Miscellaneous

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After several days of slate-gray skies, we finally see some blue! The overcast clouds are breaking and we'll have some sun as well as temperatures that will climb a few degrees. Highs should top out in the lower 60s. Tonight, skies will remain mostly clear and lows will reach the mid-to-low 40s. A look ahead shows rain - possibly heavy - tomorrow night into Friday so if you plan on heading down to Daley Plaza for the big Olympics announcement, pack your rain gear. And with the world waiting on this Friday's announcement, perhaps it's appropriate that today is International Translation Day. So go hug a translator! more ›

Impressive pancake stacking: further evidence one day robots will rule us all. [via] more ›

We're not the gambling sort. We know people who are, but we've never had much luck so we leave it to them. Still, if there's not enough anxiety/excitement for you surrounding Friday's 2016 Olympic host city announcement, why not make it more interesting by putting some money down on the decision? WBEZ's Lynette Kalsnes points us to gambling sites that carry some odds on the IOC's decision, one of which puts Chicago as the 8 to 11 favorite to take the bid. more ›

A postal worker in Mount Sterling set off to find treasure allegedly buried in Springfield. According to WBBM: more ›

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This week, as we prepare for Friday's announcement of the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, we'll feature a quick look at each city's proposed venues and bid. Today, we check out Tokyo. Previously: Chicago. more ›

The Illinois Secretary of State's office has created a secure database into which you can enter emergency contact information which is then tied to your driver's license, permit, or identification card. Read more about the program here, FAQs here, and sign up here. We checked out the form - looks simple enough! You can list up to 2 contacts and add, change, or delete names at any time by going to the website. The SOS makes sure you know that it is not responsible for inaccurate or outdated information. So if you list your wife and then get a nasty divorce, don't be shocked if she doesn't tell the rest of the family you're in a coma, wasting away somewhere. (Thanks to Sean for the tip!) more ›

We awake to find yesterday's clouds and cool air still in place over the city. But there should be some breaks in the clouds here and there and peeks of sun along with the slightest of chances of a passing shower. Northwest winds of around 15 mph keep things brisk and highs, once again, won't break 60. Clouds break tonight, though, as lows drop into the upper 40s and we should see an improvement in the temperatures and the amount of sun tomorrow. more ›

If Carlos Zambrano struggles next season like he did this season, he says he'll quit. The pitcher, who's only 28 years old, told the Tribune, "Look, this is the only season I haven't won 16 or 18 or 14 games. If it happens again next season, two seasons in a row, I'll quit. Believe me, I'll quit. I just have to put this behind me." Of course, we all know Zambrano is prone to emotional fits from time to time, so maybe it's just the disappointing 2009 season getting to him. Besides, next year is his contract year so we expect big things out of Big Z. Zambrano has previously hinted at retiring at the end of his contract, which runs through 2013. more ›

Earlier today, some mainstream media outlets in town breathlessly reported on an alleged connection between the site Chicagoans For Rio and...well, Rio. Sites associated with WBBM (CBS 2 and 780 AM) - as well as the Tribune - posted a story containing the following information: more ›

Remember the old school Paperboy video game? But what would happen if the game were real life? Luckily, some funny folks did the imagineering for us. [via] more ›

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It was too controversial for Walgreens to carry so now CVS is stepping up to fill the Obama Chia Pet void. The Sun-Times spoke to Joseph Enterprises Inc. president Joseph Pedott about the...gift? And he claims to have the support of the Commander-in-Chief himself. more ›

Strong storms careened through the area last night and here we are, with Fall left on our doorstep as a result. Today is going to be as cool a day as we've had this new fall season with highs not even cracking 60. Cloudy skies - with a good chance of a passing shower - as well as very gusty winds - 25 to 30 mph with gusts over 40 mph - will also make it feel pretty dang brisk. Lows tonight tumble to the mid-40s and a look at the week ahead shows a brief warm-up...but only brief. Welcome, Fall. more ›

It involves a radio station and a monkey. Incredibly, he's actually slid downhill from here. more ›

In case you're not up to date on all of YouTube's greatest hits, or feel as if you've missed a few, here are (allegedly) 100 of them in one, easy to watch sub-four-minute clip. [via] more ›

If you're booking flights for travel around Thanksgiving or New Years and you're flying American or Chicago-based United Airlines, be prepared to tack on a small fuel surcharge of $10. Crain's reports the fees were added earlier this week. more ›

It's going to start off as a glorious early fall day with lots of sunshine and temps warming in to the upper 70s, the perfect day to get out and about and take care of errands (before the Bears game at 3:15, woo!). It'll also be a bit gusty and clouds roll in this evening, though, and tonight there's a good chance of rain and even some thunderstorms as a system moves through. And, as we all know, when a storm system moves through, that makes chilly weather the next day and it looks like that's what will get. But. For now. Get out there and enjoy the warm sunshine. more ›

It's almost Halloween which means almost time for British zombie movies made within the last 10 years. Though we prefer Shaun Of The Dead, thankyouverymuch, you can get yourself pumped with this one minute, single take reenactment of 28 Days Later. more ›

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Cloudy, cool, chance of showers. Heard that forecast before? Yeah, so have we. Highs will top out just over 70 and clouds will be in order all day. There's a chance of showers throughout the day that continues into the evening. Clouds remain overhead overnight and lows will fall to the mid-50s. And get the jackets handy because it looks like our coolest weather of the season is coming Monday. more ›

Are we sure that's him and not just a cardboard cutout? [via the suave Sir Andrew Huff] more ›

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

Much like the Riverview Park of yore, Kiddieland is almost nothing more than memories now. This will be the final weekend for the decades-old amusement park in Melrose Park, and rather than dig back through old newspapers we thought we'd take a look at the place that will very soon be history. more ›

