Erin H

Lady Gaga kicked off her "artRave: The ARTPOP Ball Tour" in Florida this weekend, rolling out several different looks and even more wigs.

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Meet Meowls, cat heads mushed onto owl bodies. I don’t know who started this trend, but I know who’s gonna finish it: ME. Just kidding, I’m not even sure what that means. Even if someone destroyed all evidence of Meowls, they would still live on. In our hearts and in our minds. Because that’s the […]
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What's in a margarita — a good one? Tequila, of course. Agave syrup or another sweetener. Lime juice is critical. And triple sec, right? Not so fast. If you've never tried a margarita without Cointreau, triple sec, or another orange liqueur, may I gently suggest you do so?

When it comes to margaritas, I'm a minimalist. Here are five reasons why orange rarely touches my margarita.

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As we speak, Johnny Weir is at Churchill Downs right now dressed like an extra in a revival of Hello Dolly and it is truly a wonderful sight to behold.

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The ivory tower of academia might be the last place you'd expect a systemic bias toward privileged groups, what with all the liberal atheist professors of Queer Women's Basketweaving Studies teaching their Humanities and pushing the Gay Agenda™ running around. Turns out that's not quite the case.

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Sixteen days ago, an estimated 234 girls between 16 and 18 years old were taken from a school in northeastern Nigeria by a group of Islamic militants called Boko Haram. That's what we know for sure.

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The $12.5 million, five-year sponsorship will help expand the Divvy program across the city while also helping to maintain the current bikes, improve and maintain bike lanes and encourage cycling in all neighborhoods, according to the office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. [ more › ]

Today in news that made me cry quietly at my desk, the Idaho State Veterans cemetery has refused to allow a Navy veteran to be buried beside the love of her life because of the state's ban on same-sex marriage — which is sad and stupid and endlessly infuriating. In response, a fellow veteran has offered up his plot so that the couple can (hopefully) be laid to rest together.

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Slow Factory is selling these silk space scarves designed by Celine Semaan Vernon. They’re printed with images taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Cool! I’ve been meaning to add a little space to my closet. Like, my wardbrobe, plus my actual closet. You know your closet is just too small when even the Boogie Man […]
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After a lengthy speech Tuesday by Vice President Joe Biden, the White House introduced their new PSA about sexual assault starring Daniel Craig, Benicio del Toro, Steve Carell, Seth Meyers and Dulé Hill, as well as the President and Vice President.

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Apparently, no one that works for Haagen-Dazs Japan has ever tasted either vegetables OR ice cream, given their most recent product announcement.

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A restaurant owner in Norco, California celebrated an especially magnificent Good Friday last week when Jesus Christ showed up in a fresh stack of pancakes.

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Sorry in-flight shoppers, your blissful consumeristic ride may be coming to an end — blame your iPhone and that bootleg movie on your iPad.

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Apparently what makes an adorable royal baby even more adorable is a little digital tweaking.

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There's a restaurant in Chicago selling a "wonut" — a blessed, glorious union of waffle and donut — and we can all just die happy now, because LOOK AT THAT FUCKING PICTURE. Humanity is never topping this.

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Today marks the beginning of the Black Sabbath reviews. Let the wild rumpus start!

A quick reminder of a rule I decided to go by: when Alex has more than one album by a band, I still listen to the shelf order, which is rarely chronological. So the first Black Sabbath album up for review is actually their second album, “Paranoid.”

Before we put it on, let me give you some of my Black Sabbath background. This is another big band to review- a lot like AC/DC in its popularity, I think,  and while I had no interest in anything having to do with Ozzfest while I was in high school (those kids wearing the AC/DC t-shirts definitely did) I do listen to one of Black Sabbath’s albums - Vol 4- which we will get to soon - kind of frequently.

I am not as familiar with Paranoid, so I’m excited for what I’m about to discover. That’s the thing with this record collection, it’s sort of how I always order massaman curry when I get Thai food. When I realized I loved Vol. 4, instead of being like, “I’m going to listen to all of Alex’s Black Sabbath albums,” I was like, “I want to just keep listening to this one album over and over again.” I think both ways of listening to music are good though. I love when I know an album inside and out, it can be so much more fun to listen to those types of albums than something new. But trying something new is the only way you find more of those inside-out albums! I also have a strong feeling that just because I love Vol. 4, doesn’t mean I’m going to love everything Black Sabbath has ever made, but maybe I’m wrong. Let’s find out.

