have been homeless and/or have disabilities. More info at the Logan Square Neighborhood Association's site. (Thanks, Jen!)
Monday November 13 2006 City Life/Cultural

Apartment Therapy's Top Choices
Apartment Therapy Chicago is putting together a best-of list with your help -- over the next few weeks, add your two cents for bests in a variety of categories; your first being shops for modern gifts.
Friday November 10 2006 Business/Shopping

Redevelopment Goes Both Ways
As a sort of companion piece to the NYTimes article about our city being overrun with condos, here's a story in the Wall Street Journal about the successful conversion of the old Montgomery Ward warehouse into the flourishing 600 West Chicago.
Friday November 10 2006 Business/Shopping

Chicago vs. LA for 2016?
Chicago's Olympic hopes may have gotten a boost this week, as San Francisco appears to be taking itself out of the running after the 49ers nixed plans for a new stadium there.
Friday November 10 2006 Sports/Recreation

See Bill Gates On Us!
Chopin Theatre is in the midst of I-Fest, its annual international solo theatre series. As a special offer to GB readers, the first 10 people to call or email and include the message "Gapers Block has me covered" will get a pair of tickets to this Sunday's performance of Windows, or Must We Imagine Bill Gates Happy? for free! (If you speak German, you might also be interested in Clemons Schick's performance Saturday in his native language.)
Thursday November 9 2006 Theatre/Dance

New On GB
There's a new feature in Slowdown: We've teamed up with local startup Planypus to allow you to quickly and easily make plans with friends to go to any event on our calendar. It's sort of a mix of Upcoming and Evite; we hope you like it. Also, we've launched text ads -- see the top of the page? -- as an affordable way to advertise concerts, plays, shops, etc. Learn more here.
Thursday November 9 2006 Gapers

No More Street Sweeping Tickets
An organization called Smarter Government aims to fix the city's ills -- but first they might want to fix their website. Only two pages are available right now, but one is a pretty darn useful to cityfolk with cars: sign up here and get an email alert letting you know when the street sweepers are coming by, so you don't forget to move your car. (Thanks, Atul!)
Wednesday November 8 2006 Resources

Martyred for Peace?
Malachi Ritscher, a local musician and peace activist, apparently set himself on fire on the side of the Kennedy last week as a protest against the Iraq War. I recall hearing a mention of this as a suicide on traffic reports, but never the political side of it. UPDATE: Peter Margasak has much more information on Post No Bills.
Wednesday November 8 2006 Politics/Activism

Early and Often
Y'all are voting today, right?
Tuesday November 7 2006 Politics/Activism

Following the Money Underground
The "underground economy" of the South Side is the subject of this great article in the Boston Globe.
Monday November 6 2006 Business/Shopping

Touring the Dead
Dan Kelly and friends made a day of visiting South Side cemeteries recently, and they came across many graves of famous folk, from politicians to bluesmen.
Monday November 6 2006 History

Hear the City
Hey, remember when we talked about our favorite sounds in the city? Well, those and many others have been recorded and shared with the world at Your Favorite Chicago Sounds. A sampling of what's they've collected is up on the site, including a great recording of the Lincoln Park Zoo's wolf pack howling along with a passing ambulance.
Sunday November 5 2006 Arts/Architecture

Display Receipt on Dashboard
Here's a downside to those parking meter kiosks that are popping up around the city: Where do motorcyclists affix their receipt to prove they paid?
Friday November 3 2006 Transportation

Oprah's Pizza Club?
Oprah may do for pizza what she's done for so many novels, with a little help from Chicago Magazine food writers Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby: on yesterday's show, her friend Gayle King began a quest for the best pies in the country, based on Pollack and Ruby's book, Everybody Loves Pizza. (Read our review and interview with the authors here.)
Thursday November 2 2006 Eating/Drinking

An Autumn Bloom
After a long wait, a new issue of Metroblossom has arrived.
Thursday November 2 2006 Arts/Architecture

Newsies on the Block
The Tribune isn't the only local paper that might be for sale: the Wall Street Journal reports that some Sun-Times Media Group investors are calling for that paper to be sold too.
Wednesday November 1 2006 Print/Magazines

All Hallow's Eve
Jim Coudal tells a touching tale, reminding us of the roots of this holiday.
Tuesday October 31 2006 Weblogs

Can You See Me Now?
Care to play a game?
Tuesday October 31 2006 Arts/Architecture

Obama 'n On'n'On
More Obama coverage, this time on the New Yorker's website. (Includes an mp3 of the whole 45-minute interview!)
Monday October 30 2006 Politics/Activism

Dropping Delivery
I wonder if the Tribune's falling circulation numbers have anything to do with the paper suddenly appearing unbidden (and unpaid-for) on my doorstep for the past few weeks.
Monday October 30 2006 Print/Magazines

Abrupt Trump
Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin describes a phone call regarding Trump Tower -- from The Donald himself.
Friday October 27 2006 Arts/Architecture

A Cinderella Story for the Cubs
A little old, but worth pointing to as the Tribune prepares to auction itself: An Open Letter to Bill Murray, in which it's recommended he buy the Cubs.
Thursday October 26 2006 Sports/Recreation

The Inside Scoop
Inside Chicago is a relatively new, really well done videoblog following host Ellen Fox's adventures around the city -- think "Wild Chicago" but less goofy. This site also runs the STOP Police! podcast, in which Darren Stephens covers highlights from the week's police blotter.
Thursday October 26 2006 Weblogs

DIY Holiday Cards
Hoping to stand out from the glut of generic "season's greetings" cards this holiday season? Try this: Sign up for the Chicago Center for Books & Paper's cheap papermaking class (Nov. 4 -- only $25!) and make your cards yourself!
Wednesday October 25 2006 Schools/Education

Kevin GuilfoiLets Play a Game
Kevin Guilfoile (this month's Book Club author) is running an interesting name game with some great prizes over at The Outfit blog.
Wednesday October 25 2006 Books/Authors

Outside Looking In
Outside.in is a really cool new blog & news aggregator organized locationally: you can search for posts based on your zip code or neighborhood name. Here's an explanation of its guiding principles.
Wednesday October 25 2006 Weblogs

Cantu Finds Another Edge to Cut
Homaro Cantu is known for some very experimental cooking techniques at Moto, but he's also on the forefront of another area of culinary innovation: the copyrighting and patenting of recipes. [via]
Tuesday October 24 2006 Eating/Drinking

They Are What You Eat
Menuism is a new website that invites diners to review restaurants -- not just overall, but menu item by item. Yum.
Monday October 23 2006 Eating/Drinking

Who Here Likes Pancakes?
The aptly named Illinois Pancakes blog has a simple goal: eat and review the pancakes of Illinois.
Monday October 23 2006 Weblogs

Supermodel (You Better Drink Red Bull)
The fabulous RuPaul will be performing at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted, tonight. The doors open at 10pm, but the diva won't hit the stage until 1am and finishes up at 5am -- better hit those energy drinks! Tickets are $20.
Saturday October 21 2006 Music/Clubs

Color Your Space for Fall
Apartment Therapy is running a fall colors interior design contest; the winners receive a CB2 shop card for up to $2500. Go check out the Midwest entries, which are also running as they come in on Chicago.ApartmentTherapy.
Friday October 20 2006 Arts/Architecture

The Drum Beat Continues
Conservative NYTimes columnist David Brooks joins the chorus recommending Barack Obama run for president. Meanwhile, Oprah tried and failed to get Obama to commit, but she did get him to agree to announce it on her show ...if he does. (Meanwhile, somebody thinks that both of them should run.)
Thursday October 19 2006 Politics/Activism

Bears, Oil and the Mob
If I had the inside line on a conspiracy involving former Chicago Bears great Ed O'Bradovich, fraud, oil and the mob, I don't know if YouTube is the place I'd turn. But that seems to be the only place Joe Weinbender is telling his story.
Thursday October 19 2006 Found on the Web

