'Taken 2,' when thrillers turn funny
* (out of four)In "Taken," ex-spy Bryan (Liam Neeson) made single-handedly killing the Albanians who kidnapped his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) look easy. That should've been a clue to leave this...
View ArticleListen up to these 'thon songs
Here's some music to a runner's ears: Those tunes you listen to actually can help keep you going."When you hit a wall, it motivates you," said Amanda Pezzullo, personal training manager at Equinox in...
View ArticleHoneybadger visits 'windyass' Chicago
Honeybadger don't care, and Honeybadger $*&%ing loves Chicago."Randall," the nasty mouthed YouTube narrator known best for his fabulous voiceover of a video of a honeybadger documentary...
View ArticleA record win in marathon
The number taunted Tsegaye Kebede. He had been one of the world's best marathoners since winning a 2008 Olympic bronze medal, had wins and second places in some of the world's top races, yet the...
View ArticleGhouls, goblins and student debt
So, in case you missed it, "Goosebumps" turned 20 this year. I know, right?The children's book series about strange monsters, eerie grown-ups, cursed tchotchkes and the relentless ability of...
View ArticleMonday: Eat. Drink. Do.
EATLong WeekendPrasino 1846 W. Division St. 312-878-1212If you missed Sunday brunch this weekend, head to this Wicker Park restaurant, which extends its brunch menu-featuring such options as pretzel...
View ArticleMarathon's all out of medals
Running coverage of the 2012 Chicago Marathon today.The Bank of America Chicago Marathon ran out of medals for about 1,300 participants who finished the course seven hours after it had begun. Marathon...
View ArticleBears bag the Jags
Time to take a deep breath, Bears fans. Heading into the bye week, Lovie Smith's team is 4-1. That's a far cry from where it felt the Bears might be after the Packers manhandled them in Week 2.Now...
View ArticleFact check: Romney proposal would increase defense spending
Paul D. Ryan insisted in the vice presidential debate that defense spending would not increase under a Mitt Romney administration. Rather, he said, their budget would prevent President Obama's...
View ArticleBiden performance cheers Obama volunteers
CINCINNATI -- Two dozen mostly middle-aged Obama supporters here applauded and laughed their way through the vice presidential debate Thursday, happy to see Joe Biden demonstrate a feistiness they had...
View ArticleAbortion: A brief quiet moment in the vice presidential debate
Abortion, often the focus of angry disputes, was on Thursday night the subject of one of the most sober, even thoughtful, exchanges of the vice presidential debate.Debate moderator Martha Raddatz on...
View ArticleDid the Obama administration call Syrian president a reformer?
GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan repeatedly castigated the Obama administration for calling Syrian President Bashar Assad a "reformer," though his security forces have killed an estimated...
View ArticleObama quickly declares Biden debate performance 'terrific'
President Obama quickly praised his running mate's performance in the vice presidential debate on Thursday night, declaring Joe Biden's efforts "terrific.""I could not be prouder of him. I thought he...
View ArticleCTA war on strollers
The CTA said Thursday it soon plans to start an informational campaign reminding riders with strollers that priority seating is intended for the elderly and people with disabilities."It's something we...
View ArticleWeekend brunch blowout
"This neighborhood is pretty rich in brunch tradition," chef Patrick Sheerin said. The man speaks the truth: Trenchermen, the 4-month-old restaurant he runs with co-chef and brother Michael in Wicker...
View ArticleKeeping skills Sharp
There's an unusual name on the list of people renting space at Johnny's IceHouse in the West Loop: Patrick Sharp.With the NHL hunkered down in lockout mode-the regular season was supposed to open this...
View ArticleOn the offensive
Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin tangled over the Middle East, the economy, taxes and more in a scrappy back-and-forth Thursday night at their only debate. It was a...
View ArticleOlympian gets to the naked truth
Alicia Sacramone has experienced pretty much everything in world-class gymnastics-good and bad. She was left off the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, cutting short her comeback from a torn Achilles tendon. But...
View ArticleDress up, 'Gangnam Style'
Adam Hodge of Highland Park first saw "Gangnam Style" shortly after it went viral, and what he loved the most wasn't the whirlwind dancing, the plethora of girls or gratuitous waves of shaving cream....
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