The news event of the week: since last Tuesday, Egyptians unhappy with their authoritative government have taken to the streets in protest. Inspired by the week prior’s events in Tunisia, the protesters are calling for the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the in-statement of a democratic government. So far, though, American politicians have remained pretty quiet on their stance on the week’s riots. A well-known Egyptian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mohamed ElBaradei, even said that the U.S. appears to be “lending support to a dictator,” which is, of course, never a good thing. On Friday, the Internet in Egypt went dark, a response to the key organizing role the web has played.

On Tuesday night, President Obama delivered his second State of the Union address. If you know three words from his speech, know these: win the future. He mostly discussed how to make the U.S. competitive again as we become less and less of the superpower we once were. For a more complete summary of and response to the speech, read this. The more notable thing about the night was the bi-partisan seating arrangement of the audience. Usually, Congress sits exactly divided: Republicans on one side, Democrats on the other. This year, they were all mixed up, with politicians scrambling for the choicest seats much like high schoolers in a lunchroom. The power pair of the night may have been John Kerry (D- MA) and John McCain (R- AZ), chummily sitting side-by-side. Oh, and there was some not-that-funny joke about salmon.

A suicide bomber set off a deadly blast at an airport in Moscow, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100. The explosion happened last Monday, and the details as to who the bomber was and what his motivations were are as of yet unclear, though there have been reports that he was linked to a terrorist camp in Pakistan. The incident has made many anxious about airport security (more so than they already were); apparently, the bomber walked right through deactivated metal detectors to enter the arrivals section of Russia’s busiest airport.

Rahm Emanuel was taken off, then put back on, the ballot for Chicago’s mayoral election. Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff, stepped down from his position at the White House in order to run for mayor in his hometown. He is famous for his dirty, dirty mouth; some choice quotes include referring to D.C. as “f**knutsville” (creative, at the very least) and saying of the Obama’s un house-trained dog, Bo, “I’m going to kill that f**king dog” (awww, poor puppy!). He was thrown off the ballot because he was not a Chicago resident while working in D.C., but the Illinois Supreme Court overturned that ruling on Thursday, deciding he did meet the rules of residency. Watch out, Chicago!

Is he your Someday Guy?

Today I got a phone call that made my day. You know those amazing friends you have, the ones where no matter what happens or how long you go without talking, it is still amazing to hear from them and it seems like no time has passed? Well, while entertaining a friend who is in town for the weekend, I was navigating the streets of Chicago in a borrowed car, swerving through construction, SOO thrilled to see my friend that I could barely focus on the roads, and also trying to find the quickest route to Molly’s Cupcakes (you know that was a necessary first stop!).

In the middle of all this chaos, my phone blared some Lady Gaga (really need to change that ring tone, it keeps scaring me…) and I hit to ignore it, but when I saw the name on the screen, I just couldn’t. It was one of my best guy friends from high school, we’ll call him Charlie. We usually stay in really good touch, but I hadn’t talked to him in more than a month. I was so thrilled to hear from him that I ignored the Illinois laws against driving while talking on the phone to take his call.

I only talked to Charlie for a minute, just long enough for him to talk me into going home to visit him, but when I hung up with him, apologizing to Liz, she just smiled at me with this knowing smirk that only old friends can have.

“So… Who was that?”

I explained to her how Charlie and I had been co-presidents of a club together, great friends, just really similar ambitions with what we want to do with our lives, blah, blah, blah. I went on about how Charlie and I had never dated and how he had a crush on me for a year, but I was always dating someone else. But when I was explaining this to Liz, who has never met him, she just laughed and said, “Oh, you haven’t dated him yet, but someday you will.”

While I laughed at the certainty of her reaction, I was trying to place why her words sounded familiar. I realized that a re-run of Cougar Town (If you haven’t seen that hilarious show yet, ch131.com it NOW)  had talked intensively about the idea of a ‘someday person’ – that person that you have a special relationship with now and whom someday you could see yourself being with when the circumstances line up right. The show dealt with it all in typical sitcom fashion, but the more that Liz and I talked about the idea of a ‘someday guy’ (over a few cookie dough-filled cupcakes, of course), the more I came to like the idea.