"The Bears Are Who We Thought They Were"
Good luck finding a quiet spot where nobody's talking about last night's Bears game. Grossman sucked, but at least he admitted it -- and had the stellar defense and surprising special teams to back him up. My favorite soundbite is the one from Cardinals coach Dennis Green, who melted down at the podium and delivered that unintentionally ambiguous quote above; NSFW video accompanies MSNBC's story. (Also.)
Tuesday October 17 2006 Sports/Recreation

Buy! Buy! Buy!
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is buying the Chicago Board of Trade for $8 billion, in a move to create a global derivatives exchange.
Tuesday October 17 2006 Business/Shopping

Help Bring Back Bell's
Bell's is one of my favorite microbreweries (mmm, Oberon), so I was dismayed to find out their delicious beers would no longer be available in Chicago because of a distribution dispute. In response, members of the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society will be meeting at Weegee's Lounge, 3659 W. Armitage, Tuesday night at 9pm to develop a plan of action. If you're mad as hell and can't take it anymore, join in!
Monday October 16 2006 Eating/Drinking

TIME Backs Obama
Joe Klein joins the parade with a story on why Barack Obama should be the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate.
Monday October 16 2006 Politics/Activism

Share Your Secret -- Temporarily
Call 773/394-2017 and confess your secret. It will then be exposed -- but only for a day -- at One Day Secret.
Monday October 16 2006 Found on the Web

We're Bringing Spooky Back
Speaking of pumpkins, The Reader has a convenient list of haunted houses, ghost tours and other Halloween events from tonight through the big day itself.
Friday October 13 2006 Resources

Sears Tower in Olympic Flames
Chicago doesn't have the 2016 Olympics yet, but it does have a real nice logo. And Jordan.
Friday October 13 2006 In the News

The Metro Fights Poverty
Not doing anything Monday? The Metro, 3730 N. Clark, plays host to "Stand Up Against Poverty," a benefit for the international nonprofit Concern Worldwide's 2006 campaign to end world hunger. It'll be a night of great Irish music, with the legendary Scott Cleland (founder of the Drovers), Celtic band Baal Tinne and singer/songwriter Nancy Stone performing. Tickets are $10 in advance at the Metro box office or $20 at the door.
Thursday October 12 2006 Music/Clubs

Sox at 7:11
So you heard that weekday White Sox games will start at 7:11pm, right? Here's a story on how the team and sponsor 7-Eleven came up with the agreement, which will bring the Sox and extra half-mil a year for three years.
Thursday October 12 2006 Sports/Recreation

Johnny Apple's Favorite Pancakes?
The late R.W. Apple, legendary New York Times food critic, recommended the pancakes at Bongo Room in his last email message, Gawker notes. [Thanks, Jeb!]
Thursday October 12 2006 Eating/Drinking

Suburb Name Game
Coudal points to a post about suburban "mash game" names and localizes it: "Fox, lake, river, heights, grove, villa(ge), park, oak, lawn, lake, brook, hills, fields, forest, elk. Choose two or three at random, and chances are you've named a real Chicago suburb.
Wednesday October 11 2006 Weblogs

Realtor Building Sprouts Pipes
The Realtor Building, 430 N. Michigan, sprouted some fancy new pipes overnight -- anybody know what they are? Matt Maldre has a theory: it's a waterslide.
Wednesday October 11 2006 Arts/Architecture

Five Down, 11 to Go
The Bears are looking damn good this year. Think they can go all the way? Then this new shirt, created by Coudal Partners, is the one for you.
Tuesday October 10 2006 Sports/Recreation

Pileup in Grundy County
"The Midwest's Greasiest Hot Rod Show," the Hunnert Car Pileup, is this Saturday at the historic Grundy County Speedway and fairgrounds. Fast cars, fast women and fast music -- if you like traditional hot rods this is the show for you. (Thanks, Christian.)
Tuesday October 10 2006 Transportation

How Do You Picket a Virtual School?
Chicago's first virtual charter school, creatively named the Chicago Virtual Charter School, is a month into its first school year -- and just got served its first lawsuit. The Chicago Teacher's Union claim it's more like homeschooling than a true school, and therefore shouldn't get public funding.
Tuesday October 10 2006 Schools/Education

DailyKos is Coming to Town
YearlyKos, an annual convention for the Democratic blogsite DailyKos, has announced plans to hold next year's event at McCormick Place in August. [via]
Monday October 9 2006 Politics/Activism

MTV on Chicago's Block
MTV's "My Block," a show that takes viewers through the neighborhoods where artists came from, not just their nouveau-riche cribs, takes a tour through Chicago today. Here's a video preview of the episode.
Monday October 9 2006 Radio/TV

Navy Pier (dot com) for Sale
How long do you think it'll take the City to notice they forgot to renew navypier.com? [Update: They renewed it. Screenshot here for posterity.]
Monday October 9 2006 Found on the Web

Baboonfest is this Saturday!
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this is the premier baboon-related fundraiser of the year. You should go!
Friday October 6 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Local Language
A newcomer to the Chicago blog/webzine scene, Jargon Chicago looks like it might have some staying power. Check it out.
Friday October 6 2006 Weblogs

You Are a Beautiful Gallery Show
The You Are Beautiful public art collective's new show, "4 Years Later," opens at Ai Gallery, 676 N. LaSalle St., Friday night from 6pm to 10pm. Free stickers, posters and buttons, oh my! And if you pay close attention, you might be able to figure out who the anonymous artists are.
Thursday October 5 2006 Arts/Architecture

Is a $100 Pizza Worth It?
Barcello's in Bucktown offers a caviar-topped pizza for $100. Chris LaMorte at Metromix tries it out and delivers the verdict.
Thursday October 5 2006 Eating/Drinking

37 Gigs
A lot more than that actually: 37signals has launched a gig board to complement their popular job board. Get your résumé in shape!
Wednesday October 4 2006 Business/Shopping

We Still Want a Two-Way Communicator Watch
Dick Tracy turned 75 today. Check the funny papers for several tribute strips, order the TV series on DVD, or drive out to Naperville for the celebration.
Wednesday October 4 2006 Print/Magazines

Cubs Leave the City
No, not the lovable losers -- Cub Foods. The discount grocery chain is leaving the Chicago market, with its 14 stores being divvied up among several other companies. Meanwhile, Jewel is planning an expansion.
Tuesday October 3 2006 Business/Shopping

Fancy Footwork
The Tribune offers some video of Chicago's latest dance craze, footworking. Not enough for you? Try YouTube or MySpace.
Tuesday October 3 2006 Theatre/Dance

Did the Greeks Have Socks?
The theatrical genre of Sock Puppet returns with War Is Bad: Sock Puppet Euripides at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, tonight at 7pm. Is there any doubt that you should be there?
Tuesday October 3 2006 Theatre/Dance

Dusty No Longer Trusty
The Cubs made official what's been expected for months now: Dusty Baker will not be returning as manager. The hunt for a Mr. October is now on.
Monday October 2 2006 Sports/Recreation

Stripping for the Lord
Via Coudal, the website of a woman whose autobiography's title only tells part of the story: Kellie Everts: I Strip for God. Not safe for work, obviously, and I only post it here because of a lengthy book exerpt of her experiences at the Chicago Playboy Club in 1978.
Friday September 29 2006 Found on the Web

You Too Can Go-Go Dance
If you made it to the Bitch Magazine 10th Anniversary Party at the Hideout last night, you know how cool The Janes go-go dance troupe is. And even if you didn't, haven't you always wanted to learn how to dance like that? Well, you can: classes are Mondays and Tuesdays at the Flamenco Arts Center. $12 a class or six for $60; white boots not included.
Friday September 29 2006 Theatre/Dance

The Chicago Manual of Style is Now Online
We (mostly) follow AP style here at GB, but it's nice to know it's there when we need it. Alas, like many good things, it's not free.
Thursday September 28 2006 Books/Authors

