This seems like a no-brainer for today, especially given the film from which this clip comes. Last night at Jewel, as Chicagoist staff members made a last-minute candy run (for ourselves; screw the kids), Christmas decorations were up in the next aisle over.
After that brief warm-up at the end of the week, a chill is in the air once again as we head into the heart of fall. But with the chill's return also comes the return of that happy little guy we call "The Sun." He'll be well known this morning but clouds could increase as the days goes on and highs will struggle to reach the upper 40s with gusty winds making it feel even cooler. Tonight, lows will drop to the mid 30s so be sure to bundle up, especially if you're going partying dressed as a slutty "_________."
The Ricketts family was formally introduced today as new owners of the Chicago Cubs and Tom Ricketts began the new era with a bold proclamation: "We’re going to win the World Series." Cubs fans in our office (which is actually just me) are hopeful maybe even a change of ownership can get something going, but we're not holding our breath.
According to CBS 2, anyway. Some uplifting news to end our work-week with.
We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist.
Before you start downing candy corn and head out to all your Halloween destinations this weekend, remember that Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. this Sunday, the beloved "fall back" where we gain back an hour (of sleeping off hangovers). Throughout its history, it's faced opposition, as detailed below.
Happy Halloween! Have you been wondering how your favorite politicians, Chicagoist editors and, um, Richard Marxes are going to dress this year? Eyewitness News Chicagoist has the scoop!
It's a slow day around the Chicagoist Office and the weather has us down. So a few of the braver souls decided to dig up some old Halloween costumes from childhood and share them with the world. Behold the glory of it all.
Halloween is tomorrow which means there's lots of pumpkins all carved up. Last week, we asked to see your pumpkins and many of you were kind enough to oblige. Enjoy!
Have you seen these signs around town? We did, too. Apparently, so did some of our readers who asked us if we knew about the signs. A few Google searches didn't make it obvious. But then we stumbled across this and we're pretty sure these signs are part of HTC's YOU campaign.
We talked earlier this week about candy screening being offered locally, but that scratches the surface of Halloween safety. Officer John from Carol Stream has some tips below and, after the jump, so does the staff of Pawnee, Indiana's Department of Parks and Recreation. Neither, though, warns of us the dangers of werewolves.
We're waking up to a whole lot of wet today as the soaking rain from overnight moves out, leaving us with a flood advisory. We'll see a break in the rain this morning and then, around lunch, we could see more showers move through. If anything, at least it'll be warmer with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s, though hang on to your umbrellas and hats as we can expect some gusty winds, too. The windy conditions will continue with us into the night, when we'll see lows drop to around 40 as cooler air returns. But enough about that, you've got a Halloween costume to plan. Right?
We're in the full throes of Fall and Halloween is this weekend which means pumpkins are everywhere. And some animals at Brookfield Zoo were the recipients of a special Halloween treat.
It's Michael Jackson versus Mr. Bean in an odd, yet compelling, stop-motion dance-off.
As the city prepares for Halloween on Saturday, there's one thing that almost everyone agrees is scary - clowns. But what do clowns around town feel about their lot in life? We spoke with a few to find out - All this week, learn more about our city's collection of mirth-spreaders and balloon-twisters. Monday: Twinkles Tuesday: Tricky Wednesday: Dimples
We love our pets here at Chicagoist and so we're excited that the Great American Pet Expo is coming to Navy Pier November 14th and 15th. The Expo will feature demonstrations and presentations on products and services for pet owners including: Pet foods and treats, beds, art, pet photographers, leashes for Fido and Fluffy, coats for your dog, etc. We may have heard some rumors about pet dancing. Yes. We saw that episode of King of the Hill, too.
The good folks at Gapers Block tipped us off to an organization called Chicago Shares that found a creative way for us to help a homeless person on the street without hesitating or stopping to reach in our pockets. Chicago Shares sells vouchers in $1.00 increments which are redeemable for food and personal care items by area merchants. You can purchase a book of 5 vouchers for $5.00 by mail, or at participating locations.
If there's one nice thing we can say about today, it's that at least it's going to be a bit warmer than the last few. Highs will reach the mid-60s under cloudy skies for a day that's pretty meh. But the real fun begins later tonight when rain moves in. While we don't expect to have as big a flooding threat as they will down-state (and even further south), get ready for plenty of rain and wind from late tonight all the way through tomorrow. But, there's no need for the umbrella quite yet, so hang tight; today is the proverbial "calm before the storm."
Our pals at Not Qualified To Comment have an interesting take on the recent comments by former Cub Kerry Wood alleging racists comments from Cubs fans. After seeing the reaction - including, admittedly, our own - to Milton Bradley's accusations this year, it's certainly something to give some thought to.
