The twitter patter of restaurant tweets
I was so excited by this fabulous Funtastic Thursday, one of my favorites ever and originally scheduled for May 7, that I begged guest poster Owl Meal Gravy to let me publish it earlier. What I didn't say was that by May 7 Twitter would probably be over. After all, when Gailor disses something, that's it. EL
There are two things that I know to be true. First, that the Carpenters' song "Superstar" is a great song and the Sonic Youth cover is unironic, sincere and beautiful. Second, that the English are nasty, brutish and short on good food. Oh yeah, and third, I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery.
A recent article on the (Manchester) Guardian Web site says that Twitter may be the best tool for restaurant reviews. For the untwitting, Twitter is a free instant message service where you can send a "tweet" of your life minutiae to millions of strangers. Here's the catch or the benefit – your message can only have 140 characters. ...
It is a common complaint amongst online opinionists that restaurant reviewers don't confine themselves to the subject. Most, it seems have settled into a style whereby a pre-ordained percentage of the column is expended in their weekly aperçus on general matters and the balance used to review the restaurant.This is cited as evidence of arrogance, self-obsession and lack of in-depth knowledge of restaurants.
Ugh, the writing makes me want to beat Lord Marmalade with a pork butt. They certainly don't know the work of Beloved Leader EL and BTW his complaint is some bloated effluvia in itself. Yet his challenge is legitimate: Can you write a proper restaurant review in 140 characters? A note of caution -- limitations cause Twitter tweeters to use abbreviations that would make Dr. McIntyre's brain explode. I hav 2 admit dat I hv dun it mysef.
So here is your challenge: Write a Twitter-friendly review of anything in 140 characters or less (spaces count). I used my Opera Twitter widget to gauge the number of chars. Yeah, I just lost somes of yous. Help me McIntyre, help me! I be devolving as we speaks!
Salt:me&kimmer hit dat w gunz blazin n galpal sarah as tron. gr8 duckfrIs&pork chks4her N/me rabbt/conft&duck:br8zd+Cava/N/SltMnhttn/yay! (136 chars)
And that is my Twitter review of my dinner with Kimmer1850 because I was the 4 millionth commenter on Dining@Large.
So do you think you can write a better 140 character review of anything? Well, bring it!
Comments
The Carpenter's "Superstar" IS a great song -- it's my karaoke song -- and that the Sonic Youth cover is just as wonderful as you OMG says and that the Luther Vandross version is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Posted by: gorelick | April 30, 2009 1:33 PM
Pork chunks? Is that the name of a dish? No name rabbit and confit and duck?
How on earth can anyone read these?
Cave north sitting with a Manhattan?
Posted by: Lissa | April 30, 2009 1:45 PM
After I wrote this I thought about a photo. What kind of photo would make sense on a post about tweeting? I had no idea. Then I came across a black and white time series photo of a little girl. I must have taken extra symbolism pills that day because it seemed perfect. Twitter is young, it's content is ephemeral and, uh, it wears a dress? So I colorzed it and blurred out the beginning and the end so emphasize the momentary present nature of the fad/technology. Plus it looks really cool.
To see the original black and white photo and an explanation of how I transformed it with free software click here
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 1:56 PM
I find it painful to read anything after I've finished it, but I just did. It's a little bittersweet to see my humorous homage to John McIntyre during my language meltdown but nice to see it too. I wrote this over a week ago.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 2:22 PM
the English are nasty, brutish and short on good food.
My English grandmother, while quite cool and not at all nasty in the Piers Morgan/Simon Cowell way, was not exactly The Queen of Warmth.
Her brothers actually bordered mean. We were assured by the (other) grownups that "it's just their way" to which I always thought, "Yuh! The mean way!" I think they were more louts than brutes.
She was the worst cook on the planet, bar none.
