#Chicago weekend guide

[phonecaseboss]

Do what? In THIS weather? A list of events in 312 Land

February in Chicago can be bleak, but your social life doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re into theatre, comedy, live music, or art, the city has plenty to offer. From Clue Live on Stage! and Twelfth Night to Write Club’s literary showdown and the mesmerizing Circus Quixote, this month is packed with incredible events. Explore immersive art installations at Millennium Park, take in Shakespeare at the Greenhouse Theater Center, or test your Vampire Diaries knowledge at trivia night. Whatever your vibe, there’s something happening near you. Check out the full list and plan your next night out!

Murder, Mayhem, and Midwinter Melancholy Good evening, Chicago! Or should I say, “Good evening, you magnificent metropolis of deep-dish and deep-seated existential dread!” Let’s take a look at what’s happening around the city this week, because let’s be honest, February in Chicago is a time when we collectively ask ourselves, why do we live here? First up, CLUE Live on Stage! at the CIBC…

[ridethecyanide]

It amazes me every time that you were always there for Bobby! You saw every performance of him at the time. You had stuff about him from the 90s, that's so amazing! I'm a bit jealous, but good for you good <3 I assume you must be a big fan of him since day one? 🤔 How was it like back in your days to be a fan? If you don't mind sharing ♡

@toddsmind-neilssoul I don’t mind sharing!

So, my parents rented DPS when I was 10, that was 1993 and all I can remember was the cute boy with the sad eyes that caught my attention. My grandmother took me to see Much Ado About Nothing that same year after a lot begging and even though I didn’t understand one word of it at the time, I got to see my cute boy with the sad eyes. He was definitely my first celebrity crush and I’ve been following his career ever since and didn’t miss a movie or TV event. This was before the internet really exploded so I had to rely on TV Guides, newspapers/magazines to keep up with any of his appearances and record on my VHS tape recorder 😆 Fast forward to 2001, I told my parents I didn’t want to go to my high school senior prom and asked them to use the money that would have been spent on a dress towards a graduation gift of seeing Robert in The Invention of Love. So, my Mom and I flew out Memorial Day weekend 2001 and saw him perform and I just couldn’t believe I was seeing him live, he was wonderful. We waited by the stage door after the show and I got to meet him. There was nobody else hanging around so I had him all to myself for a moment. I didn’t say very much because I was a bit nervous but he couldn’t have been nicer. Exactly one week later, he won the Tony! That was so exciting!

When he was on House, I thought I hit the mother-load as a fan because I actually got to watch him on a weekly basis for 8 years so when it ended in 2012, I got a bit sad because I knew he was going to head back into his hibernating book-nook and maybe show up on a random TV show every once in a while and continue to perform on stage. I wanted to see every play he did but life gets in the way.

I figured enough time had passed (15 years!) and I had the time so I flew out to NYC in 2016 to meet up with a friend and see him in Prodigal Son. Again, he was wonderful and again, I got to say Hello to him afterward but this time I actually spoke to him and told him about skipping my senior prom in 2001 to see him perform, how it was a decision I will never regret and showed him the photo; he smiled so sweetly at me as if he was saying, why would you give up a teenage right of passage to see me, I’m not worth it…I asked if we can take a photo as a sort of Then and Now kinda thing and we did! No surprise, he was so nice.

I adore Robert and wish nothing but good things for him. Since he’s not always out there like a lot actors, I feel so genuinely happy to see him when he does decide to come out of hibernation. (Thank you Cynthia Nixon for coaxing him out to act in The Gilded Age) I’m flying to Chicago in March to see him in his latest play. Perhaps I can say Hello to him again? Stay tuned!

[notbecauseofvictories]

Hi Sarah, I'm going to visit Chicago in a couple of weeks and when I think of Chicago I think of you. What would you recommend I visit/do?

Unfortunately, Chicago is not its best self for a couple months---while I maintain that the city is for all seasons, summer is undoubtedly when it's most alive. However, there are a couple things I will definitely recommend for the unseasonably warm spring traveler:

(1) Eat some food

A friendly word of warning: do not be tricked into eating Giordano's or Lou Malnotti's. Perhaps your companions might try to win you over with promises of Chicago-style hotdogs---do not be swayed! You must manfully resist! (Harold's Chicken is that good though, and if you're close to the one in Hyde Park, feel free to devour the three piece dinner of your choice. Cheap bottle of the too-sweet wine I preferred as an undergrad optional.)

A much better option is to find a place that serves whatever food you love, but does it really really well.

Do you like sophisticated twists on a brewpub menu? Try Moody Tongue in the South Loop

Or are you really more of a tapas person? Highly recommend mfk in Lincoln Park

Would you prefer something a little....meatier? My favorite steakhouse in Chicago is Tango Sur (though I would argue their empanadas are really the showstopper)

There's nowhere in the city that does Hong Kong-style barbecue like Sun Wah in Uptown---I just stopped by after the parade for the Lunar New Year, the duck is to die for.

Are you on the West Side? First of all, do not go to Big Star. I mean, it's fine, but....come on. I'd pick Forbidden Root instead, or head over to Pilsen for Rubi's if you can't survive without tacos.

There are so, so many different bars I would recommend. Chicago was the home of bootleggers for a reason, goddamn it. Still, if you can't get to Wang's (look, I like Violet Hour too, but sometimes you don't want to drink in near-darkness), Koval (the rare distillery in Chicago), or any of the many, many craft breweries we have in the city right now, you probably can stop by one of the many, many, many bars we have in Chicago, and get a drink anyway.

There are more---of course there are more!---but we don't have all day. So instead I will leave you with this bit of wisdom: don't eat at Navy Pier or anywhere too close to Lincoln Park Zoo. If you are at a bar, don't settle for a burger when sometimes, the chicken tenders are actually better. And if you absolutely must go somewhere for pizza, choose Pequod's.

