What Not To Do If You're Going To Tattoo A Kid

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]

Ozzie & Lou: Not As Popular As We'd Like To Believe

As the trade deadline looms and both of our baseball teams find themselves inexplicably in contention in spite of themselves, it seems the managers of the teams - well known enough to just go by their first names - aren't as popular as we'd like to believe. Both have won World Series titles - though only Ozzie has done so in the Windy City - but a recent poll by Sports Illustrated indicates that the two are also the two managers that players would least like to play for. The poll was conducted by SI and got the opinions of 380 MLB players. Sweet Lou led the pack with 26 percent and Ozzie was close behind with 21 percent. Only one other manager, St. Louis' Tony LaRussa, hit double digits (16 percent). We haven't the slightest clue what would make players hesitant to play for either. [via Sun-Times]

Minimum Wage On The Rise

The national minimum wage standard is set to increase from $6.55/hour to $7.25/hour on July 24. But Illinois workers who earn minimum wage will see a larger increase sooner than that. State laws have the state minimum wage set to hit $8.00/hour starting tomorrow. It's the second step up in a three-step process that concludes next July when the state minimum wage will reach $8.25/hour. [Sun-Times]

Gary, IN To Hold Michael Jackson Memorial

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]

Giants Scouting Jermaine Dye

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.

Today's Weather: Tankboyish

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.

Crosstown Classic War Of Words

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.

Street Arts Camp, Front and Center

Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine has a great feature on the Art and Science In The Woods at Blue Heron Farm, hosted by the Erkisen Family.

Attended by over 450 kids, the camp offers kids top-notch art instruction in specialty areas such as Chinese calligraphy, sculpture, and oil painting, as well as courses in wilderness survival and native field games.

For the second year in a row, Juxtapoz friend and talented artist Mike Kershnar has taught a skateboard and graffiti arts class, where 50 kids get to play with “outlaw mediums” - mostly for their first time.

Check out the feature to see the kids in action and the results of their efforts.

Chicagoist Podcast: Summer Vacation

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:

Windy City Rollers Sweep Weekend Action

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.

Chicago Slaughter win CIFL Championship

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.

Today's Weather: Disjointed

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."

Library Use On The Rise

With the economy in the tank, one organization is seeing a nice uptick in business: the Chicago Public Libraries. With less money available to shell out for books, it seems more and more readers are turning to the library for their literature needs with library usage in the system up 30 percent. That includes a 100 percent increase in online hold usage over the last year. Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey said, "People are realizing, 'Why should I buy my books, my CDs -- I can get it free at the library.'" It's worth mentioning that the library is also a great way to get your hands on some terrific books that are now out of print, like the Harold Washington bio, Fire on the Prairie. [WBBM]

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

       

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Morning Box Score: Fire Doused In SuperLiga Play

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.

Today's Weather: Affable

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.

       

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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.

Today's Weather: Fervent

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!

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist.


If you're interested in advertising on Chicagoist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

       

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?

          

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Cubs News: Pot and Piniella

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:

ChuffPo, ESPNChicago Synergize

Proving internet sites can be friends, the folks at the Huffington Post's Chicago site have paired up with ESPN's Chicago site to share content. In fact, if you cruise over to ChuffPo now, you'll see a box in the sidebar featuring links to ESPNChicago's content. [via Beachwood Reporter]

Today's Weather: Ardent

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.

Derrick Rose Thanks Fans For Support

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.

          

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O'Hare's Magazine Cover-Up

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:

Metra Mom Update

An update on yesterday's strange story of a mother leaving her baby on a Metra Train, via NBC 5. It seems the woman had another child, a 3 year old toddler, with her and that child bolted off the train as soon as the doors opened. The mother chased after that child and the train moved out of the station before the woman could get back on and pull the stroller, with the 10 month old baby, off the train.

Today's Weather: Obeisant

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.

Jeff Jordan Ditches Hoops For Books

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.

          

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Today's Weather: Balmy

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.

          

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Patrick Kane, Video Game Cover Boy

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.

          

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Today's Weather: Sultry

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.