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Jeff Baker provided the drama with a ninth inning go-ahead homer that helped the Cubs edge the Giants 3-2 and kept the Cardinals from officially clinching the NL Central. The game was primarily a pitcher's duel between Ryan Dempster (seven innings, two runs, six K's) and Brad Penny (eight innings, one run, four K's). But Baker's two-run homer in the top of the ninth off of closer Brian Wilson put the Cubs ahead for good. Aaron Heilman pitched the eighth and was credited with the win while Carlos Marmol recorded three K's in the ninth to notch the save. Derek Lee aggravated his neck with a slide into second in the ninth inning but there's no news as to whether it will keep him out of tonight's game or not. The Giants and Cubs play game two of their weekend set tonight at 9:15 p.m. (CSN+). more ›

Hey, speaking of Blago... more ›

Another hazy, humid, foggy, cloudy day. This is what we get for that late-August to early-September stretch of days and days and days of nothing but pleasant temps and sunshine. Alas. Still, we love Fall. Cloudy or not, at least we still get outside. Highs today are conducive to that as they reach the lower 70s. The chance of rain, however, may not let that happen. There's a 50/50 shot at showers and a thundershower or two as the day goes on. More of the same tonight with lows near 60. And it looks like more of the same tomorrow for a gloomy start to the weekend. more ›

Ugh. Thank you, ESPN Chicago, for twisting the knife and - as the Cubs see their slim odds of a playoff appearance in 2009 disappear in the wake of a season of mediocrity and controversy - reminding us of another Cubs team, one that made a great run through the NL East only to see a two games to none lead in the NLCS (in a best-of-five series, mind you) over the San Diego Padres vanish as the Padres won three straight on their way to the World Series. more ›

Check out this cool collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis. more ›

Kudos to WGN's John Williams for getting Blago in on the auto-tune craze. We are now anxiously awaiting his guest appearance on the next Lil Wayne record. And if that's not enough Blago for you, be sure to watch him on tonight's Daily Show and play Blago Bingo. [video via, thanks to Darcy for the Blago Bingo tip] more ›

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The Windy City Rollers' All Stars were in Minneapolis last weekend, taking part in the WFTDA's North Central Regional Tournament, the Brawl of America. And guess who came home champs? The Rollers had little trouble dispensing of the host team, the Minnesota Rollergirls 155-25 in the quarterfinals before easing past Cincinnati 163-36 in the semis. Then it was on to the finals where they had no trouble taking care of Madison 150-56. As the top ranked team from the regionals, the Rollers are headed to Nationals in Philadelphia this November. The Rollers are next at home Saturday, October 17 to take on Portland's Rose City Rollers. more ›

As expected, Oprah will be heading to Copenhagen as part of the Chicago 2016 bid delegation. Said Oprah in a statement, "I love and believe in Chicago, and I think it would be the perfect Host City for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games." Oprah joins First Lady Michelle Obama and Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists helping the Chicago 2016 team lobby for the Games. [Crain's] more ›

Last spring, 2,000 CPS third graders wrote letters to Mayor Daley. Kind of like letters to Santa, except scarier. The kids dispensed some advice to Hizzonah but we'd rather just see the kids put in charge of the City. Sure, maybe they'll go all Lord of the Flies on us, but could they do any worse than the current Mayor/City Council combo? more ›

We start off with fog once again, just like a lot of days over the past few weeks. The fog will burn off by mid-morning and we'll have partly sunny skies and temps in the mid-70s. It'll still be a bit humid, though. Lows will be around 60 tonight and look out cause there could be rain a-comin' for the weekend. more ›

All this talk of 2016 had us thinking: if/when we get the Olympics, what sports will we go see? Sure, there's basketball and track & field. But what about the smaller sports? Handball! Field Hockey! Badminton! We're so in. And then one thought led to another and here we are thinking of synchronized swimming and what is probably the most underrated Saturday Night Live skit of all time (NBC doesn't even have an official clip of it in their SNL Archives) featuring Harry Shearer, Martin Short, and Christopher Guest (who shows us where he got inspiration for his character in the 1997 film Waiting For Guffman). more ›

The suburb of Bensenville, long embroiled in a fight against O'Hare's expansion, recently relented, accepting the fate of hundreds of houses and other sites, such as St. John's United Church of Christ cemetery. And now as we await the demolition of these locations, one Chicagoist reader - Paul Petrowsky - made it over there to capture some of the scenes in this new ghost town. But if you get the urge to do the same, be careful. Check out Paul's full set here. more ›

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So we survived nuclear annihilation to see another day. Well, today is going to be...pretty banal, but considering the fate we faced yesterday, we'll take it. Morning fog gives way to hazy, partly sunny conditions later this morning. It'll be a bit humid as well as temps reach the mid-70s. Tonight, lows fall into the mid-60s and fog will once again develop. more ›

What can we say? The kid has moves. [via] more ›

According to a new book, the Obamas' marriage has had ups and downs: disagreements, career struggles, financial difficulty, and a man who was hesitant to get married. In other news, the sky is blue. The book, from Christopher Andersen, who brought us Michael Jackson Unauthorized and a slew of books about the Kennedys, wrote the book (surprise) without the Obama's cooperation. We can't wait to see this in the discount bin next month next to Blago's book. more ›

There's a lot to love about this 1948 MGM Traveltalks film on Chicago (in glorious Technicolor!). more ›

Former governor Rod Blagojevich - he of the hubris that knows no bounds - is the subject of a profile in this week's New Yorker. If you still somehow have the patience or stomach for anything about the guy, check it out here. more ›

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Chicagoist would like to add a few more food and drink writers to our staff to flesh out our coverage of the beat and make it, and the site, even better. If you meet the qualifications, can make the time commitment, and would like to join the Chicagoist team, here's what we're specifically looking for: more ›

A University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor is one of 24 MacArthur Foundation Fellows for 2009, who will receive a "no strings attached" stipend of $500,000 over the next five years. John A. Rogers, a professor with the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the university, was recognized for, "inventing flexible electronic devices that lay the foundation for a revolution in manufacture of industrial, consumer, and biocompatible technologies." You can read more about Rogers' research and the other 2009 Fellows here. more ›

