Extra, Extra ...
- Developer Calvin Boender was found guilty on all five charges of bribery and obstruction of justice in connection with bribing former alderman Isaac "Ike" Carothers.
- NIU released a 300-page report detailing the 2008 shootings that claimed the lives of six students, including the gunman, Steve Kazmierczak. Read the report here.
- As expected, David Headley entered guilty pleas to charges of plotting terrorist attacks in Denmark and helping plan the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, India.
- Former Blackhawk and current Anaheim Duck James Wisniewski has been suspended eight games for his high hit last night on the Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook.
- Michael Jordan's bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats has been approved.
- Gapers Block points to some previews of the upcoming Chicago Aldermen Project; check in tomorrow when Ben will have more information and a preview.
Illinois Senate Takes First Step Toward High-Speed Rail ...
Image via the White House
High-speed rail in the Midwest is slowly chugging along. The Illinois Senate passed a bill today to create a 12-member commission that's charged with coming up with an initial plan by March 2011 for how to build the system. The commission will decide how to structure a public-private partnership to design, build, and operate the system and recommend how to approach funding and integrating with existing transportation systems in the Midwest, according to the Midwest High-Speed Rail Association.
In January, Illinois received a grant of $1.23 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help pay for a high-speed rail system in the state, including improvements to the Chicago-St. Louis line to allow for 110-mph trains, and station and line enhancements along the Chicago-Detroit line, as well as a planning study. Other Midwest states also received funding, with the intended result a high-speed rail network in the Midwest.
Stehpanie Izard®©™ ...
The April edition of Chicago Magazine has a profile of Stephanie Izard and the near two-year journey between winning Top Chef and the proposed May opening of the Girl & the Goat. Read the article here.
[Sponsored] ...
Thursday Afternoon Diversion ...
Rock Hudson and Bea Arthur sing about drugs. Yep. [h/t Margaret]
Gays Got Talent Finalists Compete Saturday ...
The finals are arriving a bit early for a different kind of March Madness, as the Gays Got Talent variety show contest culminates with its finals at Sidetrack in Boystown on Saturday.
The finals will showcase the top 16 contestants selected from casting calls held previously this year. Finalists will vie for the audience-selected "best in show" and a prize package consisting of $1000 cash, American Airlines tickets and a host of other bonuses in the contest.
The talent come from a variety of backgrounds, speaking to the diversity of the city's LGBT community, as singers, drag artists, burlesque performers, comedians, poets share the stage in pursuit of the top prize. Among the talent on hand for the finals will be renowned poet CC Carter, who was inducted into the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2002 for her powerful performances and efforts in organizing POW-WOW, a weekly spoken word showcase geared toward increasing visibility of female performers. Special guest performers Michelle L'Amour and 2009 Gays Got Talent winner Lucy Shumpert will also perform.
The second-annual Gays Got Talent contest was organized by the Windy City Media Group with the goal of increasing visibility of queer performers in the America's Got Talent television show, and with that in mind, a DVD of all finalists will be submitted to the show's casting agents.
Gays Got Talent Finals, Saturday, March 20, at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. Doors at 1 p.m., show at 3 p.m. $10 cover includes a drink ticket and entry into an American Airlines ticket raffle.
First Black Chicago, U.S. Priest Named Saint Candidate ...
Photo/AP
Many Catholics might not ever have heard of Fr. Augustus Tolton; but black Catholics most probably have... After studying in Rome, because no American seminary would accept him, he was ordained for the Diocese of Quincy, in southern Illinois, and later came to Chicago to start a parish for black Catholics.
The diocese announcement is just the first step in the lengthy process of canonization of Tolton, however. Tolton's life will be subjected to an investigation of his virtues, and even his body will be exhumed for a "declaration 'non cultus'". At least two miracles will also need to be attributed to Tolton. According to the Catholic Church, the miracles need to have taken place after Tolton's death, and be shown that his spirit interceded to bring the miracle about as "proof" that he's made it to heaven.
St. Pat's With The Tossers: A Chicago Tradition ...
If there was ever one time to find yourself at a Tossers show, it's on St. Patrick's Day. When the actual date falls on a Wednesday, only the hardcore will venture out to the bars to celebrate like most others had done during the preceding weekend. Even Wrigleyville was uncharacteristically staid last night, so when these hundreds of green-clad Soldiers in the Army of Chi-rish Drunken Pride show up to the Metro mid-week to get a little sideways and kick out some jams, you can be sure you're in the company of True Believers.
The Tossers have been performing at the Metro for over a decade and if you're expecting any major surprises by this point, you're in the wrong room. They delivered the blue-collar Celt-punk fans have come to know and love; beers were drank, bros did the thing where they slam into each other and then hug, and a grand old time was had once again. Even though they're not reinventing the wheel here, what the Tossers do do, they do well.
They do so especially when in the company of many old friends and familiar faces who have watched the group as they've evolved over the years since their first release in 1994. Whereas the Tossers of yore were like a torn and safety-pinned Shamrock tshirt, today's Tossers are more like a whiskey-stained tweed jacket: A little more professional and refined, but still rough around the edges.
Closing Soon: Have You Seen These Shows? ...
production photo from The Long Red Road by Liz Lauren
We'll spare you the dramatic intro we laid on you in the last installment of this series - but if you've seen either of these shows, please tell us what you thought.
The Long Red Road - Goodman Theatre - closing Sunday
In this world premiere, written by Brett C. Leonard and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, a man "drinks away his life on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, where he has been trying to forget his role in a tragic accident involving his family. When a visitor from his past arrives on the reservation, [he] is forced to face his guilt and to take a harrowing look at the man he has become." The Tribune's Chris Jones calls the show a "raw and arresting," and has some good things to say about the performances, particularly from high school sophomore Fiona Robert. That's right, high school sophomore. Do you know what we were doing when we were 16? Err, we better not say.