Chicago History Museum Debuts
The Chicago History Museum (formerly known as the Chicago Historical Society) reopens this this weekend after an extensive renovation, and it's celebrating with free admission, performances by dance troupes, the Jesse White Tumblers and other acts, and more. This will be your first chance to see the first El train car, and Federated and Target just donated Norman Rockwell's painting of the Marshall Field's Clock to the museum, so you can see that too. Big crowds are expected, so you might want to make a reservation.
Thursday September 28 2006 History

A Short Tour for Short Films
The Chicago Short Film Brigade rises from the ashes of the late lamented Prime Shorts Film Festival to "present a wide variety of local and international short films to the public in non-academic, non-festival environments." Screenings start in January and will be quarterly (they're looking for submissions, btw). Andrew Bird is on the Brigade's board, and he's doing a quartet of shows to benefit it. Unfortunately, those shows will be in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Minneapolis and Madison -- but what a great excuse for a road trip!
Wednesday September 27 2006 Film

Make Tallgrass, Not Bombs
Nice article about the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, an effort in southwest suburban Midewin to return a former military arsenal to the tallgrass prairie it was prior to the 1800s.
Tuesday September 26 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Murderers in Your Extended Network
Killers have moved into MySpace. The social networking juggernaut removed a profile for Laurie Dann, who shot six kids in a Winnetka school in 1988, over the weekend. Profiles of serial killers John Wayne Gacey, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer are still up, for now.
Tuesday September 26 2006 Found on the Web

suntimes.com Redesigned
The Sun-Times launched a redesigned website Monday night; it looks swell, but they also changed the way their URLs are built, so any links to articles that worked yesterday are now completely useless. [Matt adds: I'm not sure how swell it looks, but it's not just the links that are obsolete -- the old RSS feeds are, as well, so you'll apparently need to resubscribe. Beyond that, here's the site tooting its own horn.] (Thanks, Mike.)
Monday September 25 2006 Print/Magazines

The Science of Free Tickets
Want a free pair of tickets to a preview screening of The Science of Sleep this Wednesday at 8pm? Be one of the first to email inbox@gapersblock.com and they're yours. UPDATE: We have our winners! Congrats, Nadia and Nicole!
Monday September 25 2006 Film

Chicago in HDR
Trey Ratcliff, CEO of a videogame company, has a fondness for high dynamic range (HDR) photography, and he's captured a number of stunning photos of our fair city.
Monday September 25 2006 Photography

Asshand and Other Stories
Learn the legend of Asshand, read a recounting of a visit to Lebanon, and other stories in the latest issue of Keep Going.
Monday September 25 2006 Found on the Web

Tales of an Axman
One of the most popular figures from Fuel now has his own column in which to tell his sad story: Tales of Blagg the Axman makes its debut in Airbags today, where it will appear every other Saturday. He's asked that interested parties send him questions from which to draw inspiration -- his email's at the end of the column.
Saturday September 23 2006 Gapers

Free Jet Show for MySpacers
Good news if you've got a MySpace account: This Sunday, Jet will be playing a free show at Schubas -- you can get in (if there's space) only ifyou bring a printout of your profile with "MySpace Secret Shows" among your top eight friends. (Thanks, Mike!)
Friday September 22 2006 Music/Clubs

Brad Lynch's Real Chicago
Lee Bey -- former Sun-Times architecture critic, frequent Rearview contributor and one-time Audible City interviewee -- talks with architect Brad Lynch of Brininstool + Lynch about Chicago architecture and his favorite places in the city in the October issue of Dwell. (Thanks, Dayna!)
Friday September 22 2006 Arts/Architecture

CTA Sucks in So Many Ways
On a day that saw part of the Red Line shut down by an electical fire in the middle of rush hour, the Beachwood Reporter summarizes the city's general dissatisfaction with the CTA, line by line.
Friday September 22 2006 Transportation

Cabbie Killer Sentenced
Update on an old story: The AIDS activist and former city health department official who ran over a cab driver with his own cab last year has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Thursday September 21 2006 In the News

Dinner Theater
Improv Kitchen's new season starts today; reviews have been mixed in the past, but hopefully the new show irons out some of the kinks. UPDATE: The new "flagship" show, "The Unfinishe... Project," doesn't premier until Oct. 4.
Thursday September 21 2006 Theatre/Dance

About, With and For Design
IIT's Institute of Design hosts its annual About, With & For conference October 6-7, and it's shaping up to be a good one. A few seats are left; bug your boss to get you in.
Wednesday September 20 2006 Schools/Education

Alinea on Top
Alinea is the number one restaurant in the country, according to Gourmet magazine, while Charlie Trotter's has dropped to 13th. Expect reservation waits to expand and contract accordingly.
Wednesday September 20 2006 Eating/Drinking

Cold Steel on Ice Tonight
The Blackhawks play their first preseason game tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Not up on your Hawks? Get a preview in the debut Pucks in Five column.
Tuesday September 19 2006 Sports/Recreation

Not Exactly Flying Wallenda
Right now (at 9am) Mario Wallenda is attempting to cross the Chicago River on a high wire near the Merchandise Mart. A member of the famous Flying Wallendas circus troupe, Mario was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident in 1972, so he's crossing in a specially made motorized wheelchair. It's all a stunt for The Loop's Brandemeier show. UPDATE: Felix Jung has lots of photos and commentary from the behind the scenes.
Tuesday September 19 2006 Radio/TV

George Ryan Joins the Nigerians
You've got to hand it to Nigerian scammers: they're on top of current affairs. The May Report published an email scam using the George Ryan corruption case as its set-up. [via]
Monday September 18 2006 Found on the Web

TECH Cocktail, the Sequel
TECH Cocktail, a social occasion for the Chicago tech scene, has announced its next event: pencil it in for October 12 at The Gramercy. RSVP here.
Monday September 18 2006 Found on the Web

6 Degrees of Bob Dylan
How well do you know your Dylan trivia? Well enough to connect, say, Sid Vicious to Robert Zimmerman in six steps or less? Find out with Coudal Partners' latest diversion and you could win some cool stuff.
Monday September 18 2006 Music/Clubs

Politically Incorrect with U of C Students
The Maroon, U of C's student newspaper, got edgy in their orientation issue this week with a series of "politically incorrect" restaurant reviews. Read'em here: Hyde Park A-M, N-Z and downtown.
Monday September 18 2006 Eating/Drinking

Admiring the Greenery
Speaking of green architecture, new blog Green Bean tracks ecologically friendly buildings in and around the city. It's written by Erik Olsen, who's the Green Projects administrator for the Chicago Department of Construction and Permits.
Friday September 15 2006 Arts/Architecture

A Quick Plug: Gazooly
We're in the midst of the Rhinoceros Theatre Festival, and I just want draw your attention to Gazooly, which stars a good friend of mine. Opens tonight at 9:30pm at the Prop Theater, 3502-04 N. Elston.
Thursday September 14 2006 Theatre/Dance

The Last Picture Show
Tonight's your last chance to catch a movie at the Esquire Theater on Oak Street. The '30s-era cinema is closing and will be demolished to make way for a planned retail-hotel complex -- because that neighborhood needs another one. The Reader has visitation hours -er, showtimes.
Thursday September 14 2006 Film

Around the World Market
Interested in the wide variety of ethnic foods available in the city, but not sure where to go to get the best? You might be interested in the Ethnic Grocery Tours offered by Evelyn Thompson.
Thursday September 14 2006 Eating/Drinking

Bet on the Bears, Win Furniture
The Bears gave Brett Favre his first shut-out on Sunday, and by doing so they won free furniture for dozens of customers at World Furniture Mall in south suburban Plano. Owner Randy Gonigam was insured to pay out up to $300,000 worth of furniture, but he never expected it to happen.
Tuesday September 12 2006 In the News

Block Party Pix
Photos are still getting posted to flickr from three long days of rocking West Wabansia this weekend. Check the tags HideoutBlockParty, TouchAndGo and Hideout, for starters.
Monday September 11 2006 Photography

"Truthseeking" Journalist Stunned
Christopher Bollyn, a right-wing "truthseeker" and journalist for the American Free Press, was arrested last weekend and shot with a Taser gun. He says it's because of his claims that the Israelis were behind the 9/11 attacks; the cops say they thought he was trying to go get a weapon. We report, you decide.
Friday September 8 2006 In the News

