If you haven’t added these volumes to your collection, and you are in love with the aesthetic of 50’s women, fashion, and bodies, please read on. After visiting Powells in August I came home with some books that must be mentioned:
History of Men’s Magazines Vol. 1

History of Men’s Magazines Vol. 2

Here is the info from the Taschen:
In 460 full-color pages, Volume 2 documents the proliferation of men’s magazines following WWII. Before the war France and Germany were the world’s leading producers; after the war the US surged ahead. When a little magazine called Playboy debuted in December 1953 a new breed of sophisticated imitators followed. And when America redefined its obscenity laws in 1957 scores of new and more revealing titles followed. Volume II also covers the early evolution of English men’s magazines, profiles the top five covergirls of the 1950s, and ends with the hilarious ads from the magazines’ back pages. Male girdles, anyone?

SERIOUSLY these volumes are worth the money. Luckily, we got them on sale because it’s Taschens 25th anniversary this year AND Portland has no sales tax. 2 for $50 anyone? Yes!

They are FULL of beautiful women, busts and bellies from 1900-1959. Not just pin-ups, this Taschen beast has 460 pages of photos, scanned images, book covers, magazine covers, excerpts, flashbacks and more amazing graphic design than you can imagine. Black and white, color, screen printed and cartoons, it has every beautiful, disturbing and sometimes shocking image from mens magazines and more from this era.

I can’t get enough of it because the women are so full-bodied and luscious. Not a six-pack in this whole book. A few svelte figures here and there, but mostly thick thighs and high heels.

Two thumbs up.

I also got my hands on:

AND

My eyes have been feasting on these…

22 years ago, tomorrow, I popped out of a womb and starting eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve had some time to think this through, so I thought I might share some favorites of mine.
My favorite sandwich is a extra sour rye bread pastrami with a dill pickle on the side.

My favorite cupcake is one without a lot of frosting, unless the frosting is made from cream cheese, then it’s a dream come true, especially if it has a nice thin layer with some tiny sugar crystals on top. (like the ones from Saint Cupcake in portland, see below)

My favorite drink is apple grape juice, watered down a little.

My favorite pizza has the following toppings: artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

My favorite lunch is fresh salmon sashimi, rice, salad and black iced tea.

My favorite dinner is bbq pork ramen from Tajima

My favorite breakfast is cereal. All kinds.

My favorite midday snack is cheese and crackers. Specifically extra aged sharp white cheddar on “woven wheats” from trader joes.

What will make me gag: cherries & grapes & spinach (the texture is awful), Fruit Loops cereal, corn tortillas, brussel sprouts, cloves, and sweetened meat of any kind (i.e., brown-sugared ham, apple-sausage, eck!), the flavor of ginger, gummi candy (like lifesavers), and anything that is served lukewarm. There are many more things of course, but these stand out.
that’s all for now…

*photo credits: Pastrami, the rest are from other assorted Flickr accounts.

(A big tree I photographed in Portland this week, while waiting for a ride on the corner of 25th & NW Pettigrove.)
The six months I spent in Portland in 2005 weren’t spent well. I realized this more fully this time around, while perusing the city this past week for my brothers wedding. Powells is absolutely the best bookstore around, the streetcars are free and the MAX train is faster than the awful San Diego Trolley, there are trees all about, great restaurants, local shops, excellent coffee, and bikes, bikes, bikes. Safe bike lanes, bike racks, bike shops, bike people, bike-minds. More than a few theatre/restaurant lounge combos, tiny pubs, and little nick nack establishments everywhere. If I hadn’t spent so much time moping back in ‘05, perhaps I could have opened my eyes more to the possibilities of living in a city that is so entirely art & music focused. But alas, I love my band, and truly, only a few things keep me here in San Diego, and those lines are thin but steady. My band and my father, and a small handful of special friends are the only anchors.
Yesterday I missed my bus stop because I was lost in a visualization of a life post-San Diego. Travels in another country, without anything in my life but passion perhaps? I am going through a purge in which I want to rid myself of all unnecessary evils. From my old couch to old clothes to old photos. Why drag these things on for the sake of entertainment value? I want to minimize the STUFF I have and PRODUCE something worth a damn. I want a desk and a writing tablet. A freshly sharpened pencil and a clean bed to sleep in. What else should I really concern myself with? A dusty couch? A handful of old books I don’t glance at for years at a time? Old clothes I swear that I will one day find a pair of shoes to match? Off with it!

Yard sale on Saturday.

New Ink by Dave Warshaw at Avalon Tattoo (Adams Avenue). He is the best tattoo artist I have encountered yet. Light hands, really great conversation, and the fastest healing time ever.
Photo courtesy Sean Dejecacion
And now I’m off to Portland for my brothers wedding (jeez!). I shall return with buckets of photos and a cleared up head.