Uncle Vanya - Strawdog Theatre - closing Sunday
Tickets to Chicago Shakespeare Theater's World's Stage Production (by Russian group Maly Drama Theatre) might be sold out, but you can still catch Strawdog's well-reviewed version. According to Megan Powell at Time Out, Chekhov's "exhortation for the natural depiction of the human condition onstage is stunningly realized in Senior’s rather dark production of Columbus’s blunt, droll translation. Varying shades of misery, from taut repression to slaphappy bromides, are subtly treated by director and the Strawdog team, now old hands at displaying the comedy of “real life” that Chekhov demanded of the theater."
This is Versailles Unleashes Their Debut ...
Local quartet This is Versailles specializes in a lisghtly unusual blend of raw hard-charging rock taking a few slight cues from alternative nation shoegaze on their eponymous debut. The vocals are urgent and delivered on the cusps of screams mingling between male and female throatsof bassist Caitlin Garibaldi and guitarist Jaisen Ehas. The guitar leads of Neil Yodnane and Ehas are at time roughly scraped out of the guts of their intruments, and at other times they're coaxed out in lines of reverbed adrenaline driven ahead of the force of John Rugger's drumming. As the EP goes on, later songs allow the band to display a bit of their grasp of conventional melody but, honestly, it's when they're reaching into the hailstrom that their sound is best.
We caught the band's show a few months ago and they certainly deliver the energy onstage. Live This is Versailles is loud, slightly messy in that stumbling across the stage while hitting all the right notes sort of way, and slightly menacing. The band celebrates of the release of its debut EP with a free show at The Empty Bottle next Monday, March 22.
This is Versailles plays March 22 at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 9:30 p.m., FREE, 21+
Around Town ...
If you'd like your photos to be considered for Around Town or other features on Chicagoist, share them in our Flickr Pool.
Quick Bites ...
- First, a Dark Lord golden ticket update: tickets went on sale at 7 p.m. yesterday and sold out in 55 minutes, amidst server crashes and complaints about shipping fees. Three Floyds promises to not charge shipping to those who purchased tickets. [Beernews.org, Three Floyds]
- Earlier this week First Lady Michelle Obama urged the Grocery Manufacturers Association to improve efforts to provide healthy eating options and join her fight against childhood obesity. [Politico]
- Kevin Pang brings to light the details about Grahamwich's location and what will be served there when in opens in late May/early June. [The Stew]
- Heather Shouse reviewed The Rabbit Hole, a genuine underground supper club. If you browse through the photos, you'll see Stephanie Izard in a couple of them. [Time Out Chicago]
- Mike Sula details the people behind Franks N' Dawgs in Lincoln Park. [Food Chain]
- Sun-Times reporter Maureen Jenkins takes a look at how today's chefs are teaching their kids to appreciate the food of other countries and cultures, highlighting WAVE's Kristine Subido and Lockwood's Phillip Foss. [Sun-Times]
- To appeal to health-conscious consumers, Kraft Foods will cut salt in their prepared foods by 10 percent overall over the next two years. [AP, via]
- Bleeding Heart Bakery joins in the class-action extortion lawsuit against Yelp! [Eater National]
- The title of this article — "Hipsters on food stamps" — is intended to bait readers and overshadows an informative and well-written piece on how a raised awareness of food and our economic reality is driving many single young people to file for SNAP assistance. [Salon]
- Chicago Shares, which Camela Furry wrote about in October, has integrated an online payment system allowing folks to purchase vouchers online. [Inbox]
Interview: Eva Marie Saint ...
Not like we ever need an excuse to watch North by Northwest again, but the presence of both Eva Marie Saint and Robert Osborne make our non-attendance at the Music Box's free screening on Tuesday, March 30 unthinkable. It's part of The TCM Classic Film Festival; the bulk of the festival takes place in LA (naturally) but Chicago is lucky enough to be part of the roadshow arm.
Last year The Reader named North by Northwest Best Film Made in Chicago, Ever, concluding that "nothing else shot in Chicago really approaches the classic status of Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller, which includes scenes at the Ambassador East and Midway Airport." Central to the movie's charm is the chemistry between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Grant of course is his usual dapper self. He tosses off witty lines and double entendres as comfortably as he wears his stylish grey suit. But as Eve Kendall, the undercover secret agent, Saint is every bit his equal, projecting the kind of frosty blonde sexiness that makes even her sweater seem seductive.
We got to talk with Ms. Saint about Hitchcock, playing Superman's mom, and her stint on Moonlighting.
Chicagoist: I know that you don't really make a whole lot of personal appearances, so what convinced you to come all the way to Chicago for this screening?
Eva Marie Saint: Well, first of all Robert Osborne is going to be in charge of the little interview. And I adore him. I adore my husband and then I adore Robert Osborne. I think he's fantastic. That was part of it. And I love the idea of the TCM Classic Film Festival.
C: Has it been awhile since you've been to Chicago?
EMS: The last time I was there I made a movie, 1986, Nothing in Common, with Tom Hanks. And before that I was there in 1979 with First Monday in October with Hank Fonda.
C: When they were shooting North by Northwest, did you spend a lot of time here on location in Chicago?
EMS: No, it was mostly in the Ambassador Hotel.
C: Did you go to the Pump Room? I hear that was a must for anyone passing through Chicago.
EMS: Of course! Is it still there?
C: It's still there, although there's a rumor it might be closing soon.
EMS: Oh! Maybe I should hold a charity thing for it! I had several lunches with Hitch and Cary Grant there. I do believe that Hitch loved that room. We would just sort of hang out for dinners there. It was a very special room.
C: Pretty convenient since that's the hotel that's actually in the movie!
EMS: Yes! That's why we were there I guess. It was a beautiful hotel. I just love Chicago. Michigan Avenue. I don't think there's any thoroughfare or street quite like it in the whole United States. You probably take it for granted.