       

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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.

Today's Weather: Steamy

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.

Today's Weather: Drying Out

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.

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist.

  • 500 Days of Summer, a story of boy meets girl starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, in select theaters July 17.
  • Amtrak's Michigan Services, with great deals from Chicago on the Pere Marquette, Wolverine, and Blue Water lines.
    GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.
  • American Apparel, with 4 stores in Chicago, you can look your best after dark.

If you're interested in advertising on Chicagoist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

       

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.

          

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Today's Weather: Agitated, Take 2

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.

          

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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!

Today's Weather: Agitated

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]

A Look At Logan Square's Skate Park

A few months ago, the city's first covered skate park finally opened in Logan Square, underneath the Kennedy Expressway at 2430 W. Logan Blvd. The Chi-Town Daily News today runs a pretty stellar audio slideshow exploring the skate park and talking to the skaters that frequent it.

          

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Today's Weather: Oasis

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.

The Adventures Of Sen. Burris Continue

Think you're the only one who doesn't know what's going on at the Pentagon? Don't worry, Sen. Burris is in the same boat. And he's on the Armed Services Committee. Check out this story from Wired, outlining the freshman senator's latest magic discovery. (Thanks for the tip, Peter!)

Today In Tech Glitches: Playing the Feud

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]

          

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Beer Spill Clogs Morning Traffic

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.

Today's Weather: Sketchy

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.

Shaq-to-Chicago Trade Rumors Swirl

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.

NPR Looks At The Urban Coyote

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.

          

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Chicagoist Podcast 6/15 - Alphonse & Amber Benson

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.

In Case You Missed It...

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.

Today's Weather: Triumphant

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.

Fish Check In to Hotel on Chicago River

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.

Today's Weather: Soulful

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]

       

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Today's Weather: Dreary

It's not the way we wanted to wake up on the weekend, but we have no other choice at this point. Showers will be the order of morning as light rain moves across the area but those will hopefully taper off as the day wears on. We may even see some breaks in the cloud later in the day, but we've given up hope. Highs should reach the mid 60s today and as the clouds break into the overnight hours, lows will be in the lower 50s. Tomorrow's looking nice for now, so maybe the weekend will still be salvageable.

Giant Obama Chillin' In Grant Park For The Weekend

“WTF is that?!” you ask? Well, it’s exactly what it looks like. A huge-ass Obama head separated from its huge-ass Obama bust. Seriously. The whole statue is 20 feet tall, weighs three and a half tons, and is taking up residence at Grant Park starting tonight.

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist.

  • Amtrak's Michigan Services, with great deals from Chicago on the Pere Marquette, Wolverine, and Blue Water lines.
    GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.
  • American Apparel, with 4 stores in Chicago, you can look your best after dark.

If you're interested in advertising on Chicagoist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

          

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Tomorrow is the Chicago Media Future Conference (register to go if you haven't yet!). In preparation, one of the conference's organizers and former Chicagoisto Scott Smith - who talked to Karl in this week's podcast - stopped by WBEZ to check out the situation at Chicago Public Radio. What he found was not quite what he expected.

Today's Weather: Charming

Today's weather will seem downright charming compared to how the rest of the week has been. Sunny skies will be the order of the day early on, and temps should get up to around 70. Tonight, though, skies cloud back over again and there's the slightest chance of rain. But we're not worrying about that yet. We're just going to enjoy this appearance by the sun and temps warm enough to leave the house without a jacket.

Green Hornet Web Series Filmed Here?

Rumors are abound that there's been some more superhero filming in Chicago recently, this time related to The Green Hornet. It seems there was filming done recently for a web series based around the comic book hero done at the Uptown Bank Building but it isn't related to the upcoming movie about the hero. [via Gapers Block]

Gang Sign Controversy For Derrick Rose

Chicago Bulls player - and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year - finds himself in a new controversy over a photo (above) that allegedly shows Rose flashing gang signs. The photo's been circulating over the last week on several sports blogs and today the Tribune takes up the issue.