After a hard week for this single girl last week, with the flashbacks to my own rough break up, it’s good to have a vague hope that while things might not be swinging my way right now, someday they will. And maybe when that day comes, it will be with someone I already know and love. Maybe now isn’t my time. Maybe I’m not ready for something serious at the moment. Maybe this is fate’s way of telling me there are more important things for me to focus on right now. Just knowing that there’s more coming my way down the road makes me feel a little more optimistic about it all. (Though that could just be the sugar talking…)

Sometimes, single at nineteen, I feel so jaded about men as a whole. But I don’t want to be so cynical. I’m young, I have great friends and life is really good for me. I know it sounds crazy, but thinking of my Someday Guy puts me at ease and gives me a chance to focus on all the good stuff instead of constantly focusing on finding my Right Now Guy.

So this week’s single girl’s toast goes out to Charlie, and all of those someday guys everywhere. May we find each other soon, when the timing is right. But until then, let’s just enjoy what we’ve got, K?

[You got a big, bad internship this summer? Living in a big, bad city? Not a clue what to do? CollegeCandy's got you covered. We've got ladies in all pockets of the U.S.A. and we're gonna be your private guides to the biggest internship destination cities around: New York, Chicago, D.C. and Los Angeles. If you're looking for the best place for a deal, the best weekend excursion, or best bars to drink (with a fake), stick with us.]

Welcome to Chicago! Summer in this city is quite possibly the most wonderful thing in the world (not like I’m biased…). I’m here to help you navigate Frank Sinatra’s kind of town like a pro and not a tourist. Because while going to look down from the top of the Sears Tower (don’t even think about calling it the Willis Tower) Sky Deck is a touristy essential, Chicago has so much more than just Michigan Ave and Navy Pier to explore.

And a lot of it is very tasty food. Nom nom nom.

Best Cupcakes: Molly’s Cupcakes has hands down the best cupcakes in the city. Right between the Fullerton and Belmont Red line stops, Molly’s can be a bit of a walk but is SO worth it. Everything there is delicious, but their Cookie Monster cupcake is my personal favorite. It is a cupcake FILLED with cookie dough! Plus, Molly’s also has the cutest decor with swings as seats, board games to play, and is open until midnight on the weekends.

Best Chicago Style Pizza: Although this is a very controversial topic, Giordano’s is my personal favorite. And if you go to a location that isn’t in the heart of downtown, you’ll avoid the crazy crowds and long waits.

Best place for a drink Cesar’s Mexican Restaurant is known for their killer margaritas (which, I might add, were named that for a reason). One mega margarita is enough to get me drunk, but for non lightweights, you can upgrade to a jumbo for only $1 more. And the Mexican food isn’t bad either, though everything tastes better after a jumbo mango marg.

Best bar hopping neighborhood: Wrigleyville is hands down the place to go. There are so many bars that if one is dead (or maybe questions your ID), you can just head to the one next door. Bars around both the DePaul and Loyola areas are pretty lax on IDs as well…. not that I’m condoning that!

Best Late Night Food: Wiener’s Circle in Lincoln Park. You can get Chicago hot dogs, burgers, fries and more, all served up with a side of major sass from the infamous employees. Just don’t ask for a chocolate milkshake… it is NOT what you think it is.

If you’re not near this Chicago institution, try Ian’s Pizza in Wrigleyville (a University of Wisconsin favorite that boasts Mac & Cheese pizza, S’more pizza and more!).

Hit the Beach: Most people don’t know it, but Chicago is a major beach town in the summer. If you’ve got a need for some sun and sand, head to North Ave. Beach. The crowds can be a little overwhelming, but the people watching, view of the Chicago skyline, and hundreds of open volleyball courts are worth the fight for towel space. Plus, Castaways, an awesome restaurant/bar that looks like a giant ship, is only steps away from the water.