Posted by: Eve | April 30, 2009 2:27 PM
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy :-)
Posted by: Matt | April 30, 2009 2:34 PM
"Superstar" was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | April 30, 2009 2:34 PM
Ms E
I certainly hope that the early posting does not presage an early departure by you from the quickly diminishing Sun.
I'm still here for the duration. EL
Posted by: Anonymous | April 30, 2009 2:42 PM
Here is mine with 2 spaces to spare
Pho@Minato's perfume w/a hint of cinnamon & alot of OMG Made fresh everweek w/bones that have bn cooked 2. Heat fr peppers tkes it uptown.
Posted by: gal_pal Kiki | April 30, 2009 3:13 PM
until they realize they dont need 2 restaurant reviewers for a city that has no new restaurants...and one likely has a much bigger check...you have your resume ready?
They picked Ollison over Sessa for some reason.
Frager(Mr.Flip) over Walker?
Maese over KVV?
McIntire over ANYONE!?!?
Had nothing to do with talent or work ethic...plain and simple they make the more money, they gone...I for one am nervous for EL.
Posted by: imajerk | April 30, 2009 4:13 PM
Pork cheeks, not pork chunks.
the English are nasty, brutish and short on good food.
While I stand by that I meant it as a play on the quote by Thomas Hobbes that life is "nasty, brutish and short".
Hey Kiki! We've had a lot of that stuff. Great review. You're twitterific
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 4:22 PM
imajerk
yes ur
No one needs you to create more anxiety for our friends here.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 4:52 PM
Correction:
Superstar was written by Delaney Bramlett and Leon Russell and Bonnie.
Here is the BMI link...
I get so tired of hearing that Bonnie wrote it with Leon...
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=1433579&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Steve
Magnolia Gold Records
Home of the Legendary Delaney Bramlett
Posted by: Steve | April 30, 2009 5:00 PM
still here for the duration.
The problem is how long is the duration?
Posted by: Lissa | April 30, 2009 5:27 PM
Owlie explained: So I colorzed it and blurred out the beginning and the end so emphasize the momentary present nature of the fad/technology.
You know, I think I must miss a lot when I read Owlie's posts. I've never been a person who immediately spots symbolism.
Does the fact that a Carpenters reference leads a post in a dining blog have significance? Is it, like, irony or something?
Posted by: Bucky | April 30, 2009 5:38 PM
Agreed Sunshine Kid. SY and Kim's fondness for Karen Carpenter has always been intriguing. There's at least one SY song about her. Why did I think Richard Carpenter wrote the song? They didn't write any of their goo-pop craptastic hits.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 6:19 PM
The problem is how long is the duration?
37 to life? With time off for good behavior.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 6:28 PM
Does the fact that a Carpenters reference leads a post in a dining blog have significance? Is it, like, irony or something?
You got the symbolism there, Bucky.
There is probably a bar in Canton or Federal Hill that serves ipecac martinis.
Posted by: Lissa | April 30, 2009 6:42 PM
Does the fact that a Carpenters reference leads a post in a dining blog have significance? Is it, like, irony or something?
Oh, shame on you Bucky. Let us hope we are not remembered for our infirmities. My own legacy would be quite sad indeed. That was a bit of genuine stream of consciousness about something beautiful anchoring something jejune. Once in a while something just flows and this post was one of them. It's pretty much a first draft with some editing. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Now the photo is a different story. I consider that a visual essay, not just a cool photo and that took more time to create than the text. There is no colorize button. It takes about five or six steps to get it right. Step 1: Spontaneous bastard. Step 2" pretentious bastard. Picnik is really easy to use and free.
Yes, Bucky sometimes I put more thought into things than I probably should.
Why that song then? Maybe I was just feeling that way.
Loneliness is a such a sad affair
And I can hardly wait to be with you again
What to say to make you come again
Come back to me again
And play your sad guitar
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 6:53 PM
The BMI listing does show Delaney Bramblett as well as Bonnie Bramblett and Leon Russell as authors (original title: "Groupie (Superstar)" ). Allmusic shows just Bonnie and Leon as the authors.
