Miscellaneous: June 2009 Archives

Don't post it on the web.

This is just...awesome. It's by Michael Hickox, who is also responsible for another excellent stop-motion lego video, placed after the jump. [via]

Gary, Indiana mayor Rudy Clay has announced that Michael Jackson's hometown will hold a memorial service for the dead pop star on July 10. The service will be held at the baseball stadium Jackson visited on his last visit home in 2003, The Steel Yard; the stadium holds around 6,000 people. Never one to turn down a chance to talk in front of cameras, Clay has also called for Jackson to be buried in Gary and seems to have designs on turning Gary into something of a "mecca" for Jackson fans. We don't think the Jackson family home has quite the same appeal as Graceland, though. [WBBM]

Having just returned to .500 with last night's win against Cleveland, it's not yet clear whether the White Sox will be buyers or sellers when teams begin positioning themselves for the post season. For much of the season, it looked like the year was lost and that the organization would trade off highly paid veterans while letting their younger players develop. But as we approach the midway point, the Sox have begun to play better and look like the could compete in the AL Central - they're now just four games back of first place Detroit.

If Sunday's weather was Anne Hathaway - beauty, grace, absolute perfection - then today's weather is Tankboy: a little bit out of place and if you feed it enough Sparks, it goes into overload and threatens to overwhelm you. The partly-to-mostly cloudy skies are just Tankboy's way of keeping you guessing and these below normal temps, with highs in the low 70s, are meant to keep you completely off balanced. Shouldn't it be sunny and hot this time of year? Not when Tankboy's around. He has the power of evil. Like Zuul. There's only a slight chance of showers, as Tankboy like to display his benevolence, but tonight that benevolence wears off as light showers are likely. Hey, you'd do the same if you were 53 years old.

Another week, another great war of words between the North Side baseball team and they're South Side counterparts. Cubs manager Lou Piniella started things when he pointed out the attendance spike at U.S. Cellular Field for the Cubs series, which was much larger than attendance at last week's Sox games versus the Dodgers. Never one to mince words about either team, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen replied, "Because our fans are not stupid like Cubs fans. They know we're [expletive]...Wrigley Field is just a bar." Of course, it didn't help matters that Piniella had previously accused White Sox security members of leaking information about the Lou-Milton Battle of the Head Cases to reporters. But, hey, at least we have one more Sox-Cubs game left, a make-up from a first-round rain-out, in which to see tempers boil over. [Tribune via Deadspin]

By now, you've all seen the Thriller dance as performed by a group of Philippine inmates. Now, upon the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson, the inmates are back with another tribute to the fallen pop star.

It's summer vacation time here at the Chicagoist offices and our own podcast is not immune to such schedule changes. Over the next two weeks, there will be no Chicagoist Podcast as we take a summer hiatus, but we'll return in mid-July with a whole host of new material and podcasts. As always, keep the email suggestions for future podcast topics coming in at Karl (at) Chicagoist (dot) com and catch up on some of the podcasts you may have missed, including:

The Windy City Rollers cruised into Philadelphia this weekend for the East Coast Extravaganza and the nation's second-ranked team rolled out undefeated. On Saturday, the Rollers crushed No. 21 Cincinnati 127-54. Then, on Sunday, the Rollers faced a more formidable opponent in No. 8 Boston but still had no trouble coming out victorious as they rolled to a 117-81 victory. The next bout for the WCRs will be a big one as No. 3 ranked Philadelphia comes to town on Saturday, July 25th for a big-time tilt.

When Steve "Mongo" McMichael won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears, they couldn't go undefeated. But the Chicago Slaughter, the team he coaches in the Continental Indoor Football League, did just that on the way to winning the CIFL Championship on Saturday.

You might notice it's noticeably cooler and drier outside compared to the last week or so. It's going to stay that way all week and today will see some clouds and possibly some showers as the day goes on. Highs will top out in the mid-to-upper 70s and breezy conditions will continue from yesterday. After lunch, clouds will begin to move in and there will be a slight chance of showers. A glance at the week's forecast seems more "early May" than "early July."

This classic video speaks for itself in all its glory. (Thanks, Ed!)

       

_

In the final match of the first round of SuperLiga 2009 play, the Fire fell to Tigres UANL 2-1 on Saturday night. The Fire finished the first round at 2-1-0 overall but didn't clinch an advance to the semifinals (thanks to goal differential) until Blanco got a PK late in the 2nd half. Tigres got goals in the 37th and 61st minute while the Fire didn't produce much offense for themselves. This in spite of the fact that the Fire tripled Tigres on shots on goal, 12-4. Patrick Nyarko was fouled in the box for the Fire in the 85th minute that set up the Blanco PK. The Fire now await today's completion of Group B to find out who their semifinal opponent will be on July 15. The Fire head to Wilmington, North Carolina for their next match on Tuesday against the USL Second Division's Wilmington Hammerheads as part of the U.S. Open.