The first song is “War Pigs/ Luke’s Wall.” Which, of course I know! (But I didn’t know that I knew it for the first minute.) I actually have a hard time not thinking of the Girl Talk mash-up when I hear this song. It’s the first thing I always start my runs to. It’s a really good for when you’re first starting to exercise, I recommend it. I feel like this is one of those songs that must have been so exciting to hear for the very first time, especially if you were like, 14 in 1970. The guitar solo is really great, and combined with the revolutionary feeling main riff, I just feel like it must have felt really exciting to have written this song. “Oh lord, yeah!” I love how this band is so scary and satanic but this song is about peace. The lyric “Satan laughing spreads his wings,” is obviously anti-Satan, like, look what you war pigs did! Plus, you can tell by the totally amazing gate fold, that these guys are essentially hippies. Ozzie’s outfit is blowing my mind!

I just love how this does not feel cheesy to me at all. This song is 44 years old, and it still sounds like mother fucking bad ass rock and roll (and I do not curse that often on this blog.) Okay, well maybe the sped up ending is a little cheesy, but I’m going to cut them some slack because it feels like you could just keep playing this song forever.

I totally know song number two as well, which is “Paranoid.” I just looked up the lyrics to this song, and they are really poetic. I can just picture some tough heavy metal teenager who probably has to deal with something shitty at home all the time, hearing this song and realizing that he’s not alone in the world. “Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry.
Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal.” 

The third song, “Planet Caravan,” has a VERY different feel than the first two. I’m not really into it, it’s breaking away from the awesomeness that is “War Pigs” and “Paranoid,” but I guess those songs are really hard to follow. Also, I can’t tell who’s singing but it doesn’t sound like Ozzy. This song is just too trippy for this part of the album. It’s a pretty sick jam, especially the guitar solo part, but I’m all revved up from the first two songs and not ready to chill out just yet! I’m going to stare at the gate fold some more and ride this trippy wave out though.

I’m also really into the crazy antics that is the front cover of this album. It’s like part Jackass, part Monty Python.

OH SHIT IRON MAN JUST STARTED! And I actually feel a little bit scared!! YES!!! THIS IS SO GOOD. I think the trippy chill-out that was “Planet Caravan,” just made “Iron Man,” so much more powerful and scary, so I take it all back. They totally knew what they were doing this entire time. Damn. I just love Ozzy’s lyrics so much, they are really simple but tell these great stories and always manage to speak to a greater truth about the human condition. Oh man, it really is scary when he says “I am Iron Man!” in the beginning. I can’t get that part out of my head. Hold on though, crazy guitar solo is happening right now. I just asked Alex if Ozzy was the one playing all these guitar solos and he told me no, he’s just the singer, and that Tony Iommi is this crazy guitar player. Looking him up on wikipedia right now. This is the weird thing, if I had known that this is what heavy metal really was when I was in high school, would I have gone to Ozzfest? Would I have liked this music if I was a teenage girl in 1970? If I was the same kind of teenager I was in 1996, I’m going to say probably not. But as a 32 year old woman listening to this album (which I am familiar with song wise) in 2014, it’s just REALLY amazing. I love it. I have to flip the record over now, but I kind of want to just listen to that side again- I’m having another massaman curry moment.

I must move on! Side two! Okay, well, the first song is called “Electric Funeral,” so, that’s pretty cool. The second song, “Hand of Doom,” starts pretty quietly but then gets really exciting and passionate. While these side two songs so far don’t have the catchiness that the side one songs have, that make them really stand out, it’s still really good, and kind of this great combination of chill out music but also just heavy sounding rock and roll. You just want to listen to Ozzy’s voice and trust the journey he is taking you on. Also the journey Tony Iommi is taking you on. His Wikipedia page is pretty cool. He lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand in a factory accident and played left handed guitar! He totally has a Moulty story! I’m also reading the Paranoid wikipedia entry. It’s Geezer, the bass player that wrote most of the lyrics for this album, not Ozzy! So basically, all members of this band are pretty amazing.

