Taste of Greece!

  This past weekend I enjoyed a beautiful night and a wonderful Taste of Greece on Halsted in Greektown.  We visited this 2 day fest on Saturday night but I had heard that Sunday was the busier day.  Halsted was jammed with tents, tables, people and tons of food and drink.  Many people were carrying around bottles of wine and ouzo and gorging themselves on Greek delicacies like baklava, gyros, and souvlaki. 
  There were also dance groups performing, including my favorite, Dionysos Dance Troupe. http://dionysosdancetroupe.com/  They perform dances from every area of Greece.  Saturday night they engaged their audience in Cretan dances.  Afterwards they asked the audience to join them in dancing and many people rushed to find a place in line. 
   Chicago is a proud city not just for its vast amount of museums, restaurants, and historical markers but also for its great cultural diversity.

Will This New Restaurant Live Up to Its Championship Name?

  NBA champ, Michael Jordan, was scheduled to open a new steakhouse restaurant on Michigan Avenue yesterday, August 22nd.  It's located at 505 N. Michigan Avenue in the InterContinental Hotel.  His original restaurant located on North LaSalle closed 12 years ago.  This new restaurant focuses on steaks and seafood but will have a few catchy menu items like a chopped salad with 23 ingredients and a 23 layer cake, that will pay tribute to MJ's basketball days.

Illinois Citizens Paying More To Drive

  As if the income tax rate increase wasn't enough for IL, now there is talk of raising tolls on tollways.  Illinois is planning on making improvements on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and also extending the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway and possibly making it into a tollway as well.  The tolls for I-Pass users could nearly double!  IL has come up with a 15 year plan that will increase tolls for all drivers.  There will be a series of public hearings this month where citizens can make complaints and voice their opinions. 
   My question is...what else is Illinois planning on increasing at its citizens expense?

Air and Water Show!

  Chicago's Air and Water show is the oldest and largest free show of its kind in the United States.  Enjoy stunts and performances by the U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds, the U.S. Army Parachute Team the Golden Knights, Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, the Firebirds, Lima Lima Flight Team, Matt Chapman Aerobatics, Sean D. Tucker & Team Oracle, and the U.S. Air Force Navy Parachute Team Leap Frogs.  North Avenue Beach is the focal point but the show can be seen anywhere along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street.
   August 20-21 from 10am to 3pm.

Man Shot on State

   Every day on my way to and from work, I use a bridge to cross over the Chicago River.  Usually it's the Michigan Avenue bridge or the Wells bridge but I have used other bridges such as the State Street bridge or Clark Street bridge.  Last night, I heard on the radio that a man was shot in the head on the State Street bridge around 5pm rush hour.  At this time, I was safely entering the train tunnel to catch my 5:05pm train but this shooting was a little too close for comfort.  During rush hour, hundreds of people are leaving work and the bridges are usually pretty crowded. 
  On the TV this morning, there was a reporter interviewing witnesses.  The witness said he heard what sounded like a car engine back firing and he looked and saw a man with a gun running away.  I can only imagine how people felt as they saw a man pull out a gun and shoot another man in broad daylight in an area not usually known for violence. 

Seen in front of the Walgreens on Michigan and Chicago....

....a woman being wrapped up in toilet paper like a mummy.

I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of this situation was but it was interesting to see how natural people acted as the woman was wrapped from head to toe in toilet paper.

Less is More in Advertising?

  This morning as I was crossing the bridge over the Chicago River on Michigan Avenue, I noticed a young man holding up a professional sign.  As I got closer to him, I realized that he was only wearing boxer shorts, a tie, socks, and shoes.  I looked at the sign, thinking that I had never seen this kind of advertising before.  The sign read: "Give the suit off your back.  Men's Wearhouse"  Well, it was definitely eye-catching for all the women passing by.  I'm not quite sure how the men felt but hopefully Men's Wearhouse gets some extra business for their efforts.

More filming on Wacker

   This morning I saw another film trailer set up on Wacker Drive near Michigan Avenue.  Outside the film trailer there was a moveable clothing rack with different uniforms on it.  They reminded me of uniforms from a "Law and Order" type show.  Then I remembered that there's a show out called "Chicago Code".  When I first heard about it, I wanted to see an episode but I never got around to doing so.  Unfortunately I didn't see any "celebrities" and there was nothing else besides the "costume" rack to back up my presumptions.  If they keep filming around that area, I might get more clues as to what exactly they're doing.