Chicago Metblogs » Melissa Tipton

A New Holiday, Just ‘Cause

Melissa Tipton — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:01:34 +0000

Yesterday turned out to be Incredibly Awesome Thursday, and I’m determined to make it a weekly occurrence. Essentially, Incredibly Awesome Thursday (IAT) involves saying “yes” to something that you normally wouldn’t, perhaps because it sounds boring, it’s too far away and you’re lazy, whatever. My “yes” last night was to a dance performance at the Chicago Cultural Center featuring Matthew Hollis’ and the Power of Cheer. My mom, a former high school cheerleader extraordinaire, was quite keen on going, so I somewhat reluctantly agreed to tag along…and it ended up being awesome. Incredibly awesome, in fact.

Matthew Hollis, an amazing choreographer, dancer, and performance artist, presented a taste of the work he’s developing with a grant from the Chicago Dancemaker’s Forum, a unique blend of cheerleading, modern dance, theater, activism and a little bit of therapy. Hollis and his troupe of equally talented dancers (did I mention they’re all in short shorts?) act out stories from Hollis’ life, including a particularly impressive number performed on teetering stilettos. The cheer that I can’t get out of my head? “Guns are bad, guns are gross, you might as well eat poo on toast!” Well put.

Before the performance, we popped into the Gallery 37 Store, which was chock full of fantastic artwork by Project Onward artists, from colorful silk screened tees and bags to vibrant pastel drawings. Project Onward is an organization designed “to support the creative development of visual artists with developmental, cognitive, and mental disabilities.” Rock on.

We also had a chance to investigate the Puppet Bike, which, unfortunately, was out of commission by the time we arrived, but even the outside of this happy little cart covered in whimsical paintings of frolicking bunnies and kitties was entertaining. According to the Puppet Bike website, the stage on wheels was created by Mr. Trusty for a bipolar friend who couldn’t hold down a conventional 9-5, but the portable theater offered the perfect solution–work when you want, park it when you get bored. I’ll definitely be heading down to Millennium Park this summer so I can see the Puppet Bike in action. (Metblog’s Fuzzy Gerdes beat me to the Puppet Bike punch in his February post, but I just had to ramble on about it again.)

So that, my friends, is what Incredibly Awesome Thursday is all about. Next week–who’s with me?

Art + Bikes = Rad

Melissa Tipton — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:06:50 +0000

Ooh wee! My calendar just got a little happier with the addition of the Manifest Urban Arts Festival on May 16 and Andersonville Bike Week, May 12-18.

Manifest is a smörgåsbord of artsy amazingness created by Columbia College seniors and graduate students, including a two-hour live broadcast, Going Green For Our Future; an Animation Production Studio Screening; You Gotta Hear This: A Fiction Writing Department MFA student reading; Music! Music! Music!; and so much more.

Andersonville Bike Week packs in Yoga for Cyclists, Bike Maintenance 101 clinics, jazz, hip-hop, and spinning classes, art exhibits and body cleansing, along with tons of discounts at local merchants when you bring in your helmet. You’ll definitely find me heading over to La Cocina de Frida with my bike helmet to receive 15% off their yummy, plantain filled enchiladas. Oh yeah.

Shock Therapy

Melissa Tipton — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:05:45 +0000

For the past few days, I’ve had my head buried in Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine, a book outlining a process whereby unpopular economic theories (think widespread privatization and drastic cuts in social programs) are instituted following a crisis, be it a hurricane, a war, or the onslaught of an enemy (real or imagined), when the people are too shocked and disoriented to protest. For those of you familiar with something called 9/11, this should trigger disconcerting recollections of the creation of a booming industry in the name of “homeland security,” not to mention the vast sums of money allocated for rooting out the “enemy” abroad, as well as the use of “interrogation techniques,” also known as torture, which were practiced openly by the US government without fear of prosecution, thanks to the rewriting of a few pesky laws.

You may be wondering what in the heck this has to do with Chicago. Well, it just so happens that this wonderful theory of economic upheaval was created by Milton Friedman, the late University of Chicago professor, and he and his ardent followers have been instituting their particularly harsh brand of capitalism around the globe, acting as high-ranking advisors to politicians in Chile, Argentina, Indonesia, and the United States, among others. Pretty scary.

Check out the short film created by Klein and Children of Men director, Alfonso Cuaron, to learn more.

Feed Me, Seymour

Melissa Tipton — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:07:15 +0000

I just realized that nearly all of my posts have been about food. My taste buds are clearly running the show here, and there’s no point in fighting it. Last night, my friend was feeling rather generous, so he treated me to dinner at Andersonville’s newest eatery, Big Jones. There were maybe two things on the menu that I could actually eat without abandoning vegetarianism*, but as soon as the Eggplant Fritter sandwich became acquainted with my mouth, the meat-heavy menu was a distant memory. If the crispy breaded eggplant smothered in sweet, green tomato relish didn’t bring me to heights of epicurean ecstasy, the a’ plenty (a medley of fried onions, okra and potato) catapulted me into food heaven. Seriously, it was that good.

As if the night couldn’t get any better, my friend and I made our way over to Andersonville’s Sicilian sweet shop, Pasticceria Natalina, where I gorged myself on rich, creamy gelato followed by an unbelievably light and tasty bigne, oozing with cream and covered in chocolate. Heaven, I tell you.

