authors
list | date_download
timestamp[s] | date_modify
null | date_publish
timestamp[s] | description
stringlengths 1
5.93k
⌀ | filename
stringlengths 33
1.45k
| image_url
stringlengths 23
353
| language
stringclasses 21
values | localpath
null | title
stringlengths 2
200
⌀ | title_page
null | title_rss
null | source_domain
stringlengths 6
40
| maintext
stringlengths 68
80.7k
⌀ | url
stringlengths 20
1.44k
| fasttext_language
stringclasses 1
value | date_publish_final
timestamp[s] | path
stringlengths 76
110
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[
"Jake Malooley",
"Leor Galil",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:18 | null | 2016-08-24T20:09:00 |
Zach Baron’s profile on Chicago MC Chance the Rapper includes details that will surprise even longtime local fans.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fchance-the-rapper-talks-rahm-emanuel-kanye-west-chicago-poverty-porn-and-drug-use-in-a-new-gq-profile.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23299749/besthiphopartist-chancetherapper-2-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Chance the Rapper talks Rahm Emanuel, Kanye West, Chicago ‘poverty porn,’ and drug use in a new GQ profile
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Airborne Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Filmed by Bike Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water How to Tell You're a Douchebag Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Las Voces Level Up Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection The Neon Demon Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience Sunshine Day A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D The Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/24/chance-the-rapper-talks-rahm-emanuel-kanye-west-chicago-poverty-porn-and-drug-use-in-a-new-gq-profile
|
en
| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/24b90327fd6d4424644ee9deb9e403b53e566cd287108a35a5eefa535c2b336f.json
|
[
"Julia Thiel",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T08:47:21 | null | 2016-08-12T14:33:00 |
Challenged to create a dish with ant eggs, Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp of Honey Butter Fried Chicken first had to find some.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F12%2Fthe-chefs-at-honey-butter-fried-chicken-make-chicken-wings-with-a-pop-of-ant%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23140810/ki-anteggs-christine_cikowski-honeybutterfriedchicken-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The chefs at Honey Butter Fried Chicken make chicken wings with ‘a pop of ant’
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Eating ant eggs is common in Mexico, where they're called escamoles, and in Thailand, where they're used as a tart accent to salads, omelets, and other dishes. In Chicago, though, the ant eggs and pupae of the type usually consumed are few and far between. So when Tony Lomanto and Anthony Alfonsi of Kuma's Corner challenged Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp to create a dish with ant eggs, the Honey Butter Fried Chicken chefs had to do some searching.
After looking online with no luck they started asking other chefs for sources, which led them to Iliana Regan of Elizabeth. "I thought that made perfect sense because she does a lot of foraging," Cikowski says. "In the back of my head I thought, 'Maybe she'll go find us some out in the nature.' But she had some dried ones."
click to enlarge Julia Thiel
Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp
Kulp says that while fresh ant eggs are white and creamy (a conclusion he reached from reading about them, since he's never actually seen fresh ant eggs), the dried ones are small and dark. "The bag we have seems to be a mixture of ant eggs and actual ants," he says. Cikowski adds, "You can kind of see the little bodies—they're like little friends in there."
The eggs taste salty and tart, Cikowski says, and smell oddly like coffee beans. She and Kulp used them two ways, sticking to what they know best: fried chicken wings. For a Thai twist, they made a fish-sauce caramel with jalapeño, red onion, garlic, lemongrass, and sugar cooked together until sticky; after being fried the wings are glazed with the caramel and tossed with ant eggs and fried garlic bits. On top goes a garlicky aioli made with lemongrass and ant eggs (crushed together with a mortar and pestle, which Cikowski says makes the eggs smell like cumin), egg yolk, and the oil in which the garlic was fried, plus a bit of salt and vinegar.
You really can taste the ant eggs in the chicken wings, the chefs say, particularly in the aioli. "Especially if you get one of the crunchy bits, it's kind of this pop of . . . ant," Cikowski says. But while both chefs agree that the dish is delicious enough to go on the menu, they're not sure people would order it. "Maybe if we don't mention the ant-egg component," Kulp says.
click to enlarge Julia Thiel
Fish-sauce-caramel wings with ant-egg crumble and ant-egg mayo
Kulp and Cikowski have challengedof Johnny's Grill to create a dish with. "She's known for her burgers, so we thought it would be good to give her something that's a meat alternative," Cikowski says.2 tablespoons rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)1 tablespoon lemongrass, roughly chopped3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped½ red onion, roughly chopped1 jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped¾ cup fish sauce¾ cup water1 cup sugarCombine the oil, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and jalapeño in a small, sturdy pot and heat on medium until the aromatics are softened and beginning to brown. Add the fish sauce, water, and sugar to the pan and stir together to combine. Simmer gently until sauce has reduced and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Strain the sauce and reserve.1 bulb garlic, finely minced½ cup rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)1 teaspoon dried ant eggsCombine the garlic and oil in a small saute pan or pot and heat to medium, stirring frequently until the garlic is toasted and lightly browned, about five minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic get toodark. Immediately remove the garlic from the pan by pouring over a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the garlic oil for the mayonnaise. Cool the garlic bits and then combine with the dried ant eggs and reserve to sprinkle on the wings.1 teaspoon lemongrass, soft inside leaves only, minced1 teaspoon dried ant eggs1 egg yolk½ cup garlic oil (from ant-egg crumble recipe)1 cup rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)1 teaspoon rice vinegarSalt to tasteIn a mortar and pestle, combine the lemongrass and dehydrated ant eggs and grind until the ant eggs are combined with the lemongrass into a paste. In a bowl, combine the ant egg and lemongrass mixture with the egg yolk and slowly trickle in the garlic oil and rice bran oil while whisking vigorously to create a mayonnaise. (Add a splash of water if the mixture becomes too thick.) Add the vinegar and season with salt to taste.10 whole chicken wings1 cup cornstarch1 cup rice flour1 teaspoon kosher salt2 quarts oil for frying (rice bran oil or other neutral high-heat oil such as peanut, grapeseed, or canola)1 cup fish-sauce caramel2 tablespoons ant-egg crumble3 tablespoons ant-egg mayoCombine the cornstarch, rice flour, and salt and toss the wings in the mixture to coat. Add the wings to 330-degree oil and fry until the wings are cooked through, crisped, and lightly colored, about ten minutes. Cool the wings and increase oil temperature to 360 degrees.When ready to serve, heat the fish-sauce caramel over low heat to warm.Add the wings to the hot oil and fry until crispy and golden, about five minutes. Remove the wings and let excess oil drain off. Place wings into a large bowl and add the caramel and toss to coat the hot wings. Add the ant-egg crumble to coat the wings as well. Season to taste with salt.Serve the wings with a side of ant-egg mayo for dipping.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/12/the-chefs-at-honey-butter-fried-chicken-make-chicken-wings-with-a-pop-of-ant/
|
en
| 2016-08-12T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/17bd0d75e9467b1c1dd5e82df9c415b1c1948c34b337164db802bd13b86f6fad.json
|
[
"Tal Rosenberg"
] | 2016-08-28T16:47:20 | null | 2016-08-17T04:00:00 |
Lettuce Entertain You’s new “Mediterranean” spot is all over the map.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Flettuce-entertain-you-ema-israeli-mediterranean-restaurant%2FContent%3Foid%3D23192158%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23192411/fnd_review-ema-teaser-1.jpg
|
en
| null |
Ema, the Israeli restaurant that’s not Israeli
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/lettuce-entertain-you-ema-israeli-mediterranean-restaurant/Content?oid=23192158&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-17T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/2ef71110854914261d38aeac9f873392f95bb3b114023ddd1b2dde654d0df73c.json
|
[
"Julia Thiel",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T08:47:17 | null | 2016-07-29T12:45:00 |
Watch Jenn Fink of Pub Royale create a vinegar cocktail with a bite.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F07%2F29%2Flearn-to-make-a-cocktail-using-shrubs-the-trendy-vinegar-based-fruit-syrups%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23004280/cc-apple_cider_vinegar-jenn_fink-pub_royale-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Learn to make a cocktail using shrubs, the trendy vinegar-based fruit syrups
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence of Arabia Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D The Sting Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/07/29/learn-to-make-a-cocktail-using-shrubs-the-trendy-vinegar-based-fruit-syrups/
|
en
| 2016-07-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/94aee5ac6719f8c9c6608b588bf66863bfe61843f0e778113334122a316e975e.json
|
[
"Julia Thiel",
"Anne Ford",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:31 | null | 2016-08-25T16:30:00 |
Challenged to create a drink with popcorn, Matthew Jannotta infused corn whiskey with butter for a buttered popcorn cocktail.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fwatch-a-soho-house-chicago-bartender-make-a-buttered-popcorn-inspired-cocktail.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23320430/cc-popcorn_matthew_jannotta-soho_house-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Watch a Soho House Chicago bartender make a buttered popcorn-inspired cocktail
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Airborne Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Filmed by Bike Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water How to Tell You're a Douchebag Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Las Voces Level Up Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection The Neon Demon Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience Sunshine Day A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D The Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/watch-a-soho-house-chicago-bartender-make-a-buttered-popcorn-inspired-cocktail
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/3a2bd7c3ec61f2cdf59ead2fe56cdd0ee6316feea4ce2e471e676284783753a6.json
|
[
"Ben Joravksy"
] | 2016-08-30T22:47:41 | null | 2016-08-26T01:00:00 |
The district pays schools the same amount regardless of a teacher’s level of pay or experience.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fcps-diprima-emanuel-garza-teacher-layoffs%2FContent%3Foid%3D23382589%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23382621/fob-politics_diprima-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
CPS budget cuts lead principals to lay off experienced but expensive teachers
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cps-diprima-emanuel-garza-teacher-layoffs/Content?oid=23382589&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/18c2b41813760c75f444c531ab2fff3f8a7389121c2d9f4a84bb45211f8e7c05.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Leor Galil",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:16 | null | 2016-08-26T06:00:00 |
Also, the University of Chicago advises incoming students about its "commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression" on campus, as opposed to "intellectual safe spaces."
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-white-sox-will-play-at-guaranteed-rate-field-in-2017-and-other-chicago-news.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319372/bx032_50d3_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
The White Sox will play at ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ in 2017, and other Chicago news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
The Chicago White Sox play an August game at U.S. Cellular Field, which as of November will be named after a Chicago-based mortgage firm.
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Friday, August 26, 2016.
Weather: A beautiful day to end the week
Friday will be beautiful, with a high of 81 and a low of 70. It will be partly sunny. Enjoy the weather while it lasts—it might rain Saturday and Sunday. [AccuWeather]
From Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field
The home of the White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field, is being renamed Guaranteed Rate Field as of November 1. Local mortgage company Guaranteed Rate Inc. bought the naming rights to the south-side stadium in an undisclosed financial deal. Reaction to the new name online has not been positive: fans quickly turned to social media to poke fun at the new name. But MarketWatch has put together a list of stadium names actually worse than Guaranteed Rate, including the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. [MarketWatch]
University of Chicago to class of 2020: There are no "intellectual safe spaces" or "trigger warnings" here
The University of Chicago has informed incoming students of the class of 2020 that they should expect a "commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression" on campus that will challenge them, not "intellectual safe spaces" or "trigger warnings" about unpopular or different opinions. Dean of Students John Ellison wrote to the incoming class: "Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial and we do not condone the creation of intellectual safe spaces where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own." [Inside Higher Ed] [Chicago Maroon]
Top Republican donors in Illinois don't agree on Clinton v. Trump
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump isn't having much luck winning over Illinois's top political donors. Of three major Chicago donors to Republican nominee Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign—Ron Gidwitz, Dan Webb, and William Kunkler—only Gidwitz is fund-raising for Trump. Webb has given money to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and Kunkler refuses to help either Clinton or Trump, calling the election a "bad situation." [Associated Press via Daily Herald]
Inmates at juvenile detention center sue Fox, Cook County over Empire filming
Hundreds of inmates at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center charge that they were put into lockdown while the popular Fox series Empire filmed two episodes there last summer, according to a new class action lawsuit filed by two of the inmates. "The Fox Defendants deliberately encouraged the Government Defendants to improperly place the JTDC on lockdown during the filming of Empire, for commercial benefit," the lawsuit says. [Deadline]
Wanted a brick from Harpo Studios? Construction workers now banned from handing them out
Oprah fans, former employees, and West Loop residents started heading to the site of the former Harpo Studios—now demolished to make way for McDonald's new headquarters—asking for bricks from the walls that once housed The Oprah Winfrey Show. But the bricks proved to be so popular that construction crews have now been banned from handing out any more of them. [DNAinfo Chicago]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/the-white-sox-will-play-at-guaranteed-rate-field-in-2017-and-other-chicago-news
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/6b4e0723be0eac893e8849675892d0df585f6a65be895c30ab9cec6e2036651d.json
|
[
"Dan Savage"
] | 2016-08-28T08:47:18 | null | 2016-08-25T01:00:00 |
This week’s guest Dan Savage offers advice on impotence, pegging, and more.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fdan-savage-love-impotence-pegging-hand-jobs%2FContent%3Foid%3D23299747%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23299751/thinkstockphotos-471970182.jpg
|
en
| null |
Daniel Savage, designer, says break up, pay up, and lie
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/dan-savage-love-impotence-pegging-hand-jobs/Content?oid=23299747&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/709899cfa8c1c5cb37eb30ecbd6c4bda30f44e1063fef29b970f76f5ac369830.json
|
[
"Renata Cherlise",
"Danielle A. Scruggs",
"Derrick Clifton",
"Evan F. Moore",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Oriana Koren",
"Bobtalamine",
"Becky Frass",
"Sara Cohen",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-27T16:47:05 | null | 2016-05-03T10:00:00 |
In this election year, we look back at the history of black voter mobilization in Chicago and in the south.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F05%2F03%2Fa-visual-history-of-the-black-vote%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/21941328/mayor_harold_washington_32703472-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
A visual history of the black vote
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Die Before Blossom Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection The Neon Demon Not Welcome Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Spirits of Rebellion: Black Film From UCLA Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D The Sting Story Jam Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs Welcome to Monster High
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/05/03/a-visual-history-of-the-black-vote/
|
en
| 2016-05-03T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/18f52524e9917681acf838080f5adeb938e334cb88dc00a34498b73152705b2e.json
|
[
"Hank De Zutter"
] | 2016-08-30T06:47:32 | null | 1989-09-21T04:00:00 |
Among the different groups at the antiwar and radical gatherings here during the late 60s and early 70s, one contingent stood out in marked contrast...
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fgroup-efforts-rising-up-angry-and-the-greasers-revolution%2FContent%3Foid%3D874469%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
Group Efforts: Rising Up Angry and the greasers' revolution
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/group-efforts-rising-up-angry-and-the-greasers-revolution/Content?oid=874469&show=comments
|
en
| 1989-09-21T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/a6be905741f2ef6bce5180b4ecd54f094e5a169f324f38df2e90d21721ec6adb.json
|
[
"Ryan Smith",
"Anne Ford",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:38 | null | 2016-08-23T13:23:00 |
The celebrity appearances at the comic convention offered surreal, stupid, and genuinely human moments.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2Fx-files-and-back-to-the-future-stars-survived-some-awkward-moments-at-wizard-world.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23271227/unnamed-9.jpg
|
en
| null |
X-Files and Back to the Future stars survived some awkward moments at Wizard World
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Costars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny joke at The X-Files reunion panel at Wizard World Chicago on Saturday.
click to enlarge Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, and Christopher Lloyd at the Back to the Future reunion at Wizard World.
reunion during Wizard World Chicago last Saturday opened on a cringe-inducing note. Moments after the quartet of cast members, including stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, strolled onto the stage and sat down for a 45-minute Q&A session, a young spiky-haired panel moderator kicked things off with an utterly vacuous question: "So . . . what's your favorite pizza?"A wave of delight rippled through the thousands offans packed into the expansive ballroom in suburban Rosemont—but the actors' dumbfounded silence seemed to say, "Seriously, you paid us all this money and then you ask us about pizza?" Finally Duchovny—slouching in the middle of a couch and wearing his trademark expression of I-don't-give-a-shit bemusement—shrugged and sarcastically muttered "Chicago?"Spending a weekend speaking at panels and signing autographs at a comic con like Wizard World has become old hat for working actors. Once novel, a convention appearance is now just another cog in the PR machine of movie or TV show promotion. It's Hollywood's equivalent of a rally for a presidential candidate: a tool used to whip up passion and excitement among an entertainment property's most ardent enthusiasts.But as last Saturday afternoon's marquee appearances proved, the symbiotic relationship between celebrities, fans, and the entertainment industry can be a tenuous one in the wilds of Big Con, where there's no script and often no savvy host to insulate a star from stupid questions and awkward fans. Nothing at Wizard World qualified as a disaster, certainly nothing as bad as when Jesse Eisenberg got flak last summer when he described his experience dealing with hordes of screaming people at San Diego Comic-Con as like "some kind of genocide. I can't think of anything that's equivalent." (He later apologized with the excuse that he was playing up his role as Lex Luthor in.) Instead Wizard World Chicago offered a mixed bag of absurd, funny, soulful, and mildly contentious moments.One model of success at comic conventions is B-movie idol Bruce Campbell, who wears the events like a second skin. The star of the cult-favoriteand other low-budget horror films exudes a hammy vaudevillian swagger that feels like an extension of his onscreen persona. At a session promoting his Starz seriesand as host of a Wizard World horror-movie festival he programmed, Campbell strutted around in a gaudy purple suit and riffed with the crowd while handing out fake-blood-splattered chainsaws as awards. "You guys are great!" Campbell bellowed at a screening. The audience roared.Few other Hollywood types can harness Campbell's fan-friendly brand of canny method acting at cons. But then again, for theandcrews, there's much less at stake.producer and cowriter Bob Gale announced as much at the beginning of the reunion panel that featured stars Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, and Christopher Lloyd. According to Gale, a new entry to the beloved trilogy or a reboot with younger actors are both out of the question."The answer is no," he said. "We should leave well enough alone." Gale's stance came across as sacrilege in the worlds of Hollywood and rabid fandom—both seemingly ever ready for the next iteration of a known franchise.That didn't stop adevotee from asking about a sequel a few minutes later. "Sorry, we're not going to answer that," said Michael Klastorin, the panel's moderator and author of a pair of-related books. Klastorin similarly shot down an audience member who posited a question about a continuity error in. "The answer is on the Internet," Klastorin replied. "Go google it."Klastorin's brusqueness was a sharp contrast to Fox's genuine joy at his reunion with costars Thompson and Lloyd. It was hard to watch the still-boyish looking Fox, who displays the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and not feel deep affection for him as he praised his castmates and recalled, with a smile, anecdotes about the pleasures of working on the film series. "It was an amazing whirlwind," he said. "One moment I'm reading the script and all of a sudden I'm in a parking lot with flames coming through my legs."Such enthusiasm was muted at thepanel, thanks in part to some uninspired questions the host and fans posed to Duchovny, Anderson, Mitch Pileggi (Agent Skinner), and William B. Davis ("the Smoking Man"). The follow-up to the aforementioned pizza inquiry was a question about why the 90s sci-fi series has endured in the pop-culture imagination after more than two decades. Duchovny initially sleepwalked through a boilerplate answer, something about how uniquewas for its time. Then he stopped suddenly and gave a more honest response: "You know, I appreciate your questions, but we're, like, the last people qualified to answer some of these things," he said. "The fans sitting out there, they're the ones that could tell you why it's popular."Gillian Anderson looked exhausted when floated a question about first impressions of hercostars. "I don’t know. That was a long fucking time ago, you guys," she said with a sigh. She also couldn't muster a response to a question about her favorite moment from the show. "You really should prepare for these things," Duchovny said wryly after an overlong pause from Anderson.Sometimes the off-the-cuff moments worked in the panel's favor: Duchovny and Anderson's banter was heavy with flirty double entendres that felt like a pleasant reminder of the duo's natural chemistry as Mulder and Scully on the show.A young classical musician askedcast for insight about landing a job in a creative field. Pileggi offered a standard "never give up" reply, but then Duchovny waxed philosophical: "Everything always feels transitional," he mused. "Learn to find comfort in that anxiety." Anderson's answer was downright confessional: "I'm always afraid. But you just fucking do it."A few minutes later Anderson backed off her own advice when a superfan walked up to a microphone and showed off a large colorful portrait of Duchovny as Mulder tattooed on her right arm. She said she planned to add the rest of thecast to her body. "Don't," said Anderson looking alarmed. "Stop."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/23/x-files-and-back-to-the-future-stars-survived-some-awkward-moments-at-wizard-world
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/84341ff4cfb9a12894713f02ec7ed563fe7cf65760c9fd7906474bdc6227d00b.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Miles Raymer",
"Aimee Levitt",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-29T22:47:32 | null | 2016-08-29T10:22:00 |
Also, Rahm shuts down rumors that he will be the next ambassador to Israel.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2Ftrump-stirs-controversy-with-tweet-about-fatal-shooting-of-dwyane-wades-cousin-and-other-chicago-news%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23361201/bx119_4c90_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
Trump stirs controversy with tweet about fatal shooting of Dwyane Wade's cousin, and other Chicago news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Family members and supporters hug Diann Aldridge during a vigil for her daughter Nykea Aldridge Sunday.
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Monday, August 29, 2016.
Weather: Sunny and lovely
The week will start out with beautiful and sunny weather. Expect a high of 83 and a low of 71. [AccuWeather]
Trump tries to capitalize on shooting death of Dwyane Wade's cousin
Nykea Aldridge, a mother of four children and cousin to Chicago Bulls star Dwyane Wade, was shot dead on the south side Friday. Aldridge was not the intended target of the shooting, and two brothers were charged for the crime Sunday. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump caused controversy when he referred to the high-profile homicide to campaign on Twitter writing, "Dwayne Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!" [Washington Post] [Sun-Times]
Chicago police apologize to rapper Rhymefest after tweet
Rapper and former aldermanic candidate Rhymefest posted a video on Twitter showing himself arguing with Chicago cops when he went to report an armed robbery Saturday. "You wonder we don't report crimes? The police treated me disgustingly," he wrote to his followers. The Chicago Police Department responded and apologized for the incident and said they will be addressing the issue. [CNN]
Rahm calls rumors that he'll be ambassador to Israel "ridiculous"
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has denied rumors that he might be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel if Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wins in November. "One can't say they're not flattered," Emanuel said at a press conference Thursday. "I'm absolutely not interested." [Crain's Chicago Business] [NBC Chicago]
Museum of Contemporary Art plans major renovation, hopes to increase attendance
The Museum of Contemporary Art will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017 and the museum is planning a major $15 million renovation and new exhibits in order to stay "relevant," according to Crain's Chicago Business. "We really are trying to build loyalty with the Chicago audience," the MCA's chief curator Michael Darling told the publication. [Crain's Chicago Business]
PAWS Chicago shelter rescues animals from Louisiana floods
Twenty-six cats and dogs were rescued from the Louisiana floods by no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago. Moving the pets to the shelter's Little Village medical facility will help the overwhelmed shelters in Louisiana and Chicago residents will be able to adopt them. "Everything down there was really chaotic. Some of the shelters are flooded and actually can't accept any animals, others shelters are trying to move out all of their strays to try to make room for displaced animals," Stacy Price, director of animal operations at PAWS Chicago, told the Tribune. [Tribune]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/29/trump-stirs-controversy-with-tweet-about-fatal-shooting-of-dwyane-wades-cousin-and-other-chicago-news/
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/65a7bdfcbd2b7ba935b3dd1fe67dad93edb18b383f01c93fdc9e36b8a657e123.json
|
[
"John Greenfield",
"Peter Margasak",
"Leor Galil",
"Anne Ford",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-27T10:47:02 | null | 2016-08-03T14:42:00 |
The suit names bus driver Charla Henry and her employer, Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F03%2Ffamily-of-bike-messenger-struck-and-killed-by-a-chicago-tour-bus-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23100707/fob-transit-blaine_klingenberg-lawsuit-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Family of bike messenger who was struck and killed by a Chicago tour bus files wrongful death lawsuit
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click image Jonathan Loïc Rogers
Blaine Klingenberg
"Disobeyed a solid red indication on a traffic signal"
"Failed to exercise that degree of care and caution that a reasonable person under similar circumstances would have exercised in the operation of the [double-decker] bus"
"Failed to keep an adequate lookout"
"Drove the . . . bus at a speed that was greater than was reasonable given the traffic conditions and the use of the highway"
"Failed to avoid hitting a bicyclist"
"Was otherwise careless or negligent in the operation of the … bus"
click to enlarge John Greenfield
A memorial to Klingenberg at the crash site at Michigan and Oak.
click to enlarge John Greenfield
Some 200 people on bikes filled the streets last month for the "RYB Fest" tribute to Klingenberg.
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Tuesday on behalf of the father of bike courier Blaine Klingenberg, who was fatally struck by a double-decker tour bus at Michigan and Oak during the evening rush on June 15. The suit names bus driver Charla Henry and her employer, Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company.According to friends of Klingenberg, he was on his way to meet up with colleagues at Oak Street Beach after work when the collision occurred. He was bicycling north on Michigan through the intersection when he was struck and dragged by the westbound bus. Klingenberg was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.The Chicago Police Department crash report laid the blame on Klingenberg, stating, "The victim disregarded the light at Oak and turned into the bus, causing the collision." Henry has not been issued traffic citations or charged with a crime. But in exclusive interviews with the Reader , two witnesses said they were convinced the bus driver was at least partly responsible for the messenger's death because she also entered the intersection after her light turned red.The wrongful death suit was filed in the Cook County circuit court by the bike-focused personal injury firm FK Law (a sponsor of Streetsblog Chicago, which I edit). Klingenberg's father, Walter Klingenberg, is named as the plaintiff. The document claims that Henry was guilty of one or more of the following acts and/or omissions:The suit argues that, in addition to being fatally injured, Klingenberg "suffered great pain and anguish, both in mind and body prior to his death."It also argues that Walter Klingenberg as well as Blaine's mother, Beverly Klein, brother Corey Klingenberg, and sister Kendal Klingenberg have suffered the loss of Blaine's "company and society."The suit seeks a minimum of $50,000 in damages, the minimum required to get a case into the circuit court's Law Division. However, FK Law attorney Brendan Kevenides believes the final figure will likely be much higher. "We’re looking for an amount commensurate with the enormous loss felt by the family," he says."At this point, much of the evidence points to the driver having entered the intersection on a red light," Kevenides adds.Chicago police detectives have reviewed video of the crash taken from an Office of Emergency Management and Communications camera at the southwest corner of Oak and Michigan, according to a statement from Police News Affairs, but haven't determined whether or not the bus driver was at fault. (OEMC denied aFOIA request to access the footage, arguing that allowing a civilian to see which parts of the intersection are visible to the camera would undermine efforts to prevent terrorism and other crimes.)FK Law plans to subpoena OEMC this week. Kevenides says the department will likely have two or three weeks to respond. Yesterday FK Law staff inspected the bus along with experts hired by the firm. "We've uncovered a lot, but there's a whole lot more info out there," Kevenides says. "Our strategy moving forward is to investigate exactly what happened and try to gain a much clearer picture than was previously reported."The first status hearing for the lawsuit has not yet been scheduled. A lawyer for the bus company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Family, friends, and coworkers of Blaine Klingenberg held a memorial bike ride and barbecue last month dubbed "RYB Fest," the name inspired by the hashtag #RideYoBike. According to organizers, the purpose of the event was "to raise awareness of insecurities in bike infrastructure, the presence and vulnerability of cyclists on the streets, and celebrate the life that Beezy brought to all of us."The ride began in Humboldt Park and continued downtown to some of Klingenberg's favorite standby spots, and proceeded up Michigan to the crash site. Afterwards, the group headed northwest to Richard Clark Park for a barbecue and trail riding at the Garden, a dirt-jump course within the park. About 200 cyclists filled the street in Klingenberg's honor.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/03/family-of-bike-messenger-struck-and-killed-by-a-chicago-tour-bus-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit/
|
en
| 2016-08-03T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/d8eb333bcac24bf01a429784f900fda741ccb2b117f7611917c2ebfcaab86bac.json
|
[
"Derrick Clifton"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:39 | null | 2016-08-23T14:30:00 |
Voter fraud is a disproven and even racist myth aimed at voter suppression.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Frauner-voter-registration-bill-veto-racism%2FContent%3Foid%3D23272289%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23272938/election_turnout_36534046-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Dear Governor Rauner: Voter fraud isn’t a thing
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/rauner-voter-registration-bill-veto-racism/Content?oid=23272289&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/6d5ece115014dd697af3df65f65ff727ab0b6c31949995c641c4707cfa6837d9.json
|
[
"Dave Kehr"
] | 2016-08-30T18:47:39 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Gene Wilder made his directorial debut with this amateurish 1975 comedy filled with gags that would have shamed the Three Stooges. Sporadic attempts at pathos...
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fthe-adventure-of-sherlock-holmes-smarter-brother%2FFilm%3Foid%3D1070832.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Gene Wilder made his directorial debut with this amateurish 1975 comedy filled with gags that would have shamed the Three Stooges. Sporadic attempts at pathos only add insult to injury, especially as acted by this Tonight Show cast (Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise). The film only serves to prove that Wilder has an even more serious anal fixation than his mentor, Mel Brooks—as incredible as that may sound. With Leo McKern, Roy Kinnear, and John LeMesurier.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-adventure-of-sherlock-holmes-smarter-brother/Film?oid=1070832
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/2a09f6c16896119c676e51c4a318091883c9b2201fe4d39a808f0bd711e7418f.json
|
[
"Luca Cimarusti",
"Leor Galil",
"Erin Osmon",
"Jake Austen",
"John Greenfield",
"Kevin Warwick",
"Tiffany Walden",
"Morgan Elise Johnson"
] | 2016-08-29T22:46:43 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
Long-running California punk band NOFX has made some pretty great records, but maybe don’t listen to all 13 of them in a row.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fis-it-possible-to-overdose-on-nofx%2FContent%3Foid%3D23278660.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23320426/nofx-luca-teaser-1.jpg
|
en
| null |
Is it possible to overdose on NOFX?
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
This spring, the Reader got an advance copy of NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories, written by the band with Jeff Alulis (aka late-period Dead Kennedys singer Jeff Penalty). It wound up in my hands, so of course I read the whole thing.
The book is a memoir a la Motley Crue’s The Dirt, and it details every up and down the popular California band has gone through since its inception in (holy shit) 1983. It’s a pretty entertaining read, diving into harrowing tales of desperation and addiction, explaining a wildly violent hardcore scene, and chronicling the struggles of a bunch of grimy punks in a pre-Nirvana world.
The book also details NOFX’s incredible successes, and how their DIY approach (not relying on radio play or major-label support) has managed to make them very wealthy.
The big question I had by the end of The Hepatitis Bathtub was “Is NOFX any good?” I mean, I dug the band when I was 14 or 15, but I haven’t given them a whole lot of thought since 1999. The best way to answer that question definitively, I decided, would be to listen to all 13 of their studio albums in a row. I can’t imagine what I was thinking.
Liberal Animation (1988) Not a bad start, all things considered. I find a lot of things about this record bothersome (the nonstop complaining about vegetarians, the tongue-in-cheek ripoff of Zep’s “Black Dog,” the fucking ska part), but it’s mostly the kind of fast, snotty hardcore-ish punk I aspired to play when I was in junior high.
S&M Airlines (1989) Oh no, the dreaded sophomore slump. This album is very terrible. Sloppy punk rock with a baffling edge of hair-metal shredding, topped off with some of the most brutally out-of-key vocals I’ve ever heard. The lowest point might be the closing cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” Woof.
Ribbed (1991) Also a painful listen. It’s similar to its predecessor, but packed with cringe-inducingly childish lyrics and straight-up joke songs, including one where front man Fat Mike explains at length how much he hates taking showers.
White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean (1992) A lot of NOFX heads apparently consider this a classic, but I’m having a very hard time with it. I mean, it’s leaps and bounds better than Ribbed, but it’s by no means great. Still present is the weird 80s-metal vibe, and the album is seriously half joke songs—including a lounge cover of Minor Threat’s “Straight Edge” with guitarist El Hefe doing a Louis Armstrong impression.
Punk in Drublic (1994) Whoah, what happened here? Suddenly NOFX got good. For the first time in this ridiculous undertaking, I’m not totally hating my life.
Heavy Petting Zoo (1996) Definitely a turning point for the band. This is the sound of NOFX growing up: thoughtful lyrical content, experimentation with genres other than pop punk and ska, and really great melodies. Who knew I’d get so much enjoyment out of a record whose cover art is a painting of a guy fingerbanging a sheep?
So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes (1997) Dude, maybe this is the NOFX talking, but I’m pretty sure NOFX rules. This is a legitimately excellent 90s skate-punk record, front to back. I even kind of dig the obligatory ska track.
Pump Up the Valuum (2000) Oh no. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I didn’t think it was going to happen so soon: all this shit is starting to blend together. And I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that I’ve listened to a decade’s worth of warp-speed skate punk in three hours. I think NOFX stopped trying.
The War on Errorism (2003) The most of-its-time NOFX record, The War on Errorism is largely about keeping George W. Bush from winning a second term. As someone who’s staring down the barrel of a possible Trump presidency, though, I can’t even begin to give a fuck about this thing.
Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing (2006) I am starting to resent NOFX. The opening track of this record, “60%,” comes right out and says that the band doesn’t really care, and it shows. The whole thing is a snooze—and maybe I’m thinking about it too much, but I’m actually sort of insulted. Oh no, NOFX is hurting my feelings now.
Coaster (2009) Remember back in 1996, when I said that NOFX had grown up? Well, they’ve apparently put out so many records that we get to hear them growing up twice. Maybe my brain has been poisoned by listening to so much of this shit, but I think I might really like this one. It’s kind of dark and “mature,” and the songs are pretty sweet.
Self Entitled (2012) My brain has officially gone numb. I have no idea what’s even happening on this one. I’m pretty sure it sounds like NOFX, though.
First Ditch Effort (2016) Judging by the lyrics on this album, which drops in October, Fat Mike has gotten sober—and he’s very open about it. Good for him, but when was the last time you heard a good post-sobriety record? Remember Generation Swine? v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/is-it-possible-to-overdose-on-nofx/Content?oid=23278660
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/7e6c563407ccd854809e5e898c2c72e82c891d28e52e34a76c3474b063987c7f.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:10 | null | 2016-08-24T06:00:00 |
Also, crime in Lakeview is on the rise in 2016, but it's still safer than a decade ago.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Ftrump-says-he-could-solve-chicagos-gun-violence-in-a-week-and-other-news.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23274778/bx216_56d2_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
Trump says he could solve Chicago's gun violence 'in a week,' and other news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani at a campaign rally in Akron, Ohio
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Wednesday, August 24, 2016.
