Results tagged “katrina”

I mentioned earlier connections between Chicago and Katrina. This video has no connection. But it's damn funny and indicative of the sense of humor that Louisianans are known for, even in the face of the apocalypse. Oh, and there is a Kanye reference late in the vid, so...sure! Chicago!

It's easy to overlook today's fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall along the Gulf Coast. Of course, it's been four years since the storm came ashore and the stories have faded into the background as the city of New Orleans and the smaller communities along the Gulf Coast continue the slow road to recovery, but there are still a few stories of local interest in connection with the anniversary.

A play focusing on the efforts of animal rescuers following Hurricane Katrina has recently made the move from Los Angeles to the Chicago area. Because They Have No Words is based on co-writer Tim Maddock's personal experience rescuing animals in the aftermath of Katrina. Maddock also stars in the production, which is now appearing at Evanston's Piven Theatre. Of the differences between the version performed in L.A. and the new Piven Theatre version, Maddock says:

I think in this Piven version we also went further with the comedy. We weren't sure initially how humor would play in a story of one of this country's greatest tragedies, but it is such a part of who Lotti and I are as people that we couldn't silence it in our writing. Humor was also integral to how I 'survived' New Orleans, emotionally. It seems obvious, now, that people find the humor in this play refreshing, but at the time we weren't sure if it would be perceived as flippant or disrespectful.

Here are some things to do this evening to consider bringing your voter receipt.

Hillary Clinton's "Emotional Moment" in the Portsmouth, NH café on Monday has already become the stuff of myth, with many pundits directly and indirectly attributing Clinton's surprise victory in Tuesday's primary to the tears that almost fell (but never actually did). Leave it to Chicago's own Jesse Jackson Jr., co-chairman of Barack Obama's national campaign, to siphon the tears out of the excretory ducts of Clinton's eyes and leverage them for political gain:

As part of the old Brach's legacy was being blown up for Batman, intentionally causing a blaze, there have been several other fire related bits in the news as well. The police Bomb and Arson Section and Chicago Fire Department are conducting an ongoing investigation of a warehouse fire that started Thursday night in Bridgeport. Just before 10 p.m., a fire was reported at a building near Halsted and 36th Streets in the 3600 block...

We got the privilege of attending last weekend's Blogher conference, and in an ironic twist of fate, our two computers went on the fritz. However, it was an experience we still wanted to share with you. Blogher is a conference geared directly toward women bloggers. It was filled with lots of interesting and useful sessions aimed at helping women in the blogosphere. Whether you hadn't yet started a blog or you were looking to really...

In a press conference earlier this morning, Daley announced that Cortez Trotter has resigned. The first and only disaster chief has been in place for just 14 months, but is now leaving for a job in the private sector. The position was created as a response to a lot of things, including the fatal 2003 fire at 69 W. Washington St., the abominable response to Hurricane Katrina and the threat of biological warfare or an...

The news was light on Stupid this week, at least the kind we usually write about, but Bears news provided enough silliness to fill three newspapers so we decided to make this a special Super Bowl XLI edition of TWIS. After Sunday's win over the Saints, three men jumped into Lake Michigan near Soldier Field on purpose and had to be rescued. One of the men was described as "combative," which as we learned from...

Come on, Chicago -- we know you're better than this. While your signs and banner should show support for your team, and maybe strike some fear in the opponent there are certainly limits to how far to go. You don't insult their mother. You don't question their sexuality. And you most certainly don't compare the game to a natural disaster that nearly wiped their city off the Earth. Yet one Bears fan's thought it would...

We wonder whether Bill Swerski's head exploded trying to ponder the winner of this Sunday's NFC title game, pitting the Chicago Bears against the New Orleans Saints — both teams formerly coached by Da Coach Known as Ditka. Would the final be 642-637? Would it be 1-0? Or did Ditka bestow some special greatness on Da Bears, that will allow them to pound the Saints 710-3? In reality, most of the media seems to be...

Chicago has been recently been celebrated for its achievements in haute cuisine. And while we love discussing the merits of molecular gastronomy vs. locally and organically grown, we know that eating out night after night isn't realistic for most Chicagoans. It certainly isn't realistic for us.

We’re sick of hearing about good people getting killed by hit and run drivers. Dan Parry was familiar to many as a cracking mod and soul DJ who tried to get everyone into the party. We didn’t realize that behind the scenes he was also traveling down to New Orleans post-Katrina to help people out, or that he had been an EMT, or that he was hoping to become a firefighter. Learning all those things,...