Okay, so the first video is six months old, but it's still badass. A mash-up of the top 25 songs of 2008? Girl Talk, eat your heart out. And after the jump, an A Capella version of one of our favorite songs so far this year performed by Acquire A Cappella of UC Santa Cruz (language NSFW, though, so keep the volume low).

          

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Western Illinois Golfer Makes U.S. Open

Western Illinois' Kyle Peterman is ready to roll with the big dogs at next week's USGA U.S. Open, the second golf major of the year. Peterman earned one of the 14 spots reserved for amateurs by claiming the qualifier held at Stonewall Orchard Golf Club in Grayslake in a sudden death playoff yesterday morning. Peterman, who will be a senior next year, bested Northwestern freshman Eric Chun and former University of Illinois player Patrick Nagle to earn the spot at next week's tournament. In dramatic - dare we say Tiger-like? - fashion, Peterman sank a six-foot birdie putt on the second hole while Chun and Nagle parred.

Today's Weather: Damp

It's another dark, damp start to the day for us and it doesn't look like things will improve all that much as the day wears on. There's some morning rain moving through right now but it should be tapering off after lunch. It'll still be cloudy and cool even without the rain; highs should reach into the lower 60s. Tonight, the clouds may break and we'll see lows in the mid-50s.

Another sweet stop-motion short for your Humpday enjoyment. For the record, this is my process for every post I write for this site. [via]

AT&T Latest Carrier To Hit Chicago Subways

Ever been flummoxed by being unable to use those iPhone apps for the CTA, Chicago 2016, Wilco, or even read us in the city's subways? Worry no more. The number of carriers boosting their cell phone signal to the subway tunnels of Chicago is about to grow again, this time adding iPhone carrier AT&T. U.S. Cellular, Verizon, and Cricket are the other three carriers to offer their signal underground. The CTA board is expecting to approve the contract today, which would be $3.1 million over 10 years. [Sun-Times]

          

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You might remember a post from March about some Guardian Angels taking on an alleged graffiti artist at a CTA train stop. Now comes this video (via The Windy Citizen) of the Chicago chapter of the Guardian Angels training for hand-to-hand combat on a CTA subway platform. We're not sure if they expect to tangle with buskers or real hardened criminals, but from the looks of it, they're taking it seriously - the video's description calls it, "SUBWAY HAND TO HAND COMBAT." The YouTube user, 3RDRAIL1988, has several similar videos and even a few more altercations between the Angels and disturbers of the peace.

Today's Weather: Saturnine

It still feels more like October than June outside right now and the early morning rain showers aren't helping. Those will allegedly taper off as the morning wears on, but the clouds will allegedly remain in place over the city, causing us once again to wonder if we ever really will see the sun. What we've done to anger the Sun is beyond us; Skilling Says it's wet soil but we still think out there did something to piss someone off. Highs will reach close to 70 in most places and tonight the clouds remain while lows drop into the mid-50s.

Al Capone:  Dubuque's Favorite Tourist?

If you consider Galena the end of the line in terms of western Illinois tourism, the Julien Inn of Dubuque, IA would like to get you to cross the mighty Mississippi for a Chicago-centric connection. Last week we had the "Capone was photographed here" news (which we'll expand on in next week's podcast). This week, NBCChicago brings us the "Capone slept here" story. (Which isn't really anything terribly new, but it's probably easier to get people with expendable income to drive to Dubuque than to stay in Cicero.)

As if his life weren't surreal enough, President Obama found himself coming under fire yesterday from two different actors for two very different reasons. First, actor Jon Voight took to criticizing President Obama's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, outlined in his Cairo speech last week, by calling Obama a "false prophet."

NYC's Experimental Cab Share Program Could Head Here

Last week, the mothership Gothamist covered a new pilot program in New York City focusing on cab shares. While cab share fares are in place here in Chicago, it's a very limited number program. Something closer to the experimental NYC program, though, could be making it's way here soon, according to the Sun-Times.

          

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Tourists Like Us! They Really, Really Like Us!

