Monday, November 30, 2009
RE Gift Chicagoland Music Neko Case's "Middle Cyclone," Really Cheap
Posted by Whet Moser on 11.30.09 at 05:52 PM
If you want a really cheap, really instant gift, Neko Case's Middle Cyclone is $1.99 on Amazon right now. Not that I recommend giving mp3s as a gift per se - I dunno what the kids think is appropriate these days - but it's an awfully good deal.
Crickets Music Sharp Darts Radio Starts Now
Posted by Miles Raymer on 11.30.09 at 05:23 PM
MP3, playlist, and more info after the jump.
Chicagoland Architecture Visual Art Performing Arts Arts Columbarium Snuffed
Posted by Deanna Isaacs on 11.30.09 at 04:55 PM
A recent proposal to turn the landmark Three Arts Club building on Dearborn and Goethe into a repository for the remains of 15,000 cremated bodies has flamed out.
- Robert Murphy
Chicagoland Media Don't Ask Amy
Posted by Whet Moser on 11.30.09 at 04:08 PM
There is a lot of bad advice in this column, but this—this is destructive, dangerous, and negligent. Amy takes a rape victim who is incapable of admitting that she was a rape victim, and suggests that she dial up her rapist in order to "determine what happened." He raped her after taking her into a stranger's bed room, pretending it was his own, and repeatedly promising that he wouldn't pursue sex. This guy is not going to help his victim figure out that he raped her!
The Sexist takes the Trib's Ask Amy to task on the subject of "date" rape.
RE Gift The Present That Is Going to Make Your Nana Cry
Posted by Jessica Hopper on 11.30.09 at 04:00 PM
Time to sneak into your parents' basement and unearth those old home movies: Chicago Film Archives offers transfer services for Super 8 and 16mm film to DVD for 20 cents a foot plus a few other nominal charges; allow two weeks for turnaround.
RE Gift Give a Greyhound (Sort Of)
Posted by Jessica Hopper on 11.30.09 at 03:30 PM
If the save-the-Dairyland-greyhounds message appeared as your gift recipient's Facebook update status last week, here's one for him or her: Greyhounds Only in Carol Stream offers three levels of sponsorship ($25, $50 and $100) for rescued racers. Donations go toward their care and feeding until they are adopted. You can browse the pics and choose which cutie-pup to sponsor. (But Kiowa Scotty Dan, aka Danny, above, has already been adopted.)
RE Gift Chicagoland For Him: Cyberoptix Tie Lab
Posted by Whet Moser on 11.30.09 at 03:28 PM
Ties are theoretically the most cliche holiday gift for men, but I don't mind them - they're a way for fashion-unambitious men like me to get a little dressy. Cyberoptix Tie Lab, run by Detroit designer Bethany Shorb, offers a stylistically coherent line that still manages to appeal to a broad range of personalities, from nerds to punks to steampunks to respectable types. Their gift packaging upgrades are quite nice, and they also offer bulk purchases for groomsmen.
Crickets Music DJ Khaled Now Taking Over the Hot Beverage Game
Posted by Miles Raymer on 11.30.09 at 03:06 PM
I used to think that DJ Khaled's job was just to yell about how he and his famous rap friends are taking things over, but it appears that he's started getting paid to yell about specific products. He's recorded a series of local-market radio ads for Miami's WEDR, aka 99 Jamz, including this one for the McCafe hot chocolate available at your local McDonald's:
I don't think I've heard a more aggressive ad for a hot beverage in my life. DJ Khaled's obviously a firm believer in the hard sell.
The really remarkable part about this ad? It's the only time you'll ever hear a major figure in the rap business describe being hit in the face by whipped cream without immediately saying "no homo."
RE Gift Midwescapades
Posted by Jessica Hopper on 11.30.09 at 03:00 PM
So you can't drop the cash on your sweetie's dream getaway in Belize this year—there are plenty more local travel options for those on a tight budget. And if you're on an even tighter budget, you can always just give the wish book: Rand McNally's Midwest Getaway Guide (on sale for $9.95) has a surfeit of inspiration and info for road-trips in Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, with suggested B and Bs, vintage resorts, parks, quirky museums, wine tours, festivals, Lincolnalia, scenic drives, and more. Plus, of course, the maps for getting there.
RE Gift The $100 Ping Pong Table
Posted by Jessica Hopper on 11.30.09 at 02:14 PM
This Craigslist poster doesn't have room for his brand-new Ping Pong table. His misery could be your lifetime of happiness: Sure, it might be kind of hard to wrap, but $100 for a mint table and paddles = best holiday score ever.
