It's a festival of acronyms on this week's entry to the Chicagoist Podcast Series! First up, we spoke with Shawn Campbell, president and founder of the Chicago Independent Radio Project, aka CHIRP. Why did she want to start it? Where does it stand now? What's in the future - and does it include a low-power FM station? And what does Congress have to do to make that allowable by law? All of these questions and more are answered. more ›

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Time to buy presents! Which means it's time for Chicagoist's annual gift guide. For 2007, we're looking at lots of Chicago-centric gifts (plus a few random goodies thrown in for fun). Tickets, memberships, art, decoration, kits, classes, clothes — we've got you covered.... more ›

In what's become an annual feature here at Chicagoist and a personal favorite, we canvassed the staff for some of their best recipes and put together a potluck of amazing proportions to fascinate your taste buds, amaze your family (even the ones entranced by the football games), and bring about peace on earth - or at least in your family - for a few hours through the miracle of tryptophan, simple starches, and sugar... more ›

A provocative new piece by Devin Gordon in Newsweek sets out to explain why, in his view, TV is better than movies. The way he sees it, TV programming is now "bigger and bolder" than what's on display at the local theater; Hollywood has gotten lazier and more predictable, while TV has become sharper and more agile. Ira Glass claims, "The people working in television right now are the Shakespeares of the medium." (Is he... more ›

This week, the Chicago Film Critics announced its nominations for the best films and cinematic performances of the past year. Babel picked up nine nominations, while The Departed and The Queen followed with six. As usual, the CFCA made some unconventional choices: Maggie Gyllenhaal picked up a nod for her work in the largely ignored Sherrybaby, and an adapted screenplay nomination went to A Prairie Home Companion. The CFCA also fueled the comebacks of Ben... more ›

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You’ve probably noticed more posts on Chicagoist lately. We’ve been stepping up our efforts to provide coverage of daily news, events, food, the arts and all the miscellaneous things on your mind. We’ve also brought in some new blood to keep the rest of us on our toes, and cover all the important goings-on here in the city. Say hello to our newest batch of writers: On the general news beat, we’ve got Old Town... more ›