I recommend that everyone go put this album on now, and just listen to it. Put your phone away, and listen to the entire thing start to finish. Make sure you turn the volume up too. It’s really good. 

After nearly three years of anticipation, the Uptown Sonic Drive-In is set to open 11 a.m. May 6. [ more › ]

The first scene from the next season of Orange is the New Black has come in like a wrecking ball. And how do things look for Piper? Grim, my friends.

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Country legend Glen Campbell has been moved into an Alzheimer's facility a representative for the country singer confirmed to Rolling Stone  "Sadly Glen's condition has progressed enough that we were no longer able to keep him at home" said the singer's family in a statement to Rolling Stone "He is getting...

w-for-wumbo:

niggas-:

playerprophet:

ohneooo:

beast-of-joy:

“The concept is simple. Take a blank sheet with nothing but the basic outline of a pinup girl and illustrate a unique scene around her.”

holy FUCK.

I’ll probably always reblog this cuz it’s just mind-blowing, holy cow

It's been one year since Chrissy Amphlett, the lead singer of the Divinyls, died from breast cancer. But in this touching video, her hit song lives on — in a new way.

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For Orange Is the New Black fans, the romance between Piper Chapman and Alex Vause is the crux of the show. But the real Alex Vause, named Catherine Cleary Wolters, says she and Piper Kerman weren’t even in a relationship.

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Debuting in Milan, Hansgrohe's Axor brand released something newly transparent (literally) to the fixture market. The Axor Starck V, designed by Philippe Starck, is organic and minimalist: you watch the upward, swirling motion of water through the mixer’s body and its “free-fall” into the washbasin trigger.

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Chrysalis– the new zombie film from John Klein and Glass City Films– will have its world premiere on Friday, April 23 in Chicago at the Logan Theater.  Tickets are available now!

John is an independent Chicago filmmaker whom I’ve known for over a year, and he’s incredibly passionate about this project.  Everything I’ve heard from him makes me think Chrysalis will really connect with fans of the undead, and zombie fans of all stripes.  I’m also excited because this movie was shot around the Gary/Calumet/Chicago borderlands– the same places I explore in my novel Zombie, Illinois.  If– perhaps like me– you are intrigued/repulsed/fascinated by this ecosystem on the aft end of Chicagoland, Chrysalis promises to deliver boatloads of urban exploration.

Here’s the trailer:

Television network FXX will air all 552 episodes of The Simpsons consecutively in an 12-day marathon this summer The pilot will kick things off on August 21st with episodes continuing into Labor Day (September 1st) according to The Associated Press The Simpsons Are Killing Off a Major Character; See Who We...

Some couples want their save-the-dates to be traditional, others go for artsy and others, well, they want to channel Twilight.

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Editor's Note: Whether you're a tourist or an office worker in downtown Chicago, you can get sick of eating at chain restaurants all day. So we've started a series to get you the lowdown on where to find a great and affordable lunch.

[Photographs: Dennis Lee]

After ten months of being without a full-time job, I finally landed a gig. And it feels marvelous. Nobody ever tells you about how boring and lonely being unemployed is; I always thought I'd be happy just bumming around, but it turns out the rest of the world has jobs during the day, so you end up watching a LOT of The Price is Right with your cat for company. What's even better is that I was also able to land a job in a really fun industry, too. (Hint: It goes in your face, and you're here on this site reading about it right now.) And by the way, this is a big career change for me, so if you're in the same boat and you're waiting to take a chance, there's no time like the present. Writing for Serious Eats as a contributor was what really made it happen, and the fact that you guys still read anything I write has made a huge difference in my life in ways you might never fully know.

For this week's Lunch in the Loop, I wandered into Rudy's Bar & Grille, right by Michigan Avenue on Madison. I love Lunch in the Loop because I always end up looking like a lost Korean tourist. I have a camera bag, I'm perpetually confused, and I point at pretty much everything I look at. Rudy's just so happens to be next door to Pizano's, and that's no coincidence: Pizano's is their sister restaurant. And as soon as I opened the menu, I immediately turned into Curious George. They proudly state that they are the home of the "Famous Milkshake Martini," and they have a food eating challenge. I knew I was in for a true treat.

