We painfully remember a certain teacher at our high school that was completely and utterly against giving out passes to students to use the bathroom. Our syllabus at the beginning of the course had an entire page dedicated the many ways he planned on not letting miss days, let alone minutes, of his Marine Biology class. Which, on more than occasion, included watching Hawaii 5-0. We shit you not. The class, what we like to... more ›

Eighty years ago AT&T was quite the different company when it came to privacy of its customers and free speech. A quote lifted from a Boing Boing post on Thursday where AT&T spoke out against warrantless surveillance, "The telephone has become part and parcel of the social and business intercourse of the people of the United States, and this telephone system offers a means of espionage to which general warrants and writs of assistance were... more ›

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig must have choked on his frozen custard when he found out that Mark Cuban has officially thrown his hat into the ring to buy the Cubs. On Thursday Cuban made public that he had submitted his application to buy the storied ball club. Bud, of course, has other ideas about who shall buy the Cubs. He has been lobbying for longtime friend John Canning Jr. to purchase the team from the... more ›

A speeding ticket. That's what ended Tank Johnson's career with the Chicago Bears. On Thursday, Gilbert, Arizona authorities notified Johnson that they declined to press any charges against him following his arrest last month for suspicion of DUI. Just days after the event, the Bears cut Tank. That move began to look a little premature as authorities revealed earlier this week that Tank's BAC was .072 -- under the .08 limit for DUI. They could... more ›

While the state government devolves into a teeming cesspool of Machiavellian intrigue and self-loathing (quickly becoming an annual tradition in one form or another here in the Land of Lincoln), the world of politics moves on. While we have no problem kicking around Blagojevich (and the other asshole cynics downstate), this week, we're putting it aside, damn it! With out further adieu, here it is, your dose of news before lunch: Daley Takes his Public... more ›

In his autobiography My Last Sigh, filmmaker Luis Bunuel describes going to the movies as a child during the silent era: "In addition to the traditional piano player, each theatre in Saragossa was equipped with its explicador, or narrator, who stood next to the screen and ‘explained’ the action to the audience." The movie experience wasn't just what was on the screen, there was also a live component. As we posted last week, in his... more ›

Chicagoist: Peeking into the minds of the mad, the dangerous and the just plain stupid. more ›

We like Tango Sur on Southport. A lot. For perhaps the most talked about Argentine restaurant in Chicago among, dare we say, “gringos,” it truly does have great food, a bopping crowd and casual ambiance, and the BYOB situation makes it easy on your wallet. But you know what? El Nandu, an Argentine steak restaurant in Logan Square, offers some pretty stiff competition. It might just be better. Haven’t heard of it? That's probably because... more ›

The Big Ten Men's Basketball Conference Tournament rolls into town on Thursday for what will be the last one hosted in Chicago until at least 2012. On Thursday, the tournament will kick off its seventh run at the United Center. Our friends in Indianapolis, not satisfied with their Super Bowl trophy earned by beating the Chicago Bears, have also outbid Chicago to host the annual Big Ten tournament from 2008 through 2012. The tournament kicks... more ›

Moon photo via josephp. more ›

Now that the Super Bowl is history, Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson will be busy dealing with his numerous legal issues stemming from his December arrest. On Thursday, Johnson plead guilty to probation violations in a Cook County courtroom. He has been on probation as a result of gun-related guilty plea dating back to 2005. Judge John Moran delayed Tank's sentencing until March 15 so that a presentencing investigation can be done. In the meantime,... more ›

After taking time out to witness the Bears' crushing defeat intense victory, we bring you this weekend's blotter: Two more workers were slain at a Burger King downstate. Pam Branka, 46, and Paul "P.J." Jones, 50, were found dead early Saturday morning in Momence, IL, both victims of an apparent armed robbery. No cash was taken from the registers, but blood was found near the safe. The murders call to mind Mary Hutchison's homicide in... more ›

Chicagoist admits to being intrigued by the All Women's Roller Derby Leagues here in Chicago. We have written about both the Windy City Rollers and the Chi*Town Sirens. What Chicagoist really likes is when you pair the action of Roller Derby with a visit to your local pub. That is what the Chi*Town Sirens are doing this season. On Thursday night from 6:30 to 9:30 roller-derby fans can meet the women of the Killopatras and... more ›