According to statistics from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the amount of money tourists spent in the state was up in 2008 by nearly a billion dollars ($883 million, to be exact) for a grand total of $30.8 billion. Overall, the state also saw a 21-percent increase in visitors from overseas (1.4 million overall). While the number of tourists hitting our fair city declined by 2.1 percent over 2007's record-setting year (a total of 44.21 million) but the good news (besides the fact we're Johnny Depp's favorite U.S. city) is that they spent a little bit more time here than they did in 2007. [Crain's]

Today's Weather: Deceiving

Sure, it looks like it's going to be a crummy day with the clouds and the misty drizzle, but if the meteorologists are to be believed, it'll all clear up shortly. The clouds will break and skies will be partly cloudy with highs around 70 and cooler near the lake. Of course, even that will be deceiving as by this evening more clouds roll in and we face more showers and storms. In fact, tonight into tomorrow could be pretty dang wet.

It's Monday so maybe that's why we're so captivated by this mash-up, created by Pogo. If you're as entranced as we are, you can download the MP3 here. [via]

Chicagoist Podcast 6/8 - A Panel on News & A Prom for Geeks

In this week's entry to the Chicagoist Podcast Series, we once again attempt to save the ass of journalism, or at least help out in our own small little way. Also, anyone that spent their prom night home soldering electronics, playing role-playing games or poking at their orthodontic headgear: the Chicago Geek Prom could be for you, and we'll tell you all about it.

          

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In Case You Missed It...

It was a pretty quiet weekend, but that doesn't mean things weren't happening here at Chicagoist.

Today's Weather: Dour

We've already seen the rain roll through this morning and we'll more than likely see some more later today. Showers and thunderstorms are likely throughout today and when it's not raining, skies will be overcast. Summer warmth, though, is in play as highs will reach the mid-to-upper 70s and winds will be breezy at times, reaching up to 20 mph. Tonight, the chance of rain remains with lows around 60.

Scope out this appearance by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright on an episode of the classic game show, "What's My Line?" [via]

Chicagoist On The Go

Ever been stuck on a bus or on the El and wanting to check out what's going on here at Chicagoist? Well, now you can check us out anywhere using an iPhone, Blackberry, or other smart phones. Check us out at mobile.chicagoist.com and let us know what you think. We're still tinkering with things like the logo and display, but we hope you check it out!

       

After a less than stellar performance against Costa Rica earlier this week, the U.S. Men's Soccer team rolled in to Soldier Field last night for a match against Honduras in front of over 55,000 fans. In spite of falling behind early, the U.S came back and won 2-1 to advance to 3-1-1 overall in the Hexagonal standings, good enough for second place at the halfway point of qualifying. Carlos Costly got Honduras on the board first with a goal in the fifth minute. It wouldn't be until the 43rd minute that Landon Donovan got the equalizer courtesy of a penalty kick after a Honduras player was called for knocking the ball down with his hand inside the box. The game-winner came in the 68th minute when Donovan's corner kick sailed to Clint Dempsey, who headed the ball down, and Carlos Bocanegra headed the ball in for the go-ahead goal. Next up for the Americans is a break from qualifying so they can head to South Africa to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup against Egypt and soccer heavyweights Italy and Brazil.

Today's Weather: Cranky

We hope you got outside and enjoyed the weather yesterday because today is going to be...not nearly as nice. Temps will be warmer as they climb into the lower 70s, but there's going to be some rain, especially before 1 p.m. Even if you manage to dodge rain drops during the day, the chance of rain looks like it will extend into tonight and tomorrow, so keep the umbrella handy.

Earlier today, we honored the anniversary of D-Day. This time around, though, we've gone back to the more light-hearted stuff. Witness this brilliant mash-up.

       

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Today is the 65th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, better known as D-Day. There are a bevy of resources out there for more information. And if you ever make it down to New Orleans, please be sure to stop by The National WWII Museum . Today, we remember those who took part in the largest single-day amphibious invasion.