Weather: There's a good chance of thunderstorms
Thunderstorms are likely during the day and evening Wednesday. Expect a high of 81 and a low of 73. [AccuWeather]
Trump to Bill O'Reilly: Tough police tactics could solve Chicago's gun violence in a week
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared on Fox News's The O'Reilly Factor Monday evening and suggested that Chicago's violence problems could be fixed in a week if the Chicago Police Department were tougher. A Chicago cop allegedly told Trump that he could solve Chicago's crime problem in a week with tough police tactics. [Tribune] [Video on Chicagoist]
Fixing Chicago Public Schools: the four schools of thought
Chicago magazine breaks down the four schools of thought on how to fix Chicago Public Schools' fiscal problems: austerity, revenue, corporate, and the "middle-roaders." Austerity is the plan championed by Republicans and Governor Rauner. Revenue is the idea favored by the Chicago Teachers Union, a few CPS officials, and many Democratic legislators. The "middle-roaders" are mostly parents, academics, and moderate elected officials. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his followers are in the corporate camp. [Chicago]
Data analysis: Crime is on the rise in Lakeview, but it's not as high as ten years ago
Crime is on the rise in Lakeview, but it's still not as dangerous as it was ten years ago, according to Chicago Police Department data. The neighborhood saw a 30 percent drop in robberies in 2015 compared to 2005 and a 60 percent drop in burglaries, but crime has surged in 2016. Forty-Third Ward alderman Tom Tunney told DNAinfo Chicago that he takes crime very seriously, and the neighborhood's recent transplants might not be used to the precautions required for city life, such as locking doors and not walking alone at night. [DNAinfo Chicago]
The owner of Bow Truss Coffee was arrested for domestic violence
Phil Tadros, the owner of Bow Truss Coffee, was arrested Thursday for allegedly biting a woman's finger in a domestic violence incident. Tadros also allegedly pushed the woman down on the ground, which caused abrasions on her arm, according to authorities. [DNAinfo Chicago]
Rhythmic gymnastics team from the suburbs makes Olympic history
Five gymnasts who train at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics in Deerfield made Olympic history in Rio by becoming the first U.S. rhythmic gymnastics team to qualify for Olympic competition. Natalie McGiffert, Kiana Eide, Alisa Kano, Monica Rokhman, and Kristen Shaldybin train have been training together for four years, and qualifying for Rio wasn't necessarily a goal in the early stages. "We didn't have the Olympics in mind when we first started," Kano said. "We were just taking it day by day to see how it would work out." [Tribune]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/24/trump-says-he-could-solve-chicagos-gun-violence-in-a-week-and-other-news
|
en
| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/b5d5bebea90cb512f55aaee9cae09f53b2cd8e3526882f3f033a652213530d4e.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T22:45:46 | null | 2016-08-26T15:32:00 |
Volume 45, Number 46
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fprint-issue-digital-edition-police-abolition-cover%2FContent%3Foid%3D23335785.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23335784/cover-082516-small.jpg
|
en
| null |
Print Issue of August 25, 2016
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/print-issue-digital-edition-police-abolition-cover/Content?oid=23335785
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/175625428e2de0fff94480f708dcc8569fac753247771a3628e963f8a9d02e32.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Sara Cohen",
"Jacob Arnold",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-30T18:46:39 | null | 2016-08-30T12:00:00 |
Peripatetic sound explorer Chuck Johnson shares a bill with former Date Palms bandmate Marielle V Jakobsons at Cafe Mustache on Thursday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fbay-area-guitarist-chuck-johnson-plugs-back-in-on-velvet-arc.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23382575/cj_shack-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Bay Area guitarist Chuck Johnson plugs back in on Velvet Arc
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Audience Choice Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Insanity of God The Intervention Jason Bourne Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers Premiere Party Q&A The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Kung Fu Hustle Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience Sunshine Day A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel The Untouchables War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/bay-area-guitarist-chuck-johnson-plugs-back-in-on-velvet-arc
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/91540280ac551dafb107e06cf3940bdcca378b1975fa491d352226134f418c41.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak",
"Isa Giallorenzo",
"Steve Krakow",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:50 | null | 2016-08-30T12:00:00 |
Peripatetic sound explorer Chuck Johnson shares a bill with former Date Palms bandmate Marielle V Jakobsons at Cafe Mustache on Thursday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fbay-area-guitarist-chuck-johnson-plugs-back-in-on-velvet-arc%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23382575/cj_shack-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Bay Area guitarist Chuck Johnson plugs back in on Velvet Arc
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Equity Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention It's a Complex World Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Kung Fu Hustle Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Second Mother The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs Zaza
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/bay-area-guitarist-chuck-johnson-plugs-back-in-on-velvet-arc/
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/dce3453ea806512c40218604f0197c775b206f85db9a347d6ca008380f1bc7d0.json
|
[
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Leor Galil",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:45 | null | 2016-08-25T15:27:00 |
Illinois law already prohibits fixed bail, and the poor are disproportionately jailed anyway.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fdojs-new-stance-on-bail-bonds-wont-help-poor-inmates-in-cook-county-jail.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23316792/cook_county_jail.jpg
|
en
| null |
DOJ’s new stance on bail bonds won’t help poor inmates in Cook County Jail
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Jessica Koscielniak/Sun-Times
A detainee at Cook County Jail
Criminal justice reform advocates celebrated this week as the U.S. Department of Justice first announced it would phase out contracts with private prisons, then said bail bonds that keep poor people in jail are unconstitutional.
However, don't expect the the DOJ's new position on bail bonds to bring relief to the hundreds of poor inmates awaiting trial at Cook County Jail. Illinois law already prohibits fixed bail, and the poor are disproportionately jailed here anyway.
The DOJ's take on fixed bail bonds—a specific price to be paid to secure release from jail—came in the form of a friend-of-the-court brief written in support of a plaintiff in a civil rights suit against a Georgia town.
Bail set "without meaningful consideration of an individual's indigence and alternatives . . . violates the Fourteenth Amendment," the department wrote.
The lawsuit was filed by a mentally ill man who had been arrested for public drunkenness and jailed for six days. The man's complaint argued that he was held only because he was unable to pay the $160 in bail, and that he was not otherwise a flight risk or a danger to the community.
Illinois is one of a handful of states that already outlaws fixed bails, and thus won't be affected by the DOJ's directive. That doesn't mean the status quo is good for poor arrestees here.
Illinois state law dictates that bond court judges must weigh 30 different factors in their decision to set bail amounts—among them, the defendant's criminal history, ties to the community, previous failures to appear in court, mental health, and financial means.
But meaningful deliberation about condemning defendants to await trial in jail is often scarce.
"There's a public perception that [bond hearings] are detailed hearings, that they're well-founded decisions," says Sharlyn Grace, a criminal justice policy fellow at the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, a court watchdog group. "But the decision about whether they're going to be incarcerated for that time is happening in 37 seconds, 25 seconds."
The situation in Cook County Jail is thus similar to that of other jails, including Rikers Island in New York City and the LA County Jail: large numbers of inmates are held awaiting trial on low-level offenses, sometimes for years, simply because they can't afford their bonds.
As of Wednesday there were 8,100 people awaiting trial in Cook County Jail. Of those, about 20 percent need less than $5,000 to get out, according to Cara Smith, chief policy officer for the Cook County sheriff's office and former director of the jail. Of those, around 170 people need less than $1,000 to be released.
"We unquestionably have people in the jail who are here solely because they are poor," says Smith. On rare occasions, Smith says she has seen inmates with bonds as low as $150 who nevertheless couldn't afford to leave. "When you're talking about very low level offenders who are charged with crimes of survival, they don't have $5, much less $1,000," she says. "You're essentially putting them on a no bond status—they're going to be in custody throughout the duration of their case."
And since "'justice moves at a glacial pace here in Cook County," as Smith puts it, sometimes people end up staying in jail longer than the prison sentence could have been for their alleged crime. The Appleseed Fund's Grace adds that people who are jailed tend to get harsher sentences because they agree to less favorable plea deals just to get out of jail in the short term.
In addition, county records and interviews with experts suggest that bail amounts have skyrocketed over the decades. Though there is no floor or ceiling to bond amounts in the county, one class of common bonds, D-bonds, rarely dip below $10,000 (or $1,000 needed to leave jail). In the 80s and 90s, D-bonds were sometimes in the low hundreds of dollars.
"People who are impacted by these high bonds are no wealthier today than they were 20 years ago," says Smith, adding that that poor African-Americans are disproportionately impacted.
The chief judge's office said that it is up to the discretion of each judge to assign the amount of the bond, but didn't comment further.
While the DOJ's position on fixed bail is encouraging to legal observers, Cook County stakeholders say that reforms here will require a much more meticulous approach.
"We have a much more nefarious problem here," says Smith. "While we have the same effect on the poor, it's trickier to get at because the statute [governing bond-setting] is so expansive."
According to Smith, the sheriff's office is drafting legislative proposals to address the problem of poor, low-level offenders awaiting trial in jails due to their inability pay bonds.
"We are very hopeful that this Department of Justice position and filing will result in a renewed focus on our bail statute and hopefully some legislative activity around changing it," Smith says.
And the Appleseed fund is now leading a local coalition proposing to get rid of money bail altogether.
"There isn't real evidence that having someone pay a money bond improves their rate of [court] appearance," says Grace. "It would be much cheaper in Cook County to have text message reminders than keeping people incarcerated."
"The Department of Justice position is in line with our thinking," Frank Shuftan, a spokesperson for Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, says in a written statement. "We will continue our work on this issue until only people who are a danger to the community or a flight risk remain in the jail prior to trial, and the crushing financial burden is lifted from Cook County taxpayers."
The county is in the process of implementing a new system for evaluating a defendant's risk, which the chief judge's office says will help judges make more calculated bail decisions.
Whether and how quickly that makes a difference for the hundreds of poor inmates awaiting trial behind bars remains to be seen.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/dojs-new-stance-on-bail-bonds-wont-help-poor-inmates-in-cook-county-jail
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/0b33d1e92bd0a45115b7b0b5f7b2b37aeba924b8adbfd06aba00d42936cbdf92.json
|
[
"Jake Austen",
"Leor Galil",
"Erin Osmon",
"Luca Cimarusti",
"John Greenfield",
"Kevin Warwick",
"Tiffany Walden",
"Morgan Elise Johnson",
"J.R. Jones"
] | 2016-08-29T22:46:40 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
There are so many reasons to be wary of the Misfits reunion. But nobody can argue with the songs!
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Foriginal-misfits-riot-fest-reunion-danzig-only-frankenstein%2FContent%3Foid%3D23276817.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23332458/misfits-thinker-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Thirteen thoughts on the Misfits reunion
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
1. I'm not going to see the Misfits reunion.
I'm sure the 13-year-old me (or the 23- or even 43-year-old me) would bean current me with a skull for saying this, but it's tragically true. I've spent thousands of hours listening to the Misfits' sublimely perfect horror-hardcore incantations, and despite the bad blood between front man Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only (who won a bitter legal battle to revive a hokey, Danzig-free version of the band in the mid-90s), I've always dreamed of seeing the original lineup reunited. These fiends need to be honored for devising an alternative template for punk rock during the genre's salad years (1977-1983), establishing Lodi, New Jersey, as the capital of America's Transylvania. No band represents the underground more perfectly to me, and I love their music six feet deeply. But . . .
2. It's not an original Misfits lineup.
Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo will be on the skins, which is awesome (though he's probably too good for the Misfits). But whither Arthur Googy? Why not Mr. Jim? Joey Image? More realistically, Robo, the iconic Black Flag drummer who played with the Misfits in the early 80s and did a decent job with a 2000s version of the band, would've been great.
3. Unless it's in a graveyard, the Misfits shouldn't be playing outdoors.
4. Jerry Only is cornball.
When I saw the middle-aged Only joyously bellowing Misfits classics in the 90s, he looked like a man so happy to be onstage connecting with fans that he didn't care how he might tarnish the band's legacy. That said, during that era the Misfits released doo-wop covers, recorded a version of "Monster Mash," did a theme song for the New York Rangers, sanctioned Misfits lounge music, got involved in pro wrestling, and appeared in a movie starring both members of Insane Clown Posse. If anyone doubted Danzig's authorship of the Misfits' vision, the straight-up goofball nature of the revived band proved it, casting doubts on Only's claims of creative contributions past and present. That said, Only's distinctive bass playing is the second-most-important element of the Misfits sound (after Glenn's howls), so his presence will mean something musically.
5. Doyle's dreadfulness
The best that can be said of the guitar playing of Jerry's brother Doyle, aka Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, is that it's so profoundly inept it ensures the band will have some sort of DIY feel. Aesthetically, Doyle was one of the keys to the Misfits' greatness. Buff and shirtless, looking like a gay-porn A-lister, he was the living comic book character his more gifted bandmates aspired to be (as Danzig especially seemed to prove with his post-Misfits workouts). But at the partial Misfits reunion during 2011's Riot Fest (when Glenn and Doyle did a few songs), he brought nothing to the musical mausoleum.
6. Glenn being Glenn
I am now and forever on Team Glenn. I recognize that it's hard to reconcile the jubilant genius of the Ed Wood-adoring young Glenn with the seemingly humorless Danzig of the past few decades, but I will never doubt his greatness, no matter how many conservative rants or terrible classical compositions I hear. I interviewed him at length once, and I got bullied for not knowing enough about the Spear of Destiny (the weapon that supposedly pierced Christ's side on the cross) and for not believing that it gave the Nazis magical powers. And I loved every second of it. But attitude? He's got a fucking attitude. His shenanigans at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin in 2011 tarnished the previous attempt at a Misfits reunion. So Texas is the reason I'm still skeptical.
7. Hatebreeders
I'm also worried that after decades of disgust, litigation, and resentment, Danzig and Only will have the kind of bad chemistry that in 1982 might've produced some wicked energy but in 2016 will just make them seem disconnected. When Bo Diddley reunited with estranged 1950s guitarist Jody Williams at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2002, they never looked at each other, and the result was sterile and unpleasant. So I'm wary of semi-consensual reunions.
8. Glenn's voice
His powerful weapon is not what it once was, though his recent work as an Elvis impersonator provides some hope that he'll surprise me.
9. Sing-alongs
That said, my prediction is that Glenn will point the microphone at the audience and let them sing somewhere between 25 percent and all of the lyrics. It could easily end up more akin to the crowd handling Handel at the annual Do-It-Yourself Messiah concerts and less like the anarchic chaos of the Misfits '83 Michigan public-access debacle/triumph.
10. Receding devilocks
11. Wheezing whoa-oh-ohs
12. But the songs!
God damn it, even if Glenn's voice is shot, Jerry wears a Giants jersey, Doyle strings his guitar wrong, everyone has an onstage tantrum, and Micky Dolenz fills in on drums, none of that will ruin the bloodcurdling brilliance of those magnificent monsterpieces, will it?
13. Fuck it. I probably will go see the Misfits reunion. v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/original-misfits-riot-fest-reunion-danzig-only-frankenstein/Content?oid=23276817
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/03b5672c9ae482468d9d0a4091b075c8c6319c7746f243ad8bf62648a79901a6.json
|
[
"Nico Lang",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Steve Bogira",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert"
] | 2016-08-28T08:47:11 | null | 2016-08-26T13:09:00 |
Even with the stopgap deal, government inaction was bad news for queer and trans people.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Flgbtq-people-were-especially-screwed-by-illinoiss-budget-impasse%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23333536/lgbt_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
LGBTQ people were especially screwed by Illinois’s budget impasse
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Scott Olson/Getty Images
Advocates say that any future cutbacks or budget stalemates could be life-threatening to Illinois's LGBT population.
The year-long war over Illinois's budget was a nightmare for social service agencies. And, as the Reader reported in July, even the stopgap deal reached at the 11th hour earlier this summer wasn't enough to reverse the damage done by a year of inaction.
Marginalized people dependent on social services were hit hard by the crisis: the elderly, populations with HIV, people of color, undocumented workers, youth, and the homeless, all suffered as a result of the impasse, even with stopgap measures in place.
But one group was particularly affected: LGBT people. These groups often rely on state funding in order to survive, and advocates say that any future cutbacks or stalemates could be life-threatening.
For example: as a result of the legislative logjam, 90 percent all homeless agencies in Chicago were forced to "deny assistance to people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness," within the past year, according to the Windy City Times. Because around 40 percent of all marginally housed youth identify as queer or transgender , that denial of service affected them disproportionately.
One of these groups is Lyte Collective, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to meet the needs of the city's queer homeless youth. That's become increasingly difficult during the ongoing budget crisis.
"The state budget impasse has had a devastating effect on organizations that serve youth experiencing homelessness," says Megan Wakeman, the Lyte's chief program officer. "Some programs have closed entirely, and others have been forced to make significant cuts and eliminate services. Programs have had to limit hours and location of services, resulting in significant reduction of young people who are able to get their needs met."
Many youth organizations, due to lack of funding, have been forced to focus on very basic services—like providing food and clothing—rather than more intensive, life-affirming resources—such as after-school programs and education.
"Our mission of being in the social services field and working with young people who are homeless and have experienced trauma is to empower them—help them build their identities, and see potential in their future," Wakeman says. "The question really becomes: Is that possible now? Realistically and honestly, is this something we can provide them?"
Chicago House, one of the city's largest resource centers for LGBT people affected by homelessness, poverty, and unemployment, remains severely impacted by the impasse, which has decimated the organization's funding.
CEO Scott Ammarell says the state originally cut the organization's funding in half and has only paid it about 35 percent of what it's owed for the services it provided in 2016. That outstanding bill—which Ammarell says amounts to around $240,000—has had a devastating impact on Chicago House, leading to staff layoffs and a reduction in the number of clients the organization serves.
"With the state not paying us, we are in jeopardy of having to make even more staff cuts and reduce services even further," Ammarell says. "I have no idea where the governor thinks people in need are going to turn once the state funding goes away."
He believes that trans people will be harmed the most by a reduction in the organization's programming.
"Transgender women—especially trans women of color—are twice as likely to be unemployed or underemployed than cisgender people," he says. If you take away the Chicago House dollars that we're using for employment services for transgender women, that service has no chance of being alleviated."
To add insult to injury, the organization has also lost out on federal funding as a result of the crisis.
"A lot of the money that the social service agencies receive from [the Illinois Department of Human Services] is used on matching dollars for federal grants," Ammarell explains. "Let's say that the state gives an agency like Chicago House $100,000. If we turn around and leverage that $100,000 with another $100,000 that comes from the federal government, we've now got $200,000 to address and use for our programs to support our clients."
"If the state of Illinois takes away $100,000," he adds, "they're really taking away $200,000 in services when those grants are matched."
Mental health programs in the state have likewise been decimated by the ongoing budget crisis. This is a huge problem for the LGBT community, as research from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that queer- and trans-identified people are three times more likely to experience mental illness, including anxiety and depression.
"Given the stress factors of being a minority, not being treated fairly and equitably—even in our families and churches—that can cause mental distress," says Rick Garcia, a longtime gay rights activist. "We often don't want to admit it."
Instead of helping those experiencing psychological distress, many end up behind bars: by some accounts, the Cook County Jail is the largest mental health facility in the state.
Again, LGBT people are disproportionately affected by this reality: a national survey released in February from the Center for American Progress and the Movement Advancement Project found that the percentage of LGBT folks currently behind bars is twice the rate of queer and trans people in the general population.
The $700-million shortfall for social service providers has also hit HIV-positive communities hard. There are about 43,500 people living with AIDS in Illinois, according to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
"That's really important, not only in terms of personal health for individuals but community health," says Ramon Gardenhire, vice president of policy and advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "What the data shows us is that if someone is tested and linked to care early, it minimizes their ability to pass the virus onto someone else. By not testing people and linking them to care, we're perpetuating HIV transmission in communities."
Gardenhire is blunt about how this would affect people living with HIV. "They die," he says. "When people don't have access to lifesaving medications, their health deteriorates."
As goes Illinois's social services, so goes the state: a recent report from the Associated Press showed that the federal government's "rainy day" fund—meant to be used in times of economic downturn—has been drained by the crisis. The account should have between $1.5 to $3 billion in it, but it's down to a reported $180 million.
Illinois's stopgap budget goes through the end of the calendar year. Ensuring future funding for these groups won't just help right the financial ship. As advocates say, it will also save lives.
Update: After publication, Chicago House told the Reader that since we first spoke to the group the state had come through with payment of approximately $140,000, or around 35 percent of what the group says it's owed for services provided in 2016.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/lgbtq-people-were-especially-screwed-by-illinoiss-budget-impasse/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/269a98d963d19323f3012789c7422ca316c2b6aefdaf13a88b0458b71c61d4f9.json
|
[
"Ryan Smith",
"Sara Cohen",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T00:47:08 | null | 2016-08-23T13:23:00 |
The celebrity appearances at the comic convention offered surreal, stupid, and genuinely human moments.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2Fx-files-and-back-to-the-future-stars-survived-some-awkward-moments-at-wizard-world%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23271227/unnamed-9.jpg
|
en
| null |
X-Files and Back to the Future stars survived some awkward moments at Wizard World
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Costars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny joke at The X-Files reunion panel at Wizard World Chicago on Saturday.
click to enlarge Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, and Christopher Lloyd at the Back to the Future reunion at Wizard World.
reunion during Wizard World Chicago last Saturday opened on a cringe-inducing note. Moments after the quartet of cast members, including stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, strolled onto the stage and sat down for a 45-minute Q&A session, a young spiky-haired panel moderator kicked things off with an utterly vacuous question: "So . . . what's your favorite pizza?"A wave of delight rippled through the thousands offans packed into the expansive ballroom in suburban Rosemont—but the actors' dumbfounded silence seemed to say, "Seriously, you paid us all this money and then you ask us about pizza?" Finally Duchovny—slouching in the middle of a couch and wearing his trademark expression of I-don't-give-a-shit bemusement—shrugged and sarcastically muttered "Chicago?"Spending a weekend speaking at panels and signing autographs at a comic con like Wizard World has become old hat for working actors. Once novel, a convention appearance is now just another cog in the PR machine of movie or TV show promotion. It's Hollywood's equivalent of a rally for a presidential candidate: a tool used to whip up passion and excitement among an entertainment property's most ardent enthusiasts.But as last Saturday afternoon's marquee appearances proved, the symbiotic relationship between celebrities, fans, and the entertainment industry can be a tenuous one in the wilds of Big Con, where there's no script and often no savvy host to insulate a star from stupid questions and awkward fans. Nothing at Wizard World qualified as a disaster, certainly nothing as bad as when Jesse Eisenberg got flak last summer when he described his experience dealing with hordes of screaming people at San Diego Comic-Con as like "some kind of genocide. I can't think of anything that's equivalent." (He later apologized with the excuse that he was playing up his role as Lex Luthor in.) Instead Wizard World Chicago offered a mixed bag of absurd, funny, soulful, and mildly contentious moments.One model of success at comic conventions is B-movie idol Bruce Campbell, who wears the events like a second skin. The star of the cult-favoriteand other low-budget horror films exudes a hammy vaudevillian swagger that feels like an extension of his onscreen persona. At a session promoting his Starz seriesand as host of a Wizard World horror-movie festival he programmed, Campbell strutted around in a gaudy purple suit and riffed with the crowd while handing out fake-blood-splattered chainsaws as awards. "You guys are great!" Campbell bellowed at a screening. The audience roared.Few other Hollywood types can harness Campbell's fan-friendly brand of canny method acting at cons. But then again, for theandcrews, there's much less at stake.producer and cowriter Bob Gale announced as much at the beginning of the reunion panel that featured stars Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, and Christopher Lloyd. According to Gale, a new entry to the beloved trilogy or a reboot with younger actors are both out of the question."The answer is no," he said. "We should leave well enough alone." Gale's stance came across as sacrilege in the worlds of Hollywood and rabid fandom—both seemingly ever ready for the next iteration of a known franchise.That didn't stop adevotee from asking about a sequel a few minutes later. "Sorry, we're not going to answer that," said Michael Klastorin, the panel's moderator and author of a pair of-related books. Klastorin similarly shot down an audience member who posited a question about a continuity error in. "The answer is on the Internet," Klastorin replied. "Go google it."Klastorin's brusqueness was a sharp contrast to Fox's genuine joy at his reunion with costars Thompson and Lloyd. It was hard to watch the still-boyish looking Fox, who displays the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and not feel deep affection for him as he praised his castmates and recalled, with a smile, anecdotes about the pleasures of working on the film series. "It was an amazing whirlwind," he said. "One moment I'm reading the script and all of a sudden I'm in a parking lot with flames coming through my legs."Such enthusiasm was muted at thepanel, thanks in part to some uninspired questions the host and fans posed to Duchovny, Anderson, Mitch Pileggi (Agent Skinner), and William B. Davis ("the Smoking Man"). The follow-up to the aforementioned pizza inquiry was a question about why the 90s sci-fi series has endured in the pop-culture imagination after more than two decades. Duchovny initially sleepwalked through a boilerplate answer, something about how uniquewas for its time. Then he stopped suddenly and gave a more honest response: "You know, I appreciate your questions, but we're, like, the last people qualified to answer some of these things," he said. "The fans sitting out there, they're the ones that could tell you why it's popular."Gillian Anderson looked exhausted when floated a question about first impressions of hercostars. "I don’t know. That was a long fucking time ago, you guys," she said with a sigh. She also couldn't muster a response to a question about her favorite moment from the show. "You really should prepare for these things," Duchovny said wryly after an overlong pause from Anderson.Sometimes the off-the-cuff moments worked in the panel's favor: Duchovny and Anderson's banter was heavy with flirty double entendres that felt like a pleasant reminder of the duo's natural chemistry as Mulder and Scully on the show.A young classical musician askedcast for insight about landing a job in a creative field. Pileggi offered a standard "never give up" reply, but then Duchovny waxed philosophical: "Everything always feels transitional," he mused. "Learn to find comfort in that anxiety." Anderson's answer was downright confessional: "I'm always afraid. But you just fucking do it."A few minutes later Anderson backed off her own advice when a superfan walked up to a microphone and showed off a large colorful portrait of Duchovny as Mulder tattooed on her right arm. She said she planned to add the rest of thecast to her body. "Don't," said Anderson looking alarmed. "Stop."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/23/x-files-and-back-to-the-future-stars-survived-some-awkward-moments-at-wizard-world/
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/12161dcdef53e7ed9879f50c2749af38809251ddb1d27dddad81d73d3f0d2a87.json
|
[] | 2016-08-29T06:47:22 | null | 2016-08-26T15:32:00 |
Volume 45, Number 46
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fprint-issue-digital-edition-police-abolition-cover%2FContent%3Foid%3D23335785%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23335784/cover-082516-small.jpg
|
en
| null |
Print Issue of August 25, 2016
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/print-issue-digital-edition-police-abolition-cover/Content?oid=23335785&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/cd8072badb046faf65ce57b5c3ed2e50e9e91bc9d7c050b332e54a46aa969866.json
|
[
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Anne Ford",
"Leor Galil",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:30 | null | 2016-08-25T10:13:00 |
Cook County's effort to bilk small music venues is like a plotline from Footloose.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fcook-county-has-become-an-80s-movie-villain-in-its-attempt-to-tax-small-music-venues-to-death.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23296257/194c1de3-7329-4b87-9622-935951e75690.jpg
|
en
| null |
Cook County has become an 80s movie villain in its attempt to tax small music venues to death
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge YouTube
The town preacher in the movie Footloose tried to ban rock music and dancing—sound familiar?
click to enlarge YouTube
Cook County has become the fascist principal who tells the slacker rebel to cut his hair and get a job.
Pop quiz: Who uttered the following line—a Cook County official commenting on the legalities of a tax on small music venues booking rock, rap, and DJ shows, or Reverend Shaw frompreaching about a ban on loud music and dancing?"Even if this was not a law—which it is, I'm afraid—I would have a lot of difficulty endorsing an enterprise which is as fraught with genuine peril as I believe this one to be."You had to think about it for a second, didn't you?In the past week or so, Cook County officials have essentially transformed into cartoonish, mustache-twirling villains from a snobs-versus-slobs 80s movie. They're the functional equivalent of John Lithgow's self-righteous Pentecostal preacher character from the 1984 film Footloose , outlawing dancing and rock 'n' roll out of fear of the spiritual corruption of the youth. (Ironically, Kevin Bacon's character is from Chicago and is shocked at the town's conservatism.) They're the fun-hating suits and stiffs who want to turn beloved clubhouses into parking lots; the fascist principal who tells the iconoclasts to cut their hair and get jobs; the priggish cultural elitist sneering at the music that "kids these days" love while huffily insisting something like Beethoven is "real art."At least that's what I gathered after reading the news the Reader broke about how the county is trying to strong-arm small music venues into ponying up hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. Its spurious claim is that clubs with a capacity of 750 or less that book rock, country, rap, and DJ shows have been cheating the county out of funds from a 3 percent county amusement tax because they're taking advantage of an exemption set aside for "live theatrical, live musical or other live cultural performances."In the county's view, only opera, ballet, symphony orchestras, and other so-called "fine arts" deserve a tax break. And by "fine," the county seems to imply arts events where white people of a certain age and income level politely clap while holding programs, where socialites go to rub elbows clad in expensive Italian fabric and tinkle gold-rimmed glasses at cocktail receptions. Venues that spell theater as "theatre," that have trustees and boards and big donors.The county is seeking to make the burden of the amusement tax fall instead on blue-collar bars and clubs that book . . . [] dreadfully lowbrow forms of music, especially venues that regularly book DJs. Because this is real-life Chicago in 2016, not an 80s comedy, there's no Ernest around to save camp, no Goonies with fistfuls of pirate treasure—just venues like the Empty Bottle, Beauty Bar, and Evil Olive employing a handful of lawyers to protect them from getting suddenly bilked by the government.Here's possibly the most surreal aspect of the whole ordeal: those lawyers will appear at a hearing scheduled for October 17 to reportedly present evidence and testimony from musicologists and working DJs in an attempt to convince the county of the cultural value of, say, house music. In effect, the county has put EDM on trial.County officials shouldn't need experts to attest to the cultural value of electronic music. All they have to do is look around Chicago. The record collection of the late, legendary Chicago DJ Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House, is on permanent display at Theaster Gates's Stony Island Arts Bank. Knuckles has an honorary street dedicated to him, as does the seminal DJ squad the Hot Mix 5, whose individual members also have been recognized with honorary street designations. The Museum of Contemporary Art hosted a David Bowie exhibition in 2014 and '15 and regularly hosts DJ performances at its afterhours events, and . . . hell, why do I even need to explain this?The truth is that Cook County isn't really interested in some kind of philosophical discussion about the nature of high art. It's acting as a tax collector, of course, not a cultural gatekeeper. It could try to extract funds from the opera, symphony, or moneyed fine-arts patrons with say, a financial transaction tax , but instead it decided to play the bully and shake down the little guys—the PBR-stained bars and divey dance clubs—for their lunch money.The county's villainy is absurd enough that you're forgiven if a certain 80s Twisted Sister refrain worms its way into your brain: "We're not going to take it! / No! We ain't gonna take it!"As much as I'd like this legal proceeding to end like an 80s music video or movie—an unlikely group of music-loving misfits rebelling against the fascist authority figure or banding together to organize a fund-raising concert—those who are opposed to the county's controversial stance are probably going to have to do this the hard way: by signing this petition that Chance the Rapper tweeted out last night, by writing and calling county commissioners, contacting Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, and showing up to the October 17 meeting to give 'em hell (and maybe a Daft Punk album).
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/cook-county-has-become-an-80s-movie-villain-in-its-attempt-to-tax-small-music-venues-to-death
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/7f2c752dce13ff88bf6ea9978bdad777b272b3b3bc18ceb8a563d28012f493ba.json
|
[
"Anne Ford",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:00 | null | 2016-08-25T16:12:00 |
"The demand got so crazy that I realized I had to charge money," Theodore Hahn says of his homemade hot sauce.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Frare-chicago-made-hot-sauce-wrath-of-hahn-inspires-burning-desire.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23321091/fob_chicagoans_theo_hahn_sauce-2-900.jpg
|
en
| null |
Limited-edition Chicago-made hot sauce Wrath of Hahn inspires burning desire
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Danielle A. Scruggs
"I don't know if you've ever had pureed jalapeño in your eye, but if you can imagine 100 drunk wasps trying to attack your face, that is what it feels like," hot-sauce hobbyist Theodore Hahn says.
click to enlarge Courtesy Theodore Hahn
Of Wrath of Hahn, its maker says "there is literally no other possible fucking name for this hot sauce."
"For a long amount of time I was basically a beige-atarian. I grew up in Wisconsin in a family of Korean immigrants, and my mother cooked Korean food deliciously, but I, being a gigantic idiot, was very, very picky. It wasn't until, like, high school that I realized I should just shut the fuck up and start appreciating it. "By the time I started to get really nutso about food, I didn't have any preconceived notions as to what I should try or what was good or what was lame. All I knew was that there was so much more stuff out there that I wanted to cram into my face. And then my college years coincided almost exactly with the introduction of the Food Network."A few years ago, I went online to see if there was any way to doctor up Huy Fong sriracha. That's the rooster sauce you get at Thai or Vietnamese restaurants. I found a basic recipe, and I tinkered around for a couple years, and everything I made was terrible. I have a bottle saved somewhere that you could pour into your car and drive to Milwaukee with."Finally I got to a version that I thought people might like. It's called Wrath of Hahn, and I want to give 100 percent credit to my genius friend Holly Dunsworth for coming up with that, because there is literally no other possible fucking name for this hot sauce."Anyway, to incentivize myself to get it out the door, I told my friends, 'I will trade this for whatever you want to make—candy bars, muffins, other sauces, whatever.' I thought I'd get a couple dozen friends to do it. It turned out everybody and their mom wanted to try this hot sauce. I did it again last year, and even more people wanted to get in on it."The demand got so crazy that I realized I had to charge money. That said, there is no money in this at all. What little extra I've made I've just put into buying a fridge to store the stuff. Early this month, I'm putting up 300 jars for sale—150 of the hot sauce and then 150 of a vinegar-pepper sauce. And when they're gone, that's it."It's very laborious, blending the peppers and garlic with brown sugar and salt to ferment. I have to do it out of my folks' house, because if you try to boil and blend and process 20 gallons of fermented red jalapeños and habaneros in a condo in the South Loop, I'm pretty sure the co-op board will throw you out a window."Now I wear gloves and goggles all the time. In years past, I have taken a rather cavalier attitude towards this sort of thing and have been punished for my hubris. Once, as I was cleaning up, I had sweat drip into my eye, and I wiped it away with my fingers. I don't know if you've ever had pureed jalapeño in your eye, but if you can imagine 100 drunk wasps trying to attack your face, that is what it feels like. You're basically just flushing and flushing and flushing and then lying down and then swearing a lot in front of your Baptist mom."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/rare-chicago-made-hot-sauce-wrath-of-hahn-inspires-burning-desire
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/896422f70d35c804516f6384de6787712c4615dd785c87669b07cf8f856e5a54.json
|
[
"Kt Hawbaker-Krohn",
"Megan Thielking",
"Jerome Ludwig",
"Sunshine Tucker",
"Sam Ribakoff",
"Reader Staff",
"Sam Worley",
"Les Jacobsen",
"Grant Pick",
"Bill Savage"
] | 2016-08-26T12:50:52 | null | 2016-08-25T17:00:00 |
The independent press’s book and record store hopes to join in the downtown food court’s spirit of community.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fcurbside-splendor-books-records-revival-food-hall%2FContent%3Foid%3D23319393.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319399/anc_lit-curbside_splendor-revival-6-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Curbside Splendor’s first storefront comes to Revival Food Hall
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Last week a cacophony produced by the use of various hammers, saws, and drills echoed through the forthcoming Revival Food Hall on South Clark, where construction workers were finishing up preparations for the enormous upscale food court. But final touches were being made much more quietly in the southeast corner of the space: Curbside Splendor, the longtime independent press specializing in what it calls the "extraordinary voices" of the midwest, was getting ready to open its first storefront operation. It's more stable territory for a bookseller well-known for hawking its merch on folding tables at festivals like Pitchfork.
"This new space is important because independent literature is going through a major development right now, where there are a ton of very successful presses," says Curbside's editor in chief, Naomi Huffman. "As a group, we're collectively producing some of the nation's most important literature."
For Curbside, opening a physical location was an opportunity to expand its readership and engage with the broader demographics of downtown foot traffic. While the press's team initially thought they would open a storefront in a familiar west-side neighborhood like Humboldt Park or Noble Square, Huffman says that the opportunity to participate in the Revival's community was a "no-brainer."
Accessibility is a recurring theme in the shop. Huffman notes that independent publishers like Curbside more accurately represent the wider public—there is more room for experimentation, genre hybridity, and identity exploration along the lines of sexuality and race, resulting in diverse voices typically ignored by big-box bookstores. There are graphic novels and poetry chapbooks from lesser-known authors slotted between more traditional prose works. Though the north side of the store is exclusively Curbside-issued material, the south end is filled with items from other smaller presses such as Drag City and Rescue Press. The outlet also offers independently produced records from Chicago-based labels like Grand Jury, a testament to Curbside's "deep roots in music."
These homegrown sensibilities extend to Curbside's relationship with its new neighbors. "Like the restaurants here, we are a sampling of what Chicago has to offer," Huffman explains. "It makes sense that we are here."
And since many people enjoy having a beer while they read, Huffman hopes that the storefront will be a natural companion to the restaurants' happy-hour specials. She also looks forward to hosting author talks in the space, though as of now none are scheduled.
