The Simpsons actress Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart, y'all) has a charitable schools program called "Good Choices" that aims to "help children learn to make their own good choices and influence their friends to do the same." A noble goal, to be certain, and Cartwright's program is one of three options for character education being considered in the state’s public school system under legislation proposed in the Illinois House. The problem with Cartwright's program is that it's modeled in part on a book, The Way to Happiness, by science fiction author and Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. more ›

The Thetan Level of Printer's Row is about skyrocket: the Church of Scientology will move its Illinois HQ into new digs at 650 S. Clark St. next year. The Church is in the midst of renovations to the seven-story, 50,212 square foot building which, according to the Tribune, "will accommodate worship, courses, spiritual counseling known as auditing, community outreach and church administration." The Church seems to have outgrown its current digs on the North Side on Lincoln Avenue. Rev. Jesse Wells said, "That's one of the reasons we need such a large space, to accommodate all the activities." more ›

Chicago dentist James L. Orrington agreed to shell out $462,500 to settle a civil lawsuit brought against him. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit against Orrington in September 2007 on behalf of 10 former employees who alleged he sexually harassed female staff members and forced them to watch Scientology videos and attend Scientology seminars in the office. The lawsuit also said that Orrington forced the workers to "recite formulas that Scientologists believe help people move from a lower to a higher state of mind" before he handed over their paychecks. According to the Southtown Star, the EEOC declared, "the woman will share in the award and Orrington must hire an outside firm to receive and investigate any complaints of sexual harassment or religious discrimination." The award per employee ranges from $10,000 to $42,505. Our call to the Chicago Scientology HQ for comment has gone unreturned. more ›

On Monday, A Red Orchid Theater began running the Chicago premiere of a musical called A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant. And yes, the point of the show is make fun of Scientology, without actually making fun of Scientology. more ›

They speak in "lolcats" terminology. They use terms like "lulz" and "epic win." They claim that members who have been found out have had their pets killed. They wear "V for Vendetta" Guy Fawkes masks. They are Anonymous, and they're gathering in Millennium Park this weekend for a gathering that's one part protest, one part flash mob, two parts performance art. Who are they really? Who knows. That's the point. more ›

href="http://londonist.com/2008/02/air_bound.php"> remove one man from Gatwick.

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Yesterday's worldwide Scientology protests had a local presence outside the church's center on Lincoln. more ›

SFist witnessed a new apartment building tszuj the skyline with spectacular, gaudy turquoise aplomb, the (informal) renaming of the Mission/SOMA neighborhood border, the return of the Maltese Falcon, the Mayor Gavin Newsom mea culpa-ing over his Hawaiian getaway during the oil spill, and double-decker buses hitting the streets of San Francisco. Oh, and some baseball player named Barry Bonds is a liar whose pants, it seems, are totally on fire. LAist continues to cover the... more ›

For those interested in learning more about Scientology off the job, the church is expanding its Chicago presence. The Church of Scientology is setting up shop at the former Artcraft Building in the South Loop, at 650 S. Clark. When the flagship center opens next summer there will be activities, social services and, presumably, auditing. The building’s previous tenants, ACORN and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, moved out because the space and crumbling façade needed attention... more ›

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Dr. James Orrington, DDS, alleging religious and sexual harassment. The suit, filed on behalf of ten employees — 9 women and 1 man? 10 women? — claims the South Side dentist required employees to recite passages from Scientology literature before he'd give them their checks. Three employees were fired after they lodged a complaint with the EEOC in 2005, and another two were fired after... more ›

Chicagoist is gearing up for this weekend's annual Air & Water Show along the lakefront. In what's becoming an annual tradition around there, staff member Todd McClamroch even got to fly with one of the participants. Chicagoist's decidedly opinionated readership was also appalled that one of their staffers found a popular local brewpub to be a great place to bring a kid. They also think that an unlikely activist for immigration rights should just take... more ›

Ah, the storied halls of America's finest institutions, the bastions of educational excellence, and the homes of our country's future leaders. Columbia, Boston, Penn, Duke, Vanderbilt, and yes, the University of Chicago — these are just a few of the schools that have long ranked as the best of the best. more ›

Londonist prepares a Happy Birthday bath for Buddah this week and then things get all cliched. A madman goes on a rampage while axe-weidling and London's mayor warns an American diplomat to avoid the kitchen if the heat bothers him so much. LAist has finally come around to purchasing tickets for Clipper Train. Hyper local dating sites are spamming L.A. neighborhoods and the fascinating Dame Darcy talks with LAist about art, the city and earthquakes.... more ›

Children can be such a pain what with the constant attention and responsibility they demand. We know, it’s a lot to handle. But the fact is, they just can’t function on their own. They need someone to be a figure of authority, be it a parent, grandparent, nanny or Scientology minder. This is a simple concept, but one some local guardians seem to have forgotten. more ›

As discussed previously, former Chicago restaurateur and presumably current maker-of-sweet-love-down-by-the-fire Isaac Hayes left the cast of South Park in a blaze of self-righteous glory. more ›

It started with some cartoons. more ›