"Men anpil chay pa lou" translates to "Many Hands Make the Load Lighter," and it's the message illustrating a T-shirt Threadless commissioned from designers Thomas De Santis and Ivan Tarrazo Sanchez. more ›

No, don't. If your pipes have frozen during this long cold snap, please do NOT thaw them with an open flame. The American Red Cross says so, too. more ›

Halloween is more than just an excuse to slut it up; it’s also one of the most important holidays to candy makers. And it seems that sales – especially for Chicago-based confectioners – are up. Crains reported Chicago’s own Tootsie Roll Industries grew its third-quarter earnings, and shares rose 7 percent in October. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. also posted increases, with shares up 14 percent last month. And, Fannie May, now owned by 1-800-Flowers, is... more ›

Hurricanes be damned, the spirit of Mardi Gras is alive and well in New Orleans. This weekend, give it up Chicago style with several fundraising events happening around the city. more ›

chocolate New Orleans” (a vision we wholly support. Hell, Chicagoist sometimes feels like we could stand for some flavor around here). more ›

The mainstream media has moved on to other issues but the effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt by people in the Gulf Coast region. Two upcoming shows will try and ease some of the burden for folks who weren’t lucky enough to hit it big at the slots. (Seriously, CNN: was “flooded” really the best verb for the job in that second graf?) The stylish and hip folks at Pistil Magazine will strut... more ›

Tomorrow night is the opening party for a new exhibit at Rogofugi, "Behind Blythe," a show that details the revival of Blythe dolls by Japan's Cross World Connections. The story is that in 1972 Kenner (remember them?) manufactured Blythe, a doll with eyes that changed when you pulled on a string. But it wasn't popular with kids and was pulled from the market after a year. Since then it's only been known by doll... more ›

Got an extra grand? Want to wear flannel? Want to help others? The perfect solution goes on sale Saturday at 10 am. Pearl Jam is playing a benefit concert at the House of Blues here in Chicago on October 5th to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. All net proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, and the Jazz Foundation of America. The last two charities... more ›

Are you flush with cash and looking to give it to a good cause? If for some reason you haven’t yet donated money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, allow us to make it easier for you as you make your weekend plans whether you're eating, going to a show or just knocking around town. We have yet to hear anything about the free Twista benefit show at House of Blues on September 19th featuring Da... more ›

Sherry Craigie-Curtis relocated to Decatur last week because HurTrina threatened her house in suburban New Orleans. Unfortunately during the hustle and bustle to get out she didn't ">think to grab her wedding ring. On Tuesday Craigie-Curtis mentioned this during an interview that ran that night on Decatur's own WAND-TV. On Wednesday morning someone called the Mid-Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross citing the interview and asking for details about the ring (and for Craigie-Curtis'... more ›

While the recent Band Aid 20 single did little more than make most Americans say “Wait…Bob Geldof’s still alive?”, music is often the best way to people's hearts, minds and--most importantly: wallets. As private donations to various relief efforts in this country have topped more than $200 million, several local music venues have started efforts to assist those in need. HotHouse in the South Loop leads the pack with a pair of benefit shows. No... more ›

Tomorrow during every newscast between 5AM and 11PM, every radio and television station in Chicago will be encouraging their audiences to call 1-866-278-8354 to pledge money to the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. Every half hour or hour anchors and DJs will be providing updates and reminders to call. (But don't call now because the number's not active til tomorrow morning.) If this weren't for such a good cause it might seem annoying but... more ›