Reconstruction Room:Remix and Release
The Reconstruction Room, the bi-weekly reading series at the Black Rock, celebrates the release of its first CD, rec poetica, tonight with a reading of "Rec Room remixes" curated by Dave Snyder. The (free) show starts at 8pm, the CD is $7 and the Black Rock is on Damen just north of Addison.
Wednesday September 6 2006 Books/Authors

Sorry, Grandma
Perhaps emboldened by the record number of bank robberies this year, a 79-year-old woman attempted to rob a downtown Bank of America yesterday with a toy gun. When the teller didn't comply with her demands, the woman left the bank, but was apprehended by police shortly thereafter.
Wednesday September 6 2006 In the News

Field's Fans Unite One Last Time
Fans of Marshall Field's have one last chance to demonstrate their anger with the department stores' conversion to Macy's. At 9:30am on September 9, the day of the official switch-over, FieldsFansChicago is holding a protest in front of the State Street store.
Tuesday September 5 2006 Business/Shopping

Not to Scale
Here's a nice gift for the archiecture and/or Frank Lloyd Wright fan in your life: the desktop Mile High skyscraper.
Tuesday September 5 2006 Arts/Architecture

More Red Eyes
Apparently we can't get enough of the Red Eye. The Tribune is predicting its free weekdaily tabloid will be profitable this year, and is upping the circulation 50 percent to 150,000 and adding more boxes around the city.
Monday September 4 2006 Print/Magazines

OUT: Chicago Council on Foreign Relations
IN: Chicago Council on Global Affairs
(Read the news release.)
Friday September 1 2006 In the News

The Superfan to Beat All Superfans
You may think you are the Bears' biggest fan. But you pale in comparison to this guy.
Friday September 1 2006 Sports/Recreation

Rise of the 100cc Machines
Ride a scooter? Or love someone who does? You best be headed to Slaughterhouse this weekend, then. The 12th annual running of the Vespas (and other scooters) is this Saturday, while a pre-party gets the ball rolling tonight at Liar's Club; details in Slowdown.
Thursday August 31 2006 Transportation

Kumbaya, My Zorn, Kumbaya
Wow, Eric Zorn sure is passionate about "Kumbaya," my lord.
Thursday August 31 2006 Weblogs

A Little Architecture Break
Dayna Bateman, who took the photo you see in Rearview today, took a class with Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin this summer. Her photos from the field are lovely.
Thursday August 31 2006 Arts/Architecture

Logan Square Baristas, Unite!
Workers at the Logan Square Starbucks have announced they're unionizing, demanding a living wage, guaranteed hours and reinstatement of baristas fired for organizing activity. The store is the first outside New York to join the IWW Starbucks Workers Union. (Thanks, Patrick!)
Wednesday August 30 2006 In the News

Play Date on Friday
Just a reminder (and a heads up for our RSS readers): The next GB Get-Together is this Friday at Black Rock, and we're breaking out the boardgames at the suggestion of someone in last week's Fuel thread. Details in Slowdown.
Wednesday August 30 2006 Gapers

Foie Gras Back in the News Already
The foie gras ban has sort of claimed its first victim: Block 44 in Lincoln Square. Chef Rick Spiros served some duck liver as a special over the weekend -- to finish off his stock rather than throw it out, he says -- and someone bothered to call 311. Spiros has gotten a warning from the City not to "finish off" any more.
Wednesday August 30 2006 Eating/Drinking

Hockey in Five?
Anybody out there a hockey fan? Gapers Block is looking for a columnist to write Blackhawks (and possibly Wolves) in Five for our popular Sports in Five column. Email your application with a couple sample items to ah@gapersblock.com.
Tuesday August 29 2006 Gapers

Yet Another Reason the Sox Are Better:
Do the Cubs have their own cartoon, with the team as pirates?
Tuesday August 29 2006 Sports/Recreation

10 Sci-Fi Diamonds in the Rough
The Reader's Jonathan Rosenbaum picks 10 neglected science fiction movies for DVDBeaver.com.
Monday August 28 2006 Film

Lucha Libre, Gratis!
Tomorrow night at 6pm, the Congress Theater is hosting a Lucha Libre wrestling match featuring La Parka and Super Astro versus Blue Panther and Tarzan Boy. For free! How can you pass it up? Check out the Congress website to sign up for free tickets.
Friday August 25 2006 Sports/Recreation

State Street Not So Great
First Field's, now this: Carson Pirie Scott will be closing its historic State Street store after the holiday season due to poor sales and operating losses.
Friday August 25 2006 Business/Shopping

Bubba the Super Grouper, RIP
Speaking of fish, Bubba, the "super grouper" at the Shedd Aquarium who in 2002 became the first fish ever to undergo chemotherapy for cancer, died earlier this week. He was 24, and was a she (groupers are hermaphroditic) when found in a bucket on the front steps of the aquarium in 1987.
Thursday August 24 2006 In the News

Guide to the Gangsters' Homes
The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest has an interesting tour for you mob aficianados: "Welcome to the Neighbor Hood," a trolley tour of gangster homes in the two suburbs. On Sept. 24 and Oct. 8, see the former homes of Sam Giancana, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo and Paul "The Waiter" Ricca. Combine it with an "Untouchables" gangster tour and you've got yourself a day you can't refuse.
Thursday August 24 2006 History

Pay-to-Play Along
Chicago-opoly: The City That Cheats, a new game from the Beachwood Reporter. Not to be confused with the Chicago Monopoly.
Thursday August 24 2006 Politics/Activism

Buzz Buzz Buzz
Do you remember the great cicada invasion of 1990? That was the last time 17-year cicadas came out of their underground burrows in Chicagoland, and the Lake County Forest Preserve is collecting stories about it in anticipation of next year's resurfacing. Eric Zorn reprints a column from '90 about the 1973 invasion in his blog.
Wednesday August 23 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Game the Travel Market
Farecast finally has predictions for ticket prices departing from O'Hare and Midway to major destinations around the country. The beta service predicts whether ticket prices are likely to rise or fall, and makes recommendations on whether to buy now or hold off on that round-trip to San Francisco.
Wednesday August 23 2006 Transportation

Psychedelia Never Died...
...it just got reinvigorated in the hands of the Delicious Design League.
Tuesday August 22 2006 Found on the Web

Get In Real Fast
Hey, 37signals is holding a workshop on Getting Real October 9; it's about half-way sold out, so get your boss to approve it quick!
Tuesday August 22 2006 Schools/Education

Late Night Eats
As I post this, it's 12:47am. If I were hungry, I'd be glad to have GopherNow at the ready: It shows which places are still open and whether they're delivering. (Then again, I'll be even happier when it's not dominated by Domino's Pizza and Burger King.)
Tuesday August 22 2006 Eating/Drinking

Rockin' Good Food, Man
Michael Nagrant parlayed his awesome Hungry Magazine food blog/podcast into a podcasting series for Chicago Magazine -- check out his first "Chefs on the Grill" interview with del Toro's Andrew Zimmerman, who used to be a musician.
Monday August 21 2006 Eating/Drinking

Off the CUFF
The Chicago Underground Film Festival kicks off tonight at the Music Box. Don't know how that escaped our calendar.
Friday August 18 2006 Film

Things To Do
Looking for something to do tonight or tomorrow? Here's the plan. Tonight at 8pm, head to Gallery Cabaret for Schadenfreude's rent party -- this month featuring winners of this year's Rhyme Spitters contest and Schad's own Hogbutchers. Tomorrow at 7pm, visit the new boutique Koi 8 for its grand opening party and show opening for graffiti artist Revise CMW.
Friday August 18 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Get Off at Bemont...
The CTA needs to hire a proofreader. When they updated the in-train maps of the system to reflect the Pink Line, lots of mistakes crept in. Such as the wrong phone number for the CTA help line, and typos like Bemont.
Friday August 18 2006 Transportation