Today's Weather: Adequate

Today won't be the gorgeous day that yesterday was, but it's not all that bad. Skies will be partly-to-mostly cloudy throughout the day and depending on where you live, temps will range from the mid-60s (further north) to mid-70s (further south). There's a slight chance of rain, but only slight, for now. Tonight, cloudy skies remain overhead with a 30 percent chance of storms and lows in the mid-50s.

Lake County Jail Officers Forget The First Rule Of Fight Club

There's trouble in Lake County where a pair of drunk off-duty sheriff's correctional officers were apparently trying to pick fights at Richard's Chicken and Ribs early Thursday morning. While they didn't succeed, witnesses told police one of the officers pulled out a knife and told patrons of the bar, "you can't touch us," while patrons shouted insults back, including, "You're just a glorified security guard." Sheriff Mark Curran said, "It's the same old story, alcohol and arrogance." Interestingly, no arrests were made because, according to police, none of the witnesses would "make formal statements or sign complaints against the officers." Both of the officers have been with the sheriff's department less than a year and have been placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation takes place. [Chicago Breaking News]

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Friday Flashback:  Milk!

We've been loving poking around the annals of Chicago's past via LexisNexis and enjoying seeing what goes on through the lens of history. Just for shits and giggles, we plugged in today's date from a hundred years back to see what the headline from a century-old news cycle. The hot topic from back then: Should Chicago require that milk be pasteurized?

          

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Kudos to the kids at the always excellent Windy Citizen website for digging up this absolute gem, the video equivalent of the Reader's recent Photoshop.

Today's Weather: An Eleven

If yesterday wound up being a ten, then today cranks it up to eleven. Sunny skies and a warm bounce in temps will have highs in the upper 70s. It's a gorgeous day to get out and about outside. Really. Please do. Because this weekend is looking a tad more questionable.

Afternoon Box Score: A's Trip Up Sox

It was the Brett Anderson show at The Cell this afternoon as the Oakland starting pitcher stymied the White Sox lineup en route to a 7-0 Oakland victory. Anderson threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only six hits to the Sox. Meanwhile, Sox start Mark Buehrle gave up four runs in eight innings and Octavio Dotel gave up three more in the top of the ninth. There weren't really many highlights for the Sox in the course of the game as it was the eighth time the Sox were shut out this season. It was the Sox third-straight loss, all to Oakland; Cleveland comes to town for a weekend series starting tomorrow night.

We usually do something light-hearted for our daily diversion posts, but we'd be remiss in not acknowledging the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing. The total number of deaths has long been disputed with estimates ranging anywhere from 186 to 10,000, though the Chinese Government has officially said 241 died. Below is the iconic moment of the entire incident as well as one of the most lasting images of protest in history.

          

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Skirts will disappear! A wedding dress made of glass!

Noise Shuts Down Wind Turbine

Residents in Libertyville have gotten their way and a wind turbine has been shut down after they complained about the noise. A group of nine residents obtained a restraining order forcing Aldridge Electric, the company that owns the turbine, to temporarily shut it down; it was installed in April.

Sosa Finally Announces Retirement

Former Cub, dangerous sneezer, and corker - not to mention prolific home run hitter - Sammy Sosa claims he will soon announce his formal retirement from baseball. Sosa hasn't played a game since 2007 when he was with the Texas Rangers. As to the question on everyone's minds - did he use performance-enhancing drugs - Sosa side-stepped the issue, saying:

Today's Weather: Alleged

Allegedly, it will be warmer today. Already the sun is shining and it does feel a bit warmer; we woke up with temps in the lower 50's instead of the upper 40's. Awesome. Highs today will allegedly be in the mid 60's under clear skies. And Skilling Says allegedly that the warming pattern is on its way. We want to believe him. We really, really do...

Rahm Emanuel doesn't care that NBC was filming a special about the Obama White House (part 2 airs tonight). He's got work to do, dammit. So you kids get out of his office with your cameras and your nonsense, okay?

The <strike>Sky</strike> Wrigley Roof's The Limit For New Project

We've talked before about the proposed new development at Addison and Clark. And now, in an effort to win key government and community backing for the project, the developers have decided to keep the project a bit shorter than planned. They've redesigned the top portion of the project so that the top floors go no higher than the neighborhood's centerpiece: Wrigley Field.