Chicago Freebies: One of the biggest reasons to love Chicago is the variety of totally free, totally awesome activities that are always going on. Did you know the Lincoln Park Zoo is 100% free? Just walk right in and enjoy the cuteness. For those of you looking to stay in shape this summer (not me), Millennium Park offers free workouts every Saturday, including everything from cardio to, my personal favorite, Pilates.

If you want to get some culture, head back to Millennium Park for their free concerts on Monday and Wednesday nights. You can even bring food and wine to make it a truly classy event. Thursday nights at the Chicago Art Institute and Tuesday nights at the Museum of Contemporary Art are also free. And both the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum have free days during the summer as well! And if you want a fun weeknight activity that is quintissentially Chicago, check out the Navy Pier fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10 pm.

Looking for some new threads? You could head down to the Magnificent Mile for your fill of your everyday stores, but if you want something a little different (and a lot less touristy), try the adorable and affordable boutiques lining Belmont and Clark, or haul your ass over to Wicker Park to peruse their more upscale shops. Just remember, the sales tax here is right around 10%, so be prepared for the inflated prices!

Major Musts:
Cubs game, duh. Wrigley Field is one of the only original baseball fields left in the country and even if you don’t like baseball, spending a day in the sun sipping beers and eating hot dogs is totally worth the cost of a bleacher seat.

Chicago takes its architecture pretty seriously and they should – there’s a lot of beauty in this town. Check it all out on the Architecture Boat Tour. It’s only $22 and gives you a chance to cruise the Chicago River while learning all about the city’s exciting history. OK, so it doesn’t sound that interesting, but I promise you it is awesome.

And don’t forget to make some time for a Second City comedy show. Some of comedy’s biggest stars got their start on that very stage and after a long day of interning, you’ll appreciate a night of laughing until you pee.

Everyone has different highlights on their personal tour of Chicago, so these are just a few of mine. Take the time to explore the different neighborhoods yourself and comment with other places that I’ve missed!

An earthquake? In Illinois?!

It’s a miracle MJ didn’t die sooner.

Make your legs look longer. Like, way long.

Google goes couture?

Calgary students protest tuition hike…naked.

What makes people on the Internet so angry?!

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it a really embarassing fart story). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

It’s no secret that we CC’ers are addicted to Top Chef. Probably because it gives us hope that one day, we too, will be able do more in the kitchen than microwave a Smart Ones meal and pull out a Skinny Cow from the freezer for dessert. So imagine how excited we were when we got to chat with Top Chef winner (and fan favorite!) Stephanie Izard.

Her personality is adorable, her talent is indisputable and – bottom line – the woman knows how to cook. Even her pork recipes make me salivate and I’m Jewish! I don’t even eat pork! But this Top Chef makes me seriously think that maybe I should.

She was kind enough to share a recipe for all of us to get us out of our Ramen Ruts (below); for more recipes and info on Steph (she twitters!) check out her website:

And for those lucky enough to live in Chicago (ME!) look out for her restaurant The Drunken Goat in the fall.

5 Questions We Ask Everyone:

1. What is your most hysterical or ridiculous college memory, or the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?

I ran naked, with my body painted with Michigan stuff, for the naked mile my senior year. Then saw a clip of myself on the internet a couple weeks later.

2. What are five things you can’t live without?

My recipe notebook, A down comforter, good wine, friends, my sister.

2.5. And we have to ask just for you – what are 5 kitchen ingredients/tools you can’t live without?

A Blender, my knife, pork products, garlic, kosher salt.

3. What’s your motto or the advice that you live by?

Work hard, play hard.

4. What is your favorite song to belt out at the bar?

U B Illin by Run DMC. I know all the words.

In the car?

Alicia Keys.

At karaoke?

9 to 5. Dolly Parton.

5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still having fun!

5 Questions Just for Chef Stephanie Izard:

1. What is your favorite dish to make and what is your favorite food to have someone else make for you?

My favorite to make is any sort of scallop dish. To be made for me–anything! I like when other people cook for me!

2. What’s the easiest recipe that every college girl can make no matter how kitchen challanged she is? And what was your go to dish in college that you made for yourself? Ramen is a good place to start! (If you want more of a challenge see the recipe she provided below or her website for more ideas.) Baked potato with broccoli and cheddar was my go-to dish in college.

