Porn is like a money tree. If you need some cash, just go out and shake the silicone until a few hundred thousand dollars drop out. So how exactly can the nation’s foremost “gentlemen’s magazine” be losing money? Playboy announced a 4th-quarter loss today, losing $1.1 million compared with a $3.7 million profit at this time last year.
Results tagged “goodnews”
Barack Obama swept the Potomac Primary last night, bringing his winning streak to eight, and eclipsing Hillary Clinton in the delegate count, 1,059 to 956 among pledged delegates.
With lots of delegates and potential momentum going into Super-Duper Tuesday, Nevada's primary has been both contentious and significant this year. Earlier this week a federal judge settled a lawsuit brought by the Nevada Teachers Union that should have helped Obama. Instead, with more than half of the precincts reporting, CBS, CNN and other major news outlets are projecting Clinton the winner today. Mitt Romney was the big winner in the GOP caucuses, taking his third primary win, and some serious momentum heading into Florida.
Now that the Michigan primary is safely behind us, all eyes are focused on Nevada and South Carolina. For Democrats, who need at least 2,025 delegates to win the presidential nomination, Nevada's caucuses this Saturday offer 33 delegates. Not only is the nation looking at the Silver State, where early voting is a new experience for a mix of Latino, rural and urban voters, but so are the federal courts. Hillary Clinton has been polling well there, but Barack Obama has been endorsed by the state's largest union, the Culinary Workers. This endorsement is significant not only because it is the largest union in the state, but also because the state's Democratic party has opted to hold nine "at-large" caucuses, open to anyone within 2.5 miles of the Las Vegas strip, where the bulk of CWU members work. Intended to make voting easier for shift-workers in Nevada's casino industry, the move prompted a lawsuit by the Nevada Teachers Union. The lawsuit claimed that those voting in at-large precincts being held on the Strip would have too much weight compared with those voting at their polling places, infringes on the right to equal protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and violate state statute in the way they were drawn.
Thanks in part to huge voter turnout partially driven by bonafide grassroots excitement, Barack Obama cruised to victory in Iowa, and is expected to do well again today in New Hampshire. Yet the Siskel Film Center has quietly cancelled screenings of the new documentary Senator Obama Goes To Africa, which were scheduled for later this month. Why? We just told you why.
The Chicago Blackhawks suffered only their second back-to back loss of the season on Wednesday and the first one in over a month. Something Blackhawks fans are not used to. The Blackhawks' 3-2 loss to the Canucks came in the first of a four-game home stand that continues tonight versus the Anaheim Ducks. Eight of the next ten Blackhawks games are at home, which is good news. They could use some home-ice advantage to help...
Ah, O'Hare. First your flight gets delayed, then there's a stinky but nontoxic cleaning agent used in the terminal, then your plane almost runs into another plane. Indeed, ye olde ORD has the second-highest number of near-collisions of any US airport. And according to a report from the GAO, O'Hare has six runways that don't meet the FAA's "runway safety area standards," and the airport had four "serious incursions," which is when two planes...
Good news, Pace riders: The strike is over! Yes, it came and went in the blink of an eye, unless you were trying to ride this morning, in which case the blink was a long, frustrating, busless one. But it's done. Teamsters Local 731 walked off the job this morning, but have since agreed to federal mediation, and service should be back to normal by now.
Many Wicker Park commuters are feeling a little less caffeinated these days since Half & Half (under the Damen Blue Line stop) closed up shop. Owner Debbie Sharpe told Metromix that the quality of the building is to blame. The good news is Sharpe also owns the Goddess and Grocer down the street, and Half & Half's delicious commuter sandwiches and pastries will be available for purchase there. LTH commentors prophecy its space may become...
And the hits just keep on coming for Rod Blagojevich. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops elected a new president today, and it's Chicago's own Cardinal Francis George. But it's not all good news today for George: the Sun-Times got a copy of a letter he sent, in which he says new legislation that allows sex-abuse victims to sue perpetrators even after the criminal statute of limitations has expired, is "about money." Police are...
We now join another one of our irregular weekend crime & punishment updates, already in progress.
With the ongoing and impending budget crisis at CTA on the brink of exploding, it nearly slipped our minds that the full Dan Ryan expressway re-opened for business, after nearly two years of construction.
Jill Morgenthaler, Blagojevich's deputy chief of staff for public safety and homeland security tendered her resignation Tuesday, effective November 1. She apparently called Rich Miller to confirm speculation that she will challenge freshman 6th District congressman Peter Roskam next year. The retired Army Colonel and former psy-ops specialist has been the topic of speculation for while, circulating ballot access petitions and raising money.
A few weeks back we wrote about our search for a certain Rosey Goat Cheese. Many readers wrote in with information about other places we could look, other cheeses that might fit the bill, and complaints about the commenting system. We were happy to get such a response, even if it didn't actually lead to a purchase of the product in question. We figured readers had given us, and each other, a fair number of...