Today, we put another Summer in the books and move on to fall. At 4:18 p.m. this afternoon, Fall begins. Though, to be honest, it probably won't feel a whole heck of a lot like it. In fact, for most of the week, you won't notice a difference. There's a chance of rain - odds get better as the day goes on - and highs will eventually reach the mid 70s under cloudy skies. It's also kind of humid, and that just plays havoc with our hair. Tonight, skies remain cloudy, rain remains possible, and lows fall to the mid 60s. The rest of the week is looking pretty similar - warm, humid, possibly damp - but the long range forecast shows cooler and wetter weather is on the way. more ›

Ah, 2006. How innocent we all were back then. Today is a good day to step back in time and check out this classic clip for Fox Chicago about a karate expert who had the "death touch." more ›

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On Saturday, a team of Eyewitness News Chicagoist scribes were walking the streets of downtown Chicago (which we enjoy), scribbling metaphors about the gritty city into our Pulitzer Prize-winning notebooks and getting all hopped up on coffee drinks, when we encountered this young man and his sign standing on the Boule Mich, just outside the Art Institute. "Will play Nietzsche trivia for a dollar," it says. "If you win I will give you 50 push-ups." He told us his name is Michael, and that he comes here by way of San Francisco. He'll be sticking around town for a while, so brush up on your Zarathustra and pay him a visit. Oh, and yes, that's a Nietzsche tattoo. more ›

If it's not horse-punchers or amped up firefighters, it's something else. A 39-year-old woman was arrested after turning the Belmont Red Line platform into her personal Thunderdome. What happened? She said something nasty to two men who weren't too pleased and when they showed their displeasure, she bopped them both. But the Sun-Times describes the incident so much more... clinically. more ›

In Part I of our series Geocaching in Chicago, we learned more about the outdoor activity of geocaching. In this part, we'll take a look at how this activity can help you learn more about the city of Chicago. more ›

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Today, funny man Bill Murray, native son of Wilmette, turns 59. Make one good movie, and you might be remembered. Make several, you're a "great." Make Where The Buffalo Roam, Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Little Shop Of Horrors, Scrooged, Groundhog Day, Kingpin, Rushmore, and Lost in Translation - not to mention his legendary stint on Saturday Night Live - and you're Bill Murray. Sure, lately he's done more forgettable projects like voicing the lazy feline in those bad Garfield movies, but the man can make whatever he wants for the rest of his life as far as we're concerned. He's more than earned it. And, hey, Fantastic Mr. Fox looks promising. So to you, Mr. Murray, one of the great comedic actors - and die-hard, tortured Cubs fan - in history, we salute you and offer you best wishes and any assistance you may need in blowing out the candles on your cake. more ›

Cubs Finally Beat The Cards more ›

Flesh-eating bacteria. Swine flu. The plague. We have enough to worry about these days, let alone what dangers are lurking for us when we stop by the Dollar Store. Thankfully, CBS 2 is there to alert us to the creeping hazards that await us in the aisles of the discount departments. more ›

We probably won't see the rain we did yesterday evening, but it'll still be something of a gloomy start to the work week. Cloudy skies and cool temps in the mid 60s are the way we'll start the day, though there's only a slight chance of showers and highs will eventually reach the mid 70s. Variably cloudy conditions continue overnight with lows in the mid 60s. This week looks to be warm, a tad humid, and a bit wet, even as the autumnal equinox occurs tomorrow, signaling Fall's arrival. more ›

Lesson of the day: if you try and imitate a Chicago hotdog institution, you won’t stand a chance. After months of being tied up in court, Superdawg, a 60-year-old hotdog stand on the Northwest side at Devon and Milwaukee, won a court battle against a New York restaurant called Superdog for rights to its name. more ›

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Sure it's all sunny and pleasant right now, but as the day wears on, we'll see clouds increase over the area. There's also a 40 percent chance of the first rain in quite a while, mainly after 1 pm. But, truth be told, it's still not a bad day to be out and about. Especially right now while the sun is still shining and the sky is still clear. Highs will reach the mid-70s today and overnight lows will be near 60 with a continued slight chance of rain. more ›

A woman in Gary, Ind. claims she was pulled off her motorized scooter by an off-duty Gary Police Department volunteer officer after leaving a friendly game of bingo and accused of stealing bingo cards. Thelma Fannin filed a lawsuit against the Gary Housing Authority and three off-duty Gary emergency officials. more ›

Here's one for all you parents, so you can explain to your kids why electrical sockets are the way they are. [via] more ›

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One more day of gorgeous weather before the clouds roll in. There's plenty to do outside - though a stop by the Field Museum for the Talk Like A Pirate Day festivities is worth yoru time, too - so be sure to get out there and enjoy it. Highs will reach the low-to-mid 70s and skies will be fair giving you a chance to get a little more sun. And it looks like our stretch of ridonkulously nice weather is coming to an end as there are a lot of clouds, raindrops and lightning bolts on the extended forecast. Alas... more ›

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

A few sneaky Cubs fans, celebrating another title-less season, decided to have some fun with the gallows humor and pulled a fast one on the Tribune, placing an ad in the paper that had a hidden meaning. And by "hidden," we mean in the Kevin Nealon "Mister Subliminal" kind of way. But, hey, it's kinda cute and even the Trib had some fun with it. Wait 'til next year, indeed. more ›

Hey everyone, Tankboy here. I just wanted to make sure y'all knew that today marks the one year anniversary of Marcus Gilmer as Chicagoist's benevolent -- if tantrum prone -- Editor-in-Chief. Under his watch, the site has grown ever larger, our coverage has grown ever better, and references to unicorns have spiked through the roof. Join me in congratulating him on surviving a whole year at the helm! It's not easy. more ›

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We get a lot of tips on the Chicagoist tip-line [tips (at) chicagoist (dot) com], some pretty good, others for stories we don't quite know how to cover. But we received one last night from a reader named "SF Truther" that caught our attention, pointing us to this website warning of a nuclear strike on Chicago on September 22, 2009. The logic used in the determination of that date is...faulty, at best. For example: more ›

A pair of former Cubs have made the news recently. Here are their strange tales more ›