Every Halloween we’re treated to warnings from media, police and elected officials about “suspicious” candy handed out by nefarious adults. If you’re not afraid to ask strangers for candy yet, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to more than 30 years of perpetuated myths about poisoning. The Tribune reports the DuPage County Police department will assuage public fears this year by using its high tech crime lab facilities to test suspicious candy local residents drop off. [Ed's Note: No word if this extends to religious literature, like that a neighbor used to hand out to us instead of candy. Jerkstore... - M.G.]
As the city prepares for Halloween on Saturday, there's one thing that almost everyone agrees is scary - clowns. But what do clowns around town feel about their lot in life? We spoke with a few to find out - All this week, learn more about our city's collection of mirth-spreaders and balloon-twisters. Monday: Twinkles Tuesday: Tricky Today:
It's been a lousy weather week so far but it's about to get a little bit better. It's a dark and cloudy start right now, but don't you worry, sunshine, things are a-gonna clear up. Throughout the day, the clouds will break and give way to a large, yellow orb that produces light. We hear it's called, "The Sun," and it terrifies us. Sometimes it warms us, though just a little bit today as highs will reach the upper 50s. Tonight, clear skies will be in order and lows fall to the upper 40s.
Today, we're going old school for the diversion. And by "old school," we mean "back to 1929 which is when this cartoon, The Skeleton Dance, was released as part of Disney's "Silly Symphony" series. It's a classic (voted among the top 25 animated shorts of all time) and a great go-to for Halloween week.
Is it okay to pray for the success of a sports team? Or is that just getting God mixed up with Santa Claus? The Daily Herald talked to several local religious leaders and the answers vary. But our favorite quote from the entire story has to be from minister Gregory Barrette: "The idea that God takes sides in a sports contest or any other contest (for) that matter is an absurd misuse of that power. Praying that one person wins and another one loses is not prayer, it's voodoo." [via]
As the city moves on from the 2016 Olympic loss, one group of citizens is hoping that as the Olympic dream fades, the attention focused on their neighborhood doesn't. Residents of Washington Park found themselves in the spotlight as Chicago's plans for the 2016 Olympics put them squarely in the middle of it all as the proposed location for the main Olympic Stadium. Residents now hope the neighborhood can stay in the spotlight even as the Olympic plans are tossed on the scrap pile.
As we close in on this Saturday's Fall Back, ending Daylight Savings Time, we're reminded of how rude it is to wake up when it's dark out. Not that it matters because we're closing in on that part of winter when we only have something like four hours of light a day anyway. Skies will be mostly cloudy today with a slight chance of showers, though those chances increase as the day continues, especially into the late afternoon hours; highs will be in the upper 50s. There's a better chance of rain tonight, when the lows will be around 50. To our friends at Phillyist, may we wish you and your city a happy birthday on this, the 327th anniversary of the city's founding.
Man puts on giant bat costume. Man runs about town in said costume. Hilarity ensues. [via]
As the city prepares for Halloween on Saturday, there's one thing that almost everyone agrees is scary - clowns. But what do clowns around town feel about their lot in life? We spoke with a few to find out - All this week, learn more about our city's collection of mirth-spreaders and balloon-twisters. First up:
If you thought Obama's receiving this year's Nobel Peace Prize was jumping the gun, get ready for more looking ahead. The University of Chicago is already taking the first steps to try to secure the eventual Obama Presidential Library. Bloomberg reports that U of C officials have already asked the White House about plans but have been rebuffed with the reasoning being, "too soon." University of Chicago president Robert J. Zimmer told Bloomberg, “We are trying to understand the situation as best we can now. Until the president really wants to talk about it, has some kind of direction that he’s thinking about, we really feel more specific questions are premature.” Meanwhile, U of C spokesman Steven Kloehn said, “I know of no contacts on that topic."
This morning, the folks at Copyranter posted some ads for the Chicago Tribune created by Canadian-based ad agency Juniper Park. We clicked around and found a complete set over at Ads of the World. The ads are pretty eye-catching, even if the copy on a few of the ads is a bit clunky, and stress the Trib's investigative reporting. [While the Trib always does good investigative reporting work - being at the center of last winter's Blago affair helped - we can't help but think that the city's best investigative reporting this year has actually been done by Mick Dumke and Ben Joravsky over at The Reader.] We spoke with a rep at Juniper Park who confirmed the ads had run (we're still awaiting PR info pertaining to the markets where the ads are running and we place an email to the Tribune).
Yesterday's mix of clouds and sun deteriorated into an unpleasant steady, cold rain last night, returning us back to the ugliness that we've been dealing with much of the fall (if not much of the year). Lo, to have the mighty Sun back again, to shine on our faces and warm our cheeks before we descend into winter's cold, frigid grasp. And for Bears fans, a gloomy day is even gloomier. Highs will reach the upper 50s today and there's a 50 percent chance of showers. As we head into the evening hours, the chance of rain remains while lows will fall to the upper 40s. The only solace we can find at so early an hour is that today is the 63rd birthday of one Mr. Pat Sajak. Give that wheel an extra spin for us tonight, Pat.