The shelves are still filling up, but the pots of air plants and vintage tchotchkes speak to how Curbside's staff is making this shop a home. Rows of vinyl LPs wait for fingers to sift through them. It's a captivating opening to the publisher's latest chapter. v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/curbside-splendor-books-records-revival-food-hall/Content?oid=23319393
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/d09fb6900b6eb6b1419e37686ac10dda956f1ed328c096ac4187c81fe7ccfcdc.json
|
[] | 2016-08-28T08:47:13 | null | null |
Holstein Park, Chicago: This annual street fest, which supports arts education, boasts beer, food trucks, three stages of live music, more than 200 artists, activities for kids.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fbucktown-arts-fest%2FEvent%3Foid%3D22030942%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/22126016/8.27-bucktown-arts-fest-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Bucktown Arts Fest
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/bucktown-arts-fest/Event?oid=22030942&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/e3e08508cc1c066b2c04d170ccc02532860ad27cf892919ef627ede76285e00e.json
|
[
"Michael Miner",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Peter Margasak",
"Ryan Smith",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T20:46:51 | null | 2016-08-26T10:57:00 |
Haymarket's published version of Steppenwolf's This is Modern Art selectively excerpts some of the play's reviews.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Ffrom-books-blurbs-youd-never-know-these-critics-slammed-the-play%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23330553/screen_shot_2016-08-26_at_10.23.48_am.png
|
en
| null |
From book’s blurbs, you’d never know these critics slammed the play
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Steppenwolf Theatre Company
A still from the trailer of This Is Modern Art
Just wish I had also put something like this in my review: "When these kids are hauled into court will Steppenwolf set up a fund to pay their bail, hire a lawyer to see that charges are expunged from their permanent records (so they can get into a decent school or be hired for a good job), and finally reimburse their parents for missing days of work while they fix all this? A far better play might have helped kids think about how to engage their community and local politicians, and how to mount a campaign that might lead to getting more dedicated spaces for such work.
, a provocative play about graffiti artists, ran for a few weeks early last year as a Steppenwolf for Young Adults production. The play, by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval, was inspired by an action in 2010, when young graffiti artists working at night in a snowstorm spray-painted a 50-foot mural on the new modern wing of the Art Institute. (It was removed.)Both Chris Jones of theand Hedy Weiss of thehad harsh things to say about it. Jones at least calleda "romantic ode" before coming to his main point. "Graffiti comes at a price," he wrote . "It can be invasive, self-important and disrespectful of the property of others—and plenty of struggling folks have had to clean graffiti off something they own or love. Graffiti can be inartful, for goodness sake. More importantly yet, graffiti had the effect of making people feel unsafe in the city. It terrified people . . . You do not have to be conservative or somehow not down with youth to think it reprehensible that these issues do not have a place in a show for schools that is quite staggeringly one-sided."Weiss also believedwas making a one-sided case for vandalism. She called the play "wildly wrong-headed and potentially damaging." She wrote , "No amount of classroom discussion will scrub clean the irresponsible ideas promulgated in this play . . . Really, what could Steppenwolf have been thinking?"Now Haymarket Books of Chicago has just published This Is Modern Art , and Jones and Weiss agree no longer. On the back cover of the play (and on the Haymarket website ) are blurbs from Jones and Weiss (and others) culled by the publisher from reviews. (Jones and Weiss are identified by their papers, not their names, but in Chicago most everyone will know who wrote what.) And at least one blurb turned a critic into a cheerleader.Weiss is served up straight. Probably a smart move—the accusation that "irresponsible ideas" lurk inside won't discourage anybody from finding out what they are.But she's the contrarian. Every other blurb is admiring. This includes the one from the's Albert Williams, who called the play both "celebratory and cautionary—clearly sympathetic to the artists' point of view, but not blind to the impact their reckless act would have on their own lives."And, remarkably, it includes the blurb from Jones. Haymarket tells us he had this to say: "A romantic ode to the art of graffiti and the act of tagging, a piece that demystifies authorial signatures and charts the storied history of graffiti art in Chicago, shouting out its great artists and their canvases, from Kennedy underpasses to CTA train yards."When the reviews were originally written, Jones and Weiss both caught it from readers. They'd stirred up what American Theatre called a "veritable firestorm of debate and discussion in the Windy City, with accusations of racism and elitism being hurled" against the two of them."I don't reject the notion that I have a limited view," Jones told's Chloe Riley. "Obviously, I am who I am." However, "If you ask me what's personally difficult, it's to be called a racist, as I was, and to be called an idiot."The Haymarket Books blurb has the effect of telling Jones the name-calling is ancient history. The price Jones pays for this courtesy—if you want to call it a price—is to be quoted out of context. I wondered if he minded."Blurbs are promotional and I am at peace with that," Jones told me, in an e-mail shrugging off the question. "This always was a mixed review; not true of Hedy's very negative review, and she is entitled to her view. That said, in the ensuing reaction, it generally was argued we were one and the same. I doubt many people read my whole review. Ironic perhaps that it should be used in this way!"What then, was Weiss's reaction to finding herself once again playing Bad Hedy, contrarian to the world? "I am perfectly fine with it!" she answered. Her e-mail to me went on:As for Haymarket Books, I asked publicist Jim Plank why they'd used what they'd used from Jones, and he replied, "We think the quote is a good description of what the play is about." As for turning Jones's critique into a cheer, Plank told me, "We really don't see an issue here."The issue I'm certain of is misrepresentation. And it's not a big issue—as the alchemy of turning criticism into puffery is as old as the poster, the marquee, and the cynic. It's a low art, though, properly derided.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/from-books-blurbs-youd-never-know-these-critics-slammed-the-play/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/9307ee04ca37d59771197b8f680abc67ef83ae8e34520ade5fe4c06e6e81ed65.json
|
[
"Kt Hawbaker-Krohn"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:19 | null | 2016-08-25T17:00:00 |
The independent press’s book and record store hopes to join in the downtown food court’s spirit of community.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fcurbside-splendor-books-records-revival-food-hall%2FContent%3Foid%3D23319393%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319399/anc_lit-curbside_splendor-revival-6-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Curbside Splendor’s first storefront comes to Revival Food Hall
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/curbside-splendor-books-records-revival-food-hall/Content?oid=23319393&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/9347bdb20080138896bc645211f23464a7535dfcd410f0c7fcbf3a3777d5738b.json
|
[
"Jeff Nichols",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T12:47:20 | null | 2016-08-26T07:00:00 |
CPD printed the glossy lifestyle magazine Main 13 between 1921 and ’23.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-chicago-police-department-once-published-a-magazine-featuring-crime-fighting-tacticsand-casserole-recipes.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319375/nichols-main_13-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The Chicago Police Department once published a magazine featuring crime-fighting tactics-and casserole recipes
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge The official glossy lifestyle magazine of the Chicago Police Department was published between 1921 and ’23.
The covers of Main 13, the official magazine of the Chicago Police Department published between 1921 and 1923, seem to allude, at first glance, to simpler times for Chicago cops. The glossy magazine ran winsome illustrations of a traffic cop escorting smiling, well-dressed children across the street, a patrolman supervising a game of marbles, and a mounted officer delivering a hot meal to a widow on Christmas. Only the cover of the November 1922 issue depicting a copper shooting into dark alley hints at the dangers police faced nearly 100 years ago.
By almost all measures, Chicago was a safer city then than it is today, except for cops. With just 5,125 officers, CPD was less than half the size it is today, while the city's population in 1920 was 2.7 million people, roughly what it is now. The department faced a surge of crime after World War I: Between 1919 and 1920, 22 Chicago police officers lost their lives to gunfire, including 12 who were killed by armed robbers and burglars. In contrast, 22 officers have been killed in the line of duty between 1994 and today.
Although the press was concerned about the meagre benefits given to the families of officers who died in the line of duty, the service and life stories of a some fallen officers sometimes merited just a handful of sentences in Chicago newspapers. The Chicago Police Department was "more corrupt than ever in its history," state's attorney Maclay Hoyne complained in September 1920.
Named for the phrase a caller would give a telephone operator in order to be connected to the police, Main 13 was one inexpensive means for police commissioner Charles C. Fitzmorris-a former newspaperman and City Hall insider-to lift the morale of a besieged department and to boost its public image.
"Chicago's police force is in reality one big family," one editorial explained, "but it needs the humanizing influence of a magazine to make it acquainted with itself."
Supported generously by display advertisements, the magazine was sent for free to the families of officers, as well as to businessmen in and around the city, so they might "read what Chicago's police are accomplishing."
The magazine was run out of City Hall by Jack Lait, a renown Chicago newspaperman who later came to co-author the Confidential city guides, and Fred Drake, the business manager of Good Housekeeping. Each issue included a "Home Beat" section for "the women of policemen's families," featuring recycled home economics articles on such topics as delicious but ugly vegetables, and the ways that the French use left-overs. Other features-on subjects including how to best state a case in court, how to care for police horses, and how to best use tear gas-had the cheery, instructional feel of Good Housekeeping.
Chicago being Chicago, the mayor occasionally intruded in the magazine. In a meandering piece in the inaugural issue, Mayor William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson reflected on the lessons he learned as captain of the 1896 Chicago Athletic Football team; mused on the reasons why citizens love firefighters but sometimes dislike cops; lectured on how tourist dollars are important to the tax base that pays police; and suggested that anyone suspected of killing a cop should be shot down rather than delivered to court.
"This is not revenge, but for the protection of every man who travels [a] beat, as well as a square deal to the man who lost his life," opined the notoriously crooked Thompson.
Rank-and-file officers contributed the occasional cartoon or sentimental poem, but the vast bulk of the magazine was crafted by journalists and businessmen, many of whom reassured readers of the importance of the police to the city. The magazine provided example after example of the ingenuity, tenacity, and bravery of the city's officers. Patrolman Jeremiah Bowers, for example, was shot point-blank three times in a pool hall. Unscathed, Bowers managed to subdue and arrest his assailant.
"His escape from death was the most miraculous since Christ was on earth," exclaimed Bowers's captain, noting that the "bravest white man" in the ranks could not do more than what the black patrolman had done. (Unfortunately, the condescending profile was framed as the story to demonstrate the "good humor and docility and blind bravery and sometimes devilry" of blacks.)
The rest of the public, the magazine frequently lamented, didn't understand the hardships of being an officer. Tribune reporter John Kelley, a regular contributor, shared his wisdom from more than three decades on the crime beat, reflecting on the "horse sense" required to be a good police operator, the advantages and risks in using "stool pigeons," and the experiences of cops who adopted abandoned babies. A topic that appears to have been off limits was the issue of how police were compensated for the risks they took. The annual salary for rookie officers in 1921 was $1,640, an amount that today has about the same buying power as about $23,000 today.
The magazine ended its run shortly after Thompson's term as mayor ended; the new chief of police feared that its advertisements could become a source of corruption. Although crime had fallen during the Fitzmorris regime, his attempt to project the image of the Chicago Police Department as a wholesome, if not incorruptible police force, would be less successful; shortly thereafter, Chicago entered a phase of gangland crime from which the city's reputation has never fully recovered.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/the-chicago-police-department-once-published-a-magazine-featuring-crime-fighting-tacticsand-casserole-recipes
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/2b9d12ec53234fe1096307880cec2819b59824cd2550fdcb0ddd4ef4b4a632d8.json
|
[
"Luca Cimarusti"
] | 2016-08-29T22:47:33 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
Long-running California punk band NOFX has made some pretty great records, but maybe don’t listen to all 13 of them in a row.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fis-it-possible-to-overdose-on-nofx%2FContent%3Foid%3D23278660%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23320426/nofx-luca-teaser-1.jpg
|
en
| null |
Is it possible to overdose on NOFX?
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/is-it-possible-to-overdose-on-nofx/Content?oid=23278660&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/cbedc417967920fef0aa6912fb118101a9ba9ec6c1cd39e1316cbb2c4531b2b0.json
|
[
"Leah Pickett",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Sara Cohen",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:14 | null | 2016-08-26T15:30:00 |
The romantic drama, which recreates Barack and Michelle Obama's first date in Chicago, opens nationwide.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fjohn-legend-tika-sumpter-and-parker-sawyers-reflect-on-southside-with-you%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23336410/anc-movies-southside_with_you-premiere-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
John Legend, Tika Sumpter, and Parker Sawyers reflect on Southside With You
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Southside with You
click to enlarge Nicholas Hunt/Getty
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend at the Southside With You premiere during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
click to enlarge Nicholas Hunt/Getty
From left to right: Parker Sawyers, Richard Tanne, Tika Sumpter, and John Legend at the Southside With You premiere during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
click to enlarge Southside With You
click to enlarge Southside With You
click to enlarge Southside With You
In the late summer of 1989, Barack Obama drove from Hyde Park to South Shore in his rickety yellow Datsun hatchback to pick up Michelle Robinson, his colleague and adviser at the Loop law firm Sidley Austin, for what would become a historic first date. The short drive is the setting of the opening-credits sequence of, an endearing dramatization of the First Couple's initial romantic outing that stretches, like, across an eventful day and night.Written and directed by Richard Tanne, the low-budget indie—filmed in and around Chicago last summer and opening today—counts musician John Legend as an executive producer and composer; his song, "Start," plays over the end credits. Actors Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter (who's also a producer on the film) portray 28-year-old Barack and 25-year-old Michelle, respectively.When I spoke to Legend and, shortly thereafter, Sawyers and Sumpter at the Park Hyatt Chicago last week, the mood was an emanation of the film itself, thoughtful and warm (physically, the room was cold; Sawyers kindly lent me his jacket). Love was the focal point. "It's a love story," Sumpter said of, a point with which Legend and Sawyers agreed. "It's life," she said. "It's moments."Legend, 37, has won ten Grammy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and one Oscar, for Best Original Song (Legend cowrote "Glory" forwith Common and Che "Rhymefest" Smith, and performed the track with Common). "This is what I do," Legend said. "I'm all about love and I write about it a lot. And I think it's beautiful when you see a film that has that level of honesty and intimacy.""That's what I always try to do with my songs, too, because you want it to feel real, and you want it to feel like you could be in that position," he continued. "I think this film does a great job of making you feel like that. I think it makes you believe in love and the idea that you can find your match, and you can find someone who makes you better, and you make them better, too."I asked him if writing "Start" came from that place. "It came from me being in love," Legend said. In 2013, he married model Chrissy Teigen; their daughter, Luna, arrived in April. "But also appreciating the film," he said. "I love how simple it is, and how close you feel to them throughout the film.""They've lived these grand lives," Legend said of the Obamas. "But this film is close and small. And I wanted the song to feel like that too."Legend said he wrote the song directly after watching the film. "I was listening to the music as it was leading into where my song would come in," he said. "I literally based it on the key that was already playing, and the feeling that I was in as I was watching the end of it, and the song just flowed from me pretty quickly."For Sawyers, 33, and Sumpter, 36, playing a sitting president and first lady in a film—only a handful of other actors can say the same —was not as nerve-racking as one might expect. "It went from excitement to 'Now I gotta work,'" Sawyers said. "And that work was building a character, building a real person, and not just a caricature of the president we know. It took a lot of the pressure off, just getting down to do the work.""Yeah, it was just fun once we got here to Chicago," Sumpter said. "And the great thing is that we're playing them at such an age that the public hasn't really seen who they are, who they were at that time, other than a few videos online of their personal life. I think we stripped them down from 'the Obamas' of it all and went back to where they started."As executive producer, Legend read thescript early on and was impressed by Tanne's vision. "We're sure there's going to be a big biopic about Obama later," Legend said, "but just seeing the beginning of their relationship was pretty cool. And I think Richard did an awesome job of capturing the little intimate moments he imagined they had on that day."Legend also appreciated how the story emphasizes the personal rather than the political. "I don't feel like it's a propaganda piece," he said. "I feel it's truly about love, and truly an appreciation for a couple that has been just wonderful in office together."Juxtaposed with the "rancor and fear and darkness" of the 2016 presidential campaign, Legend said it's difficult not to have "a sense of appreciation for the class and the grace and the poise with which the Obamas have carried themselves" while in office, which also makes the timing of's release "perfect" and bittersweet."Because, especially in stark relief to what we're seeing with Trump," Legend said, "it's like, 'Wow, these guys really were refreshing and special, and we were fortunate to have them in the White House for eight years.'"I told Sawyers and Sumpter that, although they looked and sounded much like the Obamas onscreen, it didn't appear as if they were doing impersonations."The intention from the beginning was never to impersonate or make them like caricatures onor anything like that," Sumpter said, "because then the whole movie could just be a disaster. It could have been really bad."They both laughed. "It was surprisingly good," said Sawyers. "It could have been really bad.""Richard Tanne had, for me at least, an Obama meter"—Sawyers put his hand out, flat, and tilted his palm up and down—"That helped."Saywers described seeingfor the first time at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January, where the movie was warmly received, as something of a relief. "The music, the cinematography"—he credited Tanne and the film's director of photography, Patrick Scola—"I was so proud of it."When I asked how he had prepared for the role, Sawyers said he'd read President Obama's memoirs,and, long before he was offered the part. "But of course, I reread them," he said, "just to dig in to who this guy was by 28 years old, see what I could gather, and get inside his head." He said he wanted to get to the root of Obama's preternatural confidence, deduce the "why" of it: "So I could base his confidence not on, 'I'm just confident man, whatever,' but more because he'd moved around, because he'd been on his own, because he'd gotten himself into good schools."Sumpter took a slightly different approach. "For me, it was more about taking off the Michelle Obama who everybody loves and bringing it down to the girl from the south side," she said, "who's been told 'no' millions of times about things, what she could and couldn't do, what she couldn't achieve." She described Michelle as coming from a "humble and stable family," and noted the influence of Michelle's father, Fraser Robinson III, and his involvement in local politics. In addition, she said, "it was reading her brother [Craig Robinson]'s book,which informed me of who she was at that time, and also personal accounts of people who knew her then. That's how I got to her."I asked what it was like to film on location in Chicago. "It was perfect," Sawyers said (Sumpter agreed). "We filmed on Euclid Avenue,"—not on the same block where Michelle and her parents used to live, but "the block over" he said—"so you feel that driving down, like, 'He drove down this street,' and it just brought a whole level of realism that we could play off of.""And the city, the background, is beautiful," Sawyers continued. "The skyline. . . . After the community meeting, when we're walking . . . the skyline, ah. It's gorgeous."Legend has his own affinity for Chicago. "I come here as an outsider and a visitor," he said. "But with a lot of friends here." One of those friends is frequent collaborator Kanye West. "In fact, when I meet people from Chicago, they assume that I'm from here, just because I'm friends with Kanye, a lot of times," Legend said, laughing. "But this has always been one of the best cities for me to tour, the first city that played 'Ordinary People,' the first city that played 'Used to Love U.' People have always been supportive of me here in Chicago, so I have a special relationship with and a love for Chicago that most outsiders don't have.""It's a great music city," he added. "Great food city."I told Sawyers and Sumpter that the film could be a play, in that it was essentially a two-hander. "Yeah, we rehearsed it—we learned it like a play," Sawyers said. "I mean, we learned the entire script and . . . I don't think we read through the entire thing, but on Skype, with Richard, sometimes we'd read through entire sections, like the entire first act. So yeah, it was very much like a play. But it was fun that way, to really delve into it and know every nook and cranny of the script."Legend also relished the experience of diving into the material. "I enjoy the assignment aspect of it," he said, "because it's actually easier to write a song when you have an assignment as opposed to when you're just going to the studio and trying to write whatever comes to you, because then you're just saying 'Well, what am I thinking today? What am I feeling today?' And you're not really sure how to channel that into a song.""But when you're writing for a film," he said, "you have a specific target that you're aiming for. You're really trying to base it on the spirit of the film, and the character of the film, and it actually makes it more fun to write that way than it is to just write open-ended."When I asked Legend about his favorite film soundtracks, his face lit up. "Oh, man," he said. "Well, I grew up in the era when a lot of the films really cared about their soundtracks. Fromtowas really special to me back in that time period—I think I was in college at the time. First of all, it shone a light on this whole spoken-word scene that I think was cool, and it was the first film that embraced the neosoul music movement. I was figuring out who I was as a musician, and that music from the film really was important to me at that time."On matters of race, history, and politics—and the intersection of the three—Legend is equally passionate. His film and television production company, Get Lifted, is an extension of that passion. "A lot of the projects we take on have a kind of social relevance and political relevance, historical relevance, because that's what I'm interested in," Legend said. "These are the things that I've always read about, and that's what I majored in at school: English with a concentration in African-American history and culture."I told Legend that the Obamas' story inreminded me of an essay inby Roxane Gay ("I love Roxane!" Legend said) about the power of telling different kinds of black stories, especially positive black stories. "Yeah, it's great to show the range of humanity in black people," he said. "We don't want to always be, you know, a social problem and [tied to] historical evil, as in slavery. We don't always want to be the victim in films. That's part of what we want to do [at Get Lifted]. We show slavery; we have the show, which is doing really well"—the period drama series was recently renewed for a second season on WGN America—"but even in that show, we show black people as revolutionaries, as people fighting against the system. And I think black people, just like everybody else, want to see themselves as human, and we want to see that on the screen, too."Our conversation turned to the mass-media representation of Chicago being overwhelmingly negative , and howpresents a true and inspirational counternarrative."I think people have this sense of Chicago being a war zone right now," Legend said. "I think part of it is conservative fantasy, imagination, because they want—whenever black people get upset about police shooting an unarmed black person, they're first response is 'What about murders in Chicago?' It's the first thing they say.""Obviously, there are murders in Chicago, and it's something we need to be concerned about and looking at the root causes of and trying to do something to change," he continued. "But we know that Chicago's not a war zone. Chicago's a wonderful place. There are many sides to this city, and this film shows a really cool side of the city, I think."For Sawyers and Sumpter,is a universal love story that defies categorization. "Walking in somebody else's shoes is really important, and I think we're more alike than different," Sumpter said. "So, even if you're not too fond of these two people, it's a girl and a guy who are just figuring themselves out, together.""People walk out smiling," Sawyers said of audiences who have seen the film thus far. "So I hope people continue to do that: walk out smiling and talking to each other.""It's a great slice of life," he continued, "and a reminder of what we can all hope to do someday, maybe meet somebody who can—""—make us better," Sumpter said. Sawyers grinned. "You just finished my sentence," he said. Sumpter laughed: "I put a period on it."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/john-legend-tika-sumpter-and-parker-sawyers-reflect-on-southside-with-you/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/e5f9608c0c1756ac76ace7e6fd9bcd05d52933650a149f3da2bef5d7e13535ae.json
|
[
"Leah Pickett",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Peter Margasak",
"Ryan Smith",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T20:45:45 | null | 2016-08-26T15:30:00 |
The romantic drama, which recreates Barack and Michelle Obama's first date in Chicago, opens nationwide.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fjohn-legend-tika-sumpter-and-parker-sawyers-reflect-on-southside-with-you.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23297709/anc-movies-southside_with_you-john_legend-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
John Legend, Tika Sumpter, and Parker Sawyers reflect on Southside With You
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Southside with You
click to enlarge Nicholas Hunt/Getty
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend at the Southside With You premiere during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
click to enlarge Nicholas Hunt/Getty
From left to right: Parker Sawyers, Richard Tanne, Tika Sumpter, and John Legend at the Southside With You premiere during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
click to enlarge Southside With You
click to enlarge Southside With You
click to enlarge Southside With You
In the late summer of 1989, Barack Obama drove from Hyde Park to South Shore in his rickety yellow Datsun hatchback to pick up Michelle Robinson, his colleague and adviser at the Loop law firm Sidley Austin, for what would become a historic first date. The short drive is the setting of the opening-credits sequence of, an endearing dramatization of the First Couple's initial romantic outing that stretches, like, across an eventful day and night.Written and directed by Richard Tanne, the low-budget indie—filmed in and around Chicago last summer and opening today—counts musician John Legend as an executive producer and composer; his song, "Start," plays over the end credits. Actors Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter (who's also a producer on the film) portray 28-year-old Barack and 25-year-old Michelle, respectively.When I spoke to Legend and, shortly thereafter, Sawyers and Sumpter at the Park Hyatt Chicago last week, the mood was an emanation of the film itself, thoughtful and warm (physically, the room was cold; Sawyers kindly lent me his jacket). Love was the focal point. "It's a love story," Sumpter said of, a point with which Legend and Sawyers agreed. "It's life," she said. "It's moments."Legend, 37, has won ten Grammy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and one Oscar, for Best Original Song (Legend cowrote "Glory" forwith Common and Che "Rhymefest" Smith, and performed the track with Common). "This is what I do," Legend said. "I'm all about love and I write about it a lot. And I think it's beautiful when you see a film that has that level of honesty and intimacy.""That's what I always try to do with my songs, too, because you want it to feel real, and you want it to feel like you could be in that position," he continued. "I think this film does a great job of making you feel like that. I think it makes you believe in love and the idea that you can find your match, and you can find someone who makes you better, and you make them better, too."I asked him if writing "Start" came from that place. "It came from me being in love," Legend said. In 2013, he married model Chrissy Teigen; their daughter, Luna, arrived in April. "But also appreciating the film," he said. "I love how simple it is, and how close you feel to them throughout the film.""They've lived these grand lives," Legend said of the Obamas. "But this film is close and small. And I wanted the song to feel like that too."Legend said he wrote the song directly after watching the film. "I was listening to the music as it was leading into where my song would come in," he said. "I literally based it on the key that was already playing, and the feeling that I was in as I was watching the end of it, and the song just flowed from me pretty quickly."For Sawyers, 33, and Sumpter, 36, playing a sitting president and first lady in a film—only a handful of other actors can say the same —was not as nerve-racking as one might expect. "It went from excitement to 'Now I gotta work,'" Sawyers said. "And that work was building a character, building a real person, and not just a caricature of the president we know. It took a lot of the pressure off, just getting down to do the work.""Yeah, it was just fun once we got here to Chicago," Sumpter said. "And the great thing is that we're playing them at such an age that the public hasn't really seen who they are, who they were at that time, other than a few videos online of their personal life. I think we stripped them down from 'the Obamas' of it all and went back to where they started."As executive producer, Legend read thescript early on and was impressed by Tanne's vision. "We're sure there's going to be a big biopic about Obama later," Legend said, "but just seeing the beginning of their relationship was pretty cool. And I think Richard did an awesome job of capturing the little intimate moments he imagined they had on that day."Legend also appreciated how the story emphasizes the personal rather than the political. "I don't feel like it's a propaganda piece," he said. "I feel it's truly about love, and truly an appreciation for a couple that has been just wonderful in office together."Juxtaposed with the "rancor and fear and darkness" of the 2016 presidential campaign, Legend said it's difficult not to have "a sense of appreciation for the class and the grace and the poise with which the Obamas have carried themselves" while in office, which also makes the timing of's release "perfect" and bittersweet."Because, especially in stark relief to what we're seeing with Trump," Legend said, "it's like, 'Wow, these guys really were refreshing and special, and we were fortunate to have them in the White House for eight years.'"I told Sawyers and Sumpter that, although they looked and sounded much like the Obamas onscreen, it didn't appear as if they were doing impersonations."The intention from the beginning was never to impersonate or make them like caricatures onor anything like that," Sumpter said, "because then the whole movie could just be a disaster. It could have been really bad."They both laughed. "It was surprisingly good," said Sawyers. "It could have been really bad.""Richard Tanne had, for me at least, an Obama meter"—Sawyers put his hand out, flat, and tilted his palm up and down—"That helped."Saywers described seeingfor the first time at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January, where the movie was warmly received, as something of a relief. "The music, the cinematography"—he credited Tanne and the film's director of photography, Patrick Scola—"I was so proud of it."When I asked how he had prepared for the role, Sawyers said he'd read President Obama's memoirs,and, long before he was offered the part. "But of course, I reread them," he said, "just to dig in to who this guy was by 28 years old, see what I could gather, and get inside his head." He said he wanted to get to the root of Obama's preternatural confidence, deduce the "why" of it: "So I could base his confidence not on, 'I'm just confident man, whatever,' but more because he'd moved around, because he'd been on his own, because he'd gotten himself into good schools."Sumpter took a slightly different approach. "For me, it was more about taking off the Michelle Obama who everybody loves and bringing it down to the girl from the south side," she said, "who's been told 'no' millions of times about things, what she could and couldn't do, what she couldn't achieve." She described Michelle as coming from a "humble and stable family," and noted the influence of Michelle's father, Fraser Robinson III, and his involvement in local politics. In addition, she said, "it was reading her brother [Craig Robinson]'s book,which informed me of who she was at that time, and also personal accounts of people who knew her then. That's how I got to her."I asked what it was like to film on location in Chicago. "It was perfect," Sawyers said (Sumpter agreed). "We filmed on Euclid Avenue,"—not on the same block where Michelle and her parents used to live, but "the block over" he said—"so you feel that driving down, like, 'He drove down this street,' and it just brought a whole level of realism that we could play off of.""And the city, the background, is beautiful," Sawyers continued. "The skyline. . . . After the community meeting, when we're walking . . . the skyline, ah. It's gorgeous."Legend has his own affinity for Chicago. "I come here as an outsider and a visitor," he said. "But with a lot of friends here." One of those friends is frequent collaborator Kanye West. "In fact, when I meet people from Chicago, they assume that I'm from here, just because I'm friends with Kanye, a lot of times," Legend said, laughing. "But this has always been one of the best cities for me to tour, the first city that played 'Ordinary People,' the first city that played 'Used to Love U.' People have always been supportive of me here in Chicago, so I have a special relationship with and a love for Chicago that most outsiders don't have.""It's a great music city," he added. "Great food city."I told Sawyers and Sumpter that the film could be a play, in that it was essentially a two-hander. "Yeah, we rehearsed it—we learned it like a play," Sawyers said. "I mean, we learned the entire script and . . . I don't think we read through the entire thing, but on Skype, with Richard, sometimes we'd read through entire sections, like the entire first act. So yeah, it was very much like a play. But it was fun that way, to really delve into it and know every nook and cranny of the script."Legend also relished the experience of diving into the material. "I enjoy the assignment aspect of it," he said, "because it's actually easier to write a song when you have an assignment as opposed to when you're just going to the studio and trying to write whatever comes to you, because then you're just saying 'Well, what am I thinking today? What am I feeling today?' And you're not really sure how to channel that into a song.""But when you're writing for a film," he said, "you have a specific target that you're aiming for. You're really trying to base it on the spirit of the film, and the character of the film, and it actually makes it more fun to write that way than it is to just write open-ended."When I asked Legend about his favorite film soundtracks, his face lit up. "Oh, man," he said. "Well, I grew up in the era when a lot of the films really cared about their soundtracks. Fromtowas really special to me back in that time period—I think I was in college at the time. First of all, it shone a light on this whole spoken-word scene that I think was cool, and it was the first film that embraced the neosoul music movement. I was figuring out who I was as a musician, and that music from the film really was important to me at that time."On matters of race, history, and politics—and the intersection of the three—Legend is equally passionate. His film and television production company, Get Lifted, is an extension of that passion. "A lot of the projects we take on have a kind of social relevance and political relevance, historical relevance, because that's what I'm interested in," Legend said. "These are the things that I've always read about, and that's what I majored in at school: English with a concentration in African-American history and culture."I told Legend that the Obamas' story inreminded me of an essay inby Roxane Gay ("I love Roxane!" Legend said) about the power of telling different kinds of black stories, especially positive black stories. "Yeah, it's great to show the range of humanity in black people," he said. "We don't want to always be, you know, a social problem and [tied to] historical evil, as in slavery. We don't always want to be the victim in films. That's part of what we want to do [at Get Lifted]. We show slavery; we have the show, which is doing really well"—the period drama series was recently renewed for a second season on WGN America—"but even in that show, we show black people as revolutionaries, as people fighting against the system. And I think black people, just like everybody else, want to see themselves as human, and we want to see that on the screen, too."Our conversation turned to the mass-media representation of Chicago being overwhelmingly negative , and howpresents a true and inspirational counternarrative."I think people have this sense of Chicago being a war zone right now," Legend said. "I think part of it is conservative fantasy, imagination, because they want—whenever black people get upset about police shooting an unarmed black person, they're first response is 'What about murders in Chicago?' It's the first thing they say.""Obviously, there are murders in Chicago, and it's something we need to be concerned about and looking at the root causes of and trying to do something to change," he continued. "But we know that Chicago's not a war zone. Chicago's a wonderful place. There are many sides to this city, and this film shows a really cool side of the city, I think."For Sawyers and Sumpter,is a universal love story that defies categorization. "Walking in somebody else's shoes is really important, and I think we're more alike than different," Sumpter said. "So, even if you're not too fond of these two people, it's a girl and a guy who are just figuring themselves out, together.""People walk out smiling," Sawyers said of audiences who have seen the film thus far. "So I hope people continue to do that: walk out smiling and talking to each other.""It's a great slice of life," he continued, "and a reminder of what we can all hope to do someday, maybe meet somebody who can—""—make us better," Sumpter said. Sawyers grinned. "You just finished my sentence," he said. Sumpter laughed: "I put a period on it."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/john-legend-tika-sumpter-and-parker-sawyers-reflect-on-southside-with-you
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/39bd7fbc473b456aba2175df347af063fbaf6858f71c8432976b1f74918bb8b8.json
|
[
"Sara Cohen",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Aimee Levitt",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Ryan Smith",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-29T20:46:30 | null | 2016-08-29T15:08:00 |
Chicago Jazz Festival and other happenings from August 29-September1.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2Fcanstruction-chicago-rockin-lobster-bash-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-week.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23372254/canstruction_reception-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Canstruction Chicago, Rockin' Lobster Bash, and more things to do in Chicago this week
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Bid August adieu with these Reader recommended events:
Comedians from, a documentary directed by Michael Alexander about Chicago stand-up, perform in a sneak-peek showcase at Zanies Comedy Club (1548 N. Wells). Hosted by Tyler Ross, ticket profits from the showcase go towards the cost of producing the independent film.
Mon 8/29: Ladylike's featured "disgusting women with funny stories" of the month are Melody Kamali, Stephanie Weber, Becca Brown, Gena Gephart, Deanna Ortiz, and Kristen Toomey. Hear them talk about all things girly and grotesque at Cafe Mustache (2313 N. Milwaukee). 8 and 11 PM
Tue 8/30: Sixteen teams compete for prizes at the reception for the Tenth Annual Canstruction Chicago. See the canned good structures—drawing inspiration from Van Gogh, Warhol, Disney, an el stop, and more—in all their splendor at the Merchandise Mart (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza) before they are disassembled and distributed to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. 5:30-8 PM
Tue 8/30: Cinema Supper Club hosts a screening of the 1987 Al Capone-centered film, The Untouchables. A four-course meal at Untitled Supper Club (111 W. Kenzie) specially prepared to accompany the film features blood sausage bolognese, chilled pea soup, and a turtle sundae. 7 PM
click to enlarge The Untouchables serves as inspiration for the Cinema Supper Club's four-course meal on Tue 8/30.
Wed 8/31: Get your seafood and alternative music fix at the Rockin' Lobster Bash. WXRT and Supreme Lobster bring more than thirty chefs and local musicians together to serve up some crimson crustaceans and crushing tunes at Revel Fulton Market (1215 W. Fulton Market). 7-10 PM
click to enlarge Danielle A. Scruggs
Put on a bib and chow down at the Rockin' Lobster Bash on Wed 8/31.
Head to Galerie F (2381 N. Milwaukee) to view, a new exhibition of socially and politically conscious work from the likes of local street artists Chema Skandal, Don't Fret, and Scout Pines.
Thu 9/1: Michelle L'Amour performs her celebrated burlesque alongside DJs Madrid and Pumpin' Pete at the 80s dance party, Cruel Summer at Untitled (111 W. Kinzie). 9 PM
click to enlarge Patrick L. Pyszka/City of Chicago
Chicago Jazz Festival kicks off on Thu 9/1 at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.
