A world of pure imagination

There is a place that truly rivals Wonka's famous Chocolate Room. And it's here in Cleveland. For some sweet pix and a short blog courtesy of Yours Truly, pop on over to FREEBLOG! where I'm hanging out and gorging on B-B-Bats, Mallow Cups, Swedish Fish and Pop Rocks, just to name a few.

Rainy Day Moll **UPDATED**

As promised in my column this week, I take on some Cleveland Goodfellas.

Send comments or letters to the Free Times Editor Frank Lewis. Please include your full name and city.





**UPDATE**

A couple of days ago, I posted about the site of the Casablanca Restaurant, which is one of the places featured in the "Goodfellas" article. I also talk about the Marius Restaurant, which was housed in the Lake Shore Hotel. It's now called Lake Shore Towers and although it's no longer quite the grand lady it once was, it's still one of the most incredible examples of Art Deco architecture you'll find anywhere. For more images and info about the building hop on over to FREEBLOG!

I couldn't get a good photo of the wonderful gargoyles on the top of the Lake Shore, but this is some of the stonework on the front of the building:

Give me the shaft

There are any number of reasons to love "Shaft," the Oscar-winning theme song for the 1971 blaxploitation movie of the same name.

1. There's the lyrics:

Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?

2. There's the jump suit Isaac Hayes is wearing in this full-length slo-mo performance of the song:



3. There's the fact that "Shaft" has been covered by a ukulele ocrchestra.

... And now for a glimpse into the incredible Eriness of Being ...

4. Listening to "Shaft" the other day, it ocurred to me that today's pop music has all but lost the instrumentals that gave "Shaft" it's energy. You can't get that visceral animal thrust from a goddamn canned electronic loop. And that, dear readers, is how I came up with the idea for this FREEBLOG entry.

5. Happy Friday.