Last night's storms have moved on out and in their wake we're left with weather that's a little cooler, a little less humid, but still pretty dang pleasant. Sunny skies will be the order of the day and winds of around 15 to 20 mph will help keep you feeling cool, especially in the shade with highs in the low 80s. Tonight, lows fall to the lower 60s as it seems this upcoming week will follow up last week's hot temps by being...unseasonably cool.

       

_

You don't have to speak the language to understand this video; heartbreak is universal. Also, it happens to me with the Ladies of Chicagoist on a daily basis.

Things start off a bit cooler and pleasant today, but don't worry if you've been liking the steamy weather as of late, it's coming back and the weather will be beach-worthy. Highs today will reach the 90s once more in most places and the humid air will roll back in. Tonight, lows reach the upper 60s and there's a chance of storms. But after a week of hot weather, the upcoming week looks like a big cool down so if the beach is your thing, hit it up today.

No sooner had we posted on the latest City budget shenanigans than a reader submitted this image to us, a sticker they found stuck to a meter in Rogers Park. Brilliant, eh? Let the revolt continue. If you see other examples of Chicagoans getting creative to express their outrage, let us know!

       

Yes, outside of Michael Jackson, it is a pretty slow news day. Yesterday, President Obama held a luau for members of Congress at the White House, which included a dunk tank. While the sinking of press secretary Robert Gibb was captured on film, what we sadly have no pictorial evidence of is the report that First Daughter Sasha Obama was responsible for getting Rahm Emanuel all wet in the dunk tank (the press had been booted at that point). The luau was Obama's way of bringing his own personal touch to the president's annual picnic via his co-home state of Hawaii. We guess next year's will be an Illinois theme featuring Goose Island, brats, and cornhole, right?

          

_

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto tested positive for pot at this year's World Baseball Classic, meaning he's banned from international play for the next two years. Meanwhile, he will face no disciplinary action from either the Cubs or Major League Baseball. In a statement released by the team yesterday, Soto said:

It's still going to be warm but we'll some relief in the way of decreased humidity. Highs will still reach up to the mid to upper 80s in many parts of the area but lower humidity readings should make it a wee bit more comfortable. Sunny skies will prevail with a few clouds but no rain. Tonight, lows will drop to the around 70 under fair skies.

This news got us so psyched, we had to dig up an old favorite from the show. The quality of the clip is questionable - and obviously dubbed from an old VHS tape - but come mid-July, that will no longer be a problem.

A year ago, Derrick Rose was the center of the basketball world's attention as he was picked first overall in the NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he lived up to the hype, winning the rookie of the year award and ingratiating himself to fans in Chicago. Rose has had a bit of a rocky ride since the season ended, however. First there was the photo of him flashing a gang sign, and then the allegations he cheated on his SATs in order to get into the University of Memphis.

          

_

Above, you'll find two magazine covers. On the left, this month's Esquire cover featuring model Bar Rafaeli and on the right, this month's GQ cover featuring actor Sacha Baron Cohen as his character Bruno (who ohbytheway has that Bruno movie opening soon). Now, guess which one the managers at the O'Hare Hudson News branches have decided to cover up with black wrapping usually reserved for more provocative magazines such as Hustler. It seems Cohen's/Bruno's pose was a wee bit too much for Hudson News while Rafaeli was apparently easier on the eyes. The Trib dug into the subject a bit and here's what they came up with:

After yesterday's mix of storm and steam, today promises to be a wee bit cooler though the chance of a thunderbumper still remains. Highs will be a bit cooler today, reaching the mid 80s. A passing shower or storm could pop up, mainly lunch, but then things should calm a bit and even the humidity readings will be a bit lower. Lows tonight fall into the upper 60s.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen opens today in theaters everywhere. We already know what Roger Ebert thinks of it. And right now, it reminds us that the only real Transformers movie we need is the animated movie from 1986 (watch the whole thing YouTube clips beginning here). And all we need right now on this stormy, humid day is this clip featuring Stan Bush's "The Touch." Behold the 80's in all their glory.

In a sorta surprising - not to mention refreshing - announcement, Jeff Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, has announced his intentions to leave the University of Illinois men's basketball team to focus on academics. No, really. In a statement, Jordan the Younger said, "I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here. But I have come to the point where I‚m ready to focus on life after basketball. I will concentrate on earning my degree from the University of Illinois and the opportunities that await upon graduating." An upcoming junior, Jordan figured to see more minutes if he had stayed on. Of course, there's still another Jordan to carry the basketball mantle should he choose: son Marcus has committed to the University of Central Florida. [Sun-Times]

              

It's been a few weeks since we last took a peek inside the White House courtesy of its awesome Flickr stream.