Chicago Vox Populi
Vox, a new blogging service from SixApart, just released a Chicago skyline skin, which you can see on my silly little test blog. Obviously done from memory, since the east-facing view of the Loop prominently features the CNE building (which can't be seen from the other side of the Loop) and only a few recognizable buildings (Sears Tower, Hancock, Prudential and Aon). At least they tried. (If you'd like a Vox invite, let me know -- we've got four to give away.)
Thursday August 17 2006 Weblogs

We're Not Number 1 After All
All those stories recently about Chicago having the highest gas prices in the country were dead wrong -- Aspen has us beat hands down.
Thursday August 17 2006 In the News

Two Kinds of Mexican Food
The Toronto Star's food critic, Jessica Bain, takes a look at two sides of Mexican food in Chicago: a visit to Rick Bayless' Topolobampo/Frontera Grill and a tour of neighborhood restaurants with LTHForum's David Hammond. She also gives us a recipe for birria -- goat stew.
Wednesday August 16 2006 Eating/Drinking

Talk About Real Estate
YoChicago launched a massive forums section yesterday, covering every nook and cranny of the city and many suburbs. Get in on the ground floor.
Wednesday August 16 2006 Found on the Web

Find a Spot to Park
ChicagoParkingMap.com maps all the private parking lots and garages downtown (from 1100 North to 2300 South). The Java is a bit clunky, but boy is it comprehensive.
Wednesday August 16 2006 Transportation

Block 37 Changes Hands Again
Architecture critic Lynn Becker runs down the latest exchange of Block 37 development rights on his excellent blog.
Tuesday August 15 2006 Arts/Architecture

Kup of the Hand
Is Irv Kupcinet's statue trying to tell us something?
Tuesday August 15 2006 Arts/Architecture

Fighting for Day Laborers' Rights
Last week, the AFL-CIO announced it was teaming up with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network to help protect the rights of day laborers. MR Zine provides a local case in point for why this battle is so important.
Monday August 14 2006 Politics/Activism

A Bastion of Comedy
The Bastion came to town earlier this summer (it's related to New York's Apiary) to cover the comedy and improv scene, and they're doing a heck of a job (and not in the GW Bush sense).
Monday August 14 2006 Weblogs

Shh, It's a Secret
What's Chicago Public Radio's secret radio project? Can't tell you, but there's a nice big hint in this week's issue of Time Out.
Friday August 11 2006 Radio/TV

Blog Out
I haven't bothered with Time Out Chicago's website much after it launched, since it hid almost everything behind a subscription wall. But sometime a few months ago, they made most of the content public and launched a blog. Worth taking a look.
Thursday August 10 2006 Weblogs

Top TEN for Education
The Teaching Excellence Network is "an online professional community for teachers across subject areas, grade levels and school type, from urban, suburban and rural areas all over the state and country." If you or someone you know is a teacher, this is the place for you.
Thursday August 10 2006 Schools/Education

More Than Your Typical Gapers
Two semis apparently collided on the Northwest Tollway this morning, resulting in one overturned truck and a three-mile back-up during rush hour. Jon at the Reverse Commuter snapped some photos of the accident scene from his car in the midst of it all.
Wednesday August 9 2006 Transportation

H-Illinois-wood
The Illinois Bureau of Tourism has created a great site cataloging all the films shot in the state, with location listings for some of the top flicks in each region and a map of every major motion picture made in Illinois.
Wednesday August 9 2006 Film

Drink on a Boat
This summer, Kafka Wine and Wendella Boats have been getting together for a series of Wine Tasting Cruises, which pair vino with architectural tour on Wednesdays each month. The next one is August 23 at 5:45pm. Tickets are $50 and reservations are required. [via]
Tuesday August 8 2006 Eating/Drinking

Mountainous Chicago
I've never thought of Chicago as an obstacle course, but this article in Dirt Rag describing a trip through the city with Chicago Freeride sort of makes me wish I had big nobby tires on my bike.
Tuesday August 8 2006 Sports/Recreation

Best Name for a GLBT Scooter Gang Ever:
Hell's Fairies.
Monday August 7 2006 Transportation

500 Corpses
An Exquisite Corpse, the locally based collaborative art project site created by friend of GB Phineas X. Jones (and run on a CMS by GB MVP Jim Allenspach), posted the 500th corpse since its relaunch today. (It's technically the 627th corpse if you count from the beginning of the site, but why do that?)
Monday August 7 2006 Arts/Architecture

Coming In Bronze
Crain's takes a look at how Chicago stacks up against its American competition for the 2016 Olympics and finds us falling short compared to rivals LA and San Francisco.
Monday August 7 2006 In the News

OK Go Shoot Your Own Video
By now you've probably seen the new super-choreographed video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again." But what you may not have known about is the dance contest they're running: contestants replicate the moves from OK Go's previous viral video, "A Million Ways," post it on YouTube, and the band judges. The winners will dance with the band on stage at an upcoming concert. You've got until August 30 to enter.
Friday August 4 2006 Music/Clubs

Your Moment of Mapping Zen
"Community areas in Chicago, isolated from context."
Friday August 4 2006 City Life/Cultural

Outlaws Dine Again
Baed on the enthusiastic response to his first Outlaw Dinner, 676 Restaurant's executive chef Robert Gadsby is holding another one on Monday, August 21, the day before the foie gras ban goes into effect. Chicagoans will yet again be treated to another menu featuring several barely legal foods at the center of controversies across the nation, including the aforementioned foie, absinthe, hemp seed, imported raw milk cheeses, morels and sous vide preparation. The seven course, prix fixe meal is $95 per person, with seatings between 7pm and 10pm; call 312-944-7676 for a reservation.
Thursday August 3 2006 Eating/Drinking

A Lyrical Sway of the Hips
Know how to belly dance? The Lyric Opera wants you ...to audition for a role in an upcoming performance of Salome.
Thursday August 3 2006 Theatre/Dance

Techies Meet Here
Looking for a technology group to meet with? Let Tech Social be your guide.
Thursday August 3 2006 Found on the Web

Where to Turn for Short Films
TurnHere is a site that collects short video guides about cities around the world. The Chicago section features some nice clips, including trips through Bronzeville, Wicker Park, Rogers Park, Pilsen and other neighborhoods.
Wednesday August 2 2006 Film

Tea Time Suggestions
In such hot weather, tea's not really been on my mind, but come winter these recommendations of tea-oriented cafes will be quite useful.
Wednesday August 2 2006 Eating/Drinking

BlogHer Here Next Year
Mark your calendars: BlogHer, an annual conference for women bloggers, is coming to Chicago next year.
Tuesday August 1 2006 Weblogs

Feed Me
Hey, you know we have RSS feeds for every section of Gapers Block, right? And as of today, "every" includes the Book Club and Transmission. Go sign up!
Tuesday August 1 2006 Gapers

Hop from Point A to Point B
This could come in handy, especially when you want to minimize your waiting-in-the-heat time: HopStop helps find the quickest route between one address and another on public transportation. [via] (Thanks, Jenni!) [Matt updates to add: Chicagoist isn't impressed, but it mapped my trip from home to work just fine. In other words: it's new; results may vary.]
Tuesday August 1 2006 Transportation

"How Hot Is It?"
It's so hot that our web host (which is in California, actually) had a generator catch on fire on Friday and a server meltdown on Monday. Sorry for the downtime; Gapers Block should be now back to its usual reliable self.
Monday July 31 2006 Gapers

A Different Kind of Heat
Zillow offers an interesting graphic representation of cost per square foot for Chicagoland real estate: a "heat map."
Monday July 31 2006 Business/Shopping

Cars Left, Trucks Right
All about Illinois Tollway Oases. [via]
Friday July 28 2006 Transportation

The Schadenfreude of Mis-crediting
So that Colonel Sanders/Ed Burke separated-at-birth thing we linked to on Consumerist yesterday? Done by friend of GB and Schadenfreude member Justin Kaufmann. We should have recognized his handiwork.
Friday July 28 2006 People/Sightings

