Marked Fascination And Decline.

Ultra-affordable and kickin English label Albam seems to now have a home stateside. Well, the first one I've found anyway and it's no big surprise that LA boutique South Willard is one of the first to jump on my latest obsession. It's getting really hard to focus on fly fishing when there are so many dope clothes that need my attention. I know I seem to be thinking of nothing but clothes right now which may seem odd since there are so many other considerations that need to be addressed.

I kept himming and hawwing over a pair of Albam jeans on oi poloi up to the point they sold out of my size. But hopefully South Willard will be all stocked up soon. South Willard has this knack of grabbing my particular fetishes. I'm excited to head down and pay them a personal visit. You should also check out the Albam website and remember, if you have items shipped to the US, all prices include VAT that you don't need to pay! A nice treat at check out.

Great weekend alls!

Things We Will Never Look At Again.

Headline news seems to be on wherever I go. I prefer it to Fox news, but only slightly & the loss of BBC is a real blow. This morning the sound was off, but there was a story on the Jersey Shore outrage followed by the Oliver Stone outrage, then a Hitler cat website outrage and one can't help but conclude that Americans are full of rage about whatever is on Headline News. Not really wanting to come face to face with news rotation rage I've decided to stay indoors.
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The other day I was talking to Compadre and I mentioned how Free City was moving out of Malibu and square into the middle of Hollywood. He said it was the beginning of the end, and I asked him whatever could he mean. He muttered something about Barbour and we really let the subject drop.

But it resurfaced the other day when I was cruising Aloha Rag and I noticed they are actually carrying Free City. The first retailer besides Ron Herman to do so and I think I may have to agree with Compdre. The beginning is looking a lot like an end.

I've never purchased anything from Aloha Rag, but it isn't because I haven't tried. I gave up that ghost when I was informed they would not ship anything other than FedEx. Not having a week or so to hang around my house for FedEx dude I passed on a fresh bracelet. Puddles! They do carry some of my all time faves like Ann Demeulemeester, Lucian Pellat Finet, Rick Owens and just gorgeous expensive shit generally. Usually in sizes Small, Extra Small & Extra Extra Small which is just too amazing. Aloha Rag is always worth a look, but I am not feeling the Free City. On me yes. At AR no.

(N)ever.

The blogging may come closer to a weekly rather than daily activity while my sojourn in the country continues. It seems, however, that whenever something truly extraordinary happens like a rabbit in the garden or a dog wash at the car wash I seem to be missing my phone. I'm making a point to pack the Jesus Phone heat wherever I go from this point on. Even the loos. Started counting the swastikas in the loos and I'm already up to three. On my second day!!

A well deserved break from city life, however, can do wonders. Even a break from a small town city like Seattle is perfectly appropriate. Quite effing naturally the last words I heard from someone before I left the land of goth & crunch was "Would you like a Real Change?" Real Change being the non-housed (i.e. homeless/half-way house resident/crasher) newspaper which are sold on pretty much every corner of the city that sees even a whisper of foot traffic. Hoping against futile hope that it might actually be the last time I hear those dreadful words I think to myself and hopefully not out loud, "Yeah, you off the mother effing sidewalk at least one day a week is a real change I could certainly use!"
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On an oddly related note, cosmically vacant trend fuckers Blackbird have opted to carry the horrid California based street wear line Ever once again after making such a self-impressed declaration that they were "over it". Yeah. I think we were all over it at one point or other, but I think it bears mentioning that the whole Ever resurgence lends some credibility to the old addage that necessity is the mother of invention. Like I've mentioned before it's recession drag: Same tired ass shit at a lower price! Stunning, just stunning!

Outlet space in Cabazon to handle massive overstock coming shortly. Will get into the Ever rage at a later date. Need to go chase pixies in the garden!

With Inspirations Like These Who Needs Sentience.

Yup, it's an A.P.C. x Carhart colab. It would be all too easy to say something so I won't.

There Are Many Things To Avoid.

Went to see Inception yesterday despite the fact that $9 matinees offend me quite deeply. Waited quite a while for a prezel and soda. Another $9. Sent off some texts in the few moments before the previews. Previews are awesome.

It was a neat movie as far as movies go. Homie that played Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis was in the movie which is probably just my thing. Six Degrees of Levar Burton anyone? Anyone? Right before the big sequence, however, I nipped to the lav for a wee and when I got back to my seat all my junk was missing. My bag, sweater, all of it. Spooky, but then I realized that my soda and half eaten prezel were gone as well. It didn't seem right. I thought I had been robbed and I went out to lodge a complaint and in doing so I realized I was exiting the wrong theater. I was directly below the theater I was suppose to be in.

Spookiness over I high tailed it to my seat where all my stuff was and finished watching the movie. I wouldn't mind seeing it again, but $9 is just pants.

And We Watched It Fade To This.

Everything seems to have slowed down with The Hills series finale I don't mind admitting. Totally blew off the World Series in order to watch what happens to Brody and so and so.

There were so many highlights to this moment of television history. The best parts were the wind-ups with the cast and crew, and they in fact referred to each other as cast & crew as if they were actually actors acting. Terms like "mid 20s life crisis" & "I like how modern it is" were bandied about with ease, the title was "All Good Things" just like the series finale for Star Trek: The Next Generation, but an entirely different show filmed next to a pool.

Maybe the bestest part is when so and so asks who it is "Do you want to not see anyone else?"

