• A Girl & the Goat review from Michael Nagrant that references Traci Lords and takes a swipe at Graham Elliot Bowles? Break yourself off a piece of that. [Hungry Mag]
• Speaking of Bowles: grahamwich (which is not even open) received a negative review from some dumbass on Yelp who said that not being open ruined a "pleasant walk." Can't emphasize "dumbass" enough. [Eater]
• You'd think after spending $35,000 in a Vegas nightclub as a 19-year-old, the last thing Marcus Jordan should do is take to Twitter again. [Marcus Jordan twitter]
• The Shared Kitchen Ordinance gets its first draft. And it's a good start. [Reader]
• Three people have been charged in the theft of exotic birds and animals from west suburban pet shops. [Chicago Breaking News]
• An extra on the set of "transformers 3" was hurt during filming in Hammond, IN. [Chicago Breaking News]
• The on-air reunion of Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson showed some signs of rust. [Feder]

Half Acre Beer Company isn't content to simply keep brewing tank after tank of Daisy Cutter Pale Ale and Gossamer Golden Ale, although they could; I'll posit that Daisy Cutter is arguably the best locally produced beer currently available. Recent weeks have seen them ramp up their game with new beers, collaborations and improvements to the brewery.

The addition of new 60 barrel bright tanks and fermentation vessels will help Half Acre keep up with the demand for their two flagship ales, while working on limited releases like the stellar "Freedom of '78." A collaboration with Short's Brewing and Piece's Jonathan Cutler, this is an India pale ale brewed with wheat malt and guava is simply badass. The samples I had at Half Acre's tasting room left a sticky sweetness in the back of the palate, but it's also double dry-hopped to remind you this is a Midwestern beer.

Half Acre's newest saison, Bairn, is brewed with lemon and chamomile. It's another in a series of smooth farmhouse ales that don't taste like them, proof that the Midwest could be on the cusp of a Saison renaissance. Those two beers were followed by Sticky Fat, a dark ale using freshly harvested hop cones from California. How fresh? The cones were still sticky from the vine when received at the brewery. Sticky Fat is an all-draft release available only at the brewery starting tomorrow.

Half Acre owner Gabriel Magliaro and Head Brewer Matt Gallagher are doing a masterful job of brewing beers that resonate with their customers and marketing the beers so that they're must-buys, right down to eye-catching labels on the bottles and tap handles.

85A, the same name of the bus route that punk-rock Seamus takes to his hoity-toity Jesuit high school, follows Seamus through one of his typically awful days. He’s a bullied outcast. His teachers look down on him, especially because he’s so close to flunking all his classes. His parents’ expectations for his success are based on the accomplishments of his brother. And his only adult ally is his physiatrist, with whom Seamus is romantically involved; the one person with authority who Seamus respects isn’t exactly the best role model.

It’s clear that author Kyle Thomas Smith was inspired by Catcher in the Rye (the back of the book describes Seamus as a cross between Holden Caulfield and Johnny Rotten). Similar to Holden Caulfield, Seamus doesn’t use the standards of his white middle class upbringing to determine how he should dress, act or what he should aspire to be. He’s not stupid, but he’s not motivated. In typical teenager fashion, Seamus doesn’t understand that if he wants more credit, then he needs to earn it. Sympathizing with him is challenging. It’s difficult to feel sorry for a character that already spends so much time feeling sorry for himself. Due to his circumstances, it’s not that the self-pity isn’t justified. But Seamus is smart enough to know that if he wants to leave home and start over in London, failing school isn’t going to help. His one friend - an intelligent, artistic and mature-for-her-age girl named Tressa - constantly echoes the same sentiment. But Seamus has spent so much of his life resisting the inapplicable advice of family and teachers that when some good advice comes along, he either isn’t willing to listen or doesn’t know how.

85A is particularly relevant to Chicago readers because it’s set here. As a loner who hates being home and has a long commute to school, Seamus spends a great deal of time on the CTA. When he’s not riding the bus, he’s on the Blue Line. As he travels south from Jarvis Park, Seamus has a lot of time to observe the different neighborhoods and communities of Chicago. Since Seamus’ social skills are lacking, his opinion of these places and the people who inhabit them is almost purely based on observation and is not always correct.

For example, Seamus describes a brief and forgettable encounter on the El with a stranger named Colby. Seamus spends months dreaming about the idyllic life they could have made together. But when he once again meets Colby, Seamus realizes his vision of their relationship was only based on his imagination. Then again, imagination isn’t a bad thing. Once Seamus is able to imagine something, he is able to start taking the right steps so that he can make it a reality. At the end of the book, Seamus has not yet overcome adversity to find a place he feels always feels happy and comfortable. But he has started imagining that such a thing is possible. And if a guy as miserable as Seamus can envision a happy future, then we all should be able to do the same.

Kyle Thomas Smith will be reading from 85A this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Quimby's.

[via DW]

Hope is that Chizakaya (3056 N. Lincoln, 773-697-4725) sets the baseline locally for izakayas while putting other bars hopping onto the "gastropub" express that they need to raise their game. Chef/owner Harold Jurado is a Charlie Trotter's veteran whose pedigree includes stints at Japonais and Sunda, so he knows how the balance the fine lines between savory and sweet, and when to load a plate versus tease with an elegant plating. Jurado has tapped L2O vet Robert Rubba as his chef de cuisine. Former L2O sommelier Chantrelle Pabros has crafted a cocktail menu that emphasizes the Japanese concept of washoku, or "harmony of food. " Pabros's program includes a litany of sakes, beers, whiskeys, shochu and house-made syrups, bitters and juices.

The menu follows the break.