Macy on Mamet & More
Our film critic, Steve at the Movies, interviews William H. Macy at Ain't It Cool about his new film, Edmond, his time in Chicago working with David Mamet and more. And speaking of Macy, he'll be at select screenings of Edmond at the Siskel Film Center this weekend; get your tickets before they sell out.
Friday July 28 2006 Film

Cancer Surgery for Cardinal, Mayor's Wife
News that Cardinal George would be undergoing surgery for bladder cancer topped what was a very busy news day yesterday. Doctors will be removing his entire bladder today in an effort to keep the aggressive cancer from spreading. And news also broke that Maggie Daley would be undergoing surgery today as well, to remove a "residual tumor" in her breast.
Thursday July 27 2006 People/Sightings

House Centipedes Are Your Friends!
Hey, all you people who are afraid of the centipedes in your homes: There's nothing to be afraid of! The house centipede, while freaky looking, is actually a beneficial bug that eats other pesty bugs, like bedbugs, roaches, silverfish and spiders. If you've got a lot of them and they look well-fed, though, you might want to call an exterminator to get rid of their dinner supply.
Wednesday July 26 2006 City Life/Cultural

Ugly Buildings Make Us Sad
The Trib updated their list of ugly Loop buildings today, including such gems as the Beef 'n Brandy and the Thompson Center. Got a suggestion for their list? Submit it using the form at the end of the article.
Wednesday July 26 2006 Arts/Architecture

Another Collection That Could Only Exist Online
FoGB Coudal Partners' Museum of Online Museums was featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" yesterday.
Wednesday July 26 2006 Found on the Web

The Other Big Ordinance Vote
While the Big Box Ordinance is getting all the attention, City Council is also considering a long list of dog-related ordinances today. The biggest is mandatory microchipping (so pooches can be tracked and returned to their owners more easily), but there are also new ordinances regulating conditions at kennels and how and for how long owners can keep their dogs on tethers in the yard. Should be a much less controversial set of votes.
Wednesday July 26 2006 Politics/Activism

Ponce, Marin, Mancow?
Two weeks after Mancow was unceremoniously dropped by Q101, he's resurfaced in a couple places. He's temporarily taping his syndicated radio show at WLS-AM studios, and in a somewhat bizarre twist, he's going to be appearing on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight," doing occasional commentaries alongside such high minds as John Callahan and Carol Marin.
Tuesday July 25 2006 Radio/TV

No One's In the House
What if they threw a music festival and nobody came? It happened last weekend to the Move! 2006, the Chicago International House Music Festival. Only about 2,000 fans showed up, far short of the 8,000+ expected. (We didn't hear about it till today, so maybe they just didn't get the word out well enough.)
Monday July 24 2006 Music/Clubs

SLOW 25 MPH
The Oak Street Curve on the northbound side of Lake Shore Drive is a notorious accident spot, but people keep speeding into the curve and hitting the wall or each other. So the city is planning some new measures to alert drivers to slow down, including some optical illusion paint lines. The Trib has a nice graphic explaining the changes.
Monday July 24 2006 Transportation

On the March
Mucca Pazza got quite a write-up in the Sun-Times yesterday. They'll be playing at the Hideout this Thursday, July 27 -- the perfect time to catch what's possibly the world's only circus punk marching band.
Monday July 24 2006 Music/Clubs

Lifson vs. Epstein
Edward Lifson interviews author and Northwestern professor Joseph Epstein about his new book, Friendship, on Hello Beautiful Sunday morning at 10am on WBEZ. Apparently Epstein is a blast to talk to, doing accents and telling funny stories. Worth tuning in.
Saturday July 22 2006 Books/Authors

Good Thing There's No Late Fee
Claire Zulkey wants to know about your Notflixing habits, the movies you got from Netflix that sit, unwatched, for months.
Friday July 21 2006 Weblogs

The Tech Scene is Warming Up
If you didn't already know Chicago's gaining a reputation for Web2.0 innovation, this week's news should make it clear: 37signals announced yesterday that Jeff Bezos (of Amazon.com fame) has made a personal investment in the company. And on Monday Feedburner (who produces our feeds) announced it had bought blog stats company Blogbeat. (Anyone interested in throwing a little dough our way?)
Friday July 21 2006 Business/Shopping

Foodpr0n Gets a Moment in the Sun
KIPlog's Food blog points us to the Tribune's article on the trend of foodies taking pictures of their meals, accompanied by photography tips and a short list of food-porny blogs.
Thursday July 20 2006 Eating/Drinking

Evil Car Salesman on the Lam!
So, this guy Mark goes to Naperville Toyota to buy a Prius. The salesguy is totally sleazy and sets up a fraudulent financing deal. The deal goes down and Mark drives away, but has second thoughts and tries to return the car. Instead he gets an earful from the dealership and harrassing phone calls -- for four months. There's now a warrant out for the salesman's arrest; read the whole sordid tale (and an update here) at The Consumerist. (Thanks, Brenda!)
Thursday July 20 2006 Business/Shopping

MAN-cation, All I Ever Wanted
Hey man, you look like you need a guy's night out. Lucky for you the newly relaunched aria bar at the Fairmont Hotel has you covered: at 7:30pm next Saturday, July 29, it's hosting a men-only "MAN-cation," featuring cocktails in the bar, a three-course steak dinner, and a Woodford Reserve whiskey and cigar tasting . It's not cheap at $150 per person, but short of strippers and drag races, it couldn't get much manlier. Reservations can be made by calling 312-444-9494.
Thursday July 20 2006 Eating/Drinking

Neighborhood Diversity
How diverse is your neighborhood? If you live in Rogers Park, Uptown, Bridgeport, Albany Park, Lincoln Square, Archer Heights, West Ridge, North Park, Irving Park or West Lawn, the answer is: very, according to the Metropolitan Chicago Information Center. Download PDFs of the full report and others here.
Thursday July 20 2006 City Life/Cultural

Torture Report Finally Out
The so-called Burge Report on police torture is finally out, and the Tribune has been nice enough to post a 15MB PDF of it. The Reader's John Conroy has some thoughts; read his coverage over the years here. UPDATE: Indymedia has the report broken up into more digestible chunks. (Thanks, Mitchell)
Wednesday July 19 2006 In the News

MDW = SWA
Been to Midway lately? Seem like Southwest has every gate in the airport? Well, they nearly do.
Wednesday July 19 2006 Transportation

Macy's Tries for the Local Angle
New City details a recent presentation by more than 60 local designers to Macy's buyers. The lucky ones will be featured in the new store's Chicago Designer Shop, which opens September 8.
Wednesday July 19 2006 Business/Shopping

People Die in the Desert
Just like a real desert, "food deserts" -- areas with a lack of grocery stores but plenty of fast food joints -- can kill. A study by LaSalle Bank found a correlation between such areas and premature death. The Sun-Times offers a map showing where these deserts are in Chicago; you've probably already guessed that they're concentrated on the South and West Sides.
Wednesday July 19 2006 City Life/Cultural

Stroger Replaces Stroger
It's official: Alderman Todd Stroger will replace his father as the Democratic choice for Cook County Board President in November. What are your thoughts? Post'em in Fuel, and/or vote on Zorn's blog.
Tuesday July 18 2006 Politics/Activism

Casting for Listeners, Looking for Podcasters
Cubscast, your source for Wrigley-related podcasting, is running a listener drive: go get 20 free Cubs postcards to pass out to your friends. Take pictures of them with their cards and you could win a video iPod. In related news, Chicago Sportscast Network is looking for some Blackhawks fans to do a podcast at Hawkscast; check the site for details and an app.
Tuesday July 18 2006 Sports/Recreation

No Hats, Hoods or Sunglasses
In case you forgot, we've seen a record pace of bank robberies this year. So, some banks are instituting a dress code.
Tuesday July 18 2006 In the News

