Twitter

In a national election, the buzz was in Chicago. As 31 million election-related hashtags flew through the short messaging service on election night, mentions of “Chicago” reached a monthly peak, according to a Twitter spokesperson. It's no wonder, for a full hour last night, the service saw 9,965 tweets per second being sent out among its users, as well as the most retweeted message in history: a photo of Michelle and Barack hugging with the words “four more years” sent by @BarackObama himself.

It's hard to keep up with everything floating around about Twitter, Facebook and the like. We know. So here are a few social media noteables to keep tabs on this week. Twitter music app -- nope, still not out The new music community app from Twitter launched exclusively to music "influencers"--like Ryan Seacrest? OK ... -- last week on an invite-only basis, and, so far, it sounds promising. According to tech bloggers who have tried it, Twitter Music will have both a web interface and a downloadable app; integrate with YouTube and Vevo; pull in tracks from Spotify, iTunes, Rdio and...

I would like to send out a quick thank you note to the Chicago Blackhawks. For two things. The first is for coming back and giving us some hockey, helping us through the winter malaise. Secondly, for inadvertently inventing a much needed cure for winter sports. Ladies and gentlemen, the 48-game season. It's the perfect compliment to our ADD-riddled, hyperactive, social media culture. It's the Twitter of sports seasons. And you love it. Here's why: Everything we need to know, we can find out in 48 games.

I've always wondered what might happen to me after I die. As a semi-avid churchgoer in my youth, I always thought I'd end up in one of two places: a fluffy permanent vacation called heaven or an interminable nightmare-infested hell. These were the only two options, and as far as I was concerned, neither allowed me (or any other dead people) regular visits back to Earth to say "hey" or "wassup" to family and friends. That is to say, once you died, you were dead. Case closed. Until now. Thanks to LivesOn , a new app that lets you continue tweeting from beyond the grave, your voice - er, your...

Got a lot you want to get off of your chest? We can help you funnel that energy of yours into something productive--RedEye's first Twitter chat! This week, we're experimenting with a live discussion via Twitter on a specific topic you would normally see covered in RedEye. It could be focused on sports, the CTA, neighborhood news, local government, dining and nightlife, entertainment--you get the point. The best part? You get to pick the topic. Here's how it works: Vote for your topic of choice in the poll to the left (see below for details on the topics)

The deaths of disco legends Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and Donna Summer brought out the best of society on social media. Just kidding - Twitter users even managed to rewrite history by declaring that Donna Summer sang “I Will Survive.” And then didn't survive. Should there be an understood system of etiquette for Twitter when celebrities die? We say yes, and so do a few of our readers on Facebook and Twitter . Here are a few tips, paired with some reader gripes, for our ongoing “How not to Behave Like a Jerk on Social...

Robbie Gould is the NFL's fifth most accurate kicker of all time, an avid tweeter and host of the Chicago Bears Network's "The Final Horn. " RedEye chatted with him about Twitter and his newfound enjoyment as a member of the media. I want to talk about Twitter. Start me off - why did you get on? Well, I think it's a great opportunity to get involved with your fans and have a direct connection with them in an immediate fashion. I got Twitter to answer questions that fans may have and to just interact with fans as best as...

Looking for a tried-and-true spot to grab an order? Check out one of these staff or reader favorites: Sedgwick's Bar & Grill - Chanel_Robinson via Twitter 1935 N. Sedgwick St. 312-337-7900 Wings Around the World - Ernest Wilkins, RedEye 510 E. 75th St. 773-483-9120 The Fifty/50 - JoePayawal via Twitter 2047 W. Division St. 773-489-5050 Crisp - Jessica Cantarelli, RedEye...

Is Pearl Jam coming to Wrigley Field? Early Tuesday, the band posted a vague update on its official website, telling fans to #staytuned and follow along on Twitter. Not long after, the Chicago Cubs' official Twitter handle chimed in with the hashtag. @cubs: Ten.  #StayTuned   pic.twitter.com/eFXYXDGI . The photo linked in the tweet was to Ron Santo's jersey, also the number 10, as Cubs news site Bleacher Nation first pointed out. Depending on how much you believe in coincidence, "Ten" is also the title of Pearl Jam's first album.

Leave your answers in the comment section. You might score an invite to appear in RedEye.   1. How'll the Bulls celebrate when they finish their back-to-back-to-back games? 2. When Jonathan Toews got hit in the head with a puck Tuesday, you … 3. The Cubs GM said a Matt Garza trade isn't imminent. Translate. 4. College football bigwigs are talking postseason changes. What'll they come up with? 5. Why did Floyd Mayweather call Manny Pacquiao a “punk” on Twitter?

