Not even President and Michelle Obama, nor Oprah herself, could seal the Olympic deal for Chicago. Chitown’s biggest powerhouses flew to Copenhagen this week to lobby for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Games, but the second city lost the bid today in the first round of voting by the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo lost in the next round, and in the final round the IOC selected Rio de Janeiro over Madrid to host the games. This will be the first time a South American city will host the Olympics. Brazil was a favorite to win the games — mostly because every other country has hosted before — but there was an audible gasp in the voting room when it was announced that Chicago lost in the first round. Still, I know many Chicagoans will be relieved by the results — there was a big fear of increased taxes if their city won the bid — and I for one can’t wait to watch all those hot Brazilian boys in the stands when the Olympics take over their country. [via WashingtonPost.com]

Men 18 to 44 are more than twice as likely than women in that age group to have adopted a child. [LiveScience]

 

The best Chicago date ever might have been the one in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Really, how can you beat a Ferrari, a Cubs baseball game, a fancy meal, and “Twist and Shout”? But for the kind of fun even Cameron would enjoy (well, if he had a girlfriend), try these Chicago spots, and do your best to avoid the Magnificent Mile, unless you like friendly tourists.

Foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan, including mung beans (yum!), lobster, turkey, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, pineapple, tofu, spinach, and bananas, might improve mood and well-being. Tryptophan is the same element that makes you sleepy after eating Thanksgiving dinner. Wanna know what food makes me happy? Peanut butter. And peanut butter ice cream. [Sydney Morning Herald]

“Stop! In the Naaaame of Love!”  Diana Ross sang that phrase back in the ‘60s, but a suburb of Chicago has made it one of their mottos.  Oaklawn, Illinois, had installed a few funny red octagons around town aimed at making people take a moment to stop and smile, after encouraging local residents to submit tag lines for the stop signs. Other adorable slogans include “Stop! And Smell The Roses,” and “Stop! Right There Pilgrim.” But sadly, the Department of Transportation doesn’t have a sense of humor and ordered the city to take the clever additions down or lose funding. Stop! In The Name Of Bureaucracy? [Mixx.com]

This year the toll of those hurt by Valentine’s Day is already ticking.  With a week to go, hordes of lovelorn men and women have desperately “lost control”, and so did a professional driver in Chicago yesterday.  A tanker truck, full of chocolate, toppled over and slid across the highway injuring three people. Just like a single gal’s sanity around this time, the truck was dangling by a thread off the side of the Skyway Bridge. Unfortunately, none of the chocolate spilled out, because I’m sure some PMSin’ ladies would have been happy to lick up that accident. Instead, a special wreckage crew has been sent to clean up the mess made by the leaking diesel fuel. Ah, nothing says “I Love You” quite like chocolate—or crashing and burning. [Chicago Sun Times]