Get in the groove at the citywide, beginning tonight with the Brown in Bronzeville Effect and Obert Davis' Soul Migration at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (Michigan and Randolph). Check out the other opening night venues, Claudia Cassidy Theatre and the Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph), for performances from Dan Trudell Trio, Charlie Haden, and more.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/29/canstruction-chicago-rockin-lobster-bash-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-week
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/37b9478f8293442f3d3f53318972780d77d925b5378b3871455e1dbc43d82b5a.json
|
[
"Tal Rosenberg"
] | 2016-08-29T06:47:24 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Great Lakes Tattoo, Chicago: Tattoo artist Robert Ryan celebrates the release of his book The Inborn Absolute with an exhibition of his work. Opening reception Sat 8/6, 7-10 PM.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fthe-inborn-absolute%2FEvent%3Foid%3D23040332%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23049854/anc_lit-the_inborn_absolute-interior-2-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The Inborn Absolute
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-inborn-absolute/Event?oid=23040332&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/84c2062c6e43e243e53c5ccf154ca92d5c901409859a832216f9a24f3f0cfee4.json
|
[
"Brianna Wellen",
"Tal Rosenberg",
"Aimee Levitt",
"Christopher Piatt",
"Sam Ribakoff",
"Reader Staff",
"Jerome Ludwig",
"Sam Worley",
"Les Jacobsen",
"Grant Pick"
] | 2016-08-30T20:46:40 | null | 2016-08-30T15:00:00 |
The satirical website Clickhole presents a variety show from the minds of its staff.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fclickhole-amazing-a-live-show-hideout-comedy%2FContent%3Foid%3D23384562.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23383876/anc_comedy-clickhole-amazing_live_show-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Wow! Clickhole live onstage!
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
The Onion's satirical website Clickhole is famous for lists, videos, and articles with titles like "8 Bullshit Cats We Wish Judas Could've Betrayed Instead of Christ," "Inspiring! People Describe the First Time They Drank Gatorade," and "The Kindest Man Alive: Jon Hamm Makes Crepes For A Beached Whale." Behind every giggle-inducing page on the site is a staff of writers, editors, and producers who are stepping onstage to show off their chops for The Clickhole Writers Present Amazing: A Live Show.
"We have a certain comedic sensibility that isn't necessarily tied to the website," says Jamie Brew, Clickhole head writer. "We get along as a group of comedians, and that's the most exciting thing for us."
Amazing: A Live Show commenced with a few dates at the Cards Against Humanity headquarters. At one point the show was a monthly fixture at iO, but now it appears sporadically as one-offs, like the upcoming performance at the Hideout. Like Clickhole and its sister site the Onion, Amazing: A Live Show is an outlet for comedy writers either to be completely nonsensical or to present a serious issue humorously. Digital producer Dan Davis, for instance, will be talking about bike safety during his time onstage. "Bike safety is something that I'm actually interested in and think is important," Davis says. "But I think there's a lot of fun to be had when you examine some of the tropes of cycling."
The staff's creativity and imagination produces characters like a woman who has her own amateur "Bodies" exhibit in her backyard, or Wett Problem, a doctor who regularly gives presentations on health issues—performers are rarely, if ever, playing themselves. And unlike a typical stand-up or sketch event, the Amazing: A Live Show is riddled with PowerPoint presentations, videos, and audience interaction.
Fran Hoepfner, digital editor for the Onion and former editorial coordinator for Clickhole, produced the version at Cards Against Humanity but will be performing in the show for the first time at the Hideout. She sees the stage as a testing ground where the staff can explore their oddest interests in a way that they can't in an online list or article or video. "There's a cutting-loose feel to all of [the shows], in the safest possible sense," Hoepfner says. "Everyone is free to be extremely weird and fun, and there's a lot of joy in how alienating and strange it can be." v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/clickhole-amazing-a-live-show-hideout-comedy/Content?oid=23384562
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/6d4c58fd11aa06ac3be54f2a56b166d5668530c52da71ad82b5518f6f9650dc0.json
|
[] | 2016-08-29T06:47:20 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
1941 W. North, Chicago: Nineties nostalgia reaches its apotheosis with this Saved by the Bell pop-up dinner featuring a Bayside-themed menu … , daily costume contests, memorabilia giveaways, even a …
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fsaved-by-the-max%2FEvent%3Foid%3D22040803%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/22124829/6.1-saved_by_the_bell-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Saved by the Max
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/saved-by-the-max/Event?oid=22040803&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/4683db6d5426240cdb0383d3892be92dc06d8f7ea83f2f4c4f84101538441118.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Jacob Arnold",
"Deanna Isaacs",
"Sara Cohen",
"Ryan Smith",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-30T12:46:37 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 |
Also, August is already the most violent month since 1996.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Frapper-rhymefest-invites-trump-to-walk-a-chicago-block-with-him-and-other-news.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23372766/ax065_3745_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
Rapper Rhymefest invites Trump to walk a Chicago block with him, and other news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Chandler West/For Sun-Times Media
Rhymefest in 2014
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Tuesday, August 30, 2016.
Weather: Very humid with thunderstorms possible
Tuesday will be humid and sunny, with a high of 83 and a low of 71. It will be very warm and could feel as hot as 96 degrees. A thunderstorm is possible in the afternoon and early evening. [AccuWeather]
Cop in Rhymefest incident will be disciplined, rapper invites Trump to Chicago
The police officer who didn't act "appropriately" when rapper Rhymefest filed a police report about an armed robbery Saturday will be disciplined, according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Grammy and Oscar-winning rapper, also known as Che Smith, has been in the news after posting a video of a Chicago police officer treating him "disgustingly" when he visited the police station. "Had that officer acted appropriately, we'd be dealing right now with who did the mugging, which is where we should be," the mayor said. Despite being robbed at gunpoint, Smith told CNN that Chicago isn't as dangerous as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claims. "I'm inviting Donald Trump to Chicago," he said in the interview with CNN. "I will walk you down a block, Mr. Trump, and I guarantee you won't get shot." [DNAinfo Chicago] [CNN]
August isn't over, but it's already the most violent month in 20 years
There is still another full day left of August, but it's already the most violent month in Chicago in 20 years. There have been 84 homicides so far, the most in one month since October 1996, according to the Tribune. The city could still surpass the 85 homicides that occurred in October 1996 and the 90 that happened in June 1996. [Tribune]
A "fitness tracker" will keep track of the city's vital measurements
Chicago is installing 500 modular sensor boxes around the city to measure temperatures, light, barometric pressure, carbon monoxide, foot traffic, and other vital statistics about the city. The first two boxes were installed last week, and 48 more will be operating by the end of the year. The data collected by the boxes will be available to the public on the city's website starting in October. [USA Today]
Hackers obtain information of about 200,000 Illinois voters
Hackers were able to access the personal information of about 200,000 Illinois voters during a "cyberattack of possible foreign origin that began in June and was halted a month later," according to the Tribune. Drivers' license numbers and the last four digits of social security numbers were some of the information that the hackers may have obtained, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. No registered voters were deleted from the records, and no information was modified. [Tribune]
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak at the Chicago Humanities Festival
Before the highly anticipated opening of the Hamilton musical in Chicago, the man behind the phenomenon will appear at a Chicago Humanities Festival event. Lin-Manuel Miranda will be interviewed by Tribune theater critic Chris Jones at the Civic Opera House on September 23. [Sun-Times]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/rapper-rhymefest-invites-trump-to-walk-a-chicago-block-with-him-and-other-news
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/830d4c826f398d34d181e0ec215846510b76bb60280898471a13d0fc733aaaee.json
|
[
"John Greenfield",
"Leor Galil",
"Erin Osmon",
"Jake Austen",
"Luca Cimarusti",
"Kevin Warwick",
"Tiffany Walden",
"Morgan Elise Johnson",
"Derrick Clifton"
] | 2016-08-29T22:46:54 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
Activists refuse to be quiet about Riot Fest, but boosters say their claims are off base.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Friot-fest-douglas-park-concerned-citizens-dispute-controversy%2FContent%3Foid%3D23286765.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23372261/riot_fest_parks-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The uprising against Riot Fest continues
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
On August 2 at Freedom Square, a tent city raised across the street from the Chicago Police Department's Homan Square facility as a protest against police brutality, Concerned Citizens of Riot Fest in Douglas Park held an alfresco strategy session. Local resident Sharaya Tindal outlined the group's grievances against the festival, which debuted in the west-side green space in September 2015, for 16 or so people gathered on folding chairs under a canopy.
As I reported in May, Concerned Citizens formed last year when Riot Fest relocated to Douglas Park from Humboldt Park following backlash from Humboldt residents who claimed its organizers failed to adequately repair turf damage. Concerned Citizens argued that the mostly African-American and Latino residents of neighboring North Lawndale and Little Village had been given little to no say in the matter.
At Freedom Square, Tindal discussed how foot traffic from 135,000 attendees at the 2015 festival damaged Douglas Park so badly that much of its south end was fenced off for repairs from late September to late November. Mayor Emanuel, the local aldermen, and the Chicago Park District (as well as Riot Fest itself, of course) had promised the event would bring big economic benefits to the communities. But Tindal claimed that the roughly 150 temporary jobs created didn't make a dent in the area's unemployment problem, that high vendor fees shut out small businesses, and that neighborhood retail strips saw little increase in sales during the festival weekend.
"Meanwhile the city spends extra money on transit, extra money on Streets & San, and extra money on police, and Riot Fest pays nothing for it," Tindal said. "So we pay to get overpoliced, underprotected, and shut out."
From a camp seat, Damon Williams, codirector of the #LetUsBreathe Collective (which is leading the Freedom Square occupation), voiced solidarity for Concerned Citizens in their efforts to oust the fest from the park. "We're here because people are being tortured," he said. "We're here because 70 percent of [young men in] the community have felonies. It's the most closings of public schools. So for people to be having something literally called a 'riot' here . . . "
"Thank you," said Tindal. "[What] poor taste. How disrespectful. How dare you, when people are dying. When our community has not recovered from the last riot in '68. How dare you bring your concert, your merriment, your laugh riot to our broken community."
Not everyone in the area shares that sentiment. Some locals say they appreciate that Riot Fest donates to local community organizations. Youth football coach Charles Rice told me he sees the fest as "beneficial" and said he was grateful the company provided $900 worth of beverages to the league's awards dinner. Riot Fest also donated Thanksgiving turkeys, held a Christmas toy drive, and organized a free soccer clinic for neighborhood kids with players from the Chicago Fire, among other things.
"I believe it's a positive," says Paul Norrington, a North Lawndale retiree who helped lead an unsuccessful effort to bring the Obama presidential library to the neighborhood. He adds that the fest will raise the profile of the community and spur investment. "Last time more than 130,000 people came to the area, many of whom had never been to North Lawndale or possibly even heard of it." (Tindal, on the other hand, doesn't see this influx as a good thing. She recently tweeted to rapper and 2016 festival performer Nas that Riot Fest is "a racist concert meant to gentrify a black community.")
In a statement to the Reader earlier this month, Riot Fest pointed to several initiatives meant to ensure the event "has a positive effect on both Douglas Park and its neighbors." To begin with, the company paid a $225,000 permit fee for the 2015 event into the Chicago Park District's general fund, and it will pay a similar fee this year.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request in early August, a Park District representative said that this permit fee goes into the department's general operating fund. She didn't say whether any of it was earmarked for Douglas Park, which has a $511,782 direct operating budget. At the time of the FOIA request, the Park District had not yet closed a contract with Riot Fest for 2016.
In addition to the 2015 fee, the festival has spent more than $192,000 on park repairs and improvements, and by the time this year's event rolls around it will have hosted three Douglas Park beautification volunteer work days. Riot Fest says improvements to the green space have included mulching, leveling low-lying areas, weeding, power washing, laying 30,000 square feet of sod, and grading, aerating, and seeding all fields.
The fest also held job fairs for residents of the communities surrounding Douglas Park—all positions pay $12 per hour. On the same days, the company set up a tent in the park where people who live within four blocks could register for free tickets. (A state ID and two pieces of mail were required for address verification.) There will have been three such days this year before Riot Fest begins.
These efforts could be seen as answers to activists' complaints that Riot Fest shuts out people in the neighborhoods that host it. But Concerned Citizens' Sara Heymann (who, like Tindal, lives near the park) told me her group isn't impressed. When I spoke to her this spring, she claimed that the closure of soccer and baseball fields last year resulted in the Park District losing significant revenue—she said these facilities bring in $40,000 to $50,000 in permit fees annually.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/riot-fest-douglas-park-concerned-citizens-dispute-controversy/Content?oid=23286765
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/9b169f41903a2ba1a210cb3553dbe629248e14c6da3e731a145afff1d79f34ad.json
|
[
"Brianna Wellen"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:45 | null | 2016-08-30T15:00:00 |
The satirical website Clickhole presents a variety show from the minds of its staff.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fclickhole-amazing-a-live-show-hideout-comedy%2FContent%3Foid%3D23384562%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23383876/anc_comedy-clickhole-amazing_live_show-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Wow! Clickhole live onstage!
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/clickhole-amazing-a-live-show-hideout-comedy/Content?oid=23384562&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/6fa9e2981b3bd56edd7b92d2081a0cef5d9595c666cfc064757932e80784221e.json
|
[
"Sara Cohen",
"Leor Galil",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:16 | null | 2016-08-26T15:15:00 |
Sangria Festival, Puppet Meltdown, and more happenings from August 26-28.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-living-newspaper-festival-villapalooza-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-weekend%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23335128/taste-of-greektown-2-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The Living Newspaper Festival, Villapalooza, and more things to do in Chicago this weekend
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Plenty of happenings make for a memorable last weekend of August in the city. Here's some of our recommendations:
Through 8/29: Joel Ewing, Ireon Roach, and Olivia Shine host Jackalope Theatre's Seventh Annual Living Newspaper Festival at the Frontier (1106 W. Thorndale). The performances feature six original ten-minute plays inspired by a story from a national news outlets. 7:30 PM
8/26-8/28: Halsted Street at Van Buren abounds with Hellenism this weekend for the West Loop’s annual cultural festival, Taste of Greektown. Delight in Greek food from area restaurants, dance to traditional music, or partake Saturday evening's Gyro Eating Contest where devoted fans of the Mediterranean meat will battle it out. Fri 4-11 PM, Sat & Sun noon-11 PM
click to enlarge getty
Taste of Greektown celebrates the food, dancing, and music of Greece this weekend in the West Loop.
Fri 8/26: Interdisciplinary artist Maria Gaspar explores the complex juxtaposition of what lies within and beyond the 25-foot wall surrounding the Cook County Jail in her exhibition, "On the Border of What is Formless & Monstrous." She presents video and audio documentation taken inside and about the detention facility at the opening reception at the Experimental Sound Studio’s Audible Gallery (5925 N. Ravenswood Ave.). 6-9 PM
Sat 8/27: Head to Aquanaut Brewing Company (5435 N. Wolcott) for Records and Beer, a night of brew-tasting, browsing, and more. RSVP to peruse goods from vinyl vendors and jive all night to live music from These Old Men They Play Records, Ryan Powers, other local DJs. 2-10 PM
Sat 8/27: The Little Village music festival, Villapalooza (26th and Central Park), returns for its sixth year this Saturday. The festival's three stages include live music from Los Crudos, Generacion Suicida, Thee Commons, and more. Noon-10 PM
Sat 8/27: Elastic Arts brings back its annual puppet slam for adults, Puppet Meltdown to its space at 3429 W. Diversey. Master puppeteers pull the strings for an entertaining showcase at this year's "Forbidden Puppet" event. 8 PM
Sun 8/28: Rachal Duggan, a local illustrator who has contributed to the Reader among other publications, participates in the Comfort Society series at the Comfort Station (2579 N. Milwaukee). Watch as she creates drawings by request, and hear her speak about her own career at 1 PM.
10 AM-2 PM
click to enlarge Rachal Duggan
Rachal Duggan creates custom drawings as part of the Comfort Society series on Sun 8/28.
Sun 8/28: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture's Sangria Festival sweeps into Humboldt Park (3015 W. Division) this Sunday. Savor a glass or two of the fruity wine to the tune of live salsa music as a perfect salute to the final days of summer. Noon-10 PM
click to enlarge courtesy city winery
Garfunkel and Oates perform on Sun 8/28.
Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, better known as Garfunkel and Oates , perform their comedy folk songs at City Winery (1200 W. Randolph).
For more stuff to do this week—and every day—check out our Agenda page.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/the-living-newspaper-festival-villapalooza-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-weekend/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/c7b260569bf6bfcd48a814e695784c9f892425ec28c57f54bea4150cc71e7234.json
|
[
"Sara Cohen",
"Leor Galil",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula"
] | 2016-08-26T20:45:47 | null | 2016-08-26T15:15:00 |
Sangria Festival, Puppet Meltdown, and more happenings from August 26-28.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-living-newspaper-festival-villapalooza-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-weekend.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23335128/taste-of-greektown-2-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The Living Newspaper Festival, Villapalooza, and more things to do in Chicago this weekend
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Plenty of happenings make for a memorable last weekend of August in the city. Here's some of our recommendations:
Through 8/29: Joel Ewing, Ireon Roach, and Olivia Shine host Jackalope Theatre's Seventh Annual Living Newspaper Festival at the Frontier (1106 W. Thorndale). The performances feature six original ten-minute plays inspired by a story from a national news outlets. 7:30 PM
8/26-8/28: Halsted Street at Van Buren abounds with Hellenism this weekend for the West Loop’s annual cultural festival, Taste of Greektown. Delight in Greek food from area restaurants, dance to traditional music, or partake Saturday evening's Gyro Eating Contest where devoted fans of the Mediterranean meat will battle it out. Fri 4-11 PM, Sat & Sun noon-11 PM
click to enlarge getty
Taste of Greektown celebrates the food, dancing, and music of Greece this weekend in the West Loop.
Fri 8/26: Interdisciplinary artist Maria Gaspar explores the complex juxtaposition of what lies within and beyond the 25-foot wall surrounding the Cook County Jail in her exhibition, "On the Border of What is Formless & Monstrous." She presents video and audio documentation taken inside and about the detention facility at the opening reception at the Experimental Sound Studio’s Audible Gallery (5925 N. Ravenswood Ave.). 6-9 PM
Sat 8/27: Head to Aquanaut Brewing Company (5435 N. Wolcott) for Records and Beer, a night of brew-tasting, browsing, and more. RSVP to peruse goods from vinyl vendors and jive all night to live music from These Old Men They Play Records, Ryan Powers, other local DJs. 2-10 PM
Sat 8/27: The Little Village music festival, Villapalooza (26th and Central Park), returns for its sixth year this Saturday. The festival's three stages include live music from Los Crudos, Generacion Suicida, Thee Commons, and more. Noon-10 PM
Sat 8/27: Elastic Arts brings back its annual puppet slam for adults, Puppet Meltdown to its space at 3429 W. Diversey. Master puppeteers pull the strings for an entertaining showcase at this year's "Forbidden Puppet" event. 8 PM
Sun 8/28: Rachal Duggan, a local illustrator who has contributed to the Reader among other publications, participates in the Comfort Society series at the Comfort Station (2579 N. Milwaukee). Watch as she creates drawings by request, and hear her speak about her own career at 1 PM.
10 AM-2 PM
click to enlarge Rachal Duggan
Rachal Duggan creates custom drawings as part of the Comfort Society series on Sun 8/28.
Sun 8/28: The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture's Sangria Festival sweeps into Humboldt Park (3015 W. Division) this Sunday. Savor a glass or two of the fruity wine to the tune of live salsa music as a perfect salute to the final days of summer. Noon-10 PM
click to enlarge courtesy city winery
Garfunkel and Oates perform on Sun 8/28.
Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, better known as Garfunkel and Oates , perform their comedy folk songs at City Winery (1200 W. Randolph).
For more stuff to do this week—and every day—check out our Agenda page.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/the-living-newspaper-festival-villapalooza-and-more-things-to-do-in-chicago-this-weekend
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/b3e1ab20eef65d2c7eaf012d8e412cc7c0488a87c10ef3ca904dc33e69276408.json
|
[
"Derrick Clifton",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Renata Cherlise",
"Danielle A. Scruggs",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"John Greenfield",
"Dan Savage",
"Dan Liberty",
"Steve Bogira",
"Julia Thiel"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:40 | null | 2016-08-23T14:30:00 |
Voter fraud is a disproven and even racist myth aimed at voter suppression.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Frauner-voter-registration-bill-veto-racism%2FContent%3Foid%3D23272289.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23272938/election_turnout_36534046-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Dear Governor Rauner: Voter fraud isn’t a thing
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
In the months leading up to an election, many faithful CTA riders regularly encounter this sight at their stops: a volunteer clutching a clipboard, calling out to passengers on the platform, "Register to vote. Change your address."
That could soon become a thing of the past, if the nationwide push for automatic voter registration ultimately wins out in Illinois. Thousands of voters would no longer need nudges from volunteers or election-related mailers to register or update their information. Under the new system, a trip to the DMV for a driver's license, among other interactions with the state, would automatically enter eligible voters' information unless they opted out.
That's about as straightforward as it gets. The change would allow millions of eligible but unregistered voters to participate with relative ease, and potentially save money while cleaning up the rolls and reducing the potential for fraud, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice.
But despite the state legislature's sweeping approval of automatic voter registration in May, Governor Bruce Rauner recently vetoed the bill, noting his concerns about potential "voter fraud" and conflicts with federal election law. When lawmakers return to session in November, they'll have the option of trying to override the veto.
Rauner claims he's earnest about increasing voter participation. So why the additional hassle? Is it really about so-called voter fraud—or do partisan politics threaten access to this basic civil right yet again?
First, let's just get one thing straight: reports of voter fraud are greatly exaggerated.
Voter fraud is extremely rare. As Politifact notes, the News21 investigative project analyzed roughly 2,000 alleged cases of voter fraud since the 2000 elections. The project, which released its conclusions in 2012, found that "while voter fraud has occurred, the rate is infinitesimal, and in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tougher voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent."
Nationwide, News21 found only 150 alleged cases of double voting, 56 cases of noncitizens voting, and ten cases of voter impersonation. Simply put, voter fraud isn't a thing—despite the insistence from Rauner and others that it is.
There's also a broader context that can't be ignored.
In New Jersey, Trump supporter Governor Chris Christie vetoed yet another automatic voter registration bill in his state, with "voter fraud" as his rationale. A federal judge just ruled that voting laws in North Carolina—with strict photo ID requirements and cuts to early voting and same-day voter registration, among other restrictions—were enacted with the intent of suppressing black votes with "surgical precision." GOP officials there also claimed the regulations helped prevent voter fraud. In July, a different federal appeals court struck down voter ID laws in Texas, where Republican governor Greg Abbott likewise used claims of voter fraud as his scapegoat.
And as the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month, Donald Trump told a primarily white rural crowd in Pennsylvania—in remarks with racial overtones—that such fraud could cheat him in "certain parts" of the state. He's now launching an effort to recruit so-called election observers, asking supporters to help him "stop crooked Hillary from rigging this election."
"We're hiring a lot of people. We're putting a lot of law enforcement—we're going to watch Pennsylvania, go down to certain areas and watch and study," Trump said, bemoaning the state's recently struck-down voter identification laws. He also said it's necessary to "make sure other people don't come in and vote five times."
It's beginning to sound an awful lot like a return to yesteryear, back when America was supposedly "great," as Trump claims. Now as then, concerns about so-called voter fraud are being used as a racist smokescreen to undermine or thwart the participation of black people. Immigrants and lower-income white voters were also targets at certain times. Trump's recruitment of "election observers" recalls the extrajudicial (and often violent) intimidation tactics used to target blacks in addition to laws that instituted literacy tests and poll taxes, all aimed at voter suppression.
In 2013, in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which designated parts of the country that had traditionally barred blacks from voting as being required to report voting law changes to the federal government. Without the provision, there's been a redoubled effort to pass restrictive voting laws or resist measures that would ease access to the ballot box—including automatic voter registration.
I won't get into the murky territory of assessing Rauner's intentions with the veto. But without question, his action plays into the current iteration of a long-standing, racist trend to keep black and brown people (who consistently align with Democrats) from exercising their right to vote. Whether or not he recognizes that is anyone's guess.
So far, roughly two dozen states are considering automatic voter registration laws, while four states—California, Vermont, Oregon, and West Virginia—have already made them legal.
It'd be a shame if a silly, racialized myth prevented Illinois from joining them soon. v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/rauner-voter-registration-bill-veto-racism/Content?oid=23272289
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/b5326a5323f0fa5e15a11d4b7c476b2407189304954e3f9422f05c8c242e505f.json
|
[
"Derrick Clifton",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Ryan Smith",
"Michael Miner",
"Steve Bogira",
"Alison Flowers",
"Sarah Macaraeg",
"John Greenfield",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Ben Joravksy"
] | 2016-08-30T22:46:41 | null | 2016-08-30T16:30:00 |
When you mention our name, Trump, put some “respeck” on it.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Ftrump-chicago-black-voters-election%2FContent%3Foid%3D23383879.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23384976/clifton-trump_black_votes-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Trump needs to keep Chicago’s name out of his mouth
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Donald Trump is a bigot. Let's just get that out of the way first.
But he seems newly determined to court disaffected black voters, as reports have indicated he's losing ground with white voters, especially those who are college educated.
And anytime he mentions black people, talk of Chicago seems to soon follow.
During his "law and order" speech at the Republican National Convention, he mentioned shootings and violent deaths in the "president's hometown of Chicago" shortly before blaming Obama for poverty in black communities. Speaking recently with Bill O'Reilly, Trump suggested he'd be able to fix violent crime in Chicago "within one week." He claimed his assertion was based on conversation with a "top" Chicago police officer, but the Chicago Police Department has denied that Trump met with anyone there.
Then, last weekend, Trump made a crass attempt to score political points following the tragic shooting of 32-year-old Nykea Aldridge, a mother of four, who was killed while pushing her baby in a stroller in Chicago's Parkway Gardens neighborhood. Aldridge was the cousin of Chicago Bulls star Dwyane Wade, and Trump tweeted:
Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2016
It took him more than an hour to offer any condolences, well after he was publicly criticized for his remarks.
This was a new low, even for Trump. And it's well past time for him to keep Chicago's name out of his mouth.
Of course, the city has its problems. I'm not saying Chicago is beyond criticism, or that its issues don't merit discussion. But Trump talking about Chicago is a shallow and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to win black votes.
When Trump talks about Chicago's problems he offers no real solutions. Rather, he uses our city as a prop for his platform. And not coincidentally, he mostly does so in front of predominantly white, suburban or rural audiences. His plan for "black outreach" seems less about authentically connecting with black people than about appealing to white voters.
Let's not forget that this was the candidate who couldn't be bothered to show up at a March rally scheduled at the University of Illinois at Chicago, citing security concerns. His incendiary remarks about Mexicans and Muslims, as well as his "All Lives Matter" antagonism towards black voters, turned out protesters in droves-setting up a showdown between activists and Trump's many white supremacist supporters. (Including a woman who performed a Nazi salute on a street corner near the UIC Pavilion.)
The UIC rally was his primary campaign's first in a diverse, major urban center as opposed to the mostly white rural and suburban areas where he'd made plenty of previous stops. Chicago displayed an unparalleled resistance to his toxic behavior.
Speaking of that Chicago rally, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski recently told a CNN panel that the candidate hasn't taken his message directly to black communities because Chicago is "not a safe environment."
Nonsense. During the course of his campaign, he's made little to no effort to show up in black communities and has turned down invitations from organizations such as the NAACP and the National Urban League.
And Trump hasn't appeared in Chicago since that failed event here almost six months ago. The campaign has never announced plans to reschedule, nor has it planned a follow-up event. Trump was, however, able to make an appearance in downstate Bloomington, which is 78 percent white.
Yet still, Chicago is all on his mouth like liquor.
Had he actually shown up here, Trump might have been in a better position to argue that his outreach to black and brown voters is earnest, despite evidence to the contrary.
Some officials are calling Trump's bluff. On Monday Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Trump's "got an election. He's not interested in Chicago." And in an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Congressman Danny Davis gave voice to a sentiment making its way through black communities around the city: "Talk is cheap. Show us what you're going to do."
We know he won't. Trump has demonstrated that he has no interest in listening to black and brown voters. He has no solutions. He has absolutely nothing to offer the city other than the odious sight of his name on the side of a downtown skyscraper. After all that Trump has done to alienate communities of color, the notion that he could win over black voters is laughable.
Despite some calls for Trump to come to Chicago, the protests in March already make it clear that most people in the city would be just fine if he never showed up. And I'd wager they'd be even happier if he never mentioned the city again. v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/trump-chicago-black-voters-election/Content?oid=23383879
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/90ef7ac5796914622026c7454dee8227d994c987638934af18e68df5e0235f73.json
|
[
"Steve Krakow",
"Bill Meyer",
"John Corbett",
"Peter Margasak",
"Bob Mehr",
"Isa Giallorenzo",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:42 | null | 2016-08-30T17:00:00 |
Hamid Drake's fluid fusion of jazz, reggae, and world-music percussion styles has made him an invaluable part of countless groups.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fhamid-drake-drums-around-the-world-but-hes-not-a-star-at-home%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23385402/sh_hamid_drake-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Hamid Drake drums around the world, but he's not a star at home
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Equity Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention It's a Complex World Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Kung Fu Hustle Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Second Mother The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs Zaza
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/hamid-drake-drums-around-the-world-but-hes-not-a-star-at-home/
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/65d4b49ca52054fc5e29ab1f3b1886efd0d9905e9078f7196bd9261cdd41bf7b.json
|
[
"Nico Lang",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Steve Bogira",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert"
] | 2016-08-26T18:45:45 | null | 2016-08-26T13:09:00 |
Even with the stopgap deal, government inaction was bad news for queer and trans people.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Flgbtq-people-were-especially-screwed-by-illinoiss-budget-impasse.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23333536/lgbt_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
LGBTQ people were especially screwed by Illinois’s budget impasse
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Scott Olson/Getty Images
Advocates say that any future cutbacks or budget stalemates could be life-threatening to Illinois's LGBT population.
The year-long war over Illinois's budget was a nightmare for social service agencies. And, as the Reader reported in July, even the stopgap deal reached at the 11th hour earlier this summer wasn't enough to reverse the damage done by a year of inaction.
Marginalized people dependent on social services were hit hard by the crisis: the elderly, populations with HIV, people of color, undocumented workers, youth, and the homeless, all suffered as a result of the impasse, even with stopgap measures in place.
But one group was particularly affected: LGBT people. These groups often rely on state funding in order to survive, and advocates say that any future cutbacks or stalemates could be life-threatening.
For example: as a result of the legislative logjam, 90 percent all homeless agencies in Chicago were forced to "deny assistance to people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness," within the past year, according to the Windy City Times. Because around 40 percent of all marginally housed youth identify as queer or transgender , that denial of service affected them disproportionately.
One of these groups is Lyte Collective, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to meet the needs of the city's queer homeless youth. That's become increasingly difficult during the ongoing budget crisis.
"The state budget impasse has had a devastating effect on organizations that serve youth experiencing homelessness," says Megan Wakeman, the Lyte's chief program officer. "Some programs have closed entirely, and others have been forced to make significant cuts and eliminate services. Programs have had to limit hours and location of services, resulting in significant reduction of young people who are able to get their needs met."
Many youth organizations, due to lack of funding, have been forced to focus on very basic services—like providing food and clothing—rather than more intensive, life-affirming resources—such as after-school programs and education.
"Our mission of being in the social services field and working with young people who are homeless and have experienced trauma is to empower them—help them build their identities, and see potential in their future," Wakeman says. "The question really becomes: Is that possible now? Realistically and honestly, is this something we can provide them?"
Chicago House, one of the city's largest resource centers for LGBT people affected by homelessness, poverty, and unemployment, remains severely impacted by the impasse, which has decimated the organization's funding.
CEO Scott Ammarell says the state originally cut the organization's funding in half and hasn't yet paid for the services it provided in 2016. That outstanding bill has had a devastating impact on Chicago House, leading to staff layoffs and a reduction in the number of clients the organization serves.
"With the state not paying us, we are in jeopardy of having to make even more staff cuts and reduce services even further," Ammarell says. "I have no idea where the governor thinks people in need are going to turn once the state funding goes away."
He believes that trans people will be harmed the most by a reduction in the organization's programming.
"Transgender women—especially trans women of color—are twice as likely to be unemployed or underemployed than cisgender people," he says. If you take away the Chicago House dollars that we're using for employment services for transgender women, that service has no chance of being alleviated."
To add insult to injury, the organization has also lost out on federal funding as a result of the crisis.
"A lot of the money that the social service agencies receive from [the Illinois Department of Human Services] is used on matching dollars for federal grants," Ammarell explains. "Let's say that the state gives an agency like Chicago House $100,000. If we turn around and leverage that $100,000 with another $100,000 that comes from the federal government, we've now got $200,000 to address and use for our programs to support our clients."
"If the state of Illinois takes away $100,000," he adds, "they're really taking away $200,000 in services when those grants are matched."
Mental health programs in the state have likewise been decimated by the ongoing budget crisis. This is a huge problem for the LGBT community, as research from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that queer- and trans-identified people are three times more likely to experience mental illness, including anxiety and depression.
"Given the stress factors of being a minority, not being treated fairly and equitably—even in our families and churches—that can cause mental distress," says Rick Garcia, a longtime gay rights activist. "We often don't want to admit it."
Instead of helping those experiencing psychological distress, many end up behind bars: by some accounts, the Cook County Jail is the largest mental health facility in the state.
Again, LGBT people are disproportionately affected by this reality: a national survey released in February from the Center for American Progress and the Movement Advancement Project found that the percentage of LGBT folks currently behind bars is twice the rate of queer and trans people in the general population.
The $700-million shortfall for social service providers has also hit HIV-positive communities hard. There are about 43,500 people living with AIDS in Illinois, according to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
"That's really important, not only in terms of personal health for individuals but community health," says Ramon Gardenhire, vice president of policy and advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "What the data shows us is that if someone is tested and linked to care early, it minimizes their ability to pass the virus onto someone else. By not testing people and linking them to care, we're perpetuating HIV transmission in communities."
Gardenhire is blunt about how this would affect people living with HIV. "They die," he says. "When people don't have access to lifesaving medications, their health deteriorates."
As goes Illinois's social services, so goes the state: a recent report from the Associated Press showed that the federal government's "rainy day" fund—meant to be used in times of economic downturn—has been drained by the crisis. The account should have between $1.5 to $3 billion in it, but it's down to a reported $180 million.
Illinois's stopgap budget goes through the end of the calendar year. Ensuring future funding for these groups won't just help right the financial ship. As advocates say, it will also save lives.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/lgbtq-people-were-especially-screwed-by-illinoiss-budget-impasse
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/58418a2a05ae6f22671fa220ef5c98b916f767f6a433d446e5639da6e0415b15.json
|
[
"Jacob Arnold",
"Sara Cohen",
"Derrick Mathis",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Aimee Levitt",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Ryan Smith",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert"
] | 2016-08-29T20:46:28 | null | 2016-08-29T14:00:00 |
A reunion of Sonia Hassan and Ron Trent's beloved Africa Hi-Fi DJ night closes the Harper Court Summer Music Series on Wednesday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2Fafter-seven-years-away-africa-hi-fi-returns-for-one-night-in-hyde-park.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23371698/sonia_ron-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
After seven years away, Africa Hi-Fi returns for one night in Hyde Park
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water How to Tell You're a Douchebag Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lawrence of Arabia Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/29/after-seven-years-away-africa-hi-fi-returns-for-one-night-in-hyde-park
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/80e4146b0edc39d33e7599d7553c6c0e351cd4c290f5097e00f3686cf48e3b10.json
|
[
"John Greenfield",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Alison Flowers",
"Sarah Macaraeg",
"Dan Savage",
"Dan Liberty",
"Steve Bogira",
"Julia Thiel",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-29T10:46:20 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
Popular biking corridors like Milwaukee Avenue have turned into dangerous places to ride.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fconstruction-cycling-walking-hazards-milwaukee-avenue%2FContent%3Foid%3D23335897.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23336977/fob_transit-milwaukee_ave_construction_biking-1-teaser-2.jpg
|
en
| null |
Unsafe construction zones and trashed bike lanes are endangering cyclists
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Cyclists ride by Logan Square’s "Twin Towers" transit-oriented development.
