3 things for Thursday, Chicago: Colbert's Super PAC / NEA doubts / Taste the green

1. COLBERT'S BREAKTHROUGH. The Federal Election Commission says Stephen Colbert can form a Super PAC, with power to spend unlimited money in the 2012 elections. The PAC's motto: "Making a better tomorrow ... tomorrow." (The Web site uses a comma, but the ellipsis is clearly funnier.)

2. 'MAYBE THE NEA HAS OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS.' Beachwood Reporter proprietor Steve Rhodes says a big chunk of $2.2 million in federal National Endowment for the Arts grants to Illinois benefits "elite institutions patronized mostly by elites." (Fourth item.)

3. BUT WOULDN'T CHICAGO BE A BETTER PLACE IF WE DID? Even though grease from Taste of Chicago will be recycled into fuel for park district vehicles, a spokeswoman says, "You probably won’t be smelling crab Rangoon or French fries out of a park district vehicle."

3 things for Wednesday, Chicago

1. WAY MADE FOR DUCKLINGS. One failed to make it safely across Lake Shore Drive, despite Good Samaritans' heroic efforts.

2. AT GOOGLE, APPLETHINK. Steven Levy's behind-the-scenes story of the new social-networking product, Google+ -- designed by one of the founding Apple software artists, Andy Herzfeld. (Thanks, John Gruber.)

3. GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC. Who's in?

3 things for Tuesday, Chicago

1. 'MORAL IDIOCY.' Michael Phillips calls "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" a work of "ineffable soullessness." But it's effably cool to see Chicago destroyed in the climax. (Note to New York Daily News headline writers: Could a movie be "mindless" and NOT have a "pointless plot"?

2. PERFECT NETFLIX COMPANION. What's old is new again: Ch. 11 and public TV stations nationwide will rebroadcast '70s and '80s episodes of Siskel and Ebert's "Sneak Previews."

3. MANY iPHONES? Apple may splinter the iPhone product line, just as it has with the iPod.

3 things for Monday, Chicago

1. SHARING: GOOD. A new book documents "The Power of Open" -- success stories from people and groups making their work freely available through Creative Commons licenses. Predictably, the book's available as a free download. (Thanks, David Kindler.)

2. DODGERS STRIKE OUT. The Los Angeles baseball team has filed for bankruptcy, blaming MLB and Fox.

3. BEYOND THE FLUX CAPACITOR. Renowned science fiction authors to deliver online Webinar on time travel. See also Chicago's Wormhole coffeehouse:

3 things for Sunday, Chicago

1. TORNADO TERROR. Neil Steinberg's gripping (OK, would you believe smart and funny?) account,

complete with son asking "whether we have ... insurance and is he the beneficiary."

2. WHY COLLEGE? Once again, Doonesbury foretells the future.

3. 'SCIENTIST MAKES POOP BURGER.' Onionlike Headlines in Real Life. (Thanks, Eric Zorn.)

3 things for Saturday, Chicago

1. TV JOURNALISM, ECONOMIZED. Chicago gets singled out in a report condemning "quietly merged newsrooms." P.S. Radio's part of the mix, too. P.P.S. Here's one case where sharing goes very, very wrong.

2. DROPOUTS, MTV WANTS YOU. Casting call held Friday in Lake County, Ill.

3. ARTIST DEFINED A GENERATION OF SUPER-HEROES. Gene Colan is dead. His art lives on.

3 things for Friday, Chicago

1. SMALLER TASTE = BETTER TASTE? How budget cuts might make this year's Taste of Chicago one of the best in years.

2. ALL SEATS ABOVE AVERAGE. Saturday afternoon, "A Prairie Home Companion" broadcasts live from Ravinia.

3. CITY COUNCIL FALLS TO NO. 2. A Near West Side space is now home to the Midwest's biggest circus training studio.

3 things for Thursday, Chicago

1. This (Dirty) American Life. Ira Glass goes medieval on those who would deny The Onion a Pulitzer. It deserved a Commentary prize for work like this after Sept. 11, 2001.

2. 2012, schmenty-12. No need to wait until next year for a bunch of worldly leaders to arrive in Chicago. A bunch of 'em will be here next week.

3. 'Harry Potter' mystery solved. Finally, the books go digital.

3 things for Tuesday, Chicago

1. Biden goofwatch -- Chicago edition -- begins this afternoon.

2. Roger Ebert tweets himself into controversy. (Thanks, Morning Memo.)

3. Which mobile-phone app do you use most? Please share below.

3 things for Monday, Chicago

1. THE LAST THING YOU READ BEFORE YOU'RE DOORED. A new specialty license plate reminding drivers to share the road with bicycles is in the works for Illinois.

2. WHAT'S NEXT? 'UNDER CLEANLINESS'? NBC's in hot water for omitting "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance during U.S. Open coverage. P.S. It's not NBC's first time.

3. CHICAGO TRANSFORMED. This captures the route and the feeling of the walk home from work Friday.

Boy ...

Those Facebook employment status changes really get a rise out of people.

Charlie Meyerson

... is available for lunch.

Will Penney's Genius Bar then help me figure out how to execute a factory reset on these jeans?

J.C. Penney picks Apple's retail chief to be its next CEO.

3 things, Chicago

'Real Housewives' cast sued by Chicago cop

'Flying fortress' plane crash in Chicago suburbs

What you need to know about the next iPhone/iPod/iPad operating system