I don't know for sure which is true, but it wasn't uncommon back then for the band leader (Delaney in this case) to demand co-writer credit for a song.
At any rate, the Delaney and Bonnie version was indeed the first version, and the Carpenters' version was a cover. Ironically, Richard Carpenter hadn't heard the D&B version...he picked the song up from hearing Bette Midler perform it on the Tonight Show.
I haven't heard the Sonic Youth version since the 1990's, at a point where my brain wasn't yet able to comprehend Sonic Youth. I should give it a new listen soon.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | April 30, 2009 7:04 PM
Pretentious bastard update #3: Oh Bucky, did you notice how I tied the text and the photo together in the title?
Sadly this is my art now.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 7:17 PM
I hear you Hal. Sonic Youth is like a warm bath for me, but there's a lot of chaos in my brain that welcomes the company. I totally understand how they might make one's brain hurt. I love droney chaos like SY, My Bloody Valentine, YLT and Giant Drag.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 9:37 PM
pretty much a first draft with some editing. and the text and the photo together in the title
Wow...I'm just way outa my league, for sure. I just type it up, check it for red squiggly lines in Word, email it in and, sometimes, remember EL needs art. (Thanks for jogging my memory this week, btw.)
I downloaded Picnik, by the way, based on something you wrote one time. So far, I've just figured out how to use the "Auto-Fix" function.
Posted by: Bucky | April 30, 2009 9:43 PM
You can't download Picnik.com, it's a free online service. Autofix is great. I used the Heat Map function to get colors from B&W and then a bunch of other stuff.
Well you seem like a happy well-adjusted person whereas I am well, me.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | April 30, 2009 9:59 PM
Oh, yeah...I guess I didn't download Picnik. I just put a shortcut on my desktop.
Posted by: Bucky | May 1, 2009 2:19 AM
I haven't thought of Bonnie and Delaney in years, but I loved them back in the day (and I am so not a country music person). But the most stunning revelation above: Gorelick sings karaoke. Really?
Posted by: Dahlink | May 1, 2009 6:31 AM
I don't think Delaney and Bonnie were country, Dahlink. They had a band at one time that had Eric Clapton in it (for about 5 minutes) and they did Only You Know And I Know which I heard on the rock stations all the time.
Bonnie's version of Superstar is probably my favorite (her original before she got the whiskey cigarette voice thing going).
Posted by: Joyce W. | May 1, 2009 8:01 AM
Does the fact that a Carpenters reference leads a post in a dining blog have significance? Is it, like, irony or something?
Now that you mention it, Buck, I thought the anorexia thing was pretty ironic for a food blog.....
Posted by: Eve | May 1, 2009 9:31 AM
At no time was anorexia ever considered in my thinking. That's hacky and pathetic. That's just in bad taste and totally against the spirit of the post.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | May 1, 2009 10:53 AM
I understand the literal meaning of "Superstar"'s lyrics to the semi-psychotic lament of a fan about being abandoned by a guitar-playing superstar singer, who had once told her that he loved her (but in a song, from the stage)
and that's the way I karaoke it. :-)
Posted by: gorelick | May 1, 2009 11:14 AM
"Only You Know and I Know" was written by Dave Mason, who also played with Delaney and Bonnie for awhile after he left Traffic.
Delaney Bramlett is said to have pushed Eric Clapton to sing as well as play guitar.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | May 1, 2009 11:39 AM
You just never know where a topic is going to lead us.
Posted by: B>) | May 1, 2009 12:50 PM
You can't believe what you read on the All Music site. BMI is the site you need to pay attention to. It is the publishing company that collects the royalties on the song.
All Music is just a website.
As far as who "Superstar" was about the answer is Eric Clapton.
Delaney Bramlett was a genius, he was like ''Catching Lighting In A Bottle" and he is greatly missed by those who knew him.
Please keep enjoying the fabulous music he gave us... and who knows... you might be in for some surprises in the next year or so.
