Christian Bale, of the Gotham / Chicago-based Batman movie, The Dark Knight, told the Sun-Times he'd be tackling the character of John Connor in the next Terminator movie. Also starring? Common. What the-?!......

We weren’t aware that there were plans to make a fourth Terminator movie, but this is what we learned today: Terminator Salvation: the Future Begins is set to hit theaters in May 2009, and Chicago hip-hopper Common is set to play a character named Barnes, a freedom fighter for the human race. Currently, Common is preoccupied with his eighth album “Invincible Summer,” slated for release in mid-July. [S-T] Meanwhile, enjoy Common’s visual dialog with the......

Photo by Alforque Shake-ups and oustings continue at the Trib. The latest casualty: Tribune Interactive President Tim Landon. [Trib] A missing Chicago 4-year-old was found dead in a relative's home in Milwaukee. [CBS2] A Little Village man faces two counts of murder; one for stabbing a man he says attacked him months ago, and one for accidentally stabbing his brother during the fight. Jesus. [Trib] Former Sun-Times publisher David Radler is suing Donald Trump.......

At the risk of feeding the hype machine, we still have to offer a congratulations to Mr. Kanye West for pulling in some Grammy gold last night. While we still don't buy the Grammys as an accurate barometer of the music industry and what's actually, you know, good in music these days, it's still the industry's main award show so there's something to be said for coming away with multiple trophies. While the night's big......

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......

Common is playing a benefit at House Of Blues tomorrow night (along with OFFICE), and another Chicagoist turned us onto this sweet remix to help us get in the mood.* *Actually, it's more like that clip is making us really lament not getting tickets. Boo to us!......

The biggest cultural stories of 2008 are likely less predictable than this week’s Rose Bowl. Every year we see our share of breakout artists and surprising storefront gems, and 2008 promises to be no different. But 2007 left some unfinished business and we’re eager to see how these stories play out: Stingy in Springfield Blago’s veto of the FY08 State budget reduced Illinois Arts Council funding by 30%. And a trickle-down economics of pain proceeds:......

Reader krs1 rang in '08 at Trinity United Church of Christ with a mass that puts just about every religious service we've ever been to to shame. TUCC, one of the largest black congregations on the South Side and home church for Barack Obama, holds an annual Watch Night service. (Watch Night masses date back to the 1700s, but now they're a tradition at black churches, said to stem from December 31, 1862, when......

The debate over the Chicago Children's Museum plan to relocate to Grant Park has escalated since Monday’s neighborhood meeting at Daley Bicentennial Plaza. There, museum officials introduced plans for a more sunken, environmentally friendly design adjacent to the Plaza. The Museum’s growth has been remarkable. Founded in 1982 in two Chicago Public Library hallways, it’s since moved three times, most recently to Navy Pier in 1995. Twelve years later, they’ve apparently outgrown that tourist magnet.......

As a boater on Lake Michigan, you're entitled to profanity-free air. At least that's what a group of 300 boaters and motorists, who came together to protest on Sunday night, are saying. They're, as the punny Trib puts it "honking mad" about the youth-infecting rap music that's been occurring at Northerly Island for the past two weeks. There were apparently complaints after the show on Aug. 26, which included Wu-Tang, MF Doom and Pharoahe Monch.......

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse. The deaths of two firefighters shook Bostonist this week. Boston's firefighters bent over backwards all week long - first, they fought flames pouring from the Boston Tea Party museum, and then a restaurant fire killed two and injured many more. Their efforts make everything else - like Tom......

Well, it is shaping up to be quite the warm weekend. Any of our lovely readers want to invite us to some type of pool party? We'll bring waterwings shaped like Mayor Daley's face. Someone should really make those. In the event we receive no invitations, we've lined up some other activities certain to help you, and us, take advantage of another weekend. As we mentioned yesterday, Calsfest 2007 is taking place at Cal's Liquors,......

Common has long been one of Chicago's most valuable artistic resources. As trends swept through the hip-hop world, carrying every johnny-come-lately in their wake, Common remained true to his muse. While his early work was solid, containing such standouts as "Used To Love H.E.R.," we feel he really hit his stride during the sweet lilt of breakthrough album Like Water For Chocolate, and we became true fans in the face of the sonic experiments that......

No repartee this week, all business. - We've received e-mails from concerned people and had to check it out for ourselves, and it looks as though Cereality at 110 South Wacker has closed down, only a couple years after Chicagoist (among other media) made a big fuss about its opening. There's even a "For Rent" sign in its front window. This kind of reaffirms our faith in the human race; if people won't pay $4.50......

We have a huge case of the giggles today. It all started when we tried to type “jagoff” and it came out “jagoof” and we could not stop laughing at ourselves for five minutes. Then we decided to be productive and write up this edition of EOYW, which only proved that the Ticketmaster gods were laughing along with us with their offerings for this week’s ticket sales. Come on…sisters who call themselves the only twins......

Today is National Get Over It Day. Chicagoist is going to get over Del Toro closing, a crush on Molto Mario, our dream of moving to France to drink wine all day, the death of wine maker Ernest Gallo and ... we don't have anything to get over regarding the new Grand Mart grocery. We do think it is nice, however, that Guaranty Bank isn't lonely anymore. Wicker Park tapas hotspot Del Toro is closing......