(2) See a thing

Chicago has many things in it! So many things! A hundred thousand things! Unfortunately, I don't know what you're into, so I will just talk about them in general.

MUSEUMS: I am a devoted museum-goer, and Chicago has blessed me with an endless feast. There are the big ones, of course---the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago. However, my favorites are smaller, more unique: the International Museum of Surgical Sciences, Intuit (though it's temporarily closed, more's the pity), the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at UChicago, the Lincoln Park Conservatory. That's not even all the museums in Chicago! That's not even all the museums that I've been to. It's amazing.

EVENTS: I once joked that I was a person who needed to schedule her enrichment like a blue-haired senior, but the joke was on me---I am that person! Fortunately, Chicago supports me in this endeavor by publishing many, many different calendars of "what to do this week or weekend". Do you want to see something onstage? Well, here you go. How about some classical music? I have a trusty guide. What about non-classical music? Always go to the Chicago Reader for that. Are you thinking of catching a game? Well, we're still in spring training for the Cubs and Sox, but the Bulls are doing okay even if the Blackhawks aren't, and we've got soccer (male and female) now too!

(Unfortunately, the Chicago Sky aren't playing right now, they're my favorites.)

OTHER: Unless you are extremely efficient, coming here and eating good food, doing one other thing, is more than enough. I promise it is! However, if you have more time, I definitely recommend just---wandering around. The Loop in particular is great for this, because it's reasonably small and everyone there is busy doing things. Going places, talking on phones, getting into or out of ubers, protesting outside of the Daley center, etc. etc. It's amazing to watch, and the buildings are pretty neat too.

Or you could wait a couple months, and take the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, which I think should be a requirement for all Chicagoans. Maybe even everyone alive in the world. Just saying.

(3) Walk along the lakeshore

Chicago offers many delights, but I really do believe that Lake Michigan and its vast expanse of water, sky and space, is a unique gift to the city. It is beautiful in winter, in spring, in storms, in sun. It is free. You can sit in the grass or the sand or amble along its broad paths for miles, looking at unexpected art installations and waving grasses and the way the beaches slope to the water; you can talk to a friend or watch bikers and joggers pass you by. In the summer, there are a dozen different stands offering warm elote or cold soda, and cheerful men on jingling bike carts that will sell you neon orange push pops. In the winter, there are still bikers and joggers but also Canada geese, and you can stare mournfully at the slate grey water and ponder existence.

It is the heart of Chicago. Nelson Algren called us an "October city, even in summer"; Carl Sandburg described us as a shirtless dude who gives great oral. Personally, I think of Montrose Beach in the setting sun of winter, the sand almost too cold to touch---and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

[fullmetalfisting]

I was in Chicago over the weekend and went on a bus tour. At one point the tour guide mentioned HH Holmes and without thinking I went, “Woo!” Because I recognized that name! And the tour guide was like “did someone just cheer for a serial killer?”

[sevasey51]

A Weekend of Care

Summary: Connor cares for his wife, Y/N, as she struggles with a painful period and the flu. Despite her discomfort and POTS flare-up, Connor helps her shower, comforts her with a heating pad, and ensures she stays hydrated and rested, with her brothers kept informed due to them being really protective of her.

The chill of Chicago’s flu season had hit hard this year, and it wasn’t just the usual sniffles going around. Y/N found herself battling a fierce combination of her painful period, which always left her feeling drained, and the worst cold she’d had in a while. The flu had made her feel feverish, her throat sore, and her whole body achy. But it was the pain from her period that was the worst, leaving her curled up in bed, unable to do much more than turn over every once in a while.

Connor had been aware of how bad things could get for Y/N, especially when her POTS flared up. Her energy drained quickly, and she became even more clingy than usual. He was used to taking care of her, but this was different. Her usual strength was nowhere to be found, and the exhaustion on her face made his heart ache. She barely even looked at the food he brought her, too tired and sick to even muster the energy to eat. He knew she’d need more than just physical care—she’d need comfort. And that was something he could provide with ease.

It had been a rough morning. Y/N had only been able to get out of bed long enough to shuffle to the bathroom, and even then, she’d been pale and shaky. The combination of her period pain, the flu, and her POTS had left her body weak, and her temperature had been up and down. Connor had done what he could: made her tea, brought her medicine, and wrapped her in blankets. But he knew she needed more than that. He also knew she didn’t like when others saw her this vulnerable, so he decided to keep it between them, despite her brothers’ concern.

After texting Will and Jay just to let them know she was unwell, Connor had made a decision. He walked into the bedroom, finding her bundled up in blankets, her eyes barely open.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Connor whispered, kneeling beside her. He placed his hand on her forehead, noting how hot she was. “How are you feeling?”

She let out a tired sigh, barely lifting her head from the pillow. “Like I’ve been hit by a truck,” she mumbled, her voice hoarse.

“Yeah, you’re burning up,” Connor said softly. He leaned over to the side of the bed and grabbed the heating pad he had set up earlier, plugging it in and making sure it was warm enough. “I’m going to get you in a warm shower, okay? You’ll feel better, I promise. We’ll get you into some fresh pajamas after.”

Y/N groaned, clearly not in the mood for a shower. “I don’t think I can, Con. I’m too tired… I can’t even keep my eyes open.”

“I know, baby,” Connor said gently, sitting beside her on the bed and brushing her hair from her face. “But you’ll feel better if we get you clean and get you into fresh clothes. I’ll help you, I promise. You just have to let me.”

Y/N hesitated, her eyes fluttering shut as if trying to ignore the idea of moving. Finally, she muttered, “Okay… but only because it’s you.”

