Zack Seward

Transit's Last Stand
It's a last minute scramble for cash down in Springfield and the Transit Riders' Alliance wants you, person exiting Chicago public transportation station, to "Tell Springfield that you ride transit!" Click through to tell your elected leaders to stand up and fight for transit funding.
Thursday May 31 2007Politics/Activism 

40,000 Paint Splotches (Many More Coming)
Previously noted by Gapers Block, The Washington Post has picked up the story [registration required] about Chicago artist Wafaa Bilal's art installation "Domestic Tension."
Tuesday May 29 2007In the News 

Lindsay, How Far You've Tumbled
An eccentric gentleman was just now Elmer's gluing these "great beautiful" posters en masse to the lightpoles of the Loop. Take a stroll down Jackson and you'll be hard pressed not to see a few of them.
Tuesday May 22 2007City Life/Cultural 

Nine Things I Know About You
Elizabeth, Illinois's favorite son, Andrew Bird, likes some things, dislikes some other things, and does stuff on occasion. Into which of those categories does Intelligentsia coffee fall? Grist knows.
Monday May 7 2007People/Sightings 

What a Wonderful World
The people--by way of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism--have spoken, announcing today the Seven Wonders of Illinois. Chicagoland's official wonders: Wrigley Field and the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette. Envious as usual from their diminutive position of faded Midwestern preeminence, this newswriter in St. Louis wants you to think that Missouri is wonderful too. Truth be told, I'm more of a Colossus of Rhodes guy myself anyway.
Monday April 30 2007In the News 

Cricket: More Than Just Wearing All White (Apparently)
With the 2007 Cricket World Cup currently taking place in the Caribbean and the Clue-esque intrigue surrounding the murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, cricket has been getting a lot of press lately. If all the cricket noise has inspired you to learn about the game, pull a Jerry Seinfeld American Express commercial ("That was a wicked googly"), or check out a match in-person, GB has you covered. Or, more specifically, is able to guide you to the website of the Greater Chicago Cricket Association.
Thursday March 29 2007Sports/Recreation 

Places For Athletic Supporters
You may now know how to hit Chicago like a jock, but you still throw like a girl.
Wednesday March 28 2007City Life/Cultural 

Wasted Away Again In Wrigleyville
The folks at Deadspin (Gawker's sports blog) just posted their season preview for [announcer voice] your revamped 2007 Chicago Cubs.
Wednesday March 28 2007Sports/Recreation 

Chikka Boom Is My Favorite
A meandering video exposé on Chicago boat names. Oddly therapeutic.
Wednesday March 28 2007Found on the Web 

Yacht Rock 2.0
Some dude at The New York Sun just said that the Chicago music scene is the "capital of the budding New Mellow." Whatever that means.
Monday March 26 2007Music/Clubs 

I Can Fly Twice As High
Reading Rainbow is still at it, LeVar Burton is still the host, and they're having a contest...with prizes! WTTW is calling for storybook submissions for the Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. Kindergarteners through third graders have all the fun.
Friday March 23 2007Radio/TV 

Apprentice Alert
As if the Trump Tower wasn't bad enough by itself, now Chicagoans may soon have to deal with the possibility of seeing its namesake hanging out around town. The Sun-Times is reporting that The Donald and crew will probably be shooting the next season of The Apprentice here. This latest report has The Wind gearing up for its impending showdown with The Hair.
Thursday March 15 2007Radio/TV 

"Sure Is Nasty Out..."
If you're going to talk weather, at least know some trivia. Now you know, for instance, that on this day, exactly 53 years ago, Chicago witnessed the seventh greatest calendar day snowfall total in its recorded history (!). Check out March 4, 1961 while you're there. Crazy.
Friday March 2 2007Found on the Web 

Santo Snubbed...Again
Ron Santo is to the Hall of Fame as Martin Scorsese is to the Academy Awards. Wait. That one doesn't quite work anymore. But you get the point. While the Academy righted its wrong with Scorsese the other night, yesterday the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee denied Chicago baseball legend Ron Santo his deserved spot in Cooperstown. It'll be two "maybe next year"s until Santo gets another shot at bronze bust immortality.
Wednesday February 28 2007Sports/Recreation 

