Eleven City Diner

Eleven City Diner
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

It may read like a lukewarm review, but I do recommend Eleven City Diner. It's gonna become the new "it" brunch spot real fast.

Deep Thoughts by William Shatner

Sprinkler (shot 21)
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

"I'm not a Starfleet commander, or T.J. Hooker. I don't live on Starship NCC-170, or own a phaser. I don't know anybody named Bones, Sulu, or Spock. And no, I've never had green alien sex, but I'm sure it'd be quite an evening. I speak English and French, not Klingon! I drink Labatt's, not Romulan ale! And when someone says to me 'live long and prosper', I seriously mean it when I say, 'get a life'. My doctor's name is not McCoy, it's Ginsberg. And tribbles were puppets, not real animals. PUPPETS! And when I speak, I never, ever talk like Every. Word. Is. Its. Own. Sentence. I live in California, but I was raised in Montreal. And I believe in priceline.com, where you never have to pay full price for airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals! I've appeared onstage at Stratford, at Carnegie Hall, Albert Hall, and the Monkland Theatre in NDG. And, yes, I've gone where no man has gone before, but... I was in Mexico and her father gave me permission! My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!"

Shorts weather for a while.

Bridgeport Coffee House (shot 26)
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

Meet the little coffee house that can.

One Less Guest in the Empty Arms Hotel

Buck Owens, founder of the "Bakersfield sound" and the picking part of Hee Haw's "Pickin' and Grinnin", passes away at 76.

Bachelor Pad Royale

Do you think they give this away for free when you buy bad furniture from some store on Milwaukee Avenue? The name of the sculpture is "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston" and depicts Britney Spears buns-up-and-kneeling on a bearskin rug, with the posterior view depicting the crowning of Baby Sean.

The artist said that he was inspired by Spears' decision to place family over career - unlike her husband and his self-inflicted baby mama drama. Maybe he was also wanting to pay tribute to all those impending mothers who spend their entire third trimester on a diet of Funnyuns, Mello Yello, and Parliaments.

Comments About No Comments

Train Bridge
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

Michelle at Much Stuff last week wrote briefly of my policy regarding comments on this site with regards to wh she likes comments. As stated before, I don't utilize comments on this site for two reasons:

- if anyone wants to respond to one of my posts they can contact me directly
- it keeps the anonymous slagging from chickenshits to a minimum.

Luckily my spam filters work well or else I'd be inundated with offers of how I could "wake the sleeping giant in my pants." That said, to the handful of you who've contacted me in recent weeks to comment on the Seasoning: thank you. Particularly the kind words from WCIU's George Blaise regarding my Chicagoist work.

And to Michael: I know you'd like me to write more about jazz and blues, but you're gonna have to sift through the political rants to get there; I'm a frustrated borderline Marxist. Like Gil Scott-Heron said nearly forty years ago, the revolution will not be televised.

I also find Chicago blues to be the modern day equivalent to minstrel pandering.

Springtime My Ass!

Self-Portrait 1
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

So I've had my eye on these lenses for my digital camera at Central Camera downtown for a whjile. Today I took the plunge and bought the telephoto lens. Since the weather was all saggy tits today this is what I did to break it in. Not bad, eh?

Troofiness

I was just listening to the President spechify at the City Club of Cleveland on NPR. He hit the usual plot points - the Middle East will be better with Freedom; we're fighting terror over there so we don't have to fight it here; Americans are not cowards; we don't retreat; etc.

It made me think of some words that Vice President Cheney said yesterday, when asked if he would serve out his full second term (of course he will): "I didn't ask for this job (the vice-presidency). I didn't campaign for it. I got drafted."

Odd use of the word "draft" from a man who managed to wrangle five deferments for conscripted military service in Vietnam. A man who said that he didn't serve in Vietnam because he "had other priorities.

Maybe if we had elected him to go to Vietnam he would have served.

Sometimes Even The Most Vapid Among Us Can Surprise

From Reuters:

"Concerned about politicizing her favorite charity, singer-actress Jessica Simpson on Wednesday turned down a invitation to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush, a snub that left Republicans dismayed.