Connor smiled softly. “That’s all I need to hear.” He helped her sit up slowly, his arms around her, supporting her when she swayed a little, a result of both her flu symptoms and her POTS. The dizziness was the worst, and he knew that, so he moved slowly, never pushing her beyond what she could handle.

After a few minutes, Connor got her into the bathroom and started the shower, making sure the water was warm but not too hot. He gently guided her into it, staying close to make sure she didn’t lose her balance. “Just let the warm water hit you, sweetheart,” he murmured as she stood under the stream, eyes closed. “I’m right here.”

She let the heat relax her stiff muscles, her breath coming in shallow bursts. Connor kept a steady presence beside her, helping her wash up without pushing her too hard. When it was time to step out of the shower, she was already looking a bit more awake, but her body still felt heavy.

Connor wrapped her in a soft towel, brushing her hair back again and taking extra care as he helped her into fresh pajamas. “I know you’re still not feeling great, but you’re doing so well, baby,” he said softly as he helped her back to bed.

She didn’t say anything, just gave him a tired smile and curled back into the blankets, the heating pad once again pressed to her abdomen. “Thanks, Con.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Anything for you.”

But Y/N’s struggle wasn’t just physical. She was emotionally drained too, her mind foggy from both the flu and the pain. “I just want to rest, but I don’t feel comfortable,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I feel… gross. I hate being like this.”

“You’re not gross,” Connor reassured her, climbing into bed beside her and pulling her close. “You’re strong, Y/N. I know this sucks, but you’ll feel better soon. I’ll take care of everything.”

Her eyes fluttered closed again, her body sinking into his warmth. Connor gently placed his hand on her stomach, offering comfort. She was barely awake enough to notice, but she reached for him instinctively, her fingers clutching his shirt. “Baby… stay?”

Connor wrapped his arms around her, offering the comfort she needed. “I’m right here, sweetheart. Always.”

He stayed with her for the rest of the day, bringing her water when she needed it, getting her to eat small bites of soup, and gently reminding her to take her meds when the cramps got too bad. Despite everything, she slowly began to improve, her fever breaking and the flu symptoms lessening as the day wore on. The tender care from Connor, combined with the presence of her brothers, would always make things better—even when they didn’t seem like they would.

Eventually, Y/N fell into a peaceful sleep, her body still aching but her mind at ease. Connor kissed the top of her head and promised himself he would always be there for her, no matter what. He watched over her, keeping his hand gently on her chest as she slept, content in the knowledge that, even in her most vulnerable moments, he would always be there to care for her.

I hope you guys enjoy this it’s a mix of Connor looking after wife! Whilst she’s on her period but been struck with the flu. Hope you love it 🫶🏻

[oh-stars]

Doodles

Hurt

a Stobin Month 2024 prompt | 539 words | CW: off-screen injury | Rating: G

--

“Does this make me old now?”

Robin rolls her eyes as she sits down beside Steve. She sets her markers down in the crease of her thigh as she twists to face him on the couch. “You’re not old.” 

“Me five years ago would never fumble this hard,” Steve huffs. He goes to cross his arms, but the big, bulky cast on his left hand stops him. He glares hard at it before offering it back to Robin. 

She hums a thankful noise and uncaps the first marker. 

“Just no dicks, please,” Steve sighs, leaning his head back. “I cannot go to work with dicks on my arm.” 

“Who do you think I am? Eddie?” Robin rolls her eyes again . “I would never draw a dick on your arm.” Boobies, however, are a different story. She makes them small and at the top part of his cast where it’s most likely going to be obscured by his shirts and jackets. 

Steve pouts. “I just cannot believe I fell so hard I broke my arm during a game with a bunch of old men.” 

“Aren’t they all under forty?” 

“Yeah, but this,” he gestures to the cast, “proves that I, the youngest of the group, is old and therefore, so are they.” 

“Come back to me when you get your first gray hair, then we can talk.”

“Why would you put that on me? Do you want me to die young? Jesus Christ, Robs,” Steve practically screeches, running his free hand through his hair. 

She just smiles and starts drawing little flowers randomly on the plaster, trading out colors every now and then. He got a bright neon green, so the darker colors are really popping against the plaster. 

For about thirty minutes, Steve just watches the ceiling fan as she doodles on his arm. She’s not leaving room for anyone else to sign, and maybe that’s selfish but Steve’s hers so she’ll do as she pleases, thank you.

Robin looks down at the mostly covered work and sighs. She decides to leave two openings for Dustin and Eddie to sign – the only two of the party who live in Chicago with them right now – but covers the rest. If she left any more openings, Eddie would doodle dicks and nerd shit while Dustin would use Steve’s arm to write equations or something. At least she’s drawing stuff he actually likes. 

There’s baseballs and basketballs (which she realizes may be a sore subject right now, so she put those where they were least visible) among the flowers and little music notes sprinkled in. She even drew a bottle of hairspray in the crease of his elbow. There’s a symbol for every job they’ve worked together: an icecream cone for Scoops Ahoy, a VHS tape for Family Video, a book for that bookstore they love, coffee mug from the brief time they tried to be baristas, a donut from the bakery that Steve still works at full-time and Robin helps out on the weekends, a pawprint for the pet store Robin convinced him to try, and a bone for the museum where Robin was a tour guide (and now does research at full-time) and Steve worked in the gift shop. 

And in big letters, going down his arm, she’s signed, “I love you dingus ❤ Robin.” 

“How’s that look?” 

Steve looks over it with a fond smile, the first since he reluctantly called her from the gym this morning. “It’s perfect.” 

--

Thank you @lady-lostmind for beta reading!

Ao3 Link

[melodiousoblivionao3]

any advice for a girl going to her first nwsl game this weekend? i’m going to see the boy play and im so excited but also a little nervous since ive never been to a game before!