C: Well, it's true that my office is a few blocks away from Michigan Avenue so I see it every day.
EMS: Oh! Well. There are plenty of trees, and it's wide. So look at it again, see it through my eyes.
C: Most of the movie of course takes place on a train. Do you miss that form of travel?
EMS: You know, it's so strange. People still come up to me and say, "Gee, I've been on the trains and I've never met anyone like Cary Grant!"
C: It just seems like that story never could have taken place on an airplane, for example.
EMS: Oh listen, I've heard several stories about things that happen on planes. [laughs] Under those blankets. With strangers.
C: Traveling on a train with someone like that seems much more romantic.
EMS: Oh yes. My husband and I often talk about taking the train through the Rockies and California and other places.
C: I have to ask you, what was it like to kiss Cary Grant?
EMS: [laughs] I wish I could find an original, wonderful answer to that! Well, I mean what's wrong with it, right? Although I have to say--see, I have narrow feet. And I don't know if you remember but [when we kiss] we're choreographed to move sort of the way a train would move. Hitch wanted us to move that way. And--well, I shouldn't tell you this--
C: Go ahead!
EMS: Well, the thing I was most concerned about was that I wouldn't step on his feet and he wouldn't step on mine. It's not too romantic, but that's truth. But there was a young man on a ladder taking stills, and he was so involved in this scene that he fell off the ladder and we had to do it again. Which was okay. I was more relaxed then.
C: Did Hitch play any practical jokes on you during the shoot?
EMS: He was a prankster, wasn't he? I've read several books about him playing pranks. But no. He took very good care of me. One day I was having coffee on the set, just drinking coffee out of a styrofoam cup. And I was wearing the back dress with the red embossed roses. It was the day of the auction scene when there were a lot of extras around. And he came up to me and he said, "Eva Marie, you should not drink your coffee that way in front of all those people. Get Miss Saint a china cup and a china saucer for her coffee!" And they did, and he was absolutely right. Why would I just be walking around with a styrofoam cup? He just kept an eagle eye on everything. He really knew what he was going to shoot. He said that was when the movie was over, it was really edited. He didn't film anything he was not going to use. He had storyboards. Now, it wasn't confining. If there was a certain scene, "You sit here, Eva Marie; Cary, you sit here; James Mason, you sit here," you didn't feel like he was telling you what to do and where to do it. No. I went to the Actor's Studio. You do what the director asks you to do and then you fill in what you want to do.
C: But the kissing was very choreographed.
EMS: Oh yes. We weren't left on our own! God no.
C: Is it true that he insisted that you cut your hair for the part?
EMS: It's so funny, somebody asked me that and I don't even remember. My hair wasn't that long. I never had long, long hair. But they probably cut a couple of inches. They wanted that coiffed look. Sydney Guilaroff did the hair. The interesting thing to me is that to this day, women say to me, "Oh, that looks so natural, and I haven't been able to do that!" Of course not. It took hours and hours and hours to get the natural look. We had an agreement, Sydney and I, that during the lunch hour rather than have lunch he would put my hair up and keep it really nice.
C: It must really taken a lot of work to keep your hair looking nice when you running around the Mount Rushmore set.
EMS: There must have been a lot of spray. The set was so high. And I don't have a fear of heights. But I remember that at some point I took my heels off. No one had really thought about this, including myself. Me climbing in heels. We hadn't thought it through. Anyway, at one point I took my heels off and that was it. I climbed in my stocking feet.
C: Did Hitch also handpick your wardrobe for you?
EMS: Exactly. There were a few pieces done at M-G-M but he wasn't happy with the look. He had a specific look. Sexy Spy Lady. He took me to Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and the models went by, and the things that I liked--he would say, "Tell me only what you really like." And I loved the black dress with the roses, and some other things. And he said, "Wrap them up for Eva Marie." He never would have said that if he hadn't agreed with it. But he'd done his homework, I'm sure, and he didn't have the models come out in anything but what he would choose too. He was very meticulous about everything, and I loved that because that helped me prepare and work out who this sexy spy lady was. It all helps. It starts from the inside, but who wouldn't want to play Sexy Spy Lady? What actress wouldn't want to play that? But the look was so important.
C: You've played so many great roles over the years, but do you have any roles you regret turning down?
EMS: No. I really don't go back that way. I'm sure I turned things down because of the family--our children are grown up now, but when there were babies and kids around it was never a choice. The family always came first. That was one reason I didn't work more. I could not make more than one movie a year. That was it.
C: Was Superman Returns your most recent role?
EMS: Yes. I had such a good time! I kept saying to Bryan Singer, "I love doing this role and I love being in Australia--but why can't I fly too?" My favorite dream, and I'm sure a therapist would love tearing this apart, was always flying. For years and years I would go to sleep and I loved whenever I dreamt I was flying. I said to Bryan, "That's my favorite thing, flying, why can't my own son teach me how to do that? You know, fly over the farm?" And he said, "No, that won't work." I asked him that about once a week but I couldn't break him down.
C: Will we get to see you in another movie soon?
EMS: Well, there's something--and if it all works out, that would be great. My husband and I are doing Love Letters, the A. R. Gurney play. It's a beautiful, beautiful play. We'd love to do it in Chicago. We just did it in San Francisco and we've done it all over the country. But I'm happy to be coming to Chicago with North by Northwest, and then in Los Angeles they're having the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival from April 22-25 where everybody can see all these wonderful old movies.
C: Well, I just have one last question. It's totally random. My friend insisted I ask you. He wants to know what it was like playing Cybill Shepherd's mom on Moonlighting.
EMS: What's your friend's name?
C: Andy.
