The Apiary

Hilarious and adorable feminist Sarah Haskins , with her latest "Target Women" effort, this one about the inanities of birth control advertising:

Chicago girl and Second City alum Bonnie Hunt is kicking off a new talk show:

Mini Babybel Cheese commercial, featuring Lauren Bishop :

"Finally, A True America!" (an imagined post-McCain White House 2012), by Keith Ecker and Josh Crank , featuring Nellie Huggins :

GayBalls - Episode 3, featuring Ben Seeder and Chris Lee :

We Rock the Games, "Friendly Conversations":

Russell Brand stole Mike Bridenstine 's joke? J/K. Or are we?

We recently sent some interview questions to refresh ourselves on the NYC comedy progress of Chicago native, funnyboy John Mulaney , including the ridiculous query "Anything else cool and exciting on the horizon?" We didn't hear back from him for awhile, but we forgive him because, oh yeah, last week he started as a writer on Saturday Night Live . Mulaney is an improbable 25 years old, and, to echo the general consensus when Chicago-trained Matt Braunger got hired as a performer on MADtv , it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Attention DIY video moguls. Make your own original content? Spend hours uploading it you YouTube, Revver, MySpace, Vimeo, etc.? Save yourself some time and hassle by signing up at Tube Mogul .You can upload a single video to as many as 15 sites (YouTube, MySpace, Revver, Vimeo) all at once! You're welcome.

Chicago is the #5 hardest drinking city in America, according to a somewhat spurious study reported in Forbes Magazine . Ahead of us? In order, Austin TX, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Providence, RI. Does anyone else feel a challenge coming on?

Gapers Block's biggest comedy fan, Ramsin Canon , has interviewed Dan Telfer on Gapers Block's Arts and Culture site, in which Telfer discusses tomorrow night's The Office spec script reading at the Lakeshore Theater. Telfer has cast a killer lineup of Chicago comedy talent for his reading, including Rob Janas, Paul Luikart, Leslie Frame, Jamie Buell, Erica Reid, Sean Flannery, Hannibal Buress, Caitlin Savage, Crescent Prah, Kelsie Huff, Chris Walsh, and Todd Edwards, whose own spec script will be read before Telfer's, at 7:00.

- Elizabeth McQuern

Going away show for superfan Angel Busque at the Lincoln Lodge Saturday, August 23, pix by Bryan Bowden .

In from New York, Jared Logan:

Visiting from Los Angeles, host Bradley Fojas:

Also flying in from L.A. just for the occasion, Renee Gauthier:

Bronzeville Coffee House open mic, pix by BB .

See your photos here! We can't be everywhere. Do you have a Flickr account? Are you taking pictures at Chicago comedy shows? Add them to the the Bastion Flickr pool or email us here. Links are preferred to pictures. Thanks!

Goodness! Some crazy things happening this weekend, folks. First though, here are some fun links and mentions of a few of our friends:

Sean McCarthy scoops us yet again with this interview with John Mulaney (*shakes fist*).

McCarthy also spotted the Refugee Girls flyering outside of a NYC American Girl Store . The Refugee Girls Revue is currently being staged in NYC, following Jena Friedman 's recent move.

As for shows, tonight at 9 p.m. is Fourth Fridays at Town Hall Pub , always a rollicking good time. As a special treat, this show will be followed by a dance party featuring Chromeo 's latest album, "Fancy Footwork". YES!!!

Tonight is also the first night of a two-night stay for 5 Funny Females at the Lakeshore Theater . They've also asked "5 Funny Fags" to join them on this tour; for the Chicago dates they've scooped up our very own Bill Cruz .

Feel like really getting cozy at the Lakeshore tonight or tomorrow? Then prior to 5 Funny Females, check out the Comedians You Should Know , who are having their own show at the Lakeshore at 7:30 p.m.

Feel like going to a more intimate space tonight or tomorrow? Well, lucky for you, Ken Barnard is staging his one-man show again, this time at the Apollo Theater , 8 p.m. If you missed it the first time, do NOT miss it now!

Local rockers Lola Balatro will be celebrating their birthday tomorrow night at the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival , and will rock out the Red Line Tap Sunday night. Get on it!

And finally (as if this weren't enough to choose from), tomorrow night, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. the Lincoln Restaurant (4008 N. Lincoln Ave.) will host a blow-out goodbye show/benefit fundraiser for Angel Busque . Angel is best known in the stand-up comedy community as a "superfan", having been to countless stand-up shows and open mics over the last several years. After ten years of living in Chicago, she is moving back to Michigan because of health issues related to the autoimmune disease lupus. She wanted to celebrate her time and friends in Chicago with a giant send-off show, and she got it. Eleven performers (including a magician!), tons of great raffle swag, and a follow-up karaoke night at the Hidden Cove -- how better to say goodbye!? Our friend Ramsin Canon at Gapers Block wrote a nice little blurb about the show today , too. Click the link below for more details on the show. Disclosure: The author of this post lives with Angel, and helped produce this show. So there.

-- Kristy Mangel

Chicago Comedy Series photos, by Elizabeth McQuern:

Your Sunday Best at Schubas, photos by Bryan Bowden:

See your photos here! We can't be everywhere. Do you have a Flickr account? Are you taking pictures at Chicago comedy shows? Add them to the the Bastion Flickr pool or email us here. Links are preferred to pictures. Thanks!