Today is going to be another gorgeous, bright day with mild temps and bountiful sunshine. There will be more clouds than we've seen in a bit, but don't worry, no rain. Highs will be in the mid 70s after a cool start to the day. A look ahead shows clouds and possibly rain in the coming days, so today is just fine if you've been looking into sneaking out of the office a little bit early and enjoying something outside. Go ahead, we won't tell. Lows tonight will fall back into the upper 50s.
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Behold, the coolest, most mesmerizing 110 seconds of your day (well, since this). more ›

Dave Burge over at Iowahawk uncovered quite a gem of a magazine: the April 3, 1959 edition of a little rag called Night Life in Chicago. It's quite a sight and worth looking through for a peek into yesteryear, including gossip, columns, and ads for show girl lounges. [via] more ›

Ever go to take a leak in a public restroom only to be greeted with the comment that you're "in the wrong one"? If your answer is "no," you're in the majority on this issue, but for others, this isn't the case. For those whose outward appearance for whatever reason doesn't jibe with traditional understandings of gender, being accosted while trying to use a restroom is an all-too-common experience. In an effort to combat the harassment of their community, a new Chicago-based activist group, Genderqueer Chicago, is launching The Toilet Revolution this Saturday. Organizers are urging participants to use the "wrong" restroom in various public spaces as they go about their business all day. And the encouraged response if given a hard time by other restroom patrons? "It's just a toilet." more ›

The Men of Chicagoist are always on the lookout for love, so we present to you this video for your consideration. Choose wisely, ladies. (Look for Marcus at the 3:45 mark) [via] more ›

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American Airlines has announced it's expanding its service out of O'Hare. Thanks to a magical new $2.9 billion in financing, the airline will grow its presence at four major hubs, which includes adding 57 new flights to its schedule at O'Hare starting early next year. The other three hubs seeing more AA flights will be Dallas/Ft. Worth, New York, and Miami; on the flip-side, services will be cut in St. Louis and Raleigh. One of the new flights is a non-stop to Beijing which had originally been planned for this year. Smaller markets will see more flights to and from Chicago as well, including Fargo, ND, Sioux Falls, SD, and Charleston, WV. [Tribune, Amer. Airlines] more ›

We recently discovered geocaching. Geocaching is an activity that gets you out and about, using a handheld GPS device to locate hidden objects (called 'caches' or 'geocaches'). Here is how it works: more ›

We continue with the slide into the weekend with another gorgeous - if a little cool - day. But, hey, it's mid-September; what else should we expect? Plenty of sun sun sun and highs in the lowers 70s. Tonight could extra cool with lows falling to the upper 40s in some spots, but mostly low-to-mid 50s throughout the area. And while the parade was held last weekend, today is officially Von Steuben Day. more ›

Craigslist is good for a lot of things. We all know that finding hookers is just the tip of the iceberg of what Craig and his list has to offer. For example, our unfertilized eggs could be worth thousands of dollars, numerous gentlemens' establishments would love for us to come dance for them, and we had no idea where we could get a free pile of dirt and some coat hangers, but CL comes through time and time again. Despite the recession easing a bit, times are still tough. But there are still places and people in Chicago that are more than willing to give you money! All you have to do is...well, there's some pretty bizarre stuff out there. An example: more ›

Were you one of the hundreds waiting to catch a glimpse of rock superduperstars U2 outside of their downtown hotel when they were here over the weekend? See if you can see yourself in this clip. more ›

Sox fans rejoice: that big trade deadline get - ace pitcher Jake Peavy - will finally get a start in for the White Sox this Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. Peavy was 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA in San Diego but went 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA in four starts for the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. [ESPN] more ›

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Sure, we've talked to Ald. Preckwinkle. And there are several other options of opponents the Toddler will have to face in his campaign to keep his position for Cook County Board President. And while we don't make a habit of officially endorsing political candidates here (save the Leftcagoist comments) we're finding it hard not to root for YouTube user icephoenix23, especially after watching this video declaring his candidacy. Watch the whole thing. Trust us. more ›

The family of Walter Payton wants to put up a statue honoring the Bears legend, but they've been met with resistance from the Chicago Park District. It seems the Park District is a-okay with a statue of Payton going up - it is, after all, being donated by the Payton family - but has adopted a hard line of not allowing the statue to go up in the one place it makes sense: Soldier Field. more ›

Sure, she's all dressed up in Phillies gear by her Phillies-loving dad, but this young girl seems to have a certain knack for a Cubs bleacher tradition. Though it was, admittedly, just a foul ball... [via] more ›

Ever wanted to own a chair that asshat former governor Rod Blagojevich sat in? Yeah, us neither. But now you can, courtesy of this unusual auction on eBay. Blago's not the only one to have sat in the chair, which comes from the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Others who have placed their behind in that seat include Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, the Fox(x) triplets (Megan, Matthew, and Jamie), and [swoon] Anne Hathaway. But our boy Blago is (inexplicably) the headliner on the chair, which is currently at a bid of $4,650.00. Kimmel made the proposal to Blago on the air last week and Blago seemed all for it as long as the proceeds were used to hire people who didn't have jobs. Such an altruist. more ›

For the umpteenth day in a row, we're looking at gorgeous, dry, sunny conditions. It's a bit cooler than the previous couple of days as we begin the move towards fall, but you'll still hear no complaints from us. Under sunny skies, highs should hit around 70. Lows tonight will fall to around 60 and, in some places, into the upper 50s. more ›

We step back in time, all the way back to December 2007, when there was not yet a full Trump Tower along the river, for this gorgeous shot of our city. more ›

It's a Twitter myth no more. TMZ has the audio of Obama's famed "jackass" call on Kanye. more ›

It seems having one of the biggest rock bands on the planet and thousands of its fan is pretty hard on a stadium's turf. The Bears are busy replacing the sod at Soldier Field ahead of this weekend's home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Resodding the field after the preseason is actually routine, but the team decided to wait until after the U2 concerts this past weekend before going ahead with the sod replacement; the sod being used is a bit deeper so it'll hold better. Meanwhile, Desmond Clark lashed out at the field conditions before U2 ever took the field, concluding a rant about field conditions with, "we have one of the worst fields in the NFL and there are no excuses why the Chicago Bears, of all teams, should have to play on such a bad surface." [Tribune] more ›

We tried the same experiment with Tankboy and SPARKS. He didn't last long. more ›

Speaking of President Obama and the issue that may keep him from going to Copenhagen in October, he's planning a big media blitz this weekend. You can look for him on the Sunday morning shows across the major networks including CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN. He'll wrap it up by stopping by David Letterman's show, the first time a sitting present has visited Letterman. [Tribune] more ›

• Open their season on April 5th in Atlanta
• Open their home season on April 12th versus Milwaukee
• play the AL West in Interleague play, traveling to Texas (May 21-23) and Seattle (June 22-24) while they welcome Oakland (June 15-17) and Anaheim (June 18-20) to town.

