Here’s an interesting feel-good piece from today’s Chicago Tribune by William Hageman titled, “The feel of the game,” which details the best tour one can have of U.S. Cellular Field.
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Author: danielhonigman
Here’s an interesting piece from today’s Chicago Tribune profiling David Bolger,
Check out Chicago Tribune Olympics reporter Philip Hersh’s interview with Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Organizing Committee.
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According to a USA Today piece from yesterday (hard work if completed on Independence Day, I must add!) Sochi’s selection as host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics may boost Chicago’s chances of landing the 2016 Summer Games.
Reporter Vicki Michaelis writes:
Most IOC members say they don’t subscribe to a sense of continental rotation, but they haven’t awarded three consecutive Olympics to cities on the same continent since Albertville and Barcelona hosted the Winter and Summer Olympics, respectively, in 1992, followed by a Winter Games in Lillehammer in 1994.
There haven’t been consecutive Summer Olympics on one continent since London hosted the 1948 Games, followed by Helsinki in 1952.
Madrid, Milan, Prague, Rome and St. Petersburg, Russia, are possible 2016 bidders, although it’s unlikely now that St. Petersburg will bid.
She continues to say that how Rio de Janeiro fares when it hosts the Pan-American Games later this month may impact the International Olympic Committee’s decision more than geography.
Non European cities expected to bid for the 2016 Olympics include Baku, Azerbaijan; Chicago; Doha, Qatar; Rio de Janeiro; and Tokyo.
By Daniel B. Honigman
Rating 2 (out of 5)
Beatnuts founding members Psycho Les and Al Tariq, along with Missin’ Linx member Problemz must enjoy each other’s company. It’s been almost 15 years since “Intoxicated Demons” was released and almost a decade since the three have worked under the same banner. Still, they comprise Big City and they’re embarking on something of a reunion tour.
Thing is – is anyone listening?
“The City Never Sleeps” (Nature Sounds), is Big City’s first album together. If you already like the ‘Nuts, you may be happy with this latest offering. Then again, it may just make you sad. If you’re not a fan, maybe you should check out Intoxicated Demons or “Street Level” first. Don’t get me wrong; the Beatnuts’ old swagger is still there. Les’ production skills are there, in theory. But it’s clear there’s some old dust they need to shake off, cause it is basically a shell of their former sound.
The album has a couple of redeeming joints, though. Stickem Up is an energetic track featuring an equally strong hook from the always reliable Greg Nice. In D.J. Famalam, Problemz’ lyrics catch fire in what is one of the nicest verses I’ve heard in a minute; “Act like you know the name/Caught a flat on the road to fame/Now back hitting switches/Made a detour to get some digits/On the road to the riches.†One of the album’s high points, this track is in stark contrast to the next song, Milf, which is about…well, you know. “You know I can’t wife ya/but I really like ya/and I want to pipe yaâ€. (‘Nuff said.)
Big horns and cowbells give Chedda a bouncy feel, making it a fairly decent club track. But there are a few missteps on this album. On Boy and Running Around, Les uses two flute loops that, instead of giving the songs momentum, make them sound stagnant. Lick Balls features a Houston-influenced, screwed-up beat. (Why they bothered with this, I have no idea.)
Junkyard JuJu was an integral part of the group’s original sound. Sorry, folks, but to leave him off “The City Never Sleeps” should make you wonder what Big City wants to accomplish – other than releasing mediocre hip-hop albums.
Personally, I would have released “The City Never Sleeps EP”, cutting the tracklist in half, saving everyone half of their money – or half of their download time. Part of me likes this album, don’t get me wrong. Maybe I like the fact that the original ‘Nuts are still at it, nice to have Les and Fashion rocking together again.
You may like the album after giving it a few listens. But after a good dozen or so spins, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for the “Eject†button.
(This review originally appeared on HipHopDX.com)
I’ve recently been receiving a lot of traffic from folks looking for my Orion Cooker review or Orion Cooker recipes after my first Chicago Epicurean post about the cooker.
So, I’ve taken the liberty of posting some recipes from the Orion Cooker site. Enjoy!
Baby Back Ribs (1-6 racks)
Cayenne Pepper (1 tsp)
Orion’s Dry Rub Garlic (2 cloves)
Apple Cider Vinegar (1 cup)
Salt (to taste)
Ketchup (1 cup)
Mustard (5 tbsp)
Remove the ribs from the package, rinse, and pat dry. Apply Orion’s Dry Rub evenly. Affix the ribs to the rib hangers and place in the cooker. Then, fire up your Orion Cooker â„¢ and cook for 1 hour 15 mins*, or until done. Best if cooked with mesquite chips.
Barbecue Sauce (optional): Mix vinegar, ketchup, and mustard until it’s a light orange color. Add the cayenne pepper, garlic, salt and Tabasco sauce to taste. Apply before and after cooking.
*This time is for six racks of ribs. For fewer ribs the time will be less—3 racks 1hr 10 mins.
(Lizzie Powell – Atlanta, GA)
Tequila Chicken Wings
20-40 chicken wings
Tequila 1 pint
Lime Juice 2 cups
Lemon Juice 2 cups
2 table spoons of salt
1 tablespoon Tabascoâ„¢
Take wings out of package and wash with water. Dry with paper towel. Place selected amount of wings in large zip lock bag. Add one pint of tequila, two cups of lime juice, two cups of lemon juice, two tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of Tabasco â„¢ to the chicken in the bag. Marinate for 6hrs. Add hickory chips between the cooking cylinder and drip pan. Place appropriate number of grates inside of cooking cylinder, place chicken wings on grates. Place charcoal in upper and lower charcoal rings. Light and come back at designated time. Check meat for doneness. 20 wings 45 minutes, 40 wings 1 hour.
(Rob Howells – Dublin, CA)
Wickers Whole Chicken
Whole Chicken 3-4 lbs.
Wickers Marinade
Honey (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Marinate chicken in Wickers for two hours. Remove chicken from marinade and inject it with more Wickers. Rub outside of chicken with a mixture of honey, salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the poultry stand and place inside the cooker. Then, fire up your Orion Cooker â„¢ . Cook for 1 hour 30 mins, or until done. Use a meat thermometer placed in the middle of the breast to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Great if cooked with apple or cherry chips which add a splendid flavor and crispiness to the skin!
(Fargason Erb – Memphis , TN)
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Site of the Day: CrazyEgg.com
I just got a chance to look at CrazyEgg, a great way to track clicks on your page. I signed up for the free version, which allows me to track four pages, with up to 5,000 visits a month. (I’m not quite there yet, but maybe someday…)
CrazyEgg offers site click visualization in three ways:
1. Overlay – Markers tell you where all the site clicks were.
2. List – Duh.
3. Heatmap – You can see where the clicks are concentrated on your page. It’s very simple.
4. Confetti – A Flash visualization of all site clicks. Very cool!
I definitely recommend using CrazyEgg, at least to supplement your Google Analytics.
Thanks, Todd, for posting this on your site!
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Yup, I said it. Well, actually, the new money manager for the Chicago 2016 bid committee, Rick Ludwig, said it, according to a Sun-Times report.
The city and state have offered to cough up $500 million if Olympic revenues fall short, but Ludwig doesn’t think they’ll be tapped into.
Why? Bad accounting, of course…or is it honest accounting?
Ludwig said that if cities lose money because of the Games, it’s a matter of accounting. He says the costs of permanent building projects shouldn’t be included.
If he believes the city absolutely needs these changes, I understand that. But to think these changes would happen regardless of the Olympics on the same timetable, well, I think he’s mistaken.