Hauntingly Disturbing

The Smiths' controversial spin on the 5 children murdered and buried on Saddleworth Moor in 1963-65, known as The Moor Murders, is nothing BUT haunting. Johnny Marr's melancholy melody underneath Morrissey's depraved tale make for a dark trip through the English countryside. What sucks is that after hearing it, it stays with you a while. It's kinda hard to shake. Sheesh!
Taken from the Smiths' Suffer Little Children:

Over the moor, take me to the moor
Dig a shallow grave
And I'll lay me down

Lesley-Anne, with your pretty white beads
Oh John, you'll never be a man
And you'll never see your home again
Oh Manchester, so much to answer for

Edward, see those alluring lights?
Tonight will be your very last night

A woman said: I know my son is dead
I'll never rest my hands on his sacred head

But fresh lilaced moorland fields
Cannot hide the solid stench of death
Fresh lilaced moorland fields
Cannot hide the solid stench of death

Photo of the Smiths from ugo.com

Lumber Jac It Up

Paul Bunyan may have made a stop-over in Bemidji, Minnesota, but I doubt seriously he called it home. Hell, who could afford to feed the big lug.
But because of his size and skills with an ax, all the logging camps across the land were grateful for his help. But you've got to wonder if the other loggers were not feeling a little...inadequate? Or was it because the camp's womenfolk seemed to loiter 'round the waterfront just as Paul emerged from his bath? Was Paul run out of every camp by an angry, but shorter mob of ax wielding loggers? Or did he just simply like to travel?
As for Bemidji, it turns out, there are other points of interest. One being the Beavers of Bemidji State University and the other is Bemidji Woolen Mills. Created in support of the logging industry and warming the world since 1920.


Top right: The Voyageur's Jac Coat from Bemidji Woolen Mills from bemidjiwoolenmills.com
Paul and Babe from americanfolklore.net

Why The Long Face?

No, they're not sexy. Are you worried about sexy in zero degree wind chill? Save that for a romp around the fireplace.
No, they're not cheap. Canada Goose has 50 plus years of North American, down jacket know-how built into the price.
You know how you plop yourself in front of your computer to do research on something you need and you justify paying more for it cuz it's the industry standard, the go-to workhorse that won't let you down?
And yes you're right, most of us don't live in the Canadian High Arctic and we're not employed at the National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Research at the South Pole, but before we know it, there are going to be days...weeks even, that we wished we'd made that investment in warmth.
I shit you not.



Photo of Canada Goose, Men's Expedition Parka
from madbearoutdoors.co.uk

Hey, Them's Kinda Cute

Often thought too clunky. Often thought too utilitarian. Rarely thought too warm and lately just cuter than the dickens. Long time Kitchener, Ontario boot manufacturer Sorel, has added outerwear and apparel to the line-up since being acquired by Columbia back in 2000 (I did not know).







While the clothing may be a tougher find, you can still roast your tootsies at Dick's, Moosejaw Outfitters and select Nordstrom doors.

Chick Boots:
Helen of Tundra pictured above left from sorel.com
Tivoli 6 pictured at right from sorel.com
Top Photo from shopping.yahoo.com

60s London Subculture:The Skins,The Hippies, The Mods and Rockers

I like this photo of a few Skinheads in full on Skin regalia; Levi's, suspenders and steel toed Doc Martens marching past a small clan of Hippies on Picadilly Circus.
Bottom photo of a gang of Mods, raging through town. Their scoots most likely Vespas and Lambrettas.

Images from a series called London Subcultures 1950-1980
by Terrence Spencer for Life Magazine.
museumoflondon.org.uk.com

Too Much Too Soon

Our Mothers took Jacques and I on a day long shopping and entertainment extravaganza. As 10 year-olds with a fetish for fashion, we were on the hunt for the elusive Beatle Boot.
Legend has it, the boot was designed by Drury Lane, shoe and boot cobblers Anello & Davide. The Beatles wanted an adaptation of the historic Chelsea boot. Both boots were snug fitting and ankle high but where the Chelsea had an elastic panel on both sides, the Beatle had an inside zip. And either could or would have what's known as a Cuban Heel, its origins in Flamenco dancing.
One other design aspect was the long, pointed toe, derived from 50s London, Winklepickers. A stark contrast to the Teddy Boy Creeper.
Again our Mothers, God bless 'em, may not have been as dialed in as we had hoped. But they did the best they could with what they had to work with. Our first clue should have been our shopping destination for the day. Long known by those with an obscure sense of trend, the Muskegon Kmart on Apple Ave.
What we ended up with was as close as we could hope for. Besides, they did meet some of the qualifications. They were black and they were boots. A round toe, work boot cousin to the Wellington.
Still, nobody could dispute our feel for the now. We wore flared pants. We wore floral print shirts with kerchieves clasped around our necks...and we wore work boots.
We were the future.
We were tomorrows hope.
We were the harbingers of cool.
We were 6th graders.

Photo from beatwear.co.uk.com
Chelsea Boot history tapped from the Wikipeepee
History of the Beatle Boot bits from Anello & Davide and museumoflondon.org.uk.com

Granny's Farm

Turns out, for all that snooty, feaux-audiophile, whining of mine, I have a distaste for Rubber Soul's new mix. Over and over and over again. I caught hold of this this morning as I was walking my dog in 4/4 time to Macca's bass line on Nowhere Man and I wasn't using an ipod.
The guy's gotta gift for counterpoint melodies. Practically a song within a song. I'm rediscovering what Mitchell Wood has known all along. Guess I better run out there and dislike Revolver too.


Top Photo from eyeglasseswarehouse.com
Bottom Photo from drx.typepad.com
James Dean ain't got nuthin on Stuart Sutcliffe. And look at that fatty bass