Back in our Chinese New Year post, we recommended that readers check out the recently opened KS Seafood, in the Chinatown Square Plaza. It's located in a small storefront, filled tightly with large banquet tables and seating in every available open space. KS Seafood is one of only two restaurants in the city that specializes in Taiwanese cuisine. Some of you are probably reading this and thinking, "It's all Chinese food. How does Taiwanese cooking......

There were three and a half long hours of the Grammys last night where the performances took top billing to the actual awards. Did anyone actually watch past The Police? Well, we did. Until a little after 10:00 when our eyes just wouldn’t stay open anymore. As we watch the Grammys we try to guess who might win based on which band just performed or if there is some sort of trend with the presenters......

Another Friday, another edition of "Friday Food Buffet." This week, Valentine's Day is around the corner, and the theme of love is in the air, along with fixed price dinners for couples. So sit back, enjoy the cheesecake we left out for you, and have a nice weekend. "It's also a dessert topping and a furniture polish": Green tea may be good for you, but it isn't a "superfood" yet and won't help you make......

Frank Lloyd Wright may have been one of the greatest architects of our time. Let us rephrase, Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the greatest architects of our time. Intrestingly enough however, Frank Lloyd Wright was kind of ... well … how do we say it, kind of an asshole. In 1957 when Wright was 90 years old and putting the finishing touches on his Guggenheim Museum in New York, Mike Wallace invited him to......

Discussions about Black History Month have become as complex as discussions about race. Debating the labels ‘black’ and ‘African-American’ lead to debates about biracial identity and, recently, whether Senator Obama, Joe Biden’s “first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” friend, is actually African-American. In the same vein, Black History Month has increasingly been relabeled African-American Heritage Month and African Heritage Month, terms emphasizing the present and future as......

Daley has been given the Ebenezer award for removing the film The Nativity Story from the list of sponsors of Christkindlmarket market. A local religious group plans to set up a DVD player and TV down there to show the Nativity Story movie trailer. Take that, Daley! No surprise, many Chicago restaurants are still serving foie gras. Not going to be a white Christmas. We're having the longest snow-free spell since 1993. Already? Tank......

We admit it. We’re whores for eBay. Few things are quite as exhilarating as making off with brand new pair of Prada pumps for $95, or a $1,000 darkroom set for $175. With the bountiful deals, however, also comes cutthroat last-minute bidding, and occassionally, agonizing defeat. Some Chicagoans, answering to bosses in Romania, recently played on eBay shoppers’ passion for good deal through an Internet fraud scheme believed to involve more than $5 million in......

The University of Chicago’s Uncommon Application may be about to get a little more common, though it would likely keep its trademark quirky essay questions. In an effort to “increase and diversify” its pool of applicants, U of C may begin using the Common Application that allows a potential undergrad to apply to many schools at once, but fill out only one application. U of C President Robert Zimmer supports the change in an effort......

There's concern that people might not bring their kids to the dentist because of the little girl who died after going to the dentist, so a City Council committee has agreed to provide free dental care to more Chicago Public School students. Cub Foods is selling off all of its Chicago-area stores. October is Chicago Artists Month. MTV2 is airing MyBlock: Chicago on October 9. Local Hip Hop artists like Common, Lupe Fiasco, Twista,......

The fallout from Rep. Mark Foley's resignation from Congress over revelations that he loves the young pageboys has widened to include a number of Illinois politicians. Dick Durbin has been around to wring his hands, although we're sure he'll apologize for it later, and Springfield Rep. John Shimkus, chairman of the House Page Board, is coming off looking rather clueless. But the big local name making the headlines is House Speaker Dennis Hastert, because one......

The FBI opened a new local branch. It's the largest stand-alone FBI field office in the country. Zipcar is expanding in Chicago. They've launched a fleet of 100 vehicles in 14 neighborhoods. More cold and more snow: The prediction for this winter from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Yesterday Dave Cowens left the Chicago Sky and joined the Detroit Pistons coaching staff. Get Out! Comics4Change is performing to benefit the New Orleans' Common Ground Collective......

We like the wacky antics of Jeremy Piven. And, we also like the comfy basics of the Gap. Together? We like them not so much. Piven, along with Common, is one of the new faces of the Gap’s T-shirt campaign. The ads also feature Mia Farrow, Natasha Bedingfield, Pete Wentz and other semi-famed types. Common gets smoldering down pretty well. No complaints there. But, Piven looks like he’s about to molest us. We’re sorry, but......

Still waiting to hear back about those Conan tickets? Yeah, you and 70,999 other people. But NBC has announced guests for some of the four “Late Night” shows to be taped at the Chicago Theatre May 9-12. On Monday, May 9, Sean Hayes, Glen Ellyn native and Illinois State University alum, will be a guest. “Will and Grace” will air its series finale the next week. Dave Chappelle and Common are scheduled to appear on......

Oh, Chicagoist readers: we’re mighty conflicted this morning. On the one hand, we want to tell you about these two amusing video clips posted on the Tribune’s site. Critic Robert Elder gives a brief tour of some famous Chicago movie locations while other Trib staffers re-create—with mixed results—scenes from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We’re wondering where they managed to find a white fringed jacket for “Sloane.” (Confidential to Trib web geeks: It’d be nice if......