3. What behind-the-scenes secret can you tell us about Top-Chef?

Tom [Callichio] is pretty cute in person.

4. When did you realize you that this was your passion? And do you have any passions outside of cooking?

When I was really young – around 8 or 9. Scuba and traveling are my other passions.

5. What is your biggest culinary guilty pleasure, something that other chefs would maybe frown upon?

Laughing Cow cheese

Stephanie’s Recipe for Apple Pork Ragu:

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 pound ground pork

2 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 15-ounce can of organic whole peeled tomatoes, smashed, cut or squeezed by hand

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Time to Cook!

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 5-7 minutes.  As the pork browns, break it into smaller pieces with a spoon. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepot over medium heat, lightly brown the bacon pieces. Add the onions and garlic and sweat them (cook them down) for two minutes. Add the apples and wine and simmer until wine is reduced by three-quarters.

3. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and the browned pork and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

4. Add capers and basil just before serving. Season the ragù with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

I’ve had the pleasure to write a handful of College Candy’s Guys We Wanna Eff, and as a red-blooded twentysomething female it’s certainly not a difficult task to write about the hottest male stars. But I have to preface the ode to this week’s man of honor by saying I would trade in a year’s worth of paychecks and possibly Spring Break for one night with Rahm Emanuel. He takes the number-one spot on my Eff List. That’s right, I said it!

While Joe Biden (who, may I say, looks A-OK for a man of 66) is technically second-in-command behind President Obama, Rahm Emanuel occupies what many call “the second most powerful job in Washington” as the White House Chief of Staff. The position labels him as the highest-ranking officer of the Executive Branch (after the President), as well as Obama’s senior advisor. Before joining the new administration, Emanuel was a Congressman representing Chicago in the House of Representatives. Now, what woman doesn’t want to eff a man in power?

“Rahmbo” isn’t just a stiff politician, however. Did you know he studied ballet throughout childhood and college? Totally true; his mom still wishes he were a dancer! He followed his career in dance with a short stint as a civilian volunteer for the Israeli Defence Forces, and his brother Ari is the inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s character on Entourage. The man gets around–in a good way!

But it’s his feisty personality that really gets me going. He is known among politicos as “The Enforcer” for his ability to get things done. His way. Rahm once mailed a dead fish to a pollster he didn’t quite get along with back in the day–how’s that for teaching others not to eff with him? (Effing me, however, is a different story.)

To me, Rahm is one sharp-shooting silver fox who’s had me begging for a little effing action ever since I saw his dark bedroom eyes and wry, snarky grin. Oh, and I can’t help but love a man with a dirty mouth. He was once quoted as saying, “‘Rahm’ …roughly translated from Hebrew, means ‘go screw yourself.’” (Can I get your help with that?)

But to recap, the man’s a dancer (read: he’s flexible), he has megawatt connections to Hollywood (via his bro, Ari) as well as everyone in politics, he’s a smart-alec success who still can pull off frat-boy pranks (dead fish!) with pizzazz. In the words of Rahm, what more could you effing want?

The Midwest is covered in snow that just won’ quit!

Deep Throat has died.

Is Oprah moving to D.C.?

Soothe that winter skin.

A refreshing holiday wish list that we should all consider.

Jeremy Piven needs to lay off the sushi.

Donald Trump: the richest re-gifter in the U.S.

Who knew snowmen could be so scary?

Fun little gift ideas to make everyone smile.

The perfect cold weather foods. Mmmm.

I thought I was watching Chicago, but instead I was tuned in to MSNBC. It’s a story that journalists are calling “jaw-dropping,” “shocking,” and “appalling.”

Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevic was arrested this morning by federal authorities on charges of corruption. He has allegedly been attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat to the highest bidder. The US Attorney’s office in Illinois released an affadavit this morning claiming that Gov. Blagojevic was overheard on wiretaps attempting to “sell or trade” the former senator’s seat in Congress for “personal” benefits. Both he and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were indicted this morning and are expected back in federal court later this afternoon.