John Greenfield
This has been a summer of discontent for Chicago cyclists.
Most seriously, there were four bike fatalities in the city in the space of about two months, all involving commercial vehicles. Courier Blaine Klingenberg was struck and killed by a tour bus driver on June 15 in the Gold Coast and Divvy rider Virginia Murray was fatally struck by a flatbed truck driver on July 1 in Avondale.
Art student Lisa Kuivinen was also struck and killed by the driver of a flatbed truck in West Town on the morning of August 16. The next evening West Garfield Park resident Francisco "Frank" Cruz was fatally struck in the neighborhood by a cargo van driver who fled the scene and was still at large as of late last week.
Kuivinen's case drew attention to a problem that may not have been a factor in any of these fatalities, but has the potential to cause additional cycling deaths. That is, construction zones that block sidewalks and bike lanes, terrible pavement conditions caused by utility line work, and illegally parked vehicles blocking bikeways.
On the morning of the crash Kuivinen, 20, had been biking southeast in a green-painted stretch of the Milwaukee Avenue bike lanes in West Town, police said. Near 874 N. Milwaukee, truck driver Antonio Navarro, 37, veered into the bike lane while making a right turn onto southbound Racine Avenue, striking and dragging Kuivinen.
It appears that Navarro was on his way to a transit-oriented development construction site at 830 N. Milwaukee. The site can be accessed from an alley off of Racine.
Early news reports noted that southeast-bound bike lane is blocked by a fenced-off construction zone for the TOD project, which forces cyclists to merge into the travel lane. However, it appears this wasn't a factor in the collision, because the blockage is a few hundred feet past the crash site.
But in the wake of Kuivinen's death, some cyclists expressed anger about the construction blockage, as well as trucks and equipment parked in the bike lane near the work site. DNAinfo reported that on the day after Kuivinen died, a male cyclist intentionally smashed the windshield of a truck that was parked in the bike lane.
click to enlarge The memorial to Lisa Kuivinen at the crash site at Milwaukee and Racine.
John Greenfield
Since then, there's been an uptick of cyclists posting photos of vehicles in the Milwaukee bike lanes and other bikeways on social media. They're using hashtags like #enforce940060-a reference to the Chicago ordinance prohibiting driving, standing, or parking on bike lanes or paths-and #lanespreading to draw attention to the problem.
Reached by phone the day after the crash, 27th Ward alderman Walter Burnett said a Chicago Department of Transportation official told him the department was investigating the TOD bike lane blockage and would have a report by the end of the day. Although I made several requests to CDOT for an update, as of publication the department still had not provided one.
Milwaukee Avenue is the city's busiest cycling street, sometimes seeing 5,000-plus bike trips a day during the summer, according to CDOT. But this season much of it has been affected by construction zones and associated parking issues. The ongoing gentrification of Wicker Park and Logan Square, along with the recent passage of the city's transit-oriented development ordinance, which reduces on-site parking requirements and allows for additional density in projects located near train stops, have led to a building boom along the Milwaukee Blue Line corridor.
On a bike ride along the 3.5-mile stretch of Milwaukee from Logan Square's eagle-topped Illinois Centennial Monument to Kinzie Street last week, I counted 18 different sites where construction or rehab work was going on. At least seven were for TOD projects.
Much of the work included significant impacts to the public right-of-way. In addition to the bike lane blockage near the Kuivinen crash site, there were several sites, such as the "Twin Towers" TOD near the California station, where sidewalks were closed, and plenty of construction Dumpsters sitting in the curb lane.
One of the most problematic projects for cyclists has been the conversion of Wicker Park's Northwest Tower, aka the Coyote Building, into a boutique hotel. Since the construction required closing a length of sidewalk on the west side of Milwaukee, the developer provided a safe route for people on foot by building a pedestrian walkway in the street, surrounded by concrete walls.
However, the walkway eliminated the space southeast-bound cyclists used to ride in, forcing them to squeeze between a wall and car traffic. After Streetsblog publicized the problem, CDOT addressed the issue by stripping parking from the other side of the street and moving the center line of the road to widen the downtown-bound lane, but it's still a somewhat tight fit for bike riders.
"CDOT has strict rules that govern all permit requests that affect the public's access to the right-of-way, including requests that affect a bike lane or sidewalk," spokesman Mike Claffey said in a statement. "If the contractor fails to meet the requirement of the permit or the city's Rules and Regulations for Construction in the Public Way, they can be subject to fines."
Milwaukee Avenue hasn't been the only trouble spot for cyclists this summer. Kinzie Street in River North, where Chicago's first protected bike lanes were installed more than five years ago, is currently a mess due to trenches that were dug for utility work and filled in with concrete, forming a rough surface for bike tires.
click to enlarge Lousy pavement in the Dearborn two-way protected bike lane.
John Greenfield
In the Loop, Randolph Street (a popular westbound bike route) and Dearborn Street (home to a busy two-way protected bike lane) are similarly torn up. CDOT says these streets will be repaved later this year, the Kinzie and Dearborn bike lanes will be rebuilt, and a brand-new curb-protected bike lane will be installed on Randolph.
There has been trouble on the Lakefront Trail this summer as well. Several sections were fenced off at various times for patching and resealing, with little or no advance notice. In general signed detours weren't provided, and in some cases TRAIL CLOSED AHEAD signs were placed only a few feet before the fences, forcing path users to backtrack.
Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner assured me that the agency is on top of the issue. "The Chicago Park District will provide more advance signage in Lakefront Trail improvement zones," she said, adding that residents can check the Park District's website and follow it on social media with the hashtag #ChiLFT for trail updates.
Still, the Active Transportation Alliance says more needs to be done to protect cyclists in these construction zones. "We feel things have really come to a head this summer with the obstructions of high-profile bike routes," advocacy director Jim Merrell told me. "We know that it's challenging for the city to coordinate all the construction projects and utility work, and we realize that in some cases sidewalks and bike lanes need to be closed. But the city's regulations say pedestrians and cyclists should be accommodated and safe alternatives should be provided, and in some cases private contractors aren't following these rules."
While the advocacy group has always encouraged members to call 311 to report right-of-way problems, last week it launched a new campaign called "Clear the Way," billed as "an all-out blitz to flood the city of Chicago's 311 line to report conditions that put people walking and biking in danger."
From now through the end of September, residents are urged to file 311 reports on unsafe conditions. Reports can also be made on the city website or via the mobile app Chicago Works. In addition, Active Trans is asking people to shoot photos of the sketchy situations and e-mail them to [email protected].
To keep things interesting, the campaign doubles as a contest. The most prolific 311 reporters and the best photographers will win awards.
In October, Active Trans will compile the results and submit them to Mayor Emanuel and aldermen. "We hope to encourage city officials and staff to take another look at this issue and see if more can't be done," Merrell said.
Hopefully by beating the drum about these problems, Active Trans will be able to convince decision makers that hazards and inconveniences for people walking and biking need to be taken just as seriously as those for people driving. v
John Greenfield edits the transportation news website Streetsblog Chicago.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/construction-cycling-walking-hazards-milwaukee-avenue/Content?oid=23335897
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/06b1d9a1910755d99792b992104ebdbecb7119853f84e2dd51d012d51a4293dd.json
|
[
"John Greenfield"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:17 | null | 2016-08-23T10:30:00 |
Transit advocate Ronnie Matthew Harris wants to eliminate barriers that physically divide Bronzeville.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fgo-bronzeville-harris-transportation-improvements-bike-tour%2FContent%3Foid%3D23259675%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23260479/fob_transit-bronzeville_transportation-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
A wish list for better walking and biking in the Black Metropolis
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/go-bronzeville-harris-transportation-improvements-bike-tour/Content?oid=23259675&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/b4a673c1bdf5afc3bb30a6db4a170d20a8a14a1b792bb56f6b1372d73be84b5f.json
|
[
"Leor Galil",
"Peter Margasak",
"Philip Montoro",
"Kevin Warwick",
"Miles Raymer",
"Monica Kendrick",
"J.R. Nelson",
"Anne Ford",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ryan Smith"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:29 | null | 2016-08-24T12:00:00 |
R&B singer Frank Ocean has returned after a four-year absence, but one of his best new songs concerns a lover on the cusp of disappearing from his life.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Ffrank-ocean-pleads-for-a-lover-to-stick-around-on-blonde-standout-track-self-control.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23280733/frankoceanblondcover.jpg
|
en
| null |
Frank Ocean pleads for a lover to stick around on Blonde standout track "Self Control"
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge
Loss and absence seem to have been big themes in music news recently. Late last week, word broke that SMAP, a popular J-pop boy band active since 1988, would break up. The New York Times likened the news to "the Beatles' breaking up, the airing of the final episode of 'Seinfeld' and the 'conscious uncoupling' of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin all rolled into one." On Saturday night Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, who've been around since 1983, played their final show in their hometown of Kingston; the band decided to call it quits after front man Gord Downie announced he had terminal brain cancer in May, and longtime fan Justin Trudeau (you know, the Canadian prime minister) was in the crowd.On the other hand, some acts have returned from long absences. Just yesterday, Illinois second-wave emo heroes American Football announced that in October they'll release their second album, which like their debut will be called American Football—it'll be their first in 17 years. But music's big return of the past week has been that of Frank Ocean , who just put out three albums after a wait of more than four years since the masterful: a visual album called Endless and two different versions of a full-length called Blonde (the album art for Apple Music's exclusive stream of Blonde is missing the "e," even though the company spells the title with the "e"). Absence hangs over my favorite cuts from Ocean's disjointed, subliminally confrontational albums—though his tunes tend to be serene and quiet, there's a lot of tension baked in, especially in the track I come back to the most,'s "Self Control." Ocean's lyrics about a doomed couple evoke heightened emotions—lust, affection, confusion, loneliness—just vaguely enough that you could describe the relationship as either dead or dying depending on your mood. Whatever the case, the lovers know they have to disentangle themselves, which means they could disappear from each other's lives in a moment.Ocean's yearning cries make it clear that he's still struggling to let go, regardless of whether the person on the other end of his messages is technically an ex yet. That becomes even plainer as a somber, quasi-orchestral swell joins its solitary guitar melody and Ocean harmonizes with his own vocal overdubs to sing, "I, I, I know you gotta leave, leave, leave / Take down some summertime / Give up just tonight, night, night." Ocean understands it's over, but he defiantly sticks his hand down the neck of the hourglass to grab a fistful of sand—love doesn't always end when a relationship is broken, and some of us stumble backward as we try to move on.To hear "Self Control" you'll have to deal with Apple Music, which has the exclusive stream of Blonde. That is, unless you went to Evanston on Saturday for Frank Ocean's pop-up shop and got a copy of his Boys Don't Cry magazine, which includes the CD version of Blonde—that edition has a different track listing than the one on Apple Music, and the magazine appears to spell the title with an "e."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/24/frank-ocean-pleads-for-a-lover-to-stick-around-on-blonde-standout-track-self-control
|
en
| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/bdbef027e31e9ce375a5bef6a5f32550f3e73354bd1b4859434519c0706c2e0b.json
|
[
"Leah Pickett"
] | 2016-08-27T16:47:07 | null | 2016-08-26T04:00:00 |
Chicago plays itself in this dramatization of the First Couple’s first date.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fsouthside-with-you-richard-tanne-barack-michelle-obama%2FContent%3Foid%3D23320419%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23320418/southside_with_you-1-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Barack and Michelle Obama’s love affair-with each other, and the city-hits the big screen
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/southside-with-you-richard-tanne-barack-michelle-obama/Content?oid=23320419&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/1091b2f1408aa9fc6114186fe98b74bf16537b99fff3050678cb8964cdb2a999.json
|
[] | 2016-08-30T14:47:37 | null | 2022-01-02T00:00:00 |
Not reviewed.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fevil_olive%2FLocation%3Foid%3D834999%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
Evil Olive
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/evil_olive/Location?oid=834999&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-02T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/3d5d5a5ba0ef5581741d1d8ca6676af0b8dcab547da852a750a7b85d0aa116bb.json
|
[
"Steve Krakow",
"Bill Meyer",
"John Corbett",
"Peter Margasak",
"Bob Mehr",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Sara Cohen",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum"
] | 2016-08-30T22:46:43 | null | 2016-08-30T17:00:00 |
Hamid Drake's fluid fusion of jazz, reggae, and world-music percussion styles has made him an invaluable part of countless groups.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fhamid-drake-drums-around-the-world-but-hes-not-a-star-at-home.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23385402/sh_hamid_drake-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Hamid Drake drums around the world, but he's not a star at home
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Audience Choice Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Insanity of God The Intervention Jason Bourne Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers Premiere Party Q&A The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Kung Fu Hustle Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience Sunshine Day A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel The Untouchables War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/hamid-drake-drums-around-the-world-but-hes-not-a-star-at-home
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/da452983f66c65f29ec00c5720cdee01439895928dcc68d19181504d74e6fe8c.json
|
[
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ryan Smith",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Sara Cohen",
"Peter Margasak",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-30T20:46:43 | null | 2016-08-30T14:50:00 |
The county's chief financial officer says he disagrees with a hearing officer’s interpretation that only musical genres considered “fine art” are exempt from an amusement tax.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fcook-county-not-in-the-business-of-saying-what-is-and-what-is-not-fine-arts-according-to-cfo.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23383865/beautybar.jpg
|
en
| null |
Cook County not ‘in the business of saying what is and what is not fine arts,’ according to CFO
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Dani Deahl via @danideahl
Beauty Bar
click to enlarge Rich Hein/Sun-Times
Cook County chief financial officer Ivan Samstein says despite the fact that he disagrees with a hearing officer's interpretation of a county ordinance, the county has no desire to influence court proceedings.
Cook County's chief financial officer claims the government agency never sought to define what art or music is, nor has it tried to tax small venues accordingly.The comments from Cook County CFO Ivan Samstein come after a hearing officer appointed by the county's Department of Administrative Hearings claimed last week that DJ sets, rock, rap, and country performances music do not constitute "fine art" under the county's code and therefore small music venues would be hard-pressed to argue that they should be exempt from a 3 percent county amusement tax on ticket and cover charges for those types of shows.Samstein now says, however, that the county has never collected amusement taxes from venues on the basis of what type of performances they book. He disagrees with the hearing officer's interpretation that only those genres traditionally considered "fine art"—such as chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, and opera—are exempt from paying the tax. "We have never applied the tax different for different genres of music," he says. "Fine arts is a relative discussion. I don't think anyone [in the county] is in the business of saying what is and what is not fine arts."Like the city of Chicago, Samstein says the county draws a distinction between DJ sets composed purely of prerecorded music and performances that include significant manipulation or modification of prerecorded music. The former would be subject to the amusement tax, while the latter would not, he says.For example, he says, no one in the county would dispute that a live set by famed Chicago DJ Frankie Knuckles constitutes a performance of original music, and the show would be exempt from the amusement tax so long as it occurred in a small venue.Several small Chicago music venues, including Beauty Bar and Evil Olive, are disputing claims made by the county that they owe approximately $200,000 each in back amusement taxes and penalties. Hearing officer Anita Richardson said during an August 22 administrative hearing between the county and attorneys for the venues that the businesses would need to successfully argue the live music they book constitutes "fine art" in order to prove they are exempt from the county's amusement tax.Venues with a capacity of 750 or fewer are not subject to the 3 percent tax as long as any cover charges or admission fees are for "in person, live theatrical, live musical or other live cultural performances," according to the county code. A separate section of the code defines live music and live cultural performances as "any of the disciplines which are commonly regarded as part of the fine arts, such as live theater, music, opera, drama, comedy, ballet, modern or traditional dance, and book or poetry readings."Richardson's comments angered many in the music community in Chicago and beyond. Her statements and the county's pursuit of the tax revenue also spurred fears that the venues would be forced to shutter due to the sudden financial burden. The issue has spawned online petitions , including one signed by Chance the Rapper.In the wake of the controversy, Cook County commissioner John Fritchey announced today that he would introduce an amendment to the county's amusement-tax ordinance at the board's next meeting on September 14. He says the amendment models the city's amusement-tax ordinance and was crafted in collaboration with industry representatives to "have a rational view of 'music' while still providing safeguards to prevent businesses from avoiding legitimately owed taxes."Samstein and Cook County Department of Revenue public information officer Ted Nelson declined to comment on the specifics of the Beauty Bar and Evil Olive cases.Asked why county officials have not corrected the hearing officer's interpretation of the code or withdrawn their case against the venues, Samstein says the county has no desire to influence court proceedings."Otherwise, if we start telling them what they can or cannot say . . . that effectively undermines a concept of an impartial system," he says. He adds that venues are welcome to pursue their cases in the circuit court system if the hearing officer hands down a ruling they disgree with.Bruce Finkelman and Victor David Giron of 16" on Center, the development company that owns Beauty Bar, have said that the process of challenging the taxes is still damaging to their business because it necessitates spending large amounts of money on lawyers versus a more worthy cause like artist development.Generally speaking, Samstein says, if businesses register as taxpayers with the county, file taxes, and respond to auditor requests in a timely manner, they won't find themselves in a dispute with the county over taxes owed. He claims the vast majority of county businesses are compliant with the agency's taxation policies.Pat Doerr, president of the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago, says about half a dozen venues his organization represents have also been asked to pay back taxes in the sum of six figures. (Most of those venues have declined to speak on the record about their cases.)But Samstein says that any notice from the county of back taxes owed should come as no surprise to these businesses. "You don't see any situations where a taxpayer suddenly finds themselves in an administrative hearing," he says. In most situations "auditors have been trying to solicit information for the better part of two years."In a letter to Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, Fritchey asks the county's top official to direct the Department of Revenue not to seek back taxes on venues that are considered compliant with the city's amusement tax ordinance. He writes that the owners of the small venues he's spoken to believed in good faith that they were complying with all county taxes.Fritchey says he's confident he'll get the necessary support from his colleagues on the board to pass the amendment."It appears the statements of the hearing officer greatly exceeded the issues before her," he says. "But at the end of the day, it gives us an opportunity to clarify the county's regulations and allow venue operators to operate with a sense of certainty while at the same time recognizing the county should not be the arbiter of what does and doesn't constitute music."When asked whether he thinks Preckwinkle will honor the request and direct the county to stop its pursuit of back taxes on those venues considered compliant under city standards, Fritchey says he's "cautiously optimistic that this situation has put a spotlight on the fact that these businesses need to be treated fairly and consistently by both the city and the county."Samstein declined to respond to Fritchey's request."I spoke with the commissioner last week," he says. "I need to see an actual proposal to be able to react."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/cook-county-not-in-the-business-of-saying-what-is-and-what-is-not-fine-arts-according-to-cfo
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/fd14e534af5c1e610e61e34b1668734cc5579afc699d8b21e7f48aefe7007f31.json
|
[
"Leah Pickett"
] | 2016-08-27T02:47:01 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Plenty of couples banter, woo, and fall in love in Chicago, despite the vast majority of American films locating romance elsewhere (most often in New...
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2FMovieTimes%3Foid%3D23045019%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
Southside With You
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/MovieTimes?oid=23045019&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/29ca8582c3aff65c8f3a21098abbb48f21c072807faf52d00c0a992148366051.json
|
[] | 2016-08-30T10:47:34 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Past event listing
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fbosman-twins%2FEvent%3Foid%3D23364950%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
Bosman Twins
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/bosman-twins/Event?oid=23364950&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/f1087086fe48086faa2811e11651053789f9f2b861dcf5976ed351c15f419703.json
|
[
"Sam Worley"
] | 2016-08-26T16:46:51 | null | 2014-06-03T04:00:00 |
Jenny Kendler, first-ever artist in residence for the Natural Resources Defense Council, makes complex work about the weird relationship between humans and the natural world.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fartist-jenny-kendler-natural-resources-defense-council%2FContent%3Foid%3D13752359%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/the-natural-selection-of-jenny-kendler/u/slideshow/13752970/jennykendler-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
The natural selection of Jenny Kendler
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/artist-jenny-kendler-natural-resources-defense-council/Content?oid=13752359&show=comments
|
en
| 2014-06-03T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/35fa5776ae557703f25142532bfc1a5ce9711542b81512962e3d9e737d963f9c.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak"
] | 2016-08-26T16:46:44 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Constellation, Chicago: This young Chicago quartet make plain how the once radical ideas put forth six decades ago by Ornette Coleman have been embraced by the jazz mainstream. …
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Foutset%2FEvent%3Foid%3D23064877%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23223256/outset-3-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Outset
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/outset/Event?oid=23064877&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/5f72d1717d4b46a09e460463126cbdbf13f9fd41c12724ae6085b77e1f2f22f7.json
|
[
"Julia Thiel",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Leah Pickett",
"Sara Cohen",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:12 | null | 2016-08-25T16:30:00 |
Challenged to create a drink with popcorn, Matthew Jannotta infused corn whiskey with butter for a buttered popcorn cocktail.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fwatch-a-soho-house-chicago-bartender-make-a-buttered-popcorn-inspired-cocktail%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23320430/cc-popcorn_matthew_jannotta-soho_house-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Watch a Soho House Chicago bartender make a buttered popcorn-inspired cocktail
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence of Arabia Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D The Sting Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/watch-a-soho-house-chicago-bartender-make-a-buttered-popcorn-inspired-cocktail/
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/38eaacf6a4838e9729e179bb5fe18d2f7cab6aec236ccf305eb245ca11a4d51c.json
|
[
"Aimee Levitt",
"Reader Staff",
"Steve Krakow",
"Isa Giallorenzo",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:57 | null | 2016-07-28T13:43:00 |
Explore the world through fried potatoes.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F07%2F28%2Fracism-doesnt-taste-very-good-and-other-reactions-to-lays-new-international-potato-chip-flavors%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/22995034/lays_flavor_taste_test-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
‘Racism doesn’t taste very good’ and other reactions to Lay’s new international potato chip flavors
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Danielle A. Scruggs
This year's new Lay's flavors, all laid out for the taste test
click to enlarge Danielle A. Scruggs
"A dragon, a paper lantern, a pagoda, bamboo, and a Chinese takeout container!" Reader graphic designer Sue Kwong shows off the Chinese Szechuan Chicken package.
click to enlarge Danielle A. Scruggs
The chip selection as a bar graph where the lowest levels represent the highest level of satisfaction. From left: Indian Tikka Masala, Greek Tzatziki, Chinese Szechuan Chicken, and Brazilian Picanha
It is once again that wonderful time of year, eagerly awaited bystaff, when Lay's releases its experimental potato chip flavors. In past years, Lay's entrusted the conception of its new flavors to the masses and, last year at least, in a beautiful and touching gesture, even gave them credit on the bags. This year, though, it's back to dreaming up flavors in-house. I guess that's not really such a bad thing; based on our taste test, last year's American regional-based flavors were not very good. (Though it's completely understandable why they didn't give anybody credit for the cappuccino chips of 2014. The shame would be everlasting.)This year's theme is international: Chinese Szechuan Chicken, Indian Tikka Masala, Brazilian Picanha, and Greek Tzatziki.Before we opened the bags, we spent a few minutes critiquing the package design. Somebody at Lay's thought it would be a good idea to make the bags educational and identify each cuisine by its flag and most obvious national symbols. In the case of Chinese Szechuan Chicken,staffers felt the iconography bordered on racism. "A dragon, a paper lantern, a pagoda, bamboo,a Chinese take-out container!" exclaimed onestaffer in mock astonishment. "The poor graphic designer."This was by far the most offensive bag, though the inclusion of a Pegasus on Greek Tzatziki was slightly puzzling, and one staffer pointed out that, though it was inspired by the flavors of traditional Indian food, chicken tikka masala had actually been invented in Scotland. (According to legend , a Bangladeshi chef in a Glasgow restaurant threw together a sauce of yogurt, spices, and Campbell's tomato soup after a customer sent back a plate of chicken tikka complaining it was too dry. This is strangely similar to the origin story of potato chips: after an irate customer sent back a plate of fried potatoes because they were too thick and underseasoned, an equally irate and vengeful chef in Saratoga Springs, New York, cut his potatoes as thin as he could and then fried and salted the hell out of them—which makes tikka masala potato chips a natural fit. Even if maybe both the origin stories are false .)And then we ripped the bags open. One staffer had already tried the Indian Tikka Masala on his own and approved. Everyone else agreed. "A legitimately good chip," someone pronounced. "I'd actually buy these if I encountered them in the wild." "The turmeric and cumin flavors really come through," another staffer agreed. "I like them, but maybe it's because they're kettle chips, and kettle chips are my favorite," said a third.A few staff members are vegetarian and checked the ingredients list to see if there was any actual chicken involved. There was not. But the group was divided as to whether it tasted like chicken anyway. "No chicken flavor to speak of," said one staffer. "Good call." But others disagreed. "This tastes something like I imagine grilled chicken skin tastes, along with the spice mix," said one of the vegetarians. (He noted that this is a classic British crisps flavor—or—although he remembered Walkers version as better. Sadly, it appears to have been discontinued.) "It tastes like a meal!" said one of the interns. "But you can't really eat a lot of them," said another.Next up was Chinese Szechuan Chicken. The taste of the chips did nothing to dispel the bad feelings from the packaging. "Racism doesn't taste very good," one staffer remarked. "These are upsetting on an emotional level," declared one of the interns. "It just kinda tastes perfume-y and very heavily of chemicals," said another staffer.More specifically, the tasters objected to the lack of spiciness, which was not nearly up to Szechuanlevels. "There's no numbing-tingling Szechuan peppercorn spiciness," one staffer complained. "It's bland and brothy at first with an undifferentiated mild sort of heat at the end." "It tastes more like jalapeño," another staffer agreed. "Stephanie Izard isn't Asian, but I think she would be very offended."The packaging for Brazilian Picanha helpfully promised that it would taste like steak and chimichurri sauce. "Is this what the Olympics taste like?" someone asked. "Whatchimichurri sauce anyway?" asked one of the interns. It took a group effort, but it was determined that chimichurri usually consists of parsley, garlic, and olive oil. "It doesn't taste like anything," a staffer complained.There was some debate over whether meat was an appropriate flavoring for potato chips, and whether it was even possible to taste meat in these particular potato chips. "It doesn't taste like steak," one staffer said. "Meaty chips seem like a poor idea to me," said another. "Chimichurri sauce, however, turns out to go great with potato chips." Compared to the other varieties, particularly Indian Tikka Masala, it had a very subtle flavor. But at least one of the tasters declared it was her favorite.There was some confusion as to how to pronounce "Tzatziki." "Zaziki? " "Tse-tse-ki?,"? Like the sound I make when I snore?" A few of the tasters also wondered how Greek Tzatziki chips differed from last year's (mostly reviled) Greektown Gyros. "In these progressive times, this flavor is a massive step backwards," said one veteran taster. "The tzatsiki taste was part of last year's Greektown Gyros flavor, so it's just like a lesser version of that. I also get creeped out by chips that are supposed to taste like dairy products." But another veteran thought that tzatziki was an improvement over gyros on the most basic level: "I can enjoy these."Several staffers remarked that the tzatziki tasted a little bit like sour cream and onion, only with dill. "Solid chip-tasting chips," said one staffer. "Very persuasive imitation," said another, "just kind of boring." But a third disagreed. "The best flavor!" she said. "They taste so fresh!"We pinned the bags shut with binder clips so the chips wouldn't get stale. But throughout the afternoon, people kept getting up to sneak more chips. The bag most frequently sneaked into was Indian Tikka Masala. By the end of the day, the selection looked like this. Think of it as a bar graph where the lowest levels represent the highest level of satisfaction.Like a lot of statistical representations, this isn't necessarily a completely accurate representation of how people felt about the chips. It's possible that more Chinese Szechuan Chicken got eaten because people wanted to taste for themselves if they were really that awful. (They were.) And so the poor, subtle Brazilian Picanha got the shaft. But Indian Tikka Masala was the overwhelming favorite. "I hope they make these a real flavor," one taster said, crunching away. "But next they should do Thai chili and makrut lime."Are you listening, Lay's?
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/07/28/racism-doesnt-taste-very-good-and-other-reactions-to-lays-new-international-potato-chip-flavors/
|
en
| 2016-07-28T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/3b32e153ddcc98994cce38a0c482a83e9c2d127e140b2a6dfdcf8bc1c97ef982.json
|
[
"Sam Ribakoff"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:10 | null | 2016-08-25T13:00:00 |
Mashaun Hendricks’s for-profit clothing line is just one aspect of his activist efforts to address the city’s gun violence.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Ftrap-house-streetwear-mashaun-hendricks%2FContent%3Foid%3D23299774%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23299779/fob-feature_traphouse-4-900.jpg
|
en
| null |
Trap House Chicago bridges streetwear and restorative justice
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/trap-house-streetwear-mashaun-hendricks/Content?oid=23299774&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/a5edc2d2fa9b92a2d62ffb95b789850f460b4fe05731a2866cfb61cc32260b10.json
|
[
"Dan Liberty"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:16 | null | 1990-02-01T04:00:00 |
Suppose for a moment you live next door to a drug house. Cars queue up in your street. Drug abusers loiter in front of your...
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fhow-to-get-rid-of-the-local-drug-dealer%2FContent%3Foid%3D875133%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
How to get rid of the local drug dealer
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/how-to-get-rid-of-the-local-drug-dealer/Content?oid=875133&show=comments
|
en
| 1990-02-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/799436e917e155cba72497fa3c41db7edcc3a32bf2e1117ce39bc0263cd36a39.json
|
[
"Renata Cherlise",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Danielle A. Scruggs",
"J.R. Jones",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum"
] | 2016-08-28T08:47:19 | null | 2016-08-02T17:00:00 |
In honor of Muhammad Ali’s legacy, we take a look back at his life in Chicago.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F02%2Fmuhammad-alis-deep-roots-in-chicago-bloomed-on-the-south-side%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23039097/muhammad_ali_memorial-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Muhammad Ali’s deep roots in Chicago bloomed on the south side
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence of Arabia Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D The Sting Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/02/muhammad-alis-deep-roots-in-chicago-bloomed-on-the-south-side/
|
en
| 2016-08-02T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/1cfa6ed59ea8e142424d2f43f65a7fd1184a90cde49c5e040e7655e1aecc4a28.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak"
] | 2016-08-26T14:46:55 | null | 2015-11-05T04:00:00 |
Olivia Block's installation "Sonambient Pavilion" honors a neglected public sculpture by Harry Bertoia—and the untapped potential of Millennium Park's huge sound system.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fsonambient-pavilion-pritzker-olivia-block-bertoia-ess-mallozzi%2FContent%3Foid%3D19853175%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/19885793/oliviablock-900.jpg
|
en
| null |
Turning Pritzker Pavilion into a second kind of art
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/sonambient-pavilion-pritzker-olivia-block-bertoia-ess-mallozzi/Content?oid=19853175&show=comments
|
en
| 2015-11-05T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/d4280c467a058897c0f3a029043a0da9fec2193783cde8961474727c3dac1bcc.json
|
[
"Michael Miner",
"Anne Ford",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jake Malooley",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:50:19 | null | 2016-08-25T16:30:00 |
Pundits jumped on the goalkeeper after she called the Swedish team that bested hers "a bunch of cowards."
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fdid-soccer-player-hope-solo-deserve-all-the-criticism-she-got.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319397/hope_solo-soccer-teser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Did soccer player Hope Solo deserve all the criticism she got?
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Eugenio Savio/AP
Hope Solo
A journalist scolds an athlete at the risk of sounding like a schoolmarm. Or do I mean an idiot?That said, do I feel any sympathy for Hope Solo, the U.S. women's soccer team goalkeeper recently criticized for calling the Swedish team a "bunch of cowards"?Well no, not exactly—but a case can be made that she served her teammates well after the favored Americans lost on penalty kicks to Sweden in the recent Olympics. It's only fair to Solo that someone make this case, and as everybody else has been tied up with calling Solo a disgrace to her American uniform, I'll take a try.Pundits jumped on Solo and defended Sweden; I particularly enjoyed the nun-with-yardstick reaction of Nancy Armour of. "This was a win-or-go-home game in the Olympics," Armour reminded Solo, and all of us. "You do what you need to survive and you don't owe any apologies."Armour lowered the boom. "Hope Solo is a distraction U.S. Soccer can no longer afford. . ." her lecture began. "Solo has embarrassed her team and the country she represents one time too many." Armour didn't explain who Solo was distracting, or what she was distracting them from, or why this was a horrible thing to do, but whatever. It's always safe to call someone who annoys you a distraction.In her indignation, Armour sometimes lost her grip on her argument. With the U.S. on the brink of defeat, but one last penalty kick to stop, "Solo decided to open up her bag of tricks," Armour wrote . Putting it that way cast Solo in a lurid light—America's stand-up representatives don't resort to trick bags. "With Lisa Dahlkvist standing at the spot, Solo motioned for new gloves and made a show of taking her old ones off and putting the new ones on." But it didn't work. Dahlkvist "buried her shot."So here was Armour praising the Swedes for doing what they needed to do to survive, and putting Solo in her place for doing the same thing. Armour gave Solo a piece of her mind. "Rather than griping and whining about [the Swedish strategy], take it like a compliment and find a way to break it down," Armour lectured. "But graciousness and decorum have never been Solo’s strong suit."We might have to unpack this a little to appreciate how fast and loose Armour was playing with the time-space continuum. The griping and whining by Solo came after the game. Finding a way to break down the Swedish defense would have involved Solo's coach and teammates once the game began. And graciousness and decorum had nothing to do with the game whatsoever.And it's worth stressing the point that solving the Swedish defense was the responsibility of coach Jill Ellis and everyone else on the American teamSolo. They failed. Yet when the game was lost, nobody paid attention to any of them. No one was held responsible for anything but Solo for her loose tongue, and on Wednesday she was suspended from the national team for six months.Yes, Solo was a distraction—but perhaps a distraction helpful to her team, not a burden on it. The U.S. lost and she took the heat. But ambiguities rarely get in the way of a seasoned finger-wagger.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/did-soccer-player-hope-solo-deserve-all-the-criticism-she-got
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/1e14356b0e36a8eb617da4826fb5ecc668a519ce6fd9167478d2960f83c9f278.json
|
[
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-28T02:47:09 | null | 2013-11-05T14:30:00 |
With a pardon at stake, two wrongful convictions in a double murder case get the reverse spin.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fwrongful-convictions-reverse-spin-dan-curry-pr%2FContent%3Foid%3D11450982%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/what-really-happened-in-paris-illinois/u/slideshow/11450985/steidl-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
What really happened in Paris, Illinois?
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/wrongful-convictions-reverse-spin-dan-curry-pr/Content?oid=11450982&show=comments
|
en
| 2013-11-05T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/2d389b95f5359a4c0c1d2c0b2c2d7e7c9bf2b515fcd9bef0d3c899c7cc411daf.json
|
[
"Dan Savage",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Derrick Clifton",
"Alison Flowers",
"Sarah Macaraeg",
"Dan Liberty",
"Steve Bogira",
"Julia Thiel",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:03 | null | 2016-08-25T01:00:00 |
This week’s guest Dan Savage offers advice on impotence, pegging, and more.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fdan-savage-love-impotence-pegging-hand-jobs%2FContent%3Foid%3D23299747.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23299751/thinkstockphotos-471970182.jpg
|
en
| null |
Daniel Savage, designer, says break up, pay up, and lie
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
DEAR READERS: This is the final week of my summer vacation—but you've been getting a new column every week I've been gone, all of them written by Dan Savage, none of them written by me.
Our final guest Dan Savage is an independent designer, illustrator, and animation director based in Brooklyn. He created Yule Log 2.0 (watchyulelog.com), a collaborative art project where animators around the world reimagine the famous Yule log fireplace. He has worked with the New York Times, Herman Miller, and Google, he's taught design and animation at NYU and SVA, and he's won a bunch of design industry awards you probably haven't heard of.
"I was excited to do this, even though I have no authority on the topic," said Daniel Savage. "But I surprisingly felt pretty confident in my answers, as ridiculous as they may be."
