Reminder: Sean Spicer Was Once the Easter Bunny

April 16, 2017 | Eric

Hey, we’ve all had jobs — especially side gigs — that we may not exactly highlight on our resumes.

This Easter, a reminder:  White House press secretary Sean Spicer once twice played the Easter Bunny.

Back in 2008, Spicer was still climbing the political ladder, working as a media/public affairs assistant in one of the many executive offices of the George W. Bush administration.  Somehow — as a volunteer or being “volun-told” — Spicer donned the suit for the White House Easter Egg Rolls.

He was even interviewed!  A Politico blog from 2008 captured his thoughts:

The dues you must pay — from bunny to press secretary.  I don’t know which job is worse.  Nor better.  — [eric]

Reviews are in for ‘The Fate of the Furious’

April 15, 2017 | Kevin

The big blockbuster ridiculousness that is ‘The Fate of the Furious’ hit theaters this weekend with many wondering whether or not Dom and his ‘FAMILY’ can come back together or if the Rock is going to drive a muscle car through a bunch of stuff. This pre-summer popcorn action romp is the 8th film in the series, and it’s got a lot of expectations after the last film raked in hundred of millions around the world. So what are the reviews?

Currently Rotten Tomatoes is giving it a middle rating of 64% but reviews have never slowed ‘Fast and Furious’ from blowing stuff up on the big screen with box office success. Youtube movie guru Christ Stuckman reviewed the movie in his wife’s car because he stole it, he’s a runner now like Dom.

VIDEO: Radiohead play through sound problems at Coachella

April 15, 2017 | Kevin

Radiohead powered through major sound problems in Indio, California as the headliner of the first night of this year’s Coachella festival with hundreds of thousands watching in person and more all around the world tuning into live streams online. The tech issues caused two separate breaks in the legendary UK band’s set forcing them to stop playing. Apparently during the second interruption, singer Thom Yorke blamed the whole thing on otherworldly forces, joking that it was “F**king aliens again,” according to some reports.

But fans of the band can be relieved to know RH finally played their signature track ‘Creep’ in a big festival set. Our buds Conesquences of Sound have a full detailed review with details on the tech issues and how the band recovered.

Here is Radiohead’s setlist from last night

Setlist:
Daydreaming
Desert Island Disk
Ful Stop
Airbag
15 Step
The National Anthem
Let Down
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Bloom
Identikit
Everything in Its Right Place
There There
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Burn the Witch
Idioteque
Nude
Creep
Encore:
You and Whose Army?
No Surprises
Paranoid Android
Bodysnatchers
Karma Police

APRIL THE GIRAFFE HAS GIVEN BIRTH

April 15, 2017 | Kevin

She did it. The world’s most famous giraffe April who has had millions of viewers following her pregnancy online through a live stream, gave birth to a baby giraffe today. And the internet rejoiced.

Here is the live cam feed from Animal Adventure Park in upstate New York to see how mother and baby are getting along.

GAME OVER: Nintendo discontinues the NES Classic Edition

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

OH MAN, REALLY? The much-desired NES Classic released in November by Nintendo was a retro-gaming dream, but that dream is apparently going to be no more as the company announced yesterday they would discontinue the console. The NES Classic was initially planned to be a limited-release device only for the holiday season, but demand for it was so high many retailers could barely keep it in stock. According to IGN News, Nintendo has sold 1.5 million units. Hopefully this only temporary and we could see the Classic return in some form.

If you are unaware of how great this console, check out this video from Cinemassacre.

Brendon Urie in Kinky Boots!

April 14, 2017 | Mishell Livio

Panic! At the Disco frontman Brendon Urie will make his Broadway debut in Kinky Boots, The Cyndi Lauper Musical, as the lead character.  It will be at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre May 26th through August 6th.  He spoke about it on his twitter feed, check it out HERE. He said, “This has been on my bucket list for the longest time and it really is a dream come true. I’m just so incredibly excited to be joining Kinky Boots on Broadway – that’s wild. Plus you guys get to see me in those heels now.”

