Former governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is stretching his 15 minutes of infamy with an appearance on Celebrity Apprentice. Throughout his run, we'll be tracking the dumbest things our former governor spouts on national television. more ›

It's getting really nasty really fast out there, folks so be safe driving/walking/biking/teleporting home. more ›

Even with Northwestern's football team bowl eligible after a big upset win over Iowa, some (more bookish) folks may be looking for a non-football opportunity. Lucky for you, those clever NU students have the answer: Quidditch. Yes, Quidditich: the (until now, apparently) imaginary game from the Harry Potter universe. The Sun-Times spoke with NU student Marc Bourgeois who's in charge of getting the Quidditich team up and running: "We're gathering equipment and organizing meetings and practices and all that. We should start having pickup games in the next two weeks or so." Bourgeois hopes to get NU's team involved with the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association - yes, it's real - to compete against teams from other schools across the country. more ›

There's a new, magical exhibition brewing at the Museum of Science & Industry, and it's sure to please Potter-philes and non-fans alike. Comprised of over 200 costumes and props used in the filming of the movie adaptations, the Harry Potter Exhibition, opening today and running through September 27, gives visitors an up-close look at the fantastical world that hasn't been offered before. Though "exhibition" isn't quite the right word so much as "experience." Beginning with a session with the Sorting Hat (I was sorted into Ravenclaw), the exhibition is laid out in stages, guiding you through the experience of a student attending Hogwarts, the famous wizard school. From the Gryffindor common room, through the Quidditch field, Hagrid's Hut, and even the Forbidden Forest, the exhibition is as thoughtfully laid out and created as the props and costumes themselves. With video screens showing clips from the movies creating atmosphere (and context for non-fans), it's a completely engrossing experience. (The exhibition also features an optional audio tour.) Besides the numerous costumes on display, props on display include the Marauder's Map, the Triwizard Cup, the Sorcerer's Stone, Qudditch equipment, and some of the mystical creatures that populate the Harry Potter universe such as Buckbeak the Hippogriff, Fawkes the phoenix, and even a Dementor. more ›

The global premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition is taking place today at the Museum of Science and Industry, with a sneak peek at what visitors can expect when the exhibit opens April 30. The complete exhibit will be a behind-the-scenes look at the construction and artistry of costumes and props from the Harry Potter films, displayed within set reproductions like the Gryffindor Common Room and the Great Hall. A limited amount of tickets are available for pre-purchase online. more ›

Is the upcoming Terminus too tame for you? Prefer your Harry-Ron fanfic tutoring stories to have a little more "hands-on" action? Lucky for you that Quimby's is hosting "Erotic Harry Potter Night" tomorrow evening, featuring, "short, homoerotic excerpts pairing Harry with Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and other characters." Critically-acclaimed erotica writer Cecilia Tan, appearing under the moniker "Ravenna," headlines the event. Other appearing writers include: Alchemia Dent and Bugland from Chicago, Kabal from Copenhagen, GatewayGirl from Massachusetts, Mijan from Kansas City, and Mechiaeh from Nashville. Attendees will also be able to purchase Erotic Harry Potter: Volume 1. Anyone have a guess on the over/under of stories featuring Dumbledore? As for us, we're holding out until we get a DeGrassi Erotic Fiction Night. more ›

Harry Potter fans from around the world will be converging on the Hilton Chicago Hotel this weekend for Terminus, a five-day conference revolving around all that is "wizard". Attendees can expect “academic presentations and lectures, educational workshops, a Quidditch tournament, a bon voyage ball, and certainly, lively discussion about Harry Potter.” Other planned events: a pre-conference Wrock (wizard rock) concert, featuring over 30 wizarding bands over three stages, and the chance to attend the wedding of two Potter fans. more ›

course, sure to become the blow off class du jour. more ›

Most of us watched the Oscars last night, while others of us found something else to do, but either way, we were happy to see another Chicago-area native bringing home an award. Writer Diablo Cody, author of the excellent year-as-a-stripper memoir, Candy Girl, won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the teen-pregnancy comedy Juno. While it was the only Oscar for the critical darling little-movie-that-could, it's another addition to the growing list of awards both the film and Ms. Cody have racked up so far. Diablo, accepted the award from Indiana Jones and was on the verge of tears during her acceptance speech (see below). Giving props to her fellow nominees and the cast and crew of her film, Ms. Cody seemed genuinely shocked, excited, and overwhelmed by the award and recognition. We wish Ms. Cody luck on her skyrocketing career and can only imagine the heights of cinematic excellence that could be reached if she were given a crack at something like, say, the next Harry Potter movie. We might actually pay to see that. more ›

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has just announced its 2008 / 2009 season. Tickets are already on sale, so here are a few Chicagoist recommendations to keep in mind: more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a... more ›

Here’s what you missed while you were reading Harry Potter… and while Harry Potter got stinking rich: Grab your composition paper and get to work. The Chicago Chamber Musicians are searching for the next great chamber piece by a brilliant composer age 32 or younger. They’ll perform the winning entry at a CCM concert next June. Entries are due December 1, so check out the rules, then find your muse. Thirty years ago, the Sears... more ›