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With all the talk of the Olympics and health care, what else has been going on in the Obama White House? more ›

When Chi-Town Daily News announced last week they were shifting models from non-profit to profit, that left a lot of questions out in the open. What did it mean? Who was laid off? What's in store for the CTDN in the future? The CTDN's Ed-in-Chief, Geoff Dougherty took to his site for a little Q&A in which he answered some, but not all, of the questions floating around out there. more ›

How much is a minute worth to you? It could be worth $50 as the Parking Ticket Geek explains. Those new pay boxes and their receipts apparently have some weird time issues and, more and more, people are finding themselves on the wrong end of disappearing time. Synchronize watches....now! more ›

Last night, Kanye was scheduled to appear alongside Jay-Z and Rihanna on the premiere of Jay Leno's new show, but the host took the opportunity to bring Kanye out and talk to him about Sunday night's Taylor Swift Thunder Theft. Kanye's apology seemed as genuine as you can expect from him. And for the conspiracy theorists who still think it was staged, well...we can't blame you. We're suckers for conspiracy theories. The whole thing stinks to high heaven, but, as we pointed out yesterday, to pull off such a stunt would require a level of self-awareness on Kanye's part. So let's just blame Leno for slipping something into Kanye's drink on Sunday night. more ›

Today will be a lot like yesterday: sunny and a bit on the warmer side with highs in the upper 70s to near 80. But there's something of a cool down coming later today. Skilling says to expect a temperature drop by later afternoon and expect some gusty winds into evening. Lows overnight fall to near 60 and tomorrow is already looking to be cooler than yesterday and today. But we'll worry about that tomorrow. For now, lets enjoy the warmth. more ›

Reader and Flickr pool contributor i3oilermaker gives us this excellent series of color shots. more ›

Many of us have blamed our dogs for a variety of things. But for possessing marijuana plants? That's a new one (and we're totally adding it to our list). A man in Joliet got into hot water when an anonymous tip informed police he was cultivating a few marijuana plants. According to the police report, a woman who lives at the residence allowed officers into the yard where they found two living, growing marijuana plants plus a third dead one. WBBM 780 AM explains what happened next: more ›

Speaking of the Windy City White House, check out the official cabinet pic for Obama's current administration. Besides the President and his (literally) right-hand man Rahm-bo, you can also spot Illinois guys Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (back row, all the way to the left) and Education Secretary Arne Duncan (standing, all the way to the right). more ›

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By now, you've already seen and heard all about Kanye's antics during Taylor Swift's speech at last night's MTV Video Music Awards. A few thoughts: more ›

Perhaps nature is trying to make amends for the dreary, cool start to the summer? Today will be another in a long string of sunny, warm, pleasant days. We'll have a few warmer days to start the week before things get a bit cooler later on; today we'll see highs up near 80 with plenty of sun. Lows tonight will fall to the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies. more ›

Microsoft has decided to take a different route to fight those popular "I'm A Mac" commercials. They enlist a five-year-old, kittens, unicorns, and "The Final Countdown." Success! [via] more ›

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Another early morning of dense fog, but another full day of great weather. The Bears don't play until tonight so unless you're fan of a team playing an early NFL game (like me and the Saints), you have no excuse to get outside and enjoy this fantastic weather. Sunny skies and highs in the mid-70's are in order and lows tonight will be in the lower 60s, making it a pretty great day all the way around. A peek at this week's extended forecast shows a brief warm-up followed by more of the same: sunny and pleasant. more ›

"Jump in the crowd/ Spark your lighters/ Wave 'em around/ And if you don't know by now/ I'm talkin' about Chi-Town." more ›

Are you interested in living next door to Obama’s Hyde Park house? You may be in luck, if you have money that is, because his neighbors officially put their 17-room house on the market yesterday. No price tag has been given just yet, but homes in the area typically go for between $1 million and $2.5 million. more ›

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Last night, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Below is Part 1 of his speech and parts 2 and 3 are after the jump. more ›

It's going to be an awesome weekend day for whatever you have planned be it the beach, the park, or the Bloodshot 15th Anniversary Party at The Hideout. Just be sure to pack your sunscreen because there's going to be a lot of sun. Highs will be pleasantly mild in the mid-70s. Tonight, more of the same (clear skies) with lows around 60. more ›

A mash-up of Rep. Wilson's "YOU LIE!" moment during President Obama's speech was bound to happen. At least it was as awesome as this. It's all we could ask for on a Friday afternoon. [via] more ›

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

News outlets have been playing back (or more notably, not playing back) footage of the events of September 11, 2001 today and while it's good to remember what happened nationally, sometimes local news can bring things home in a way that the replay of other tapes can't seem to capture. John Drury and Diann Burns were on the anchor desk for ABC-7 that night, and their recap of the days events is worth watching for the perspective, to remember what it was like to just not know what really happened. It also brings back memories of being glued to the TV during the hours and days that followed, trying to make sense out of a senseless act, wanting to know anything new, anything at all. more ›

