Sunday, January 24, 2010

Be Like Barack

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

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Today's the Day

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

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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.

Monday, January 11, 2010

In Paul We Trust

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

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.

Monday, January 04, 2010

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.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Your Moment of Zen

Write the caption.

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Chess Meetup Tomorrow

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