Iconic?
Hoffman Estates-based EA Chicago is coming out with a new video game called Def Jam: Icon. In it you can pick your favorite real life rapper and stomp the crap out of your least favorite real life rapper. Fun. As far as I can tell, it seems sort of like Hood 2 Hood and Don Diva combined in video game form. An additional venue in which, to paraphrase Chuck D from a recent documentary, Black death is being pimped by corporations.
Monday February 26 2007Stuff 

Is There a Janis Joplin in the House?
If Jennifer Hudson can do it, so can you. "Crazy Neighbors From Hell" is going to be HUGE. Prospective Big Tonies, Uncle Kavorkians, and Black Elvis/James Browns are especially needed. Have acceptance speech ready.
Monday February 26 2007Film 

New Ol' Lonely
Repeat after me: "I'm the loneliest man in town." Sad, huh? Well, it could be your ticket to Tony-the-Tiger-esque fame as the newest incarnation of the Maytag Man. You may have missed your chance here in Chicago, but it's not too late to hop a plane to New York and give it a shot. You, yes you, could be the next Gordon Jump!
Thursday February 22 2007Radio/TV 

Camo Spandex
The outfield walls of Wrigley Field will be sporting ads for Under Armour this year. Maybe it'll help the Cubs work on doing this.
Thursday February 15 2007Sports/Recreation 

What?! No Emoticons?
Apparently, every month the editors of the Chicago Manual of Style get to sound off about our collective grammatical shortcomings in the Q&A section of their website. Harper's Magazine reprinted some of their amusingly snarky responses in this month's issue, and the blog of the U of C Press couldn't help but pat itself on the back. "Delicious irony." Jeez.
Wednesday February 14 2007Print/Magazines 

Chicago Plucks Greenbuild Expo From LA
This just in: After some scheduling shenanigans, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has ditched LA as the site of their annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in favor of, you guessed it, Chicago. The three-day event will take place in November and is expected to attract more than 12,000 people. Chicago vs. LA score update: 1-Zip. All the Olympics boosters in town are now hoping the USOC follows suit.
Monday February 12 2007Outdoors/Environment 

In TOD We Trust
Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD, for those of us on a first name basis with the New Urbanist buzz-concept, is garnering some extra attention as of late. In November, Chicago hosted the annual Rail-Volution conference, which focused on transit's role in smart urban development. The latest issue of Conscious Choice features this article on TOD. And TOD also happens to be a centerpiece of the RTA's Moving Beyond Congestion long term strategic plan for the region. What a popular dude. Definitely more so than another Todd we've come to know recently.
Monday February 12 2007City Life/Cultural 

Brownish Greens
D+ and C+. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University, respectively, as graded by the College Sustainability Report Card released last week. Faulty. Find out how your mater fared, and read up on the issue.
Monday February 5 2007Outdoors/Environment 

You Trendsetter, You
Denizens of Lincoln Park and frequenters of Escape: Your days as Best Buy lab rats are over. Bye bye, "hip hang-out."
Monday February 5 2007Business/Shopping 

"It has finally happened!!!"
The New York Times goes above and beyond once again, this time to find out where the respective territories of Bears and Colts fans merge into one blue-and-orange and blue-and-white slurry of some Bear/Colt hybrid creature. The answer: Rensselaer, Indiana. And they're pumped for Sunday.
Tuesday January 30 2007Sports/Recreation 

X-Ray Vision?
Chicago artist Cayetano "Tano" Ferrer has been doing amazing things with otherwise drab "No Parking" signs for a minute now, but it seems like you have to be fluent in a romance language to have even heard of the guy. Here are pictures of the faux-transparent signs themselves, and a video of the man in action. Now hit the streets, line yourself up just right, and convince yourself of your own superpowers. I'd take these over those whacked-out cows anyday.
Wednesday January 24 2007Arts/Architecture 

Better Than Curling
It's winter. Darn near February, too. And if you don't yet have one of those deep-purple, painful-to-the-touch, entire-buttock bruises acquired after an icy slip-and-fall, then now is your chance to get one. And you can have fun while doing it, too! Yes, it's broomball season in the icy north, folks. So put on that third layer of sweatpants and get out to Warren Park for everyone's favorite coed winter sport. Seasons start on February 6 and 15. Registration information here, or call 773-866-2955.
Wednesday January 24 2007Sports/Recreation