Ah, the early 80s. When the rock band KISS hadn't been reduced to a parody of itself and actually managed to create a ruckus amongst religious groups who insisted the band were inspiring teens to worship Satan. Good times.
Second verse, same as the first. It'll be another day of cloudy skies with a chance of showers. Of course, we saw the clouds break and the sun shine yesterday afternoon, so who knows? Maybe we'll get a little sun again? Highs should inch up to near 60 today and will drop back into the 50s tonight as we remain under cloudy skies with, yes, a chance of showers. And it looks like more of the same as we head into the work week.
Even though he doesn't bust a move himself, watching Mr. Rogers learn about breakdancing reminds us of explaining this kind of thing to our parents. An odd, enjoyable experience, if a little awkward.
It's a typical, gloomy fall Saturday for the first part of the weekend. There are still scattered showers around the area but they'll be clearing up by the afternoon when we'll be left with cool, cloudy conditions. In a word: blergh. Highs around the area probably won't even crack 50 today and tonight lows drop to the lowers 40s under, yes, cloudy skies. Obviously, the Dementors who kept us cool and cloudy this summer have returned.
The White House today released the official portrait of the First Family. The photo was taken on September 1, 2009 by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in the Green Room of the White House. As expected, their family portrait is waaaaaaay better than any of the ones the Chicagoist family has taken at the K-Mart portrait study over the years.
Chicago Magazine's Bryan Smith offers up "Trashed," a compelling look at the case of Michael York. York's body was found in a West Side alley after a weekend of partying that left him dead, apparently from a drug overdose, the body dumped there by York's friends. Smith examines what led up to York's death and what followed.
We've been soaked the last 24 hours and, if there's any good news, it's that the rain will be moving out, slowly but surely, throughout the morning. Behind it will be gray skies and gusty conditions. Winds will be in the 15-25 mph range with gusts of up to 35 mph occasionally. Highs will reach the upper 50s across most of the area. It's just another gloomy day, as the chance of rain lingers into tomorrow. But, for you chemistry nerds, Happy Mole Day!
We'll hand it to the Blackhawks; it may not be a bear hell-bent on destruction, but we get a kick out of this commercial for next week's game against the Minnesota Wild, using Where The Wild Things Are for inspiration.
This...well, we don't know how to describe this video. Technology has enabled one man to record a 14-part harmony version of the Ghostbusters theme song, an amazingly accurate recreation using just vocals. Behold. [via]
Chicago's sports teams seem to have a knack for drafting players with unique talents. Bulls rookie James Johnson showed off his YouTube-worthy skill -- break dancing! In this clip posted by Dime Magazine, he shows off his windmill skillz at the 2009 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot. He's not the only local rookie to grace YouTube for his off the field antics. Bears rookie Jerron Gilbert has made a bigger name for himself on account of his leaping ability than his play on the field thus far.
He hasn't even played a game yet at his new school and already Marcus Jordan, son of Michael, is grabbing headlines. If Marcus is flying high in Nikes like his father any time soon, it might be at a big cost to his school - the University of Central Florida - who has with a deal with one of the shoemaker's biggest competitors. UCF seems to have painted itself in a corner by promising Jordan he could don his father's line of sneakers while at the same time having an exclusive deal with Adidas (valued at around $2 million) that dictates all players, coach, and staff wear Adidas equipment and apparel, a pretty common-place deal among college athletic programs these days. And, as we know, Nike has a firm grasp on the rights to all things Jordan.
Dark. Damp. Dank. Dreary. Dismal. The 5 D's. That's what today is. Cloudy skies and plenty of rain to go around. And it might be around for a while. Temps will ever so slowly fall throughout the day, reaching 50 by late this afternoon, with the rain continuing overnight and lows in the upper 40s. Frisky west winds will hit 15 mph at time.
One of the things we love most about Halloween is carving pumpkins and the creative ways our friends and readers decide to carve theirs. So we'd like to ask you to share your pumpkin carvings with us. Between now and next Thursday, October 30, if you get your carvin' on, take a photo and share them with us, either in our Flickr pool, or simply tag them with "Chicagoist Pumpkin" in Flickr. We'll flip through the submissions and post our favorites next Friday, October 30. Now get carving!
Those crazy kids of Improv Everywhere are back at, this time bringing the joy of song to a random grocery store. According to the group:
In case you didn't know that the Lincoln Park Zoo' has a wishlist, they do - and among other things they need, they're respectfully requesting the funds to purchase some nest boxes to help their red pandas get it on in private. When that information crossed the desk of the Windy Citizen, editor Brad Flora and others jumped in and created the Lincoln Park Red Panda Sex Fund.
If you want photos you take to be considered for this (or any other) post, or just feel like sharing them with fellow readers, feel free to contribute them to our Flickr Pool.