EMS: You tell Andy that I had such a good time on that show. It was only supposed to be one or two shots, and I had such a good time that they wrote in that whole thing about my husband having an affair. I think it went on for a couple of weeks. I don't remember actually. I loved working with her. I loved working with Bruce Willis. Tell him it was one of my happiest times doing television shows. I loved it. I haven't done series, I never wanted to do a series, but I always liked her work and we had such a good time.
C: You and Cybill Shepherd in the same room--so much style!
EMS: [laughs] She was so dear. Just tell Andy that we had a terrific time.
Detailed: The Technician, Anthony Failla at Anthony's Electronics ...
Special to Chicagoist By Grant Slater
After conversing with hundreds of work-a-day folk between 1970 and 1974, Chicago's oral historian Studs Terkel gleaned that only a lucky few were searching for "daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying." The best of those, he concluded, found solace in the pursuit of professional perfection, the belief that "God is in the details," as another Chicago sage said. In this series, Chicagoist looks at four examples of a certain kind of Chicagoan, the self-employed artisan who trades detail, deftness and inspiration for his or her daily bread.
Today, we finish the series with a look at Anthony Failla, an electronics repairman in Lakeview with a side project.
Upcoming Events For Literary Folk ...
Make Issue 9
Columbia College, 916 South Wabash Building, room 150, 7 p.m., free
Tonight: Issue 9 of MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine launches at the Hideout. The semi-annual magazine includes fiction, poetry, essays, art, and reviews from writers from Chicago and beyond. Each issue has a different theme and aims to match how Chicago is living, working, playing and thinking. The spring issue revolves around myth, magic and ritual and includes an in-depth essay on the myth of Bruce Springsteen by Michael Kobre and a magical realist short story from a Chilean author Luis Sepúlveda translated to English by Paul Grens. For more info, listen to the 848 interview with co-founder Ramsin Canon.
Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, 8 p.m. $8
Tomorrow and Saturday: Our friends at Open Books are welcoming Phil Yeh, Geoff Bevington, and Matt Lorentz for the release of their new children's book Steve the Dog and the Winged Tiger. The book is set in Chicago, includes kaleidoscopic illustrations from some of the city's most iconic scenes and tells the story of a couch-potato dog and how the winged tiger saved his life. The artists will be selling and signing copies of their book and will also be painting a mural on the Open Books store.
Open Books, 213 W Institute Pl, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., free
Saturday: If you've been meaning to sit down and finish (or start) that short story, but you're lacking a quiet space and the focus, head to the StoryStudio Write-a-Thon. StoryStudio opens its doors and provides wifi, outlets and snacks, so that writers can escape distractions, hunker down behind their laptops, and tap away to their delight. Writers are welcome to stay for as long as they like throughout the day.
StoryStudio Chicago, 4043 N Ravenswood, #222, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., $12
Food Labels: Facts Behind the Health Claims ...
Health claims like “High in Fiber” and “Low Cholesterol” are more than arbitrary statements made by food manufacturers to persuade customers to buy their product. In fact, as reported by the American Dietetic Association, the Food and Drug Administration has strict guidelines for how health certain claims may be applied to a food label. Here is a list of regulated health claims and what they mean to us. Keep in mind that in order to best interpret these claims, we must know the food’s serving size, rule #1 of label reading.
- Fat Free / Sugar Free - Contains less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving. This also applies to trans fat, which the American Heart Association recommends we eliminate from our diet.
- Low Cholesterol - Contains less than 20mg of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving. Research shows that our intake of saturated fat, more so than cholesterol, contributes to high cholesterol in our blood. Why? Our liver synthesizes cholesterol from saturated fat in our diet. This is why most plant foods are naturally low in cholesterol - plants don’t have livers.
- Calorie Free - Contains less than 5 calories per serving.
- Low Calorie - Contains less than 40 calories per serving.
- Reduced - contains 25% less of the specified nutrient (typically fat or sodium) or calories than the standard version of the product.
- Good Source of - Provides at least 10% of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient in each serving. According to the American Dietetic Association, Daily Values are the average levels of nutrients for a person consuming 2000 calories per day.
- Low Sodium - Contains less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
- High in - Provides 20% or more of the Daily Value for a specific nutrient per serving.
- High Fiber - contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. A healthy goal is to consume 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
Be cautious of terms like “Natural”, “Whole Grain”, and even “Organic”, along with claims like “lowers cholesterol” or “made with real cheddar cheese”, as these are not well-regulated and are usually highly misleading.
[Sponsored] ...
QUICK SPIN: Frightened Rabbit ...
In which we take a quick look at a recent musical release.
Frightened Rabbit
The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Frightened Rabbit's last album, The Midnight Organ Fight, was critically lauded and rightfully so. It was a stark portrait of the pain of love and loss told against delicately raw arrangements. While that album was driven by lead Rabbit Scott Hutchison's inner turmoil its resulting popularity brought the Scottish group to both a much larger audience and much bigger stages.
The Winter of Mixed Drinks seems to be the result of the band's sound needing to grow larger to fill those larger venues. Interestingly Frightened Rabbit has successfully added multiple layers and more sonic power while maintaining that undercurrent of tenderness that keeps the listener close to the musical narrator’s. Standout track "Swim Until You Can't See Land" exemplifies this approach with strings, horns and guitars that create an ocean that surrounds a single lone soul pushing itself to the edge and bringing you along.
The Winter Of Mixed Drinks is still driven by internal review, but Frightened Rabbit is now questioning and no longer injured allowing them to create music that expands beyond the singular emotion to draw jubilance out of experience.
Frightened Rabbit plays Metro on May 8
So That's How They Do It ...
Ever wonder how they dye the Chicago River green? Sure, there's all that fanfare with the boats. But Copyranter has uncovered the true source of all that green: a giant Shamrock Shake.
The Morning After: Blackhawks, Bulls Bruised ...