"The apparent final word that Simpson would be a no-show at a major Republican fund-raiser with Bush and congressional leaders on Thursday night came after a day of conflicting reports from her camp and organizers of the event.

"The blond star of the film 'The Dukes of Hazzard' still plans to visit Washington on Thursday to lobby members of Congress on behalf of Operation Smile, a non-profit venture offering free plastic surgery for disadvantaged children overseas with facial deformities.

"People close to Simpson said she declined a request to appear that same evening at the gala fund-raiser of the National Republican Congressional Committee -- even after she was offered some private face time with Bush -- because Operation Smile is a non-partisan group.

"'It just feels wrong,' one Simpson insider told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the actress keeps her political views private. 'She would love to meet the president and talk about Operation Smile ... but she can't do it at a fund-raiser for the Republican Party.'

"NRCC spokesman Carl Forti said he was surprised at Simpson's position.

"'It's never been a problem for Bono,' he said, referring to the U2 rock star who has met regularly with political leaders of all stripes to promote various causes, including Third World debt relief. 'I find it hard to believe she would pass up an opportunity to lobby the president on behalf of Operation Smile.'

"Although Simpson's publicists insisted she never had planned to attend the fund-raiser, Forti said the actress initially accepted the NRCC invitation when it was extended on Tuesday night, only to change her mind the next evening.

"Forti said the Republican group had even arranged for Simpson to dine at one of the head tables with U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. The NRCC hopes the $2,500-per-plate dinner event will raise $7.5 million for Republican candidates in the congressional midterm elections in November.

"Simpson, 25, a Texas native who started out singing in her church choir, became a star on the Christian music circuit as a teenager and crossed over to the pop mainstream with her major-label debut album 'Sweet Kisses' in 1999.

"She became an overnight MTV sensation in 2003 as co-star of a reality show chronicling her first year of wedlock with fellow pop vocalist Nick Lachey, but she filed for divorce in December after three stormy years of marriage. Simpson is currently featured wearing cowboy boots and hot pants in a TV pizza ad. "

You go, girl!!

Babel

CNA Tower of Babel
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

The CNA building always stands out like it doesn't belong downtown. It was a clear day and I was on my way to the camera store on South Wabash looking for lenses for the my digital (it's only taken a year but I'm finally getting used to it). Anyway at the angle I was viewing the CNA building looked like bridge raised for ships to pass.

Looks like the Puffer's rumor is a reality. This was confirmed by both my Budweiser rep this morning and the moving of the puffer's softball team to Bernice's Place last week. Dave Puffer was putting up a brave face Friday night, saying that they weren't giving up. But it's a dire situation indeed when your softball team up and leaves you dry.

All I want is a place in the neighborhood to get a decent beer after this weekend.

Rumor Has It.

Al 2
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

I just received this in my inbox and it doesn't sound good:

"Puffer's has been "sold", contingent on the new owner attaining a liquor licence (sic). In construction, politically connected; wants to make it a Western Music bar, no live music, no cook-outs, no foreign
beer, is a teetotaler. Has more or less pissed off most of the help so far. Al tried to buy prior to Michael, but his lawyer confirmed to him the impossibility of getting a license.

The "Wages of Fear" is gripping, recommend. Make the most of Puffer's
in the old manner."

I'm taking this with a grain of salt. but if it's true the last day of Puffer's as we know it will be a sad day indeed. And another thing: How can you be a "western music bar" with no live music. That's just fucking stupid!!

Random Neighborhood Shot Of The Day

Jimmy Ethyl 1
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

So I was doing laundry this morning as is my usual routine most Thursdays. I've been getting back into the habit of carrying my digital camera with me lately when Jimmy Ethyl came walking past, quacking like a duck. I always wanted to get a shot of Jimmy when he was acting relatively normal, and this seemed like a golden opportunity. I couldn't reach for my camera fast enough and snapped two quick shots.

Why Is Teen Angst So Repetitive?

Young Chicago Authors is hosting its annual "Louder Than A Bomb" competition this week and next. HotHouse hosted one of the rounds yesterday; the question that titles this very post is exactly what I was aking myself when I left for the evening.