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If you’re a Blackhawks fan and planning on going to the upcoming Blackhawks Convention – like me – then last weekend was like Christmas for you. Convention passes and welcome letters were sent out to the delight of fans across Chicagoland. July 20th – 22nd the Hilton Chicago will become Blackhawks central; players & fans will flock to the iconic Chicago hotel for a weekend of hockey in the middle of summer – it’s quite a sight! This marks the 5th year of the convention and as in years past, it has completely sold out – unless you’re willing to go on StubHub. It’s no surprise this event is so popular. I went to my first convention last year and if you’re a fan of the Hawks, it’s something you NEED to go to.

Wigs, gaudy makeup, beads, crazy costumes and...don’t forget the rainbows. Chicago’s 43rd annual Gay Pride Parade is this Sunday at 12 pm! Show your support for our city’s vibrant LGBT community by lining the streets for one of the most popular parades in the city (and country!). It’s always a crazy event with people cheering the procession and enjoying the show, culture, and reveling in our city’s dazzling diversity!

CHICAGO – On February 26, co-hosts Richard Roeper & Billy Dec will hold their 2nd Annual Oscar Viewing Party. Guests will test their movie knowledge by putting their ballot predictions up against Richard and Billy for a chance to win fabulous prizes while hearing their commentary live throughout the telecast.

A lot of talk is given to fast food and the restaurants that are associated with the “eat on the go” movement. However, there is a shift taking place right here in Chicago which prides itself on moving at a slower pace - actually tasting your meal and knowing that it was prepared through sustainable means. Slow Food, a not-for-profit organization believes that “the food we eat should taste good and that our food should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health.” Additionally, Slow Food focuses on the producers, stating that they “should receive fair compensation for their work, and be treated with respect in their communities.”

What if my avatar literally came to life and spoke to people about a gigantic party to celebrate his 2nd birthday as the "person" behind all my social media platforms (facebook, twitter, blog..) that had been communicating with tens of thousands of people with similar interests for the last 2 years? And what if he explained in a really fun way that this huge party would benefit one of our favorite philanthropic missions, feeding people in need. Well, that was the crazy idea we came up with at Rockit Ranch Productions 6 months ago when we produced the attached video- we just never thought we would actually win awards for it!!??!

I woke up at 5am this morning for a BIG press day with Billy. We had to do 5 radio shows, a live tv show & a PSA all in 5 hours when he literally just stepped off a plane from France, Hungary, and Austria 12 hours prior. When he initially told me about how much press he wanted to do BEFORE he was live on Windy City Live- I thought it was absurd, but in all the time I have known him, I can say he pushes himself to work beyond what most people think is feasible. The main purpose behind all this press was to talk about two events that are the very important to him to support art & theatre in Chicago & raise scholarships for kids - The Madhatter's Ball & The Piven Theatre Gala.

This video of Jeremy Piven & I on set of HBO's "Entourage" is not only funny, but explains what kind of work we have been doing to raise money for children's art & theatre scholarships for about 10 years now- check it out (its from last season, so event info for this year is updated below!). Actors out of Chicago like John & Joan Cusack, Kate Walsh, Aidan Quinn… Have all benefited from the same classes (I'm giving away a classes below!) and have hosted the same events with us over the years (giving away some afterparty tix below!) and I look forward to seeing who will make it big out of there next!

Many who follow me on Twitter & Facebook ask me how I navigated my culinary research and development tour through South East Asia last month so I thought I would feature one of the companies that...

I laughed yesterday when I tweeted that I was going to be a guest talking about Social Media in Business on a new live show with Cardinal Francis George & Second City, knowing that immediately...

From dung beetles and rotten fish to fertilized duck eggs and brain tacos, we've watched Andrew Zimmern freak us out eating unthinkable things we didn’t even know existed on Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods!" But let me tell you from a personal relationship, he is far more than just able to shock & excite. He's worldly, intelligent, entertaining, magnetic, funny and well versed in all things culinary & culture- and I really think you should meet him while he is in town next week!