Good Words from Morgan Freeman

Here is a great excerpt from an interview with Morgan Freeman conducted by Mike Wallace. In it Mr. Freeman expresses his dislike towards having a Black History Month and challenges Mike Wallace with a question Mr. Wallace clearly feels uncomfortable answering.  Freeman then goes on to offer a beautiful and simple humanist solution to racism.

To my understanding this is an excerpt from CBS' 60 Minutes conducted by Mike Wallace, one of the show's original correspondents. As to the date of publication, that I do not know.

Peace,


-Steve

Diner Review: Tick Tock Diner

New York City, home to some of the busiest thoroughfares in the nation and arguably, the world.  On the small island of Manhattan we find the beautiful Grand Central Station to the East and the no longer so illustrious Pennsylvania (Penn) Station on the West.  Not more than 3 blocks away underneath the beautiful Art Deco architectural stylings of Sugarman and Berger's Hotel, New Yorker.  With all the hustle and bustle going on in New York City there has to be places to feed the masses and so near every old hotel you can always find a diner.  The two closest to the Hotel, New Yorker are Tick Tock Diner located on the ground-floor conjoined to the hotel and Skylight Diner located merely one block away.

Photograph of the New Yorker Hotel:

So, Tick Tock Diner... I probably won't go there again.  I knew it was going to be loud because due to it's location underneath a historical landmark it's become a tourist attraction.  It's a tacky 50's diner and not in a good way. Sure it's got some decent neon signs (how can you go wrong with a neon sign?) but it's got an overbearingly cluttered atmosphere, disconnected waiters, and flies in the cheesecake. Yes, you heard me FLIES in the the cheesecake. Well, there was only one, but one is one too many for me.

I haven't ordered cheesecake in eight years because I find it too rich tasting for me but last night I decided to order the three items that any New York diner should offer: New York Cheesecake, Chocolate Egg Cream, and a cup of coffee.  I first ordered the Cheesecake and egg cream and once they were brought out I decided I might want to stay just a bit longer since I had my camera with me and figured I'd need something to keep me there, like a coffee.  Now, I don't know how as a waiter you don't first look at the food you're bringing the customer as it's leaving the kitchen or even as you're placing it on the counter but somehow I managed to get  slice of cheesecake with a fly embedded in the top layer.

Final critique: I cannot speak on behalf of the taste of the cheesecake but the egg cream was delicious.  It came in a glass larger than most other diners and it certainly tasted better than the others I've had.  The only hang-up... it'll cost you nearly four dollars!  The coffee was, in all seriousness, the most watered down, bland cup of coffee I've ever suffered through.  Now this isn't the coffee snob that's visited a plantation in Costa Rica talking. One should expect the coffee one orders in a diner to be sub par...it's diner coffee for Pete's sake, it's a tier of it's own.  However, this was ridiculous, and at $1.75 no less!

Here's a photograph of the receipt at the end of the night:

They received a forty cent tip from me just cause I didn't want to hang around waiting for my change from twelve.

You may find yourself itching for a late night spent at a diner next time you roll into Penn Station but please, I urge you to stay away from Tick-Tock for your own good.  If you can make it just one block further you'll much more enjoy the atmosphere, quality, and prices of Skylight Diner.

Sincerely,

-S.

P.S. Next time I'm up around 34th street on the west side I"ll stop by Skylight Diner, snap some photo's, and order some food just for a review.

P.P.S.  Fun Fact: Nikola Tesla spent his last years in the Hotel, New Yorker which I find to be ironic since the hotel's power plant at the time was the nation's largest private power plant...by the way it ran on direct current. It wasn't changed over to alternating current until the late nineteen sixties.

500 and Counting... Let's Take a Look Backwards

Hello everyone, we've hit another milestone, the passing of 500 page views!  Since my last milestone post had 'legitimate' photography of mine I'll keep in step with that and again include some in this post.  Also, I thought it fitting that since my last post dealt with some golden oldies I'd show two images that have recently surfaced from the depths of my archives.

