I found this to be a really odd sight on the streets of London. Is this emblematic of the former British colonies taking over? Or is it a cheap sort of tribute to a deceased hero? Or is Gandhi just a super common name? Tags: Gandhi, London
Sounds from London
Last Friday, I had the day to myself. I was in London, one of the great cities of the world, full of culture. I chose to go shopping for vinyl records. There are many good neighborhoods for this, but I was close to Soho, so that’s where I headed. There are loads of shops, but [...]
Signature on Britain’s Got Talent
Speaking on British television, even before I went over, I was fascinated by an act on the second series of Britain’s Got Talent. In the performance, Suleman Mirza, a trainee lawyer, does a Michael Jackson impersonation. Then, Madhu Singh, a Sikh, wanders out on stage, pushing a broom, interrupting the act. Then magic happens — [...]
Telly in England
My hotel in London only carried a few channels, so I couldn’t see much, but on the other hand, this gave me a more accurate picture of the typical TV viewing experience in England. In general, the television seemed far more low-key than American television, just as English movies seem much smaller in scale than [...]
My trip to London
I just had a long weekend in London, five days in all. I had a fantastic time. Great restaurants, some shopping, a trip to the V&A. More details will follow. Tags: London
Sydney Pollack and Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie
It’s really sad to hear about the passing of Sydney Pollack. I’m not sure he was a great director, not with films like The Electric Horseman and Havana. But he was a good craftsman and I consider Three Days of the Condor to be one of the best political thrillers ever made. I thought he [...]
Images of Bourbon Street
Tags: New Orleans, Bourbon St.
Images of New Orleans
I’m in New Orleans this week and this is some of what I’ve seen. These photos were taken in Bywater, which is in part of the Ninth Ward. Tags: photos, Bywater, New Orleans
When NYC was an urban hell
From Blye, Private Eye (1976), by Nicholas Pileggi The South Bronx, often referred to as Fort Apache by the policemen assigned to the area, is an urban war zone. To live there is to live in a nightmare. The streets are ruled by addicts, drunks, and psychotic adolescents, and for the countless poor forced to [...]
Doughty’s “Fort Hood” Video
The lead track off Mike Doughty’s new album Golden Delicious is called “Fort Hood.” It’s not an anti-war song, but it is about the young soldiers who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and about Doughty’s feelings about them. Doughty grew up a military brat and had first-hand experience with Vietnam veterans. I smell blood [...]