          

_

If you liked yesterday's warm weather, you'll be happy to know today is going to offer more of the same. It's going to be sunny and hot with highs in the low-to-mid 90s and heat index values once again approaching 100 degrees. There's only a slight chance of a passing thunderstorm early, but later tonight, after midnight, the chance of rain increases. Lows tonight will be near 70.

A pretty cool video using Rubik's cubes to make classic album covers.

          

_

After helping the Chicago Blackhawks on a fantastic playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals, you'd think Patrick Kane would take a break. Not so for the young 'Hawks star. Yesterday, Kane helped EA Sports unveil the new cover for their upcoming NHL 2010 video game which prominently features him on the cover. Lookin' sharp, kid. We got a bit nervous when we first heard the news, but so far we can't find any evidence that the dreaded Madden Curse has ever carried over to the NHL so we think Kane's in the clear. Not that we believe in curses anyway. Ahem.

Following up on our post from earlier this morning on the Windy City Rollers comes this pretty neat short about the ladies of track. And don't forget to come see the All-Stars take on Philadelphia on July 25th at the UIC Pavilion.

          

_

The warm and humid weather will continue today with a chance of more rain still in the forecast for the waterlogged Northern Illinois area. You'll have a 50/50 shot of seeing some rain today but a better shot at temps in the 80s as highs reach the mid 80s in most places with even warmer readings down to the south and west. Tonight, partly cloudy skies and muggy conditions with lows near 70 will be in place. Also, it's lightning awareness week.

       

_

It's Fathers Day so we thought we'd take a moment to feature one of Chicago's most famous political fathers. Here's former mayor Richard J. Daley, father of current mayor Richard M. Daley, in an appearance on the game show "What's My Line?" from 1956.

The first official day of Summer is sure going to feel like it. While there's a chance of a passing storm or shower, Father's Day 2009 will be mainly sunny with high temps in the mid 80s. After the steamy day will come a mild night as lows will dip into the upper 60s.

In honor of this weekend's U.S. Open, Bill Murray has a story for us in this clip from the classic movie Caddyshack.

      

Yesterday's storms were impressive, both visually and statistically. Besides the impressive display for the eyes, the storms smashed the city's single-day rain record for June 19 with 3.97 inches of rain falling at O'Hare, also good enough for the third wettest June day ever and the city's twelfth wettest day ever overall. Of course, that was just at O'Hare. As WGN Weather reports, well over 4.5 inches of rain fell on the Northwest Side.

We've gone from April to August in just a few days. Gone are those chilly mid-June nights when we'd wonder when the sun was coming back out. After yesterday's deluge, we will now remember what it's like to sweat without really moving. Highs will reach the mid 80s and skies will be clear all day, though a breeze and humidity readings a bit lower than yesterday may help keep you cool, especially this evening. It's going to be a pleasant night with clear skies and lows in the mid 60s.

       

A follow-up to our first post of stormy weather pics from this morning's storms.

Seriously, this would keep us in shape better than any marathon training ever could.

          

_

Okay, so yesterday ended up not so stormy. But anyone who was awake at around 4:30 this morning knows that we got today off to a bang early as storms rolled through. And there's apparently more where that came from. We've got a reprieve once more after morning storms - the sun's out as I'm typing this - but it's going to heat up, both temp-wise and storm-wise. Highs will reach the upper 80s as the day wears on and strong storms will build across the area. According to the Storm Predictions Center, we're still in a moderate risk area for severe weather, so expect some rumbling later in the afternoon.

Yesterday, when we shared a video of President Obama swatting a fly, one commenter wondered how long we'd have to wait for PETA to react. The answer is: not long at all. Yesterday, PETA posted a response on their blog that said, in part, "In a nutshell, our position is this: He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act." They also said they were sending Obama a humane bug catcher. PETA posted again today, continuing to call for, "compassion for all animals, even the most curious, smallest, and least sympathetic ones." [via CSM]

We couldn't resist, given we've got the game on right now. Here are two old clips for each team.

          

_

     

Here are a few shots of the first game of this year's Crosstown Classic. Got some you'd like to share? Hit us up in our Flickr pool!

We hope you have your umbrella and your boots handy because it's going to eventually be a stormy day. The early morning rain is moving out but more rain - and possibly severe storms - will move in later today after a break that includes some sunshine. It'll be muggy and warm with highs ranging from the mid-70s to the low 80s and plenty of wetness around. Keep an eye on the weather, too, as the Storms Prediction Center has placed the area under a "Moderate Risk" for severe weather. And tomorrow could be more of the same. But, hey, once the storms move out, it looks like Summer finally moves in.