In addition to allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat, Blagojevic is accused of witholding state aid from The Tribune Company (which filed for bankruptcy yesterday), until the Chicago Tribune agreed to fire staff members who had been critical of him in the past. Sha-dy.

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced at a press conference that Gov. Blagojevic’s actions have begotten “a new low” in politics, and “[His] conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Yeowza!

The allegations come on the heels of the aforementioned bankruptcy of one of the premeire media companies in the United States. As an ironic twist of fate, running against the famously corrupt image of Illinois politics was a prominent platform issue of Blagojevic when he was running for governor. If convicted, Blagojevic would be the second Illinois governor in two years (and fourth all-time) to be imprisoned for a crime, after former Governor George Ryan was sent to jail in 2006 for racketeering. In the meantime, several prominent Illinois politicians and authorities are calling for a special election to fill Obama’s Senate seat, so as to minimize the corruption of the position.

Bankruptcy, corruption, press, courts, Chicago, and all that jazz.

They’re trooping off to the polls in the biting November chill, snug in their Uggs and North Faces zipped to the collars. They’re waking up too early and standing around in long lines for something that isn’t free food. They’re American college students, and they are voting.

Smell that? That’s the smell of freedom. Also, American college students don’t shower much.

Are you with them – or are you against them? Political nihilists beware: the jaded, “The-electoral-college-it’s-a-broken-system-f**k-I’m-moving-to-the-Moon” attitude won’t get you anywhere this year, because cynicism is out and passion is in! If it’s such a big stick up your ass, go vote for Bob Barr or something. If he’s not on the ballot, write-in “John from College Candy.” But please, do go and vote.

And what about this evening? You probably don’t have anything important to do while you watch poll results stream in, and “Nation’s First Black President” or “Nation’s First Woman Vice President” are both perfectly acceptable reasons to skip all your classes tomorrow. This means you should drink!

2008 United States Presidential Election Drinking Game

(As always, replace “chug” with “shot” if that’s how you roll.)

- Drink after you vote – you’ve earned it! (Not before, please.)

- Prepare red and blue drinks (Red – Sex on the Beach and… blue? I don’t know, straight Blue Curacao?) and drink from one or the other whenever a state gets called for the respective party.

- Chug every time a “swing state” (Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia) turns into a blowout for one side or the other.

- Drink every time Obama looks sassy and classy at his Chicago gala. Chug if he repeats his dance performance from his appearance on Ellen DeGeneres.

- Drink every time McCain gives anyone a thumbs-up or winks; chug if both.

- Drink any time anyone on the T.V. says “Joe;” chug if Sarah Palin says it.

- Drink whenever Tina Fey pops onto the TV, not including “30 Rock” commercials.

- Drink every time McCain styles himself an “underdog.”

- Drink every time Obama uses spiritual, religious or otherwise goofy metaphor to describe himself, his campaign or his supporters (“a mighty wind is at our backs,” for example).

- Drink every time a McCain supporter walks into the room (You’re on a college campus, they’re rare creatures)

- If you are a McCain supporter, chug whenever you get depressed about the election, which probably means “whenever results come in.” It’s going to be a long night for you, I’m afraid. You’ll probably want to forget the pain.

- If you’re an Obama supporter, meanwhile, drink and high-five someone every time you feel “pumped.”

- If you didn’t vote today, your punishment is drinking malt liquor alone in your room, a**hole.

- Drink every time a report of voter suppression rolls in. Ideally, you’re also drunk enough to stand up and start an angry chant about your god-damn f**king rights.

- Drink every time one of the candidates’ attack lawyers gets ready to sue.

- Drink every time a saccharine T.V. reporter gushes about the enormous passion of youth voters this year.

- Drink whenever someone cites the “Bradley effect” – or racism in general, for that matter.

- Drink every time you can give everyone a smarmy grin and say “Oh, yeah, I read about this on the Internet.”

- Finally, chug when we elect a new President of the United States of America! It’s history in the making – who wants to remember something like that?