Now that saving the environment is rad, new campaigns, films, and celebrity endorsed informational websites are popping up all over the place. The latest is Unscrew America, a new campaign to get people to unscrew their regular light bulbs and replace them with LEDs and CFLs. Yes, we know it sounds tedious and blah blah light bulbs, but the interactive website does a nice job of taking a boring but important topic and making it......

We’re usually level-headed about other people’s opinions even if they don’t correlate with ours, and normally hold a live and let live attitude. But then something like this comes along so foam-at-the-mouth-inducing that our fingers tremble with all the rage we must type out. Deerfield high school will continue to offer Angels in America, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, as an “opt-in” book for their Advanced Placement course for graduating seniors. The piece, performed on......

Yesterday's primaries in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island saw John McCain assume the mantle of the Republican presidential nominee, with commanding victories in all but Texas, and Mike Huckabee's announcement that he's withdrawing from the race. "It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be -- and that is a united party," Huckabee told told supporters in......

Raleigh, NC's Bowerbirds have had some heavy expectations to live up to since the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle called the folk-pop trio one of his favorite new bands. Since then, they've brought interesting instrumentation, plaintive male-female vocal harmonies, and varying arrangements to cozy music rooms across America and signed to the freak-folk hotbed Dead Oceans label. Chicagoist caught Bowerbirds last August at Schubas, on tour in support of the critically acclaimed, self-released, Hymns For a......

Maybe he hasn't made Keith Olbermann's nightly list yet, but Sam Zell is quickly cementing his place among the "Worst People in Chicago" as he continues to antagonize Chicagoans since his takeover of the Tribune Co. Not content simply wanting to replace actual news with "profitable" features and celebrity news, Zell is working overtime to squeeze every last nickel out of the Cubs before he sells off the team. This week, he reiterated on CNBC's......

Many would say Chicago tops the list of America’s funniest cities, so it’s fitting that our town created an awards show exclusively to honor Chicago comics. The Second Annual Chicago Comedy Awards, a three-day extravaganza taking place this weekend, sets the stage for local comedians to, well, celebrate themselves. The show is an expansion of last year’s, which included only four awards. This year they’ve dropped the “Most Improved Comedian” award -- er, maybe because......

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a new study about American religiosity yesterday, and the study says the religious landscape of America is "diverse and incredibly fluid." A lot of oeople are changing religious affiliations, and more are choosing no affiliation at all than ever before. The study found that 16.1 percent of adult Americans characterized themselves as "unaffiliated." Illinois's religious composition, compared to that of the nation on the whole (see......

Tickets for the Chicago matches of the Barclays Churchill Cup are on sale now. The tournament is North America's biggest international rugby tournament, and if you recall, the tournament will culminate in Chicago with the final day of competition being played at Toyota Park. Tickets start at $20 and include all three final matches between USA, Canada, England Saxons, Ireland A, Scotland A and Argentina. If you buy your tickets early, you can be entered......

In a race that may be a precursor to the Ohio and Texas Democratic primaries in March, Barack Obama won a decisive victory in Wisconsin last night, leading Hillary Clinton by nearly 20 points. He also won Hawaii, taking over 75 percent of the vote in a state where he had campaigned as a "native son." His victories last night mark his ninth and tenth consecutive primary or caucus wins and put his pledged delegate......

It was pretty much inevitable that discussions about the NIU shooting would turn to gun control. And turn they have. A group of NIU parents are calling for tighter gun control laws, as is Rep Edward Acevedo (D-Chicago). Mayor Daley asked "Why do we love guns in America?," and Neil Steinberg complains that "the prospect of any kind of meaningful gun control in this country is as impossible a dream as perpetual motion." There's a......

In just a few short weeks, Top Chef Chicago will hit the airwaves and we're counting down the days to the March 12 season premiere. In addition to placing the city's restaurant scene at the forefront of the series and the backdrop for the competition, there are three chefs with local ties competing for the title of "Top Chef." Chicago native Dale Talde is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and trained......

Esquire Magazine's "Best Sandwiches in America" article is a must-read, if only for us because it gives us a checklist of places to hunt down the next time we're on vacation (btw, Katz's pastrami on rye is really all that). Although we have to question the inclusion of the McRib sandwich, we have no qualms with seeing Chick-Fil-A make an appearance on the list. Two Chicago staples made the cut. Food lovers across the city......

Last week the English Premier League announced its intention to play some regular season matches abroad. In previous years, international club teams have found financial success by coming to the United States to play some pre- and post-season friendlies with other international powerhouse clubs or local Major League Soccer clubs. The EPL has obviously realized the potential of taking the league to a new level by playing a select few league games in North America......

That Obama, he's a total hipster. First it's Wilco, Cool Kids, and The Changes...now it's Andrew Bird and Dianogah. Despite the slightly weird combination of baroque chamber pop maestro and underground instrumental rock band, we'll take any opportunity to 'rock for Barack.' Also, as an added bonus -- at this event only -- all the folks willing to shell out the minimum $100 donation to gain entry will receive a super ultra-rare insanely limited-edition......

Cancel your dinner plans boys and girls, cuz Dunkin' Donuts is throwing away their microwaves and taking back the night. In an effort to increase costumer satisfaction and continue their Dunkin' Manifest Destiny, the food chain known for their delicious, morning baked books is targeting afternoon and evening crowds with all new flatbread sandwiches and pizzas heated in convection ovens rather than microwaves. Their goal is to even out sales during their 5a.m. to 11......