All updates will be posted on my website.
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 1, 2009 1:06 PM
Clapton said that the ease, camraderie, and chance to disappear into the real band of Delaney and Bonnie appealed to him after the failure of Blind Faith.
Posted by: *◄:o)Yum~ | May 1, 2009 1:28 PM
Ah, Blind Faith, much like Ishtar, is proof that sometimes the sum is less than the parts.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | May 1, 2009 2:17 PM
*◄:o)Yum~
I just noticed your new image.
Way cool!!
Posted by: LEC | May 1, 2009 2:23 PM
Just as I thought – no one will write twitter reviews but the manager for the ghost of Delaney Bramlett will show up to school us. Awesome. LOL
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | May 1, 2009 2:23 PM
Oops, that didn't work! Sorry for the double post.
Posted by: *◄:o)Yum~ | May 1, 2009 2:23 PM
Thank you, LEC. It was a group effort from Terriermom, OMG, Dahlink, and you.
Posted by: *◄:o)Yum~ | May 1, 2009 3:04 PM
RoCK, don't let my wife hear you say that. She thinks Blind Faith was the best thing any of them ever did.
I don't rate it that highly, but I think it's a pretty good album, except for the terrible Ginger Baker song.
Posted by: Hal Laurent, Pastafarian | May 1, 2009 3:06 PM
The ghost of Delaney Bramlett's manager said: You can't believe what you read on the All Music site. BMI is the site you need to pay attention to.
Agreed about Allmusic. Nonetheless, all the BMI site indicates is who has legal ownership of the song, which may or may not indicate who actually wrote it. Heck, A.P. Carter owned songs that existed before he was born.
Whoever wrote the song, Delaney Bramlett was a heck of a bandleader.
Posted by: Hal Laurent, Pastafarian | May 1, 2009 3:11 PM
Pastafarian? Brilliant.
Shameless self-promotion alert ...
Ah, Friday. Nothing ends the week like some pirate grog. Sam Sessa has been off all week and very graciously posted five of my pieces on Midnight Sun this week. Today ends with What do the Somali pirates drink?
Thanks to all the D@L people who came over and checked them out. Arrrr...
Posted by: Owl Meat Garrrrravy | May 1, 2009 3:37 PM
@bmor kophy & t brbee hrgrve in crnr mks me wnt 2 tweet
Posted by: howie | May 1, 2009 4:15 PM
very funny howie
Posted by: Owl Meat Garrrrravy | May 1, 2009 4:22 PM
Pastafarian, Hal? Have you seen this sign up on Falls Rd.?
Posted by: Lissa | May 1, 2009 5:26 PM
Mr or Dr Owl
Have you considered Gravlox for your last name? Its ingredients bridge the subjects of the two blogs.
Posted by: LEC | May 1, 2009 5:59 PM
Owlie, I went over to Midnight Sun, but it was too young and hip for me. I'd rather stay here where the conversations are on Clapton and the Carpenters.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | May 1, 2009 7:39 PM
Gravlox? That works. Lexiconish Laura Lee used to suggest cool G names but she's been slacking lately. Must be working on her latest demented blog fairy tale. Or ran out of Gs.
Too hip at Mdnt Sun? Well I'm there, how hip could it be? Did you see my post on how to make an Ensure Colada?
Posted by: Owl Meat Garrrrravy | May 1, 2009 9:06 PM
I think an Ensure Colonic might go over better, Owlie.
Posted by: Lissa | May 1, 2009 9:51 PM
Lissa, I'm sure the Flying Spaghetti Monster blessed that sign with his noodly appendage.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | May 1, 2009 10:04 PM
I want a poster of that sign, Hal.
Posted by: Lissa | May 1, 2009 10:37 PM
I made a comment on Owlie's funtastic, oh, Suntastic pirate post and it still hasn't been posted nine hours laters. Kind of frustrating compared to here. You like to see your words and the response from others.