Today could be the warmest we've had in weeks as highs may crack 70 for the first time all month. There's scattered rain across northern Illinois this morning but most of that should move on by mid-day and skies should become partly sunny. Enjoy the warmer weather because a cold front moves through tomorrow bringing back the chillier weather and some rain. If there's any good news, it seems an El Nino winter may be in effect this year, meaning a warmer and drier than usual winter, running counter to what we heard earlier this year. One can only hope. And for all you Devil in the White City buffs out there, today is the anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition's opening ceremonies, which happened in 1892, though construction delays prevented the fair from opening until the following year.
After yesterday's flashback to 1984, we jumped even further in the wayback machine for today's diversion, when a random search for Chicago videos unearthed this clip from a 1930's movie titled From Tress to Tribunes, profiling members of the Chicago Tribune cartoon staff.
This, my friends, is a very important week for LGBT folk. And no, it has nothing to do with National School Bus Safety Week, Open Access Week or Canada's (very important) National Infection Control Week also slated for this week. This, instead, is a week dedicated to you non-gay friends of the very same "gay magic" Tina Fey described last week on Letterman.
It was just a few weeks ago that we mourned the closing of famed local amusement park Kiddieland. And now, the rides aren't even cold but they're being torn down and auctioned off, giving you a chance to buy your favorite ride. Why? Because the would-be buyer who wanted to buy the park as a whole and relocate it to Utica, IL defaulted. So now you'll have a chance to own a piece of the park as they dismantle it. Five of the park's rides and train have been sold to other amusement parks but there will still be 20 rides - including the carousel and Roto Whip - to choose from come the auction on November 24.
Our friends at Windy Citizen tipped us off to a letter written by 'Anonymous', a 17-year old girl according to Salon.com who is a senior at Fenger High School near Agape Community Center where fellow student Derrion Albert was beaten to death.
Overcast skies welcome us this morning, the sunshine of yesterday now hidden behind a layer of gray. Still, there's the benefit of warmer temps, with highs in the mid 60s. Mostly cloudy skies remain with us in to the overnight hours, when the slightest chance of rain after midnight will accompany lows in the mid-to-lower 50s and light southwest winds. It was also 206 years ago today that the Louisiana Purchase was ratified. Hooray for America!
Check out this pretty fantastic look from Opening Day 1984 (airing on - we think - the old show Eye on Chicago) at the two very different crowds that frequented the Cubby Bear at the time, a time when Cubs games were always during the day, the punks came out at night, and no one had yet to utter the phrase "Dave Matthews Band."
Welcome back to the series, adventurers. Our apologies for the delay! How the heck did we get the mother of all colds so early in the season? In Part I of our series, we learned about geocaching. Part II covered how geocaching can help you learn about the city. In this part, we'll cover what you need to get started.
Former Chicago Bull rebounder and trouble-maker Dennis Rodman is in trouble after being alleged of inappropriate touching at a Miami Beach nightclub. According to the Tribune, a woman has alleged that Rodman approached her at the club and "then put his hand between her legs and grabbed her crotch area." Rodman has denied the allegation and his agent, Darren Prince, said, "He thinks it's probably just another woman trying to get money out of him." Police have surveillance footage that shows Rodman and the woman had talked but no word if the alleged grab is also on the tape. [h/t NQTC]
After a chilly first half of October, we'll finally see temperatures around normal levels today as highs will reach the mid-to-upper 60s under sunny skies. It'll be pleasant, but it'll also be windy as we'll see winds of 15-to-20 mph during the day. Tonight, some clouds roll in and lows will be in the lower 50s. It's a welcome break from what - according to Skilling - has been the coldest start to October in 133 years. Later in the week, we could see some hefty rain from the remnants of Hurricane Rick, due to make landfall along Baja California.
Football not your thing? While everyone gets ready for tonight's Bears game, take a step back in time with Disco Fantasy.
Chicago dedicated a bronze bust in honor of a man once thought of as the founder of Chicago on Saturday, according to Chicago Breaking News. Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable was a Haitian fur trapper and the "first non-indigenous settler to the Chicago area," the report said. He was named founder of the city by the state of Illinois in 1968. The bust, which was donated by members of the city's Haitian-American community, is located on the east side of Michigan Avenue, north of the Chicago River.
Earlier this week, we mentioned the current U.S. bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Yesterday, the bid committee announced a new push for cities to show their support for their role in the bid, including Soldier Field. As of this afternoon, Chicago had around 4,500; Seattle is the overall leader with over 13,000 supporters signed up and surprise Atlanta (~11,000) coming in second.
We were all enraptured by the adventure of Timmy O'Toole David Freeman Falcon Henne aka Balloon Boy. We've seen the video of the balloon, Falcon blowing his parents' cover, and then blowing chunks, all on national television. Finally, we have the last piece of the saga: the balloon take-off. This story just gets even more surreal. And don't even get us started on the Wife Swap thing.
The forecast says clouds. Our eyes say sun. In the long run, it'll probably be something in between. So let's just say a mix of clouds and sun! As we cross mid-day the chance of rain decreases. In fact, by late afternoon, it may just be more sun than clouds. Highs will only reach the mid 40s and tonight, as skies become partly cloudy, the mercury will sink to the low 30s.
