Ink Lake

Dig His Mood

On WFMU this past weekend, Michael Shelley concluded his two-part interview with song-maker extraordinaire, Nick Lowe.

Shelley knows Nick Lowe, the way Phil Schaap knows about Louis Armstrong – i.e., he knows more about Lowe’s career than Lowe does.

Most known for Cruel To Be Kind”, and a millionaire since his song “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding”, appeared on the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, Lowe talks about his career, his craft, Rockpile (sniff), and Shelley even has Lowe rate his own albums — and Lowe (who comes across quite modest and self-deprecating), never gives much more than a 75, and scores a few in the 50s.

A fantastic interview, full of insights into a man who had a hand in the birth of punk, New Wave, (artist and producer at Stiff Records), was related to Johnny Cash (via his marriage to Carlene Carter), and wrote a very toe-tapping song about the true story of an aging silent-movie star whose corpse was eaten by her dog (“Marie Prevost”).

Levon Helm's Other Gig

Beside being one of rock & roll’s finest drummers in one of its most important and greatest bands, Levon Helm was a capable actor, too. Anyone who’s seen The Last Waltz, can’t help notice his charisma. Coupled with his mellifluous Arkansas drawl, it won him important parts in Coalminer’s Daughter, and The Right Stuff, among other films. 

In the latter, he played real-life Col. Jack Ridley, a test pilot, gum-chewer, and whom later became chief of the Air Force’s Flight Test Engineering Laboratory.

Chuck Yeager, who became the first person to break the sound-barrier in the X-1 rocket-plane, called Ridley “The brains behind the whole X-1 test program”. He was renowned for his superb engineering and problem-solving skills. Here, in this scene from the movie, Ridley fashions up a way for Yeager to pilot the craft with a broken arm.

What I love about the scene is Helm giving a hint at 1:10 as to his day job.

Defend This House

Happy Earth Day

An Affair To Remember

Of course, it was 100 years ago today that the Titanic sank (though it struck the iceberg shortly before midnight). There are so many dimensions to the event that can spin you off into years of fascination.

My own surrounds the Californian — a ship that ten miles away, saw the great ship stop for the night, fire its distress rockets, and yet did not come to its aid. The Carpathia, the ship that did come, had to steam from fifty-four miles away, by which time, 1,500 people were dead.

Anyway, the Titanic intersects with another of my interests, Bayside Cemetery. One victim of the disaster, George Rosenshine is buried there. Like so many plots at the cemetery, it had become overrun. But my friend Anthony Pisciotta, who has done a ton of work at Bayside, cleaned up his grave, along with the family plot.

Interestingly, Rosenshine, who was from a wealthy family and was a first-class passenger, traveled under the assumed name of “Thorne”, as he was unmarried, but accompanying him on the trip was his girlfriend, (or “mistress” to use the terminology of the time), Gertrude Thorne. She survived, though she wasn’t provided for in his will. Coincidentally or not, she’s buried in the Bayside as well.

P.S. Earlier in the night, the Californian’s radio-telegraph operator did attempt to warn the Titanic of ice, but was told by Titanic’s operator to “Shut up”, as they were busy sending passenger traffic.

This incident was filmed for James Cameron’s Titanic, but cut, because the movie was already running more than three hours in length (which limited how many times a theatre could show a movie in a day, thus eating into profits).

My Reach And My Grasp

I’ve been trying to get better at skiing for about a decade now — really working at it. Every year, more of the mountain is open to me, and I regularly ski places, where I can remember years before, I remember sitting and quietly weeping.

This year, I was able to ski the “Praying Cat” off of the Supreme chair at Alta. Something I thought that I was at least a year away from being able to do, especially in this very low-snow year.

But after looking at it from the lift about 1000x, I thought I found a way through, and I did it (with people shouting encouragement from the chair – slightly disconcerting). 

 

 

(Here is what it looks like in a more normal year.)

But while I’m happy with what I did this year, there is still so far to go. I’m from sea-level New York, and started late. I feel like a weekend-fisherman talking to a killer whale about fishing technique. Still it’s inspiring. I see people in places it would never occur to me to stand, let alone ski, and say to myself, “someday”. Praying Cat was like that.

People who haven’t skied out in Utah have no idea how seriously they take it, and how good some of them are. Here’s an idea. Maybe next year. :)

Lakeside Lounge - Thank You & Goodbye

Just heard via Scott Schinder, that the Lakeside Lounge – my favorite bar/ live-music venue in Manhattan, is closing.

Along with the closing of Banjo Jim’s and the original Freddy’s, it’s one more step in the Meatpacking /cupcake-cancer metastasis.

Here’s a video I shot a couple of winters ago that makes me happy and will remember for a long time. Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3 — through the window, while standing outside the Lakeside (by the time I got to the gig, the place was packed to the gills!).

For this, for hearing Laura Cantrell say the word “mishigas” there, and for a ton of other good times.. thanks.

No One Cares You Ski Alta

I'll Let This Speak For Itself

That’s William J. Howell, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.

The Beast From Salt Lake City

We go to Utah and come back with this.

Visited an animal shelter rather than ski on a too-warm day. Bought dog-carrier off Craigslist. Had to pay $125 to Delta for the privilege of carrying her onboard.

Placards - We Don't Need No Stinkin' Placards!

Why go through the trouble of abusing a placard, or making your own? This vehicle parks in Love Lane nearly every night, bareback.

Always neatly bracketed between the "No Parking Anytime" signs. They don't even bother with the pretense of legality.

 

A few more pics here...