Last night, Music Box general manager Dave Jennings delivered awful news to a nearly sold-out crowd. Due to cracks in the audio discs that had arrived with the evening's 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the showing would have to be canceled.

This wasn't the fault of celluloid, Jennings emphasized, but a technology invented in the early '90s. As compensation, the theater—handling the situation extremely well—ran a free digital screening of Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise. But one scotched showtime wasn't the end of the bad news. Jennings said unless the Music Box could track down functioning audio for 2001 in the next 24 hours (which seemed unlikely, given that it might have to be shipped), the Saturday screening would have to be canceled as well.

And then, at 5:30pm today, the Music Box tweeted that it was "very, very very pleased" to announce tonight's 9pm screening would proceed as scheduled. Exchanging my ticket about an hour ago, I bumped into head projectionist Doug McLaren (who'd run down for a quick coffee during the screening of Lord Jim) and projection specialist Justin Dennis, who had recalibrated the Music Box's equipment specifically for the 70mm festival. I proceeded to grill them on how they pulled it off.

Here, as succinctly as possible, is why last night's screening was canceled—and why, assuming everything goes to plan, you should give anyone who works at the Music Box a very firm handshake tonight.

Valentine's Day may be the occasion on many Chicagoans' minds, but February's also a time to show some love for African-American heritage. Skip the roses and chocolate and head to your local library for lectures, crafts and storytelling events celebrating black culture in the United States.

The Chicago Public Library hosts activites almost every day across its many branches. Greater Grand Crossing Library (1000 E 73rd St) offers "Exploring African American History and Genealogy" on Saturday, February 16, at 10am. Trace your family tree through CPL's database and learn how the research system works.

You can take a more hands-on approach at Jefferey Manor Library's (2401 E 100th St) African mask-painting activity on February 21 at 4:30pm. Later that evening, join the South Side's very own Renaissance Man, Lowell Thompson—an artist, author, historian and adversiting guru—at Sulzer Regional Library (4455 N Lincoln Ave). Thompson will read from his latest book, African Americans in Chicago, which chronicles the lives of local legends, from Jean Baptiste Point DuSable to Barack Obama. 

The Harold Washington Library Center (400 S State St) is home to two major exhibits coinciding with African-American History Month. "Chicago's Got Soul Second To None" includes memorabilia and historical information about Chicago's signature 1960s sound through February 28. Meanwhile, "Called to Challenge: The Legacy of Harold Washington" pays tribute to the Windy City's first black mayor, the library's reformer namesake. 

Or, guide your own journey through history at the independent Newberry Library (60 W Walton St). Artifacts include a love letter from Missouri slave Washington Hall to his wife, who left him to move to Illinois with her former master once freed.

More than 1,000 vehicles are on display for this year's auto show at McCormick Place. Chicago's first official auto show was held in 1901. While the vehicles have become a lot cooler, tickets are now more than 50 cents (they're $12). This year's show has a range of cars on display—everything from concept cars to hybrid vehicles, this year's major feature. There are also plenty of accessories to look at, along with auto-related exhibits. The show is here until February 18. 

According to this post on Atlantic Cities, which comes via online real estate site Trulia, Greek Town and Old Town are among the best neighborhoods to find love nationally. The Chicago nabes are number 3, behind Los Angeles and New York, per usual. But before you consider relocation, know this: The information used to come to this analysis is based solely on which neighborhoods have the highest ratios of men to women (Greektown) and women to men (Old Town) living alone.

So make of this what you will.