Unless you're partaking in one of the lovely establishments along the colorful strip of north Lincoln Avenue, chances are you plunk down a credit card when you rent a hotel room. Makes perfect sense, right? Chicagoist is just hoping you didn't do so in the past few years whilst you visited the Joliet area to satisfy your gaming urges. On Thursday, area police raided seven hotels and arrested ten people who had stolen and sold over 10,000 credit card numbers across a span of six years. Two more people are being sought in the identity theft ring. more ›

The Third Coast Audio Festival begins doin’ it in your earhole tomorrow with its annual conference. more ›

“From Birmingham to Manchester to Brooklyn to Chicago, we’re tired of being poverty pimped by the politicians and poverty pimped by the rappers….” This is Rhymefest after meeting with David Cameron, the head of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. At a British Society of Magazine Editors event in June, Cameron stated that Radio 1, a British Radio station operated by the BBC, plays music which "encourages people to carry guns and knives." Rhymefest... more ›

Daley's little Olympic bid project is actually starting to get real. Back in July, Chicago was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as one of the three finalists for the United States bid. Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco are being evaluated and in six months the U.S. will decide which city to back for the 2016 Olympics. But this week Daley and the Chicago 2016 Committee, chaired by Patrick Ryan, took a few steps... more ›

Over the weekend, the Blackhawks reduced their roster to 22 by sending seven players down to the AHL Norfolk Admirals in preparation for the start of the 2007 regular season. The 22-player roster includes 14 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 net-minders. For those playing at home, the players shipped out were Michael Blunden (F), Brandon Bochenski (F), Dave Bolland (F), Jonas Nordqvist (F), Dustin Byfuglien (D), Danny Richmond (D), and James Wisniewski (D). more ›

Last week we learned that the jurors in the George Ryan corruption trial were not getting along. more ›

A sense of entitlement abounds this week, as Chicagoland residents defended their rights to pee on the floor at weddings, to expect courtesy from the mailman, to board airplanes without a ticket, to teach neighbors a lesson by planting drugs on their teenage sons, and to smoke crack in the comfort of their own cars: Last Saturday, two men attacked an off-duty police officer who was working security at a wedding after he confronted one... more ›

We knew a week off would recharge our batteries for this feature, but who knew meeting our word count this week would be as easy as beating a Big Ten team in the NCAA tournament? And we're not even including the poor guy who cut off his own wang. Drumroll please... more ›

Call this week's installment the CBS 2 edition. The TV news channels always supply the best stories, and CBS came up with 5 winners this time. more ›

On Tuesday, a Chicago man was sentenced to 18 months probation for leaving his 82-year old, wheelchair-bound mother outside in the cold while he gambled for 15 hours at the Majestic Star Casino in Hammond. more ›

There's nothing better than getting somethin' for nothin'. Well, maybe driving with the top down while blaring music, but that won't happen for at least a couple more months. At the 2006 Chicago Auto Show this year there will be free concerts taking place at the Pontiac Garage. We missed last night's concert with the Bo Deans, but tonight on a first-come first-serve basis the Redwalls will play at 7 pm. Two more shows... more ›

Last week was yet another stressful week for poor Antonio Davis. On Thursday, his wife Kendra was charged with battery stemming from an October "road rage" incident in Naperville in which she allegedly flug hot coffee at another motorist. Just as the hype surrounding her United Center bruhaha started to die down this comes to light! Did Antonio know about that run-in? Maybe he was trying to protect David Axelrod from his wife and not the other way around... more ›

Image courtesy of ABC7Chicago more ›

The news was a little light on stupidity this week, but we were still able to find a few gems: On Wednesday, two men tried to rob two others sitting in a parked car in the South Shore area, but ended up getting shot. Turns out the intended victims were undercover cops on a stakeout. On Thursday, a fired employee of the Loop Old Navy store had to be taken in handcuffs after she showed... more ›

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Just as the makers of Black Warriors and Scantron sheets began their celebrations, the state of Illinois built some loopholes into the teacher qualification requirements of their No Child Left Behind compliance plans. On Thursday, the state Board of Education adopted a new set of rules with relaxed qualification requirements for veteran teachers, building in a system of credits that experienced teachers can accumulate in lieu of taking certification exams or going back to school.... more ›

The American Racing Pigeon Union says that Chicago is the only city that bans pet pigeons and that it's not fair. On Thursday, a US Circuit Courts of Appeals judge upheld a lower ruling on the ban against some claims by enthusiasts that the ordinance is unconstitutional. Karl Wollenhaupt, who is a member of the Chicago racing pigeon club, says "This sport has been in existence for hundreds of years, but the city says these birds are bad, dirty and evil. These are birds of pedigree." more ›