Cruising the Film Festival
Steven Spielberg received a Golden Hugo for lifetime achievement last night at this year's Chicago International Film Festival awards. And who should make a surprise appearance but Tom Cruise! Is it just me, or does it look like he's going to kiss Spielberg in CBS2's video clip?
Monday July 17 2006 People/Sightings

A Million Pounds to Lose
Responding the Chicago's reputation as America's fattest city, the Chicago Defender has launched the Million Pound Challenge to encourage African-Americans in Chicagoland to collectively lose a million pounds over the next 12 months. Sign up here to participate.
Monday July 17 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Film Last Meals
Tying nicely into the current Fuel question, local artistic group Lucky Pierre is looking for volunteers to eat 24 of the 350+ final meal requests from the executed prisoners on Texas Death Row for a video installation project. The meals will be filmed in Logan Square between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, July 22; email mealvolunteer[at]luckypierre.org to be one of the lucky few. (Thanks, Marie!)
Friday July 14 2006 Film

Still No Justice for Dead Musicians
A year ago tomorrow, three local musicans were killed in a car accident by a woman who was allegedly attempting suicide. She survived, and there still hasn't been a trial. A member of the Electrical Audio discussion board has been attending hearings and providing updates (three most recent) on the proceedings; the latest is that trial is pending a psychiatric evaluation of the defendant. Next court date is July 21. (Thanks, Ron.)
Thursday July 13 2006 Music/Clubs

I Go Zip
I-Go now has some competition in the car-sharing business: Zipcar. [via]
Thursday July 13 2006 Transportation

Novak Speaks
Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak finally spilled the beans today about who leaked the identity of CIA operative/ambassador's wife Valerie Plame back in '03. Well, sort of: He didn't say who told him about Plame, but he said Karl Rove confirmed the source's info.
Wednesday July 12 2006 Politics/Activism

Behold! The McSundial
McDonald's put up a pretty interesting new billboard in Wrigleyville. (Thanks, VinceJose!)
Wednesday July 12 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Dead Mancow Walking
Did you listen to Mancow yesterday morning on Q101? Me neither. But what we missed was the shock jock's last broadcast on the station. "Best of" shows started running today, and James VanOsdol fills in with "on shuffle" alt rock starting Monday. "I wish my old station luck, but no looking back. I have huge plans and huge ideas," Mancow said -- the first of which is finding a new studio to broadcast from.
Wednesday July 12 2006 Radio/TV

Cross-town Smack Talk
The Chi-Town Daily News sent a camera to the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley last week to find out what Cubs and Sox fans think of each other. You can probably guess what they found. (Video, NSFW)
Tuesday July 11 2006 Sports/Recreation

A Plague of Mayflies
Another reason we should be glad we don't live in Wisconsin: La Crosse had a mayfly hatch so large that it showed up on National Weather Service radar as a rainstorm. [via]
Monday July 10 2006 In the News

My Favorite Webcomic
Multiplex, by former GB film critic Gordon McAlpin, turns one year old today with its 75th strip, "Pirates of Pirates of the Caribbean."
Monday July 10 2006 Found on the Web

Vesparate Measures
With gas prices so high, Vespas and other scooters have shot up in popularity. There's only one problem: the only Vespa dealership in Chicago has gone bankrupt. (Little tip for the guy in that article who needs a tune-up: Scooterworks.)
Monday July 10 2006 Transportation

Protecting the Flying Jewels
One of Chicagoland's most endangered species is the Hine's emerald dragonfly. On Wednesday, the US Fish & Wildlife Service is expected to designate critical habitats for the 2-3" bug, including the Lockport Prairie south of Romeoville.
Sunday July 9 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Share a Beer
Introducing Coastr, "a social guide to beer," produced by local design team Luckymonk.
Friday July 7 2006 Found on the Web

VA not for Peace
Veteran Mike Ferner was recently at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center on the South Side, drinking coffee, when he found himself arrested. His crime? Protesting, trespassing and disorderly conduct, because he happened to be wearing a Veterans for Peace t-shirt. (Thanks, Jim!)
Friday July 7 2006 In the News

Restaurant Cage Match!
Ever notice two similar restaurants so close together that they must be feeding off each other's patrons? So has Phil Vettel, who just introduced a new series in the Trib: Cage Match, pitting neighboring joints against each other.
Thursday July 6 2006 Eating/Drinking

Representin' CHI
Did you know that July is Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Month? Lots to do.
Thursday July 6 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Chicago, City that Trademarks
The City has filed for trademark protection on a wide variety of assets, from police and firefighter insignias to the phrase, "Chicagoland's Third Airport." Start watching for little ™'s to show up on stuff around town.
Wednesday July 5 2006 In the News

Chicago by the Numbers
This week's issue of Crain's Chicago Business contains their annual "Focus: Market Facts" feature, chock full of demographics and data ranging from It's all downloadable online in PDF format, and this year they've added an interactive map that allows you to zoom in on a particular neighborhood and check out how strong the demand for mp3 players is, for instance.
Wednesday July 5 2006 City Life/Cultural

Jammin' at the Beach
The beaches in Uptown were jam-packed on the Fourth -- so packed that the police closed the Lake Shore Drive exit ramps from Montrose up to Foster.
Wednesday July 5 2006 Outdoors/Environment

Sundance May Set on the Near West Side
Crain's reports that Robert Redford is considering the site of a closed Fannie May candy factory for an outpost of his new Sundance Cinemas movie theater chain.
Monday July 3 2006 Business/Shopping

A Happy Get-Together
If you're not doing anything tonight, perhaps you'd consider joining a few GB staffers at our monthly Get-Together? We'll be at Happy Village from 9pm on -- look for us out back.
Friday June 30 2006 Gapers

Hark, Reader! A Blog!
The Reader has launched its first blog, the Daily Harold, by longtime staffwriter Harold Henderson. Henderson claims to be "the World's First Blogger," conveniently leaving out of the Wikipedia definition the part about a blog being on the Web. Good luck with that.
Thursday June 29 2006 Weblogs

SCOTUS Ruling Opinion
Reader Chad D. writes, "This morning, in a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that President Bush's decision to try alleged al Qaeda combatant Salim Ahmed Hamdan for conspiracy before a military commission was illegal under U.S. and international law. The opinion, written by native Chicagoan, U. of C. and Northwestern alumnus John Paul Stephens, also expressed concern that 'conspiracy,' as a stand-alone offense, 'is not a recognized violation of the law of war.' Relief may be in order."
Thursday June 29 2006 Politics/Activism

Switching Sides
The success of the White Sox and the dismal collapse of the Cubs have had effects far beyond the MLB standings: in some cases, it's turning family members against each other as the South Siders draw not-so-die-hard Cubs fans into their fold. In Richard Roeper's new book, Sox and the City, he has a word for them: biSoxual. Watch this page for an mp3 of Roeper's appearance on 848 this morning discussing the potential sea change in the Sox' fandom fortunes. (Thanks, Roni)
Thursday June 29 2006 Sports/Recreation

Not So Bad At Sports After All
Remember when you played kickball in gym and the artsy kids and the nerds always got picked last? Well, so do ThreeWalls Gallery, StopSmiling Magazine and Bad at Sports, and they're gonna show you what you missed out on this Saturday, July 1, from noon till 6pm at the Wicker Park kickball field. Four teams (The Mullets, the West Town Banditos, Record Players and the West Loop Flyers) will compete for the ArtLeague Kickball championship trophy. Afterparty and awards ceremony at Smoke Daddy. More details in Slowdown.
Thursday June 29 2006 Sports/Recreation

World Cup in Five
The US is out of the World Cup running, and our Fire in Five columnist is back stateside with some reflections on the national team and its surprisingly vocal fans. Read about it in Sports in Five.
Wednesday June 28 2006 Sports/Recreation

Phoning It In On the Mag Mile
Business Week takes a look at the new Nokia flagship store on Michigan Avenue over the weekend. Probably the coolest thing about it is you can buy any phone totally unlocked, so it can be used with whichever cellular carrier you want. The downside is there's no carrier subsidy, so you're going to pay full price for that 8801. (Incidentally, those interested in Motorola's new Q have but a short walk to check it out.)
Wednesday June 28 2006 Business/Shopping