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Kings Thump Blackhawks
It was a bruising night for the Blackhawks as, for the second time in a week, they lost a player to a hard - and shady - hit and then lost the game, falling to the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. The Ducks struck first just over four minutes in but Brent Seabrook answered for the 'Hawks to tie the game at 1-1. Early in the second, Seabrook got knocked out of the game when former Blackhawk James Wisniewski hit Seabrook high and hard, a retaliation for a hard hit Seabrook had just put on the Ducks' Corey Perry. The Ducks took a 2-1 lead on a short-handed goal in the second only to have Marian Hossa answer early in the third to tie the game. But the Ducks caught a break when an awful no-call on what should have been interference - as Corey checked Brent Sopol from behind while a deflected puck hung in the air - led to the Ducks' go-ahead goal. The Ducks would rub salt in the wound with an empty net goal in the final minute of the game. Corey Crawford saw his first action of the season in goal, giving up three goals and making 32 saves in the losing effort. The Blackhawks will try to recollect themselves in time to face the Kings tonight (9:30 p.m., CSN).
Bulls Lose Ninth Straight
For the second straight game, the Bulls managed to fight back from a 25 point deficit but still fell short, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 113-106, their ninth straight loss. The Bulls trailed by 25 late in the second and by 20 at halftime but managed to cut the lead down to seven halfway through the fourth. But the Mavericks were too much for the undermanned Bulls,still without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah. Acie Law came off the bench to lead the team with 22 points. Next up for the banged up Bulls? Just LeBron James and the Cavs tomorrow night (7 p.m., CSN).
College Basketball
got their NIT run off on the right foot beating Stony Brook 76-66. Four Illini starters scored in double-figures, led by Mike Davis with 17 points. Next up is Kent State next Monday.
Spring Training
The Sox ousted the Dodgers 5-1 while the Cubs got a rare day off.
O'Hare Just A Tad Less Busy ...
The 2009 numbers are in and Chicago's O'Hare Airport has been bumped down a spot to fourth place on the "busiest airports in the world" list by Beijing, the only one of the top four airports in the world that saw an increase in passengers last year. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson remained first with 88 million passengers (down 2.3 percent) followed by London Heathrow with 66 million (down 1.5 percent). Beijing Capital International Airport had 65.3 million passengers, an increase of 17 percent over 2008, while O'Hare saw 64.4 million passengers, a decline of 8.8 percent. O'Hare's decline was also the largest among the world's top 20 airports. Part of the decline is being blamed on cuts by United and American Airlines, the two biggest carriers out of the airport.
Cubs Want Lighted "Billboard" At Wrigley ...
A rendering of the proposed Toyota sign at Wrigley Field; Photo courtesy the Cubs, via the Tribune
The Cubs aren't asking for a jumbotron but they are asking permission to put in what's being called a "lighted billboard" above left field. The team has reportedly made a deal with automaker Toyota to sponsor the sign, which would be a 16-by-22-foot Toyota logo and could net the team as much as $2.5 million per year. Wally Hayward, Cubs executive vice-president for sales and marketing, told reporters yesterday:
We are at a big competitive disadvantage if we cannot generate incremental sponsorship revenue in a tasteful manner that helps preserve Wrigley Field. We’re not looking to add a whole wall of signage out there like other stadiums across the country...We worked to create a sign and logo that would fit into the fabric of Wrigley Field.”
The sign would extend from the left field bleachers and only partially obscure the Horseshoe Casino rooftop ad, not affecting any rooftop seats. Even once the deal is done, though, the team will need approval from the city's Department of Zoning and Land-use Planning and Commission on Chicago Landmarks. But the deal isn't without its opponents. Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has voiced concern about the sign's "visual impact…on the historic character of the ballpark."
Given that the sign would be in front of the rooftop that, for years, featured the large Budweiser ad and now features an ad for a casino, the idea of the ad doesn't really seem to be that big of a deal, especially if it can generate revenue to help pay for things like Soriano's contract. The aesthetics, though, of one random Toyota logo sticking up out of left field - while not as garish as a jumbotron - seems awkward. The best case scenario is that as it generates revenue, it'll blend right in and become part of the game as players try to bang home runs off of it in batting practice and it becomes something akin to Wrigley's version of Fenway's Citgo sign.
Today's Weather: Spectacular ...
Y'all thought we were kidding but today would be a really, really good day to play hooky or plan hooky for tomorrow. We could see the warmest temps since early November, cracking the 70 degree mark for the first time in 2010. Glorious, spectacular 70 degrees. And and if you can't make it out today, there's always tomorrow. But get outside because in that cruel twist of fate that Chicago weather likes to throw at us, a cold rain/snow mix is forecast for the first official day of Spring this weekend.
Extra, Extra ...
- A Chicago Police commander has been charged with harassing her ex-boyfriend who is a fellow Chicago police officer.
- A suspect has been arrested in connection with yesterday's hit-and-run on I-80.
- Do not try to sell your wife over the Internet.
- WBEZ has resumed their excellent "Inside and Out" series this week.
- That big board the Cubs placed in left field at Wrigley to block the casino rooftop ad? Now they want to put a light-up Toyota sign there.
- Adieu: Nathan Vasher.
Primary Date Moved Back ...
Gov. Quinn signed a bill today that shifts state primaries back a bit on the calendar. The primaries had been moved in 2007, allegedly to help out home-state then-candidate Barack Obama, according to CBS 2. But the more skeptical pundits suggested it was to help incumbents by assuring lower turnout, which certainly happened this year. Either way, the next time around - 2012 - the state primary will be March 3. Said Gov. Quinn via press release: "Having the general primary election in March will increase voter turnout and encourage the people to have a greater voice in the election process, which is what democracy is all about. It provides voters with more time to delve into the issues and to know the candidates who seek to represent them."
Chicago Fashion Incubator: Opening This Saturday ...