The weekend is upon us which means it's time to get ready for the disruption of Blue Line service from the Loop to the Division stop, right? Not so fast! According to the CTA Tattler, work on that part of the Blue Line is done. The work now shifts to the Loop and South/West as the CTA continues to replace tracks to eliminate slow zones. The CTA claims that the work on this segment of the Blue Line should be completed by the end of the year and shuttle buses will connect passengers between the Clark & Lake and UIC/Halsted stop, which means no Blue Line in the Loop on weekends, starting tonight at 10:00 p.m. more ›

Yesterday, we mentioned our local papers honoring Michael Jordan on his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame (being televised this afternoon by ESPN, 5:30 p.m.) along with other greats John Stockton, David Robinson, Vivian Stringer, and Jerry Sloan. But, for Chicago, it's mostly about His Royal Airness. And ESPN has the perfect Friday distraction for you in the form of this collection of 23 videos celebrating his biggest moments [via GB]. more ›

Today is another day of some great, cheerful later summer/early fall weather. We'll see clear skies and highs in the mid-70's, a sign of what's to come this weekend. Dense fog develops later tonight and lows will fall into the mid-60's. Things are looking pretty dang nice into next week. more ›

If you're one of those who are really into the recent CW remakes of "Beverly Hills 90210" or "Melrose Place," then you'll enjoy this. more ›

We're still over three weeks away from the end of baseball season, but this photo of Cubs' manager pretty much sums up how Cubs fans have felt all year. more ›

We mentioned yesterday's City Council vote to approve the host city contract, putting taxpayers on the hook for the cost of the Games if something goes awry. Before the vote, Mayor Daley gave a passionate speech in support of the contract and the Olympics and Associated Press photographer M. Spencer Green caught some great captures of our Mayor making his case. more ›

The Reader's Jake Austen went looking for the first Jackson 5 single, recorded right here in Chicago over 30 years ago. What he found, instead, was the earliest known recording of the band. It's a fascinating story and you can read it all here. more ›

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We've mentioned the Where The Wild Things Are film adaptation and its upcoming Chicago screening/ fundraiser (a few VIP tickets are still available). And lucky for us, the folks at LandlineTV created a hell of a great parody of the trailer based on another classic childrens tome and, frankly, we'd totally go see it. more ›

Today will be really similar to yesterday. Morning fog will burn off and behind it will be variably to mostly cloudy skies (though right now they're pretty clear over Chicagoist HQ) with a slight chance of an afternoon shower, humid conditions, and highs in the mid 70s. Not mind-blowing weather, but not that bad. It's the kind of day that pales in comparison to our weather last week but we'll be begging for come mid-January. So we'll take it. Lows drop into the lower 60s tonight. more ›

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With apologies to our pal Amy Freeze, the Farmer's Almanac, and Tom "The Ax" Skilling, we'd watch every single weather forecast if party rocker Andrew W.K. was in charge. more ›

Chicagoist's Tim State spotted this unique street sign near the intersection of E. Westminster Rd and Oakwood Ave. in Lake Forest, not too far from Lake Forest College. Malibu Stacy was not available for comment. more ›

A while back, we pointed out how ESPN's Bill Simmons laid out a challenge to recreate Ferris Bueller's day of hooky. Chicago Magazine's Jeff Ruby tried it a year ago but couldn't quite do it all. So now the Red Eye's social media intern Ernest Wilkin has taken up the mantle and even has an itinerary to boot with all the fun happening this Saturay. It's an ambitious undertaking and - sorry, Ernest - we're a bit skeptical he can pull the whole thing off. That's not to say we're rooting against him. On the contrary, it would be a feat worthy of a round of beers on us to Ernest and his cohort. So good luck to you, Ernest; we're looking forward to how it goes. more ›

Around 20,000 people showed up on a stretch of the Mag Mile to help Oprah film the season premiere for her upcoming 24th season. After all the arguments over how disruptive it would be versus how good it is for the city's image, it's all over. The Tribune reports things got a little hairy early in the day with people pushing and shoving at times, but for the most part, the event seemed to go off without a hitch and the city continued pushing this as a great marketing opportunity, not to mention something to pad the city's resume in the last push for the 2016 Olympic bid. more ›

CBS 2 got a sit-down with Glynn Hall, the baseball coach shot by one of his players after he pulled the player out of the game. more ›

After a week of lively, vivacious weather, this week seems to be so sluggish. We suppose it's nearing that transitional time - from summer to fall - but we just weren't quite ready for it yet. Fog is back with us again and will burn off mid-morning only to reveal cloudy skies and a slight chance of showers this afternoon. Highs will reach the mid-70s today and drop into the mid-60s tonight as, once more, fog rolls in late. We've gone a long time since hitting 80 degrees - 14 days - a stretch not seen since at this time of year since the 1880s. more ›

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A Tuesday podcast for you this week - we get to take the holiday off just like the next guy but we're back to work just like everyone else today. (But we're simply giddy about sneaking out early to go see O!) In this podcast, Christine from Lynfred Winery helps us hash through the consequences of the new excise tax on alcohol in Illinois, Lauri Apple takes us through Gary one more time as we recap the process of getting those stellar photos from last week's set of posts, and Red Hot Annie of Vaudezilla tells us about the fallout from Saturday's Lebowski-themed "Rollin' Outta Here Naked" show. more ›

Pro wrestling. Bob Barker. AJ Pierzynski. It may be this year's non-Buehrle related White Sox highlight. more ›

It's a story that we hear about every few months: an airline declares a passenger too fat to fly. The latest example happened to a Park Forest man who was prevented from flying home on his booked Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Midway, though he had flown from Midway to Las Vegas without incident. Said Emery Orto, who is 6-foot, 350-pounds, "They gave us the impression I was too big or too fat to fly...It was just absolutely humiliating and embarrassing." But Southwest insists it was Orto's anger over the original incident, not his weight, that led to him being removed from the flight. According to CBS 2:

Southwest says its policy has been in place for years and that Orto was arguing with an elevated voice in a belligerent tone. The airline also says that at least four passengers said they weren't comfortable flying after watching Orto lose his temper. more ›

