Letters

More Olympic Games

Barack Obama supports Mayor Daley's 2016 bid at his own risk.

Savage Love

Restaurants: In the Neighborhood, December 4, 2008

Restaurants on Devon Avenue

12/5 -- "Bad Santa" screening

Tonight: See "Bad Santa," debate its merits.

Undercutting the bootleggers

Momus's auto-piracy.

Next Theatre makes a switch

Next Theatre postpones War with the Newts, settles on Dying City.

"Getting things done for people"

GRod's fateful 2006 slogan.

My fair drag queen

About Face Theatre's holiday party features an LGBTQ-friendly concert performance of My Fair Lady.

S-T photogs continue to kill it

There's a spot near Blagojevich's house which will almost guarantee you a photography Pulitzer, apparently.

Not exactly spoiling for battle...

Obama says Blagojevich should resign; and the governor's lawyer doesn't sound like he's spoiling for a fight.

Mick on the air

Tune in to Air America, online or at 820 AM, at 4:30 to hear the Reader's Mick Dumke discuss Chicago politics and the arrest of Rod Blagojevich.

How long can he hold out?

The Illinois political establishment calls on Rod Blagojevich to quit and start chastening himself.

'Tis better to have bused and lost . . .

Pics of Kill Hannah's tour-bus fire

Heh #3

A novel defense for Blago.

Addition by painless subtraction

The White Sox trim their payroll by ditching unpopular stars.

More thousands of words

The race for best Blago photo is heating up.

12/5 -- Lillstreet Art Center open house

Tonight: Snacks and sweets from First Slice, plus art demos and music

So close...

1,000 very snarky words.

Who dropped the dime?

The tipster remains anonymous.

Growing consensus on Blago

Blago: Crazy or just really dumb? The debate rages on.

The man who would be king

Rod Blagojevich was made by his father-in-law, alderman Richard Mell. Cutting him off may have led to his troubles.

Rod Blagojevich's ponderings on who to name to the Senate

They're referred to as Senate candidates 1 through 6 in the criminal complaint against Rod Blagojevich. Here's who they might be.

What Would Daley Do?

Seattle's mayor finds inspiration in Chicago as he ponders a re-election bid.

The local Zenith plant shuts its doors, 10th anniversary of

Looking back at the Zenith of Chicago.

More Tribune layoffs

Veteran reporting Charles Storch leads names as the Chicago Tribune lays off more journalists, with worse to come.

Edible Chicago "Local Hero Awards"

What makes a food, chef, or restaurant "local"?

Rahm: wasn't me

Rahm denies tipster report, Blago attorney says the Gov isn't stepping down right now.

Parking meter radio

The Reader's Mick Dumke talks parking meters with WGN's Nick Digilio.

Always be prepared

IL AG office: not prepared for the obvious

Miner/Maddow

Michael Miner talks with Rachel Maddow about this week's Chicago newspocalypse.

Blago's wish list for Obama

What Rod Blagojevich allegedly wanted in exchange for appointing the state's next U.S. senator.

Dispatch from the jobless

Zell Hell: A tough time to track down one's severance.

Look who's twittering now

Royko on Twitter.

Sam Zell TV

Sam Zell talks with Maria Bartiromo at 2 PM.

How Illinois got this way

An old Slate story helps explain how things got this way.

Gone ice fishin'

I'm on vacation.

Neu-Rose-is

An expert on obsession talks Chinese Democracy.

What do we do? pt 4

Can the U.S. Senate reject a Blagojevich appointment? It might be tough.

St. Boniface is one step closer to destruction

A permit to tear down the orange-coded landmark St. Boniface church in Noble Square has been filed.

Join the club update

TribCo files for bankruptcy protection.

Done deal

The parking meter lease deal's in the books.

What do we do? pt. 2

Another modest proposal--let's have a special election, only in a different state.

Sam Assefa out at City Hall

A layoff you might have missed: Sam Assefa.

Obama: Move, Blag, get out the way

Obama joins the resignation chorus.

Who snarks the snarkmen?

Asthmatic Kitty lets Pitchfork price the new Grampall Jookabox record.