Bleachers NEW ALBUM Preview: ‘Gone Now’ out June 2nd, hear a new track here

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

 

Bleachers are set to to slay it at PIQNIQ on May 20th at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, and they will have new music to play. Jack Antonoff has been busy slaving over a new Bleachers album called ‘Gone Now’ due out June 2nd.Antonoff previewed it on social media yesterday with a track listing and artwork.. The album will feature cameos from Lorde and Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke.

june 2nd

A post shared by Bleachers (@bleachersmusic) on

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Antonoff said Gone Now‘s lyrics cover his memories of the 9/11 attacks and the death of his sister from cancer. “That loss is a filter that goes through your whole life,” he said. “It’s not about not moving on. It changes you. It changes your relationships, it changes how you see yourself, the way you see your work. I really wanted to be in all that as I made this album.”

Gone Now Track List

1. “Dream of Mickey Mantle”
2. “Goodmorning”
3. “Hate That You Know Me”
4. “Don’t Take the Money”
5. “All My Heroes”
6. “Everybody Lost Somebody”
7. “Let’s Get Married”
8. “Goodbye”
9. “I Miss Those Days”
10. “Nothing is U”
11. “I’m Ready to Move on/ Mickey Mantle Reprise”
12. “Foreign Girls”

Check out the latest track released from Bleachers here

CafĂ© Robey’s Brunch Is as Stylin’ as Its Digs

April 14, 2017 | Marconi🍕

(from chicagomag.com)

THE VIBE: Finally, the most iconic building at the North/Milwaukee/Damen intersection has new life. Open since December, the tony Robey hotel squelches any lingering doubt that Wicker Park/Bucktown has, well, gone fancy. Love or loathe this symbol of the area’s evolution, there’s no finer place to observe the bustle than from a marble-topped table in the sun-drenched, ground-level cafe. There’s brunch service every morning, and on our weekday visit we found a half-full room consisting mostly of well-dressed 30-something women. 8 out of 10

THE FOOD:(Note: there are a dozen lunchlike options on the brunch menu, but we stuck to breakfast fare.) What servers call “French-American” translates mainly to recognizable standards with subtle tweaks. Case in point: buttermilk pancakes ($12) with a dollop of whipped ricotta, toasted coconut, and vaguely lime-y syrup. Sounds like a beach vacation for the mouth, but the flavors were unfortunately subdued. We dug the frittata ($14)—chock-full of shaved Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and goat cheese and topped with a tangle of frisĂ©e—and its healthy portion of vegetable goodness, but had to dock a point for its rubbery outer layer. 5 out of 10 (MORE HERE)

I love CafĂ© Robey and the hotel Robey. The menu is really great. NOT TOO expensive. I highly recommend the chorizo eggs benedict. The rooms are also very cool. Modern amenities and great city views. Rooms as low as $140 a night. Perfect location for friends, family visiting or a nice stay-cationish get away. Right in the heart of Wicker Park and close to the Blue Line Damen stop. (Stan’s Donuts, Double Door)

Here’s why marijuana will eventually be legal in Illinois

April 14, 2017 | Marconi🍕

(from timeout.com)

Regardless of how you feel personally about recreational marijuana, the majority of Illinoisans and the vast majority of Chicagoans support marijuana legalization. According to a recent poll from a public policy institute at Southern Illinois University, 66 percent of voters in the state support recreational marijuana, while 74 percent of Chicagoans are in favor of legalization. Citing these and other statistics, state lawmakers and marijuana reform advocates held a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday to unveil a new approach to making pot legal in the Land of Lincoln. (MORE HERE)

 

VIDEO: ‘STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI’ TRAILER IS EPIC

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

Star Wars has taken over Orlando this week with the annual Star Wars Celebration convention which today featured a live-streaming event to kick off hype train for the anticipated 8th film, ‘The Last Jedi’. The event hosted by devout SW fan and accomplished actor Josh Gad hosted the event which feature ‘Force Awakens’ stars Daisey Ridley and Josh Boyega with director Rian Johnson and SW producer Kathleen Kennedy. Mark Hamill appeared at the event to loud applause from the thousands in attendance, and was charismatic as ever.

The main event was the epic trailer for ‘the Last Jedi’ teases the meeting of generations between Skywalker and Rey with the electric ending line of dialogue. Here is stand alone trailer, put this on full screen and geek the freak out. 

Today also saw the release of a visually stunning poster for ‘Last Jedi’.

If you think Luke Skywalker as a legacy character, might play a backseat to new ‘Force Awakens’ character, your in for a big wake up. Kennedy clarified that he “plays a significant role” in ‘The Last Jedi’. So wipe the drool off your mouth, hearing that one of the most iconic characters in film history will be back in the spotlight makes this more than just ‘must-see’.