The Bears get their season underway Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers this (7:00 p.m., NBC) and now we know which men will be on the sidelines. The Bears kept only two QBs - Cutler and Caleb Hanie - sending Brett Basanez to the practice squad. Wide receiver Devin Aromashodu's flower gifts seem to have worked; he was one of six receivers that made the cut. Three players were placed on IR: Running back Kevin Jones (knee), safety Dahna Deleston (hamstring), and defensive end Henry Melton (ankle). more ›

It's Oprah Day here in Chicago, with The Mighty O filming the premiere episode for her 24th season down on Michigan Ave. A few Chicagoist writers are out and about in the area and we'll have periodic updates from the scene of the party. more ›

Patchy fog and clouds will keep the sky gray today, but considering the beautiful weather we had over the weekend, that's okay. We don't want to feel like we're missing anything by being in the office all day. Highs will range from the upper 60s right by the lake to mid-to-upper 70s as you move inland. There's the slightest chance of a passing shower here or there. Tonight, patchy fog rolls back in as lows sink to around 60. Today is also International Literacy Day. more ›

The Chicago Bliss, your boyfriend’s new obsession, kicked off their first season as part of the Lingerie Football League with a 29-19 victory over the Miami Caliente at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates on Friday. Described as, "some of Chicago's most beautiful and athletic women competing in 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football on Friday nights," the game on Friday was one of the Bliss’ two home games of their four-game season. The league also includes such teams as the New York Majesty, San Diego Seduction, Seattle Mist, and the Philadelphia Passion. more ›

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It's going to be a lovely day off for most of us. Not only do we not have to work, but we won't have to work hard to make the best of a situation with lousy weather. The early morning fog burns off and gives us sunny skies with highs in the mid 70s today and light breezes, the perfect weather for squeezing in that last bar-b-q before the summer ends. Or for sailing. Or whatever you have in mind. Skies will be partly cloudy tonight with lows in the mid 60s. more ›

Photo by Andrew Louis/Torontoist more ›

What better way to celebrate the NFL's impending return (later this week) than by running through some old school TV intros? more ›

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We're occasionally accused of being a "hipster" blog by some readers. If talking about unicorns, Harry Potter, and why Alfonso Soriano is way overpaid makes us hipsters, so be it. This next sentence, though, will not help our cause: check out this video from Japanese ukulele duo U900 in which the pair are depicted as a bunny and a bear. Bonus: the song is catchy, too! [via] more ›

Alfonso "The $136 Million Man" Soriano may be shut down for the rest of the season as he revealed yesterday he's going to be undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery very soon. Said Soriano, "I play with my knee on my mind, and I'm scared to get hurt. If we're out [of it], it's better to do the surgery before we go to the Dominican [for the off-season]." Lou says Sam Fuld will play in Soriano's place out in left field. [Tribune] more ›

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Most of us are off to the beach (except Marcus - that hack is chained to the desk for the weekend) so we wish the rest of of you a safe and happy Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the (unofficially) last weekend of summer! more ›

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

If you see something odd today in Lincoln Square - like, say, 20 to 30 moms breastfeeding their babies - don't say you weren't warned. Mother Lauren Trost oragnized the "nurse-in" after another woman threatened to call the police on her for breastfeeding her son in public. CBS 2 has the details. more ›

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Earlier this week, Bruno Pieroni shot us an email about a great time lapse video he had made and, indeed, it's pretty spectacular. The Reader's Whet Moser got inspired and posted several other time lapse videos of our beautiful city that are definitely worth checking out. more ›

So we're already the most stressed city in America and the worst city to drive through on Labor Day weekend. Now IBM has ranked Chicago fourth (tied with Boston) on its "Commuter Pain Index" list. You can check out the full report here [PDF]. We move up from our fifth-place tie with San Francisco last year. Los Angeles is number one, followed by D.C. and Miami. According to IBM's press release, there are 10 factors that go into their list: more ›

Today's weather is a lot like yesterday's. And the day before that. And the day before that. It's been a fantastic week, weather-wise, and it keeps on going with sunny skies and highs in the mid-70s. Best of all, the rest of the holiday weekend looks to be the same. Clear skies and lows in the lower 60s will also make tonight pretty dang pleasant. We'd also like to wish happy birthday to our girl, Beyonce. more ›

"Lift your dress enough to show me those shins, let your hair stick to your forehead." more ›

For five years, one bike rider tracked his movements via GPS as he rode all over Toronto. The resulting map is like an etch-a-sketch of awesome. Now we're waiting for someone to do this with Chicago. Joe M500? Chuck? Anyone? I'd do it, but it would simply track my movements between my house and the ice cream place a few blocks away. [via] more ›

All week long we've been sharing our photos of sites and sights we saw during our recent weekend tour of Southeast Chicago and Northwest Indiana. On Monday, we showed you the Gary, Indiana Public Schools Memorial Auditorium; on Tuesday, scenes from the Marktown Historic District; and yesterday, the cavernous insides of the abandoned City Methodist Church in Gary. We wrap up our series with a collection of miscellaneous shots from our adventures: A shot of the entrance to the "Heartbreaking Park of Staggering Greenness" that is southeast Chicago's Eggers Grove (pictured); the St. Simeon Mirotocivi Serbian Orthodox Church at 3535 E. 114th St.; the mound of salt that will one day end up decimated and dispersed on our city's icy streets; the Chinese restaurant in downtown Gary that had both "Grand Opening" and "For Sale" signs in its window; the Palace Theater across the street; a little bird that was hanging out at the Indiana Dunes; and some signs we spotted along the way. more ›

Wow. Judging by this story appearing on the front page of the Sun-Times' website - pictured right - it seems like we've come a long way from those heady mid-June days when both the Cubs and Sox still had a shot at the post-season. College football kicks off tonight and the NFL follows suit in a week, so we suppose the story makes sense. more ›

This is the most glorious video we've seen all week and it definitely puts us in the mood for the upcoming holiday weekend. It's also further evidence that Jim Henson was either even more of a genius than we ever thought or that he was totally tripping out of his mind during the 70s. Some of those Muppets are WEIRD, man. more ›