Okashi (Snacks)

Black edamame, sea salt 4

Oshinko (seasonal pickles) 5

Barley miso soup 3

Puffed pig ears, togarashi 4

Teriyaki string beans, sesame seed 5

Japanese sweet potato fries, spiced mayo 5

Crispy pork, slow poached egg 5

Raw/Pickled/Salads

Daikon, roasted seaweed, baby anchovies, ponzu 5

Seasonal greens, tofu dressing, crunchy rice 6

Hamachi, bone marrow, garlic, umeboshi 12

Octopus, tomato, cucumber, radish, fish sauce vinaigrette 5

Kombu marinated Tai (snapper), avocado, shiso, lime vinaigrette 11

Home-made basket tofu, bonito, scallion, ginger, soy 7

Beef liver "sashimi," petite watercress, sesame vin 6

Kushi Yaki 3

Chicken gizzards
Chicken skins
Chicken meatball
Chicken and negi

Shishito peppers, bonito
Hakurei turnips
Tomato, shiso

Beef sirloin tip, lime, wasabi
Sweet sausage
Pork meatball
Beef cheek
Beef tongue
Confit octopus

Noodles/Rice

Cold soba, summer vegetables, shrimp tempura 10

House ramen, braised pork, slow poached egg, fish cake 12

Blue crab congee, corn, chives 7

Steamed

Walleye, ginger, scallion 10

Daily gyoza, soy, ra-yu 6

Chawan mushi (steamed custard), radish, dashi 6 with foie gras 11

Fried

Crispy chicken thighs, dashi mayo, mizuna 8

Corn fritter, chili, lime, mayo 5

Age-Dashi Tofu 6

Grilled

Ika (squid), togarashi, lemon vin 10

Whole saba, lemon, cucumber 11

Hamachi kama, ponzu, daikon, ginger 8

Roasted

King oyster, enoki, shimiji mushrooms, soy, lemon-butter 8

Japanese eggplant, sweet miso, apple 5

Clams, beer, black garlic, spiced broth 13

Chicken livers, negi 6

Dessert

Yuzu cake, green tea ice cream 5

Taro, ube, rice pudding 5

Chocolate sesame ganache, puffed barley, soy milk sorbet 5

Ice Cream, daily selection 3

Cocktails

Lie & Cheat
Rice shochu, lychee juice, St. Germain, lime 8

Isao Aoki
Sudachi shochu, yuzu, iced matcha green tea 8

Ume Ume
Sweet potato shochu, plum juice, house-made ginger bitters, umeboshi, ginger ale 8

Shiso Mojito
Sugar cane shochu, shiso leaves, Turbinado sugar, lime 8

Chu Hai
Barley shochu, soda water, lemon 8

Sake by the Glass

Chilled
Tsukosabotan, Junmai, Kochi 6
Light and Clean
Crisp aroma of Rambotan, star fruit, with a bright refreshing finish, hinting of plum

Azumaichi, Junmai Ginjo, Saga 8
Fruity and Fun
Notes of green apple, hints of strawberry, and passion fruit.
Exclusive to Chizakaya by the glass

Daishichi, Kimoto Tokubetsu Junmai, Fukushima 9
Luscious and Rich
Dense and profound character, complex aromatics, herbal, earthy

Dassai Goju Nigori, Junmai Daiginjo, Yamaguchi 7
Milky and Refined
Sweet scented, medium bodied, with notes of coconut and green plantains; dry finish

Warmed

Shirakabegura, Junmai, Kyoto,1800ml
Feminine, soft supple texture
3oz 6, 6oz 12

Kikumasamune, Junmai, Hyogo,1800ml
Masculine, sauvage, dried meat, earthy, incredible depth of flavor
3oz 5, 6oz 10

Small Format: Single Portion

Kikusui Funaguchi, Honjozo Genshu, Niigata, 200ml, 10
Bold and Sweet
Bold warming sweetness, reminiscent of amaretto, with hints of almonds and peaches. Cask strength 18-19% alcohol, great neat, fun on the rocks!

Mizbasho, Junmai Ginjo, Gunma, 180ml, 14
Soft and Gentle
Soft edges with a gentle sweetness, a kiss of melting snow and ripe apricot.

Sake by the Bottle

Kikusui Funaguchi, Honjozo Genshu, Niigata, 200ml, 10
Kubota Senju, Honjozo, Niigata, 720ml, 43
Suigei, Tokubetsu Junmai, Kochi, 300ml, 20
Hakkaisan, Tokubetsu Junmai, Niigata, 300ml, 23
Nanbu Bijin, Tokubetsu Junmai, Iwate, 300ml, 24
Nishi No Seki, Tokubetsu Junmai, Oita, 720ml, 38

Tsukosabotan, Junmai, Kochi, 720ml, 48
served warmed Shirakabegura, Junmai, Kyoto,1800ml, 86
served warmed Kikumasamune, Junmai, Hyogo1800ml, 75

Mizbasho, Junmai Ginjo, Gunma, 180ml, 14
Fukucho Biho, Junmai Ginjo, Hiroshima, 300ml, 30
Azumaichi, Junmai Ginjo, Saga, 1800ml, 123

Dassai 50, Junmai Daiginjo, Yamaguchi, 300ml, 20
Hana Awase, Junmai Daiginjo, Ibaraki, 300ml, 55

Daishichi, Shizen Shu, Kimoto Tokubetsu Junmai, Fukushima, 720ml, 66

Hakutsuru, Sayuri, Nigori, Hyogo, 300ml, 16
Dassai Goju Nigori, Junmai Daiginjo, Yamaguchi, 720ml, 50

Himezen, Sweet Junmai, Miyagi, 720ml, 34

Whiskey
Yamazake, 12 Year, Japanese Blended Whisky 8
Hibiki, 12 Year, Japanese Blended Whisky 15

Elijah Craig, 10 Year, American Whiskey 12
Templeton, Small Batch, American Rye Whiskey 34

Shochu
Kakushigura / Barley 9
Jougo / Sugar Cane 9
Satsuma Hosan / Sweet Potato 11
Awa No Kaori / Sudachi 7
Hakutake “Shiro”/ Rice 10

Beer by the Bottle
Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, Ohio
Eliot Ness, Vienna Lager 5

Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, Indiana
Alpha King, American Pale Ale 7

Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois
Sofie, Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale 6
Matilda, Belgian Pale Ale 22 oz, 14

New Holland Brewing Co., Kolsch, Michigan
Full Circle, Kölsch 7

Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, Illinois
Cane & Ebel, Red Rye Ale 7

Lambic
Baird Brewing Co., Shizuoka, Japan
Carpenter Mikan, Fruit Ale 5

Beer on Tap
Sapporo Breweries Limited., Tokyo, Japan
Japanese Rice Lager, 3

Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois
Green Line, American Pale Ale, 5

Kiuchi Brewery, Ibaraki, Japan
Hitachino Nest, White Ale 5

Based on documents auctioned off from the Friends of Blagojevich storage unit, the campaign was going to focus on calling Blagojevich "B-Rod" in the hopes of connecting with black audiences. Goudie and the I-Team dug through the records and discovered the report never went into action aside from a few B-Rod teams on the city's South and West sides, but the plan itself made it all the way up the chain of command, stopping at former Chief of Staff Lon Monk.

