Sen. Dick Durbin sent out an email appeal today urging people to celebrate "A Plumpynut Holiday." Our senior sentator wants his constituents to spend $20 this holiday season on Plumpynuts, a "sweetened mixture of peanuts, essential vitamins, minerals and milk served in foil pouches [that] has become a high-nutrient, high-energy weapon in fighting malnutrition." Plumpynuts really are a great way to spend $20. Durbin tells us that the nutritional pouches were developed by researchers in......

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, which means it's time for Merriam-Webster to light the world on fire with their pick for 2007 Word Of The Year. This year's winner is...drumroll please..... W00t? We would have picked l33t talk years and years ago maybe, but this year? If we were going to pick something "techy," it probably would have been LOLCat or cheezburger. And Chicago word of the year would have to be......

Northern Illinois University is closed today after police found racist threats written on a wall in a women's bathroom Saturday night. According to the university's website, Written in black ink on a restroom wall in the Grant Towers D complex were two separate entries claiming that “things will change most hastily” in the final days of the current semester. “Tell those n---ers to go home,” the first entry reads. “ME / OUT … Die......

Because it's never too early in the day for a little bit of food porn. Chicagoist heard from a little birdie that Tim Graham, chef de cuisine at Tru, is serving a fourteen-day aged Kobe ribeye soaked in a marinade of dark sake and soy sauce before grilling. That steak is then served with mashed and corked potatoes. Now we love us some Kobe beef. Next to Piedmontese it's one of our favorites. Right now......

Chicagoist's brother-in-law is a man of many excesses, most of which revolve around pork products. And while we aren't quite the connoisseur that he is, it's no big secret that Chicagoist loves bacon. So what's so great about Milk & Honey's BLT? How about this — everything. The bread is perfectly toasted Italian bread that gives a satisfying crunch while maintaining its inner softness. The bacon is neither a greasy slab of fat nor......

On Tuesday a federal judge approved a $24.8 million deal which allows Pennsylvania-based Snyder's of Hanover to buy Jays Potato chips. The deal brings closure to the local potato chip icon's second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in four years and speculation that a deal with Snyder's would even be allowed because of the bankruptcy filing. As part of the fallout of the deal, Jays' longtime production facility on the far south side closed yesterday, leaving......

Alderman Howard Brookins Jr. of the 21st ward was hit with a lawsuit this week that claims he owes $41,819.18 in back rent for the Loop offices of his law practice. Brookins didn't know about the suit until the Sun-Times contacted him. Sounds like a fun phone call: S-T: Hi, this is a reporter from the Sun-Times. Brookins: [dryly] Grand. S-T: I'm calling about the lawsuit. Brookins: The what? S-T: The lawsuit? That your office......

The Board meeting we went to a few weeks ago was excruciatingly boring, but some parts got cattier than a sorority house during period week. Looks like that was the theme yesterday, too, when things really got ugly at and after the meeting, with Bill Beavers leading the charge. But he wasn't the only one--lots of people got in on the action. Liz Gorman on Tony Peraica: "loser," "pathetic, pathological liar," "abusive weasel," "no man,"......

An investigation is underway in death of 34-year-old Freddie "Latee" Wilson, whom police shot and killed Tuesday night. It's the newly-formed (well, newly named at least) Independent Police Review Authority's first case, so Ilana Rosenzweig and her agency are under a lot of pressure to handle this appropriately--and quickly. Should...be....easy? Wilson's family and friends say he was "getting his life together" after a few stints in prison and was now a role model and mentor......

Londonist got the big scoop of the week with what may be the first images of notorious street artist Banksy in action. They also got on a runaway train without an operator provoking a response from the transport authorities. Elsewhere, London's answer to Central Station is about to open for business, and Londonist got a sneak preview. Meanwhile, spooky goings-on beneath London Bridge, where a cache of skeletons provided an apt story for Hallowe'en.......

Yup, it's Halloween night. And, assuming you're not completely incapacitated from celebrating this holiday for the last week, you're probably blinded by the flurry of options on how to spend tonight. Allow us to make a few suggestions. We talked to Jesse Thorn a couple days ago about his The Sound Of Young America show. Well tonight is the live 8 p.m. taping at Second City's e.t.c. stage. Thorn will be interviewing engineer and Shellac-man......

We'd have thought that seeing the guy lining up next to him on the field each week lose his job would maybe send the message that guns are bad news, but it took seeing a local newscast about the shooting death of 10-year-old Arthur Jones for Harris to decide he needed to do something about the violence. He told the press on Thursday: There are kids who want a way out or want to learn......

Sure, we're all anxious and upset about the supposed cuts to the CTA service. However, there is one bus route we wouldn't mind see being cut. "We're a team that gets off the bus running the football,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday. ''I have it memorized, and that's what we are, period.'' Has he been watching the same offense we we've been watching this year? The only thing separating this team from a 1-6......