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During an interview with Chicago Public Radio, North Kenwood resident Lauren McCadney says she chose to live in the South Side neighborhood because of its parks and affordability - but to shop for groceries or other household items, she has to get in her car and make a “destination trip” to a Dominick’s or Target. McCadney says she spends between $500-$700 a month for groceries, dining out, and trips to Target, money spent outside her community which she believes could ultimately support the business. more ›

Chicago Public School buses got a technology makeover this summer, and they’re ready just in time for school to start next week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.The fleet’s 1,600 buses have been outfitted with remote GPS systems and in-vehicle mobile data terminals, which together will make the buses more efficient and safer—particularly for special-needs students. And, by December, the older buses will be outfitted with cleaner-running technology, thanks to a $1 million Environmental Protection Agency program. more ›

Our stretch of amazing weather continues this week as, just like yesterday, skies are clear and bright with sunshine. Mild temps remain as highs will reach the mid-70s, making it another great day if you're out and about. Lows overnight should fall to the upper 50s and there's a chance of some patchy fog. It also looks like at least the first half of the upcoming holiday weekend will continue the trend of gorgeous weather. more ›

The accolades keep rolling in. Not only are we Forbes' most stressful American city, but now the National Motorists Association have named Chicago as the worst city to drive through on Labor Day weekend. We...don't have much to argue with there. Seems like there are other cities that probably give us a run for the money (L.A., Atlanta) but the NMA has two specific reasons they outline: shady red light cameras and the parking meter fiasco. more ›

As the wildfire continues to burn in L.A., one person caught a timelapse of the large white cloud over the flames - called a pyrocumulous cloud. It provides a brief moment of awe amongst the horror of the fire. more ›

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If the congregation of a church is the heartbeat of a city, City Methodist is Gary's broken heart. Located at 577 Washington St in downtown Gary, Indiana, City Methodist was built in the 1920's to hold a congregation that had grown alongside the newly built City of the Century, with U.S. Steel covering $385,000 of the construction costs. The sanctuary could hold 950 including a choir, although the plot of land it was set on turned out to be smaller than originally thought. As a result, the columns inside the sanctuary are set in close along the pew lines. The building also held a church school, a gymnasium and an auditorium - Seaman Hall - named for the pastor who helped raise the $1 million to pay for the construction. The auditorium was used for musical and dramatic presentations, community meetings, and various social and educational events. more ›

God Bless The Onion. Especially for giving us this pretty brilliant take on parents and social media, which, now that parents are having to pay for kids to study Twitter, is only going to get worse. more ›

"Remember your dreams are your only schemes so keep on pushing." more ›

Turn that Hump Day frown upside down. We've got yet another day of outstanding weather on tap for the area. Abundant sunshine and highs in the mid 70s are in the forecast and that means you should find a way to get outside. It's not that long until winter rolls in and then you'll be longing for these kind of days, so make the most of it. Lows overnight fall into the lower 60s as skies remain fair. more ›

We've talked quite a bit about zombies on the site lately. And fortunately, Youtube user Stevienich05 is a step ahead of us for how to warn the general public in the event of a Zombie attack. This is not a test... more ›

Ever felt like reading a short story on your phone while traversing the city on the El or bus? Given the way so many people make their commutes with their noses in their phones anyway - not to mention the number of services being added to the subway tunnels - it's not at all out of the question. Now you can thanks to CellStories, a new service from Dan Sinker (founding editor of Punk Planet, journalism teacher at Columbia College, and all-around awesome guy). The service sends a new story to your mobile device each day that you can read at your leisure. Sinker sat down with WBEZ to answer a few questions about the new service. more ›

We're not experts on weather, but we can tell you that this past winter was ridonkulously cold (yes, that's the scientific term). Now, the Farmer's Almanac is telling us that our upcoming winter will be dry (yay!) but also "bitterly cold" (boo!). The almanac likes to get all fancy pants and show how it's always spot on, thus already incurring our wrath and it's only early September. We, however, are just going to ignore it. At least until it's too cold to. more ›

We suppose if you can get sued for something you say on Twitter, you can pay thousands of dollars to study it in the classroom. DePaul is joining the social media fray by offering a class on Twitter this fall. Taught by the Trib's digital intern Craig Kanalley, is called, "Digital Editing: From Breaking News to Tweets." According to one report, the class description is: more ›

We reference these movies in our daily lives more than we like to admit. more ›

"Man, November 4, 2008 seems so far away now. Try to set up a little universal health care and everyone goes crazy..." more ›

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Designed by Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1917, East Chicago, Indiana's Marktown Historic District resembles a northern European village, except with smokestacks instead of windmills in the background. Referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by some, and the "Brigadoon of Industrial Housing Complexes" by others, the neighborhood is named after Clayton Mark — a manufacturer of well points who, like many of us, decided one day that he needed his own steel plant to more fully achieve his goals and dreams. So in 1916, he purchased some land and hired on Shaw to design a community for his prospective proles. Shaw was a star of the architecture world: He had worked for William LeBaron Jenny, designed homes for several rich Chicago families, and collaborated with Ralph Cram on the Fourth Presbyterian Church on N. Michigan Ave. The end result was a 40-acre area built in the English Tudor Revival style. more ›

Itching to get your hands on a copy of Rod Blagojevich's new "tell-all" book The Governor? Yeah, neither are we. But, should you want one, they apparently can be had. WBBM's Steve Miller reports that he was able to pick up a copy early and that stores are already selling it. The AP also got a copy and reports on some of things within, such as Blago admitting he wanted to appoint Lisa Madigan to President Obama's vacant Senate seat and says he picked Burris for the spot because of his big ego. Without reading anything in the book, we can also (probably) boil the rest down: he did nothing wrong, he will be vindicated, it was the fault of others. There you go. more ›

It's a Polyphonic Spree kind of day. Abundant sunshine - glorious glorious sunshine - and warmer temps than we've seen the past few days (which weren't bad at all to begin with). Highs should reach the lower 70s under the sun. Lows tonight - under clear skies - will be into the upper 50s. The rest of the week is looking pretty awesome in its own right, a nice, bright start to September. more ›