Considering he went on to be called G-Rod and people still can't pronounce his name, in hindsight it appears that the plan would be both a complete failure, a massive success and completely stupid. Why stupid? Because Blago already had plenty of support in the black community based on his connection with Jesse Jackson and his successful trip to Serbia to free imprisoned American soldiers. So naturally, they decided the best way to capitalize on that was to brand Blago as "homeboy," as in "homeboy brought the soldiers back."

"All he had to say was 'I was with Reverend Jackson when the soldiers came back from Serbia,' that's all he had to say. People know that. " said Prof. Robert Starks, Northeastern Illinois University..."To think that African-Americans have to have this special, you know, almost 'ghettoized' approach...there's no homeboy in him," said Starks.

Strangely enough, the normally press-happy former governor isn't doing any interviews about this. Until he does, just assume he's going to say something like this.

NOTE: We tried to leave as many no-brainers off the list as possible.

Pretty Lights
Groupon Stage
Friday, 7:30-8:30
Pretty Lights blend electro, glitch, hip-hop, and rock into what ends up being electronic music with a jam-band aesthetic. At times reminiscent of Glitch Mob.

The Chemical Brothers
North Stage
Friday, 8:30-10:00
Yes, this is a default pick. We're just here to erase any of those "maybe I'll leave early to beat the crowds" thoughts.

Two Fresh
Coast Stage
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
Instrumental hip-hop heavily inspired by jam and downtempo electronic music. One of those fitting afternoon, sit on a blanket festival sessions.

Laidback Luke
Coast Stage
Saturday, 3:30-4:30
Laidback Luke hails all the way from the Netherlands and yet his music emphasizes a sound that was cultivated right here in Chicago: deep house. This is the set that will kick off your dance party for the rest of the weekend.

Jay Electronica
North Stage
Saturday, 6:30-7:30
Classic sample-based hip-hop that pays homage to the sounds of old. Add some top-notch emcee skills from Jay and you have a must-see set. Reminiscent of Illmatic and even the late J Dilla.

De La Soul
Groupon Stage
Saturday, 7:30-8:30
Pioneers in socially-conscious hip-hop, De La Soul are legends in music. While it's been years since their best music was released, you owe it to yourself to catch a glimpse of what hip-hop in the '90s was all about.

Boys Noize
Coast Stage
Saturday, 8:00-9:00
Say what we will about the state of electro and its stagnation, but Boys Noize defies any notions we have about the genre. Fresh and forward thinking, Boys Noize mends acid, house, techno and electro into a finished product unmatched in the scene. His set will undoubtedly be a highlight of North Coast Festival.

Holy Ghost!
North Stage
Sunday, 4:30-5:30
HG! honed their skills touring with LCD Soundsystem, and now they're back in Chicago to show it off. Cultivating an indie-rock-meets-dance-music vibe, Holy Ghost are one of the better packaged deals on the bill.

Flying Lotus
North Stage
Sunday, 6:30-7:30
Hip-hop meets dubstep meets psychedelic meets downtempo meets grime meets IDM meets so-much-other-stuff. Intrigued? Watch FL mash away on his MPC.

This year's North Coast Festival is a great start in what hopes to be a long standing annual event. Let's make Year One a memorable one.

One division includes Iowa, Michigan, Michigan St., Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern. The other includes Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio St., Penn St. and Wisconsin. That basically breaks down to the East - West alignment we had hoped for, with the glaring resettlement of the state of Michigan in the West in return for Illinois and Wisconsin. Illinois and Northwestern were the only in-state rivals split up in this alignment. Clearly, these divisions were done primarily to set up the potential Michigan - Ohio St. rivalry as a potential championship game. Because that seems oh, so likely during the Rich Rodriguez era.

To appease the loyalists who worried that key rivalry games might not occur annually, the Big Ten designated a number of protected rivalry games that will be played every year. So fear not ABC, you'll get your end of the season match-up between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Of local interest, the Wildcats and Illini will still face off every year, too. Minnesota and Wisconsin will play annually for Paul Bunyan's Axe. And Iowa learned that Purdue is such a key opponent that we can't go without a Hawkeyes - Boilermakers game.

Because the divisional alignments don't lend themselves to geographic names, the Big Ten still needs to determine their monikers. Some have suggested the Woody and Bo Divisions -- in honor of legendary Ohio St. and Michigan coaches. Since it apparently was all about those those two schools, why not just name them the Michigan Division and Ohio St. Division? Our money, however, is on sponsored division names -- maybe Ohio-based Wendy's and Illinois-based McDonald's can face off for gridiron burger supremacy.

The group's sophomore effort Sleep Forever is out on September 14 and it's this release that's spurring their tour. Their debut, Summer Of Hate, attracted much critical praise for its throwback sound and its sonic equivalent to being just like honey dripping over barbed wire kisses. The follow-up delivers much of the same, though there are definite advances in their attempts at expanding their psych-rock palette, one of our favorites being the harrowing death shriek wrung from their instruments amidst the San Fran-organ of "Stoned To Death." In fact much of the album sees them stretching out song lengths in order to inject even more weirdness into the mix. We suppose after spending a bunch of time on the road they've learned the joys of jamming out beyond the expected confines of their specific subset of psych. Sleep Forever is messier than Summer Of Hate but so far we've found it's tangled veils of guitar more satisfying.

Crocodiles are bringing their psyched out fuzz pop to the Empty Bottle on September 20. Considering how much they impressed us at a previous show at that same venue, and this time it's a FREE show, so we're definitely marking this down on our calendar as a "don't miss" date! The duo just released a free EP of original material recorded after Sleep Forever wrapped and we've got the download for you below. Remember, the first taste is free, but then you're gonna have to pay...