Breaking news: Mitt Romney has dropped out of the presidential race. “If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention… I forestall the launch of a national campaign, and frankly I would be making it easier for Sen. Clinton or Obama to win... Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror. He's backing McCain, and now the pressure......

Is it possible to be the inevitable presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in America and not have the funds to carry on? That's a question that Hillary Clinton's campaign is facing after she loaned her campaign $5 million. Clinton's staffers are also working without pay, and she loaned her campaign $5 million last month. Shortly after the announcement yesterday, an email went out to her supporters asking for additional funds: Photo via ankylosaur We......

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle closed off registration on Monday after reaching its 30,000 runner capacity. The event, now in its 29th year, is the kickoff to the outdoor running season and is Sunday, March 30; it includes both an 8K run and a 5K fitness walk. According to executive race director Carey Pinkowski, "more than 90% of our participants from the area," so it's a very local race. If you are disappointed that......

While John McCain spent Super Bowl Sunday in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney made his pitch to the most reliably conservative county in Illinois. At a packed rally of several hundred people at the College of DuPage yesterday, he tried to convince voters here that he is the true conservative standard bearer. Romney vowed that as president he would "stand up for the principles of the Republican Party and to live in the house that Ronald Reagan......

Photo by Joe M 500 Were the mother and son who were shot in Gary the victims of a car-jacking--or a domestic dispute? The marathon's official name is now the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Hover bacon. (makes noise) Conrad Black has to report to prison on March 3. The Chicago Defender is going to be a weekly. Don't Clinton and Obama have to be polite to each other at tonight's debate...because one of......

Ugh, Chicago's post office is the worst. No, literally, it's still the worst in America when it comes to in-town deliveries and one-day service. At least we're improving? Mail sent between Chicago ZIP codes arrived the next day 94 percent of the time -- up from 90 percent the first three months of 2007. The Postal Service has added more than 300 new letter carriers, updated its equipment and improved its database since March.......

Media speculation over whether or not Bill will chill has been answered with the announcement of the former president's campaign itinerary. Next stop on the legacy-tarnishing express: Edwardsville, IL. Hillary's more controversial half will be campaigning in the small town near St. Louis tomorrow morning, hosting a "Solutions for America" rally at Southern Illinois University at 7:45 a.m. Yeah, Illinois is supposed to be Obama country, but according to a WBEZ report this morning, the......

Miss Michigan Kristen Haglund from Farmington Hills, Michigan, was crowned the 87th Miss America last night during the live pageant telecast, and First Runner-Up was Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash. Haglund, a musical theatre major at the University of Cincinnati, hopes to raise awareness of eating disorders during her reign as Miss America. She sang “Over the Rainbow” for the talent competition. Rash also sang for her talent, and said her platform was Get on......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. America Unzipped, Brian Alexander's book on the desire of American's to get down and dirty. Busted Tees, where they're in the middle of their winter sale. All shirts, $15! If you're interested in advertising on Chicagoist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.......

After months of spying and accounts of shooting around town, Bravo finally announced the contestants for the next season of "Top Chef" today (you can read the release here). While the lineup of chefs vying to impress Padma and company are largely from the coasts, three of the contestants have Chicago ties: Stephanie Izzard is best known around town as the former chef/owner of Scylla (replaced by the amazing Takashi) in Bucktown. Best known for......

Joseph Pannell was 19 years old when he shot a Chicago police officer in 1969. And then he skipped bail. And skipped bail again in 1974, this time fleeing to Canada, where he changed his name to Douglas Gary Freeman and lived under that identity for almost 40 years. But in 2004, Chicago's cold case squad tracked him down and started extradition proceedings, which Parnell fought....until this week. Now, Pannell says he's ready to come......

Someone apparently reads the site: former Chicagoist staffer Lisa Shames attended Sunday's beer and charcuterie seminar at Custom House and e-mailed us to say that there were at least four people in attendance beside her who found out about the seminar via Chicagoist. We ran into at least that many people last night who said the same. But this isn't about us. It's about the beer and the cured meats. And we can say with......

Photo by SFMoe In case there were any lingering skeptics, this recession thingy is for real. The accelerating recession oddly coincides with the release of Forbes magazine's list of "America's Most Lucrative Neighborhoods," which includes Wicker Park near the top of the list. With a 1,870-percent increase in median home sale price since 1990, Wicker Park's property value appreciation has been faster than just about anywhere in the country. Maybe we can finally stop......

Born on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King would have been 79 this year. In 1984 an act of Congress made the third Monday of this month Martin Luther King Day. With most government offices closed today, there are a plethora of events honoring his memory. The Chicago Park District is holding a series of events dedicated to his legacy. The University of Chicago is hosting panels and speakers all week, with a series of......

Common sense dictated that we should have stayed in Saturday night in the slightly drafty but hospitable environs of our apartment. However, when the fine folks at Unibroue plan a beer dinner, it's usually a great event. What made Saturday night's event stand out was the location of the dinner. Sheffield's in Lakeview would not normally be on our list of places to grab a bite to eat. But owner Rick Hess (who also owns......