Hip-hop and food are not strangers to each other--in fact the opulence and eccentricities of rap music has often lended itself well to cuisine. From Common's classic single, "The Food," to Kanye's classic snark, "What she order?/Fish filet," Chicago rappers have shown a penchant for both the gourmet and the grimy, and, of course, we now have a Tumblr to bring some of it together. This Here's Overrated, But I Love Your City, Baby is a new Tumblr that calls itself "A Rap Video-Based Guide to Eating in Chicago.

This Sunday is the Oscars, and in preperation you should listen to my appearance on "The Winners and Losers Podcast" with Chicago comedians Hank Thompson and Jeff Steinbrunner right here .  We talk "Django," "Zero Dark," "Argo," "Silver Linings," "Beasts," and all the rest. We make predictions and bitch about what deserves to win. Offensive comments are made. Larger social and political contexts are explored. Everyone gets laid at the end. Also, if you're watching the broadcast on Sunday and have the Twitter nearby, I will be making...

Chicago may have just awarded its first on-board cooking license to The Salsa Truck last week, but the city still has a ways to go before it sees a vibrant truck scene like the ones that can be found in cities like New York or L.A. Luckily, the University of Chicago has its own thriving mini-food truck scene, thanks to a stretch of road near the school on Ellis Avenue and University Avenue between 57th and 58th Streets--and the power of Twitter....

Who knew taking a nap on a long flight could be so nerve-racking? It is when you're a pro athlete and your teammates have a smartphone handy. Having fun at your friends' expense and sharing your personality are social media staples, and they're catching on in the Bulls locker room. The Twitter and Instagram accounts of Nate Robinson and Carlos Boozer are particularly entertaining. Off the court, "Booz" is one of the more affable guys on the team, and his Internet presence is a reflection of that, even though it took him some time to get into social...

Is Pearl Jam coming to Wrigley Field? Early Tuesday, the band posted a vague update on its official website, telling fans to #staytuned and follow along on Twitter. Not long after, the Chicago Cubs' official Twitter handle chimed in with the hashtag. @cubs: Ten.  #StayTuned   pic.twitter.com/eFXYXDGI . The photo linked in the tweet was to Ron Santo's jersey, also the number 10, as Cubs news site Bleacher Nation first pointed out. Depending on how much you believe in coincidence, "Ten" is also the title of Pearl Jam's first album.

Sure, two games out of 48 is a small sample size. But as the Blackhawks prepare for Tuesday's home opener vs. St. Louis, we've got enough to evaluate a few of the interesting developments so far. Here are the chances that ...   Brandon Bollig has the best Twitter feed on the team: 50 percent From where he eats to players he fights with to interacting with followers, Bollig has a lot to say. He'll get a run for his money from...

Kristin Cavallari announced today on Twitter that she and Jay Cutler are officially engaged...again. She tweeted, "This time its official..Jay and I are engaged again :)" The couple originally got engaged in April after dating for seven months. Cutler called off the wedding in July, but the couple started to revive their romance a couple months later.

In a Monday phone interview with NBC's Bob Costas, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky denied claims that he's a pedophile . Though Sandusky was staunch in his innocence,  the interview left some viewers skeptical, to say the least. Here are some reactions circulating the web today:    "At the very least, he confirmed to viewers that he exhibits inappropriate behavior around young boys. In hearing the way he spoke and sounded, I was left with a creepy feeling about him and I'm sure I'm not alone," Mark Paul, Yahoo News   "Jerry Sandusky's bizarre...

The last time my paths crossed with William Shatner , he was drowning my Jean-Luc Picard action figure . (Well, it wasn't really mine, but he thought it was.) In my experience, Mr. Shatner just loves to have fun with science fiction fans, often needling and trying to get a rise out of them. I mean, just look at the "war" he had with Carrie Fisher over which was the superior franchise "Star Trek" or "Star Wars. " Now, it appears that Captain James Tiberius Kirk is now taking a shot at another famed series, Doctor Who . It all went down today on Twitter when Mr. Shatner...

Ashvin Lad knows exactly how it happened: He was leaving a Cubs game in Wrigleyville and he was hungry, so he tweeted that he was on his way to Dimo's Pizza. When he got there, there was a slice waiting for him out on the counter. “That was when I fell in love with Dimo's,” Lad said. The good news is, the feeling seems to be mutual. Dimo's has been selecting a “Crustomer of the month” every month since it opened, and Lad is January's--but they're also doing something else to celebrate Lad's devotion to Dimo's: They're naming a pizza for him....