DOWNLOAD: Crocodiles - Fires Of Comparison EP

Their most recent project, The Square Affair, brought together Logan Square Musicians like The Shams Band, Minneapolis' Henry's, and Derek Nelson and the Musicians every Sunday in Logan Square for over a months at the Illinois Centennial Monument, all leadingup to the main event last Friday at The Logan Square Auditorium.

Even through all of the planning and playing that took place that night Jon Drake of his Shakes had a chance to sit down with us and have a conversation about the event, bringing this colossal group of musicians together and what got him interested in music in the first place.

Chicagoist: Do you remember the first song that really made you want to be a musician and why it moved you so much?

Jon Drake: There’s always Nirvana -- pick any song; I was in love with them. As far as the first song that made me want to write...Tunnel of Love by Dire Straights, which is still one of my favorites… I guess music in general was an escape from a rocky childhood, and making my own would certainly end up in running away from it all to become a star.

C: on Drake and the Shakes are well known for their traveling cast of characters that enter and exit with every performance. Is it difficult to manage such a large group of musicians?

JD: Yes it is; Good god! It's the scheduling that hurts. Everyone is incredibly dedicated and we make ourselves available. We all love this group. What can get tricky is school, work, weddings, funerals, and family time coming into the mix. We need to make more money in order to afford more Shakes time.

C: Being that you guys virtually have an orchestra on stage at all times, is it difficult to find places to play that can accommodate you?

JD: We can fit into small spaces like George Jetson’s suitcase car. We just have to make sure Drew doesn't poke my eye out with her [violin] bow.

C: We've read that you put together your backing band, The Shakes, by posting an ad on Craigslist. We can only imagine the "amazing" musicians you would have seen in this process. What was the worst experience you had during your auditioning period and what made you choose the eight band-mates that you currently have?

JD: Ellis and I have been best buds since the day we met. It was a family from the start and we've grown up together. I knew I loved these people by the time we played our first song and finished our first bottle of cheap whiskey. The worst experience I had was replacing a rhythm section. We worked for over a year with two guys and then they up and quit over night via email. We had a show booked at Beat Kitchen in two weeks time. Luckily, I was training a drummer and bassist for our tour in France that played in one of our sister bands, Jaime Rojo. They sat in for a sold out show. We ended up picking up the pieces from what could have been detrimental and moved on without an ounce of collateral damage. In fact, our new and current lineup is the right one. The family has grown, there was some divorce, but now there are new relationships that are as fun, loving, and caring as any one could have dreamed of not to mention healthy and awesome.

C: You guys worked really hard on putting together The Square Affair event that took place last weekend at Logan Square Auditorium. I mean you and the other bands / musicians involved played in the Square every weekend for over a month! What inspired this particular event and what made you choose the bands for this spectacle?

JD: I put together a few folks I knew from the area that had been making waves putting on shows. We each picked a band respectively. We wanted variety, and Derek Nelson is rather handsome. Next year we will have an outdoor stage as well with a slightly more streamlined evening show in the Auditorium.

C: Playing every weekend in Logan Square had to be physically and mentally exhausting for the group. Do you feel like these happenings added or subtracted from potential attendance for the end event during these excursions?

JD: The Shakes only played twice. In both cases we met new people and found many new fans whose faces we saw again at the show [but] there was a band from our event on the square every weekend and it seemed as though a few folks were annoyed by this. Frankly, if people are making good music on the street and you find it "annoying," good riddance. This is what we do, we love making music with all our hearts, we are a strong and growing part of the community with giving hearts, and we aren't about to apologize for that. Now, I'll say this, the Sunday series would have been better served reaching out to other communities such as Wicker Park, Humbolt Park, Bucktown, even Lakeview...next year we'll expand.

C: What are your long term goals for the band? We know that you have an EP,Side A, available, but are there any plans to record a full-length album and tour?

JD: Funny you ask! That's actually what we're working on. We're in talks with a label, a few other folks...we'll be rocking a small circuit once a month or so hitting up Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Louisville. By the time we get to next summer, we'll be touring on our LP for just about as long as possible.

Art Institute of Chicago: Public Notice 3
On September 11, 1893, a landmark speech was given by Swami Vivekananda at the First World Parliament of Religions promoting religious tolerance. Indian artist Jitish Kallat’s installation Public Notice 3 examines the distance between September 11, 1893, and September 11, 2001.

Public Notice 3 runs September 11, 2010 - January 2, 2011, at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Admission is $16 for Chicago residents, and the museum is free from 5:00pm - 8:00pm every Thursday.

Museum of Contemporary Art: Ben Russell
Running for only three weeks in September, media artist Ben Russell describes this installation as “an ongoing study in trance, travel, and psychedelic ethnography.” Be sure to check the MCA’s calendar for related programming with the artist.

Ben Russell is part of UBS 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work, and runs September 4 - 27, 2010, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Suggested general admission is $12, and the museum is free on Tuesdays.

National Museum of Mexican Art: Day of the Dead
The nation’s largest annual Day of the Dead exhibition opens early this year, with an opening reception on September 10. There are lots of great free programs in conjunction with the exhibit, like free public tours in both English and Spanish, plus kids’ art programs and an art class for adults on how to make paper mache Calaveras. Look for a Chicagoist review of the exhibit in a couple weeks.

Vida Breve: Day of the Dead 2010 runs September 10 - December 13, 2010, at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th Street. Admission is free.

Spertus Institute: Undiscovered & Rediscovered
A small exhibit about Chicago’s Jewish past just opened yesterday, and we think you should check it out sooner rather than later, because it’s going to continually change over the next two years in “chapters” that will be on display for three to six months at a time. Uncovered & Rediscovered: Stories of Jewish Chicago is on display in the ground floor vestibule, but will eventually grow. Spertus also invites visitors to share their own stories, both online and at the Institute.

Undiscovered & Rediscovered runs September 1, 2010 - December 29, 2012, at the Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan Ave. This exhibit is free to the public.

We proceeded through the factory, away from the cornstarch in the molding rooms. We entered a large room, with giant metal kettles, tipped on their sides, lining every wall. Most of these were empty when we visited, but 4 of them were filled with bright red beans. The drums were spinning very fast - and the sound of the candies was so loud, we had to wear earplugs.

