Kevin tipped us off to this next video, in which Dr. King speaks to the Local 1199 hospital workers and health care employees union in 1968. Dr. King's speech is very pointed here, as he criticizes the war in Vietnam and asks why government can't fight poverty and unemployment with the same zeal they fought Communism. more ›

Beginning next Friday, Facets is hosting an unprecedented retrospective of films dealing with the roiling events of the late '60s. In fact there are so many amazing titles included in the lineup that it's a shame we have to settle for a summary. The epicenter of "40 Years After: Filming the '68 Revolution" is Chicago's 1968 Democratic National Convention, when thousands of protesters and police in riot gear clashed on Michigan Avenue. Several programs of vintage shorts by the likes of Kartemquin Films and Tom Pallazolo are featured as well as the crucial semifictional masterwork Medium Cool. It's the definitive look at Richard J. Daley's Chicago. If you haven't seen Medium Cool yet, you'd better be there on Thursday, August 28. more ›

With the city being overrun by holiday bar crawls, it might be difficult to walk the streets this weekend without being accosted by a drunk dude in holiday vest or run over by a Santa in a hazmat suit. Throw on your best Cosby sweater and enjoy any or all of these weekend delights.... more ›

"Exotica was a round-trip ticket departing everyday for something more fabulous. It had the feel of distant places, but it took you to spots never before trekked by man ... All this cultural production promised a world more primitive and less mediated than life in the burgeoning white collar states. Exotica was more than a sound, it was design movement, and a pop art reaction to a Cold War paradigm that said all that was... more ›

Packer Jennings’ gleefully subversive panels, journalistic mash ups, and participatory projects hearken back to Abbie Hoffman’s Vietnam-era jabs at The Man. Jennings claimed he was unfamiliar with the Yippie agitator when we made the comparison at Three Walls last weekend, but Corporate America’s most aggravating philosophies and practices haven’t changed much since Hoffman’s klepto manifesto started disappearing off bookshelves. Three Walls’ latest exhibit features Jennings’ instruction panels for the aspiring revolutionary. Our favorite series imagines... more ›

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first commemorated after the Civil War as a way to honor fallen Union soldiers. After World War I it was expanded to honor all men and women who died in a US war or military action. It was originally observed on May 30, but since becoming a federal holiday, is now always observed on the last Monday in May, effectively creating a national three-day weekend. For many,... more ›

We usually hate to just throw up a bunch of stuff in list form, but we’ve gotten wind of so many cool things that we just had to share 'em all. The kicker? They’re all free. No matter what your taste in celluloid or pixel, you’re bound to find something here to whet your whistle: Chicago indie flick The Minx is having a free screening on Saturday at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave. Director Michael... more ›

There are a lot of rules at Viet Hoa Plaza, which really isn’t a plaza but an Oriental market on Argyle. The signs posted throughout the store inform shoppers that since there are no refunds, returns or exchanges — exceptions are made for defective rice cookers, and thermo and hot pots — they should inspect all items before leaving. Just in case you didn’t get that, rule No. 4 states that “All sales final.” Are we clear on that? And don’t even think about writing a check — rule No. 5 — but these days we don’t know anyone who does. more ›

Café Society, located in the Historic Prairie District's National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, is quickly finding itself to be an unwelcome tenant. The museum's board of directors served owner Jorge Armando "Chef George" Anafador an eviction notice last year, allegedly for being habitually late with the rent - and who hasn't? This prompted Anafador, whose lease on the café runs through 2013, to file a lawsuit fighting the eviction notice. Anafador's lawsuit throws a wrench... more ›

One thing we've learned in our time as a font of synopsis, synthesis and snark of local news and events, is that when Da Mare gets in the press, it's all at once. And yesterday was no exception. After being gone for two weeks, Daley had a little bit to say about the Cline resignation, the recent settlement of patronage hiring, and the indictment of Al "Dirty" Sanchez. Daley indicated that after "the mistakes of... more ›

Today is the last day of the work week, which means it's time for your weekly Friday Food Buffet. Not hungry? Too bad, because a healthy diet can help you avoid getting that nasty cold that we (and everyone we know) has. An Interesting Local Amateur Chef: We met Jason VonGerichten at a Ghetto Gourmet event this week. He cooked the main course for the evening, a delicious Asian-South American inspired platter that included both... more ›

For this month’s Convince Us we asked you to recommend a classic. We decided on The Quiet American by Graham Greene and — oh my — are we happy we did. more ›

It would be easy to write the obligatory piece about "the man and the dream" today. The fact of the matter is that the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is so much more than just the speech he give at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 in Washington, DC. Although he is remembered in the US as one of the leaders, if not the leader, of the civil rights movement in the 1950's... more ›