Despite some disheartening news earlier this week regarding Maria Pinto, life goes on for Chicago fashion. The opening party of this year's Chicago Fashion Incubator--part of the (sort of hilarious sounding) Mayor Daley's Fashion Initiative--was last night, and the first ever Fashion Incubator Pop-Up shop opens this Saturday.
The Pop-Up shop is at The 900 Shops and will host six designers. From Explore Chicago:
• Christina Fan - C/Fan is the marriage of menswear inspired details, such as pocket squares, and feminine silhouettes, which creates a line that is extremely versatile, high quality, yet still affordable.
• Donaldo Smith - Killian Gui is a contemporary menswear brand that masters the blend of elegant business attire with modern casual wear.
• Jonnie Rettele - Nonnie Threads is a result of early-mid 1900's inspiration, merged with a modern semblance. She is motivated by men's desire for functionality, fit, and ambition for modernity.
• Leah Fagan - PELOTON features Leah's trademark look; well-crafted separates, innovative details that are casual, yet polished, and, most importantly, a fabulously comfortable fit.
• Miriam Cecilia Carlson - M.C.C. features draped and manipulated fabric inspired by ideas and thoughts of life.
• Stephanie Kuhr - Dottie's Delights is a line of vintage-inspired lingerie and foundation wear, under the name Dottie's Delights
Designs from previous years' DIRs (designers in residence) will also be available for purchase at the store.
The Pop-Up shop is open Saturday, March 18 through Saturday, April 18. Its hours are from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. each Thursday through Saturday and Noon - 6 p.m. on Sundays.
QUICK SPIN: Miles Kurosky ...
In which we take a quick look at a recent musical release.
Miles Kurosky
The Desert Of Shallow Effects
Miles Kurosky is best known for his work in Beulah, an early indie band that arguably begat the current wave of like-minded orch-pop groups including Ra Ra Riot and Feelance Whales. The Desert Of Shallow Effects is his solo debut and, to be honest, it sounds like a new Beulah album. So this disc should both please old fans because of that while appealing to new fans thanks to the other groups who've kept the sound in the public mind. Of course that means Kurosky also runs the risk of being lost in the shuffle since the sound he helped build has been co-opted by so many.
So does he dodge that bullet? Hell yes he does. This is solidly a case of songwriter at the peak of his power, seeding the songs with a firm intelligence and sure hand that is a few steps removed from his earlier modus operandi that was more grounded in rhythm and repetition. While the album does use a couple other ex-members of Beulah its cast of characters is so varied that the tapestries of sound they produce can't help but be a little more finely woven than Kurosky's earlier work. There's also a new slightly more theatrical delivery to his lyrics that helps propel the songs along more literary parallels than we're used to hearing from him. The Desert Of Shallow Effects is resolutely not a comeback album; it's a logical and satisfying next step in Kurosky's development.
Miles Kurosky plays Schubas on April 1
Taking Your Bike on the Bus or Train: A Primer ...
It's almost spring, the season for bicycle commuting, leisurely weekend bike rides, longer bike trips - and sudden afternoon rainstorms. In these situations, you have three choices: suck it up and get wet, leave your bike wherever it was and seek shelter, or haul yourself and your bike onto a CTA bus or train. Here's a handy-dandy list of rules and some tips for all of your emergency biking needs this spring and summer.
Taking your bike on the Bus
All CTA buses have bike racks attached to the front and bikes are allowed on these racks on any day, at any time. The CTA has extensive instructions on its website that explain how to properly secure your bike in each of the two types of racks. Or, the video below should give you a pretty good idea.
Tips to remember: Make sure your bike is secure - give it a shake to make sure it's not going to fall off (the CTA recommends sitting in front and keeping an eye on your bike during the ride). Also, Make sure the bus driver knows when you are putting your bike in the rack and taking it off. A few years ago, a woman tragically killed when she was run over by the bus while taking her bike off the bus's rack.
Taking your bike on the L
The rules for when and where your bike is allowed on the L are a little more complicated. They're not allowed during weekday rush hours (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a,.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), on July 3 and 4, or during times of "extreme crowding." Only two bikes are allowed inside each car. Make sure you look for the green bike decal on the side of the car that will signal whether bikes are allowed inside. One more caveat: bikes are not allowed on the Blue Line cars that have inward-swinging doors.
Tips to remember: Your bike won't fit through the turnstiles, so find an attendant to open the swing gate. The King Drive Green Line station isn't conducive to bikes because of its tall-steel barrier gates - ride to Cottage Grove instead.
Taking your bike on the Metra
For those bike trips that take you outside the city, make sure you check the Metra website beforehand for the rules. Bikes are allowed on Metra trains on weekdays if the train is scheduled to arrive in Chicago after 9:30 a.m., and leave Chicago before 3:00 p.m. and after 7:00 p.m. Most weekends are wide open, except during high-traffic events like Blues Fest, Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza, and the Air & Water Show (see the Metra website for this year's dates).
Tips to remember: Stay out of other people's way while you're bringing the bike on and off the train, and keep it out of the aisles and away from doors while you're on the train. If it's excessively dirty or longer than 70 inches in length, it won't be allowed on board.
Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Isastegi Sagardo Naturala Cider ...
The weather is starting to turn, which makes for a good reason to enjoy a cider. Coming from Spain's Basque region is this wonderfully dry, naturally fermented cider. The makers of Isastegi Sagardo Naturala recommend it be given a long pour, a sip at a time, to break up any residual carbonic gas. Those long pours make a world of difference, releasing a banquet of musty aromas on the nose to complement its dirty golden appearance.
Foam fades quickly on this cider, leaving the drinker to fend for themselves with the mouthfeel, which is slick, redolent of sour apples and must with some notes of honey. Isastegi Sagardo Naturala is a medium-dry cider and that dryness lingers on the palate. Given the must and tart flavor of this cider, we could easily imagine it paired with some cheeses. Maybe a lighter flavored blue cheese, or a triple cream cow's milk with a buttery flavor.
