Strap yourself in, Chicago: Second City alum Beth Melewski is behind the wheel hosting the brand new Windy City edition of the game show-on-the-go, Cash Cab. A native of Milwaukee, Melewski is one half of the improv duo Dual Exhaust and performs with the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy. Melewski, a resident of Ravenswood, turned off the meter and let us question her about the Chicago edition of the popular game show. more ›

Today we follow up on yesterday's podcast with some timely Four Loko querying. What does one of the biggest craft brew leaders on the scene think of the FDA cracking down on alcoholic beverages? Will it affect brewers trying to make products featuring coffee or tea or chocolate? When was the last time Mr. Craft Beer Brewer had a macrobrew? And finally, three words: "Pond scum beer." more ›

In the first part of our conversation, Calagione and I talk about his take on Chicago as a craft beer community and whether or not the city is unfairly tagged as Old Style Central, how the Brewmaster show came about and whether or not it was one big research trip writeoff for him. more ›

We don't know what it is about Chicago that the Discovery Channel loves so much, but we're not complaining. Both Liar's Club and the Metro have been featured recently on the show Ghost Labs and Dirty Jobs was recently in town as well. Now, part of Chicago is getting the limelight all to itself. The channel will debut a new three-part series tomorrow night called Cook County Jail, which focuses on...well, do we have to spell it out for you? Parts one ("Brains & Brawn") and two ("Gang Ties") air tomorrow night, starting at 8:00 p.m. more ›

This is why we love the Discovery Channel. Behold the site of a water droplet bouncing. [via] more ›

If you're a fan of the Discovery Channel, you're in luck because you'll have a few chances to see the Windy City on television. Gapers Block points out that Dirty Jobs (8 pm) will include a glimpse of the West Chicago branch of Sims Recycling Solutions. But there's more. Ghost Lab follows (9 pm) and, just a few weeks after paying a visit to Liar's Club, the crew take on some ghosts that are apparently haunting the Metro. Spooky! more ›

Forensic anthropology students at the University of Indianapolis have exhumed what may or may not be the body of Belle Gunness, a La Porte, Indiana serial killer from the turn of the century. Some say Gunness killed herself in a kerosene-soaked fire that burned down her farmhouse, but others say she staged that and escaped. Now, forensic anthropologists are going to test DNA from the exhumed headless skeleton again saliva from an envelope from a letter Gunness sent one of her eventual victims. Wowsers. more ›

So, over in Carpentersville, a couple of trustees want English to be the official language. That's pretty much it. But we have to say, every time we read about something like this, we just get sort of irritated-borderline-pissed. Frankly, it wouldn't affect us; we speak and write American English. However, there's just something about it that screams "play my game or go home." And that kind of shit we've never stood for. more ›