Mika: Rapid Dragon/ Tune of the Week
Not only that, but with Kimi failing to win the GP at Monza, I had to consider last weekend's racing news as just more Doom. Now the permanently trashed and ever more brazenly lecherous young Finn is 17 points behind Alonso with only four (4) races to go. Even worse, I'm not going to be able to see the GP this weekend at Spa cause I'm going to be up in the country with no cable. I'd give both my arms and legs for a TiVo right now. Unfortunately, I can't afford one because whatever money I don't give to Katrina victims I'm sending to Kimi's divorce lawyer. Trust me, Kimi's gonna need the help as bad as anyone.
Getting back to the point, my miss this weekend is particularly painful since Spa has one of my favorite corners in all of F1 (based on extensive PlayStation2 testing), the Eau Rouge: a double-uphill left that you hit doing 180 mph in 7th gear. Spa is also where my beloved Mika Hakkinen savagely punked out Schumacher on a chicane a few years back.
Speaking of which, check out Mika's tatoo. It's Japanese Kenji that loosely translates as "Rapid Dragon":
It could also be translated as "dragon kings old hometown" or "quick sovreign," among others. Either way, it's hard as fucking nails. For more detailed discussion of how to interperet the kenji, I stongly recommend going to the source.
Anyway, about the song of the week. It's "Louisiana 1927" by Randy Newman. This is a beautiful song, and seems sadly appropriate at a time like this, even though those "trying to wash us away" in the lyrics presumably are supposed to have been Yankees. But, particularly for someone like me, for whom the loss of New Orleans increasingly feels like a death in the family, the anguished refrain and plaintive gospel changes resonate massively.
I like all the versions: those by Randy himself , those by Aaron Neville (though a bit over-engineered, IMO), and the one by a band called Old School Freight Train (iTunes link). I remember last JazzFest I was sitting in the waiting area of Bayona in NOLA right next to Randy. I have to say I didn't even recognize him until someone mentioned it. Anyway, this is a great tune, and apt for the occasion.
“Louisiana 1927”
Randy Newman
What has happened down here is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and it rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day
The river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
Some people got away alright
The river have busted through clear down to Plaquemines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangelne
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a note-pad in his hand
The President say, "Little fat man isn't it a shame what the river has done
To this poor crackers land."
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
posted by HAKKIN£N!!!!!!!!!!!!! at 00:51
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