Omg have SO much fun!!!! And you’re seeing them play Chicago, so you’ll see so many of our loves!! NWSL games have a great environment. If this is your first time definitely show up early to explore the stadium. I know Spirit games always have fun activations around Audi, idk about CRS tho. You may get some free little promo gifts, and even just having that extra time to check out food/drinks around you and seeing the teams warm up is super fun. Check out the CRS website and insta to see if they post a match day guide or any info about themes! None are up rn but maybe in the next day or two?

I’ve never been to Seat Geek or to a Red Stars home game, so if anyone has any specific advice or tips, please share!!

Have the best time friend ❤️ and report back with game thoughts and how your experience was!!

[heartspark]

I doodled my foster pigeon over the weekend l! 🤍☁️ I'm also going to eventually make a basic pigeon care guide to help people who are interested in pet pigeons🤍

If you're interested in adopting the bird im fostering, please feel free to check out his petfinder link 🥰 https://www.petfinder.com/bird/mychal-59467314/il/chicago/great-lakes-pigeon-rescue-il953/

[louisisdaddy42]

Chicago, P.1 (A Louis Tomlinson Fanfic)

After two years of recovering from an abusive relationship, you're finally dipping your toes back into the dating world—thanks to the relentless encouragement of your best friend. Swiping through a dating app, you stumble across a profile that catches your interest: Louis. Charming, cheeky, and refreshingly genuine. The connection and chemistry are instant. Louis becomes your guide to rediscovering yourself and gaining self-confidence. Together, you navigate trust, communication, and intimacy, all while unraveling the parts of yourself you’ve kept hidden for far too long. (CW: Mature, non-detailed mentions of abuse)

Tuesdays truly are the worst day of the week.

Some would say Monday, but at least on Monday, you’re feeling rested from the weekend. Wednesdays, you can celebrate because you’re halfway through the week. Thursday, the day before Friday. And then Friday, of course.

But Tuesday? A truly awful day of the week.

This is what goes through your brain as you sit in a conference room, being lectured to about sales quotas, or something like that - you’re obviously a little tuned out. Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you glance at it quickly under the table. A notification from that new dating app you downloaded. You roll your eyes.

After the meeting ends, you head back to your desk and look a little more closely at the notification. It reads, “someone liked your profile - match now!”

You ignore the notification - that app is such a waste of time.

After a couple more hours of boring desk work, you can finally clock out. You grab your purse and head for the train. As you walk out of work, you receive a text from your best friend, Jen.

Got us a table, chips and salsa on the way :) c u soon

You get to the train station and hop on the Red Line to meet her for happy hour. When you arrive, Jen is sitting at a table waiting for you. You wave at her from the entrance and go over to the table, slinging your purse over the back of the chair and sitting down.

“Oh my god, Jen,” you say, chuckling. “How are we going to finish this entire pitcher of sangria?”

“Listen, it’s Thirsty Tuesday,” she replies. “And I know how much you love sangria.”

“You’re thinking of Thirsty Thursday, I think,” you say, laughing. “But I love the spirit.”

You pour yourself a glass of sangria and take a chip out of the basket on the table. You and Jen clink your glasses together, both saying, “cheers!”

You order some more appetizers, and, as the server leaves your table, Jen asks, “so... any luck on that dating app?”

Rolling your eyes, you reply, “no, all the guys on there are either ugly or douche bags.” You take a sip of your drink. “It’s honestly a waste of time.”

Jen, a little tipsy, encourages you, “you just need to keep looking!”

“I think I’m good,” you reply, rolling your eyes again.

She places a hand on your shoulder and says, “you can’t swear off love forever, dude. It’s been two years since you left Adam.”

Anger rises in your body just hearing that name. What a piece of shit.

“Yeah, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been, Jen,” you reply, irritation in your voice. “I’m perfectly happy on my own. I’d rather be single for the rest of my life than ever risk going through something like that again.”

Jen can see the tears welling up in your eyes and places a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to pressure you,” she says, “I just want to see you with someone who makes you happy. You deserve that.”

Wiping a tear, you reply, “thanks, Jen.”

After finishing your pitcher of sangria and appetizers, you and Jen walk to the train and get back on the Red Line. You get off on your stop, giving Jen a hug. “Love you, text me when you make it home safe.”

You walk to your apartment building and unlock the front door. After grabbing your mail, you walk upstairs and open the door to your apartment. Your cat, Eddy, greets you at the door as you flip on the lights.

You take a shower, brush your teeth, and get settled into bed, Eddy laying at your feet. You check your phone, scrolling mindlessly on social media. Maybe it’s because you’re tipsy from the sangria, or maybe you’re just genuinely curious - you open the dating app. You check your messages. A long list of men’s names with messages like “hey sexy” and “wanna fuck” underneath. You are about to close the app when you see one message that catches your attention. The message reads:

Hey beautiful, hope you’re having a great day :) I have a very important question for you

You check the profile, some guy named Louis. He’s pretty cute, and your interest is piqued. You reply,

I’ll bite, what’s your question?

Within seconds, he starts typing. He responds,

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

CONTINUE READING ON AO3:

[lesbiancolumbo]

Happy Birthday Sydney you fantastic human being! I hope you have a great weekend and that you come through Chicago soon again! Honestly, meeting you in person a year or so ago is something I’m really grateful for. Your immediate warmth and genuineness is something that is really special, and getting to know you better only makes me appreciate you more 💙 Again, Happy Birthday

maggie!!!!! my dear friend maggie!!!!!! ilysm i can’t wait to see you again (whenever that will be and hopefully soon). your friendship has been such a guiding force over the last year since we met in person and i just love and appreciate you so much mwah

[andsewingishalfthebattle]

I've just updated our events calendar, and we have a VERY full fall schedule! Please stop by and say hello if you come to one of these events! Visit the site for full details and links.