Q: I'm a 41-year-old straight woman who stayed a virgin way longer than I should have (thank you, church and cultural slut shaming). I wasn't 100 percent "good," i.e., I was one of those "not PIV = not really sex" girls, so I indulged in outercourse and other "cheats." When I finally realized that "not until marriage" wasn't working for me and did the real thing, I discovered I loved it. Go me, right? Unfortunately, I'm not good at dating, so I usually go a long time between relationships. The relationship I'm in now is the first one I've had in two years. "Guy" is nice to me—calls me beautiful, sticks up for me, comes to watch me play with a community orchestra (my own family and friends don't even come to my shows). But we don't have much in common (hobbies, political outlook, religious beliefs) and sometimes our conversations feel labored. But that's OK, right? At least I'm getting my sexual needs met, right? Well, no. Every single time we've tried to have sex, Guy either can't get hard or stays hard for only a few minutes. I've tried going down on him, using my hands, different positions—nothing works. He's never had an orgasm with me. We don't even kiss that much. I don't say anything because I don't want to hurt his feelings and because I'm really grateful to him for wanting to be with me and being nice to me. He says sorry and that he's asked the doctor about it, but we don't get anywhere. It feels lonelier than when I was single. To be blunt, I don't want to date him anymore. But I feel too guilty to break up with him. He really cares about me, and he didn't do anything wrong. We've dated for four months, and I don't know if I'm giving up too soon. Where would I be if previous boyfriends had ditched me for being inexperienced instead of showing me the ropes? Don't I owe Guy the same thing? —Too Down to Be Witty
A: First off, I think a long time between relationships is good. I also think not having things in common can be OK if you create new hobbies and experiences you can share. Having said that, TDTBW, four months is plenty of time to know if it's working. He sounds superboring. The sooner you break it off with him the better. You don't want to hurt him any more than you have to, especially if he's really into you, and the longer you draw it out, the more it's going to hurt. No amount of "training" is going to get this dude hard.
I wouldn't feel guilty at all about dumping him. Sometimes you gotta think about number one.
Q: My girl and I are both 26, and we opened up our marriage. Now I've got a girlfriend with whom I am getting to have some of the kinky fun that was lacking at home. Here is my question: Things are really casual between me and this new girl. I want to do some pegging, but I don't know who should buy the strap-on? Me, because it's my ass and my idea? Or her, because she would wear it and would also think it was superhot? Should I buy the dildo and she buys the harness? Go halfsies on the whole rig? What's the equitable way of doing this? —Purchasing Erotic Gear Good Etiquette, Dan?
A: You're 26 years old, PEGGED, buy the damn thing. How much could it possibly cost? I know if I were in your situation, I'd want full control over what goes up my ass. If she owns it, would she use it while you weren't around? With strangers? No thanks. Plus if you split the cost, who gets to keep it if or when you break up? Just buy it and enjoy. If you struggle with picking it out, might I suggest starting small?
Q: I've always enjoyed reading your column—maybe I just get turned on by other people's sexual endeavors, or maybe reading about other people's sexual frustrations makes my situation seem better in comparison. So what am I writing about? Well, I suppose the question is this: When does one just become blatantly ungrateful? I've been in a two-year mixed relationship (she's Native and 24, I'm white and 29), and we fight a lot. She cheated on me a couple times early in the relationship. She says I pressured her into getting into a relationship when she wasn't ready to "settle down," which I suppose I could see. My problem is I have a hand-job fetish and my girlfriend has a disinterest in it, to the point where she just won't do it. But why am I bitching? I get laid every day for the most part, surprise blow jobs, 69ing, you name it. Should I accept this as fate? But just this morning, we went for round two, and I was having a hard time coming, and out of nowhere she pops up and jerks me off till climax. It really took me back. Would it be bad to fake having coming issues in hopes she does it again? Is that unfair? —Tugboat Captain
A: It's interesting that your problem isn't the fact that she cheated on you, TG, or the relationship problems, or the constant fighting. No, it's the lack of hand-job enthusiasm. Honestly, man, it seems like you have much deeper issues here—but the hand-job problem is the only concrete thing you point to?
The girlfriend you've got sounds superselfish, and finding a new girl—one who wouldn't cheat on you and would be excited to jump into a relationship AND be down with a little tug—isn't going to be that difficult. I mean, your "fetish" seems like it's an easy one to explore.
But to answer your actual question: I would go ahead and fake it. Fuck it, lie to her. It seems like she has no issues lying to you! v
Download the Savage Lovecast every Tuesday at thestranger.com.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/dan-savage-love-impotence-pegging-hand-jobs/Content?oid=23299747
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/546bafbaca7004625813f98b82db47cb7916df393a276847d33df196e5ceeb2e.json
|
[
"Anne Ford",
"Dan Savage",
"Brad Einstein",
"Dennis Rodkin",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:58 | null | 2016-02-01T12:28:00 |
Pediatric urologist Elizabeth Yerkes helps guide new parents through the mysteries of gender identity.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F02%2F01%2Fnavigating-disorders-of-sex-development-with-a-chicago-doctor%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/21069816/dryerkes-chrisriha-magnum.jpg
|
en
| null |
Navigating disorders of sex development with a Chicago doctor
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Chris Riha
"I'm part of a team of specialists that works on disorders of sex development. 'DSD' is a relatively new label that covers a lot of different diagnoses. It refers to the condition of having something about one's genetic material or internal or external genitalia that is not typically male or female. Some affected individuals prefer the term 'intersex' because they don't want to be considered as having a disorder."One diagnosis is mixed gonadal dysgenesis, in which a chromosomal anomaly affects the development of the gonads. That can present as something that looks like either an enlarged clitoris or a penis with severe hypospadias, in which the urethra doesn't develop, so the scrotum may be split and look like labia. "Our team consists of me and two other urologists, a pediatric surgeon, a pediatric endocrinologist, a pediatric psychologist, and a genetic counselor. When we see a baby with ambiguous genitalia, we try to help the parents understand what we think the baby's gender identity will be in the future so we can assist them in choosing an initial sex of rearing."The thing is, you can decide which bathroom the baby uses at school and what clothes you dress them in, but their gender identity is innate, and until they grow up, you don't know what it is. Gender identity is the feeling that you are a man or a woman—though not everyone has to identify as one of those—and how you identify yourself may not match what's present on the inside or the outside. We do believe that the amount of testosterone made in the body prenatally and in the early newborn period may have an impact on a baby's future gender identity."Very extensive counseling has to occur for the families to elect anything surgical. We establish with the family an ongoing dialogue about how to help the baby understand, when they're a teenager, the decisions that were made on their behalf. And we recommend long-term psychological follow-up."One thing that's tricky is that with certain conditions, we know that babies heal better and remember less when they have surgery when they're young. When they're older and can consent, we believe their surgical experience will be a lot different. No one really knows the implications of that. So making a case that everyone should wait and have a procedure at an age where they can choose to do so may be a really good idea, but it may also turn out to result in a different sort of suffering. If a baby is born with his urethra in the middle of his scrotum, when he becomes a teen will he say, 'Why didn't you fix this when I was a kid?' or will he say, 'Thank you for not fixing this'?"There's a lot we don't know, and we're very open in telling families that we don't know. If you come into this with the mind-set that you know everything and you can tell the family exactly what's right for their child, that's just not true. The good news is that, while in this country you have to assign a sex in order to get a birth certificate, you don't have to take it farther than that. We would never tell a family that they have to give their baby a certain hormone or have their baby operated on. As long as there's no medically dangerous situation, you can just let your child be."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/02/01/navigating-disorders-of-sex-development-with-a-chicago-doctor/
|
en
| 2016-02-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/2abc55ec620d31d5e12415b2c983c9cac6a4483c2960234026a3f4b3eba7a1f7.json
|
[
"Maya Dukmasova"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:36 | null | 2016-08-25T08:00:00 |
Grassroots groups around Chicago are already putting abolitionist ideas into practice.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fpolice-abolitionist-movement-alternatives-cops-chicago%2FContent%3Foid%3D23289710%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23295385/policeabolition-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Abolish the police? Organizers say it’s less crazy than it sounds.
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/police-abolitionist-movement-alternatives-cops-chicago/Content?oid=23289710&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/5f334662114baa4135129be3bf68ebcf3e6956b3a7c34312752aebcf759ca6d0.json
|
[
"Philip Montoro",
"Leor Galil",
"Peter Margasak",
"J.R. Nelson",
"Jake Malooley",
"Mike Vanderbilt",
"Noah Berlatsky",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Richard Knight Jr.",
"Stephen Gruhn"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:03 | null | 2016-08-23T15:00:00 |
Current musical obsessions of Axons drummer Amanda Kraus, Now Is Podcast host Ben Remsen, and Reader music editor Philip Montoro
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fkraus-axons-rensen-horseback-liebezeit-mueller-berman-perihelion%2FContent%3Foid%3D23272926.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23272925/mus_ir-082516-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Now Is Podcast host Ben Remsen on the jazz giants who walk among us
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
A Reader staffer shares three musical obsessions, then asks someone (who asks someone else) to take a turn.
The cover of the Horseback album Dead Ringers
Philip Montoro, Reader music editor
Horseback, Dead Ringers I fell for Horseback when I heard the hypnotizing high-desert bad trip of 2009's Invisible Mountain. The new Dead Ringers uses the same arid drones and obsessively repetitive rhythms, which create the sense of traversing unimaginable distances, but it replaces post-black metal fuzz with throbbing synthetic bass, twinkling keys, and blowing ribbons of glassy psychedelic ambience. Mastermind Jenks Miller drapes twangy, bristling guitar over everything, and the gurgling growl of his vocals on Invisible Mountain has mellowed into lazy, drawled singing, near whispers, and spoken incantations. You're still crossing a barren, fantastical landscape, but not by trudging in the deranging sun—you're gliding in the cool glass capsule of a monorail.
Playing drums with little cymbals laid flat on the heads It's not just for weirdo improvisers! If for some reason you want an unpredictable variety of garbagy tones, give it a try.
Yellow Eyes at Subterranean on Sat 8/6 In my preview of this show, I compared the lunging, turbulent fury of Yellow Eyes' Sick With Bloom to a spectacular spring flood, and they're even more powerful onstage. The vagaries of live amplification turn most black-metal percussion into a hissing wash punctuated with rapid-fire kick drum, but Yellow Eyes' drummer pushes himself so viciously, painfully hard that you can hear every crack of the snare even in his most frenzied blastbeats. Among active USBM bands, only False does so much to remind you how overwhelming this music is supposed to sound in person.
Philip is curious what's in the rotation of . . .
Percussionist Jon Mueller performs at Issue Project Room in New York.
Bradley Buehring
Amanda Kraus, drummer for Axons and Sabertooth Dream
The Trap Set podcast Joe Wong, a frustrated drummer who's been podcasting since January 2015, chooses interviewees from diverse backgrounds—legendary session players and iconoclasts alike—to share their wide range of musical experiences. Their discussions are neither overtly technical nor intrusively personal (anymore), and my fave episodes include those with Hamid Drake, Tony Allen, Bernard Purdie, Sara Lund, George Hurley, Clyde Stubblefield, Steve Gadd, Sheila E., Mario Rubalcaba, and Milford Graves.
Pascal Comelade, Pierre Bastien, Jac Berrocal, and Jaki Liebezeit, "Shikaku Maru Ten" You're like, "But isn't that a Can song?" Oh yeah! If you had the chance to jam with Jaki Liebezeit, could you resist? Comelade's 1997 album Oblique Sessions leans on acoustic rather than electronic sounds, and the songs are all over the place. It's all fantastically groovy and weird—strongly recommended for Can fans. I picked this up at Amoeba in California and have consistently enjoyed its Jaki-ness.
Jon Mueller, "What I Thought You Said" This track from the 2016 album Tongues has it all: chanting, noise, menacing whispered vocals, meditative drum patterns, an inscrutable title, and a run time of nearly 20 minutes. Jon Mueller's solo work under the Rhythmplex umbrella is complex and cryptic, allowing you to get impossibly lost inside your own head—where sometimes it's safe and sometimes it's not. Fortunately, Mueller lives in Milwaukee and visits Chicago frequently—most recently on his tour with Sumac. RIYL being in a trance.
Amanda is curious what's in the rotation of . . .
Ben Remsen, host of Now Is Podcast
Josh Berman Trio, A Dance and a Hop Fun as it'd be to pick something wildly obscure, counterintuitively mainstream, or out of left field (noting, perhaps, that CTA turnstiles play the first two notes of Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing"), I want to blow my whole load on the the Chicago jazz/free/out/etc scene. Why hype a YouTube video when I can hip you, dear reader, to recent albums by the giants who walk among us? Josh Berman's newest record epitomizes one strategy in this arena. Squint and you might see a chill trio playing short, swinging inventions that could charm a cocktail hour. But take a full view and you'll discover brilliant experimenters burrowing deep into Berman's subtly knotty tunes.
Rempis/Abrams/Ra + Baker, Perihelion Here we have a nearly opposite strategy: a collective trio demonstrating compositional ESP by creating one sprawling, freely improvised piece that reinvents itself as it goes, scratching itches for beauty, brutality, and head-nod grooves. Then they bring in Jim Baker, one of the most interesting pianists alive (who plays locally eight nights a week), and their movement somehow gets more fluid even as it approaches harmonic schizophrenia.
Hearts & Minds, Hearts & Minds This record is closer in its approach to Berman's—focused improvising, digestible compositions—but it owes as much to funk and rock as it does to jazz, free or otherwise. Splatter and squawk meet slithering keyboard riffs and songwriting strong enough to delight the novice jazz/free/out/etc fan. Get hip!
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/kraus-axons-rensen-horseback-liebezeit-mueller-berman-perihelion/Content?oid=23272926
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/9c014b083873c3becf7cd24d0fd529a8c79e34b1a98144852d706131dd2465ff.json
|
[] | 2016-08-30T00:47:30 | null | 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
Past event listing
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fbosman-twins%2FEvent%3Foid%3D23271258%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/9866/adminIcon_chicago.jpg
|
en
| null |
Bosman Twins
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/bosman-twins/Event?oid=23271258&show=comments
|
en
| 2022-01-01T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/dc259b7068f22f3e69af1d67267d8cb7f0c094e8663bccd1cf7fb606b357b1c2.json
|
[
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ryan Smith",
"Leor Galil",
"Isa Giallorenzo",
"Steve Krakow",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:52 | null | 2016-08-30T14:50:00 |
The county's chief financial officer says he disagrees with a hearing officer’s interpretation that only musical genres considered “fine art” are exempt from an amusement tax.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fcook-county-not-in-the-business-of-saying-what-is-and-what-is-not-fine-arts-according-to-cfo%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23383865/beautybar.jpg
|
en
| null |
Cook County not ‘in the business of saying what is and what is not fine arts,’ according to CFO
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Dani Deahl via @danideahl
Beauty Bar
click to enlarge Rich Hein/Sun-Times
Cook County chief financial officer Ivan Samstein says despite the fact that he disagrees with a hearing officer's interpretation of a county ordinance, the county has no desire to influence court proceedings.
Cook County's chief financial officer claims the government agency never sought to define what art or music is, nor has it tried to tax small venues accordingly.The comments from Cook County CFO Ivan Samstein come after a hearing officer appointed by the county's Department of Administrative Hearings claimed last week that DJ sets, rock, rap, and country performances music do not constitute "fine art" under the county's code and therefore small music venues would be hard-pressed to argue that they should be exempt from a 3 percent county amusement tax on ticket and cover charges for those types of shows.Samstein now says, however, that the county has never collected amusement taxes from venues on the basis of what type of performances they book. He disagrees with the hearing officer's interpretation that only those genres traditionally considered "fine art"—such as chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, and opera—are exempt from paying the tax. "We have never applied the tax different for different genres of music," he says. "Fine arts is a relative discussion. I don't think anyone [in the county] is in the business of saying what is and what is not fine arts."Like the city of Chicago, Samstein says the county draws a distinction between DJ sets composed purely of prerecorded music and performances that include significant manipulation or modification of prerecorded music. The former would be subject to the amusement tax, while the latter would not, he says.For example, he says, no one in the county would dispute that a live set by famed Chicago DJ Frankie Knuckles constitutes a performance of original music, and the show would be exempt from the amusement tax so long as it occurred in a small venue.Several small Chicago music venues, including Beauty Bar and Evil Olive, are disputing claims made by the county that they owe approximately $200,000 each in back amusement taxes and penalties. Hearing officer Anita Richardson said during an August 22 administrative hearing between the county and attorneys for the venues that the businesses would need to successfully argue the live music they book constitutes "fine art" in order to prove they are exempt from the county's amusement tax.Venues with a capacity of 750 or fewer are not subject to the 3 percent tax as long as any cover charges or admission fees are for "in person, live theatrical, live musical or other live cultural performances," according to the county code. A separate section of the code defines live music and live cultural performances as "any of the disciplines which are commonly regarded as part of the fine arts, such as live theater, music, opera, drama, comedy, ballet, modern or traditional dance, and book or poetry readings."Richardson's comments angered many in the music community in Chicago and beyond. Her statements and the county's pursuit of the tax revenue also spurred fears that the venues would be forced to shutter due to the sudden financial burden. The issue has spawned online petitions , including one signed by Chance the Rapper.In the wake of the controversy, Cook County commissioner John Fritchey announced today that he would introduce an amendment to the county's amusement-tax ordinance at the board's next meeting on September 14. He says the amendment models the city's amusement-tax ordinance and was crafted in collaboration with industry representatives to "have a rational view of 'music' while still providing safeguards to prevent businesses from avoiding legitimately owed taxes."Samstein and Cook County Department of Revenue public information officer Ted Nelson declined to comment on the specifics of the Beauty Bar and Evil Olive cases.Asked why county officials have not corrected the hearing officer's interpretation of the code or withdrawn their case against the venues, Samstein says the county has no desire to influence court proceedings."Otherwise, if we start telling them what they can or cannot say . . . that effectively undermines a concept of an impartial system," he says. He adds that venues are welcome to pursue their cases in the circuit court system if the hearing officer hands down a ruling they disgree with.Bruce Finkelman and Victor David Giron of 16" on Center, the development company that owns Beauty Bar, have said that the process of challenging the taxes is still damaging to their business because it necessitates spending large amounts of money on lawyers versus a more worthy cause like artist development.Generally speaking, Samstein says, if businesses register as taxpayers with the county, file taxes, and respond to auditor requests in a timely manner, they won't find themselves in a dispute with the county over taxes owed. He claims the vast majority of county businesses are compliant with the agency's taxation policies.Pat Doerr, president of the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago, says about half a dozen venues his organization represents have also been asked to pay back taxes in the sum of six figures. (Most of those venues have declined to speak on the record about their cases.)But Samstein says that any notice from the county of back taxes owed should come as no surprise to these businesses. "You don't see any situations where a taxpayer suddenly finds themselves in an administrative hearing," he says. In most situations "auditors have been trying to solicit information for the better part of two years."In a letter to Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, Fritchey asks the county's top official to direct the Department of Revenue not to seek back taxes on venues that are considered compliant with the city's amusement tax ordinance. He writes that the owners of the small venues he's spoken to believed in good faith that they were complying with all county taxes.Fritchey says he's confident he'll get the necessary support from his colleagues on the board to pass the amendment."It appears the statements of the hearing officer greatly exceeded the issues before her," he says. "But at the end of the day, it gives us an opportunity to clarify the county's regulations and allow venue operators to operate with a sense of certainty while at the same time recognizing the county should not be the arbiter of what does and doesn't constitute music."When asked whether he thinks Preckwinkle will honor the request and direct the county to stop its pursuit of back taxes on those venues considered compliant under city standards, Fritchey says he's "cautiously optimistic that this situation has put a spotlight on the fact that these businesses need to be treated fairly and consistently by both the city and the county."Samstein declined to respond to Fritchey's request."I spoke with the commissioner last week," he says. "I need to see an actual proposal to be able to react."
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/cook-county-not-in-the-business-of-saying-what-is-and-what-is-not-fine-arts-according-to-cfo/
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/05f5db5c4db187eae20ef4786d0e1264e6d83ba78d3c01ee59aeb2bc0f05fec7.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Sara Cohen",
"Peter Margasak",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-30T20:47:41 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 |
Also, August is already the most violent month since 1996.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Frapper-rhymefest-invites-trump-to-walk-a-chicago-block-with-him-and-other-news%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23372766/ax065_3745_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
Rapper Rhymefest invites Trump to walk a Chicago block with him, and other news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Chandler West/For Sun-Times Media
Rhymefest in 2014
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Tuesday, August 30, 2016.
Weather: Very humid with thunderstorms possible
Tuesday will be humid and sunny, with a high of 83 and a low of 71. It will be very warm and could feel as hot as 96 degrees. A thunderstorm is possible in the afternoon and early evening. [AccuWeather]
Cop in Rhymefest incident will be disciplined, rapper invites Trump to Chicago
The police officer who didn't act "appropriately" when rapper Rhymefest filed a police report about an armed robbery Saturday will be disciplined, according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Grammy and Oscar-winning rapper, also known as Che Smith, has been in the news after posting a video of a Chicago police officer treating him "disgustingly" when he visited the police station. "Had that officer acted appropriately, we'd be dealing right now with who did the mugging, which is where we should be," the mayor said. Despite being robbed at gunpoint, Smith told CNN that Chicago isn't as dangerous as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claims. "I'm inviting Donald Trump to Chicago," he said in the interview with CNN. "I will walk you down a block, Mr. Trump, and I guarantee you won't get shot." [DNAinfo Chicago] [CNN]
August isn't over, but it's already the most violent month in 20 years
There is still another full day left of August, but it's already the most violent month in Chicago in 20 years. There have been 84 homicides so far, the most in one month since October 1996, according to the Tribune. The city could still surpass the 85 homicides that occurred in October 1996 and the 90 that happened in June 1996. [Tribune]
A "fitness tracker" will keep track of the city's vital measurements
Chicago is installing 500 modular sensor boxes around the city to measure temperatures, light, barometric pressure, carbon monoxide, foot traffic, and other vital statistics about the city. The first two boxes were installed last week, and 48 more will be operating by the end of the year. The data collected by the boxes will be available to the public on the city's website starting in October. [USA Today]
Hackers obtain information of about 200,000 Illinois voters
Hackers were able to access the personal information of about 200,000 Illinois voters during a "cyberattack of possible foreign origin that began in June and was halted a month later," according to the Tribune. Drivers' license numbers and the last four digits of social security numbers were some of the information that the hackers may have obtained, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. No registered voters were deleted from the records, and no information was modified. [Tribune]
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak at the Chicago Humanities Festival
Before the highly anticipated opening of the Hamilton musical in Chicago, the man behind the phenomenon will appear at a Chicago Humanities Festival event. Lin-Manuel Miranda will be interviewed by Tribune theater critic Chris Jones at the Civic Opera House on September 23. [Sun-Times]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/30/rapper-rhymefest-invites-trump-to-walk-a-chicago-block-with-him-and-other-news/
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/b9a4845f4bc2431c8973f84049816d09862b301191956f1880b82c5f87090f09.json
|
[
"Tiffany Walden",
"Morgan Elise Johnson",
"Leor Galil",
"Erin Osmon",
"Jake Austen",
"Luca Cimarusti",
"John Greenfield",
"Kevin Warwick"
] | 2016-08-29T22:46:41 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
We’ve heard from activists and aldermen on the festival's use of Douglas Park. How about everyday people living in the neighborhood?
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Friot-fest-douglas-park-north-lawndale-neighbors-video%2FContent%3Foid%3D23286805.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23319407/residents_riot_fest-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
What does North Lawndale really think about Riot Fest?
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Words by Tiffany Walden / Video by Morgan Elise Johnson
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the west side's Douglas Park is the rows of Chicago-style two-flats lining the perimeter of its 218 acres. Like many of the beautiful green spaces around the city, the park was created for the neighborhood that surrounds it—in this case North Lawndale, a predominantly black, blue-collar enclave.
On any warm day, the concrete porches of these homes fill with families gossiping, laughing, and enjoying the sunshine while their little ones play in the big park across the street. But for three days this September, Douglas Park will be taken over by outsiders.
Riot Fest, which is returning to the park for its second year, caters to the tastes of many Chicagoans—but not so much to those of the Chicagoans who live in the community that hosts it. Barricades and security will block off the park, and dozens if not hundreds of cars will take up parking spaces usually used by the people living in those two-flat buildings.
We walked along the park on 19th Street, asking neighbors to share their feelings about Riot Fest. People had plenty to say about the festival, and some complained that attendees left behind drug paraphernalia in the park last year. Many chose not to express themselves on camera, while others willingly spoke their minds. v
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/riot-fest-douglas-park-north-lawndale-neighbors-video/Content?oid=23286805
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/1d5354d405d9eb82457f191307459718ed26583946ed6ef5c7ba33d18b840c1e.json
|
[
"Leor Galil",
"Philip Montoro",
"J.R. Nelson",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:15 | null | 2016-08-25T13:00:00 |
Local MCs Rich Jones, Morimoto, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, and JD make a backdrop of the Megamall's graffiti-covered walls in the video for the new track "They Don't Wanna Know."
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Fa-tag-team-of-underground-chicago-rappers-has-fun-with-logan-squares-discount-megamall.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23313880/img_6188.jpeg
|
en
| null |
A tag team of underground Chicago rappers has fun with Logan Square's Discount Megamall
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Airborne Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Filmed by Bike Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water How to Tell You're a Douchebag Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Las Voces Level Up Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection The Neon Demon Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience Sunshine Day A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D The Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/a-tag-team-of-underground-chicago-rappers-has-fun-with-logan-squares-discount-megamall
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/7572ce93768a55e7b7750d8ff4caceb3186015ed3fe9aaeb8084d280a65a5ea3.json
|
[
"Brianna Wellen",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Aimee Levitt",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Nico Lang",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-29T18:47:25 | null | 2016-07-28T11:00:00 |
Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner's Hulu comedy hits its stride in season two.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F07%2F28%2Fdifficult-people-makes-being-bad-look-good%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/22894393/anc_tv-difficult_people-s2-magnum.jpg
|
en
| null |
Difficult People makes being bad look good
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Hulu
Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner are Difficult People.
Comedians Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner make being a terrible person appear a lot less terrible. In their Hulu comedy, they're able to convince others that their questionable moral decisions are the only course of action. Obviously, pretending that you just came out is the best way to get the attention of the hottest guy in the gay bar. And when given the choice between coffee and day wine, day wine is the only way to go.These scenarios are straight out of the show's current season, in which Eichner and Klausner have hit their stride. Season one felt like a pair of best friends trying to figure out how to make their inside jokes translate to a larger audience who, for the most part, had no idea who they were. In season two, it's like a reunion with old friends, and it makes for a stronger show. The duo have a sharp point of view about the world and all the things they hate in it: hipsters, people who exercise, happily married couples, anyone who has any sort of success—really everyone and everything but themselves and dogs. That's not to say they're inconsiderate, just that they choose to be empathetic only when it's to their benefit. They'll start a charity, but only because people who start charities end up with hot husbands and their own TV shows (they're looking at you, Dan Savage). Sometimes they even accidentally do good deeds: in episode two they cut through a crowd while complaining about condo prices and inadvertently shield a woman from violent protesters outside of an abortion clinic. But even at their worst, Eichner and Klausner are so charming they can do whatever they want.Season two also features some heavy hitters as guest stars, including Tina Fey and Nathan Lane, who play hilarious versions of themselves, plus the always on-point Andrea Martin and James Urbaniak as Klausner's overbearing Jewish mother and boyfriend, respectively. Each supplementary character serves as a vehicle for parody about show business or psychiatry or feminism or public television—Urbaniak's character works at PBS and wants nothing more than to be able to eat lunch with the "cool" kids who work on the Jeremy Piven showBut in the end, this show is about Eichner and Klausner, and this season they carry themselves with a confidence that says they know they're stars and don't need anyone else's opinion about it. It's that disregard for others' approval (and the freedom Hulu offers that a prime-time network might not) that makesone of the most original and entertaining comedies out there.Difficult People
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/07/28/difficult-people-makes-being-bad-look-good/
|
en
| 2016-07-28T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/131c9ac46cd7e25e0c84d0c8cb4da1fc9aa03773eda47d733f4967585448cd4a.json
|
[
"Erin Osmon",
"Leor Galil",
"Jake Austen",
"Luca Cimarusti",
"John Greenfield",
"Kevin Warwick",
"Tiffany Walden",
"Morgan Elise Johnson",
"Philip Montoro"
] | 2016-08-29T22:46:51 | null | 2016-08-29T04:00:00 |
The neighborhood that hosts Riot Fest also has some of Chicago’s best Mexican food.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Friot-fest-douglas-park-little-village-mexican-restaurants%2FContent%3Foid%3D23276401.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23336978/restaurants-2016_la_chapparita_130-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Where to eat around Douglas Park
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Despite Pilsen's claims to the crown, the best Mexican food in Chicago can be found within the confines of Little Village—which makes a trip to Riot Fest a good opportunity to pair its abundance of music with the Douglas Park area's wealth of restaurants and food vendors. Though the fest doesn't allow reentry, you can make time to dig in before or after your visit—and in doing so, you'll directly support the community that's giving up its regular Sunday futbol matches in order to host your favorite bands.
La Chapparita
April Alonso
La Chaparrita Grocery
2500 S. Whipple
Fri-Sat 11 AM-11 PM, Sun 11 AM-10 PM A taco at La Chaparrita is like a religious experience. The taquero baptizes the tiny shop's piping hot charola with salty, fatty stew broth before adorning it with tortillas. The white corn blankets become softer and more flavorful as they convene with the blessed griddle, making perfect cradles for expertly seasoned grilled, roasted, and steamed meats sprinkled with onions and cilantro. With the first bite, you'll be born again, and eating any other tacos will feel like blasphemy. If your server (likely part of the family that runs this mom-and-pop operation) asks if you want grilled onions, say yes—La Chaparritas's cebollitas melt in your mouth. Required fillings include tripe (ordered crispy) and al pastor (ordered with cilantro, onions, and pineapple). If you like, add a generous squeeze of cool avocado salsa or smoky, fiery salsa roja, a specialty of the shop. Beverages include tepache (spiced, fermented pineapple water) or not-too-sweet horchata.
click to enlarge Taqueria El Milagro
April Alonso
Taqueria El Milagro
3050 W. 26th
Fri-Sun 7 AM-7 PM If breakfast or early lunch is in order, this is a great spot. The restaurant runs school-cafeteria style, so that you can see everything before you make your choices: a scoop of chilaquiles verde, a chile relleno, or any of a wide variety of moist, steaming tamales (rajas are excellent) with sides of rice, beans, and cabbage salad. Stewed chicken and shredded, stewed pork also rank high on the menu. Eating at Milagro means mingling with the multigenerational families of Little Village (especially on Sunday mornings), and the cheery dining room holds enough large tables to accommodate big groups. And yes, it's also the place whose neighboring tortilleria cranks out the thick, salty tortilla chips and ten-packs of corn and flour tortillas you see at grocery stores. Take some with you to go, fresh off the line.
La Michoakana Golden
April Alonso
La Michoakana Golden
3125 W. 26th
Fri-Sun 11 AM-10 PM This Mexican sweet shop makes all its paletas, ice creams, and fruit gazpachos in-house, and the portions are generous for the price. The ice cream (in flavors such as coconut, Nutella, cucumber, and pineapple) rivals some of the city's best gelato in texture and taste. The paletas are silky and flavor forward—try the strawberries and cream, made from a fresh sweet cream base with sliced strawberries lining each side. The giant chopped-fruit gazpachos are traditionally served with sweet-and-tangy chamoy syrup, and you can also get the whole thing sandwiched with ice cream. The shop sells drinks too, among them mangonada—chilled and diced mango with that same syrup and layers of lime juice and chile, served with a straw wrapped in tamarind.
Doña Torta Mexican Restaurant
April Alonso
Doña Torta Mexican Restaurant 3331 W. 26th
Fri-Sun 8 AM-9 PM The giant tortas at this neighborhood spot are the stuff of Guy Fieri's dreams. It's a good thing that he hasn't discovered them, because a photo of his porcupine coif would look mighty out of place among all the futbol jerseys on the walls of Doña Torta's small dining room. Given that the sandwiches are nearly as big around as their plates and generously stuffed with fillings (the Bomba includes breaded steak, sliced sausage, cheese, pineapple, and avocado), you're unlikely to feel like trifling with the handful of fries on the side. But you might want to wash down one of these monsters with a refreshing fruit water, made in-house.
El Faro
April Alonso
El Faro
3936 W. 31st
Fri-Sun 6 AM-10 PM Another great breakfast option is this healthy Mexican spot, which has been in the neighborhood for decades. It offers many vegetarian soy-meat options in addition to traditional fare such as carne asada and posole. Thick house-made corn tortillas enhanced by chia seeds make for surprisingly airy quesadillas, and the fresh-pressed juice combinations and light fruit salads will leave you feeling energized and ready to brave a festival crowd.
La Casa de Samuel
April Alonso
La Casa de Samuel
2834 W. Cermak
Fri-Sat 8 AM-1 AM, Sun 8 AM-11 PM A stone's throw from the park, this popular spot proudly serves exotic meats such as wild boar, alligator, and rattlesnake, which are unusually chewy but not otherwise all that strange. If you're pinching pennies, it's better to stick with classics: tacos and quesadillas on homemade tortillas, heaping plates of fajitas, ceviche, and margaritas (in lime, strawberry, mango, and banana). Live mariachi bands often play for Sunday brunch, but plan ahead—the line can get long.
Cocula Restaurant
April Alonso
Cocula Restaurant
2200 S. California
Fri-Sat 8 AM-2 AM, Sun 8 AM-midnight This family-owned chain follows a "bigger is better" philosophy, and its original location at California and Cermak would be a fine spot to sip a giant frozen margarita and nosh on chips, salsa, guacamole, and pickled vegetables after a long day in the park. You can pick from standbys such as tacos, tortas, and tostadas as well as giant platillos heaped with seasoned steak and seafood. If you're up early and need a bit of the hair of the dog, stop in for the full Mexican breakfast menu and have a michelada. Note: The kitchen piles shredded cheese on almost everything, so if that's not your thing, speak up when you order. Honorable mentions:
Lagunitas Tap Room
April Alonso
Lagunitas Tap Room
2607 W. 17th
Fri-Sun noon-9 PM Lagunitas definitely isn't locally owned, but the California-based brewer's Chicago outpost is mere blocks from the Riot Fest grounds. Why not pop in and try a few quality beers? The tap room serves bar food too, but there's no reason to bother when you could take a short walk and eat the best tacos of your life.
Look for the tamale lady around here.
April Alonso
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/riot-fest-douglas-park-little-village-mexican-restaurants/Content?oid=23276401
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/6316f9e27cafb8771fd428e0b5597382b81219755187dec435208d42c6a84a53.json
|
[
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Leor Galil",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:42 | null | 2016-08-25T06:00:00 |
CPD denies Donald Trump's claim that he met with a top Chicago cop, and more.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Ffewer-detectives-plus-more-homicides-equals-fewer-murders-solved-and-other-chicago-news.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23294375/bx032_1db7_9.jpg
|
en
| null |
Fewer detectives plus more homicides equals fewer murders solved, and other Chicago news
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Lou Foglia/Sun-Times
An evidence technician with the Chicago Police Department investigates the scene of a homicide in July.
Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Thursday, August 25, 2016.