*Our server suggested visiting Big Jones for brunch, when the menu offers just as much vegetarian as fleshy fare. Good to know…

Uptown Eats

Melissa Tipton — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:23:05 +0000

My dad was in town this weekend, which means I got to break the monotony of grilled cheese and cereal and eat at a Real Restaurant. Sweet. This week’s choice was Magnolia Cafe in Uptown, and boy, was it ever tasty. As a vegetarian, the pickings were pretty slim, but the options I did find were darn good. I started off with yummy little thyme and goat cheese potato cakes that were totally worth burning the crap out of my tongue for, followed by, quite possibly, the best mixed green and bleu cheese salad I’ve ever eaten. (I didn’t realize how into the greens I was until my dad, after watching me greedily chase around the last dried cranberry on my plate for twenty seconds asked, “Good salad?”)

Dinner was a wild mushroom and herbed ricotta pizza, and although the crust was fantastic and the other toppings were delicious, the overly chewy mushrooms made this my least favorite point in the meal, but that was soon forgotten when the gooey chocolate bread pudding arrived accompanied by a perfectly shaped scoop of vanilla ice cream. I feel bad that my dad is cutting back on his sugar intake right now, but man, did I not want to share that dessert, so it worked out well for both of us.

HTML Happiness

Melissa Tipton — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:16:35 +0000

I was walking doggies this afternoon, and I came across a little sticker advertising an intriguing-sounding website, and later, when I was in dire need of procrastination material, I decided to give it a little look-see. It turned out to be one of the most insightful, penetrating investigations of local Chicago news on The Interwebs. Check it out for yourself at WhatsWrongWithChicago.com. Brilliant.

Another web nugget that’s been making my week: Google’s Maps transit feature. If you haven’t tried it yet, use the “Get Directions” feature, and look for the “Take Public Transit” option. Trust me–it’s good stuff.

Rage Against the Machines

Melissa Tipton — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:16:50 +0000

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a rather tumultuous, love-hate relationship…with Chase Bank. I adore the nine kajillion ATMs blanketing the city, I really do, but sometimes, their customer service leaves me a bit cold. Recently, I was fiddling around with my online account in an ultimately futile attempt at establishing a recurring electronic payment, and I finally decided to admit defeat and call Customer Service. The bubbly representative gave her little how-can-I-provide-you-with-absolutely-mind-blowing-service-today intro, and I asked if it might be possible for her to set up an electronic, rather than snail mail, payment on my account. “Oh, no,” she responded, “The computer decides that.” And she was totally serious. Apparently, it was impossible–unthinkable even–for anyone at Chase Bank to override the computer’s “decision,” which is a little unsettling, if you ask me. I mean, we’ve all seen the Terminator Trilogy. Where does this madness end?

These Boots Are Made For Burning

Melissa Tipton — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:08:25 +0000

I was strolling down Clark St this afternoon, and I happened upon a two block stretch between Montrose and Wilson that I have fondly dubbed The Disposable District. I have never in my life seen such a high concentration of crap stores. One establishment after the next proudly displays rhinestone-studded, neon underwear that will surely transform every last item in the wash a pale, blotchy pink before disintegrating in the spin cycle. And I can only hope that the XXXXL airbrushed Tweety Bird sweatshirts disintegrate immediately after purchase, lest someone actually be tempted to wear them.
Shoes built to last for at least a quarter of a mile, pots and pans sets with specially designed fall-off handles, and porous umbrellas perfect for those rainy day strolls when you feel like gettin’ a little drenched–all these and more can be found in The Disposable District, so make haste! Your trash cans can soon be filled with piles of brand new items. Save time, and don’t even bother taking them out of the package. 1) Purchase item(s). 2) Place in trash. 3) Breathe a huge sigh of relief that America’s sacred landfills won’t follow in the doomed footsteps of our fast-fading ice caps. Whew.

Hip Hop Hooray

Melissa Tipton — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:53:18 +0000

Despite the fact that my roommate had rented the entire first season of Tell Me You Love Me and pizza was on the way, I still managed to peel my rear off the couch last Thursday in time to check out an open mic in Humboldt Park. And despite the fact that I have an unhealthy obsession with Tell Me You Love Me (and pizza, if we’re talking openly here), goddamn am I glad I ditched both in favor of catching the brilliant lyrical stylings of Phillip Morris.
Political and complex with a touch of blistering wit thrown in for good measure, Morris’ brand of hip hop will have you bobbin’ your head on the dance floor…and giving some serious thought to the social injustices featured in his rhymes. Don’t miss his upcoming show, April 4 at Betty’s Blue Star Lounge, where he’ll be taking to the stage with cellist and Tomorrow Music Orchestra member, Lilianna Zofia.

Food Orgasm With a Side of Beans

Melissa Tipton — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:19:46 +0000

Hot damn. If you haven’t paid a visit to La Cocina de Frida, Andersonville’s latest Mexican eatery extraordinaire, I don’t know why you’re sitting at your computer right now. Go. I sampled the Enchiladas Enfrijoladas stuffed with fried plantains last night, and by “sampled” I mean “stuffed into my gaping maw at an alarming rate, leaving fellow diners disturbed and slightly nauseous.” The free chips arrived with a deliciously smoky Chipotle salsa, which I highly suggest double-dipping with an order of guacamole. The mole negro and flan are reportedly top notch as well, although I didn’t have the pleasure of gorging myself on those. Yet. I’ll keep you posted…