meara, it looks like you'll soon have a place to get Italian Beef in Chicago! (And hot dogs, Polish, cheese curds, and even Italian Ice.)

I don't know from Italian Beef. If I've even heard of it, it's only been here.

I don't know what an Italian beef is. Still want one, though.

Oh, Italian beef is not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting, you know, beef from Italy, which I have had, and which is aces, especially if it is Chiannese, roasted in rosemary.

Or possibly Chicago just doesn't know what to call a hot roast beef sandwich. A cheeseless cheesestake? Anyway, the name "Italian beef" is not getting across the humdrum sandwichy nature of the thing.

Italian beef sandwiches are difficult to obtain outside the Chicago area

There are a couple places you can get them in SF, but I can't vouch for their authenticity. I've never eaten one in Chicago.

Mostly out here in that genre you'll find the more Californian French Dip, a sandwich credited to Los Angeles.

Italian Beefs are more than just roast beef sandwiches. It's all about the spices in the jus--everyone makes their own spice mix, so beefs are different at just about every beef joint. Add the peppers or gardineira and vary the amount of dip, and you've got some good eatin' there!

Anyway, the name "Italian beef" is not getting across the humdrum sandwichy nature of the thing.

Hey, people who have had 'em: humdrum?

Is Conservapedia a complete joke? Or is there a certain small percentage of stuff in it that's accurate? Anyone can edit it, right?

Bacteria evolve; Conservapedia demands recount

This is a story that starts in triumph, takes a detour through farce, and inadvertently ends raising some profound questions. The triumph is one of scientific progress in the study of evolution; the farce comes courtesy of those who run Conservapedia, who apparently can't believe that any scientific evidence can possibly support evolution.

...

Clearly, Lenski's bacteria appear to have evolved a significant new capacity. Fortunately, the residents of Conservapedia found a way out of this logical conundrum: Lenski was either misinterpreting his data, or he faked it. In an open letter to Lenski, Conservapedia's Andy Schlafly (an attorney with an engineering background) wrote, "skepticism has been expressed on Conservapedia about your claims, and the significance of your claims, that E. Coli [sic] bacteria had an evolutionary beneficial mutation in your study." Their solution? Show them the data: "Please post the data supporting your remarkable claims so that we can review it, and note where in the data you find justification for your conclusions."

eta: The whole thing is worth reading - they had their own Internet kerfuffle!

Lenski again notes that the paper actually contained the relevant data, and that Schlafly's complaints suggested he wouldn't know what to do with any further data were Lenski to provide it to him. In this, he was backed up by a number of Conservapedia members, who said more or less the same thing in the attached discussion. Several of those individuals are apparently now ex-Conservapedia members, having had their accounts blocked for insubordination. In fact, anyone who questioned Schlafly's demands seem to have been branded an opponent of public access to scientific data; the statement, "I'll add your name to the list above of people who oppose the public release of data" peppers Schlafly's responses throughout the discussion.

Wedding Betting

From the guy behind Overheard in New York, WB's a delightfully despicable site that lets you predict the nuptial success of unsuspecting lovebirds based entirely on submitted couple photos (a Hot or Not for judging eternal bliss). Predicting's highly scientific: simply peep the pic and read a brief description ("together since 17", "Russ is a management consultant"), then select whether they'll last "barely past the altar", 1-15 years, or "live happily ever after" -- which they'd better, if they're going to selfishly commandeer Labor Day weekend. After you weigh in, WB displays crowd-sourced probabilities (number of voters, average no. of years 'til predicted split), then displays a photo of another couple, compelling you to judge again, and again, and again, until you turn off your computer and buy a cat.

Any LA-istas know anything about this?

A 42-year-old chimpanzee who is toilet-trained and can eat with a knife and fork is believed to be at large in a Southern California forest after escaping his cage.

The chimp called Moe disappeared Friday from Jungle Exotics, which trains animals for the entertainment industry. The chimp wandered into a house next door, surprising construction workers who saw him head for a nearby mountain.

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