Be Like Barack

What to order at Valois/See Your Food in Hyde Park.

Today's the Day

The great Django Rheinhardt would have been 100 today. Enjoy this.

Django Reinhardt Turns 100

The centennial of guitar great Django Rheinhardt (1910-53) is only ten days away. Chicago Gypsy-jazz guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli and his band Swing Gitan are looking for a suitable place in town to celebrate. Any ideas? Either way, please watch their site for news. Gypsy jazz turns 100 along with Django on January 23.

Help Haiti

By now you’ve all heard about the devastating earthquake yesterday in Haiti, in which many people have been killed, injured, or left homeless. The Red Cross has an easy, painless, and I must say innovative way to take donations. Using your cell phone, just follow the instructions on this tweet.

I think they’ll raise a great deal of money this way. I hope so.

Cursed Blunders!

White resigned after 21. Qxf7+, and you can hardly blame him/her/it. Moral of the stoy, kids: When you send in that protected queen to mate your opponent, first make sure there isn't another piece that can capture the lady.

In Paul We Trust

Scholar’s Mate Manqué

Trapus Interruptus?

White resigned after 2. . . . d6 —because I made the right move against the trap? A true Wacky Wednesday game.

True Guitar Hero

Your Gypsy jazz fix

Notice the D-shaped sound hole on the guitar and the cutaway on the body that allows the player to reach the lower frets. What you can't see here is the slotted head of the steel-string guitar, which resembles a nylon-string intsrument. These and other features mark the Gypsy-jazz guitar player's intrument as distinctive. Also the fact that Gypsy jazz is usually played with acoustic guitars, as opposed to most other jazz, in whice the guitars are electric. More here and here.

Your Moment of Zen

Write the caption.

Chess Meetup Tomorrow

At the Starbucks at Ohio and State, 3:00 PM. Details here. Beat the post-holiday blues: Play chess.