Kicking them while they're out

TribCo's bankruptcy filing will result in the discontinuation of severance payments.

Craig Ewert's televised suicide is the big news across the pond

Sky TV broadcasts the assisted suicide of former Chicagoan Craig Ewert and launches a debate on euthanasia in England.

Great moments in citizen advocacy

The CTA's humanist dilemma

The storefront church

The storefront church, a victim of megachurches and zoning laws.

"His writing has become more iconoclastic and provocative."

Is Ebert getting better as he gets older?

What do we do? pt. 3

Impeach, ask for a resignation, or just go around Blago?

Love streams

Criterion Collection adds streaming video to its web site.

What do Hugh Hefner, Studs Terkel, Dennis DeYoung, and Michelle Obama have in common?

The Chicago Public Schools have posted a mix of music by famous alumni on iTunes.

Kris Poulin Achilles Benefit

On Wednesday the Empty Bottle hosts a benefit to help sound engineer Kris Poulin with his medical bills.

Join the club

By the end of the week, the Reader might not be the only Chicago media company in bankruptcy proceedings.

12/5 -- Death's Door vodka tasting

Friday: Death's Door vodka tasting in Rogers Park

Take a sip: Borjomi mineral water from Georgia

Borjomi Georgian mineral water: salty good

Leak it to Sneed...

Is the Chicago Sun-Times's Michael Sneed a "patsy" for printing a leak from Gov. Blagojevich's office about who he might appoint to the U.S. Senate?

Thanks, Rod -- you made Chicago journalists happy again

Governor Blagojevich's arrest was a story that made being a Chicago reporter the best job on earth.

Another worthy taxpayer subsidy

Republic Windows and Doors received $9.6 million in TIF assistance from the city.

"Fucking" = "shocking": really?

"Fucking" = "shocking"?

This ain't no freestyle battle

Ben Stein vs. Roger Ebert.

More heh

"part Huey Long, part Dan Quayle"

Weak critique of a Creative Loafing critic

Creative Loafing's Mara Shalhoup responds to John Sugg's critique of Ben Eason and the company.

Someone give Ian MacKaye a cabinet-level position

How punk is punk if the president is punk?

Republic Windows & Doors In These Times

Another take on the broader implications of the closing of Republic Windows & Doors.

The Obama birth certificate story is interesting, but you are finding crazy in the wrong place

An Obama roundup--the birth certificate silliness and more important things.

Law-di-da

The law lines up nicely for Corboy & Demetrio in a malpractice suit

Heh

"like a palindrome spelled with acts of corruption instead of letters"

"A fucking valuable thing"

The criminal complaint against Governor Blagojevich alleges he tried to wrangle bribes for, well, all kinds of things.

More on the Publican

The Publican's beer prices are coming down--a little.

Collaboraction: calling all artists

Deadline is Dec. 22 for Sketchbook Fest proposals.

All bankruptcy is local

Not much news on the Creative Loafing bankruptcy front, but next week could be big.

'A bad deal for Chicago'

Alderman Scott Waguespack sends out an e-mail calling the parking meter lease deal a huge money loser for the city.

Late night sad-Blagojevich sketches

"it looks like Donny Osmond has been arrested and arraigned for wearing a powder blue leisure suit"

Hopleaf deal dead

Michael Roper tries and fails to relieve overcrowding at the Hopleaf.

Like all our worst nightmares coming true at once

BobWatch Jr.!

So who had to forfeit?

Sad/funny fallout from the Latin School soccer field debacle.

Get the meters rolling

The city parking-meter privatization plan passes, 40-5.

Gimme Five

Jesse Jr. is Candidate 5, which could be a problem.

Ahem

One place the city can tighten its belt?

12/6 -- Wicker Park Choral Singers concert

Saturday: The Wicker Park Choral Singers ditch the "Little Drummer Boy" in favor of Rachmaninov.

Kass: Will Blago sing?

Kass thinks Blago could sing... but who would he sing about?

The inevitable

GRod is twittering.