Need something to cheer you up on this gloomy Friday? How about some fellow Chicagoans dancing to some James Brown? It's thanks to the group Dance NOW Chicago who has this idea:
We were perusing some pretty pictures on Flickr when we stumbled across this collection by Quinn Dombrowski. The photos are of some of the creative graffiti that's been posted at the Joseph Regenstein Library on the campus of the University of Chicago. We talked with Dombroski who informed us of plans for a book based on the intellectual scribblings.
We're not usually ones to shill for a corporation like Disney but, damn, this is an awesome video. [h/t our pal JOE M500]
A damp chill continues its hold on the area. Scattered light rain will continue over the area through mid-day. Highs will struggle to reach the mid-40s, remaining well below normal temps this time of year. Lows tonight will drop to around 40 but some brisk winds will add to the chill. It's a yucky start to the weekend, but Skilling insists some milder air is awaiting us on the other side of Sunday. And if you're in the mood for celebrating, get down for World Food Day.
Have you ever found yourself desperate to get that last-second present for someone but can't find it in any of the stores? Or maybe you're just impatient? Amazon's here to help. The mega-online-retailer has already rolled out a same-day delivery option for several cities, including NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia, and will soon be bringing the same option to Chicago. It won't be cheap: Amazon Prime members will be charged $5.99 while non-members will have to shell out even more cash for the convenience.
Let this be a lesson to you, folks: sometimes it's okay to pass on that next beer. Here is Exhibit A as to why.
It seems one North Carolina church is Hell-bent on letting us know which professional athletes are getting into Heaven and which aren't. The Amazing Grace Baptist Church has a great list of Ungodly Athletes. Among them? The Bulls' Joakim Noah. According to the heathens over at Deadspin, the church had this to say about Noah: "Has long hair, which is disobedient to the Word of God." Ah. The Church has been in the news lately for their planned book burning which looks like it'll condemn every single book that's not the King James Version of the Bible. No, we're not kidding. Unfortunately, thanks to all the publicity, the church's site has been cast into the fiery inferno of Interwbez Purgatory so we can't see what other Chicago athletes are doomed, but we're guessing a certain legend's gambling issues probably ensured his damnation no matter how many rings he won. In the meantime, we'll be here praying for Joakim to get a haircut.
In this day and age of replica retro and manufactured memories, it's easy to lose sight of true nostalgia, surrounding ourselves instead with disposable memories and instant gratification. Which is why, when, a true gem from the past finds it's way to us, we're confronted with a real look at our past. One such event happened to John Maloof, who came across Vivian Maier's photography at an estate sale, and knew he had to share this unknown photographer's talents.
Now that we're past the Chicago 2016 failure, attention can now turn to the next major sporting event bid: the World Cup. While the U.S. men's national team has secured its spot in South Africa for next summer's World Cup (woo! CONCACAF Hexagonal Champs!) and Rio prepares to host the 2014 World Cup as a tune-up for the 2016 Olympics, bidding is underway for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments. And, of course, the U.S. has thrown its hat in the ring for both. The U.S. joins a bevy of countries competing for 2018 and 2022 including England, Russia, and Australia.
Back in February, kids everywhere were deprived of the opportunity to play with Sasha and Malia Obama dolls after Michelle complained that Ty was using her daughters for marketing purposes. Then in May, kids everywhere were appeased by the introduction of a First Puppy Bo Beanie Baby. Now, coming soon, a Michelle Obama action figure.
Another dark, damp, dank, dreary day for Chicago. Off and on rain showers coupled with highs in the mid 40s will give us an unseasonable chill for mid-October. If there's any glimmer of hope, it's that by Monday we could crack 70 degrees once more. Still, those warmer summer days are a distant memory far too soon. We dig the autumn, but were hoping for a gentler transition. Tonight, the chance of rain continues with lows in the lower 40s. Also, with the fears over the spread of H1N1, perhaps it's best to point out that today is Global Handwashing Day. Good hygiene, folks. That's the key.
The old school pro wrestling fans among the staff - there are several of us - were sad to learn of the passing of Captain Lou Albano. To celebrate his life, we decided to look back at some of our favorite Capt. Lou moments.
Ford Motor Company released sales data that showed which cities preferred which colors when buying cars. And according to Ford's stats, Chicago ranked as a top five market for black and brown cars. Results also show Chicago as a top five market for six cylinder engines. For the record, the Chicagoist company car looks like this.
The tumultuous first year for President Obama continues: G-20, health care, Chicago 2016's flop, the war in Afghanistan, and criticism for an award he didn't even ask for (Karl has more on that in a bit). We can imagine Obama has probably asked himself on more than one occasion recently, "Why did I want this job again?" [All photos via the White House Flickr stream]
It's one of those mornings when it's really, really tough to get out of bed. It's dark, there's rain here and there, and it's cold. What better place to stay than under the covers? Alas, there's work to do, so here we are. The chance of rain today is best through around 1 p.m., but it'll be cloudy all day and highs will only reach the upper 40s, keeping our streak of unseasonably cool days intact. Tonight, lows drop into the lower 40s and the chance of rain returns after midnight.