The discussion teased some of what might happen with some characters from ‘Force Awakens’, what Luke Skywalker was doing on that mountain, and more. It’s just a lot of fun to get excited for another adventure in the galaxy far, far away.

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ hits theaters December 15, 2017.

Instagram gets Chicago stickers thanks to five local artists

April 14, 2017 | Marconi🍕

(from chicagotribune.com)

The Chicago sticker launch is accompanied by another feature: personalized selfie stickers that allow users to put a picture of their face over their posts. Because that’s what Instagram needs. More selfies. The illustrators behind the city stickers are Kyle Letendre (@heykyle), Maggie Sichter (@littlepatterns), Jenna Blazevich (@vichcraft), Cristina Vanko (@cristinavanko) and Jesse Hora (@jessehora). When users tap a geotag, they can learn more about the artist behind it and see other posts from that location, as well. (MORE HERE)

I love the art. I do prefer Snapchat though. the idea that Instagram has basically stolen every idea from every other app is frustrating. (vine = instagram video, snapchat = instagram stories, gifs = instagram’s boomerang, periscope = instagram live…)  I would also like these stickers much more if the one said “SEARS TOWER” instead. Still I’m not a hater, adding local artists to anything makes even a copy of an app a better thing.

VIDEO: Wild Horse vs Alligator …of course, it’s Florida

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

Horse attacking a gator at Paynes Prairie. I'm still shaking.Also: I did contact the reserve to check on the horse and gator. There were no clear signs of distress / bleeding when we left the site.“To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com”

Posted by Krystal M. Berry on Wednesday, April 12, 2017

This video went viral yesterday showing a violent confrontation between a wild horse and an alligator inside Paynes Prairie State Park in Micanopy, Florida. “I did contact the reserve to check on the horse and gator. There were no clear signs of distress / bleeding when we left the site,” wrote Krystal M. Berry in her post with video on Facebook.

Of course this had to happen in hub for all weird stories, Florida.

Note the people in the video seemed to be pretty bias towards to the horse here. What about the gator?!

Another reminder we subconsciously care less about non-pretty animals.

Chicago White Sox’s Derek Holland is a hilarious ‘certified G’

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

 

Now introducing: Suit & Tyler!Tyler Saladino hosts his own talk show interviewing teammates, where no subject is off-limits. There's only one rule: his guests have to dress up for the occasion.

Posted by Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, April 12, 2017

In the White Sox web series, Suit & Tyler where new Sox player reveals his silly impressions, his love for WWE superstar Enzo Amore (HOW YOU DOI’N?!) and his Batman costume…yes, he’s a delightful dude. As a proud Sox fan, I appreciate the team has a charismatic jester like this.

Catch the Sox on WLS 890 AM . 

 

VIDEO: AN ISLAND TAKEN OVER BY CATS

April 14, 2017 | Kevin

 

The Cat Island! It’s a small fishing island off the coast of Japan called Tashirojima, and it has been taken over by Cats….yes, it’s so weird. It’s also not the only cat island in Japan. This must smell great….really great.

This informative travel video documents the oddball fun of interacting with the cats who get fed by tourists who visit the ‘cat shrine’. You also realize that a majority of the cats on the island are strays and simply can not get the care they may need.

WATCH – ROYAL BLOOD’S *NEW VIDEO* ‘LIGHTS OUT’

April 13, 2017 | Marconi🍕

 

Pre-order “How Did We Get So Dark?” here: https://r-oy.al/blood/_website It’s the follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut Royal Blood have announced details of the second album. The band have confirmed that the follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut will be titled ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’ and will be released on June 16. The Brighton duo uploaded a video to Twitter earlier today in which they create a mural of what appears to be the album’s artwork. The clip is soundtracked by new music. Watch beneath. (MORE HERE)

WATCH – Matt & Kim Try Their Best to Answer Top 8 WebMD Questions

April 13, 2017 | Marconi🍕

Matt & Kim shared some sad new last week that they had to cancel the remaining dates for the next 9 months of their tour as Kim severely injured her ACL on stage. So while they have some down time perhaps they could become doctors? M&K attempt to answer the top 8 questions from popular site WebMD.com and as are all of their videos it’s hilarious.

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