The candies spin and spin, and the candy maker adds sugar and flavoring. This is an entirely hand-made process, with no computers or instruments. The candy maker can tell by sight and touch when the beans are ready. Depending on the flavor, it can be a trying process - the cinnamon flavoring they were spinning was so strong, it made our faces burn. We also got a chance to watch them panning dutch mints. If something is already candy-coated, the process can also be used to add shine and gloss. They came in dull and blah, and left shiny, white and beautiful.

Next step was the storeroom. Since only one type of bean is made at a time, and boxes contain up to 50 flavors, you can imagine the inventory difficulties of this business. In addition, many beans contain fresh ingredients, and so must be made when those ingredients are brought in, as the factory has no refrigerated storage. A huge room filled with trays of jelly beans, candy corn and other goodies - if they hadn't been wrapped up, it might have been a dangerous situation.

Lastly, the packaging center. Assortments of beans, like the autumn mix they were creating that day, are mixed by hand. Trays of the appropriate flavors are dumped into a huge trough, mixed up with gloved hands, and fed into a packing machine. The many flavored trays are mixed by computer. In the same room, the logo is imprinted on the beans, using a process we weren't allowed to see. The beans are packed into boxes, printed with labels and off they go to your mouth!

Details are sketchy at this point, only that Funstyle and Girlysound will come packaged as a double-disc set, leaving us with the question of just which Girlysound recordings will appear on the tracklist since they won't all fit on a single CD. And why is Phair finally releasing these recordings? Considering the negative reaction to Funstyle, Phair may be trying to put the new album in a new perspective and try to convince listeners that two are more similar in artistic voice than the naysayers can see. Of course the other viewpoint could simply be that Phair is trying to ensure the new album sells by forcing fans to by it if they want their own physical copy of Girlysound. Us? We think it's probably a combination of the two, though after hearing Funstyle the latter approach will probably do Phair more good than the former.

• Kim Severson of the New York Times profiles Roger Ebert, his new cookbook dedicated to rice cooker recipes and how he still uses the cooker to entertain, despite his inability to eat solid food. [NYT]
• Steve Dolinsky agrees with me, says the little hotties at Take Me Out in Pilsen are the best hot wings in town. [Dolinsky/Vocalo]
• Monica Eng looks at the growing arguments between localvores and conventional food advocates. [Tribune]
• Louisa Chu looks at how some chefs spend their vacations away from the kitchen. [Sun-Times]
• Another stellar review for Girl & the Goat, from Jeff Ruby at Chicago magazine, who sets the bar for future reviews of the Goat. [Chicago]
• The husband and wife team of Mark and Liz Mendez (formerly of Carnivale) are blogging about their efforts to open their own restaurant at Windy Citizen. [The Cook & the Corkscrew]
• Gapers Block jefe Andrew Huff and his betrothed<, Cinnamon Cooper, are participating in next week's Bacon Takedown. The Huffencoopers will be making bacon jam. [Drive-Thru]
• Julia Kramer has a profile on Shawn McClain and the dissolution of his business partnership with Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky Peter Drohomyrecky. [TOC]
• More amazing photos of last month's steamy Taste of the Nation Chicago event at the Aragon Ballroom. [Laura Meyer Photography]

Before we get to the Cubs score we wanted to show the first press conference Manny Ramirez held as a member of the White Sox, which he held with bench coach Joey Cora translating his Spanish answers. Ramirez speaks English as well as Sammy Sosa, when Sosa isn't testifying before Congress. This is what "Manny being Manny" is all about, and it's going to be an interesting September on the South Side.

Cubs 5, Pirates 3:: Rookie Thomas Diamond picked up his first major league win in relief of the injured Tom Gorzelanny, and Kosuke Fukudome went 3-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored to pace the Cubs over the Pirates at Wrigley Field. Carlos Marmol worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam to earn his 25th save.

Both the Cubs and White Sox have today off. The Sox travel to Boston for a three-game series with the Red Sox that has wild card implications. The Cubs host the Mets Friday afternoon

Daley noted in a press conference that the city realized cost savings when it consolidated the Housing and Planning departments two years ago, although he was mum both on how many jobs will be affected and how much the city would be expected to save by the moves, which will take effect on January 1.

Speaking of incremental change, Daley also suggested that he might give back some of the money in his cherished Tax Increment Financing fund. Greg Hinz at Crain's Chicago Business cited sources in the city that say more than $150 million might be returned, although most of that is expected to go back to the schools.

The meeting between Chicago's top cop and city gang leaders has divided the city council, unsurprisingly. along racial lines. White aldermen expressed outrage to the local media about the meeting, calling gangs "urban terrorists," while Black and Latino aldermen were more circumspect about the strategy. And while Second City Cop has been critical of the mayor's most recent strategy, Joe the Cop at Chicago Now looked back at history for some context:

In the late 1960's Jeff Fort, leader of the Blackstone Rangers (later the Almighty Black P-Stone Nation), presented himself as a community leader, someone who government needed to work with in order to reach black youth. Fort worked with area ministers and managed to con enough people (as evidenced by this 1969 article in The Atlantic that breathlessly asked "Are the Blackstone Rangers a corrupt, exploitive [sic] street gang? Or a constructive engine of community black power?") to obtain federal money. The money was intended for a jobs program. (Note: in a deja vu-inducing parallel, the Sun-Times article about Weis' gang meeting said "The gang leaders were provided with information about jobs, too." At least the gang leaders who met with Weis weren't also offered grant money, at least that we know of.)

Fort used the money to further his criminal enterprise, and went to federal prison in 1972 for doing so. Fort's organization morphed into the El-Rukn street gang after Fort's "conversion" to Islam while in prison. The El-Rukns eventually tried to make a deal with Libya to commit acts of terror in the United States, and Fort is now serving a 75-year sentence in a Federal Supermax prison as a result.

Claypool also took a shot at Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, criticizing what he termed a "conflict of interest" for Madigan's close relationship with Berrios, who is a member of the Board of Review while running a law firm that handles property tax appeals. “This relationship and this partnership, so to speak, is exhibit A in . . . the insider culture that has dominated our politics, that has caused our taxes to go up and the level of faith in government to go down,” Claypool said. A spokesman for Madigan defended his law practice, saying that the speaker does not vote on tax matters that might be a conflict of interest, and that there are “zero examples” of anything improper that Madigan has done in a property tax appeals case. Berrios told the Tribune that clients go to Madigan's firm for their expertise, not because of clout.

