Shocking news from the New York Times in the obituaries.
Vic Chesnutt, who I saw perform at the San Francisco Bathhouse last July died of an overdose of muscle relaxants.
According to the notice he had attempted suicide several times and failed. The day before Christmas in 2009 he succeeded.
Vic Chesnutt was a great singer songwriter. Confined to a wheelchair since the age of 18 when a car accident left him paralysed he relearnt the guitar by playing only the easy chords. His simple melodies wrapped themselves around witty and sometimes complex lyrics - often with an apparent sense of humour.
His songs have been performed by many big acts: REM, Madonna, The Indigo Girls and Smashing Pumpkins.
The financial burden of having to pay for his medical treatment seemed to have played a part in his depression. This prolific songwriter will be sadly missed.
We visited Sydney in August and on our last day in that great city we walked under overcast skies around the cliffs of Bondi Beach.
One of the highlights of that stroll was coming across the belongings and ‘dwelling’ of the Bondi Caveman, Jhyimy “Two Hats” Mhiyles. My boys were intrigued that this man lived in a cave next to and nearby some of the priciest houses in Sydney. His ramshackle belongings spilled out across the grey rock. He had views to die for and he didn’t pay a cent.
The Bondi Caveman's cliff top paradise (Photo by Skinny)
Like the Blanket Man in Wellington Jhyimy had become a local icon. A self styled poet, a harmless and intriguing tourist attraction.
It’s all gone.
Yesterday the Waverley Council demolished his hut, and disposed of anything that looked like rubbish, while keeping in storage anything that looked like a ‘normal’ belonging.
Jhyimy had recently been accused of sexual assault after luring a young woman to his cliff top home. So, now that he’s locked up and awaiting a trial the council has taken the opportunity to pounce and remove all trace of his presence.
Waverley Council mayor Sally Betts denied the sexual assault allegations had anything to do with the eviction, though she admitted the case had probably made it easier to obtain the eviction order.
It seems way too convenient to me. Check out the full story here on the Sydney Morning Herald website.
From not wanting to go, to dragging my sorry arse out of the house I was glad I did - Justin Townes Earle was fantastic.
He played a huge range of musical styles, alone, just him and his guitar. From swampbilly rock, to western swing, to hillbilly there were shades of his father’s voice, and even particular mannerisms - that “bending over and holding his head on the side” thing that he does.
He’s a prolific performer. Malcolm Gladwell has that Outlier theory that people need to do 10,000 hours to get really really good at whatever they do well. With the number of gigs that Earle has done Malcolm Gladwell’s hypothesis stacks up beautifully.
Here’s a video that I shot of Justin’s second to last song. Enjoy.
Karl Malden died today aged 97 years old.
Many people my age will only remember him as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s television show The Streets of San Francisco, where he starred alongside a very young Michael Douglas.
But it was watching him as Father Corrigan, the fearless Catholic priest in On the Waterfront that I recognised, and was surprised at his brilliant acting skill. Marlon Brando was his co-star in that movie.
In some ways tragic that a whole generation only knew him as a TV cop.
So, here’s to a great actor.
Christine Rankin on TVNZ's Sunday
Christine Rankin appeared on Sunday last night.
Janet McIntyre read a statement from Margo McAuley’s sister. Christine Rankin read her own.
What possesses Christine Rankin to keep trying to justify her life to the nation? She should just be quiet. The more appropriate course of action would have been to accept the Family Commission position and then shut up. Just don’t engage with the media. Perhaps she’s using Glenda Hughes, who similarly instructed Tony Veitch to talk to the media when what he should have been doing was keeping his head down.
Christine Rankin knows how the media works. She knows that everything she says, especially now, will cause controversy. As hard as it is for her she needs to button her lip and take advice from the Prime Minister and only comment on things to do with families and children.
”As far as I’m concerned she’s been appointed a commissioner, one of seven in a part-time job, to advocate for families and particularly because of her expertise when it comes to abused children,” Mr Key said today.
”That’s what I want to hear her talking about and nothing else.”
Christine Rankin stupidly went on prime time television and made a statement that completely contradicts what Margo McAuley’s family believes happened - this only piques our interest.
Now we all want to know who is telling the truth.
Christine Rankin
I couldn’t understand why I was getting an extraordinary number of hits on my Margo McAuley blog post until I saw the Herald on Sunday.
A mainstream newspaper has finally revealed what many of us in Wellington have known for months - that Margo McAuley tragically took her own life in part because of her husband’s affair with Christine Rankin.
Six months after Margo McAuley’s funeral Christine Rankin is appointed a Family Commissioner.
Should we be concerned?
Christine Rankin confessed to Mark Sainsbury on the day after her appointment that after four marriages (the last to Margo McAuley’s ex-husband) she has “learned a lot”. The question would be, does whatever she has learned help her in any way to be a Family Commissioner?
Christine Rankin had an affair with the man that was married to Margo MacAuley, and in helping to break up that marriage, however under pressure that marriage was, added to Margo MacAuley’s grief that in turn led her into taking her own life.
Can Christine Rankin act appropriately as a Family Commissioner? Can National continue to support her appointment? Can National continue to support Paula Bennett who went behind Peter Dunne’s back to appoint her in the first place?
There will be more to come on this I’m sure.
Celebrity, Entertainment | Skinny | 
December 27, 2009 4:27 pm | 
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