October 20 - October 21: Monster Madness at the Historic Artcraft Theatre - "...And Sewing Is Half The Battle!" is one of the sponsors of this classic monster movie fest, and will be in attendance all weekend.

October 21 - October 22: Doctoberfest - Alena will be appearing and doing a Cosplay Q&A session on Saturday morning at this Doctor Who-themed event.

October 25 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Special Effects Makeup & Makeup for Costuming Workshop - This workshop will cover character makeup basics and SFX makeup application for costuming. Participants will receive makeup application tools and have the opportunity to experiment with various makeup products and build small prostheses such as scars.

November 11: MatchBOX Maker Showcase - This open house at MatchBOX Makerspace will allow attendees to see work from a variety of makers and explore many creative techniques. "...And Sewing Is Half The Battle!" will be there to talk about sewing and costuming.

November 15 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Thermoplastics Workshop - This workshop will teach the basics of working with thermoplastics for prop and armormaking. Participants will see and handle sample products made from various thermoplastics, learn about crafting techniques, and make a piece of armor to take home.

November 17 - November 19: ColossalCon North - Alena will be presenting the following panels: Featherweight Cosplay: Thermoplastics & More; Molds, Resins, and Silicones, Oh My!; Cosplay Pics 101: Posing for Cosplay Photos; Welcome to the Jianghu: A Beginner's Guide to Chinese Fantasy Drama

November 24 - November 26: Chicago TARDIS - Alena and Mark will be staffing this Doctor Who-focused convention and presenting programming as part of the cosplay track. Panel topics TBA.

December 15 - December 17: CasaCon (online via Discord) - Laura and Alena will be presenting the following panels: Saiyuuki: History of Journey to the West; Cosplay On Stage: Presentation & Performance for Cosplayers.

[thelensofyashunews]

Sexyy Red Shares Highly-Anticipated "Get It Sexyy" Single, Prod. by Tay Keith

After taking over the charts and dominating the cultural conversation in 2023, Sexyy Red is back with "Get It Sexyy," her first new single of 2024. The song features booming production from Memphis heavy-hitter Tay Keith, who collaborated with Sexyy Red on her biggest hits to date. On "Get It Sexyy," the two Highsnobiety-profiled close friends make a formidable pair once again. Tay Keith's instrumental is perfectly tailored to Sexyy's playground chant flow, providing a tuneful 808 drum break that guides the rapper's hook, and supplementing with rattling hi-hats and dramatic strings to give weight to each X-rated bar. The St. Louis native is as quotable as ever, as she crafts couplets that reflect her inspirational self-confidence: "I'm so f*ckin' sexy, yeah my skin is glistening," she purrs. 

"Get It Sexyy" kicks an already-eventful 2024 into high gear for the 25-year-old artist, which includes a new project on the way and a performance at Rolling Loud California 2024 this weekend. Earlier this year, Sexyy gave birth to her second child, a process that was fictionalized in the video for Drake's "Rich Baby Daddy," featuring Sexyy and SZA. The documentary-style video is one of the most talked-about and viewed music videos of the year, with over 13 million views in one month and multiple days atop the YouTube Trending charts. More recently, Sexyy connected with her close friend Summer Walker for the music video for "I Might," a highlight from Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe), Sexyy's latest project, which came out in December. 

Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe) adds 11 songs to her critically acclaimed tape Hood Hottest Princess, earning Best of 2023 honors from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The Washington Post, Billboard, and more. The Deluxe is home to highlights like "Shake Yo Dreads," a booming pump-up anthem for all the dreadheads in your life, the ultra-raunchy "Hood Rats", and the Chief Keef collaboration "Ghetto Princess." Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe) adds guest appearances from some of the best street rappers in the business, including Chief Keef, G Herbo, and 42 Dugg, and is available everywhere via Open Shift Distribution / gamma.

Fueled by Hood Hottest Princess and its singles, Sexyy's improbable, yet inevitable rise was one of the biggest stories in hip-hop in 2023. The mixtape earned a sterling 8.0 review from Pitchfork, who wrote that the mixtape "sets the tone for what she hopes is the nastiest, sweatiest, and freakiest summer since the smartphone came along" and "...30 minutes of straight-up standing-on-the-table raps. There are a handful of songs on here that are bound to be summertime anthems." Home to other hits like "Looking For The H*es (Ain't My Fault)," and "Hellcats SRTs," blessed with a remix featuring Lil Durk, Hood Hottest Princess made an impact on the Billboard 200, where it reached a peak of #62, and Apple Music's charts, where it peaked at #7 on the Hip-Hop albums chart and #12 overall.

Sexyy's viral rise quickly fomented success on the touring front. After a viral performance at Rolling Loud Miami, Sexyy Red earned an invitation to open on tour for her biggest fan, Drake, during his "It's All A Blur Tour" with 21 Savage. Sexyy's first headlining tour, the "Hood Hottest Princess Tour," sold out many dates within minutes of its initial onsale, including a 3,000-cap show in NYC and a 4,850-cap show in Chicago. The tour criss-crossed the U.S. for dozens of dates–including 24 sold out dates–including a massive sold out hometown show at the 8,000-capacity Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. In all, Sexyy's first-ever headlining show sold an estimated 70k tickets, making her one of the hottest draws in the genre.

After changing the game in 2023, Big Sexyy looks to cement her status as a cultural icon for her generation. Stay tuned for more announcements. 

[mariacallous]

(New York Jewish Week) — My hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is world-famous for precisely two things: It’s where the University of Michigan is located — Go Blue! — and it is home to Zingerman’s, a 41-year-old Jewish deli that’s both a local icon and a national treasure that regularly makes “best of” lists.

