Zoom. Mysteries solved.

In a hotel lobby waiting for a car to pick me up and take me to a brief meeting and then on to the airport to fly to New Zealand where I will see my fiancee whom I miss, and Margo Lanagan and Audrey Niffenegger both of whom I will be amazingly happy to see.

Saturday Morning Radio in New Zealand is me and the Archbishop of York and Amanda Palmer and Zandra Rhodes. Spot the odd one out.

The Hump Michael Sheen Dinner Raid Mystery solved: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/us/09sushi.html. No, we were not served or offered whale.

My red carpet official Oscar wearing Kambriel jacket and waistcoat shot: http://oscar.go.com/red-carpet/82nd-red-carpet/4294/4696

Anne Thompson waved a flip-camera at me on the Oscar red carpet: http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/08/oscar_red_carpet_video_weinstein_villaraigosa_gaiman_banderas/

The LA Times took a panoramic photo which includes me on the Red Carpet staring intently at Rachel McAdams' dress. Which my red-carpet handler had just trodden on, and which I had only just avoided treading on. Was I enraptured by the beauty or wondering if we had left footprints? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-oscar-red-carpet-mcadams-theron-pano,0,7005862.htmlstory You be the judge....

Jesus has appeared in the Marmite. The End times are nigh. Although some people are seeing Alan Moore, Lemmy From Motorhead, Frank Zappa or Predator. In which case End Times Are Probably Not Nigh. You be the judge: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8071865.stm

Okay. Car here. Zoom now. Maybe more from the airport...

Labels: audrey niffenegger, how do I get this thing to just put _me_ as a tag without it expanding it to _me looking grumpy_, hump mystery solved, Margo Lanagan, Sushi thoughts

Cale. Mckean. Cat. Bag.

Dave McKean has just done the cover for the new John Cale boxed set. I feel vaguely paternal about this, because many years ago I got a phone call from John Cale, rather out of the blue, asking if I could suggest an artist for his autobiography, and after he listed all the things he wanted the artist to do, I said "You need Dave McKean" and gave him Dave's phone number. (I told him that if Dave couldn't do it, I'd figure out four or five different artists to do what he wanted done.) But Dave did it, and then John did the narration for Dave's film Neon, and now Dave's done the cover for the Cale boxed set -- a cover that contains references visually to John's entire magnificent career. (I am big John Cale fan, I should add, and Fragments of a Rainy Season would be one of my Desert Island CDs.)

In addition to painting the cover, Dave's also recorded a sort of artist's commentary on the painting and on John. If you head over to http://www.john-cale.com/ and you click on the painting (or just nip over to http://clients.onyro.com/emi/cale/) you will learn much about art, and Mr Cale, and Dave, and be amused besides because he's very funny. (And it's worth it, frankly, just to hear Dave McKean saying "Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather...")

Labels: Dave McKean, how do I get this thing to just put _me_ as a tag without it expanding it to _me looking grumpy_, John Cale, Venus in Furs