©Steve Shilling

This first image was shot the day I received, in short, an entire darkroom from a very generous family down in Maryland who was no longer using it.  I had a stack of what I knew to be expired black and white printing paper and a location in mind that I wanted to shoot so I picked up my tripod and the only 35mm I had at the time and headed towards a nearby abandoned dairy farm.  I shot to my hearts content and since I was new to this world called photography my heart thought it was fulfilled quite quickly and only two rolls later I headed home.  Down to my basement I went, literally cracked open the expired 'Royal' brand printing paper, and I threw a pice on for an initial test print.  What I was expecting was the paper to work poorly or not at all...I wasn't expecting this gorgeous result.  Granted the image is nothing special (give me a break, I hadn't even held a camera for more than a year) but the cloudiness and tonal quality of the print astounded me.  Looking at it now makes me wish I had some of that paper up here with me in New York.

©Steve Shilling

This next image came about a few years later after I purchased my first large format, 4x5 monorail camera from a photographer named Reginald Wickam.  He shared with me his long history with that camera and I cannot express how honored I am to have that camera passed down to me.  The image is of an illuminated incandescent light bulb exposed for approximately four minutes at f/64 and if you look closely you can actually see the illuminated filament suspended on the left hand side.  The image is a scan of a direct negative image captured on Ilford fibre based paper rated at an ISO of 5 (tho some places it says 3).  Maybe a smarter man than I can explain the smokey phenomenon that is occurring in the image but I cannot. It may have to do with the way the glass was manufactured but I can assure you that is was not the paper.

Both of these opportunities, the darkroom as well as the camera, would not have come my way had it not been for my connection to Julie Basello-Holt owner of Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio located in South Jersey.  Julie and I have known each other for a while both professionally and as friends. She's a strong woman truly devoted to the arts and the creative spirit.

Tonight I hope to have yet another still life to post but at the same time I also wish to catch up on some sleep I've let slip by.

Sincerely,

-S.

Stayin Up Screamin'

Since I slept horribly last night (a mere forty-five minutes) I came home and passed out this afternoon causing my current experience of that '2nd wave' of energy. I don't expect I'll be falling asleep for another say, hour and a half or so.  Regardless one must make the most of their conscious life... This evening I took out one of my Lowel Pro lights and started playing around with some abstract still life work.  It was surprisingly quiet outside my room for a typical Manhattan night and so I opened up Itunes and searched for what to flood my room with.  Instinctually I always stop by Tom Waits first and tonight made the decision to pass him up moving next onto mister Cab Calloway.  I played a few tracks, maybe seven or eight and skipped over to Youtube to watch my favorite filmed version of his infamous "Minnie The Moocher" which I'll embed a bit further down this post for you all to enjoy.  After gettin my Calloway Boogie on and skippin into the swing of things I was really getting into my lighting experimentation but with all my other lights off save for my Pro light  the mood was very heavy an called for something of a bit darker flavor.  I returned to trusty old iTunes and who should I come to rest upon but the one and only, original Shock Rocker and master of the Blues, Screamin' Jay Hawkins.  I turned up the volume and let "I Put A Spell On You" ring throughout my walls.  After a few more tracks by the eccentric singer again I returned to Youtube in order to watch my favorite recording of the aforementioned song.
I'd love to see some of your favorite recorded performances from way back when. Just post the link in the comments section below and I'll be sure to check them put and respond.

Cab Calloway's Minnie The Moocher:


Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell on You:



If you're a fan of all things prohibition era and you dug that Calloway tune click HERE to be redirected to an excerpt from Francis Ford Copolla's nineteen eighty-four film The Cotton Club where they pay homage to the great band leader.  It's a personal favorite of mine starring Richard Gere as a lowly cornet player who rises up the social ladder in a most turbulent way all the while surrounding one of Harlem's most famous Jazz clubs.  If for nothing else it's worth taking a look at for the music. I hope you take me up on that recommendation and I hope you enjoy the film.

Sincerely,

-S.


P.S. If you're in the Manhattan area and are wondering what has happened to the once infamous Cotton Club just click HERE to see where it's still alive with jive. Later on in the month or perhaps next month I'll go a little further in depth about the Cotton Club and all the talent we probably wouldn't have without it's existence.

The image I'll take away from tonight:

©Steve Shilling

Note: As an avid supporter of Wikipedia nearly every link applied to an individual's name has and will redirect you to their corresponding Wikipedia page.  I do suggest that readers use common sense and while you can read what's on the page, always check the sources list located at the bottom. Do this for multiple reasons:
One: In order to make sure the source is credible.
Two: By utilizing those links you'll be able to expand your knowledge further through varying sources of information.
Three: In order to keep Wikipedia accurate and helpful report any phony links.