And now, one of these storied institutions will make an appearance in New York City for one day, and one day only — and it’s not the well-regarded public university.

On Saturday, Zingerman’s Deli will host a pop-up at Chelsea’s Olly Olly Market, where the Midwestern deli masters will be slinging sandwiches from noon to 8 p.m., or until sold out. There, at 601 West 26th St. near 11th Avenue, New Yorkers can expect top-notch variations on the classic Reuben sandwich, the company’s signature enthusiastic customer service and a host of Zingerman’s-branded sides and merch.

“We had this thought about taking the Reubens on the road, just having some fun with it,” Rodger Bowser, head chef and a managing partner of Zingerman’s Deli, told the New York Jewish Week.

Saturday’s event will be the popular deli’s second-ever popup; their first was in Chicago in 2019 at a location run by 16” on Center, a Windy City-based “hospitality collective.” The experience, said Bowser, was an overwhelmingly positive one — and when 160C expanded to Manhattan last year with Olly Olly Market, the Zingermen decided to give it another go.

Zingerman’s Deli was founded in 1982 by Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, “two friends who dreamt of creating a traditional Jewish deli that would bring very special foods to Ann Arbor,” according to their web site.

The pair, who are both Jewish, came up with the name Zingerman’s because they wanted something “that would convey the sense of a good local deli, something that would ‘sound Jewish,’ would somehow telegraph that this was a real delicatessen,” Weinzweig once wrote. (Weinzweig declined to use his own surname, calling it “unpronounceable,” while the name Saginaw evokes the mid-Michigan town from which it took Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel four days to hitchhike.)

Their concept was a hit, and over the decades, Zingerman’s resisted the siren call of expansion or franchising and instead evolved into a progressive-minded “community of businesses” across the Ann Arbor area. These include the consulting business Zingtrain, which shares “the ‘Zingerman’s experience’ with forward-thinking organizations”; Zingerman’s Bakehouse, making classic breads and pastries; a candy manufactory, a creamery, event spaces and more.

These days, “the Zingerman’s Experience is now made and delivered by nearly six hundred people — partners, managers and staff in ten different businesses in addition to the Deli — to the tune of roughly $60,000,000 in annual sales,” Weinzweig writes. (A prolific writer, the Chicago native and Russian history major pens regular newsletters and has authored several books, including “Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon: Stories of Pork Bellies, Hush Puppies, Rock ‘n’ Roll Music and Bacon Fat Mayonnaise” and the four-part “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business.”)

Despite all that growth, popups remain a relatively new venture for Zingerman’s — and for Olly Olly Market, too. “We thought, what better time than our one-year anniversary to start introducing a little bit more of the Midwest to New York?” Tim Wickes, director of food hall operations at 160C, told the New York Jewish Week. Zingerman’s “jumped on it. So we’re fortunate and we’re super excited for the weekend.”

“We also know that there is a large population of Michiganders here in New York, University of Michigan alumni,” said Wickes, who lives in Brooklyn and is, tragically, an alumnus of rival Michigan State. “And we felt like the city would resonate well with that as our first of hopefully [pop-ups] from Chicago and the Midwest in general.”

Initially the idea was “to bring the Zingerman’s gameday experience to as many people as we can in New York,” Bowser said of Saturday’s event. (The Wolverines play the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday night.)  “Clearly we have a pretty good fan base there that always can’t get to Ann Arbor for a game. And we just want to share that experience and have some fun.”

As anyone who ever worked at Zingerman’s attest — and that includes me: Working at Zingerman’s is practically a rite of passage for “townies” — and football game days are especially busy day at an already busy place; lines are long and the wait for sandwiches can exceed an hour.

Since the game and the open-to-the-public popup won’t overlap, the Zingerpeople are also selling tickets “to an exclusive tailgate experience with guaranteed seats and sandwiches.”

As for the six sandwich types on sale, all are Reubens or riffs on them, “what we like to call the Russian dressing group,” Bowser said. Among them is the deli’s most popular sandwich, the #2 Zingerman’s Reuben — made with corned beef, Swiss Emmental cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on grilled Jewish rye bread, a combination that former President Barack Obama described as “killer”  — as well as the #18 Georgia Reuben, with turkey breast, Swiss Emmental cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing.

Bowser, who was a vegetarian when he started working at the deli 28 years ago, will also be making “a personal favorite”: #36 Lila & Izzie’s Skokie Skidoo, a vegetarian Reuben consisting of Swiss Emmental cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing on grilled farm bread.

As it happens, the Reuben’s origins lie neither in New York nor Ann Arbor: Legend has it the legendary sandwich was invented in an Omaha hotel in the 1920s “to satisfy a group of hungry Jewish poker players,” according to The Nosher.

To bring Zingerman’s Reubens to NYC, Bowser and his team will be driving two trucks packed with food and supplies from Ann Arbor to Manhattan — a distance of 621 miles, or 9 hours and 24 minutes in traffic at the time of this writing. “Obviously you can’t make a Zingerman’s sandwich without Zingerman’s Bakehouse bread,” said Bowser. “And it’s gonna take quite a few loaves of that.”

Bowser estimated the road crew of three will likely leave on Thursday, which would give them a day to set up the space on Friday. (Three other Zingerman’s employees will travel by plane.)

When asked if he had any qualms about bringing deli sandwiches to the birthplace of American deli culture — a place whose denizens are known to be “kind” but not exactly “nice” — Bowser demurred. “I’m not throwing shade at anybody,” he said, emphasizing the main impetus was to have a fun time.

