boyd tonkin in london -not one more library must close

Some good stuff in this article over at The Independent. Love me some gallows humour too.

If it wished to rebuild mutual trust, social capital and motives for hope and change in the riot-wrecked streets of a nation's cities, where might a truly idealistic society begin? Perhaps its policy-makers, with money no object, would plan a network of more than 4000 dedicated cultural and community centres, their locations scattered throughout urban areas – not just in downtown hubs and comfortable suburbs... Hopelessly utopian, I know. Except that Britain's network of public libraries already exists. Or rather, it hangs on by the skin of its under-resourced teeth...

Prevention always costs less than cure. The prospect of friendly, busy branch libraries diverting even a few of the disaffected or the dispossessed from crime and despair sounds like sheer fantasy. But every little helps, as the slogan on the looted supermarket has it.

elbow patches -angry beige etc

bobby from boston -a documentary

Interview above by Lea Winkler.

Bobby Garnett owns Bobby From Boston, vintage clothing heaven pretty much. He came to the last Top Shelf Flea market in Somerville for a few minutes, we talked a bit of workwear -well he talked and I listened hard... Ouigi Theodore of the Brooklyn Circus did a great interview with him early this year, read it here. Love this quote where Bobby breaks down timelines;

“Antique clothing, which normally are clothes 100 years old or more but I would say 1920s and earlier are antique clothes. From the ‘30s to the ‘60s is vintage clothing and anything after that I consider specialty clothing.”
-via BKc blog

Some great interior shots over at LimitedHype and OMS Originals as well.

g.h. grimm -only in vermont

Being frugal just got a new meaning... Positively Gary Larson-esque. Original oil painting for sale on ebay now by Rutland, VT artist G.H. Grimm.

harris tweed ride -recap pics

Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

This is pure desktop vacation since I was not in Glasgow last weekend (Sis was and helped out) but have been enjoying the photos of the Harris Tweed Ride that took place. Have to rumble organizer Mike D (above), and commend the ladies esp' for killing it with old and new tweed ensembles (love her rough weskit below). Won't go on and on, just hope this happens again next year. If not, damn it looked fun.


Photos courtesy of Donna Swabey

Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

Needles for the gramophone. Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

A dram of shortie'... (old joke) Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

This large set of pics below is by Carol Ann Peacock, and only reproduced here with her express permision. Do check her site, for her documenting of the mills, mill workers and weavers of the Outer Hebrides. Some of those shots will in turn be included in Weaving Songs, a book of poetry being released this autumn based on the working lives of the crofters and communities of the Western Isles of Scotland.


Tea cups and tablet' (like brittle fudge)
























Still with me? Even more pics at the official site.

goruck -brick bag

Their stuff sack can beat up your stuff sack...

Though nominally born of the GORUCK challenge, this combo stuff sack/compression sack from GORUCK works to seperate items in your luggage or would make a badass carry-on has to be said. $95. This brand is well known for its military grade rucksacks, made in the USA, with a lifetime guarantee and no frippery. Same goes for the Brick Bag.