Who it is, not understanding the concept of a double negative responds "No." and they start to make out? I hit the floor and begged for more. And I got it!

Brody walks into the going away part for what's her face to the sounds of Phoenix. They all hug and I get misty and I have no idea why, but the two Gin & Tonics I had at dinner are quickly blamed and I stare on. Alphaville only someone other than Alphaville singing Forever Young by a pool I think, stylistic and studied I think I may have been in that pool before. Curtains, applause, thanks for the memories.

I started watching you last summer!

Spheres & Disks Abound.

Was it a mistake to go to the Yankees games? I think the general feeling is no, but... I did manage to plop mustard all over my Raf Simons tote not 10 minutes after getting to the park. I was peckish. I was a little exhausted, but they were fouling so many balls back into my general direction I was determined to stay until the bitter end.

The Mariners never gave up. Even though they lost quite handily and should have given up. The few Mariners fans there were had little to say except one sorta moaned when half the stadium started chanting "LETS GO YANKEES"! That has to sting. They were just awful towards RoRo and I had half a mind to come back the next night, but even I need a night off sometimes. Rarely, but sometimes.

Yesterday's matinee game was a different story. There was a marathon of The Hills on MTV and I really had to tear myself away. But I did, and I almost wished I hadn't. The seats were alright, but square in the middle of the sun. There was a stag party in attendance and they were wearing shirts in case some of them got lost I suppose - sporting goatees every last one and Oakleys.

There were children that seemed to need to use the facilities every 6 minutes. I clapped loudly in one woman's ear as she was exiting with her brood right in the middle of Derek's two run double. Inconsiderate cow.

Homie to my left had to imbue every mannerism and movement with macho-ness and then he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a "Superman" tattoo on his arm. He got up at one point and I could see the "Superman" tee he was wearing. This made me a little faint. Waves and waves of cropped blond hair made me seriously consider the type of people that have settled this area. I put some serious thought into it actually. Then I continued to mentally pack up my life and drift away.

Got home and caught the tail end of Okkerville River on Austin City Limits and the closing interview. Eye opening once again as I had no idea the dude was such a vacuous self-obsessed douche bag. Good thing his lyrics are incomprehensible since they couldn't possibly be interesting.

Ascending Toward Amateurism

Lord I never pick up any of the weekly rags. Sub-literate underfed pallid scene pigs trying their hand at turning a phrase while exploring what passes for local culture never held much appeal for me. Yesterday, however, I was waiting for my veggie burrito at one of our local trashy eateries and I passed the time by flipping through The Seattle Weekly and all of a sudden I saw a picture of Derek. A cute picture of Derek, and then I realized The Yankees are in town!

And I have tickets!

There will be Jesus Phone images to follow.

Last weeks low points in lifestyle blogging: New Feature!

Metrosexual deluxe is blogging about Christmas 08' stocking stuffers. Catch the wave!

One way to "spin" MOR trend whoring. One supposes.

Flesh Colored Visions And Retail The Rape.

The Fourth of July was nice, but the fifth was where it was at. Heat wave is approaching so some friends needed to snag a portable Air Conditioning unit before they all sold out and all the hotel rooms with AC got booked. So we went to Home Depot which is a den of bad manners and wrap around sunglass rockin' DIYers. The words "pardon me" left no one's lips but my own, and the free pop corn was actually a treat.

But why stop there when Costco is just down the street. Costco was shall we sat eye opening. I'm given a lot of shit for never leaving Capitol Hill, but I think I have good reason. At Costco (a mere 3 miles from my home) the ill-bred rudeness was on wild display, but it was sprinkled with a clutching odor of paranoid apocalyptic planning. Restaurant depot is just a few blocks away so I got the impression that the homie with 3 flats of stewed tomatoes wasn't stocking up his pizzeria on MLK, but more likely he's "come to town" to replenish his "compound" up at a place called Muskitoo Ridge of some such shit. Oh, and when I realized you could actually buy a casket at Costco all my efforts and energies became dedicated to not hyperventilating. Somewhat successfully I should add.

Now we just brace for the "dangerous heatwave" and hope for the best.

Contemplating The Meaning Of Words.

Bret Easton Ellis reading last night at Elliot Bay Bookstore was nice. Well attended & the last night of the tour. He seemed a bit testy, but who could really blame him. One guy asked if he had to pay Elvis Costello for "lifting" the song titles for his books. The first question came from a total spaz who prompted me to send 5 texts (even before the reading began) asking whether everyone in this town has a personality disorder they like to display.

The question (if you could call his meandering breathless speech that) had to do with American Psycho 2. Some people got up to leave before the question even came out and Mr. Ellis made a note of it. This dissuaded me from asking my question about the reference to Band of Outsider suits early in Imperial Bedrooms.

Instead I mentioned it while he was signing my book since I had nothing else to say. He stared at my Comme des Garcons Guerilla Store shirt and told me it was a shout out to his friend that heads the company. He said he couldn't fit into the stuff, and I felt bad after I said "yes" as if I was agreeing that he was a fat ass. Which he isn't.

He asked if I was a fan and lied and said I was. Then he said "it's expensive" which I thought odd since I just dropped $25 on a book it took 3 hours to read. Really expensive movie without pictures.

About to hit the dentist for some more ass raping then I have to return some books that I didn't review too carefully before buying. One was written by a Scottish Nationalist of all things and then.... Planning the BIG MOVE!