Add to the preparations plan for future marathons: Hand out more maps and make sure emergency personnel use them. The AP and Sun-Times are reporting that the ambulance driver carrying Chad Schieber, the runner who suffered cardiac arrest and died that morning, made a bad situation worse. The driver couldn’t find the UIC Medical Center’s emergency room entrance, passed by Stroger Hospital, and took the patient to the nearby West Side VA emergency room where......

Gothamist learned about the craziest urban nightmare come true: A huge python found in the bathroom pipes. It was also a nightmare for some Yankees fans, as manger Joe Torre declined to come back and manage the Bronx Bombers. At least the city's attempt to give some direction to subway riders was interesting, pranksters went shirtless at the Fifth Avenue Abercrombie & Fitch and the I Heart Brooklyn Girls calendars came out. And just......

The November issue of Chicago Magazine is on newstands, and the cover story is, simply put, open for discussion if you're a gourmand. Their list of 124 favorite dishes from restaurants throughout the greater Chicago area includes dishes from restaurants we expected on the list (Alinea's "Pineapple with Bacon Powder", e.g.), entrées we completely agree with (the bone-in filet mignon at David Burke's Primehouse), dishes from restaurants so new that we're surprised they made the......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in......

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own......

A request for a street named in honor of Chicago author Saul Bellow was denied due to controversial remarks and writing by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Bellow's University of Chicago colleague and friend, Richard Stern, made the request to Ald. Toni Preckwinkle. Stern told the Chicago Tribune that Preckwinkle sent him a letter saying she had heard Bellow made racist comments and so would not endorse a memorial to him. Raised in Humboldt Park from......

Issues, shmissues. The real story is that the terrorist madrassa-taught, non-black, freedom-hating Barack Hussein Obama doesn't wear an American-flag lapel pin. We were startled when last night's TV news tag line said, "Why is Obama's patriotism in question? Tonight at 9." Though we have been suckered into watching the news based on these tag lines before, we were again let down when it was all about a pin. Those awe-inspiring pins are a standard among......

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King and appreciated their beautiful skyline. Chicagoist knows what it's like to like the Cubs. But naming your kid Wrigley Fields? At least they can breathe a little easier now that Grossman's out......

Back in 2004, Rachelle and I hatched this beast we now know and love as Chicagoist. But its ways were too wild for me, and I fled to the safety of "traditional media." The longer I was away, though, the louder Chicagoist's song serenaded me, and today I return, emboldened and excited. Anyway, hi. I'm Margaret. And I'm the full-time editor in chief; the beloved and lovely Rachelle will segue into the next phase of......

For all you Chicagoist fans who love to bitch--whether it’s about the CTA, Macy’s, Comments by Guest #2, or a typo right here on Chicagoist--we’ve found a new forum for you: The Complaints Choir of Chicago. Artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen will work with local musician Jeremy Jacobsen to create the first choir of complainers in the Midwest. No singing experience is needed, just a good gripe. The choir will meet during five workshops......

You might have noticed we've switched the default view in our comments section to hide guest comments. You can still see them, but now you need to choose to do so. This is to get folks prepared for a pretty big, and positive, change. In about 4 weeks, we're going to turn off guest commenting altogether, and at that time we'll also be rolling out a bunch of profile and site enhancements that we're very......

It's no big secret here that Chicagoist loves the pets. That's our little lady on a piece of sod on the kitchen table (long story) from last year. Cutetastic, hey? Well, for most people who have lived in any city, it's also no secret that there are a lot of dogs and cats who need some love hanging out in shelters across the city. We can't stand the thought of putting a perfectly good......

Athletes these days just don't have nicknames like they used to — isn't that right, Fred? One of the lame monikers you picked on specifically was Carlos Zambrano's "Big Z." Well, we just happen to have a better one for him. How about we dub him CTRL-Z instead? As any of us who spend time on a computer know, CTRL-Z is the "undo" command. Given Zambrano's propensity to do things for which he must apologize......

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Here’s what you missed while you were sneezing and burning: Guest #18, your comments are hilarious, but how do you fare with a live audience? If you think you’ve got the chops, submit a 1-2 minute video to Time Out Chicago by September 20. Best entries will be screened online for their discerning website visitors. The top four will compete live for the chance to be crowned “Chicago’s Funniest Person.” (... at least according to......

Way to go, Cubs fans! Well, at least those of you at Wrigley Field on Monday. You really upset Carlos Zambrano, your $91 million man, by booing him off the mound in the fifth inning of an 11-3 loss to the Dodgers. He pointed to his head to let the fams know he could hear them. And his postgame press conference, Zambrano let fans know what he thought of their gesture: I don't accept that......

With unseasonable weather descending upon much of North America, schools getting ready to reconvene, and sports seasons getting exciting, it's a busy time of year for us here in the Ist-A-Verse. Luckily, even with all the things we have to do, we still managed to get together to let you know what we've all been up to. After cooling down from a hot weekend of many badass Sunset Junction Street Fair photo dispatches, LAist asked......