Claypool also outlined a series of ethics pledges, promising not to accept campaign contributions from property tax appeals attorneys, as Berrios has done. He also says that if elected, he will not hold private meetings with tax attorneys or appraisers, he won't hold political meetings or calls at the office, and that he will have no relatives on the office payroll.

We're in the home stretch before Labor Day weekend, everyone, and the overcast skies and threats of rain that we went through yesterday continue today. It'll be mostly cloudy and humid with a chance of thunderstorms and a high of 85.

That's the kind of weather that forces you to stick to your chair.

• Illinois and Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan will be in different divisions when the Big Ten expands to twelve teams next season. [Sun-Times]
• The Tribune Co. gets a new bankruptcy mediator. [Crain's]
• In other Tribune developments, the reader's Michael Miner looks at a proposed ad-free revamp of the Sunday Tribune. [Reader]
• 85-year-old George Todd, convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl last year, becomes the oldest man to enter prison in Illinois. [Chicago Breaking News]
• Claire's is opening a "glee"-themed pop-up shop in Water Tower Place modeled after the show's school set. [Crain's]
• For the comic book geeks among our readers and staff, here's a blog dedicated to classic comic book advertisements. Pet Monkeys! X-Ray specs!! Count Dante's book of Martial Arts!!! [Comic Coverage]

If Kenny Williams claimed Manny Ramirez on waivers as a motivation tool, it could be working. The petulant mercurial slugger went 1-for-3 with a bloop single in his White Sox debut, but Paul Konerko provided the late inning heroics in the White Sox' 6-4 win over Cleveland. With Manny Ramirez on deck, Konerko hit a three-run homer off reliever Justin Germano to put the Sox ahead for good.

Starter Freddy Garcia looked more sweaty than big game ready today, lasting four innings and giving up two runs. Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez also hit home runs for the Sox, while Tony Pena picked up the win pitching three innings of long relief. The White Sox now travel to Boston to take on their crimson hosed counterparts in a series with wild card implications.

From the inbox: Aurora's Chick-fil-A franchise, which, all due respect to NBC Feast, is actually the Chicagoland area's second location*, is set to open September 16 at 4435 Fox Valley Center Dr..

To mark the occasion, Chick-fil-A will continue its tradition at these openings of giving away a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 adults in line with proper identification. as you can see from the photo above of folks waiting for a Chick-fil-A to open in Fort Collins, CO (and here's a guess that they have Coors in those tents instead of New Belgium), these become events.

The line for the opening will form 6 a.m. September 15. The meting out of the free meals is more skull crushing frustrating than the Bowl Championship series ranking system. suffice it to say that more than 100 folks will likely be on hand to eat chicken sandwiches. So if you're looking for a chance to score free meals, you might want to pack up your tents and bedrolls now. If there's a gust of wind coming from the north, that's Marcus cutting his vacation short to get in line.

*The other Chicagoland Chick-fil-A location is in Racine, Wi at Regency Mall (5812 Durand Ave.).

Special concerts were held in order to help pay for Leone’s hospitalization, which came after he intervened on behalf of a domestic violence victim, whose husband then assaulted Leone. Things have been relatively quiet since then, but Nathan Leone, Matthew’s brother and Madina Lake’s frontman, indicated that the band’s moving forward musically.

According to the Madina Lake Twitter feed, a new single, “They’re Coming For Me,” is available to purchase on iTunes. Nathan Leone said on the band’s Tumblr that right now that his brother’s recovery is progressing positively but is still not without the occasional trip to the emergency room.

Concerning the new material, Leone wrote that a new EP, along with a new full-length album titled Word War 3, is forthcoming. “They’re Coming For Me” is taken from War, and it’s full of sonic bombast, with Madina Lake shifting the anthemic aspects of their music a to slower, more mid-tempo rock. There are hints of U2 and Peter Gabriel in “They’re Coming For Me,” but old fans should be able to eagerly hear the connections to their past work.

Download “They’re Coming For Me” at iTunes. Donations for Matthew Leone can be made at Through The Pain.

If Cee-Lo’s single from his upcoming The Lady Killer album fits that description, then the tracks from Chicago rapper Hollywood Holt’s new mixtape are like resurrected musical zombies wreaking havoc on listener’s mindgrapes from beyond the grave. Oddly enough, if the title of Holt’s mixtape, which is absurdly long and gleefully profane, is to believed, then we’re listening to the musical scraps of an upcoming official album. If these are Hollywood Holt’s castaways, then we’re positively terrified for what’s to come: this tape features a stupefying amount of excellent, pulse-pounding bangers.

We would’ve been blasted this all summer long had it not for the fact that the tape was only released this past Saturday. But, considering how our brows are as sweaty as Mel Gibson in a Pilsen taqueria, we say if it feels like summer, then it must still be summer. At the very least, Hollywood Holt’s music certainly invokes the season’s party-like atmosphere. The tracks on These Are The Songs That Didn’t Make The Album But Are Still Cold As Hell So Shut The Fuck Up Vol. 1 (whew!) range from loose and limber skitters reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest to harder-hitting tracks like the house-hop of “Body Clash.”

But for our money, the best and most clever track on Songs is “Brains!!!,” which combines two things everyone loves - satiric raps and zombie movie humor - and sets it to a minimalist 8-bit synth-beat practically made to inspire hand-claps. It’s all kinds of awesome, as are the other 14 tracks. If these were the songs that didn’t make the album, then Chicago better get ready for the huge hip-hop bomb Hollywood Holt will inevitably drop on it.

Download Hollywood Holt’s These Are The Songs That Didn’t Make The Album But Are Still Cold As Hell So Shut The F*** Up Vol. 1 over at Hollywood Holt’s website.

We attended the last Stay Smooth party at the Columbia Yacht Club and it was an evening we'll never forget, depite drinking enough that all memory should have been wiped away like the remnants of a Doobie Brothers party off a glass coffee table. It was a blast and we can't think of a finer way to give the "official" summer season a final send off.