How Do I Get Lucky in the New Year? more ›

Alaska? Iceland? Actually, this is The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentine Patagonia. And Lisa Lubin used to be there, but not any more. Let us back up to the beginning, though.. Lisa Lubin is a former TV producer at ABC7 who helped start the show "190 North." In her 9 years in Chicago she completely immersed herself in the city. She played in a summer tennis program, owned real estate, taught a TV production... more ›

We took a gander at this short news story from ABC 7 (via AP) and thought to ourselves, "They can't be serious." more ›

"Stately Pleasure Dome" via swanksalot. more ›

What a great week for indie-pop. We are seriously psyched to revisit some old favorites while experiencing some newer friends for the first time. Robbers on High Street have garnered a lot of buzz, and while their latest digital-only EP is not an entirely convincing justification for their acclaim, it’s certainly strong enough to pique our curiosity. Expect Subterranean to be pretty crowded as everyone tries to discern whether these cats have the legs to... more ›

While many of the lectures and panels for this year's Chicago Humanities Festival are already sold out, there still seem to be plenty of tickets left for the film series. The theme is “Peace and War,” a subject which is (unfortunately) as timely as ever, and Facets program director Charles Coleman has put together a superb lineup. All of the chosen films guarantee plenty of food for thought, some to an uncomfortable degree. We'd like to call attention to just a few. more ›

Most dog owners in the city can sympathize with the problem of not enough parks and grassy spaces. However, memorial parks aren’t an equal substitute. more ›

A couple of quick-hitters this week as most of Chicagoland kept its prize-winning material in check: more ›

Talk about a nightmare: back in August, a 57-year old man found himself homeless in Chicago, with no idea how he got here or what had happened in his life up until then. He was living in a shelter in the South Loop and selling newspapers on State Street, tormented by his lost identity. He asked the Chicago police for help, sent his fingerprints to the FBI, called the Social Security administration to research the... more ›

Chicagoist knows there are some adventurous types who expect they’ll get their $10 worth of entertainment by just showing up at the local multiplex, placing their faith in the Hollywood studio system and picking a movie at random. Not us. We like to research our picks ahead of time, often by looking at plot synopses online. Yet it’s still a case of caveat emptor with similarly titled films. more ›

Last Friday, Veterans Day, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Chicago River between Wabash and State was dedicated and opened to the public. Chicagoist couldn't be there for the ceremony where they read the names of the 3,000 Illinois soldiers who lost their lives in the war (stupid work!), but we stopped by after work to take a look. Even though the memorial is in the heart of the city, it's very peaceful and serene. Everyone there was being respectful and quiet.. the lights were beautiful and the sound of the water, very relaxing. more ›

Chicagoist first heard about Fan Si Pan when paging through an issue of Time Out Chicago a month or so ago and wanted to try it out but forgot about it and got busy and you know the drill. This weekend we didn't have much going on so we decided to walk over and give it a try. Fan Si Pan is a really cute little Vietnamese restaurant that opened 3 months ago right near... more ›

While we're always a bit apprehensive about lending too much credence to polls, the latest USA Today/CNN Gallup poll reports that 54 percent of the sample agrees that "the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq". That percentage is as high as it's ever been. In the second half of June 2004 the same percentage of respondents agreed that the U.S. had made a mistake in Iraq. That was approximately a year... more ›

Chai Vang—the St. Paul, Minn. man that allegedly murdered six hunters in Sawyer County, Wisc. during a dispute over a deer stand—told a Chicago Tribune reporter in a letter that he'd had a dream the night before the incident that foreshadowed it. He told Colleen Mastony that in the dream he found himself in the jungles of Laos in a gun fight with Vietnamese soldiers. He wrote, about the dream, "We shot each others so -- I shot most of them and some escape to get help, then later I ran into a Lake, there I was surround by Vietnam soldier Tank and Armor so they take me as a prisoner." He also mentioned "I almost didn't want to go hunt that day because I never have that kind of dream in my life." more ›

Chicagoist reads a lot of scary things in the papers these days, but nothing frightened us quite as much as today’s story on the fact that coffee prices are on the rise. Yes, due to a perfect storm of draught and demand, store-bought coffee will rise as much as 12% in price, and there is speculation that gourmet “coffee restaurants” (read: Starbucks) will soon follow suit. more ›

Exciting news for students of the history of the sixties and Chicago’s place in it: the Chicago Historical Society will present a screening and discussion of the Academy Award-nominated film The Weather Underground this Tuesday from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Though the film was shown at this year’s Chicago Underground Film Festival back in August, tomorrow's post-screening discussion here will include former Weathermen Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn with co-director Bill Siegel. more ›

Chicago Tribune editor, William Rood, who served with John Kerry in Vietnam has come forward to denounce the attacks on Kerry's war record. Rood, who commanded a swift boat during the 1969 mission that resulted in Kerry's Silver Star, says that Kerry's critics are telling lies about his actions in the war. more ›