Add another heartbreak to the list for Kanye. First his tour with Lady Gaga gets canceled and now? His clothing line follows suit. Photos of his fashion line, Pastelle, hit the interwebz yesterday, but already, it seems, it's defunct. Not to be deterred, Kanye plans to try again with another line under his own name.
Tankboy has the same reaction. [via]
Chicago Marathon officials are blaming a malfunctioning antenna for the inadvertent disqualification of several runners' times from Sunday's race. The antenna was connected to the mat located at the 15 km (9.3 mile) checkpoint, one of 11 on the course. Runners are required to register times at the checkpoints so as to weed out those who might be tempted to literally cut corners on the course; two or more misses will DQ you. Around 4,000 of the 35,000 participants didn't have a time recorded at the 15 km mat; 56 runners have had their times reinstated stemming from the malfunction. If you believe your result was unfairly disqualified, you can contact the Chicago Marathon folks at their website, via email - office(at)chicagomarathon.com, or via phone at 312-904-9800.
Wondering what to get that obsessed Elvis fan for Christmas? If you have deep pockets, you may want to check out the auction being held this Sunday by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Over 200 items - from photos to autographs to sweat-stained clothes - will be auctioned off. The headline item, though, seems to be a clump of Elvis' hair. There's no projection for how much the hair will go for, but a few years back a similar clump sold for $115,000. We're betting Blago really wishes he had that kind of money right about now. Check out all the items being auctioned. Many of the items come from "Gary Pepper Collection of Elvis Presley Memorabilia"; Pepper ran an Elvis fan club and eventually befriended Presley. [AP, Tribune]
We were going to complain about our morning commute, but then we saw what happened to ABC 7's Judy Hsu and decided we actually had it pretty good. A pregnant Hsu was driving to the hospital when she actually wound up giving birth in the front seat of her car along the Eisenhower Expressway. Not much else is known but according to ABC 7's Facebook status (no, really), both Hsu and her new son, Alexander James, are doing just fine.
The one thing we've never liked about Tuesday is that it so often feels like a repeat of Monday. In fact, there's not much to like about Tuesday at all. Well, except for the weather which, today, will be alright. Highs will be up around 50 and skies will be partly sunny all day. Clouds move in again tonight while lows drop into the lower 40s and the chance of rain increases after midnight. And on this day 26 years ago, the first cell phone network was launched right here in Chicago by Ameritech Mobile Communications (later called AT&T).
We're not even sure what to make of this video other than that we're about to replicate in the Chicagoist Office break room at our afternoon tea gathering.
Has White House swearing increased? Politico looks at whether the current administration is more profane or reporters are just more accurate - and more complete - with their quotes and general coverage.
The Pew Charitable Trusts thinks so, according to a new study. The study shows that Chicago's not alone either, showing 10 major cities that are in a similar boat. [WBEZ]
Check out this unique bird's eye view of 2009 Chicago Marathon runners at the 4.5 mile mark.
Today's weather doesn't care that it's Columbus Day and that some of you have the day off. It doesn't care that the kids are home. And it doesn't care that so many of us still have to trudge into the office. Today's weather is going to be meh and we're just going to have to either follow suit or do our best to fight it. It is Monday, after all. There won't be any snow as had previously been predicted; highs will soar to around 50 degrees today. But clouds will hang overhead for most of the day not helping our mood. What will help is that clouds should break sometime later this evening and overnight, paving the way for a much sunnier Tuesday...before the chance of rain rolls in later in the week. Lows tonight will be around 40.
When we were teens, we used to make home-made videos. Nothing was as awesome as what these kids did.
It was a chilly start to the runners of this year's Chicago Marathon, a far cry from the heat that marred the race two years ago. The unseasonably cool air that's been with us will remain in place and is even a little cooler today; highs won't top 50, reaching only the upper 40s. Skies, however, will be sunny so that might help you feel a bit warmer as you get out and about. Clouds move in later in the day and into the overnight hours and there's even a chance of a shower here or there after midnight. Lows should fall to around 40.
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You might know him as "U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley," Democratic Congressional representative from the state of Illinois' fifth District. But to us, he is "Mr. Quiggles," a kind, uncontroversial man who says things such as, "Oh Mrs. Perry, these crumpets are delightful — and your cranberry jam is extraordinary!" Mr. Quiggles spends his days riding "the trolley" to and from his job as a political science professor (some of his students and colleagues are mice and squirrels), making phone calls on a big beige rotary phone, lunching on tuna fish sandwiches and tea in remote department store cafeterias, and, upon returning home at night, playing backgammon or checkers with his talking terrier, Lemons. Sometimes he solves mysteries involving misplaced items, like that time when he found Mrs. Winters' lost spectacles (they were in the umbrella caddy — heavens!).
