Diet teams find the perfect fit
Chicago may have been dubbed the second-fattest city in the nation, but we’re moving on down–the scale, that is–thanks to all of you who’ve joined our Chicago Sheds a Ton campaign.
Year: 2002
On the road again
Here’s what separates the weekend biking enthusiast from Chris Naunheimer, founder of the northwest suburbs’ cycling club the Arlington Flyers. Every year just about this time, we may dust off our Schwinns and go for leisurely rides that usually end with a frothy drink or a scoop of ice cream. When it rains (or we get tired), we quickly pedal back to the comfort of our homes.
Celebs put up their dukes – A-list stars and ‘bad girls’ alike are turning to the sweet science for fun, fitness and feeling of empowerment
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe are doing it. So are Tonya Harding and Barry Williams. And come to think of it, Danny Bonaduce and Long Island Lolita Amy Fisher are doing it, too. Hey now, get your minds out of the gutter. We’re talking about that other contact sport– boxing.
Speaking of Chicago with Alejandro Escovado
Alejandro Escovedo refuses to be pegged. He is a rock ‘n’ roll veteran who began his career in the San Francisco punk band the Nuns, which opened for the Sex Pistols during their last concert in America. Escovedo went on to play lead guitar with the 80s cowpunk group Rank and File before fronting his own roots rock band, the True Believers.
The Cosmo / Maxim Treaty
If you’ve always wondered why men ask for your phone number then never call, check out Cosmopolitan and Maxim magazines, which have negotiated a cease-fire in this battle of the sexes. In a tongue-in-cheek effort to unite us, the sexy magazines have hammered out a treaty that outlines all the little things we should know about one another.
Speaking of Chicago with Brian Dennehy
“I’ve said this for years–Chicago is the best city in America,” says Brian Dennehy. “Chicagoans are very lucky to live here.”
Go for the gold–at home
The Winter Olympics come to a close on Sunday. But the competition can live on in a slew of games for Playstation 2, GameCube and XBox. Our distinguished panel of international judges (OK, there are only two of us–but we’re of Irish and Korean descent) evaluated the games and awarded them with gold, silver and bronze honors. In one heated tie, there were two winners for the gold. But then, that precedent already has been set.
Cher offers ‘Living Proof’ of her longevity
“I didn’t always make the smartest choices, but I also wasn’t afraid to fail,” says Cher, phoning from her Los Angeles home. “If you make a mistake, you pick yourself up and move ahead. If I didn’t do that, I’d be crawled up in a ball on my sofa for the rest of my life.”
Speaking of Chicago … with Vonda Shepard
Even Vonda Shepard is sick of rehearsing the theme to “Ally McBeal.” “I’ve sung it and heard it so many times on the radio that I can’t believe anyone still wants to hear it,” the singer says, phoning from the Los Angeles set of the Fox series. “But once we start playing the opening chords and I see how excited the audience gets hearing it, then I start to get excited, too. It’s the song that put my name out there, so I’ll perform it as long as people want to hear it.”
A delicious ‘Scooby’ snack
Jinkies! The Scooby gang is up to it again in this delightful theatrical production of “Scooby-Doo! in Stagefright–Live on Stage.” Presented as a long-lost episode of the late 1960s cartoon series, the production no doubt was concocted to drum up interest in the film version of the series, which will premiere in June. A trailer for the movie starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. was shown during intermission.
Aaron Carter has finesse and a cheap trick
Aaron Carter is 14 years old, looks like a carbon copy of his big brother Nick of the Backstreet Boys and works the crowd with the savvy and finesse of a Vegas showman. That’s a dangerous combination when you’ve got an arena full of young girls who are hopped up on sugar and adrenaline. But guess what? This kid delivers. Give him a couple more years to pick better songs that cater to his rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities and there’s the potential for a career beyond the kid-pop phase.
5 questions with Chad Harper
By Jae-Ha Kim Chicago Sun-Times February 11, 2002 Chad Harper was just another model-about-town when a casting agent for “Fear Factor” asked him to audition for the daredevil/gross-out reality show. Harper made the cut and […]
Korean tensions erupt in action film ‘Shiri’ (쉬리)
The opening sequence of “Shiri” is so frenetic and violent that some filmgoers may wince at the unrelenting brutality. But if you can make it through the first few minutes, there’s cinematic eye candy waiting to enthrall you. One of the fiercest soldiers on an elite North Korean force is Hee, a young female sniper who shoots to kill and never misses. When enemy soldiers are hunted, she shows no feeling as she decapitates her prey. When she retires, she is given a solemn, heroic sendoff.
Shed a ton Chicago
It’s time to get fit, Chicago. Sure, like many of us, you were a bit surprised in January when Men’s Fitness dubbed us the second fattest city in America. Lest we comfort ourselves with the fact that we’re not yet the fattest city in the nation–that distinction belongs to Houston–bear in mind that just last year we were a distant No. 10. Well now, it’s time for us to do something about it.
Five Questions with … Jason Schwartzman
The first time Jason Schwartzman was on David Letterman’s show, the young actor had a case of the nerves. “I walked out there and it was like being on a roller-coaster ride,” says Schwartzman, now 21. “He’s awesome! I love him. I want to campaign for him to be on Oprah. I don’t know why she won’t have him on. He’s great.” The feeling must be mutual. Schwartzman is scheduled to appear on Letterman’s gabfest twice this week. On Wednesday, his band, Phantom Planet, will perform a song from the new album “The Guest.” The following evening, Schwartzman returns solo to hype his latest film, “Slackers,” which opens Friday.
Speaking with … Mick Quinn of Supergrass
Supergrass is one English band that’s not afraid to admit it would like to conquer America. “We love coming to America and know that it’s not an easy country to win over,” says bassist-vocalist Mick Quinn, 33. “We’ve always done OK, though, so we’re not going to stop coming back until you tell us we can’t.”
Speaking of Chicago … with SUPER DIAMOND
The first time Randy Cordero–lead singer of the Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond–met Diamond, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “He was so nice to us,” says Cordero, phoning from his San Francisco home. “He came backstage before one of our shows last year in Hollywood. We talked for about half an hour. He thanked me for what we were doing. I thanked him for not suing us. He was really cool and down to earth–just an all around nice guy.”
Hundreds jam for Bizkit gig
Ryan DeFord is smiling ear-to-ear. The 15-year-old guitarist has just finished auditioning for Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who critiqued his performance with an enthusiastic, “Man, you rock!”
Benjamin Bratt finds rhyme, reason in poet role
Sitting in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Benjamin Bratt–who is polite, funny and easy on the eyes–isn’t oblivious to the effect he has on the women fluttering nearby. Dressed in grey trousers, a tight black pullover and black ankle boots, Bratt looks every bit the movie star he is about to become. His almond-shaped eyes are liquid and chocolate brown, and the few strands of grey hair flecking his sideburns are his only concession to age.
‘Snow Dogs’ too cute for its own good
“Snow Dogs” is a cute Disney movie that youngsters most likely will enjoy. There are enough adorable dogs and cartoonish antics to keep the Saturday morning cartoon set giggling. Is it as good as the old “Benji” films? No. It’s not even as entertaining as a really good “Scooby Doo” rerun. But we tolerate the silly plot because the film’s got a lot of heart, the scenery is gorgeous and the dogs are pretty darned likable, as is lead human actor Cuba Gooding Jr.