Jim Nolan's Blog

Monday Six Chix by Isabella Bannerman

Five days to Halloween!

Radio City Music Hall Marquee Letter Transport

Makes sense that they'd need something to carry the letters around in. I happened on this the other day. Here an "E" goes up.

Here's what they look like backlit at night.

Palliative Care Piece by Isabella Bannerman

Screenshot from isabellabannerman.com

Isabella originally published this piece in World War 3 Illustrated. You can read the following pages on her website here. In it, she recounts her physician sister Katie's advice for families. 

Monday Six Chix by Isabella Bannerman

 

11 days 'til Halloween!

Adam Gibson's Fold Away Grill, Made in Buffalo by Holland Industries

The Broil-Air wasn't the only charcoal grill to come out of Buffalo. Here's the Fold Away Grill, found by Howie and Adam online. Adam bought it, and is going to restore it. The Broil-Air is also designed to be "knock down," but this one truly lies flat. Love the box! Adam, keep us posted and let us know how it grills! And if anyone knows about the history of Holland Industries, please drop me a line. 

Howie Mook Fires Up A Charcoal Chimney

Howie uses a chimney to stoke the coals, which will be ready in no time. Look at how cherry red the metal sides of the chimney gets. It's a "mini-blast furnace," as my friend Matt Georger describes it. Thanks for the shots, Howie! 

Life in a Blender Plays Friday 10/17 at Moscow57, 168 1/2 Delancey Street, NYC

Life in a Blender screenshot from YouTube 

That's my friend Ken Meyer pounding on the drums back there. Ken rocks, and so does this band. Go see 'em. Here's the details from an email blast from Don Rauf, the singer and songwriter: 

"Trying to understand the waves of mass hysteria sweeping the city? Allow me to explain: Life in a Blender will be playing the cozy confines of Moscow57 at 168 1/2 Delancey Street on Friday, October 17, at 7 pm ish. until 8:30 pm-ish. Donation requested. We were due to play the new Living Room this night but their opening is slightly delayed. Ellen Kaye, one of owners of Moscow57, is from the family who owned The Russian Tea Room from 1947-1996, and the venue has some of that vibe. We are thankful she could book us under such short notice. Come join Life in a Blender for a juicy set. We are also playing the NY Wine & Food Festival on Sunday, Oct. 19 as part of Meatopia: BBQ NYC."

Don then recounts what critics have said about the band:

 “I’ve worn satin undergarments that are more abrasive than Don’s voice. It’s as if the bedspread of my brain is having its wrinkles smoothed by a foreign man-nanny who will probably kill again.”

—Tarr Tusstabarr, ectomorph, Submelodic Energy Magazine

“If you want to be crammed into an airtight little room, ceiling to floor, with a sweaty balls-to-the-wall, sonic blast to the face, Blender delivers. You’ll need to wear a full body condom to their show, unless you want to give birth to the future mutant baby of rock n’ roll.”
—Roger Christgau, no relation to anyone living or dead.

“When caught in an avalanche, you have to make a pocket of air around your head to breathe. I didn’t do that when I saw LIAB and now look at me. No, don’t look at me…. I look horrible. ”
— David Ploo, seven-time champion curler who suffered massive brain damage in a curling melee in 1994.

“They’re the kind of sexual crud that clumps to the bottom of the litter box of love. Guitar necks snapping and the smell of boiled leather. If I wasn’t born a fool, I might have been smart enough to resist their spell. But like a cattail, my fuzzy brown finger of a head puffed up, split open and sprayed its seed to the sky. I swayed back in their wind, a slim reed, dipping into the mud.”
—Bledsoe Twaddle, American Warrior, 2001

Monday Six Chix by Isabella Bannerman

Microwaves aren't right for everything. 

Howie Mook's Buffalo Forge Grill Rotisserie in Action

 

Howie, this is amazing! Bet that chicken fell off the bone! You're making me hungry! Thanks for sending us the video. 

What "Black Rock" and Kleinhans Music Hall Share

Photo: Jim Nolan

An architect. Eero Saarinen was responsible for both the CBS Building (1965) and Kleinhans (1940), the latter with his son, Eliel. Kleinhans men's clothing store was once the largest in the U.S. and one of the first stores in the country to have electric lights. Edward Kleinhan, who with his wife Mary gave a million bucks to build the Hall, said, "I made my money in Buffalo and I want to leave it to Buffalo." Kleinhans is a National Historic Landmark, home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and has exceptionally fine acoustics. Edward and Mary are buried in Forest Lawn's Section 27. 

Photo credit: J. Bona (Creative Commons)