Today is the final day in the Red Cross of Greater Chicago's "footprints" fundraising campaign. The Red Cross is working with Chicago Marathon presenting sponsor Bank of America on the campaign in which donors can design digital "footprints" that will run on the Marathon's main website. bank of America will donate $1 to a charity of each donors choosing.
In White Sox lore there are more than a few colorful characters: the Black Sox; Bill Veeck; Dick Allen; Minnie Minoso, the "Winning Ugly" Sox;Poppy Hidalgo, the 31-year-old batboy. Nothing short of massive drinking will prepare you for this.
Marcus is taking another well-earned break this week, which means that we've got the fort through the weekend. Like today's word, the weather is nothing more than flashy ornamentation until the predicted rain for tomorrow and Friday. It's partly cloudy now, becoming sunny in the afternoon with a high of 59°.
It's no secret that we at Chicagoist are dog lovers (well, lovers of all animals be it dogs, cats, hamsters, unicorns, etc.). Many of us are dog owners and we've witnessed the loyalty our dogs show to us first-hand. Which is probably why we find ourselves getting a little misty-eyed over this story. If you're a cryer, like Marcus, who cries every time he watches The Land Before Time, keep tissues handy.
We shared photos from the Bulls' practice session yesterday and today we've got a few more shots of the Bulls having fun in London ahead of today's match-up with the Utah Jazz. Bulls star Derrick Rose joined Jazz players Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko (and friends) at this weekend's Chelsea-Liverpool Premiership game. For those interested, the game tips off at 1:30 p.m. Chicago time; it's only being carried on NBA TV but you can follow the action online at NBA.com.
Today won't be nearly as nice as the last two days. Instead of sunny we get clouds and rain. Most of the rain should be in the afternoon, but you know unpredictable weather in Chicago is so expect anything at anytime. The only thing we can say for certain is that there will be no snow today as highs will be in the lower 60s. As we move onto into the overnight hours, clouds and a few scattered showers remain as lows fall into the upper 40s and things turn a bit gusty.
As autumn continues to shove its way into our collective hearts, the Chicagoist Podcast Series takes to the broadcast day to discuss living, loving, and performing around our fair city. This week:
At 3-1, we're guessing Matt Forte is feeling pretty good about the Bears' season thus far. But what does Forte think about dating? Lucky for you, Cosmo found out (number five in the slide show). [via]
He's made sink meat and limoncello, so it's logical the next step for our Food & Drink Editor Chuck Sudo would be to make his own bread. Luckily, this time he didn't just photograph it, we got a whole video.
Local green clothing store Pivot Eco Fashion, which has resided at 1101 W. Fulton Market in the West Loop since opening two years ago, will be shutting down on October 31. The store will host its last in-store event on Wednesday, October 7 with a Lara Miller trunk show from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.; discounts will be in effect until the store's final day. Owner Jessa Brinkmeyer says Pivot will remain active in the local eco-fashion, green business and sustainable design communities through events, online activity and other venues.
Like their hockey counter-parts, Chicago's NBA team is getting their season started with a a little European jaunt. Tomorrow night, the Bulls take on the Utah Jazz in a preseason game at London's O2 Arena. The team is already there and settling for the game tomorrow night, though both Derrick Rose and Tyrus Thomas could sit out, according to coach Vinny del Negro.
So here we are, three days later, and we're still scratching our heads as to what exactly happened. But, puzzled or not, we move on. We know we came close to becoming "Olympicsist" over the last few weeks, but it was an important event for this city, a city we love. The questions surrounding the failed bid will linger and the biggest consequences of that failure won't shake out for a while, possibly until February 2011. The topic will still come up from time to time here on the site, but, for now, we, like the rest of the city, move on. If you feel like accessing any of our previous coverage of the 2016 bid, this can be done via a search of the tags "Chicago 2016" and "Olympics."
Last week, we posted about Patty Henken, a woman who found what was purported to be a treasure map to a stash of $250 gold coins somewhere in Springfield. Her search had turned up empty and now it seems it may have been a prank, albeit one from the afterlife. The note Henken found attached to an antique chair was signed by "Chauncey Wolcott." But it now appears as if Wolcott was nothing more than the creation of a jokester who loved pulling odd pranks. According to the Tribune:
After being hit by a drunk driver several years ago, David Kuhn of DeKalb, a devoted runner, slowly began losing his eyesight. He is now legally blind and needs a guide with him when he runs. When his sighted guide for the Chicago Marathon next weekend had to cancel, Kuhn's plans were derailed, and he told NBC Chicago, "I went into full panic mode."