Wickes concurs. Acknowledging that New York “is the mecca of Reuben sandwiches,” he said the pop-up will have a “humble approach.” “We’re certainly in tune with the fact that there’s plenty of fantastic Reubens in the city,” he said. “We just wanted to showcase Zingerman’s.”

As for Bowser, he conceded to one possible challenge: “Navigating two big trucks though traffic sounds daunting,” he said. “But I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

[evolution-ofa-geek]

31 Days of Horror Challenge

Day 7 - a horror movie you think no one has seen

Detention - 2011

I have several in mind but this is one of them and its more of a comedy horror than horror complete with a major and “didnt even see that one coming” plot twist towards the end.

Starring Dane Cook and Josh Hutcherson in pre-game Hunger Games mode and directed by MTV’s music video God Joseph Kahn. Extremely better than his first project Torque.

The film opens up with a character already breaking the 4th wall and giving you a guide of how not to be a total reject. You think this movie already going to start off with a Mean Girl and then it just surprises you by being the first kill within the first 5 minutes of the movie by a guy dressed as Cinderhella. A serial killer from a fictional horror movie within the movie. Think of the Stab movies in the Scream franchise. Already starts off with a parody of other horror movies so you think it wont be taken seriously. With the exception of the whole serial killer now on the loose and chopping off high schoolers with an axe.

The movie takes a toll and a plot twist at that as it derives to the science fiction genre. Told you not to take it serious. Complete with pop culture and geek references as well as a Time Machine. A FREAKIN TIME MACHINE IN A HORROR COMEDY!

NGL, the time machine is what sold me in the first place. Its a must watch if you’re feeling nolstagic and dont want to take any horror movie seriously.

Kill Count: 7

Favorite Kill Scene below:

Other movies you may also not have seen are

Frozen 2010

At Mount Holliston, snowboarders Dan Walker, his girlfriend Parker O'Neil and his best friend Joe Lynch don't have enough money to buy lift tickets. Parker bribes Jason, a lift-worker, with one hundred dollars. When the system is nearing closure, they force Jason to let them have one last pass. However, Jason needs to resolve a problem and his colleague misunderstands his instructions and stops the lift. The trio of skier and snowboarders gets stranded on the chairlift near the top of the mountain. When they see that the lights of the ski resort had been turned off, they need to make a choice: leave the chairlift or freeze to death

Snatchers 2019

After status-obsessed teen Sara has sex for the first time, she wakes up the next day nine months pregnant-with an alien.

Girl on the Third Floor (2019)

Donald Koch, a.k.a. "Don", "King Don" and "Tiger", moves from Chicago to the suburbs since his wife Liz is pregnant and they believe the location is adequate to raise a family with children. Liz buys an old house and Don, who is unemployed, goes with his dog Cooper first to renovate the house. Soon he learns from his neighbor Ellie Mueller that the house was a brothel many years ago. Then he meets another neighbor, the sexy Sarah Yates, and they have sex in the house. When Sarah returns to visit him, he says that their affair was a mistake since he is married and asks her to not come back again. On the weekend, his friend Milo Stone comes to help Don in the renovation. But soon the house shows supernatural events and Milo, Don and Liz learn that the place is haunted with a sordid past.

What movies would you recommend that you think nobody has seen?

[alexr-fightgames]

Chicago's Famous Mystery Tournament

So overall, I had a great time at COMBO BREAKER in Chicagoland a couple of weekends ago! Lemme tell you about the MYSTERY TOURNAMENT and my experience playing in it!

MYSTERY GAME is an FGC tradition, specifically coming up out of Chicago (so you'll see it at Frosty Faustings and Combo Breaker especially!), but you'll see it run at other events too!

The premise is, at every stage of competition, you are faced with a different obscure game, given no instructions, and you have to play a set in that game right now! Figure it out, kid.

Generally everybody in a pool will play the same sequence of games, and it can vary, depending on whether you're on winners side or losers side -- but different pools will get different games if it's a big event.

So I signed up for this at Combo Breaker, because how could I not? It was initially full, but thankfully they raised the entry cap, so I got in there!

For my tournament run, my pool started off with Asura Blade, which I had never even heard of, but I got a moment to look at people playing it before my match, and it looked like a fairly normal 2D fighter. Unfortunately, my opponent didn't make it to the pool in time, so it looked like I would skip out on playing Asura Blade! OK, we take those, no worries.

For the next game on winner's side, we got the surprisingly familiar Art of Fighting 3, which I had played before, and has had a few videos made about it recently (this one is great, you should watch it), and I picked Robert and did some pretty Normal Shoto Zoning in the way a person who's been playing fighting games for 30-odd years might. It worked out, and I won!

But. While I was playing my second match, my opponent from the first match showed up, and the bracket runner decided to un-DQ him for some reason!! They were yelling "hey where's Alex R" while I was playing AOF3, and I was like "I'm right here, I'm playing, you putz!" ... the decision was made that I'd have to fight my first opponent in Asura Blade, and if I won that one, then my second match would count, and if I lost, then that match would be invalidated! I wasn't too upset, but I feel that was a bit unprofessional; they should have kept my opponent DQ'd.

On the other hand, I got a chance to try out Asura Blade, and I won my match in that game too -- I picked Rose Mary, the hot girl with purple hair and a floating sword and zoning strats. Can't go wrong with the purple hair girl. And it worked out! I found the good buttons (floating sword go brrrr) and figured out how to do supers when I had meter, and so my first two matches counted. On to the third match! Am I truly unstoppable at mystery? ...

For my third match (still on winners side!), we played SABER MARIONETTE J - BATTLE SABERS, which I had definitely never heard of before. I forget exactly which character I picked, but it might have been Bloodberry? I think if I knew the name, I would have picked Bloodberry. I found out how to block, and I found a good special move, and we were off to the races, won my set 2-0 again! Up three sets!!

