Two-hundred and sixteen children in Chicago were killed last year because of gun violence, a sad statistic that designer Aislinn Dewey wants to make sure isn’t ignored. To that end, she has organized flashLIGHT 10/30, a public light memorial to be held in Thompson Center Plaza in downtown Chicago Saturday night (8-9pm). 216 pumpkins, each one representing a child lost this past year due to gun violence, will be carved with the name and age of each victim, lit for one hour, and then symbolically blown out one by one. Dewey was inspired by a screening of the Chicago documentary on gun violence, “On the Frontline: Taking Back our Streets,” and the personal stories of the audience members who attended. “One woman forced herself to come [to the screening] a week after her daughter had been killed,” remembers Dewey. “All that emotion, you just can’t walk away after seeing that without some kind of response.” The pumpkins themselves will be made by the family and loved one of the victims; anyone wishing to volunteer should sign up at flashlight1030.com. Says Dewey, “Connecting individuals to both the uncovered data and the scale of the loss to this violence is the purpose of this event.” (Jonas Simon)

By  Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the Chinese province of Fujian, there used to be people who believed they could communicate directly with the dead. If they slept on the grave of the person they wished to reach, their dreams during the night might lead to a meeting with the spirit of the departed. I propose that you consider something similar, Aries. Why? Because according to my reading of the astrological omens, you would benefit from communing with your ancestors. If you can’t actually spend the night near their final resting place, find another way to contact them in dreams. Put their photos under your pillow, maybe, or hold one of their beloved objects as you sleep. Halloween costume suggestion: the ancestor whose influence you need most right now. Read the rest of this entry »

By Martin Northway

He lives on in crackling 1930s football footage: a running back in a long, Homeric dash ranging from sideline to sideline, on a field so muddy water stands in visible pools; he is a speeding human gyroscope, maintaining his balance while he evades and breaks tackles. Every defender seems to have a shot, yet he crashes into the end zone.

Comparisons of John Jacob “Jay” Berwanger with other football players fail. Legendary sports broadcaster Red Barber called him simply “the greatest college player I ever saw.” Late former President and onetime Michigan star Gerald Ford bragged about his scar from tackling Jay Berwanger in 1934.

The famous Red Grange said Berwanger had a “faraway look” allowing him to see downfield and rapidly adjust. Grange also said Berwanger could hit a hole closing on him, drumming his feet lightly, freezing tacklers before slashing through.

In fall 1935, the star back of the University of Chicago Maroons was selected as the first recipient of what came to be known as the Heisman Trophy. “Seventy-five years later, Jay Berwanger still receives positive publicity,” says Brian Cooper, Dubuque newspaper editor and sports author, writer of a forthcoming biography of Berwanger. “Not just because he was the first Heisman recipient but because [of] how he played the game—tenacious and tireless, and playing both ways every game”—and “how he lived his entire life.” Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s biggest gainers:

1
Rahm Emanuel
Are you the only one running for mayor? The newspapers sure seem to think so.

2
Ed Vrdolyak
Ever wonder how he got the nickname “Fast Eddie”? Just look how smoothly he got the media to spin positive when he got convicted last week for real estate fraud. Wonder what he could do with a murder rap… Read the rest of this entry »

It’s pouring, but that doesn’t dampen the spirits of a thousand sharply-dressed politicians, urban planners and other civic leaders crammed into a tent on top of Millennium Park’s Harris Theater. They’re here to launch GO TO 2040, a blueprint for making tough development and spending choices in the Chicago area’s 284 communities, for the next few decades and beyond.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) will lead the implementation process, and stakes are high. As the region’s population balloons from its current 8.6 million to an estimated 11 million by 2040, the decisions we make now will determine whether the Chicago area becomes more prosperous, green and equitable or devolves into a depressed, grid-locked, smog-choked dystopia.

The plan, developed by CMAP and its partner organizations over three years and drawing on feedback from more than 35,000 residents, includes the four themes of Livable Communities, Human Capital, Efficient Governance and Regional Mobility. It makes detailed recommendations for facing challenges like job creation, preserving the environment, housing and transportation. Read the rest of this entry »

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “There’s one ultimate goal during sex,” says Cosmopolitan magazine, a renowned source of erotic guidance for women. That is “to be as sensually stimulated as possible.” I don’t quite agree with that assessment. Having emotionally pleasing fun should also be an important consideration, as well as creating a playful ambiance and invoking spiritual grace. But sensual stimulation is good, too. So what, in the view of Cosmopolitan, is the key to cultivating maximum bliss? “Having lots of steamy info at your disposal.” That’s definitely sound advice for you right now, Aries. You’re in a favorable phase for finding out more about everything that will enhance your access to delight, including the sexual kind. Read the rest of this entry »

While the race commands the attention—this year’s Chicago Marathon had the added charm of a symmetrical date, 10-10-10—the commerce goes down two days prior at the marathon expo, filling the cavernous space of one of the McCormick Place halls. All 38,131 runners have to visit the expo in order to get their bib numbers,  timing chip and t-shirt, the latter of which is strategically placed at the very back of the expo hall, like milk in a grocery store, meaning you cannot avoid at least some of the vendors if you want to get your swag.

Of course, no one really wants to avoid them, so immersed have they been in the world of running these last few weeks. The expo is open to the public but save for guests of entrants, a handful of aspirants and a few freaks, attendants are running 26.2 miles the next day and, in spite of expert admonishments against spending too much time on your feet at the expo, few can resist the magic combination of running and shopping. So what are they buying? Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s biggest gainers:

1
Matt Forte
How does a running back fill the shoes of a star quarterback?  With 188 yards and two touchdowns.

2
Art Smith
Oprah’s personal-chef-cum-restaurateur dropped 50 pounds and finished the Chicago Marathon. Diplomatically, he barely missed his TV queen mentor’s time. Read the rest of this entry »

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Until recently, no cricket had ever been observed pollinating a flower. All the evidence showed, in fact, that crickets don’t help flowers—they devour them. Then one night last January on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, researchers discovered that the species known as the raspy cricket was responsible for pollinating wild orchids. They even caught the magic act on film. I regard this turn of events as akin to an upcoming development in your life: Someone or something that you’ve never thought of as a fertilizing force for you will become one. Read the rest of this entry »

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Much of the reader mail I receive is friendly. But now and then I’ll get a message like this: “I’ve followed your horoscopes with pleasure for years. But I must say, you’ve really lost it lately. I can’t stand the garbage you’ve been slinging. What happened to you?” My response is to wonder why the person never wrote to me while he was happy with my efforts. It reminds me of a quote by Leon Uris: “How often in life it is that we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies.” It also reminds me of how tempting it is to focus on what repels us and scares us, shortchanging the dreams that excite us. Your assignment in the next four weeks, Aries, is to reward what you like and pursue what you want. For now, forget about what you don’t like and don’t want. Read the rest of this entry »