With visions of sugar plum fairies dancing through their heads, the -Ists began to get into that holiday mood. Well, some did. Austinist wasn’t as the NY Times dissed them and a local Tex-Mex institution sold out. Making them feel better was music, sweet music and the local theater getting name checked on “Heroes” Chicagoist tried to wrap their heads around a religious movie being banned from a Christmas themed park. To wash that…

Hill rats, keep your eyes open: NBC 4 is reporting that Jessica Simpson, post-Nick Lachey, is over on the Hill today. The NBC story even has a supplemental “Jessica though the years” photo slideshow album. Simpson is in town representing Operation Smile, for which she serves as its International Youth Ambassador. The organization does good deeds in third-world countries by treating children and young adults with facial deformities like cleft lips and cleft palates. Three…