In-Toe-Nation
Reader Jennifer noticed an interesting phenomenon at the Intonation Festival last weekend: "I looked around at one point during a set, and realized that just about everyone in my 10 foot radius was wearing the same footwear as their neighbor." Check it out in this Flickr photoset.
Tuesday June 27 2006 Photography

The Tattler Redesigns
The CTA Tattler, Chicago's number one source for transit scuttlebut, has redesigned.
Tuesday June 27 2006 Weblogs

Intonation On Us
Hey, quick contest! First person to email inbox@gapersblock.com with the names of three bands they want to see at Intonation Music Festival this weekend gets a two-day VIP pass! UPDATE: Holy crap, that was fast: Dave Reidy is our winner!
Thursday June 22 2006 Music/Clubs

Hitting the Streets
Reader Jacob sent us a link to photos from the Go Skateboarding Day festivities downtown yesterday. More from reader Jim, and the Trib has a Flash presentation of their own pix. (Anyone else? Email inbox@gapersblock.com.)
Thursday June 22 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Mickeys Go Down
The DEA and Chicago police raided the stronghold of the Mickey Cobras gang in connection to the fentanyl-laced heroin that's killed hundreds in Chicago and other cities. Time will tell whether the gang is the sole source of the deadly mix.
Wednesday June 21 2006 In the News

Greg Hall Interview
Speaking of Goose Island, Chicagoist has an interview with brewmaster Greg Hall, about the brewery's recent business dealings and their latest brews.
Tuesday June 20 2006 People/Sightings

Quick Review: Goose Island's Matilda
If you haven't yet tried Goose Island's version of Belgian abbey-style beer, Matilda, you should. It's the refreshing, feel-good hit of the summer: full-bodied and fruity, with flavors of apples and apricots, with a nice long finish. Don't just take my word for it -- it's got a 93/100 rating on RateBeer.com. Just one quibble: Goose Island used the wrong six-pointed stars on the label.
Tuesday June 20 2006 Eating/Drinking

Drinking and Reading
Alpana Singh, master sommelier and host of "Check Please!," emcees an unusual event at the Heartland Cafe, 7000 N. Glenwood, tomorrow night: Wine and Words: a Benefit for 826CHI. Listen to three authors -- Charles Blackstone, Gina Frangello and Cris Mazza -- read from their latest books while you enjoy South American artisinal wines chosen by Singh. Starting at 7pm, all for a suggested donation of $20! You'll probably want to make a reservation: 773-465-8005.
Monday June 19 2006 Books/Authors

Everything You Wanted to Know About Police Torture
The Reader has put up a convenient new section on the police torture case, collecting all of reporter John Conroy's 15 years of coverage, including a who's-who and a profile of the man behind the muscle, John Burge.
Monday June 19 2006 People/Sightings

Bottom of the Ninth
Conductor Daniel Barenboim said goodbye to the CSO and Chicago this weekend, and he did it in characteristically over-the-top fashion, according to the New York Times.
Monday June 19 2006 Music/Clubs

It Takes Two to Tiki
DvA Gallery turns two this weekend, and they're celebrating with a tiki party tomorrow starting at 4pm. There'll be surf music by the Cocktail Preachers, hula dancers, free cocktails and apps and more. The party doubles as the opening for a show of tiki art that'll run through July 9.
Friday June 16 2006 Arts/Architecture

No Bean? You're Outta Here
Hear about Sox coach Ozzie Guillen sending a rookie pitcher back to the minors for not hitting a batter? Not surprisingly, it's causing a bit of a stir in Chicago and elsewhere.
Friday June 16 2006 Sports/Recreation

Break Up Art Burglarized
Having art featured in the movie The Break-Up has been a mixed blessing for Francine Turk. On one hand, she's gotten more interest from art patrons. On the other, she's gotten more interest from thieves, who stole 10 paintings worth $35,000 from her South Loop gallery.
Friday June 16 2006 Arts/Architecture

The Trib Fills Your Magazine Rack
Is it wrong for the Tribune to include its own Chicago Magazine in its list of the 50 best? I'm not sure, but at least it's only number 41.
Thursday June 15 2006 Print/Magazines

Fast Forward Again
Have an itch to make a short film? Overnight? That's right, it's time for another Fast Forward Film Festival. This time there's a sci-fi theme: "Three Minutes Into the Future," sponsored by geek webstore Woot.com. Go to Atomix Cafe, 1967 W. Chicago Ave., tomorrow, June 16, to register and get more instructions, then get to work. For the rest of us, there's a show of all the finished films Saturday night. More in this week's TimeOut Chicago.
Thursday June 15 2006 Film

Hotties Behind the Bar
AOL Cityguide is running a beauty contest in a bunch of cities right now: Hottest Bartenders. Cast your votes for the local man and woman of libations. In the meantime, Playboy is looking for the country's hottest bartending ladies for a decidedly less safe-for-work pictorial.
Wednesday June 14 2006 People/Sightings

City Sounds
The Chicago Sound Museum is a new online collection of city field recordings, audio collages and interviews with Chicagoans from all walks of life. CSM co-founder Eric Markowitz talked about the project on 848 yesterday (mp3).
Wednesday June 14 2006 City Life/Cultural

Splash Your Wine
Tomorrow night at Webster's Wine Bar, friend of GB Christine Blumer is throwing her WineDiva Summer Splash, a "celebration of women in wine" benefitting Appetite Theatre. Tickets are still available, and are cheaper in advance; details in Slowdown.
Tuesday June 13 2006 Eating/Drinking

Ware Tickles the Keys
Fans of Chris Ware know he's a big fan of ragtime music, but did you know he can also play it?
Tuesday June 13 2006 People/Sightings

From the Lakefront to the Stars
Charles and Ray Eames' Powers of Ten has been posted on YouTube. The iconic film shows what you'd see if you started at a one-meter view and then zoomed out one power at a time, then zoomed in the same way. The starting point is a man at a picnic near Soldier Field -- as near as I can tell, this is the exact spot on GoogleMaps. [via]
Tuesday June 13 2006 Film

Retire Wrigley's Scoreboard?
Despite the cute-the-first-time-you-heard-it radio ad touting its charm and benefits, Eric Benderoff thinks it's time for Wrigley Field's human-run scoreboard to go. Helpfully, the owners have asked for your opinion.
Monday June 12 2006 Sports/Recreation

It's Curtains for Chicago Plays
Chicago Plays, the theatre handbill published by the League of Chicago Theatres, will cease publication this August, leaving 190 theaters without a guide.
Monday June 12 2006 Theatre/Dance

Load Up on Books One Last Time
Reader Greg writes, "After 48 years, Skokie's annual Brandeis Book Sale is pulling up its tent stakes. The organizers say there are few new volunteers to replace the current graying crop. The final sale kicks off Saturday in the Old Orchard parking lot (northwest corner). Opening night is $5, where you can jostle with buyers who've had chairs holding their places in line for a week. Admission is free the rest of the week, including the final Bargain Weekend, when everything's 50 cents."
Thursday June 8 2006 Books/Authors

Reading in the Field
Planning your vacation yet? You might want to keep an eye on Coudal Partners' Field Tested Books feature. Slowly doled out over the next few days will be dozens of book reviews by writers, designers, bloggers and more from Chicago and beyond. You might even want to purchase the PDF book (or the commemorative poster) to help guide your summer reading list.
Wednesday June 7 2006 Books/Authors

Lots of Shadows Cast
Author Kevin Guilfoile is everywhere at the moment. He'll be reading with Rick Kogan and James McManus at the Printers Row Book Fair this Saturday at 2:30 in Grace Place, doing a book signing for the paperback edition of Cast of Shadows next Thursday, June 8, at the Webster Place Barnes & Noble, and he got mentioned in New City's Lit 50 list this week. And he contributed a playlist on the musicblog Large Hearted Boy.
Friday June 2 2006 Books/Authors

TODAY

Search

From the Archives

Andrew Huff