Kriseman the comedian?
Who knew politicians could be so funny? State Rep. Rick Kriseman brought the house down during the Roast of Brian Longstreth on Jan. 2 at the Flamingo Resort. The roast, which celebrated Longstreth’s 50th birthday and raised money for St. Pete Pride and the ACLU, also showcased the always-funny Christine O’Leary. Kriseman surprised the crowd, however, when he took the stage and shared how excited he was about honoring St. Petersburg’s famous silver-haired, Rays-loving gay resident. “But that’s when I thought we were talking about Charlie Crist,” he said, to thunderous applause and laughter. Kriseman went on to diss the Republican-run state legislature and share funny anecdotes about his dealings with Longstreth since the two met when the politician was a St. Petersburg councilman. Kriseman even returned to the stage later in the evening impersonating former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker—complete with the hoarse voice. Even O’Leary, who always steals the show, had to bow in recognition to Kriseman’s comedic prowess after his performance. If you liked Kriseman before the roast, you loved the man afterward. It goes to show that if you have a job in Tallahassee, you have to have a strong sense of humor.
A real soup kitchen
Sometimes you just have to take a minute and applaud amazing, giving people. According to a very reliable source within Tampa’s LGBT community, the owner of he Stone Soup Company on 7th Ave. in Ybor City literally runs a restaurant during the day and then gives his leftover soup away to the homeless every week. The straight owner, Ilya Ben Goldberg, purposely opened his restaurant in the west end of the historic district because he’s such a progressive thinker. He’s also a member of the GaYbor District Coalition. It makes us proud that a business owner thinks of others in difficult economic times and that he can see past class, sexuality and income when it comes to helping his fellow man. Plus, the food at The Stone Soup Company is incredible. We encourage anyone in the area to stop in, thank Goldberg and enjoy a wonderful meal.
