As development gobbles up farmland, fens and natural prairies across Illinois, a Westchester group is about to celebrate one of the remaining pristine areas in its own backyard.

The first winning Olympians of ancient Greece were awarded only a crown made of laurel leaves. The honor of victory was considered the real prize, unlike the contemporary attitude of "Show me the money!" These ancient athletes were, however, showered with gifts upon returning to their city-states. Those gifts have long been considered the first sports trophies.

Snoop Dogg lends his name to his protege's debut record, and it's a good thing: despite a solid G-funk foundation from producer Soopafly, Dubb Union recycles a lot of gangsta cliches and doesn't bring much to the party.

As one half of Cannibal Ox, Vordul Mega spit dense, allegorical tales of the inner city. That same sharp observation is still front and center on his second solo effort, which retains Cannibal Ox's future-paranoid vibe while adding a soulful jolt to the proceedings.

Kardinal Offishall's debut as part of R&B crooner Akon's Konvict Muzik clique is a high-energy blend of Jamaican dancehall and modern hip-hop that could get just about any party started.

I never gave it much thought as a kid what Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna would be like at age 50. All I cared about was the music and how Michael Jackson danced like that.

Experimenting in the free-wheeling literary realms of bizarro fiction is Eckhard Gerdes of Geneva, considered an elder statesman in the genre he helps champion.

When not performing his professorial role teaching creative writing, composition or literature courses at colleges in the Chicago area, he’s at play in a genre that splits wide the traditional boundaries of language, storytelling and reality itself. His newest book is “My Landlady the Lobotomist.”

The creative minds behind Batavia’s signature Art In Your Eye, a summer festival of all things visual, next will celebrate the ear with their second amateur songwriting contest capped by a concert in October.

With the recent crowning of "Glamarella" as Intercontinental and Women's Champions respectively, I got to thinking about the place of comedy in professional wrestling.  Much like any entertainment art form, wrestling has drama, action and, yes, comedy.

The Senior Suburban Orchestra will open its ninth season with a rehearsal Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 2. The orchestra is composed mostly of retirees, and performs 15 concerts a year at schools, retirement communities and other public venues.

In their final season on F/X, which starts Tuesday, Detective Vic Mackey and his squad of corrupt LAPD cops will put the lid on what may be the greatest and most entertaining cop show on TV (and I love "Law & Order").

David Cook was speechless when the cloth came down and the mural designed in his honor was unveiled.

Each massively multiplayer online game has its own unique little economy within the game. And most have real-world values on them, even if the developers would love nothing more than to crush that.

Joseph Nagyvary says he’s found a way to make contemporary violins sound like a Stradivarius.

A conversation with the man behind "A Prarie Home Companion." Keillor’s "A Prairie Home Companion: The Rhubarb Tour'' – a live variety show adapted from his broadcast program – pulls into the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis on Sunday and South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset on Monday.a