While we were busy obsessing over Ward politics and aldermanic races, all kinds of newsworthy events happened in the spectator sport of local Chicago politics. Lets take a look back at the week so far: Todd Stroger is asking Cook County's elected officials for budget cuts, in an attempt to trim the deficit. Facing a nearly $500 million shortfall, Stroger is asking Sheriff Tom Dart, State's Attorney Dick Devine, and Clerk of the Court Dorothy...

If you need further holiday gift recommendations after perusing our infamous Gift Guide, no one is a better authority on what your friends and family will like than a good old-fashioned stereotype.

Artist Benny Andrews died of cancer on Friday in his New York home. Andrews, who served in the air force, used his G.I. bill to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has permanent collections in the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Hirshbom Museum in Washington, D.C.

Exhibit A: Pilgrim Baptist Church Location: 3301 S. Indiana Avenue Built: 1890-91 Notable facts: Originally built by Louis Sullivan and his partner, Dankmar Adler, as the Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv synagogue. Became the Pilgrim Baptist Church in 1922. Often called the birthplace of gospel music, due to musical director Thomas Dorsey. Designated as a Chicago landmark: Dec. 18, 1981 Fate: Destroyed by fire, Jan. 6, 2006. Caused by workers doing roof restoration. Future: Possible rebuilding. Exterior...

Dear Kanye, We love you. We’re your hometown fans. We get that you have to have vision and determination to make it to the top in the music industry. We understand the ego that goes with great talent. But, it’s time for a carefrontation. There was your issue with losing the American Music Awards' Best New Artist category to Gretchen Wilson. We thought it was a little bit odd to threaten the Grammy voters right...

How would you like to have delicious gourmet meals delivered to your home several times a week? And even better, how would you like to know that the money you pay for the food isn’t going to some huge corporation, but instead towards feeding the hungry in Chicago? Meet First Slice, an innovative, self-funded, non-profit organization started by Mary Ellen Diaz, former chef at the acclaimed North Pond restaurant. The organization, which is profiled in...

Let's look back at a week in which no site in the -ist network adopted anyone from Africa... -Austinist reveled in the dumb antics of some U.T. law students and posted some great audio from former New Orleans natives who've decided to stay in Austin. But the best news for Austinist? They were voted Best Local Entertainment Web Site by the local Austin alt-weekly. Congrats, Austinist. -DCist gloried in being told their musical tastes made...

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...

Just an interesting bit of business news on a Monday: When Allstate recently got their financial asses kicked by the likes of Katrina and other hurricanes last summer, they decided to trim costs and improve operations. (They lost $1.55 billion in the third quarter -- their biggest quarterly loss as a publicly traded company. ) They offered 6,800 workers a voluntary buyout offer at the Northbrook office and expected about 700 to take the deal,...

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.

Five months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the future of New Orleans remains mired in doubt and bureaucracy. When the mainstream media shelves substantive debate over the city’s rebuilding to decipher Mayor Nagin’s “Chocolate City” speech, the art world picks up the slack. Two local exhibits and a new play examine The Big Easy, the city and the idea.

Yesterday, as the snow poured down on Chicago for the first substantial time in a while, it was a great time to cuddle up by the fire with a new book. Oh, wait, that wasn't a book—it was your horrifying energy bill.

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

Will Slocombe, Graham Ballou, Marc DeMoss; Filmmakers

A few months back, A Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics was discussed. Chicagoist whole heartedly endorsed the idea. Da Mere also came out in favor of such a bid. It was pointed out, however, that the newly renovated Soldier Field wasn't large enough to accomodate the opening & closing ceremonies or track & field events. So, while we already have many of the necessary venues we'd have to build an Olympic Stadium in...

Chicagoist nearly sprayed our coffee all over the living room this morning when we heard on the news that televangelist and former presidential candidate Pat Robertson is suing Governor Blagojevich. We were hoping the paler version of Alan Keyes would stay out of our state. And we’re surprised he has time to get involved here when he is so busy thanking Hurricane Katrina, anointing President Bush as God’s choice, calling for the assassination of...

The turkey's in the oven, the parades are on TV, and jocks turned analysts are ready for some football. Thanksgiving is here! Before indulging in the big bird and enough sides to feed a small army, let's take a moment to give thanks.