Weather: Humid, with rain possible
It will be humid, with a high of 81 and a low of 67. It will be cloudy during the day, with a good chance of rain and possibly a thunderstorm. [AccuWeather]
More shootings, fewer detectives spell trouble for the Chicago Police Department
With shootings and homicides on the rise and fewer detectives to solve cases, the Chicago Police Department has a problem on its hands. The city has one of the lowest rates of solved homicides in the country, and detectives now represent only about 8 percent of the force as compared to 15 percent in New York and LA. "You get so many cases you could not do an honest investigation on three-quarters of them," a recently retired CPD detective told Reuters. [Reuters]
CPD denies that Trump ever met with a high-ranking cop
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed Monday that he met a "top" CPD officer who told him that tougher police tactics would solve Chicago's gun violence issues. The department was quick to deny that Trump or any member of his campaign met with a CPD official in "senior command." Trump's spokesman Hope Hicks clarified that the candidate met a "very talented and qualified officer." [New York Daily News]
Mother who spent thousands parking at Lurie Children's raises $1.5 million so other families don't have to pay
Carrie Meghie's son Jackson was less than a year old when he passed away, but she's making sure that his legacy lives on. She spent thousands of dollars visiting him while he was at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital downtown, and she wants to make sure other families aren't spending much-needed money on parking. With her Jackson Chance Foundation, the Ukrainian Village resident has raised more than $1.5 million to cover the parking costs of parents with babies in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. [DNAinfo Chicago]
Popular teen YouTubers who fled Edgewater after one day criticized
Two teenage married YouTube stars from Arizona who lasted only a day in Edgewater before moving back to the southwest aren't very popular in Chicago. Brianna Joy White and her husband, Jaelin, posted a video about their "traumatic experience," which involved a stranger punching Jaelin near a Red Line stop, and claimed they were "homeless" after leaving their Chicago apartment. There were so many negative comments left under the video—which has more than a million views—that the Whites have disabled commenting. [DNAinfo Chicago]
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/25/fewer-detectives-plus-more-homicides-equals-fewer-murders-solved-and-other-chicago-news
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/bebdf5b5f66c84b7255bb594a3eb9dd55f9b1f9b27926263f61f38a27c2dac41.json
|
[
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Ryan Smith",
"Anne Ford",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky",
"Michael Miner"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:55 | null | 2016-08-22T17:14:00 |
At Cook County's latest hearing on its small-venue amusement-tax exemption, the government dealt several businesses a blow that could eventually cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F22%2Fcook-county-doubles-down-rap-rock-country-and-dj-sets-are-not-fine-arts-not-exempt-from-amusement-tax%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23258763/evil_olive-2-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Cook County doubles down: Rap, rock, country, and DJ sets are not ‘fine arts,’ not exempt from amusement tax
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Chris Gallevo
Mig Reyes, center, at the Merge party at Evil Olive in February 2010. Performances such as this would no longer be considered "music" under the current reading of Cook County standards.
At an administrative hearing Monday morning, a Cook County official doubled down on a controversial position that the first reported on last week : she explained to attorneys for two Chicago venues that live performances of rock, country, rap, and electronic music do not constitute "music" or "culture" by the county's standards. This is more than a cultural debate, though, because these definitions affect which small Chicago venues are entitled to an exemption from the county's 3 percent amusement tax on cover and ticket charges. Anita Richardson, a hearing officer appointed by the county's Department of Administrative Hearings, seemed to be arguing this morning that only small venues that book chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, or operas should be entitled to the tax break—those relying instead on "rap music, country music, and rock 'n' roll" in addition to electronic music and DJ performances should have to pay."Rap music, country music, and rock 'n' roll" do not fall under the purview of "fine art," she explained.Attorneys for Beauty Bar and Evil Olive took issue with the hearing officer's position. (The county is going after those venues and several others, in each case attempting to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in amusement taxes dating back at least six years.) They said the shows booked at the establishments they represent are indeed culturally valuable enough to warrant exemption from the county's amusement tax.County code stipulates that venues with a capacity of 750 or fewer are not subject to the tax as long as any cover charges or admission fees are for "in person, live theatrical, live musical or other live cultural performances." A separate section of the code defines live music and live cultural performances as "any of the disciplines which are commonly regarded as part of the fine arts, such as live theater, music, opera, drama, comedy, ballet, modern or traditional dance, and book or poetry readings."Cook County commissioner John Fritchey says he hopes to gain support from his colleagues on the Cook County Board to amend the county's ordinance to reflect a city rule that includes amusement-tax exemptions for live DJ and other musical performances at small venues.Fritchey says the county's language "harkens back to the days of the 1950s when rock 'n' roll wasn't considered music." He adds, "No pun intended, but I think the county is being tone deaf to recognize opera as a form of cultural art but not Skrillex."A Chicago native who frequented the city's music venues in his youth, Fritchey says the county's position doesn't take into account the state of music today or its evolution over time.During this morning's proceedings, Beauty Bar attorney Matt Ryan argued that the Department of Administrative Hearings "shouldn't be in the business" of determining what is and what is not fine art. If it's music, he said, it should be exempt."Your argument is honestly a stretch," Richardson countered. "I'm going to be looking for some rather persuasive legal arguments that will persuade me . . . that all music falls within the category of any of the disciplines regarded as fine arts."Ryan and an attorney for Evil Olive, Sean Mulroney (who's also a co-owner of Wicker Park venue Double Door), said that at a hearing scheduled for October 17 the two establishments will present evidence, including live music and testimony from a musicologist, in an effort to budge the hearing officer from her opinion regarding the cultural value of DJ performances.The attorneys said the county is seeking approximately $200,000 from each venue for amusement taxes going back at least six years, a figure that includes interest and penalties.Richardson said she would be "happy to hear your DJ witnesses" but insisted that the attorneys need to also supply expert musicologists to argue the definition of "fine art" and "further testify the music you are talking about falls within any disciplines considered fine art."Bruce Finkelman, a managing partner in 16" on Center, the development company that owns both Beauty Bar and the Empty Bottle, said that the county's position on the tax essentially means that anytime he wants to book a show at either venue he'll need to check with the government agency first to see whether the performance qualifies as "fine art."He said he's never paid amusement taxes for either venue in the six years since Beauty Bar opened or at any point in the quarter-century history of the Empty Bottle.The tax bill the county is trying to squeeze out of Beauty Bar, Finkelman said, "strangles everything we're trying to achieve"—as would the levying of the amusement tax going forward.Mulroney said that the small businesses can't afford to pay the amusement tax at all, whether retroactively or in the future. The county's motivation, in his view, is clear: "They're broke." He added that Beauty Bar and Evil Olive are obviously test cases—the county is going after them first to see if it can wring any more tax revenue from the city's live-music industry.Fritchey shares Mulroney's suspicions: he says every local and state government agency is looking for avenues to collect any and all enforceable debt due to budget constraints."Even if I am able to change the ordinance, there is still the issue of back taxes," he says. Though he prefers not to publicly question the hearing officer's judgment or interpretation of the code, he emphasizes that these venues are not "tax deadbeats."He says the venues are making "a very compelling argument" that they are exempt from this particular tax—and that this legal debate flies in the face of what the county ought to be doing to foster creative and economic growth in the city. "Personally, I think we need things to incentivize musical talent and venues that present it, rather than make life more difficult for them," Fritchey says.The Cook County board consists of 17 commissioners in addition to board president Toni Preckwinkle. Contact information for Preckwinkle and the commissioners can be found by searching their names in the county clerk's directory
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/22/cook-county-doubles-down-rap-rock-country-and-dj-sets-are-not-fine-arts-not-exempt-from-amusement-tax/
|
en
| 2016-08-22T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/190fb6f379a906e04df7dd367c0ff592ac06bab93c153d5d3eb441f4b1ce1ef3.json
|
[
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T18:46:59 | null | 2016-08-22T11:00:00 |
The new series on wrongful convictions highlights cases that aren't representative of wider prison demographics.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F22%2Fmtvs-unlocking-the-truth-is-too-focused-on-white-men%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23256320/dukmasova-mtv_unlocking_the_truth-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
MTV’s Unlocking the Truth is too focused on white men
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge Courtesy of MTV
Eva Nagao and Ryan Ferguson star in MTV's Unlocking the Truth
In the last two years, stories of possible wrongful convictions have taken the true-crime genre by storm. To the Serial podcast and Netflix's Making a Murderer, we can now add MTV's Unlocking the Truth.
"It could happen to anyone" says Ryan Ferguson in the opening scenes of the show, as he explains his own story. When Ferguson was 19, he was convicted of murdering a newspaper editor in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. After his case got picked up by Chicago-based attorney Kathleen Zellner—who has successfully litigated exonerations for 17 men and now represents Steven Avery of Making a Murderer—attorneys found that evidence against Ferguson was obtained through coerced false confessions by local police and prosecutors. Ferguson spent ten years in prison before being exonerated in 2013.
Last year, a documentary film about Ferguson's case caught the attention of MTV producers.
"I thought, what a great way to tackle this [issue]—with someone who had been through it," says Adam Kassen, one of the series' executive producers.
Ferguson's case is presented as a backdrop in the show. Now that his name's been cleared, he's decided to help others in similar situations. Early in the first episode he joins forces with Eva Nagao of the Chicago-based Exoneration Project to investigate three other cases of possible wrongful convictions.
The cases are those of Michael Politte, accused of killing his own mother in Missouri and setting her body on fire when he was 14; Kalvin Michael Smith, accused of beating a pregnant woman nearly to death in North Carolina when he was 26; and Byron Case, who was accused of killing a female friend at the age of 19, also in Missouri.
Since MTV is a youth-oriented channel, "they wanted to look at cases where arrests happened when people were younger," Kassen says.
Nagao says she was at first hesitant to bring the sensitive work of investigating possible wrongful convictions into a reality TV framework. "The cost-benefit analysis to doing a true-crime show is whether your work is possibly going to expose issues that are going to benefit the greater community," she says. She doubted that "a crew could really capture this slice of life in a real and responsible way."
Ultimately, though, Nagao says she's "ecstatic" about how the show turned out, and is hopeful that it will draw wider attention to the problem of wrongful convictions. Between 3 and 5 percent of U.S. prisoners are estimated to be innocent, which translates to an estimated 60,000 people currently serving time for crimes they didn't commit.
"We're in a moment right now that the national consciousness is receptive to ideas around reform of the criminal justice system," Nagao says. "Innocent people are going to prison; if we can show that with sympathetic characters like Ryan, then we can take [the message] a step further."
But it's impossible not to notice that the sympathetic characters, and the faces of false conviction in this series, are overwhelmingly those of white men. Aside from Ferguson, two of the cases center on white men (Politte and Case). The third (Smith) highlights the conviction of a black man.
According to the Sentencing Project, 38 percent of state prisoners are black and 35 percent are white. However, incarceration rates among African-Americans are five to ten times greater than among whites in every state. In addition, the Exoneration Project receives an average of 250 letters from prisoners pleading their innocence per month, and of the cases the group follows up with, "it's overwhelmingly black defendants, overwhelmingly black men," Nagao says.
So why didn't those numbers translate into the show?
When it comes to producing a television show, the resources needed to film a prisoner and bring their families and legal teams on board are immense, Nagao explains. And for the show, the strongest cases had families and lawyers already actively working to prove the prisoner's innocence.
"The common thread between [the cases profiled] is they have a lot of people working to get it onto a show and get more attention, and you need resources to do that," says Nagao. "And any time you need resources you're gonna see white privilege play out."
Producers also needed connections in a state's criminal justice system to jump through the hoops necessary for filming inmates.
"We had an easy in in Missouri, because Ryan is well-known there," Nagao says. (Ferguson served time in the same prison and cell block as Politte.) She also points out that all three cases profiled on the show had the active backing of innocence projects such as her own.
They also chose high-profile cases that would be feasible to investigate with the support of existing innocence projects in a five-month production time frame, Kassen adds.
He defends the balance the show struck: "These are issues that affect us all," he says. "It can happen in middle-class white communities, it can happen all over the place."
Still, giving the network the benefit of the doubt, it feels as though MTV followed the path of least resistance in choosing these cases. One wonders whether giving more exposure to prisoners whose cases were already being championed was the best use of the network's reach and resources.
Aside from these issues of representation, the program promises to be an interesting showcase of the work of exoneration-focused groups. The misconduct highlighted in the first two episodes alone is jarring—witness testimony is ignored, evidence is lost or not collected at all, obvious suspects are overlooked, confessions are coerced. Perhaps it's nothing new, but it is a reminder that the machinery of the criminal justice system around the country is often morally and procedurally compromised, no matter the defendant's race.
Unlocking the Truth premiered on MTV August 17 and will air every Wednesday at 10 PM central. The two-hour finale airs September 28 at 9 PM central.
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/22/mtvs-unlocking-the-truth-is-too-focused-on-white-men/
|
en
| 2016-08-22T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/5105b9f9cdb479966eaf160fd7b79e00b5af74869bec869cdf992b42a4d2c6bd.json
|
[
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T16:47:19 | null | 2016-08-10T12:00:00 |
The former Illinois governor swears he’s not out to get Chicago’s mayor. He just loves direct democracy.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fchicago-mayoral-term-limits-quinn-emanuel%2FContent%3Foid%3D23101675%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23110951/fob-politics_quinn-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Quinn pushes for mayoral term limits, says it’s nothing personal, Rahm
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-mayoral-term-limits-quinn-emanuel/Content?oid=23101675&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-10T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/3b3a93ae868d1f40abfa1b4077eefa49ef413bce27b20230a1c804c304e815bc.json
|
[
"Maya Dukmasova"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:54 | null | 2016-08-25T08:00:00 |
Grassroots groups around Chicago are already putting abolitionist ideas into practice.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fpolice-abolitionist-movement-alternatives-cops-chicago%2FContent%3Foid%3D23289710.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23295385/policeabolition-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Abolish the police? Organizers say it’s less crazy than it sounds.
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
Mothers Against Senseless Killings serves dinner daily on an Englewood corner that was once a hotspot for violence. “The only reason I know that we don’t necessarily need the police is because of what I do every day,” says MASK founder Tamar Manasseh.
Danielle A. Scruggs
Until that moment on Fox News, Jessica Disu hadn't considered herself a police abolitionist. But on July 11, she was on national television, surrounded by 29 other people convened by Megyn Kelly to discuss the recent killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and several Dallas police officers. "I was under the impression that it would be a robust and productive conversation, even though it was Fox News," says 27-year-old Disu, who identifies herself as a "humanitarian rap artist and peace activist" and is involved with various organizations serving youth on the south side. She prepared her message before going on the show: "It should be against the law for an officer to shoot a civilian," she says. "That was what my message was supposed to be."
—Activist Jessica Disu
Disu was seated in the front row, wearing a green dress, black blazer, and gold hoop earrings, her braids pulled up in a bun. Next to her was Ron Hosko, a former assistant director of the FBI. Also present at the forum: several retired NYPD officers, a "conservative voter," a black pastor from Baltimore active with Black Lives Matter, a black pastor from Los Angeles who said Black Lives Matter was "worse than the KKK," a civil rights attorney, a civil rights movement leader, a white woman who referred to Newt Gingrich's "beautifully" spoken comments on race relations, a black Trump supporter, a "Second Amendment advocate," and several unidentified others. The discussion quickly turned raucous, with panelists shouting over each other as Kelly called on participants to answer polemical questions in quick succession. Disu sat quietly, occasionally rolling her eyes, scoffing, laughing, or nodding in agreement. "A lot of my buttons were triggered and pressed," she recalls. "This felt so comical to me—it felt like a minstrel show." But then people began accusing Black Lives Matter activists of calling for the death of cops, and Disu couldn't hold her tongue "This is the reason our young people are hopeless in America," she began, as other panelists bickered around her. She explained that her activism in Chicago focuses on intracommunity violence. "Here's a solution," Disu said firmly. "We need to abolish the police." "Abolish the police?" came Kelly's incredulous response, as a clamor of boos and protests rose from the forum. "Demilitarize the police, disarm the police," Disu pushed on, undeterred by the yelling. "We need to come up with community solutions for transformative justice." "Can we all agree that a loss of a life is tragic?" she asked the forum, attempting to explain her vision. "Who's gonna protect the community if we abolish the police?" Kelly asked, a this-must-be-a-joke smile spreading across her face. "The police in this country began as a slave patrol," Disu managed to squeeze in before being engulfed by the noise. The clips of Disu's calls for police abolition have garnered more than 31 million views in the month since they were posted online and sparked a virulent backlash. "I've never been called a nigger in my life, until this time," Disu says. "I've been called a 'stupid nigger' by white people across this country, a lot of hate mail—everything short of death threats."
Jessica Disu didn’t always consider herself a police abolitionist. Now, she says, “our police is not working—we need to replace it with something new.”
Danielle A. Scruggs
Nevertheless, she stands by what she said. In light of relentless police violence against black people, she says it's clear that "our police is not working—we need to replace it with something new," she says. "It's more than a repair. We need something new." Now that she's become an inadvertent national spokesperson for an idea she only recently began espousing, Disu says abolition has come to be the only way forward that makes sense to her. "I'm sure when someone first said, 'We have to abolish slavery,' it was like, whoa, that's the stupidest idea, we're making all of this money off of free labor, and you're saying abolish? Like, that sounds ridiculous." But Disu isn't alone in her embrace of the idea. Though Black Lives Matter and other groups have been vocally campaigning for police reform since 2014, the tone (and the banners) of demonstrations in Chicago this summer have become explicitly abolitionist. On July 15, Assata's Daughters, a black feminist group often described as a radical version of the Girl Scouts, led an #AbolitionChiNow march across Bronzeville. On July 20, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, formed in the wake of Michael Brown's death, launched an occupation of an empty lot across the street from CPD's Homan Square facility in North Lawndale. The collective dubbed it "Freedom Square," publicized it as an experiment in "imagining a world without police," and called for the city to put its $1.4 billion police budget to other uses. Following the fatal police shooting of Paul O'Neal on July 28, young people made explicit calls for police abolition in front of CPD headquarters. And on August 7, several black teen girls organized a march for abolition that drew hundreds of supporters to the Loop. It seems the city finds itself at the epicenter of a growing movement imagining and building a world without cops. And some grassroots groups, tired of waiting for top-down change from the very agencies they protest, have taken it upon themselves to start building the abolitionist society they want to live in. The idea of police abolition can't be understood separately from the wider prison abolition movement, the intellectual seeds of which were sown by radical feminists in the 60s and 70s, including academic and early Black Panther Party member Angela Davis. Davis was herself incarcerated for 16 months while on trial for allegedly aiding a violent 1970 takeover of a California courtroom that ended with the death of a judge. Davis was acquitted in 1972, and later joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in the 90s. Then and there a new movement for prison abolition began to gain traction, led in large part by queer women of color. In 1998 Davis coined the term prison industrial complex—a nod to the concept of the military-industrial complex popularized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961. "[The work of maintaining incarceration], which used to be the primary province of government, is now also performed by private corporations, whose links to government in the field of what is euphemistically called 'corrections' resonate dangerously with the military industrial complex," Davis wrote in a famous 1998 article in the magazine Colorlines. "The prison industrial system materially and morally impoverishes its inhabitants and devours the social wealth needed to address the very problems that have led to spiraling numbers of prisoners."
—Organizer Mariame Kaba
In 1997, Davis cofounded Critical Resistance, an organization that has since worked to dismantle the prison industrial complex. The group helped serve as a model for other abolitionist groups, including Incite!, founded in Santa Cruz in 2000 by radical feminists of color. These groups sought to bring attention to drug addiction, mental illness, and other social problems underlying mass incarceration through conferences and grassroots organizing. It has been gradual, painstaking work, they say, aimed at building community institutions whose presence they hope will one day make the police unnecessary. Mariame Kaba came to Chicago for graduate school in 1995 and eventually joined the local chapter of Incite! Raised in New York in the 80s by her Guinean father and Senegalese mother, Kaba grew up in what she has called a "collectivist" and "black nationalist framework." In Chicago nearly all current efforts at police and prison abolition can be traced back to Kaba. Her students and those influenced by her work are leading many prominent organizations at the forefront of police protests, such as Black Youth Project 100, Black Lives Matter Chicago, and Assata's Daughters. Her insistence that she isn't central to the movement is as constant as her students' attribution of her work as the inspiration for their own. "I remember hearing this word 'abolition' and thinking it sounded absurd," says Page May, a cofounder of Assata's Daughters who first learned about abolition at Kaba's teach-ins. "But I would just go to everything that Mariame ran . . . everyone knew her and respected her, even if they didn't agree with her politics. And you couldn't work in the city around prisons or police without knowing her." Kaba summarized her views in a recent interview with the AirGo podcast: "For me prison abolition is two things: It's the complete and utter dismantling of prison and policing and surveillance as they currently exist within our culture. And it's also the building up of new ways of intersecting and new ways of relating with each other." When Kaba first arrived in Chicago, "there were no abolitionist organizations at that time in the city," she says. But by the early 2000s, Incite! began to convene national conferences that brought together organizers and intellectuals—including Davis and many other movement mothers—to ponder putting abolitionist ideas into practice. Kaba also began working with young people involved with gangs and the criminal justice system in Rogers Park, and in 2009 founded Project Nia, a group dedicated to ending youth incarceration. "I had this notion of trying to create an explicitly abolitionist organization that would test that idea in a community setting," Kaba explains. That's because Kaba, who recently moved back to New York after more than 25 years in Chicago, insists that abolition is not about destruction and anarchy—it's about building alternatives. "You can't just focus on what you don't want, you have to focus also on what you do want," she says. "The world you want to live in is also a positive project of creating new things."
Drawing on indigenous traditions, participants in a Rogers Park peace circle use “talking pieces” to designate the speaker at any given moment.
April Alonso
For an example of one of these alternatives in action, look no further than the basement of a Rogers Park church. On a recent Wednesday night, 20 or so people—young, old, queer, straight, black, white, Latinx, Asian—are sitting in a circle. Strings of Christmas lights, paper lanterns, and candles give the room a yellow glow. And in the center of the circle there's a cluster of "talking pieces"—a chunk of driftwood, a green foam Hulk fist, a paper flower—objects that have some powerful symbolic meaning for people in the group. One is passed around continuously to designate the speaker of the moment. For nearly three hours, the people assembled share stories of times they've been hurt and those of times they've hurt others: A thin, black teen recalls being made fun of by a neighbor for appearing weak; an aging white woman talks about feeling excluded from her daughter's life now that she has moved out; a young white man expresses regret at having been rude to customer service reps on the phone; a tall, curvy black woman tears up as she discusses being objectified by men. The vibe is not unlike group therapy, only no one here is "the expert." (The church asked not to be named because its meetings are already at capacity.) This is a peace circle—a style of community meeting practiced by indigenous peoples around the world (including some Native Americans) for centuries. The practice draws on the abolitionist notion that premodern methods of conflict resolution provide valuable alternatives to today's overreliance on police and prisons. The organizers argue that plenty of cultures successfully addressed harm and practiced nonviolent conflict resolution before the invention of policing in
the 1800s. This particular peace circle is a descendant of similar gatherings organized by Circles & Ciphers, a Project Nia leadership training and conflict resolution program for young men who've been in prison, jail, or a gang. Circles & Ciphers members also run peace circles to mediate violent situations, such as fights and shootings, but attendance at those is reserved for those affected—victims and perpetrators, their families and friends, and anyone else who might be directly impacted by the incident. Circles & Ciphers began in 2010 as a space for teen boys living in a state-funded group home in Rogers Park. "This narrative was being circulated that [the] group home was this blight on the community," says Ethan Ucker, a Circles & Ciphers cofounder. "The police were being called in spades and coming out to deal with issues that were happening in the house." But the voices of the boys living in the house, many of whom were also caught up in the juvenile justice system, were conspicuously missing from neighborhood conversations about them, Ucker says. With Kaba's help, Ucker and fellow organizer Emmanuel Andre started monthly peace circles with the boys on the second floor of a Clark Street storefront. It was a safe space for them to discuss their conflicts with the community and with each other. "What we started to see was that the space helped guys to process things that were going on, improve their relationships among their peers, and also improve their relationships to some of the staff who manned the home," Ucker says. "It doesn't mean there weren't conflicts; it just means there were other kinds of practices to address conflict when it
came up." Eventually, the community pressured the state contractor to close the home. (A spokesperson for the group that ran it wouldn't comment on the reasons for its closure, but said complaints against such facilities aren't unusual.) Some of the boys ended up in prison. However, some of the boys from the group went on to form their own peace circles, and today there are half a dozen or so held at schools, churches, and community centers around Rogers Park and elsewhere in the city. Ucker and other volunteer facilitators also make themselves available to help resolve conflicts for neighbors and friends seeking alternatives to calling the cops. "There's another infrastructure here, there's another system here," Ucker says, contrasting peace circles to policing. "But it can respond just as effectively to harm." Some people call this approach "restorative justice," where the desires of the people harmed are prioritized alongside accountability for those responsible. Ucker illustrates the idea with an anecdote: "There was a robbery at this store in the community. One of the people at the store whose stuff was taken said, 'Look, I don't want to call the cops. Is there anything we can do? . . . They found on Facebook that this young person was selling their stuff, and that young person happened to go to a school where we'd done some circles, so I knew a teacher at the school and could say, 'Hey, this is where we're at.' " Eventually, he says, robber and robbed were brought back together. "That young person ended up returning what he had that hadn't been sold, and then working at the shop in restitution for everything else," Ucker says. "Then it turned out he really liked working there, and after this agreement was over, he continued to go there and volunteer. There was a relationship built there."
Tamar Manasseh, left, has kept daily vigil at 75th and Stewart for more than a year.
Danielle A. Scruggs
You may be thinking right about now: But what do I do if someone breaks into my house? Or if someone attacks me? How could peace circles possibly solve Chicago's rampant gun violence problem? Kaba says these kinds of skeptical questions are normal. "The options when harm comes to you in this country are what?" she asks. "Call the police and get somebody from the outside involved in your process, or figure it out on your own. Doing nothing is not a good option for a lot of people . . . you shouldn't have to choose between going to the state or doing nothing." Kaba and other abolitionists aren't trying to talk people out of calling the cops in an emergency, she says. Instead, she asks communities to regularly gather and talk through alternatives to calling the police, even if they don't yet exist.
—Organizer Mariame Kaba
She and other organizers also point out that abolition on a larger scale is visible all around if one knows what to look for. Kaba says individually most of us practice abolition regularly, every time we address a conflict without involving the police. In many places community-wide abolition is also in plain sight. "People in Naperville are living abolition right now," Kaba says. "The cops are not in their schools, they're not on every street corner." And not all incarnations of abolition in Chicago intentionally conceive of themselves as such. It's a sunny Tuesday afternoon and Tamar Manasseh is setting up a barbecue like she does every day, across from a liquor store on the corner of 75th and Stewart in Englewood. This intersection has been a hot spot of violence for years, and after another deadly shooting here last July, Manasseh decided it was time to intervene. For more than a year now she and a group of mothers have been carving out a small world without police, on what was once one of the most violent corners of the neighborhood. "It's about cop watching, it's about people watching, but more than anything it's about being seen, being a presence in the community," Manasseh says of her daily barbecues. Around 5 PM hot dogs are ready, and kids stream over and line up with paper plates. A group of men wait patiently until all the children have been served before approaching. Seventy-five to 100 people come every day, "and they come in shifts," Manasseh says. Manasseh calls her organization Mothers Against Senseless Killings. And although there have consistently been between one and three shootings in the vicinity of the intersection every summer since 2010, according to data compiled by DNAinfo, neighborhood residents have noted a palpable easing of tensions on the block, especially when the "army of moms" is around. "Nobody wants to come through here shooting if they see 50 kids outside waiting to eat dinner," Manasseh says. Her own 17-year-old son is there too, tossing beanbags with younger children. "People always say, 'It's not like it used to be around here.' "
—MASK founder Tamar Manasseh
Jermaine Kelly, 22, was born and raised on the block and has been coming out to help Manasseh with her cookouts since last year. "Her presence definitely makes a big difference in our neighborhood—how we approach situations, how we approach each other," he says. "Bad situations get diffused very easily." According to Kelly, even gang tensions have eased with Manasseh on patrol. "We have our set of gangbangers here, but their opposition, their rival gangs, don't even ride past when she's here," he says. "It brings us back to the question: Which is better, to be loved or to be feared? And right now love is winning," Kelly says. Over the last year Manasseh has devoted her life to this work, even quitting her day job as a real estate agent. MASK now has about 30 members and branches in Hyde Park and on Staten Island in New York. She doesn't see herself as a police abolitionist per se, but thinks of her work in the context of her Jewish faith. "There's this Jewish principle called tikkun olam: it's repairing the world, and everybody has to do their part," Manasseh explains. "This is my part." Next year she'll be ordained as a rabbi. Like Kaba, she stresses the importance of relationships. "If you build community, the violence stops," she says. "If you know your neighbors, you're far less likely to shoot them or rob them." As a new song comes on her booming car stereo—and Manasseh yells for someone to skip it because it has lyrics inappropriate for kids—she recalls an unsettling recent event. "We almost had an incident where a guy pulled a gun out here a few weeks ago. If we hadn't been here that would have ended so badly," she says. "We were able to diffuse the situation, no police had to come." Instead, she explains, a group of men talked down the one with the gun. "There were so many people committed to stopping it from happening," she says. According to Kelly, MASK's presence in the neighborhood also eases some of the stress caused by the police. He says he has been stopped and frisked by officers many times, especially when he's with a group of other black, male friends. Police ask about guns and drugs, he says, "until they unzip our book bags and see basketballs, gym shorts." Normally on this corner, the cops "might jump out and harass us, search us," he says. "But when [Manasseh's] here, they just ride past." Just then a police SUV cruises by with the windows open, but the blond female officer at the wheel doesn't turn her head toward the corner or acknowledge Manasseh. "We're just trying to stay out of each other's way," she says. Manasseh is encouraged by other initiatives such as Freedom Square, but insists that to make a difference participants must be in it for the long haul. "Stay the course, that's all I can say. Consistency is the key to change," she says. "You have to be more committed to changing things than everybody else is to keeping things the same. That's what I've learned. Consistency is the absolute key to everything."
At the Freedom Square encampment, organizers put their abolitionist ideals into practice by providing free food and education for the community.
Danielle A. Scruggs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/police-abolitionist-movement-alternatives-cops-chicago/Content?oid=23289710
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/758f1a9ba43aee77054dc29c19c153f4c376aeb8862ef360fa5a267343695d66.json
|
[
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-27T18:47:05 | null | 2015-09-30T04:00:00 |
We've got $700 million problems but this tax could solve some.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Ffinancial-transaction-tax-cme-group-rahm-emanuel%2FContent%3Foid%3D19300245%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/19300250/fob_politics-demonstratorscmegroup-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Chicago needs a financial transaction tax now more than ever
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/financial-transaction-tax-cme-group-rahm-emanuel/Content?oid=19300245&show=comments
|
en
| 2015-09-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/c3bca99628b8de7498b77a707fd94f861d3331dce1b58ba575600516ca7d4ff3.json
|
[
"Leor Galil",
"Sara Cohen",
"J.R. Nelson",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Leah Pickett",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:20 | null | 2016-08-26T15:00:00 |
Pilsen punk heroes Los Crudos return from Europe to play a street festival in Little Village on Saturday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Flos-crudos-offer-their-entire-discography-digitally-for-5and-headline-villapalooza-on-saturday%2F.json
|
http://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23332414/crudoscover.jpg
|
en
| null |
Los Crudos offer their entire discography digitally for £5-and headline Villapalooza on Saturday
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
-All Event Categories- FALL ARTS FOOD & DRINK Drink Events Food Events New Year's Day Brunch New Year's Eve Dining Thanksgiving Valentine's Day GALLERIES & MUSEUMS Galleries Galleries: Openings & Receptions Museums Museums: Openings & Receptions Special Events HOLIDAY EVENTS LIT & LECTURES Chicago Humanities Festival Lectures Literary Events MUSIC Blues, Gospel, and R&B Classical Dance Experimental Fairs & Festivals Folk & Country Hip-Hop In-Stores International Jazz Miscellaneous Open Mikes and Jams Rock, Pop, Etc OTHER STUFF Green Events Halloween Holiday Shopping Inaugural Events New Year's Eve Parties & Events Parties Pride Weekend St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day PERFORMING ARTS Dance Holiday Shows Improv/Sketch Spoken Word/Poetry Slams/Open Mikes Stand-Up Theater & Performance SPONSORED SUMMER GUIDE Beer Biking Dog-Friendly Fairs & Festivals Farmers Markets Illinois Indiana Lake & River Michigan Music Festivals Scavenger Hunts & Races Wisconsin
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Streeterville Loop Museum Campus Near North Near South Side Printers Row River North South Loop Other Central *REGION UNDEFINED NORTH Albany Park Andersonville DePaul Edgewater Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square North Center Old Town Ravenswood Rogers Park/West Rogers Park Roscoe Village Uptown West Ridge Wrigleyville Other North NORTHWEST Avondale Belmont Cragin Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Portage Park Other Northwest WEST Austin Garfield Park Greektown Humboldt Park Lawndale University Village/Little Italy Near West Side River West Ukrainian Village/East Village United Center West Loop/Fulton Market Wicker Park/Bucktown West Town/Noble Square Other West SOUTH SIDE Pilsen/Little Village Beverly Bridgeport Bronzeville Bronzeville/ Kenwood/ Washington Park Chatham Chinatown Englewood Hyde Park Oakland/ Kenwood Pullman South Shore Washington Park Woodlawn Other South SOUTHWEST Brighton Park Ford City Marquette Park McKinley Park West Lawn Other Southwest SUBURBS NORTH Evanston Lincolnwood Skokie Other Suburbs North SUBURBS NORTHWEST Suburbs Northwest Other Suburbs Northwest SUBURBS WEST Other Suburbs West Berwyn Cicero Forest Park Oak Park/River Forest SUBURBS SOUTH Suburbs South SUBURBS SOUTHWEST Suburbs Southwest OUT OF STATE Indiana Wisconsin OTHER ILLINOIS Other Illinois
-All Films- Anthropoid Bad Moms Ben-Hur Ben-Hur 3D The Bride Café Society Don't Breathe Don't Think Twice Drunken Master Equity Finding Dory Florence Foster Jenkins Ghostbusters Hands of Stone Hell or High Water Ice Age: Collision Course Indignation Indignation The Intervention Jason Bourne The Kind Words The King and I (1956) Presented by TCM Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Kubo and the Two Strings Kubo and the Two Strings 3D Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence of Arabia Lights Out Line Walker Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World The Mechanic: Resurrection Men Go to Battle Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Mon roi Morris From America The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble Natural Selection Pete's Dragon Pete's Dragon 3D Sausage Party Saving Barbara Sizemore The Secret Life of Pets Southside With You Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond 3D The Sting Suicide Squad Suicide Squad 3D Suicide Squad: The IMAX 2D Experience A Tale of Love and Darkness Time Raiders Time Raiders 3D Tunnel War Dogs
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/los-crudos-offer-their-entire-discography-digitally-for-5and-headline-villapalooza-on-saturday/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/57069cd19beea8d019d11f7a051f19b48bbf809f061fa8ac5b6a740994712e38.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak",
"Maya Dukmasova",
"Lee V. Gaines",
"Leah Pickett",
"Sara Cohen",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-28T06:47:15 | null | 2016-08-26T14:00:00 |
Clarinetist James Falzone is moving to Seattle after landing a gig at Cornish College of the Arts.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fan-exit-interview-with-departing-clarinetist-james-falzone-and-a-rare-set-by-chris-dammanns-restroy%2F.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23333523/jamesfalzone.jpg
|
en
| null |
An exit interview with departing clarinetist James Falzone and a rare set by Chris Dammann’s Restroy
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge William Frederking
James Falzone
Last night at Elastic, clarinetist James Falzone played with Wayfaring, his duo with bassist Katie Ernst—his final gig as a Chicagoan. He and his family are moving to Seattle, Washington, where he'll become chair of the music department at Cornish College of the Arts. For nearly a decade and a half Falzone has been a crucial part of the local jazz and improvised-music scene, leading groups such as Allos Musica Ensemble Renga Ensemble , and Klang as well as working as a sideman in plenty of others, among them Vox Arcana and Frank Rosaly's Cicada Music. On the eve of his departure, I asked him about his time here and his decision to move on.Cornish is a place rich with experimental music history, including being where John Cage first developed his prepared-piano pieces in the early 1940s and where he first collaborated with Merce Cunningham. It is also a place that has had innovative jazz faculty for many years, including Art Lande, Julian Priester, and presently Tom Varner and Wayne Horvitz. Cornish is an undergraduate art college, offering degrees in visual and performing arts, and there is a vibrant sense of interdisciplinarity. I've known about the institution for many years and was a visiting artist there in 2015. When the post became open, I sensed it would bring together many of the skills and experiences I've developed over my career as an artist and educator. In addition to leading the department and supporting faculty, I will be assessing the current music program and curriculum, making sure it's meeting the needs of a 21st-century musician. The search process was extensive, and I'm honored to be joining them.Like so many musicians, I've balanced several different jobs, combining all of them to make a living. In addition to my life as a performer and composer, I've taught at the college level for 15 years, first at North Central College in Naperville, then at Columbia College in Chicago, and most recently at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Over the course of my teaching career, I've taught everything from music theory to world music to composition to jazz history, and I was very fortunate to be a fellow at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia in 2014. I have also twice been a visiting professor at the remarkable Deep Springs College in the desert of California, a place that has shaped a great deal of my education philosophy. In addition to playing and teaching, I have also held the position of director of music at Grace Chicago Church since 2002, a wonderful post I will be stepping down from with my move to Seattle. As you can see, I've juggled a lot, and it will be good to consolidate my energies a bit in Seattle.I was born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago and studied for many years with the great Rich Corpolongo . I did not move away until my graduate-school studies at New England Conservatory in Boston in 1998. I was there at a fertile time, with classmates like Okkyung Lee and Matana Roberts . In 2002, with a young baby on our hands, my wife and I decided to return to Chicago to be closer to family. At first I was unsure of the decision, thinking I should have moved to New York like so many of my peers did after school. But it was not long after landing in Chicago that I realized I made the right decision. The musicians working here at that time, many whom I learned about through an article you wrote called "Meet the New Kids," quickly became my collaborators and inspired me with their playing and their unwavering commitment to developing as artists.This is the great lesson of Chicago: a singular, no-nonsense focus on artistry. It greatly affected me, and I can remember teaching most of the day, going home to spend time with my wife and daughter, and then getting to Elastic or the Empty Bottle or the Hungry Brain for a late-night gig, only to wake up the next day and repeat the cycle. It was a beautiful and inspiring time. The musicians I've developed a communal language with during my Chicago years—people like Dave Rempis, Tim Daisy, Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Stein, Frank Rosaly, Josh Berman, and Fred Lonberg-Holm, to name only a few—there is nothing quite like the bond I feel with these brothers.I'll be back in Chicago several times this fall. Katie Ernst and I will present our Wayfaring project at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in September and will release an album in the new year. A score I created for a remarkable dance work involving disabled dancers will be presented over the first two weekends of November with the Momenta Dance Company, and I'll be back for that to perform with them. Josh Berman and I have already been talking about a new project, and my Allos Musica Ensemble has gigs back in the midwest in the spring, including a night at Constellation on April 1. Additionally, my wife and I have deep roots in Chicago and will be visiting with our family often, and I would anticipate connecting these with gigs in town. So I will not vanish, and many of the important projects I've developed will continue. But there will be a change, no doubt. I hope to become a part of the Seattle creative-music scene and am very interested in what it will mean for the chair of an important music school in a city to also be actively involved in the music community as a player and composer. My work as an artist has always informed my work as an educator, and I want it to do the same in this new leadership position. I really don't believe in another way.
