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Link Time! Is Steven Tyler Leaving Aerosmith?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:30:10 -0800

Joe Perry says that Steven Tyler may have quit Aerosmith - Vulture
Leighton Meester's music video with Robin Thicke involves a lot of writhing - E! Online
The team behind the movie Se7en is reuniting for a new film - Cinematical
Eminem, aka Slim Shady, takes on a horror 3D film appropriately titled Shady Talez. - MTV Movies Blog
Harriet the Spy is getting made into a TV movie for Disney, but this time, she blogs - TV.com
Here's what (500) Days of Summer would've looked like without a script - Movieline
Demi Moore promotes two new movies in December's W magazine - PopSugar
Ashlee Simpson may be coming to Broadway as Roxie in Chicago - Zap2it
The 20 worst cover songs ever - EW

Bacon Fat Candle: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:44 -0800

Most of you prefer crispy bacon to its chewy counterpart - but how about bacon in candle form instead?

Rather than oh-so-predictable bacon vodka and bacon chocolate, Rick Gresh, the chef at David Burke's Primehouse in Chicago, is serving guests bacon candles. The votives are made of rendered bacon fat and a vegetable-based wick, and as they melt, are poured over dry-aged steaks and rare scallops to impart a rich, smoked aroma.

What do you think of the newfangled idea? Does it hold a light to this year's other bacon innovations?

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Chicago High School Has 115 Teen Moms

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:15:33 -0700

There's a serious teen pregnancy crisis at Robeson High School in Chicago. Out of 800 female students, 115 are either pregnant or already moms. That's about one out of seven girls. School officials say a number of factors are to blame. When discussing the problem, the principal pointed to issues at home, such as absent fathers or financial trouble. He said: "It can be a lot of things that are happening in the home or not happening in the home."

The school hopes that setting up a day care center will help mothers graduate. Since this is such a widespread problem at Robeson, perhaps it's time the school steps up its prevention efforts by figuring out how it can better address sex education and help these girls think more critically about their futures. Maybe they should try that program in North Carolina that contributes $1 to a girl's college scholarship fund for every day she remains not-pregnant.

Front Page: Barack and Michelle Go For the Gold in Denmark

TresSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:45 -0700

Michelle Obama promises "take no prisoners" when she and Barack go to Denmark Thursday with hopes of nabbing the 2016 Olympics for Chicago. - CNN
The US plans to economically isolate Iran if the country does not allow international inspectors in to examine its nuclear program. - Washington Post
At least 240 people have died in the Philippines as a result of severe flooding. - Wall Street Journal
An overreach by Roman Polanski's lawyer may have been behind the director's arrest. - NY Daily News
Predictably, abortion is complicating the healthcare debate. - New York Times
Things are looking good for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after she won re-election over the weekend. - New York Times

Do You Shop For Your Pets While on Vacation?

PetSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Whether shopping for myself or just wandering around town, it's hard for me to pass by a super-cute boutique. (Don't tell Savvy.) Add to that an adorable doggy display and I'm (almost always) tempted inside.

Now when I'm on vacation, I'm often too busy relaxing to find a lil something to buy for my pooch, but I don't think I could have walked by this spot. My pal's in Chicago this week - he snapped this photo, and asked if North needed anything. Does he?! Lucky dog . . . but I said no.

7 Spectacular US Farmers Markets

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 06:50:45 -0700

Last week, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proclaimed Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week. In the past year, the number of farmers markets has grown nearly five percent, and there's good reason to get behind them: they're sustainable, community-driven, and personal. But perhaps most importantly, they're fun! While all farmers markets have a way with engaging all the senses, here are some of our top picks from across the country. Keep reading for greenmarkets worth seeking out.
Source: Flickr User ahl

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Sorority President Commissions $900K Wax Statue of Herself

TresSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

It might have been OK to waste funds when former Chicago Housing Authority comptroller Barbara McKinzie worked in government, but her sorority sisters at Alpha Kappa Alpha are not having it! McKinzie, who is the current national president of the oldest predominantly black sorority, is being sued by AKA members for misusing funds. One of the alleged offenses? Spending $900,000 on a wax statue of herself.