Although we've made attempts to diversify where we find our beer, the overwhelming majority of "BotW" selections have been purchased at LUSH Wine & Spirits University Village location. So long as they keep stocking something like this week's selection, we'll keep visiting. They list Isastegi at $11.25 for a 750ml bottle.
[Sponsored] ...
St. Patrick's Day Diversion II ...
A few years ago, Denver's FOX affiliate had the brilliant idea to give commentary of their St. Patrick's Day coverage over to a reveler. And when we say "brilliant" we're not being snarky. The result was classic and makes us wonder why our local television news outlets don't do the same.
Downtown Sound Roster Revealed, Music Lovers Squeal ...
She & Him are scheduled to appear June 7 in the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park
But it gets better!
Other acts we're especially excited about that are slated to appear include Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's folk-pop duo She & Him, recently revived local garage rockers The Ponys, sonic experimentalist Caribou, fizzed-up pop-punkers The Thermals, Afrobeat legend Tony Allen and our own local mega-crush, the irresistible Kid Sister! And while those are just our personal highlights, the series as a whole is solid enough to guarantee we'll be fighting for a spot to put out blanket each and every date of the series.
The full line-up, courtesy DeRo, after the jump.
May 24: Besnard Lakes with the Ponys
May 31: Hum with Volcano!
June 7: She and Him with Hollows
June 14: Tony Allen with Great Lake Swimmers
June 21: The Books with Via Tania
June 28: Huntsville with On Fillmore and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline
July 5: The Thermals with Disappears
July 12: Caribou with Budos Band
July 19:Kid Sister with Konono No. 1
July 26: Naomi Shelton with Bomba Estereo
BirtherWatch: Hawaii to Make "STFU Birthers" Official? ...
Last time we checked in with the Birther movement and their constant pestering of the Hawaiian government, we said "Hopefully this is the last time we have to say this." Guess what? It's not. Despite the fact that the squawk about President Obama's birth certificate has been quadruple-checked, spread across the interwebs and generally debunked, some people still refuse to believe that the POTUS was born in the USA (and we fully expect to hear from you in the comments).
Some people in the Hawaiian government are getting good and sick of it. Officials have sponsored legislation to allow state workers to simply ignore Birther requests when they come in, which happens 10 or 20 times a week according to TalkingPointsMemo. In addition, their access to official state records would be restricted for up to 2 years. For once in our life we agree with the Republican here, that being State Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who said: "When people want to get more information, the way to fuel that fire is to say, 'We're now going to draw down a veil of secrecy.'"
Having your access restricted to government records isn't the worst thing that can happen to you should you decide to continue to push your froot-loop theories into the courts. Birthmaster Prime Orly Taitz owes our judicial system $20,000 in sanctions for filing a "frivolous" suit and for "attempting to misuse the federal courts to promote her political agenda," according to Law.com. Taitz has been refusing to pay, a tactic which will no doubt get her tossed in prison and make her even more of a martyr to her acolytes.
Of course, Birthers wouldn't admit Obama might have actually been born in Hawaii if he were photographed holding a pineapple in both hands while the doctor clipped the umbilical cord as his mother spun a pig on a spit for the luau while surfing. Much like the way Truthers have pretty much went away after Bush left office, we're just going to have to wait for Obama to end his Presidency for this to finally and completely go away.
Reminder: Chicagoist Tournament Challenge ...
If you're anything like us, you've filled out at least a half dozen brackets since NCAA selection committee set the field of 65 for this year's tournament as you try to find just the right mix of sure things and upsets to win bragging rights over colleagues and amaze your friends.
We filled out our first bracket on gut, and then began our research on teams as we try to refine our picks. Three versions deep, we're still not feeling it. But we've got a couple more hours to lock down our selections. You do, too, if you want to join us for Chicagoist's Tournament Challenge. To enter our pool, click this link to go directly to the group, or go to ESPN's Tournament Challenge, register or log in, and search for Chicagoist. The password is: chicagoist.
For those who have already registered, make sure to lock in your picks before the first games tip off tomorrow. And remember, just one entry per person in the Chicagoist pool, please. Once again, there will be a prize for the top reader entry. But is there any bigger reward than being able to gloat after making the Chicagoist sports staff look foolish for our picks?
No Trial Delay For Blago ...
While our former governor is watching his Celebrity Apprentice run play out on the small screen, his attorneys have been in court working for him. But U.S. District Judge James Zagel denied their request to delay the opening of his trial until November and it will start on June 3 as planned. Natasha Korecki reports for the Sun-Times:
Also today, Zagel said he’s likely to allow Blagojevich to play secret FBI recordings that are favorable to his own defense if he also testifies in his own defense. Blagojevich lawyers reiterated today that the former governor will likely take the stand.After the hearing, Sam Adam Jr. said after hearing the tapes, the public will realize that not only was it wrong to bounce Blagojevich from office, but “we should vote for him again.” After some laughter from reporters, Adams added: “2016.”
We'd say we're looking forward to hearing Blago take the stand, but chances are it'll sound a whole lot like everything we've already heard him say, over and over and over.
Quigley Sets Out To Honor "Go Cubs Go" Songwriter ...
Congressman Mike Quigley introduced a bill today to honor Steve Goodman, folk musician and songwriter of "Go Cubs Go" - the song Cubs fans sing "Go Cubs Go" after every home win - by renaming the Lakeview Post Office located at 1343 W. Irving Park Rd. for Goodman. Quigley told WBBM radio that Goodman's was a "short but tremendous life." The Grammy-winning, native Chicagoan died of leukemia in 1984 at age 36 and his ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field.