Tickets for the event are $40 ahead of time or $50 at the door, include an open bar and all the entertainment listed above and are still available. We got our hands on a pair of tickets to the party along with a lovely silk-screened poster commemorating the event, are giving them out to one lucky Chicagoist reader! All entries must be received by 12 p.m. CST on Friday September 3. Must be over 21 years old to win. Enter for your chance to win after the jump.

Winnie, Sunny D, Jilley, Jerry and June Bug are all right here in your city, just waiting to come home with you. As always, the adoption fee is $65.00 which includes spay/neuter, vaccines, a microchip and a city license, and all cats are screened for FIV. If you have room in your heart and your home for these pets, Chicago Animal Care & Control, at 2741 S. Western Ave in Chicago, is open for adoptions Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can visit in person, are call or email Patty Cerny, adoption volunteer, at (773) 230-2542 or email at graz97 [at] aol [dot] com.

If you want to keep up with all the awesomeness at ACC, become a fan of Cherie Travis, Chicago Commissioner of Animal Care and Control on Facebook.

And remember: plenty of the previous animals we've featured are also still available for adoption.

Note the verb tense. A press release from Merz owner Anthony Qaiyum sent to the Chicagoist tips email reads that Merz is pulling up stakes at Macy's and moving to the Palmer House Hilton in November. "Given that our apothecary was established in Chicago in 1875, and that the Palmer House was opened in 1871, and reopened after the Great Chicago Fire in 1875, we could not pass up this opportunity to have two historical Chicago businesses at the same great location," Qaiyum wrote. "We're extremely excited!"

The new Merz storefront will be located east of the Palmer House's entrance at 17 E. Monroe.

The video, captured via the council's automated recording system before a July 12 committee meeting on an ordinance proposed to ban job discrimination against LGBT people, shows David Varner (pictured at right) describing his experience meeting with the Michiana GLBT Resource Center about his opposition to the bill to other council members. Varner describes the resource center as "those people" and made quotation marks in the air when describing the gay "friend" he brought with him to the meeting - because he didn't want to go there alone. The video, as well as all other videos of council meetings, have since been removed, pending a meeting with the recording program's vendor.

Varner told the South Bend Tribune, who have posted the video on their website -- you can also see it after the jump below -- he did not realize he was being recorded.

"That conversation wasn't meant to be, I suppose, politically correct," he said. "I didn't see that in any way, shape or form as offensive ... I guess if people decide they're going to be offended at anything, then they're going to be offended."

The bill was tabled indefinitely as its supporters were unable to drum up the votes it needed for passage. Indiana is one of 29 states where it remains legal to fire a gay or lesbian person due to their sexual orientation. It is also legal in 38 states to fire someone due to their gender identity. A federal bill granting LGBT job protections - the Employment Non-Discrimination Act - has failed to gain much traction in recent years, but has been supported by President Obama.

In Illinois, our Human Rights Act, amended in 2006, prohibits discrimination against LGBT people in employment and public accommodation. That said, it's worth mentioning Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady, who's consistently polling well, has previously opposed LGBT job protections and also sponsored a bill to limit the act, allowing for certain faith-based non-profit organizations to discriminate against LGBT employees.

Goelitz Candies (now under the Jelly Belly Candy Co. label) has been making candy at their North Chicago plant since 1913. Still housed partly in the original building, Goelitz originally made its name with candy corn, their biggest seller in the pre-bean years. They still make lots of different candies (including candy corn) under the "Confections by Jelly Belly" label, but their most important product is the beans.

The process starts on the very top level of the factory. On the roof, a huge 60,000 lb. sugar tank and a 200,000 lb corn syrup tank feed into the top level. Mixed with corn starch, these three ingredients are cooked to form the gel center of a jelly bean. On the day we visited, these same ingredients (combined with marshmallow and fondant) were being cooked into candy corn. All the cooking is managed by computers, but the ingredients are measured and mixed in by hand.

After the goo (called a slurry) is cooked, it is fed to the next level down, where an enormous machine sits chugging away. This is the starch molding machine, and we will sound like huge geeks when we admit that this machine has entered our list of the top 10 coolest things ever. Did you ever wonder how Jelly Beans were formed? We assumed they were poured into molds. Well, kinda. Fixed molds would be inflexible and very expensive - and can you imagine how many would be needed? Instead, they are molded in cornstarch.

Metal dies are pressed into wooden trays filled with cornstarch, forming shapes. As you can see in the pictures, these can take many shapes, including gummy bears and giant rats. The candy is poured very precisely into the starch molds, and it doesn't mix with the starch. Then, the trays are left to cure for a day. A machine dumps out the bean centers and shakes off the starch. At this point, they look like Jelly Beans - the ones we saw were licorice, and tasted great. But, they aren't even close to done. The last step on this floor is the most fun - the beans are sprayed and tumbled with sugar.

Cornstarch is everywhere in this part of the plant - wheelbarrows of it. The factory has to use a special filtering system to keep the air safe. To give an idea of scale - each of the board molds holds 1260 jelly beans, and in a typical shift at the factory, they will process 25,000 pounds of jelly beans. That's 10,000,000 beans per shift.

Tomorrow, we'll see the rest of the process, including candy coating and packaging.

Frontman Kevin Barnes tells Pitchfork that the 13-track album will feature “a lot of very dancey, very funky songs,” which is exactly what we expect from of Montreal.* But the album’s single “Coquet Coquette” doesn’t quite represent this - it’s tamer and more organic than what we’ve seen on previous albums, featuring more live instrumentation as opposed to the electronics they’ve previously relied on. Check it out for yourself - "Coquet Coquette" is free for download through Polyvinyl. And on a side not: though False Priest doesn’t hit the public for another two weeks, the group is already ready to release a new EP, The Controller Sphere, which is as of now written, recorded, and ready to be released next spring.