Moving from the bizarre to the blatant, McKinzie is also accused of racking up $400,000 in personal expenses and setting up a $4,000 a month pension for herself for after she leaves office.

McKinzie denies the allegations, saying: "The malicious allegations leveled against AKA by former leaders are based on mischaracterizations and fabrications not befitting our ideals of sisterhood, ethics and service."

If the allegations are true, perhaps McKinzie thought she had to live up to the lifestyle enjoyed by some of the sorority's famous alumnae. That list includes: Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Gladys Knight, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King.

Non Voyage: Make Chicago Your Kid's Kind of Town

LilSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:05 -0700

When you are through celebrating the bright lights of New York, head to the Midwest to give your children a taste of Chicago. The Windy City, which isn't really as breezy as kids might think, offers a scaled down version of big city living with its own unique flavors and sights.

The newly reopened Shedd Aquarium is one of the hottest destinations for Chicago-bound kids with its up close and personal looks at beluga whales, sea otters and sharks. Try visiting a local aquarium to get an aquatic animal experience. The Shedd's Polar Playzone allows kids to dress up like penguins and practice waddling around with an "egg" between their legs, sliding down ramps and experiencing life in a freezing atmosphere.
The Crown Fountain at Millennium Park is a big attraction for tots with its 50 foot towers bookending a reflecting pool of water and its video images that spout out water at unexpected times. Recreate the fun water experience with a backyard sprinkler that the kids can run through to cool off on a hot day.
Fill the kids up on local specialties like deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs. Gino's East may make the perfect deep-dish pie in their restaurant, but instead of having it flown in, get your family to create your own perfect cornmeal-crusted deep-dish creation. Chicago-style hot dogs are known for their heaping piles of toppings like mustard, onions, relish, pickles and celery salt, so have the tots race to see who can build the tallest frankfurter.
Navy Pier has become a giant amusement park for kids, complete with its own 150-foot tall ferris wheel. Recreate the ferris wheel with markers and scissors with these unique instructions.
The new SkyDeck at the Sear's Tower allows visitors to stand 1,353 above the city and look through a Plexiglas floor at the busy streets below. The experience can be easily recreated by placing tots on steps or a deck overlooking their toy cars and trucks on the ground below. See if they can identify the colors and models of the toys from such a height.
Finish off the day with some movies that showcase the Second City in all of its glory, like Adventures in Babysitting, Home Alone and Uncle Buck while serving one of Michigan Avenue's famed treats – caramel corn.

Casa Verde: The Greenest Home in Chicago Opens Thursday

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:00:49 -0700

If you live in the Chicago area, I have plans for you this week. The greenest home in Chicago, the redesigned "2009 Smart Home: Green + Wired," a 2,500-square-foot modular home at the Museum of Science and Industry, opens to the public on Thursday. The house features an eco-friendly baby nursery, a DIY "green" garage workshop, countertops made from recycled glass, a recyclable steel dining table, and "art developed with the power of the sun" - interesting! The building was designed by Michelle Kaufmann to exhibit big and small ways people can reuse resources, choose eco-friendly décor, consume energy smartly, and landscape efficiently. Wired magazine has also outfitted it with new and unique home technologies, including a home automation system with voice updates and room occupancy sensors. Go here for more information, and be sure to let us all know if you're able to make your way there. I'll have to live vicariously through you Chicagoans.
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The Sears Tower Has a Sky High Identity Crisis

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:01:46 -0700

The New York based owner for a Chicago based tower has signed a naming-rights deal with a London based insurance broker. Confused? OK here's all you need to know: the Sears Tower will soon be renamed to the Willis Tower.

Willis Group Holdings got the naming rights to America's tallest building after it decided to move 500 employees to the location. The rent is $14.50 a square foot, and naming rights for the iconic tower came included. Experts are wondering why the building gave the rights to a tenant who will only occupy 3.5 percent of the space.

The skyscraper has always been named Sears Tower, since it opened in 1973 as the headquarters for Sears Roebuck & Co, whose rights expired a few years ago.

Do you think the owners should have kept the name for tradition's (and visibility's) sake?

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