The lawmaker said the bill is supported by the entire Illinois congressional delegation, the Old Town School of Folk Music and musicians including John Prine, Bonnie Koloc and Corky Siegel. An aide to Quigley said if all goes smoothly, a renaming ceremony could take place with a musical salute at the post office by late spring or early summer.
We just hope the team holds up their end and let fans sing the song more this season than they did last year.
Around Town ...
If you'd like your photos to be considered for Around Town or other features on Chicagoist, share them in our Flickr Pool.
Do This: Free Bangers and Mash At The Southern ...
Yeah, it's St. Patrick's Day. Don't remind us, with all your green and your affected Irish brogues that morph further into drunken slurring with every sip of Guinness and Bushmill's.
The Southern feels your pain, or at least wants to send you off on your merry way with some hold on your faculties. From 6-8 p.m. today they'll be serving free bangers and mash, which gives you license to sit at the bar and quote Tobias Fünke. Johnnycakes are extra.
Wee Epic Masterpiece Theatre: Travis Lampe Exhibit At Rotofugi ...
Rotofugi, having just wrapped up its Josh Agle exhibit on Sunday, will be hosting the work of an equally exciting, local artist, Travis Lampe. Lampe grew up in rural Kansas, but after earning a degree in Graphic Design he moved to Chicago to take a job as an art director. He developed his style while working for various clients, making ads for everything from breakfast cereals to furniture. He then began releasing his art and has since made a relative splash in the art scene.
His Wee Epic Masterpiece Theatre exhibit opens this Friday, March 19 at 7 p.m. and Mr. Lampe will be there himself, so it promises to be a great evening. We love Lampe's style; the way he blends fantasy elements with a retro style of illustration creates bizarre, colorful, yet beautiful results. Think of it as Ren & Stimpy meets Alice in Wonderland meets (place nursery rhyme here). We're very excited to be able to see his art up close and personal.
This will be his second exhibition at Rotofugi, the first being in 2007. Lampe still lives and works in Chicago.
Wee Epic Masterpiece Theatre, Rotofugi Gallery, 1955 W Chicago, March 19 - April 4
Detailed: The Bookbinder, Amanda Love of LoveLeaf Press ...
Special to Chicagoist By Grant Slater
After conversing with hundreds of work-a-day folk between 1970 and 1974, Chicago's oral historian Studs Terkel gleaned that only a lucky few were searching for "daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying." The best of those, he concluded, found solace in the pursuit of professional perfection, the belief that "God is in the details," as another Chicago sage said. In this series, Chicagoist looks at four examples of a certain kind of Chicagoan, the self-employed artisan who trades detail, deftness and inspiration for his or her daily bread.
Today, we look at bookbinder Amanda Love, who does design and publication work from a small studio space below her home in Wicker Park.
St. Patrick's Day At The White House ...
The AP's "proof" of the White House green fountain; AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
Once again, President Obama has extended that tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green to the White House by dyeing the fountain as well. Sort of. It looks like some of that luck of the Irish is coming through, at least for Obama. Earlier today, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich publicly announced he would switch his health care vote from "Nay" to "Yea," a big get for the Democrats who are scrambling to reach that 216 vote margin to pass the bill. We'll see if the President's good luck also extends to his NCAA tournament picks.
Dark Lord Day's Golden Ticket Pre-sale Insanity ...
Try to remember, people: It's just a beer!!
Today is the day that the golden tickets for Three Floyds Dark Lord Day go on sale and the brewery announced a couple of hours ago over their twitter feed that tickets would go on sale "after work."
We've been monitoring Twitter not to see when tickets would go on sale, but to read the tweets from the Greek chorus of fanatics who sometimes make the festival a chore to attend. Here are some choice tweets:
- "Who else lost sleep over this?" - cathywonderful
- "(S)o is that after my work or your work?" - Sorayamckee
- "Is it true that they aren't making Dark Lord this year because Oprah ate all the ingredients?" - longmeshortyou
- "(been waiting) Since noon 3/16/2010" - ibeyou
- "I am sure some of you like me enough to try to get me tickets so I can sleep right?" - cutefont
- "Quit playing with my emotions. Now I know how Charlie felt." kabruner.
- "They don't say how long after work." - Jason266
- Our favorite from mitchgroup (a full 15 minutes after the Floyds announced when sales would happen): "(L)et's just all pray that internal server errors are due to refreshing page w/ticket sales. bring it floyd."
Things aren't much better over at the Beer Advocate and Ratebeer forums. It's like a cult.
Now would be a good time to remind everyone who's lost sleep waiting for tickets to go on sale: 1) Dark Lord Day is about more than the beer. 2) You're supposed to have fun at Dark Lord Day and 3) if last year was any indication, you'll still be able to buy Dark Lord if you miss out on the tickets.
If you have a solid 20 minutes to waste at work today you can read for yourself using the following hashtags: #darklord, #darklordday and #dld2010. It's a great study into the collective hive mentality of the beer obsessive. Meanwhile, those of us who had the common sense to get some sleep will be ready to buy our tickets when they go on sale.
[Sponsored] ...
Simple Cooking - Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Balsamic ...
Roasted vegetables are a staple of our kitchen. As much as we love cooking, 2-and-3 burner cookery can be stressful. Too often, we end up with last-minute missing ingredients and oil all over our jeans. Or, one dish is finished while 3 others sit simmering. The solution? Roasting!
This is one of the most forgiving roasted vegetables recipes we know of. When we made it last week, we forgot about it and left it in for an extra 10 minutes, to no ill effect. Make sure to use plenty of oil, as the cauliflower will absorb it, and use a good vinegar, as the oven will reduce it into a syrup and concentrate the flavors (for better or worse).
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
fresh chives (optional)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower, garlic and shallots with the oil in an oven-safe baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out. Add the vinegar and Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Return to the oven. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until most of the vinegar has reduced and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle fresh chives.