For my fourth match, we played Battle Cross, which alert readers at home might know -- is a racing game, not a fighting game, and was never released outside of Japan. It was completely unlocalized, and the interface was inscrutable for those who cannot read Japanese.

So a second ridiculous thing happened here. I sit down next to my opponent. We fist-bump. The little race begins, and we intend to start guiding the little cars around the little track.

One of the cars -- the red car -- is moving around the track. The black car is remaining stationary, at the starting line. This is WINNERS FINALS of the pool, and the winner of this match is going to get out of the pool on winners side, SECURING A FREE BURRITO. I'm pretty sure that I'm driving the little red car, and my opponent's car is still remaining stationary. I'm not going to say anything about this, because This Is Tournament.

So in not too long, the little red car completes its tenth lap around the tiny track, and a little stats screen pops up. Race over! On to the next race! And my opponent says "OK, 1-0, let's go!" ... but I am sure that I was driving.

We call the judge over, and he fiddles with the controls and tells us that I was actually driving! (my opponent thought the same thing I thought, except I happened to be right!) The judge told my opponent which button was the gas pedal, and the match proceeds. With that knowledge in hand, he brought it back and won the next two races, sending me to losers. GGs and good racing, opponent.

On Losers Bracket, I then faced none other than PND Ketchup, one of my favorite Kommentators and video essayists about NRS games! (my other favorite is his brother Mustard). And we played Tobal 2, which I had never played before, but I vaguely knew about! I picked Ill Goga and Ketchup picked Hom the robot, and I pretty quickly found how to block, and how Ill had some good jab strings and a really nice ranged tail attack. To be totally honest, it's possible that the buttons were not configured right, because neither of us found any attacks that had to be guarded low, but... simple jab pressure and handling the frames well and spacing with the tail attack, and I beat one of my favorite YouTubers, FOR THE BURRITO!

He was very gracious afterwards.

I made it out of my pool, on to the second stage!

For the second stage, I played Slap Happy Rhythm Busters against a guy possibly even older than me, who I found out afterwards is an obscure fighting games enthusiast and variety FG streamer, and that is exactly the kind of person you don't want to face in mystery tournament. I picked Garia, recognizing her as a profile pic that @vice-s-assistant uses on Steam, and my opponent picked April the cowgirl. And uh... I didn't win.

But I had a great time! Out at 4-2. And I got a burrito credit to redeem later at Chipotle, and it tasted like victory.

Thanks for reading <3 Play fighting games.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm kickstarting the audiobook for "The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation," a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and make a new, good internet that picks up where the old, good internet left off. It's a DRM-free book, which means Audible won't carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

#20yrsago Trademark-holders don’t have to be bullies https://web.archive.org/web/20030826225802/http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2003/08/14/trademarks.html

#15yrsago Stop Writing Young Adult Science Fiction https://gizmodo.com/stop-writing-young-adult-science-fiction-5037686

#15yrsago Young Adult Books Will Save Science Fiction https://gizmodo.com/young-adult-books-will-save-science-fiction-5036820

#15yrsago RIAA has to pay $107,951 for court costs in failed suit against disabled single mom https://yro.slashdot.org/story/08/08/15/1145236/riaa-pays-tanya-andersen-107951

#15yrsago Scamorama: book explains how to get into scambaiting as a hobby https://memex.craphound.com/2008/08/15/scamorama-book-explains-how-to-get-into-scambaiting-as-a-hobby/

#10yrsago NSA leaks trigger steep rise in ad/third-party-cookie blocking https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/study-nsa-scandal-still-setting-privacy-alarm-bells-among-consumers-151835/

#10yrsago On slagging off other writers’ books https://floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2013/08/on-my-refusal-to-mock-my-brothers-and.html

#10yrsago Decoding NSA doublespeak https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/08/guide-deceptions-word-games-obfuscations-officials-use-mislead-public-about-nsa

#10yrsago Dear airline execs: crowing about new fees and price hikes before your merger makes the DoJ mad https://consumerist.com/2013/08/14/past-statements-about-moneymaking-mergers-returning-to-bite-airline-execs-in-the-behind/

#10yrsago Copyright troll’s lawyer wants record sealed so we won’t make fun of him https://www.techdirt.com/2013/08/14/prenda-lawyer-would-like-future-documents-sealed-because-techdirt-commenters-said-mean-stuff-about-him/

#10yrsago Horse Association must accept clones on registry https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cloning-horses/u-s-horse-association-will-be-ordered-to-allow-clones-on-registry-idUSBRE97C01V20130813

#5yrsago How a civic hacker used open data to halve tickets at Chicago’s most confusing parking spot https://mchap.io/using-foia-data-and-unix-to-halve-major-source-of-parking-tickets.html

#5yrsago Truthful security disclosures should always be legal. Period. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/08/telling-truth-about-defects-technology-should-never-ever-ever-be-illegal-ever

#5yrsago Talking surveillance, elections, monopolies, and Facebook on the Bots and Ballots podcast https://www.yahoo.com/news/facebook-surveillance-system-sci-fi-author-cory-doctorow-says-090028574.html

#5yrsago Insecure medical equipment protocols let attackers spoof diagnostic information https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-can-falsify-patient-vitals/

#5yrsago Majority of young Americans distrust capitalism, embrace socialism https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/14/fewer-than-half-of-young-americans-are-positive-about-capitalism.html

#5yrsago New Zealand bans most offshore residential real-estate ownership https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/15/investing/new-zealand-property-foreigners/index.html

#1yrago This weekend, I watched a hacker jailbreak a John Deere tractor live on stage https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/15/deere-in-headlights/#doh-a-deere

Back my anti-enshittification Kickstarter here!