It may be Monday, but it's a gorgeous fall day outside. The air is crisp, the skies are a clear, deep blue, and the sun still manages to warm you up, not like that stupid January sun that doesn't do much of anything. If we have to go back to the grind of the work week, at least the weather is cooperative. Skies remain sunny and highs reach the mid-60s today. But the clouds thicken as we head into overnight, and there's even a chance of rain which increases as we move into tomorrow. Lows will be in the mid 40s. It's a decent week ahead, but as of now, it looks like this Sunday could see our coolest weather yes this season for the marathon.
Between health care and the failed Chicago 2016 Olympics bid, we knew the honeymoon was probably over for President Obama. Even SNL has turned on Obama as evidenced by last night's opening skit. Politics aside, we couldn't help but chuckle at the Chicago 2016 t-shirt joke.
Oh, Sunday, you never let us down. The day got off to a cool and cloudy start, and there will still be plenty of clouds around, but we'll see a bit of sun as the day progresses. It won't do a whole heck of a lost to boost high temps, though as those will remain int he mid-to-upper 50s. In fact, Skilling Sayz this weekend is the coolest we've had since April (unsurprisingly, the warmest weekend of the year was Lollapalooza). Partly cloudy skies remain overhead as we head into the evening when lows fall to the upper 40s.
T-Pain gives President Obama a hand making his health care proposal sound better.
A sculpture dedicated to the victims of the February 2008 campus shooting was unveiled earlier this week. Created by NIU alumni Bruce Niemi, the piece is made of stainless steel and called, "Remembered." Niemi said of his sculpture, "When I create a work, I try to make it be positive and uplifting. No matter how bad things are, there's always something good that can come out of it. I hope people can walk away with this with a feeling of calmness and piece of mind.'' The cost of the sculpture and its installation - $150,000 - was paid for by a special fund created for such a memorial. [Sun-Times, Northern Star]
It's the morning after the Olympocalypse and the weather reflects the general mood of the city. It's subdued and dreary, chilly and a bit damp. Okay, that doesn't quite match the mood, but it's close. Cloudy skies and scattered showers are the rule of the day with highs in the mid 50s. There's more of the same tonight, with lows around 50, but don't worry, Chicago. The sun will come tomorrow.
Michael Morowitz of the Local Beet tipped us to this commercial for Sunsweet prunes featuring Waukegan's native son, Ray Bradbury.
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For anyone still bummed about Chicago's international "You've got a great personality, though" incident this morning, consider this: We had the games once - and we gave them away. Oh, yes. We first saw it posted on the ChicagoansForRio site (which has been updated in the past few hours, if you haven't visited lately) and checked it out - Chicago had been awarded the 1904 Games and passed them to St. Louis in order to prevent the country's smaller population from splitting the difference between the Games and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The exposition was held to celebrate the centennial of the Purchase, and introduced the world to the ice cream cone.
Nature specials are amazing for many reasons. We just found another one.
Yes, yes today is all about 2016. But what about the weather, especially those of us heading down to Daley Plaza? Well, the rain that plagued us all night has tapered off and we'll see some sun as well this morning. But rain may return in the form of passing showers later. Adding to the fun will be cool temps that won't escape the upper 50s and most likely will be in the low-to-mid 50s across much of the area. In other words, dress warm and be sure to have something to keep you dry just in case if you're going to be at the rally for several hours. A look ahead to the weekend shows cool, cloudy days with a chance of some sun on, appropriately, Sunday.
So the day is almost upon us. In fact, a long day of Olympic activities will kick off not only in Copenhagen, but also Chicago not long after midnight Chicago time. That's when - at around 1:45 a.m. our time - all four cities will have a chance to present their case to the IOC one last time. Every major network in town will carry it live both on television and stream it on their website. The IOC will also stream all the fun via their website. For the three of you still awake and on this site at that hour, I'll be covering it as well right here. Once that's all wrapped up, the voting begins. So how will the voting go down? The Tribune's James Janega is all over that question and breaks it down for us.
We know Chicago sports team have some great intros, but this one, for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks men’s hockey team, is pretty damn good. Yes, we know they use the same music as that classic Bulls' intro, but there's so much more. A hyper-space traveling polar bear hell-bent on universal destruction? Destroying satellites with a hockey stick? "Highway to the Danger Zone?" Blackhawks, the bar has been set. [via]
So sayeth the Wall Street Journal in their recent list of the top cities for college grads to move to. The WSJ sat down six "experts" to tell us where the nation's hot spots will be for college grads as the country climbs out of the recession. The top spot? A tie between Washington D.C. (one expert calls it "the new New York) and Seattle ("a high-tech and lifestyle mecca").
We start off the day with peeks at the sun but it only goes downhill from here. Clouds thicken and the chance of rain increases as the day continues. Highs should reach the lower 60s today but by afternoon there's a good chance of showers and then the real rain kicks in tonight with upwards of an inch of rain possible. Lows tonight will be in the lower 50s as the heavy rain swamps the area. Right now, the forecast is for the rain to taper off by tomorrow morning, but if you're going down to the 2016 rally at the Daley Center, you'll probably still need your rain coat and umbrella.
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Around Town
Around Town
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