Tuesday evening at the Whistler , local label Milk Factory Productions showcases two of its key projects: the 3.5.7 Ensemble (led by saxophonist Nick Anaya) and Restroy (led by bassist Chris Dammann). I wrote about the former in late 2014 , but Dammann's band doesn't play often—this is just its second Chicago gig since the release of last year's. Dammann jokingly told me, "The first concert was top secret due to my lack of promotion for it."The combo plays refined postbop arrangements of the leader's compositions, given depth by the plush-toned trumpet of James Davis, the full-bodied tenor saxophone of Anaya, and the bracing violin and cello of Catherine Monnes. Here and there guitarist Tim Stine and flutist Gina Sobel add extra front-line counterpoint, but the primary wrinkle in Restroy's music is rhythmic—the record features four percussionists. Daniel Richardson and Dylan Andrews alternate on drum kit, Loren Oppenheimer adds tabla and frame drum on four tracks, and Matt Wyatt contributes sample-based electronics and percussion to another three.As you can hear below on "Uma," the extra percussion gives the ensemble a nice jolt of propulsion and texture without smothering the horns. For Tuesday's gig Restroy will consist of Dammann, Monnes, and drummer John Niekrasz.Today's playlist:Justin Hines & the Dominoes,(Island, Japan)Eric Lanham,(Spectrum Spools)Harold Vick,(RCA)Bernd Alois Zimmermann,(Wergo)John Surman, Way Back When (Cuneiform)
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/an-exit-interview-with-departing-clarinetist-james-falzone-and-a-rare-set-by-chris-dammanns-restroy/
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/44f3de70eaa4c7e8e9d244aef45e871aa2913a6549af20e564b0e42214d45cc9.json
|
[
"Peter Margasak",
"Kate Shepherd",
"Anne Ford",
"Ryan Smith",
"Jeff Nichols",
"Zachary Siegel",
"Jonathan Rosenbaum",
"Michael Gebert",
"Mike Sula",
"Ben Joravsky"
] | 2016-08-26T20:45:49 | null | 2016-08-26T14:00:00 |
Clarinetist James Falzone is moving to Seattle after landing a gig at Cornish College of the Arts.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2FBleader%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2Fan-exit-interview-with-departing-clarinetist-james-falzone-and-a-rare-set-by-chris-dammanns-restroy.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23333523/jamesfalzone.jpg
|
en
| null |
An exit interview with departing clarinetist James Falzone and a rare set by Chris Dammann’s Restroy
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
|
click to enlarge William Frederking
James Falzone
Last night at Elastic, clarinetist James Falzone played with Wayfaring, his duo with bassist Katie Ernst—his final gig as a Chicagoan. He and his family are moving to Seattle, Washington, where he'll become chair of the music department at Cornish College of the Arts. For nearly a decade and a half Falzone has been a crucial part of the local jazz and improvised-music scene, leading groups such as Allos Musica Ensemble Renga Ensemble , and Klang as well as working as a sideman in plenty of others, among them Vox Arcana and Frank Rosaly's Cicada Music. On the eve of his departure, I asked him about his time here and his decision to move on.Cornish is a place rich with experimental music history, including being where John Cage first developed his prepared-piano pieces in the early 1940s and where he first collaborated with Merce Cunningham. It is also a place that has had innovative jazz faculty for many years, including Art Lande, Julian Priester, and presently Tom Varner and Wayne Horvitz. Cornish is an undergraduate art college, offering degrees in visual and performing arts, and there is a vibrant sense of interdisciplinarity. I've known about the institution for many years and was a visiting artist there in 2015. When the post became open, I sensed it would bring together many of the skills and experiences I've developed over my career as an artist and educator. In addition to leading the department and supporting faculty, I will be assessing the current music program and curriculum, making sure it's meeting the needs of a 21st-century musician. The search process was extensive, and I'm honored to be joining them.Like so many musicians, I've balanced several different jobs, combining all of them to make a living. In addition to my life as a performer and composer, I've taught at the college level for 15 years, first at North Central College in Naperville, then at Columbia College in Chicago, and most recently at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Over the course of my teaching career, I've taught everything from music theory to world music to composition to jazz history, and I was very fortunate to be a fellow at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia in 2014. I have also twice been a visiting professor at the remarkable Deep Springs College in the desert of California, a place that has shaped a great deal of my education philosophy. In addition to playing and teaching, I have also held the position of director of music at Grace Chicago Church since 2002, a wonderful post I will be stepping down from with my move to Seattle. As you can see, I've juggled a lot, and it will be good to consolidate my energies a bit in Seattle.I was born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago and studied for many years with the great Rich Corpolongo . I did not move away until my graduate-school studies at New England Conservatory in Boston in 1998. I was there at a fertile time, with classmates like Okkyung Lee and Matana Roberts . In 2002, with a young baby on our hands, my wife and I decided to return to Chicago to be closer to family. At first I was unsure of the decision, thinking I should have moved to New York like so many of my peers did after school. But it was not long after landing in Chicago that I realized I made the right decision. The musicians working here at that time, many whom I learned about through an article you wrote called "Meet the New Kids," quickly became my collaborators and inspired me with their playing and their unwavering commitment to developing as artists.This is the great lesson of Chicago: a singular, no-nonsense focus on artistry. It greatly affected me, and I can remember teaching most of the day, going home to spend time with my wife and daughter, and then getting to Elastic or the Empty Bottle or the Hungry Brain for a late-night gig, only to wake up the next day and repeat the cycle. It was a beautiful and inspiring time. The musicians I've developed a communal language with during my Chicago years—people like Dave Rempis, Tim Daisy, Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Stein, Frank Rosaly, Josh Berman, and Fred Lonberg-Holm, to name only a few—there is nothing quite like the bond I feel with these brothers.I'll be back in Chicago several times this fall. Katie Ernst and I will present our Wayfaring project at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in September and will release an album in the new year. A score I created for a remarkable dance work involving disabled dancers will be presented over the first two weekends of November with the Momenta Dance Company, and I'll be back for that to perform with them. Josh Berman and I have already been talking about a new project, and my Allos Musica Ensemble has gigs back in the midwest in the spring, including a night at Constellation on April 1. Additionally, my wife and I have deep roots in Chicago and will be visiting with our family often, and I would anticipate connecting these with gigs in town. So I will not vanish, and many of the important projects I've developed will continue. But there will be a change, no doubt. I hope to become a part of the Seattle creative-music scene and am very interested in what it will mean for the chair of an important music school in a city to also be actively involved in the music community as a player and composer. My work as an artist has always informed my work as an educator, and I want it to do the same in this new leadership position. I really don't believe in another way.
Tuesday evening at the Whistler , local label Milk Factory Productions showcases two of its key projects: the 3.5.7 Ensemble (led by saxophonist Nick Anaya) and Restroy (led by bassist Chris Dammann). I wrote about the former in late 2014 , but Dammann's band doesn't play often—this is just its second Chicago gig since the release of last year's. Dammann jokingly told me, "The first concert was top secret due to my lack of promotion for it."The combo plays refined postbop arrangements of the leader's compositions, given depth by the plush-toned trumpet of James Davis, the full-bodied tenor saxophone of Anaya, and the bracing violin and cello of Catherine Monnes. Here and there guitarist Tim Stine and flutist Gina Sobel add extra front-line counterpoint, but the primary wrinkle in Restroy's music is rhythmic—the record features four percussionists. Daniel Richardson and Dylan Andrews alternate on drum kit, Loren Oppenheimer adds tabla and frame drum on four tracks, and Matt Wyatt contributes sample-based electronics and percussion to another three.As you can hear below on "Uma," the extra percussion gives the ensemble a nice jolt of propulsion and texture without smothering the horns. For Tuesday's gig Restroy will consist of Dammann, Monnes, and drummer John Niekrasz.Today's playlist:Justin Hines & the Dominoes,(Island, Japan)Eric Lanham,(Spectrum Spools)Harold Vick,(RCA)Bernd Alois Zimmermann,(Wergo)John Surman, Way Back When (Cuneiform)
|
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/08/26/an-exit-interview-with-departing-clarinetist-james-falzone-and-a-rare-set-by-chris-dammanns-restroy
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/ea9a23f666a7228f755ae0c21116bf00c7d2248158ce705876727a88705694da.json
|
[
"Derrick Clifton"
] | 2016-08-30T22:47:45 | null | 2016-08-30T16:30:00 |
When you mention our name, Trump, put some “respeck” on it.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Ftrump-chicago-black-voters-election%2FContent%3Foid%3D23383879%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23384976/clifton-trump_black_votes-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Trump needs to keep Chicago’s name out of his mouth
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/trump-chicago-black-voters-election/Content?oid=23383879&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/ec24642ff25cee71090d50d65cbc02a7760a482086e821952c8b6a37f2395d4c.json
|
[
"Mike Sula"
] | 2016-08-31T06:47:49 | null | 2016-08-30T14:09:00 |
Mike Sula reviews the new Logan Square Nepali spot.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagoreader.com%2Fchicago%2Fchiya-chai-cafe-logan-square-masala-momo-dumpling%2FContent%3Foid%3D23383163%26show%3Dcomments.json
|
http://media1.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/slideshow/23383165/fnd_chiya_chai-teaser.jpg
|
en
| null |
Chiya Chai Cafe resets the standard for masala chai
| null | null |
www.chicagoreader.com
| null |
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chiya-chai-cafe-logan-square-masala-momo-dumpling/Content?oid=23383163&show=comments
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.chicagoreader.com/e81e3979051252e5488951e62612230ef26c82189801ef78655313c317abb467.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:11 | null | 2016-08-20T06:00:00 |
Six out of ten parents don’t know about a free NHS treatment that protects against decay, a survey has revealed.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fparents-putting-teeth-of-millions-of-children-at-risk-1-7530946.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7530944.1471437647!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Parents putting teeth of millions of children ‘at risk’
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Six out of ten parents don’t know about a free NHS treatment that protects against decay, a survey has revealed.
The lack of knowledge is putting the dental health of more than seven million children in the UK, according to mydentist, which commissioned the research.
Researchers also found that three in ten parents have a daily struggle to get their kids to brush their teeth, and one in five let their children get away without cleaning their teeth the recommended twice a day.
And five per cent of parents admit they only really clean their children’s teeth a couple of times a week or less.
The research also revealed that one in four parents resort to a gimmicky toothbrush, flavoured toothpaste and threats of teeth falling out to persuade their children to take care of their oral health. While one in ten sing a song, offer treats or use a reward chart to encourage children to brush.
Steve Williams, clinical Director of mydentist, said: “It’s shocking to think that seven million children in the UK are missing out on a simple, preventative treatment which offers protection against decay and strengthens teeth.”
The company has launched a nationwide ‘Kids Club ’intended to provide parents and children with ”essential information you’ll need to look after your child’s smile during their early years.
find out more about the Kids club inititaive at mydentist.co.uk.
“Our aim is to change this and help parents take advantage of the free dental care available on the NHS, including fluoride varnish treatment, which helps prevent decay and should be applied to children’s teeth twice a year from the age of three.”
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/parents-putting-teeth-of-millions-of-children-at-risk-1-7530946
|
en
| 2016-08-20T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/795cccc964872158283c878c69d61ec63f76367db4c84d19d558f53e1b918698.json
|
[
"Toby.Lock Jpress.Co.Uk"
] | 2016-08-26T12:55:25 | null | 2016-07-30T19:06:17 |
Daniel Ricciardo believes his Red Bull car has good long run pace and could mix it with the Mercedes cars in the German Grand Prix.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fsport%2Fricciardo-wants-to-mix-it-with-the-mercedes-in-germany-1-7502561.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7501406.1469901949!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Ricciardo wants to mix it with the Mercedes in Germany
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Daniel Ricciardo believes his Red Bull car has good long run pace and could mix it with the Mercedes cars in the German Grand Prix.
The Australian will start Sunday’s race - his 100th start in F1 - from third on the grid behind Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, with team-mate Max Verstappen alongside him in fourth.
READ MORE: Ton up for Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo
Though the Silver Arrows have been the class of the field so far this weekend, Ricciardo believes he has good speed in his car and hopes he can throw a spanner in the works for the championship leaders.
“I think we’ll have a good chance,” he said. “Third is a good place to start. Hopefully we can look at Mercedes tomorrow and have a good battle with them and not focus on what’s happening behind us. The feeling in the team is very good at the moment.
“The long runs yesterday looked a bit better than they did in Budapest so let’s see. I’ll go hard and hopefully get in front and at least lead some of the race. If I can’t lead the last lap then I’ll try and lead some and be on TV!”
Verstappen, who starts fourth, said while the gap to the Mercedes cars is getting closer, Red Bull’s priorities must remain on Ferrari, with a win unlikely for the cars from Tilbrook.
He said: “The main target is to be in front of the Ferraris and that is what we have done. That said, we know they will be quick in the race as we saw last week.
“Mercedes look pretty strong but we are not that far away so I think we can be very happy with that.
“We can both be satisfied to be on the second row as this track wasn’t expected to be the best for us. Race pace is looking very good for the moment.
“We definitely want to be challenging for a podium tomorrow, I think a win mi//ght be difficult though.”
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/sport/sport/ricciardo-wants-to-mix-it-with-the-mercedes-in-germany-1-7502561
|
en
| 2016-07-30T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/628e6eac882dec4fb05fe396cd8f7aa9029c8eb8214e2b8efd10f970b41b58f6.json
|
[] | 2016-08-28T06:49:57 | null | 2016-08-28T06:00:00 |
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fvideo-house-plants-can-suck-dangerous-toxic-chemicals-out-of-the-air-1-7542204.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7542199.1472053947!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
VIDEO: House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research.
The study shows certain species act like natural air fresheners - removing harmful chemicals from the air we breathe.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
Research has shown the air in offices and family homes often contains pollutants leading to ‘sick building syndrome’ where people suffer a range of symptoms including headaches, fatigue, difficulties in concentrating and respiratory problems.
It has been estimated to blight the lives of up to three in 10 office workers. A study earlier this year estimates that annually nearly 100,000 people die from the effects of indoor air pollution.
Now new research has found the Scarlet Star (Guzmania lingulata), from South America and a member of the bromeliad family of plants, got rid of more than 80 percent of illness causing compounds.
That performed the best out of five plants tested, although the Dracaena Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans massangeana) soaked up virtually all of a particularly pungent chemical common in nail salons.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
Native throughout tropical Africa, it is grown in many homes and offices within the UK, US and Europe.
Scientists say their findings show picking the right houseplant can clear the air of dangerous pollutants in homes and offices.
Printers and cleaning products give off potentially harmful chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Dr Vadoud Niri, of the State University of New York, said: “Buildings, whether new or old, can have high levels of VOCs in them, sometimes so high you can smell them.”
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
VOCs are compounds like acetone, benzene and formaldehyde that are emitted as gases and can cause short and long term health effects when inhaled. They can come from paints, furniture, copiers and printers, cleaning supplies and even dry cleaned clothes.
Explained Dr Niri: “Inhaling large amounts of VOCs can lead some people to develop sick building syndrome, which reduces productivity and can even cause dizziness, asthma or allergies. We must do something about VOCs in indoor air.”
The most common solution is to install ventilation systems that cycle in air from outside or methods using adsorption, condensation and chemical reactions.
But using plants to remove chemicals from indoor air, known as biofiltration or phytoremediation, is much simpler - and cheaper.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
In addition to carbon dioxide plants can take up gases such as benzene, toluene and other VOCs.
NASA began studying this option in 1984 and found that plants could absorb these airborne compounds via their leaves and roots.
Since then, other studies have looked at how plants phytoremediate specific compounds, such as the cancer causing chemical formaldehyde, in a closed space.
Most of these studies focused on the removal of single VOCs by individual plants from the ambient air.
But Dr Niri wanted to compare the efficiency and the rate of simultaneous removal of several VOCs by various plants.
So his researchers built a sealed chamber containing specific concentrations of several VOCs and monitored the VOC concentrations over several hours with and without a different type of plant in the chamber.
For each plant type, they noted which VOCs the plants took up, how quickly they removed them from the air, and how much was ultimately removed by the end of the experiment.
The researchers tested five common house plants and eight common VOCs, and they found that certain plants were better at absorbing specific compounds.
For example, all five could remove acetone, the pungent chemical abundant at nail salons, but the dracaena plant took up the most, around 94 percent of the chemical.
Dr Niri said: “Based on our results, we can recommend what plants are good for certain types of VOCs and for specific locations.
“To illustrate, the bromeliad plant was very good at removing six out of eight studied VOCs - it was able to take up more than 80 percent of each of those compounds - over the twelve hour sampling period. So it could be a good plant to have sitting around in the household or workplace.”
Dr Niri says the next step in the research is to test these plants’ abilities in a real room, not just a sealed chamber.
He would eventually like to put plants in a nail salon over the course of several months to see whether they can reduce the levels of acetone that workers are exposed to.
The other three plants studied were Jade plant (Crassula argentea), the Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and the Caribbean Tree Cactus (Consolea falcata.)
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/video-house-plants-can-suck-dangerous-toxic-chemicals-out-of-the-air-1-7542204
|
en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/bf12ed206402fd11f68d0ec2c08907d22ee0f13ade515dbd02f2b13674897206.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:55 | null | 2016-08-25T07:00:00 |
Follow our live updates from across Aylesbury Vale and Thame on GCSE results day.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Flive-gcse-results-aylesbury-vale-and-thame-1-7541584.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7541581.1472040921!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
LIVE: GCSE results Aylesbury Vale and Thame
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Follow our live updates from across Aylesbury Vale and Thame on GCSE results day.
LAUNCH LIVE STREAM: Click here to get involved, post your results, share your news and pictures and have your say on our live feed covering the GCSE results as they come in from across Aylesbury Vale and Thame.
If you’re collecting your GCSE results today (Thursday August 25), the date will probably mark the first time you’ve ever picked up formal exam results.
The grades you get will provide you with important qualifications and help you progress onto A-levels or further study. There’s no getting away from the fact that it can be a stressful day so it’s good to be as relaxed and ready as you can.
Here is some great advice from The Student Room website on GCSE results day.
Staying calm for GCSE results day 2016
If you’re feeling anxious about results day, try to look after yourself in the days before. When you’re feeling stressed, getting some exercise can help clear your head. It doesn’t have to be a massive gym session - just a quick jog or a brisk walk will do the job.
Look out for what you’re eating as well. Steer clear of junk food and aim for healthy food such as nuts and veggies. It will help keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel and keep your head clear.
With the school routine a distant memory, late nights can easily become the order of the day. But it’s no fun feeling half-asleep on a day when you really need your wits about you. Try to get some early nights in the run-up to results day, so your sleep pattern gets back to normal.
How to prepare for GCSE results day
On the day, make sure you pack your mobile phone so you can give your parents a call after getting your results.
Pro tip: as you reveal your results to them, read the grades from lowest to highest. Pack a bottle of water and some tissues. Make sure you’re not running on an empty stomach, grab a bit of breakfast before you head down to school.
Decide where you want to open your GCSE results
Imagine your best and worst case scenario, and think about whether you’re happy to experience whatever ‘success’ or ‘failure’ means to you on your own or with friends.”
Some students nip off to a toilet cubicle to open their results, others rip them open in front of their friends and teachers. Everyone’s different, so make sure you’re not peer-pressured into opening your results with friends if you’re not feeling comfortable or confident.
It’s best to be somewhere at school to open your results, so you can get advice from your teachers if you need it. But you can always take them home to open them if you prefer.
You might find there’s a photographer from the local newspaper wanting to get snaps of celebrating (and commiserating) students. If you’re camera shy and private, you’ll want to avoid the hustle and bustle. If not, make sure you read our guide to the perfect results day jump to maximise your chances of local paper glory.
Your GCSE grades and how much they matter
When you first look at your list of GCSE results, English language and maths are the key qualifications to look out for. Getting a C or above is great news; at least a C in English and maths GCSEs is often requested as an essential by sixth-form colleges, universities and employers.
If you’ve missed out on the C grade, especially if it’s by a narrow margin, you’ll want to consider applying for a remark or retakes. You’re allowed to retake English and maths in November, with other subjects you’ll have to wait until the following June.
People often find there are one or two subjects where their grades have slipped a little. If that happens to you, try to focus on the positive grades you’ve got. English and maths aside, having one or two poor GCSE grades is not going to hinder you in the future.
If you’ve performed generally under your expectations, again you shouldn’t worry. If you’ve managed to get into your sixth form college of choice, then it’s time to look forward and not to dwell on your results.
And if your results went well: congratulations! It’s time to celebrate, relax and plan for what comes next. Either way, good luck on GCSE results day.
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/live-gcse-results-aylesbury-vale-and-thame-1-7541584
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/bd0d6c1b7b1d1a93915dd7aa04cec3c856176ce36af38eeab318a698422eed23.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:42 | null | 2016-08-24T12:10:03 |
British Transport Police have issued a warning after a gang placed wooden planks across a railway line and watched a train smash into them.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fbritish-transport-police-issue-warning-after-train-jumps-in-the-air-1-7541374.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7541251.1472200741!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
British Transport Police issue warning after train ‘jumps in the air’
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
British Transport Police have issued a warning after a gang placed wooden planks across a railway line and watched a train smash into them.
The gang are currently being hunted by police after the incident in Buckinghamshire on August 11, where a group were caught on camera putting large wooden planks across railway tracks.
A member of the public called 999 but before anything could be done, a train crashed into the planks.
The train was badly damaged but not derailed and there were no injuries. However, passengers said they felt the carriage ‘jump in the air’.
Investigating officer PC Jay Townsend used the incident as an opportunity to fire out a nationwide warning.
“This was an incredibly stupid thing to do and it beggars belief that someone would think this was a funny thing to do,” he said.
“Not only is trespassing on the railway extremely dangerous – with trains travelling well in excess of 100mph – but this could have caused the train to derail, and who knows what might have happened.
“We were lucky this time but acts like this can easily have fatal consequences.”
PC Townsend is now hoping to catch the culprits and bring them to justice.
“Although these images are grainy, we are releasing them in the hope that someone comes forward with information,” he added.
“Do you know who might have done this? Have you seen someone bragging about this on social media, or maybe uploading a video of themselves on the tracks?
“If you have any information, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting 505 of 11/8.
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/british-transport-police-issue-warning-after-train-jumps-in-the-air-1-7541374
|
en
| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/260b43db2c39c0b7454d4c80975d6f37397b669f3bc11e228dc0c9c727e7437f.json
|
[
"Neil Shefferd",
"Neil.Shefferd Jpress.Co.Uk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:35 | null | 2016-08-18T16:04:05 |
Pupils at Lord Williams’s School in Thame are celebrating after another great set of A-level results.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fa-level-results-lord-williams-s-school-1-7533727.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7533726.1471532637!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
A-level results: Lord Williams’s School
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Pupils at Lord Williams’s School in Thame are celebrating after another great set of A-level results.
Results came out today (Thursday) and showed that the school achieved a pass rate of 99% with 47% of passes at A*/A and B grade.
Headteacher David Wybron said: “We have very capable and hardworking students and this is very evident in their excellent A-level achievements.
“I want to pay a particular tribute to those students who have overcome considerable challenges over the last two years and have more than fulfilled the high expectations they and their teachers have had.
“On their behalf, I would like to acknowledge the dedication of their teachers and support staff, who have given so much, in order that so many individuals and their families can celebrate today.”
The following students achieved A* or A grades in three or more subjects: Lizzie Barratt, Jennifer Bernstein, Henry Glover, Eliza Goode, Olly Gough, Will Harrison, Luke Harvey, Elizabeth Kew, Daniel Kovacs, Jack Lawlor, Josh Lilley, Maddie Morrison, Abigail Spokes, Alistair Stewart and Emily Wignall.
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/a-level-results-lord-williams-s-school-1-7533727
|
en
| 2016-08-18T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/dcdf0e3840199e1b50886089092c2d78beeb5a2d4473181fe7e3b690ec11df29.json
|
[
"Toby.Lock Jpress.Co.Uk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:57 | null | 2016-07-31T14:36:57 |
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen took a superb double-podium for Red Bull Racing at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fsport%2Fricciardo-and-verstappen-on-the-podium-in-germany-1-7502898.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7502908.1469973482!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Ricciardo and Verstappen on the podium in Germany
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen took a superb double-podium for Red Bull Racing at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.
In an action-packed race at Hockenheim, Ricciardo took second place on his 100th race, while Verstappen followed him home in third.
READ MORE: Ton up for Daniel Ricciardo
Lewis Hamilton won the race to extend his championship lead from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg heading into the summer break.
Red Bull appeared to have had the upper hand on rivals Ferrari, and so it showed all afternoon long.
It was Verstappen who got the leap at the start of the race, overtaking the struggling Rosberg before making a bold move around the outside of Ricciardo at Turn 1 to take second behind Hamilton.
The Dutchman was on an alternative strategy from his team-mate, and his earlier pit stop coincided with Rosberg’s. The pair battled for a couple of laps before the Mercedes man made a move up the inside of the hairpin, but forced Verstappen off the road, earning him a five-second penalty.
Both Red Bulls had battles with Nico Rosberg during the race.
Ricciardo, stopping later for the faster super-soft Pirelli tyres, cruised up to the back of Verstappen, who made no defence as the Australian took second place.
After serving his penalty in the pits, Rosberg was ruled out of the podium battle, giving the Red Bull pair a comfortable cruise to the finish and the team’s first double podium finish since the Hungarian Grand Prix last season.
Their dominance over Ferrari at Hockenheim means Red Bull go into the summer break in second place in the constructor’s championship, 14 points ahead of Ferrari.
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/sport/sport/ricciardo-and-verstappen-on-the-podium-in-germany-1-7502898
|
en
| 2016-07-31T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/399cfb27bca83e470d556e655ca0d1735e7275d67ac559e7f7d2def6eed71d54.json
|
[
"Toby.Lock Jpress.Co.Uk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:29 | null | 2016-07-30T06:00:00 |
This weekend’s German Grand Prix marks a special occasion for Daniel Ricciardo - his 100th race.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fsport%2Fton-up-for-red-bull-s-daniel-ricciardo-1-7500720.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7500712.1469783911!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Ton up for Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
This weekend’s German Grand Prix marks a special occasion for Daniel Ricciardo - his 100th race.
The popular Australian currently sits third in the 2016 driver’s championship after finishing third in Hungary last time out, his 12th career podium, all of them coming with Red Bull Racing.
Ricciardo won three races in 2014
Having spent time as Toro Rosso’s test driver, Ricciardo’s F1 career began midway through the 2011 season when Ricciardo was drafted into struggling HRT, replacing Indian Narain Karthikeyan for the British Grand Prix.
With a poor car, Ricciardo still managed to impress, finishing eight of the 11 races he competed in. His form was strong enough to warrant a call-up to the Toro Rosso team for 2012.
In another difficult car, Ricciardo lost out to team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne overall, but scored points on his debut for the team with a ninth place at his home Grand Prix in Australia.
The following season saw him double his points tally from the year before with seven points-scoring finishes, not only beating Vergne but also securing a place at Red Bull Racing, replacing Mark Webber. His performances in qualifying also stood out as he dragged the STR8 into the top 10 on several occasions.
Ricciardo takes the chequered flag in Canada - his first win
It was his first season at Tilbrook that saw his famous smile burst into the big leagues. Even though he was disqualified from his home race, though he stood on the podium before his punishment was handed down, Ricciardo finally got his first podium finish in Spain before taking an unexpected victory with a late charge in Canada.
He doubled his winning tally at Hungary just before the summer break and continued his excellent form afterwards too, winning in Belgium on his way to third place in the standings, after the dominant Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Most notably, Ricciardo dominated four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, scoring 61 more points than the German, who announced he’d be leaving for Ferrari at the end of the year.
Following Vettel’s departure, Red Bull struggled in 2015. Ricciardo, now partnered with Russian Daniil Kvyat, was beaten by his team-mate for the first time since 2012 by three points, but stood on the podium twice.
Ricciardo looks back on form again in 2016, and should have two race wins to his name this season but for some huge errors from the Red Bull pitwall costing him in Spain and Monaco. Partnered alongside teenage sensation Max Verstappen, Ricciardo has been given a boost in the arm and has shown some of his best racing to date. Picking up three podiums this year, including a third place in his 99th race, he sits third again behind the Mercedes cars.
Ricciardo celebrates on the podium with Sebastian Vettel
The German Grand Prix is his 100th race, but it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for him. Finishing 19th in the HRT, he failed to score points in either outing in the Toro Rosso and could only finish sixth in 2014.
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/sport/sport/ton-up-for-red-bull-s-daniel-ricciardo-1-7500720
|
en
| 2016-07-30T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/8fb3d42a7c0f80615204a8157557cd2637291c7428c96b2e7dfcf9b51528ba72.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T12:50:16 | null | 2016-08-18T09:13:30 |
Thame Town travelled to Buckingham for another crucial match last Saturday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fsport%2Fthame-face-scrap-to-beat-the-drop-after-buckingham-defeat-1-7532145.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7532144.1471508713!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Thame face scrap to beat the drop after Buckingham defeat
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Thame Town travelled to Buckingham for another crucial match last Saturday.
Upon winning the toss, stand-in skipper Mike Beard had no hesitation in batting on a good wicket.
Thame’s top order worked hard against a strong bowling attack, notable contributions coming from Harry Thomas (32) and Honey Garg (54).
However, wickets fell at key moments and it took some lower-order hitting for Thame to muster a below-par 215.
In response, Buckingham’s openers looked to seize the initiative. Chris Jeffcock, stepping up from his usual role as second team captain, bowled well to keep the scoring down and, aided by two run outs, kept Thame’s hopes alive.
In the end though, the placid nature of the pitch rendered the bowling toothless, Buckingham getting home with only three wickets down and two overs to spare.
Thame host Amersham at Church Meadow on Saturday.
Thame IIs entertained Chearsley with high hopes of a win to maintain their 22-point lead at the top of Division Five.
Chearsley lost the toss and were asked to bat. It was not long before Thame were facing an uphill struggle as opener James Veness steadily built a century which, helped by dropped catches, developed into an unbeaten 142.
Despite a marathon stint from Ian McStay with two wickets, Chearsley’s progress was aided by an injury to Thame’s leading wicket-taker, Ali Thomas, who limped out of the attack after two overs. They finished on 273-4.
After tea, with only 48 overs available, Thame set off at a gallop in pursuit but lost wickets regularly. Thanks to Richard Carr (77) and a maiden half-century for Christian Warwick (62), Thame reached 201-7, thereby earning five points but seeing their lead cut to three points with three games remaining.
They travel to bottom club Banbury 4ths this Saturday.
The 3rd XI sadly did not play due to Chearsley IIIss forfeiting the game for lack of players. Thame now entertain Twyford IIIs this Saturday, with their sights set on finishing in at least second place in Division Nine (North).
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/sport/sport/thame-face-scrap-to-beat-the-drop-after-buckingham-defeat-1-7532145
|
en
| 2016-08-18T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/0049aca4c9d705fc62c6d61c365058a47585b6f13a6ad994088454fc9eb1b313.json
|
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:32 | null | 2016-07-30T06:00:00 |
Sports fans are being urged to be on the lookout for scams in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Rio, which start on Friday.
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thametoday.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Frio-olympic-scammers-trick-victims-out-of-300-000-1-7499367.json
|
http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.thametoday.co.uk/webimage/1.7499363.1471138500!/image/image.jpg
|
en
| null |
Rio Olympic scammers trick victims out of £300,000
| null | null |
www.thametoday.co.uk
|
Sports fans are being urged to be on the lookout for scams in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Rio, which start on Friday.
Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, says it has already received nearly 50 reports of fraud relating to the games, with victims losing a total of £299,935 to criminals.
Most of the fraudulent activity has so far been related to ticket scams, either through people attempting to buy non-existent tickets or through lottery scams used to gather targets’ personal data.
Some victims believed they were securing last-minute ticket for the games in Brazil, only to find that the tickets did not exist and they have been left out of pocket. Action Fraud warns that people should always be wary of buying tickets at the last minute and should only go through authorised sellers, a list of which can be found here.
Director of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith said: “It is absolutely key that everyone is wary of the fraudsters who are clearly using an iconic sporting event to exploit innocent victims.If people are thinking about buying last minute tickets, they should be particularly careful about where they buy them and it is crucial that they check the genuine seller list published by the Olympic organisers.
Criminals have also been operating lottery scams to gather banking and other details from victims. Targets have received emails or letters telling them they have won a trip to the Games along with a cash prize, courtesy of the event’s organisers.
Pauline Smith warned: “People who think they may have been lucky enough to have won tickets through a lottery should be wary and always protect themselves by asking simple questions around whether or not they have entered in the lottery in the first place.
“If you have not entered a lottery then you cannot have won it. Genuine lotteries thrive on publicity, if they ask you to keep your win a secret; it is likely to be a fraud.”
|
http://www.thametoday.co.uk/news/local-news/rio-olympic-scammers-trick-victims-out-of-300-000-1-7499367
|
en
| 2016-07-30T00:00:00 |
www.thametoday.co.uk/b543ecb114a2c2036d5e6fa90fbbc75f57a17f9ac51c94778e9bec118962aaad.json
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.