I'm not much of a day drinker, but as soon as I saw the milkshake martini, nothing was going to stop me from having one. Nothing. The friendly and cheerful waitress suggested I try the Peaches and Cream milkshake martini ($10.50). For some reason I expected a watery, milky drink, but the milkshake martini is a serious milkshake with some serious booze in it. It's delicious, and best of all, it's fun as hell. No kidding.

Sure, it's flavored with peach schnapps and not actual fruit, but in this case, the schnapps tastes like peach-flavored candy and pairs well with vanilla ice cream. If I had to liken it to anything many of you have tried, it's like a Steak 'n Shake milkshake with some adult juice poured into it. Plus, I made a sacrifice for you guys, since I'm lactose intolerant. My poor roommate.

The pretzel bun grilled cheese ($8.95) is a great idea and I'm actually wondering why I haven't seen it more often. They wisely split the bun, invert it so that the crust becomes the center, and griddle it until golden and melty. The only other time I've seen this technique is on a Luther Burger—the burger with the glazed donut bun named after my favorite singer (just kidding... or am I?), Luther Vandross. Rest in peace, Luther. The reason why this sandwich is successful is because the pretzel flavor remains deliciously intact on the inside, and it's also easier to handle. In the end, it's just a grilled cheese, but it's different enough to make it interesting.

I'm a sucker for patty melts, and I had to order it from the "famous burger" portion of the menu. The patty melt ($12.50, add $1 for waffle fries) is served on dark rye, and is exactly what you'd expect, with plenty of melted cheese and grilled onions. Unfortunately, the beef came out slightly overcooked, and as a result, it became dry, with very little telltale juiciness left on the plate. If you're in the mood for fries, spring for the waffle fries, they're crispier than the limp regular ones you get by default.

As I scanned the menu, a particular item in the corner caught my eye. It's called the Chicago Char-Grilled Salad ($11.50), and suddenly, I had flashbacks to Lloyd's (review here), where I ordered a salad with a hot hamburger patty on top, which was pretty much a train wreck. But as the eternal optimist, I had to order it in the hopes that a culinary miracle would occur. Even the waitress hesitated to write my request down on her ticket.

It starts with chopped mixed greens, tomatoes, red onions, pickle slices, diced American cheese, and your choice of a hamburger or a hot dog. It's garnished with pretzel croutons and onion rings, and tossed in a "special dressing." Since I've never had a hot dog on a salad, I totally had to have one. Now, I'm absolutely shocked by this, but it's...actually good! I know the description makes it sound like the definition of a bad idea, but I could not stop eating it. The secret dressing is nothing more than ketchup, which sounds like an even worse idea, but it's somehow perfect. Each bite is a mix of crisp cool lettuce, sharp onion, rich encased forcemeat, sour pickle, and crunchy toasted pretzel croutons, along with, well, sweet ketchup.

You obviously have to enjoy ketchup, but if you think about it, most of these components are found in a Chicago-style hot dog. Before you bitch about the ketchup, mustard would have been a terrible choice of dressing, as it's just not sweet enough to seal the deal. Each forkful tastes like the salad version of our favorite hometown wiener.

As someone who's been lurching through the Loop trying to find surprises and things for you to enjoy, Rudy's has shown me that, even when all of your hope is nearly gone, the impossible can be achieved. Just like gaining a job after being unemployed for what feels like forever. More importantly, there's hope for things in this world like impossibly delicious hot dog salads that you can wash down with a milkshake martini.

About the author: After a failed attempt at starting a chain of theme restaurants called "Smellen Keller," Dennis Lee traveled the world to discover his true passion. Sadly, midwifery didn't pan out. Now he works in a cubicle, and screws around as much as possible. Follow his shenanigans on Twitter.

Updates from Congressman Vance McAllister 's world: he will not resign from office; he fired Melissa Hixon Peacock, the aide he was caught kissing on camera; her husband says McAllister has "wrecked my life" and that he and Peacock are getting a divorce and McAllister has spent the past 24 hours responding to the texts of strangers with comments about how difficult his life is.

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