Good news, women of Illinois: We're in good company! Four of the top ten most powerful women in business are based here (or run companies that are). Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods, comes in at number 5, thanks to acquiring a $7.2 billion "global biscuit business." Pat Woertz, chairman, CEO, and president of Decatur–based agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland, follows her at 6 because she brought in $44 billion in revenue. Number...
Good news. NBC5 reports that with four days left to the forewarned service cuts and fare hikes on the CTA, Governor Blagoevich has stepped up with some help. He now says that he will try and find some money in "state coffers," and offered up a figure of $20 million. We realize that what he's offering is just a quick fix, but sometimes you put a butterfly bandage on a wound until you can...
We just got this confirmation from one of the employees:
With unseasonable weather descending upon much of North America, schools getting ready to reconvene, and sports seasons getting exciting, it's a busy time of year for us here in the Ist-A-Verse. Luckily, even with all the things we have to do, we still managed to get together to let you know what we've all been up to. After cooling down from a hot weekend of many badass Sunset Junction Street Fair photo dispatches, LAist asked...
If “d-bag” or other words relating to female cleansing products came to your head when you first heard about English opening in the Clark/LaSalle/Ontario corridor, you’re not too far off. The weekends are a sure bet for sceney types and well, so is a Monday after work apparently. So why even go there? If you like that sort of stare-down beautiful people watching, you’re in luck here. If not, stick to the sidewalk patio...
- As the CTA moves along with its Doomsday Scenario, Mayor Daley raised the possibility of dedicated bus lanes on Lake Shore Drive. - Dick Devine's current term as Cook County State's Attorney will be his last. - The city is placing the search for a new Police Superintendent in the hands of a highly respected D.C. think-tank. - Good news and bad news on the historic preservation front. - Four men are charged...
Congratulations! You've made it to the last day of Lollapalooza (but probably not the last day of our coverage). You've stuck it out through the heat and the occasional rain. Maybe you've been subsisting on energy bars and your refillable water bottle or you've been ducking out of the masses of people to grab a bite outside the fest at McDonald's or Subway. But today is different.You know your hunger pains are going to hit right between Peter, Bjorn and John and Modest Mouse, and you're not going to want another McChicken.
The Chicago Tribune reported on Friday that the 11,000 people who drive taxi cabs in Chicago are considering organizing a union. Based on the organizing model that led to the successful Taxi Workers Alliance in New York City, organizers here are hoping to duplicate those achievements here in Chicago as well. As the price of gasoline has soared, taxi drivers have been hit hardest on their bottom line - take home income. Cab drivers have...
We are one of the few women left in Chicago – and, seemingly, America – that have not fallen under the mighty spell of Oprah Winfrey. Our coworker even snuck a pint-sized black & white TV into her office and watches it religiously; still we have not found ourselves in her thrall. We just can’t work up the enthusiasm for her superwoman, “Secret”-esque lifestyle. And what’s with all the ads in her magazine featuring thin, attractive white women? Mixed messages much?
Apparently, Simon Cowell is a big supporter of the fight against hunger. Shocking, we know. But it just goes to show that just one day of working alongside volunteers of America’s Second Harvest, as shown on the "American Idol" show a couple weeks ago, can soften even the hardest of hearts (sorry, Simon, you can be kind of a toughie). The organization serves as a network for more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organizations...
Chicagoist hopes you're healthier than we are, and that you're more law-abiding than these folks: A mugger set himself upon former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun Friday night. Braun was returning to her Hyde Park residence just before midnight when an assailant jumped her from the bushes and tried to cut her purse strap. Two passing U of Chicago students came to her aid: Zachary Trayes-Gibson, 21, gave chase to the mugger, while his 19-year-old...
"thumb" by The Imperfect Parent
If you were one of those folks who paid beaucoup bucks to see Amy Winehouse at either of the super sold-out Schubas shows she was scheduled to play May 3, our hearts go out to you. Why? Well, they've moved her show from the cozy confines of Schubas' back room to the much roomier space of The Vic. The good news? Lots more folks will get a chance to see her now! The bad news?...
As the weather has gotten a bit warmer, we've noticed there are more and more things going on. This weekend we've decided to do some nerdy things before we sit at a bar for the Final Four and embellish to our friends how we were so good at basketball in High School but, had to give it up due to . The knee is healing nicely, thanks. We thought we would make it to Facet's...
When Jose Lagoa couldn’t find the necessary ingredients for his restaurant Café Iberico, instead of getting mad he got smart and started bringing back products from his many trips to his native Spain. Word got out quickly among other Chicago restaurants — and not only those serving Spanish food — and Lagoa found himself in the importing business as well. And that’s good news for us regular folk, too. Local Spaniards have known for some time that Iberico not only dishes up some authentic tasty tapas — we’re big fans of pulpo a la plancha (grilled octopus), salpicon de mariscos (seafood salad), and croquettes de pollo (chicken and ham puffs) — but also is a great place to pick up hard-to-find Spanish ingredients as well.