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too – two of them in -Ist cities. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the... more ›

, while we're weekending in Nashville. more ›

We're jetting off this weekend to see some family away from our dear Chicago, but if we were here, this is where you'd find us. more ›

How bad do you need to make money that this is the scheme you come up with? More than 1,000 tubes of illegal toothpaste, including some that is potentially poisonous, were found and confiscated during a two-week investigation of more than 248 retail outlets and 22 wholesale distributors in Chicago. Oh, hell no -- The City of Chicago is fighting back against a plan that allows an oil refinery in Whiting, Ind., to dump... more ›

Ever wanted to be in the movies? Well here’s your chance. Fresh Films, a national filmmaking project for teens, is holding a casting call this Sunday for a short film. Needed are males and females in their early twenties; a total of five roles are up for grabs. More info here but it says that previous experience is not required. A casting director as well as the teen filmmakers themselves will be present. The completed films will be judged by a jury of professionals, including industry heavyweights such as actor John Lithgow and Katherine Brooks of MTV’s “The Real World.” The experimental short film being made here in Chicago is described as a comedy about Lucifer’s son. more ›

Q: Where in Chicago can Daley’s Addiction share the table with a Lakeview Barhopper? A: Bobtail Ice Cream on Southport! Bobtail Ice Cream offers a handful of ice cream flavors as well as creative coffee drinks at this packed location on the Southport corridor. They don’t have the richest ice cream we’ve ever tasted, but we love their inventive flavors and the atmosphere is perfect for families. Daley’s Addiction is vanilla with just the right... more ›

Hi, we’re Chicagoist, and we’re Harry Potter addicts. We’re not ashamed of our guilty love, and when we take off the dust jacket to read on the train, it’s because we don’t want to ruin it, not because we’re embarrassed. We could argue with you over why we love them, but we’ll save our breath for reading the easy-to-read-well-written-and-just-plain-fun books instead. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since February, you already know that the... more ›

This week we'd like to congratulate the -ist network's Mother Hen, Gothamist's Jen Chung, who found herself a recipient of Wired Magazine's Wired Rave Award. If that doesn't sound terribly exciting, keep in mind another recipient was J.K. Rowling. Yep, that's right, the -ist network and Harry Potter now have something in common. Go us. Austinist has a chat with the ever-fashionable Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, and managed to catch some local fashionistas making... more ›

Between fake terrorist alerts and scandals big and small, this just might be the best Best of the -ists ever. We're exhausted just thinking about it. First up, SFist, who saw their little 'ole site be the center of what was a nice little scandal (even getting their editor on TV) only to find their scandal dwarfed by the even bigger scandal caused by their Mayor boffing one of his aides' wife. We're not... more ›

Been jonesing for some Centipede? Jealous of your friends who have Xbox 360? Been wanting to try Dance Dance Revolution ever since you saw Bobby Hill do it? Here's a chance to make all your dork gaming dreams come true, all in one place. more ›

As we quietly nurse away the after-effects of last night’s Happy Hour, it seems appropriate that we discuss a film about the dangers of alcoholism. Duane Hopwoood stars Northwestern grad and Lookingglass Theatre gadfly David Schwimmer as a man who fights to keep his life and family together as he struggles with his addiction to booze. The Trib’s Michael Wilmington draws the inevitable comparison to The Weather Man in a 2 ½ star review while... more ›

Oprah's decided to throw a bone to authors who are like.. uh.. alive. For the past 2 years her popular book club has only featured classic books, but now she's returning to the present, announcing yesterday that her book club will now feature all books, including contemporary works. She made this announcement as she told the world her latest book club pick - James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces," which is a memoir of his substance abuse. This book is both current, being published only a couple years ago, and it's also a work of nonfiction. more ›

Chicagoist will be the first to admit that we often prefer a quiet night with a book or magazine over a rollicking party where we have to, like, interact with real people. We comfort ourselves with the notion that the partiers are missing out on our glorious literary knowledge, but might we be missing out on something ourselves? Well, for those of us book nerds who never get out, and those of you crazy party... more ›

Chicagoist is so excited that the holiday windows are up at Marshall Fields on State, but we’re really surprised that this year, after stellar past years of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter, the Grinch that Stole Christmas and the like, that our friends from the Baton Show Lounge are out in force, only in miniature, with heads of papier-maché. more ›

If all the Harry Potter screenings tonight are already sold-out, how about a nice socially relevant documentary instead? Chicagoist knows what you�re thinking: a hard-hitting expose about the death penalty in Illinois probably won�t be as much fun as watching attractive tweens perform magic. But Deadline, screening this week at the Gene Siskel Film Center, tells an important story, one oft-repeated by the Trib: how the research of some diligent Northwestern students stopped our state from (whoops!) executing innocent people. As an exciting added bonus, �filmmakers and participants� are promised �in person everyday,� so expect there to be someone to answer your questions when the lights come up. Also, former governor George Ryan � a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for his work on this issue, not for truckers� licenses � will be in attendance tonight, while legal author Scott Turow � fresh off of being ranked third in New City�s list of local literary giants � will make an appearance June 7. more ›