Pennies for Poe: Near the Diner Grill, A Bowl of Change for the Literary Giant

Posted on April 20, 2011 by atomictv

By Laura Vozzella (Baltimore Sun, 4/13/2011)

Baltimore schoolkids collected pennies nearly 150 years ago to save Edgar Allan Poe the indignity of lying in an unmarked grave. Now another “Pennies for Poe” campaign is under way, this time with the intention of sparing his North Amity Street house from closure.

Which brings us to the fishbowl on the counter at G&A Restaurant on Eastern Avenue, not far from the grill where Coney Island hot dogs sizzle.

How does Baltimore’s literary giant get mixed up with a Highlandtown diner?

Photo by David Robert Crews, flickr.com

Rafael Alvarez, that’s how. The author, Highlandtowner and former Baltimore Sun reporter is president of the Poe Society of Baltimore.

…Alvarez asked Andy Farantos, owner of G&A, to put a fishbowl out on the counter where people can throw in pennies.

Why G&A?

“I’m personal friends with the guy who owns the joint, and he said, ‘Yeah, go ahead. Put up the fishbowl,'” Alvarez said. “That’s how things work in Baltimore.”

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Posted in 2010s, Baltimorons, Dining, Edgar Allan Poe, Highlandtown | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Udo Lindenberg – “Baltimore”

Posted on April 15, 2011 by atomictv

Ivan Doroschuk from “Men Without Hats” posted this song on Facebook this morning. It’s Randy Newman’s song “Baltimore” covered by German musician Udo Lindenberg. The lyrics are in German — I ran them through a German-to-English translator and out popped a bizarre “Germ-grish” version of the lyrics — but they still accurately describe “Charm City” even though they aren’t quite Randy’s lyrics anymore.

Udo Lindenberg – “Baltimore”

(Approx. German to English Translation)

 Udo Lindenberg – “Baltimore”

(German Lyrics)
Everywhere in the center of the rich old city
is a surge of sea gulls, half frozen and exhausted
for storms at sea are
and that brings great distress
in the city there’s no food
Here you find Death		 Überall im Zentrum der reichen alten Stadt
drängen sich die Möwen, halberfroren und matt
denn auf dem Meer sind Stürme
und das bringt große Not
in der City gibt’s kein Futter
hier finden sie den Tod
A prostitute waits for the last rendezvous
and a bum is in line with plastic bags to
look at look away, and swirl and are
everyone feels the City dies
and no one knows exactly why ..		 Eine Nutte wartet auf das letzte Rendezvous
und ein Penner deckt sich mit Plastiktüten zu
die Leute, die du ansiehst, gucken weg und drehn sich um
jeder spürt, die City stirbt
und keiner weiß genau, warum..
Oh, Baltimore, your end is in sight
oh, Baltimore, a few years yet
longer I will not give you		 Oh, Baltimore, dein Ende ist in Sicht
oh, Baltimore, ein paar Jahre noch
länger geb’ ich dir nicht

Will Udo Lindenberg cover Tori Amos' Baltimore song next?
My sister Sandy and my little brother Gregg
I buy an old car that takes us very far away
in the highest mountains and in the vast country
we remain forever
Come, take my hand		 Meine Schwester Sandy und mein kleiner Bruder Gregg
ich kauf’ ein altes Auto, das bringt uns ganz weit weg
in die höchsten Berge und in das weite Land
da bleiben wir für immer
komm, nimm meine Hand
Oh, Baltimore, your end is in sight
oh, Baltimore, a few years yet
more I will not give you		 Oh, Baltimore, dein Ende ist in Sicht
oh, Baltimore, ein paar Jahre noch
mehr geb’ ich dir nicht
Oh, Baltimore, you’ll go down like a big ship
oh, Baltimore, you go under
But do not you go with me down		 Oh, Baltimore, du wirst untergehn wie ein großes Schiff
oh, Baltimore, du gehst unter
doch mich ziehst du nicht mit runter
Baltimore, drowning in your rubbish I do not … Baltimore, in deinem Schutt erstick’ ich nicht…
Randy Newman – “Baltimore”
Beat up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin’ to find the ocean
Lookin’ everywhere

Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain’t nowhere to run to
There ain’t nothin’ here for free

Hooker on the corner
Waitin’ for a train
Drunk lyin’ on the sidewalk
Sleepin’ in the rain

And they hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
‘Cause the city’s dyin’
And they don’t know why

Oh Baltimore
Man it’s hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to life, just to live

Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Buy a big old wagon
To haul us all away

Live out in the country
Where the mountain’s high
Never comin’ back here
‘Til the day I die

Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live, just to live
Posted in Baltimore Songs, Music, Music Video | Tagged | Leave a comment

Recalling My Career as a Gino’s Girl

Posted on April 13, 2011 by atomictv

By Mary Hoffman (DundalkPatch.com, 4/11/2011)

“…Like most girls, I worked the counter waiting on customers. Only on occasions were the counter girls allowed to work the grill. And yes, it’s true, we applied that special Gino Giant sauce with a gadget that resembled a caulk gun.

Each night, we’d get a break and I’d make my own meal. Double cheeseburgers were not on the menu, let alone double cheeseburgers with Giant sauce, but that was my standard dinner each shift I worked. Once in a while, I’d have a keel with fries instead of the cheeseburger.

Anyone remember keels? Oh man, that was the best piece of chicken. It was all white meat with this little flexible bone-like thing down the back. Some referred to the keel as “the last part over the fence.” Heck, I didn’t care what they called it. I called it a GREAT dinner! Back then the chicken was fried in a big pressure cooker, timed to be sure it was prepared perfectly.”

Continue reading “Recalling My Career as a Gino’s Girl ” at DundalkPatch.com.

Posted in Dining, Dundalk, TV Commercials | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bad Baltimore Tattoos: Johnny Unitas #19’s “Golden Arm”

Posted on April 12, 2011 by atomictv


Submitted by Mark Hyde at the Imnotrightinthehead Facebook group.

Posted in Baltimorons, Colts, Tattoos | 2 Comments