It's always bad when we bloggers have to rely on others to publish the comments because they don't have the same sense of knowing you and being interested that we do. Of course, you wrote this 6 hours and 39 minutes ago. :-) EL
Posted by: Julie | May 1, 2009 10:48 PM
No ghost, I did the last promotion campaign on his CD last year.
I'm sorry, I could have sworn when it says Songwriter/Composer on a BMI song ...Songwriter means written by?
Self promotion, no,... I don't need it. If that was my motive I would pick an industry site.
You just needed to get your facts straight.
Actually I was retired until Delaney asked me to come back on board in 2007.....and yes I know Bonnie very well, she was my neighbor for 5 years in the 80's.
Have a good weekend.
Posted by: Steve | May 1, 2009 10:57 PM
Steve, didn't Delaney die a year or so ago? I think that's what the "ghost" comment referred to.
Posted by: Dahlink | May 2, 2009 11:22 AM
Delaney passed away December 27, 2008 at UCLA Med Ctr. at 4:55 a.m. in the arms of his loving wife Susan Lanier-Bramlett
He was celebrated on January 2, 2009 with a memorial service at Forest Lawn in Burbank, Ca.
We all then went up to a banquet house near his ranch in Shadow Hills and partied like Delaney would have wanted.
We had the best of the best in the house band, led me 2008 Grammy Winner Albert Lee.
There are so many untruths circulating about D that sometimes I just can just sit and read them without saying something.
I met Delaney back in the late 60's.
He was a man's man, and a musician's musician. The best of the best WANTED to be in his groups...
Delaney, I miss you badly!
If this link works it will show you a picture of the Banquet, Albert is on the left.
">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/Lee-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
Steve
Posted by: steve | May 2, 2009 2:05 PM
Steve, how did you find this blog?
I must be out of the loop. I have no idea who you're talking about.
Posted by: VoodooPork ■|:o) | May 2, 2009 4:00 PM
Steve, how did you find this blog?
I get Google alerts anytime a new URL goes into Google with Delaney Bramlett's name in it.
Do I respond to them, no...but I do read them..I just wanted to get this straight.
You all have a good weekend.
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 2, 2009 5:33 PM
Here is a picture of Delaney and Susan Bramlett at their wedding in 2005.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/4-20-05DelaneySusanw-Preacher.jpg
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2009 10:44 AM
You seem like a great friend Steve. Thanks for the photo.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | May 11, 2009 12:41 PM
I was an honor that I will always cherish, being asked by Delaney to go to work with him.
It's almost six months since he has been gone and it just seems like yesterday we were sitting in his living room laughing about how short the Beatles were. Delaney loved George very much and as friends with him to his last days.
Lots of great stories form the man that lived them.
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 12, 2009 10:43 AM
Here guys are some pictures I have ...
Please keep Delaney's legend alive.
Read about him here on Wiki, this is accurate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_Bramlett
Some pics:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/s_dd610d6900604778b572acffa99a86-1.jpg
The Shindogs TV Show:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/shindogslive.jpg
John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band.
Delaney is upper row right side
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/zoomerfpg.jpg
Delaney and Jimi Hendrix
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/m_f92cd43b413719174d2e5829f167846f.jpg
Eric Clapton
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/m_bbe568d09fec1bcc8785ccc2063194be.jpg
Leon and Delaney
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/m_f860d2852da7a17188db95ff0236bffa.jpg
D with Dicky Betts and Duane Allman from the Allman Brothers Band.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zbestwun2001/m_47dc136faa636248a84937a29e1bfeef.jpg
Posted by: Steve | May 14, 2009 5:33 PM
OH WOW! GilbertCristina, DO write back and tell us how everything worked out!!!!!
Posted by: RayRay | August 19, 2010 2:02 PM
OH WOW! GilbertCristina, DO write back and tell us how everything worked out!!!!!
Posted by: RayRay | August 19, 2010 2:03 PM