12/5 -- Food, drinks, and yoga gift certificates

Tonight: Food, drinks, and yoga gift certificates

Airing soon: the Tribune's dirty laundry

Now that the Tribune Company has filed for bankruptcy, we'll probably get a look at some interesting filings.

Behind the bankruptcy filing

Why TribCo is filing for bankruptcy protection.

Did Obama actually talk to Blagojevich about Senate replacement?

Obama's claim that he didn't talk replacements with Gov. Blago contradicted, uncontradicted by Axelrod.

Bad in the Big Apple

Chicago's not the only big city with transit funding problems.

Senate Candidate 5

He won't confirm he's "Senate Candidate 5," but Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. makes it clear he'd really like to join the world's most exclusive club.

Paradise now

Michael Almereyda's new video diary has a screening date at Nightingale.

The Tribune bankruptcy

Thinking about Sam Zell after the Tribune Company files for bankruptcy, and then after Governor Blagojevich is accused of trying to shake down the company.

Twentieth annual Rock for Kids charity auction tonight

Rock for Kids Rock 'n' Roll Charity Auction tonight at Park West

Heads Up: this week's talks, tastings, and events

This week's talks, tastings, and events.

Occasional bad econ news roundup

The day in terrible, terrible economic news.

That explains a lot

Journalism expert Rod Blagojevich weighs in on the Tribune bankruptcy filing.

Is Cook County ready for reform? Or at least sassy T-shirts?

The leader of the Cook County Republican Party--and yes, it still exists--speaks out on Blago and reform.

Mick Dumke talks Blago

Mick Dumke on Blago on Air America.

Blag!

The most interesting bit of the G-Blag criminal complaint sneaks in at the end of an article.

When you've got drama-- set it to music

Blagojevich: a couple of writers capture the dramatic possibilities.

Layoffs at WBEZ, Vocalo

Chicago Public Radio lays off 11 staffers, 9 from WBEZ and 2 from Vocalo

12/11 -- Girls' night at the Swissotel's Lobby Lounge

Thursday: Girls' night at the Swissotel's Lobby Lounge

Toddler!

Todd Stroger, ethics expert.

Tipsville...

Psst... who's the S-T columnist in the Blago complaint?

Death or new life for film criticism?

Is film criticism dying, as Roger Ebert claims, or being born again on the Web?

Maybe there's hope after all

Obama speechwriter in lifesize Hillary picture grope fracas.

The Whole Hog Project: Dee Dee farrows again

The Whole Hog Project: The Reader's o.g. mulefoot gives birth to her second litter.

The Tribune shakedown Rod Blagojevich is alleged to have been working on

The federal complaint against Governor Rod Blagojevich alleges he tried to muscle the Chicago Tribune into firing editorial writer John McCormick in exchange for assistance on the sale of Wrigley Field.

The Whole Hog Project: after the fire at Maveric Ranch

The Whole Hog Project: The Endangered Hog Foundation rises from the ashes of Arie McFarlen's barn.

"These are not lighthearted windbag conversations."

Breaking! Mayor Daley says: oh, heck, he says nothing.

That other really important story

Flip This Paper

The funniest thing I read today

The easiest way around the Obama birth certificate imbroglio.

Death, taxes, and Ron Santo being rejected from the Hall

Ron Santo rejected from the Hall of Fame again--does his position make it harder?

Re: Blago a "prisoner of his own home"

Blago's home: not such a bad place to be a prisoner of.

Martin Atkins talk tonight at Reggie's Music Joint

Martin Atkins discusses his book "Tour: Smart" at Reggie's Music Joint tonight.

Dumb? Crazy?

Why, Rod, why?

And the white man gets paid off all that

Blago vs. the Trib is big news today, but don't neglect your class rage.

"Extreme beer" from BeerAdvocate and Dogfish Head

A name-that-beer contest from BeerAdvocate and Dogfish Head.

Door no. 5

Who's Candidate No. 5? And what kind of hot water is he in?

Emoluments update

The constitutional challenge to Obama's election is unsurprisingly dead, but the silly-sounding challenge to Hillary Clinton's appointment remains legit, sort of.