In support of False Priest, the act is embarking on an extensive US tour this fall, bringing along R&B singer/songwriter/performance artist Janelle Monáe, who they’ve toured and collaborated with in the past and will guest-perform on the upcoming album. Chicago wasn’t originally included in the tour line-up when it was announced back in July, but luckily a September 25 show at the Riviera has since been added. of Montreal is known for their elaborate shows, incorporating performance art, video performances, and gorgeous light shows, so expect a night full of constant visual and audio stimulation. And Monáe wowed a sold-out Schuba's back in May with a spectacular performance, so grab your tickets soon before this show inevitably sells out too.

of Montreal Plays with Janelle Monáe Saturday, Sept 25 at the Riviera, 4746 N Racine, 7 p.m., $22, All Ages

*[Ed. note: I've heard False Priest and Barnes ain't lying. Look for our full review to appear soon.]

Today the Chicagoist Podcast Series heads toward the corporate PR machine to try and break through the walls of media relations. Valerie Lester with Kronos talked with us about the response to free food, aligning with the Fisher House charity, and just who the hell is that Gyros poster model, anyways?

Related: How do they make spindle meat?

To listen, just press play: Valerie Lester, Kronos Gyros

Want these podcasts in your mp3 player of choice? Subscribe via iTunes here or get updates via RSS here. Thanks for listening!

Jack, played by Clooney, is a weary yet ruthless hitman. He's the kind of rugged, existential figure who's been haunting movies at least since Alain Delon in Le Samouraï. Add a dash of Richard Burton's bone-tiredness in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and you've got Jack. After an attempt on his life in Sweden, he flees to a small town in the Italian countryside. A shadowy patron (Johan Leysen) keeps in touch with him by telephone, dangling a job offer while sternly cautioning him "not to make any friends." But of course, although Jack is a killer, he's only human. Almost despite himself he strikes up an acquaintance with an elderly priest (Paolo Bonacelli, wonderfully droll) as well as a love affair with Clara (Violante Placido), a prostitute.

The movie, stylishly directed by Anton Corbijn (Control), making the most of atmospheric locations, is really two movies--meshing uneasily with one another and, alas, almost canceling each other out. The first, and more interesting, is a restrained character study. Jack is a man forced to exist without any meaningful human warmth or tenderness. His scenes with Clara, where we witness a deep hunger for love locked in a struggle with his steely self-preservation, are scary and gripping. Clooney turns in another stellar performance that cannily balances crinkly charm with cold-bloodedness. It's genuinely disturbing.

But then there's the second movie: a well-staged but rather ordinary suspense tale. The script's red herrings, crudely injected at strategic moments, constantly threaten to obliterate the engaging freshness of the character's interactions. There are plenty of other movies with men shooting at each other on ill-lit streets paved with cobblestones, and when The American falls back into those careworn grooves it's a letdown.

[H/T to Gage!]

White Sox 4, Indians 3: With newly acquired Manny Ramirez waiting on deck for a possible storybook debut for the White Sox, A.J. Pierzynski edited the script. The veteran catcher belted a three-run home run in the ninth inning to provide the difference against Cleveland. But the story of the game was Edwin Jackson. The trading deadline pickup from Arizona continues to give the White Sox more than they bargained for. Jackson pitched 8-2/3 innings of stellar baseball, striking out 11 while showing none of the control issues that plagued him with the Diamondbacks and improving his record with the White Sox to 3-0. Bobby Jenks notched his 25th save.. Manny Ramirez is set to make his Sox debut today.

Pirates 14, Cubs 7: No joy in Wrigleyville last night as Ryan Dempster dug himself a hole early. Dempster gave up two-run homers to Garrett Jones and Neil Walker while lasting only three innings, his shortest outing of the year. Piling on to the Cubs' woes, Pittsburgh now leads the season series against the Cubs 10-4.

For international flights, passengers must travel with their luggage at all times. When al Soofi and al Musri made their changes in travel plans while the luggage went to their original destinations, it raised suspicion to TSA security officials. A TSA spokesperson said that it is not uncommon for items such as watches and cell phones to be taped to larger items in luggage bound for countries such as Yemen, but that screeners have been trained to identify such items as a heightened security risk.

The arrests come at a time of heightened security as the country is approaching the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In his second address to the nation from the Oval Office, President Barack Obama announced the end of combat operations in Iraq last night, while pivoting to Afghanistan and a lagging economy that has plagued the United States since before he took office.

In his remarks, Obama talked about Iraqis taking the lead in the future direction of their nation, and turning to wrapping up combat operations in Afghanistan. Noting the length and scope of the war in the Middle East, Obama mentioned his predecessor by name. “This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset," Obama said, noting the differences between the two while acknowledging that, for better or for worse, it's become his war to deal with.

Perhaps speaking to those in his own party that are frustrated with the United States' ongoing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Obama explicitly said that it was time to move on. "As we do, I am mindful that the Iraq War has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it is time to turn the page. ... The greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and to learn from our experience as we confront the many challenges ahead. And no challenge is more essential to our security than our fight against al Qaeda."

Obama's speech, while subdued, didn't just address America's shift from combat in Iraq to operations in Afghanistan. The president also spoke to the anemic economic recovery that has dogged his presidency thus far and his party's prospects at the ballot this fall. "Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have not done what is necessary to shore up the foundation of our own prosperity. We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation’s long-term competitiveness is put at risk."

With midterm elections just over two months away, however, Obama's primetime speech wasn't given in a vacuum. In fact, Republican House leader John Boehner, R-OH, gave a "prebuttal" to the president's remarks last week, releasing an op-ed column to the press, and following up with a web video and a speech to a veterans group. Like an earlier speech he gave on the economy, Boehner was heavy on criticism of the president, but light on specific policy proposals. In his remarks, Boehner faulted Obama for opposing the surge in Iraq and not giving Persident Bush enough credit for success in Iraq. "Today we mark not the defeat those voices anticipated -- but progress. And I want to thank President Obama for setting aside his past political rhetoric and recognizing the importance of the surge and the diplomatic agreement signed by President [George W.] Bush and Prime Minister [Nuri al-] Maliki," Boehner said. And alluding to the early days of the 21st Century, Boehner slammed Obama on his terror policies. "We see signs of a return to this pre-9/11 mentality in proposals to house terrorists on American soil just to fulfill a political promise," Boehner said. "We are a nation at war. A patchwork of political promises does not represent a coherent strategy to confront and defeat the terrorist threat."

The total number of U.S. troops in Iraq has now fallen below 50,000 -- the lowest level since the U.S-led invasion in 2003, and those remaining will train, assist and advise the Iraqis.