Chicago Sun-Times :: Today's Columists ::

Her prized possession was worth the risk

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Like a lot of people, Ava Schieber still keeps a set of encyclopedias in her Streeterville apartment, though her particular set is a little different from most.

Not all of Chicago's rats are small and hairy

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

EEEK! Never underestimate the impact of a big, hairy, muscular Chicago rat running across the richly textured carpet of a Palmer House Hilton dining room packed with guests who'd just eaten a lovely dinner served from the kitchen where said rat may have just emerged.

Middle name gives Obama a conundrum

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

In case you're wondering . . . The president-elect has not told his advisers whether or not he will use his full name -- Barack Hussein Obama -- when he's sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

Olympic bid . . .

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Scoopsville: President-elect Barack Obama's personal pitch to lure the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago is no surprise to Sneed. On Oct. 30, this column tipped word of Obama's lead Olympic role.

'Shenanigan' author Ross wins business award

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Sandra Guy: A Chicago author whose passion for inspiring African-American children to read family-friendly stories has found technology an ally in her quest. Jil Ross, who grew up in Pullman and lives in the Beverly neighborhood, wrote the Shenanigan Series (www.shenaniganseries.com) of books based on her family values and experiences.

Northwestern found perfect leader in Fitzgerald

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:01 CST

He sits tall behind the table with that clean-cut, short-hair look and talks about Northwestern from his heart.

Babich, Smith feel the heat

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:01 CST

Bears coach Lovie Smith returns today to St. Louis, where for three years as the Rams' defensive coordinator he established his credentials for the job he holds.

We waited 17 years for this?

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Jim DeRogatis: With the very rarest of exceptions, rock 'n' roll is a dish best served steaming hot, with as little delay as possible between the inspiration of the creative oven and the final garnishing of the finished album. Even some of its most celebrated epics -- "Led Zeppelin IV," "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" by Genesis or "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd -- had relatively quick, no-muss, no-fuss origins.

Jackman held on tight in the filming of 'Australia'

BY CINDY PEARLMAN — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

'You're going to get me in trouble here," Hugh Jackman is saying.

Hollywood stimulus packages

BY CINDY PEARLMAN — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Four Christmases? You don't even have enough money to buy presents for one this year. But for the price of a ticket, this is what you can buy yourself this holiday season (even if you can't afford the popcorn):

Fon't forget these stocking stuffers

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

'Transporter 3'

'Grey Gardens' in fearsome bloom

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Hedy Weiss: It is inspired by a true story --the sad descent of a pair of mother-and-daughter relatives of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, who plummeted from New York socialite glory to a half-demented, penniless existence and were the focus of a 1973 documentary film by the Maysles brothers. Yet the 2006 Broadway musical version of "Grey Gardens," which is very much its own ingenious creation, might easily be mistaken for a modern-day Grimm Brothers fairy tale that hauntingly unspools in reverse.

The land of the dreamers

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Bill Zwecker: Nicole Kidman sure knows how to enter a room. The flame-haired Oscar winner, looking regal and yet approachable, virtually floated into a cozy suite at the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel on a recent afternoon. When asked if she was channeling Lady Sarah Ashley, the aristocratic Englishwoman in her new film "Australia," Kidman lets out a very un-aristocratic, totally Aussie chortle.

Anatomy of a tragedy

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Thursday will mark the 30th anniversary of the assassination of San Francisco city supervisor and ground-breaking gay activist Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone.

Around the world in 448 pages

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

Dave Hoekstra: We made it through another Geography Awareness Week. Who knew? Not Sarah Palin, fer sure. Fox News reported that the Republican vice presidential candidate didn't seem to know that Africa is a continent. The annual Oxford Atlas of the World (Oxford University Press, $80) hit stores as Geography Awareness Week ended Saturday.

Ah, to be fat, lazy and unhealthy

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00 CST

With the news that Huntington, W. Va., has been named America's unhealthiest and fattest city, this is a good time to emit a collective: "Phew!"