Two freelance writers/budding entrepreneurs were doing brisk business this weekend selling "Obama Waffles" waffle mix at the ironically titled Value Voters Summit in Washington until organizers cut off sales of the $10-per-pop waffle mix, saying they hadn't "realized the boxes displayed 'offensive material.'" more ›

It was a Tuesday — a beautiful, sunny Tuesday at that. Most likely, most of the United States was getting ready for or just starting an average Tuesday in September. And then, the unthinkable happened. Two planes hit the World Trade Center towers in New York. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon, and yet another plane was crashed in Pennsylvania. The country was legitmately in "shock and awe." However, there were those of us who... more ›

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and... more ›

No surprises this weekend, as a special session in the legislature called by the governor to work out a one-month budget yielded only about a quarter of the Senate and half the House, falling short of a quorum. With legislators working privately on a budget, the only question is what Blagojevich is going to do when they don't show up at the sessions he is calling, and what he will do when they all gang... more ›

It's only July, one year out, and already it feels like there is a presidential race going on, doesn't it? Maybe it's too soon to declare Bush a lame duck, but we're inclined to think he is. In this most early of seasons, much has been made of fund raising, often at the expense of real discussions of the issues. Obama is setting records, regularly pulling in millions of dollars in small sums, Hillary is... more ›

...for Frisbie’s New Debut. Masters of the turn of phrase and worshippers at the altar of harmony, Frisbie is back in full force. Things look a little different, and the elements have changed. The local band that seemed destined for stardom had some things to work out. Through all of the uncertainty and doubt, the growing pains and a very pregnant pause – Frisbie has come out better for the wear. But they haven’t remained... more ›

Remember when all the county hacks on the payroll were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, crying about how Forrest Claypool was going to destroy Cook County by laying off everybody? Remember when progressives and reformers were begging people to vote for Tony Peraica and all the DINO pork-choppers were saying that he was Ronald Reagan reincarnated, hell-bent on destroying the social safety net of Cook County? We hate to say we... more ›

Any seasoned cook – pun intended – knows the value of a well-placed spice or two. And any Chicago seasoned cook, or professional chef for that matter, knows the value of The Spice House. Even before you enter the Old Town shop, your nose knows what lies behind those wooden doors and in those glass jars. This family-owned business – Chicagoist can’t get enough of these – began in 1957 in Milwaukee by Tom and... more ›

Mayor Daley left Chicago for a sojourn downstate Wednesday, hosting his annual mini Taste of Chicago for lawmakers, and hitting them and the Guv up for more cash for schools and the CTA. Coming out of those meetings, several new developments have emerged. New CTA chief Ron Huberman indicated that the old "doomsday" option is on the table, (among others), which would include cutting service and raising fares. Huberman has already outlined $12.5 million in... more ›

Birds Of Avalon's debut, Bazaar Bazaar, hits so many sonic reference points it can tend to be an exhilerating and dizzying experience at first. It sounds like Sloan gone psych. No, it sounds like Led Zeppelin gone pop. No, that's not quite it either. Black Sabbath meets The Beatles? more ›

Boy oh boy, the shit is starting to fly! Now that the Aldermen and their challengers have taken the gloves off, you better believe it's game on in your neighborhood! This week, we dedicate this edition of the Hump Day Political News Roundup to kickin' ass and talkin' shit. Yee Haw! 32nd Ward Candidate Sues Incumbent. That's right, Scott Waguespack has had it with Steady Teddy's bullshit. So he's filed a $5 million lawsuit against... more ›

When Jose Lagoa couldn’t find the necessary ingredients for his restaurant Café Iberico, instead of getting mad he got smart and started bringing back products from his many trips to his native Spain. Word got out quickly among other Chicago restaurants — and not only those serving Spanish food — and Lagoa found himself in the importing business as well. And that’s good news for us regular folk, too. Local Spaniards have known for some time that Iberico not only dishes up some authentic tasty tapas — we’re big fans of pulpo a la plancha (grilled octopus), salpicon de mariscos (seafood salad), and croquettes de pollo (chicken and ham puffs) — but also is a great place to pick up hard-to-find Spanish ingredients as well. more ›

The Chicago Yacht Club has found itself in hot water. For trying to save a woman's life. more ›

We hope you took into account the egregious use of exclamation points we are willing to use when it comes to Krispy Kreme trying to remake their product to be healthier because, well, we can't help but point out that they are doughnuts. more ›