Baby Huey gives us a ballad of alienation that has us choking back tears like no ballad has since "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." [via EiT]

          

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Today's Weather: Hopeful

It's still chilly out there - highs will only reach the lower 60s in most places - but at least the rain is (allegedly) gone. Clouds have already started breaking and the sun is already making his presence known. We'll start trending warmer over the next couple of days as skies will be sunny and temps will begin to reach up into the mid 70s. At least, we hope so. And we all remember what Red said in Shawshank: "Hope's a dangerous thing."

Tokyo 2016 Bringing Competition To Illinois

As Tokyo and Chicago duke it out for the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, one of Japan's best-known comedians is coming to Illinois in an around-the-world trip for a Japanese television show. Kampei Hazama will be broadcasting a segment of his "Earth Marathon" show from an elementary school in Wataga, Illinois. If some sort of exchange program is possible, can we send Mayor Daley to be on one of those insane Japanese game shows? [AP via WBBM]

Charity Rebuffs Patti's Cash

We weren't really going to report on the ongoing appearance of Patti Blagojevich on the NBC show "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Outta Here." We've talked it about it way too much as it is, though any show in which Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt join Patti for a prayer has got to be off the charts in unintentional comedy, right? Well, it gets better. Each "celebrity" is competing on behalf of a charity. But the folks at Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation don't want anything to do with Patti's charity cash because they're partners with Children's Memorial Hospital, the same hospital Rod allegedly tried to shake down for $50,000. The Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki has the charity's full statement:

The best toy never made. If these had actually been produced in the mid-80's, perhaps my little sister and I wouldn't have had so many fights; we'd have been bonding over these amazing toys. [via]

CTA Marks Crosstown Classic With Fare Card

We're just two weeks away from the first pitch in this year's edition of the Crosstown Classic, the annual White Sox-Cubs clash, and the CTA has released a new fare card to commemorate this year's series, just as they have every year since 1998. This year's design is by local artist Steve Musgrave who is also the artist of the mural at the Addison Red Line stop. At first glance, it appears to be a generic baseball player but the keen eyes of the CTA Tattler's Kevin O'Neil catch that, "...the artist's work clearly shows a player outfitted in half Cubs blue and half Sox black." It gives the Obama Inauguration D.C. Metro Card a run for its money plus it doesn't involve Ozzie and Lou rapping, so it's okay with us. [via CTA Tattler]

          

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Okay, we usually don't run a diversion this early but two things made us change our mind today:

Today's Weather: Dreary

We're not sure who's done what to anger the Weather Gods (it's probably Tankboy's fault) but it seems we've decided to just skip Summer altogether and go straight into Fall. There will be a chance of rain off and on throughout the day with overcast skies. Highs will cross the 60 degree mark, but not by much. The chance of rain extends into tonight as lows drop to around 50. Skilling Says we'll warm up a bit soon, but we're giving him the stink-eye right now anyway.

          

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Newsweek Tackles Oprah And Her "Cures"

National magazine Newsweek has launched a volley against the Cult of the O. In their June 8 issues, their cover story is, "Why Health Advice on Oprah Could Make You Sick," covering the issues revolving around the lifestyle advice Oprah dispenses to her readers. It's the most skeptical take on Oprah we've seen from a mainstream publication in a while.

Another Pitcher Turns Down Sox

First, it was Jake Peavy turning down the White Sox. Now, it's the Astro's Roy Oswalt. Speculation swirled over the weekend that the veteran ace may be on his way to the Sox, but he also turned the team down.

Today's Weather: Sodden

If you weren't startled awake by the large thunderstorm that rolled through town early this morning, don't worry: you'll get your chance to experience more rain. Rain and thunderstorms will roll through off and on throughout the day with several breaks in the rain for you to get out and about. Still, expect some rumbling thunder over the next two days as the rain pushes through. Highs today will be in the mid 70s and lows overnight, with more rain, will be in the mid 50s.

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