While Drew Peterson remains jailed on charges of killing third wife Kathleen Savio, WGN AM has gone forward with a mock trial and will air the mock closing arguments this Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. According to WGN:

Need something surreal for your Humpday afternoon? Try this collection of commercial spots for Wilkins Coffee featuring some early Muppets by Jim Henson. [via]

          

_

We'll eventually shake the leftover clouds from yesterday's rain to see sunny skies (with only the slightest chance of a storm) and warm temps in the mid 80s, quite a departure from the day before. More rain's on the way though, so enjoy the oasis of pleasant weather while we have it. Lows tonight will be in the lower 60s.

Far be it for us - of all sites - to pick on another site for a tech glitch. That's not what we're doing here, promise. We're routinely chasing the goats out of the tech closet where they've been chewing wires and causing general havoc for us. But when we just stumbled across this mix-up on the Sun-Times, juxtaposing the upcoming Sox-Cubs series with a brewing Daley family feud seemed almost...appropriate? A picture of Daley and nephew Robert Vanecko with text that talks about short-term memory issues...Are we way off or are we on to something here? Just wondering...

Every office has them, even we do. So how do you deal with him or her? Watch below and find out. [via]

          

_

If you were caught in a traffic snarl at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), you've got beer to thank. A Miller Lite semi-tractor trailer overturned while taking a turn on the on ramp and the top of the truck ripped open, spilling thousands of beer cans and bottles. Things have since been cleared up and the driver suffered only minor cuts and bruises. [Sun-Times]

There were no games to report last night since both the Cubs and White Sox were off, preparing for the first Crosstown Classic series which kicks off tonight at Wrigley Field (7:05 p.m.). But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun. The comments on yesterday's preview became entertaining pretty quick - as things do between Sox and Cubs fans. And, really, what more can you say about a series that brought us this commercial? We know, we've posted it before, but we can't get enough of it.

After the brilliant weather of the past two days, Mother Nature throws us a curveball today. Clouds roll in, keeping the temps down in the low-to-mid 70s and scattered showers and thunderstorms will start to build during the afternoon, becoming more frequent as we move into the evening. Lows overnight should drop to around 60. So keep the umbrella handy for the next day or so 'cause you're gonna need it.

As word spread yesterday that Phoenix and Cleveland were working on a trade that would send Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavs where he would presumably help out LeBron James, there were plenty of other teams being tossed around. Including our Bulls. Even though ESPN didn't list the Bulls as a major player in the "Shaq Sweepstakes" - and one has to wonder how much a winner the team that lands the 37-year-old O'Neal would really be - The Arizona Republic says otherwise.

One of the last things we needed to see was Graham Elliot Bowles in a thong.

Ah, love. It can be so hard to deal with sometimes. Especially when you're breaking up with a dinosaur. And if you have to put an end to it, here's a list of places to do it.

We all remember the famous appearance by a coyote in a Loop Quizno's a few years ago and we also know it wasn't the first such sighting. Now a report on NPR's All Things Considered confirms what we always suspected: an army of coyotes is quietly amassing itself for a ruthless take-over of the city. Okay, it's not that bad, but still, there are an awful lot of coyotes hiding around the city.

          

_

This week in the Chicagoist Podcast Series, we cover the distant past and the sci-fi future. From discoveries regarding bootleggers to conversations regarding Buffy. From Capones to comics. The alliteration possibilities are nearly endless but the content remains the same high level of excellence that you've come to know and expect from our legion of producers and editors.

Maybe Saturday morning started out wet and gloomy, but the sun came out by afternoon and stayed out all weekend. So we couldn't blame you if you were outside enjoying the summer weather instead of inside reading us. Here's a look back at some of the stuff you might have missed.

If you extended your weekend an extra day, we couldn't blame you. Sunny skies and temps in the upper 70s? Yes, please. Last week's dreary, cool dampness seems a distant memory with weather like this. Tonight will be more of the same with partly cloudy skies and temps in the upper 50s. But...(there's always a 'but' when talking weather in Chicago) this pleasant weather won't last. So Says Skilling, who warns us to prep for, yes, more rain.

Because Kevin Bacon is never NOT awesome.

A hotel for Chicago's aquatic citizens has recently opened for its fifth season.

       

Today is Flag Day! As the nation recognizes the stars and stripes, take pride in knowing the holiday has a connection to our fair city.

After a week of on-again, off-again rain and clouds that come and go, finally we have a day when everything appears to be stable. And a weekend at that! There's plenty to do so we hope you get a chance to get outside and do it. Just bring the sunscreen. It's going to be sunny all day with a few passing clouds and highs in the lower 70s. The gorgeous weather will continue into evening and night as fair skies remain and temps in the mid-to-upper 50s.

True story: I was born in Japan. No, really. My father was in the Navy and I was born on the Naval base my parents were stationed at. That fact, however, does not mean I understand the following cartoon any more than you do. Check out some background here and be amazed. [via]

       

_