Chicagoist is all about personal accountability when it comes to children. We've no love lost for deadbeat dads (or moms, let's be fair) as much as the next guy. That's what child services are for, to put the thumbscrews to those that deserve it. Except, in Chicagoan Edward Jackson's case, he didn't deserve it ... and got screwed anyway. more ›

Way back in 2005 we told you about Crime Fiction, a movie made by students of the University of Chicago. When we last heard from them they were in the midst of post-production. Far from being the last step in the filmmaking process, post-production is merely the end of the beginning; for as any indie filmmaker will tell you, once you've "finished" your film the wheels of the industry can turn very very slowly when... more ›

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn continues to swing the whooping stick, taking shots at big business for gouging customers. Last month he scolded Exelon's CEO for claiming that without hiking rates the utility company could go bankrupt, despite pulling down an Alex Rodriguez salary. "The head of ComEd [Exelon chairman John Rowe] makes $27 million a year. It'll take him one minute of his salary to pay the higher electric rates," he said. Then last week, he said downstate power provider Ameren should pay fines out of the executive kitty for not fixing winter storm power outages quickly enough. Now, he wants banks to eliminate ATM surcharges. more ›

Chicagoist doesn’t know if it’s the holiday season that has us thinking about universal human truths, or all the conflict that is happening around the world. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with how much it takes to change the world. Then a couple of people get together and prove that it doesn't have to be that hard. more ›

Plenty of people have had one of those moments where they thought for sure that bottle of generic Vicodin said to "Take four with bottle of pinot grigio," but it turns out that kind of behavior could actually cause some serious problems. more ›

We’ve experienced renters' guilt by throwing away our hard-earned cash each month instead of pouring it into a home we can call our very own. What with the staggering jumps in home values over the past few years, homeowners who bought a home before the peak of home costs seem to have it made. Higher home values! Tons of cash! Personal piggy bank right there on your lawn! Unfortunately for homeowners, along with the higher... more ›

Winter weather is upon us, and the only solace is that we can finally break out our fabulous boots. But, boot-wearing is often filled with pitfalls — namely in the form of poor fashion sense. The Sun-Times took to the streets to survey random women on State Street about their boots of choice. more ›

How are Polling Places Selected? more ›

Now that we are at Chicagoist we don't really have money troubles, but we know how ridiculous overdraft fees can be. First of all, unless you are writing checks we still don't really understand how banks let you use more money than you have in your account. As we have seen in some commercial for a bank, you can buy a cup of coffee and magically your Gateway computer shows the charge in your bank account. We would think once the money runs out, it would stop working. Well, evidently that is nonsense. more ›

In case you weren't paying attention earlier, the Chicago Humanities Festival begins tomorrow. Really, we’re not kidding. Judging by the long scroll of sold-out shows in the website’s festival updates section, advance ticket sales have been brisk. And at $5 a pop to see the likes of General Wesley Clark, Garry Trudeau, and Paul Krugman, are you honestly surprised? This year’s theme, Peace and War: Facing Human Conflict, speaks to growing apprehension about America's military... more ›

Too Much Civic Duty? more ›

For this week’s edition of Empty Out Your Wallet we’ve decided to primarily point you to smaller shows whose tickets are already available for purchase, plus one surprise. We’re always on the side of the little guy (and / or gal) and believe that they are deserving of your pre-show guaranteed dollars as well. Decemberists Alasdair Roberts The Decemberists are this year’s Death Cab For Cutie with a better background in literature and seamanship. We... more ›

We all have our guilty pleasures. Here at Chicagoist, our guilty pleasures range from "America’s Next Top Model" (starts tonight! Set your TiVos), to Suzy Q’s, to dressing up like K-Fed and singing “Hit Me Baby One More Time” with a fake baby at our teat. But if you want us to get specific and tell you about our literary guilty pleasures, then let us introduce you to the amazingly fun reads of Phillipa Gregory. more ›

Having resigned ourselves to the fact that we’re living the 80s all over again, we snorted some coke, charged some bone-colored business cards on expensive cloth paper, and headed over to the House of Blues after stopping at the sushi drive thru in our DeLorean to see if our inner sixteen year olds would like what’s being offered the 2nd time around of the New Wave juggernaut. more ›

Newspaper publishers shocked the world ... of geeky stock analysts yesterday when many posted dismal results for the first quarter. more ›

The George Ryan trial will soon be over. Closing statements are finished, and the case now lies in the hands of the jury. Oh to be a fly on the wall in the jury room! The prosecution said Ryan and his friends and family enjoyed "12 years of Christmas" after basically putting a "for sale" sign on his office. They also contend he is guilty of "breach of public trust" for covering up corruption when... more ›