May 11, 2008 - May 17, 2008 Archives

The Green Festival, the nation’s largest green living event, continues again tomorrow at Navy Pier. Healthy and green, you won’t find any elephant ears to snack on, or have to rub elbows with fat folks in this crowd. Instead, you’ll find organic snacks made with fair trade practices and vegan lasagna. There are all sorts of fashion accessories hand-crafted from hemp, or elephant dung paper, and stuff for your home like thermal shades or rooftop garden containers. It’s like a county fair, only there is no barn yard smell.......

The controversial Northwestern Law School alum Jerry Springer spoke to the graduating law school class last night. He gave a speech that lasted about 15 minutes, and quoted his mother, Winston Churchill, and Socrates. The 1968 graduate told the Class of 2008: "Let's assume that your prime discomfort with me is based on the ethics of what I do for a living. Well, that's a fair question -- worthy of serious response -- because on this your graduation day, I can tell you with some confidence that you......

It seems even mob guys can't resist the electric chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. In 1991, a group from Chicago wearing masks of ex-presidents, Point Break style, robbed a bank (make that the bank) in Saugatuck, Michigan after a busy Labor Day weekend netting themselves over $350,000. All of those involved with the robbery were eventually caught and arrested except one -- Carmine Jannece, the getaway driver. That changed last month when the feds finally caught up with Jannece, now 84, and he was......

Yeah, yeah, we've been posting a lot of tulip pictures, but...so pretty! Photo by fatalysis The three-judge appellate court unanimously ruled today that the city of Chicago cannot be held liable in the E2 nightmare that killed 21 people. A lawyer for the victims' families say they're going to appeal. [Trib] Have you seen Rufus? [CL] The Plan Commission approved the Children's Museum's proposal yesterday, 13-2. [Trib] Yesterday, the Illinois house passed a bill, 109-1, that would "ban state officeholders from having......

We've all got a bad case of the Fridays--perhaps because we're so pysched for the Media Slam this weekend. We need some awesome stuff to get us through the rest of the afternoon.... "Father | Older son | Younger son | Party People". Talk about "one man's trash...": Old Chicago Lager Beer can, crazy cute compact depicting Chicago landmarks, and while we're not totally sure what a baby calculator is, it does look interesting. Looking for a time-sucking game? Like cartoon surgery? You're......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. Coldplay's Viva La Vida Tour, where you can enter for a chance to win tickets to their concert at Madison Square Garden. Zipcar, cars by the hour or day, just around the corner. Sign up now and get $50 in driving credit! Wisconsin Dells, where you can win a $2500 vacation for your family in their video contest. Bike the Drive, where you can enjoy car-free bicycling on Sunday......

Despite this week's news that the work on the Fullerton and Belmont stops will be finished ahead of schedule, we're still drinking the CTA flavor Haterade. Honestly, we've given up taking the El on weekends. With slow zones, closures and reroutes, not to mention the ongoing Brown Line construction/clusterfuck, it's easier in this beautiful weather to just walk or ride our bikes (always wear a helmet!). With lots of people traveling and making their way around town for fests and other spring-time activities, it's important to keep......

"Ye gods! Queenie's in danger!" ...

There's no shortage of disrespect towards Todd Stroger in Cook County these days. His nickname's "The Toddler," he's derided in bars and coffee shops around Chicago, and set up to be politically ambushed at a town hall-style meeting in Palatine, many county residents have no love the Cook County Board President. But one county resident took it a step further Tuesday. Hoffman Estates police officer Vince Pusateri publicly snubbed Stroger at a bioterrorism drill held at the Sears Centre, refusing to shake Strogers hand, and telling him......

Bitorage Johnny Depp–watch powers, activate! Looks like the block of Lincoln near the Biograph is being prepped for Public Enemies, the John Dillinger biopic. ...

The Sun-Times, probably regretting that they're still on the hook for Conrad Black's attorney fees and Jay Mariotti's salary during a recession, has been on a frugal kick this week. Every day they've run a story on families saving money on groceries, usually involving shopping at Aldi's, cutting coupons, or selling the extra car and biking. Today in the Weekend Plus section, food critic Pat Bruno takes time off from visiting every Italian restaurant in the city to get some of the "cheap eats" action. His selection of twelve......

Someone stole 100 burritos from a Chipotle in La Grange last night. The tasty, foil-wrapped packages of impending regret* were supposed to go to a charity event for Relay for Life at Lyons Township High School, but a man impersonating a volunteer for the event picked them up from the 'potle and absconded. He's described as a 40-something, balding, thin (not for long! har har) white man, around 5-foot-9, who drives a brown Dodge Charger. [CBS 2] *Has anyone ever finish a Chipotle burrito and thought "another......

Today in Weird Shit Happening at the R Kelly Trial, from the Trib's bordering-on-the-absurd blog: ....Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan held up a plastic baggy filled with chewed gum. He announced that a colorful array of spit-out wads was found stuck under the press benches and he was not pleased. ... Unconvinced that the gum had come from the press, this reporter got down on the floor and looked under the benches, where decades of Double Mint and Juicy Fruit are stuck for all eternity.......

We have been waiting for the debut from local duo Walter Meego for forever. Seriously. We've seen them on "next big thing" lists for at least the last two years -- and believe us, they belong on those lists -- but only now can folks who haven't seen them live finally get what the buzz is all about. Voyager is one hell of a first album. It's slinky, sexy guitar and synthesizer lines kiss and cuddle with each other, while the......

Sure, we’re all about blowing our stimulus package [Ed note: Dirty!], but that doesn’t mean we’re not into stretching a buck. We found a few shopping events going on this weekend that are a bargain-hunter's paradise. American Science & Surplus Annual Scratch and Dent Sale: When we think “scratch and dent,” appliances are the first thing that pop into mind. But American Science and Surplus on Milwaukee is slashing prices on pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. They sell everything from hardware to toys and crafts to......

Controversial ex-husband Drew Peterson is back in the news thanks to a woman who has yet to have the term "mysterious circumstances" applied to her. The new lady in Peterson's life, a 22-year-old Benet Academy graduate, is unconcerned with those pesky "homicide" accusations that follow Sir Drew wherever he goes. "They're like, 'We're 100 percent positive he killed them. His family thinks he killed them. You're going to be next. And I'm like, 'Then why isn't he in jail?'" Touché, miss. The two met through a mutual friend......

Tomorrow night at the Hideout, Chicagoist will be going up against Time Out Chicago, Gapers Block, and the Red Eye in Schadenfreude's second annual Alternative Media Slam. We're not sure how a Tribune company paper counts as "alternative," but last year's winner (cough bullshit cough) the Reader wouldn't participate this year. We'll be trading yo-mama–style rap-battle insults with the other esteemed publications...and the Red Eye. Hey-o! We're practicing already. The show starts at 9pm and costs $10. The rounds are decided by audience vote, a la......

We knew you couldn't stay out of the news for long, Roscoe Mellencamp, famously deceased locally-roaming cougar! We just didn't really expect this. Police are investigating a fire they say someone set last month near Mayor Daley's vacation home in Michigan, possibly out of anger over the death of the cougar. The fire didn't damage the Daley home, but it did destroy one of his neighbors' houses and damaged another. Daley apparently received a threatening note at his City Hall office, and according to the Trib, "Berrien County Sheriff's......