Safe Breasts for Victory!

A lot of bizarre stuff happened here in the Land of the Big PX during the Second World War.

So I can't imagined armored brassiere cups were the most bizarre.

But...damn. That's pretty bizarre. What the hell was Rosie doing that put her lovely lady lumps so close to Industrial Danger?

We will never know.

Boots

I've got a question for the readership. Specifically, the female readership.

We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin’ over Africa!
Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin’ over Africa—
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up and down again!)

Here it is; is there something particularly enjoyable about high boots? I'm talking about you're basic over-the-calf to just-below-the-knee sort of boots.

That kind of boots?

Seven—six—eleven—five—nine-an’-twenty mile to-day—
Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before—
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up and down again!)

I ask this because I've noticed something for years now in the wet winter and spring months in Portland.

I understand why all the pretty colorful toes disappear; it's freakin' cold and wet out there! So boys and girls alike toss the Tevas and the flip-flops in the back of the closet.

But us guys tend to fall back on what we wear when we're not at the beach; running shoes and sneakers, many of us. Low quarters. Ankle boots, if anything boot-like.

But a LOT of you gals seem to break out the riding boots.

I'm talking everything from cowboy boots through fluffy Ugg footwarmers and strappy motorcyclist specials all the way to the classic German infantryman's jackboot.

Don’t—don’t—don’t—don’t—look at what’s in front of you.
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up an’ down again!)
Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin’ ’em...

And I've always wondered - as someone who used to wear combat boots and now has to wear steel-toed boots for a living - why these diceboxes are so popular with our Portland gals.

Don't get me wrong; most of them are very practical and many of them are even flattering and pretty. But they're...boots. Big. Heavy. Hard to put on and take off.

So I guess I just don't get it.

Try—try—try—try—to think o’ something different—
Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin’ lunatic!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up an’ down again!)

So, with so many other options for leather to put on your feet, gals...

What's with the boots?

’Tain’t—so—bad—by—day because o’ company,
But—night—brings—long—strings—o’ forty thousand million
Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up an’ down again...

(The lovely ladies of Portland and their boots from Urban Weeds

Hidden in Plain Sight

"Bacchus' blessings are a treasure,
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure;
Rich the treasure, Sweet the pleasure;
Sweet is pleasure after pain."

And sweet pleasure are the best words to describe The Hidden Thimble, a wonderful blog written by two young ladies from Down Under. Talyssa and Siree can take you anywhere in the world, from fashion - and these gals have a wicked deadly eye for what is enticing and ingenious - to Korea and everywhere in between.

Sweet, funny, clever, curious...I can't say enough good about them and their terrific blog. So give yourself a little present early this year, and go take a look. The gals won't disappoint.

The Revolution Will Have Cool Mittens

My pal Lee - who is an all-around awesome person and a walking example of how smart Italian-American girls grow up to be smart and beautiful Italian-American women - loves to knit.

And she is also a huge Linkin Park fan and just a kick-ass gal, so she doesn't knit little lace doilys, she knits fingerless combat mittens in black and red anarchist colors perfect for getting a good grip on that tear-gas canister to hurl back at the riot squad during the next Occupy Portland protest.

Because revolution isn't about just smashing the State.

There must also be cool mittens.

Princesses - They're Just Like Us!

They get up early to go to daycare, and when they put on their pink princess dress, they layer underneath it, because......"there's a hole down there and people can look in and see the puff-puff."

(apologies to the Salsa Family)

Random Thoughts, Sticks and Stones

Slow day at work today, so my mind has wandered a little amongst the CAD drawings.

Is it just me, or were the late 1940s through the early 1960s really terrific for the look of women's fashion. And yes, I understand about the tyranny of the patriarchy and the discomfort of foundation garments, pumps and crinolines. But the Dior "New Look" of 1947, or the trim look and clean lines of the women's dresses of the late Fifties and early Sixties are, to me, stunning.

It helped to be Audrey Hepburn, sure. But I've seen the pictures of women in the street scenes of the time and the styles were tremendously flattering on the average Jane, too. I like jeans for the comfot but, really, you've got to have one of those legendary walnut-cracking butts to make a pair of jeans look anything but baggy.

Just sayin'. And speaking of good-looking, I had to throw this in just because:

1. Ava Gardner was a gorgeous woman and a hell of an actress,

2. The Little Hut is a fun bit of silly fluff worth catching for watching her, David Niven and Stewart Granger at the top of their game, and

3. EVERYthing in the movies during the height of the Studio System was "designed" by someone. Ava's grass skirt here is "designed" by Christian Dior.

Ummm. Yeah.

What was the deal with navels, though? Look at where Ava's grass skirt is hiked up to - would YOU want your waistline up under your short ribs? I didn't think so. So I'm assuming that the point of that portion of the outfit is to hide Ava's tummy and that naughty navel.

Wierd what gets people - and censors - worked up...

Anyway, this was taken while out at a CO/CM job this week. I was watching the contractor's guy run the roller while perching on the T-handle of my footing probe. It's a quick way to get off your feet, sort of like one of those folding seat-stick things. Not stylish, but comfortable.I perch this way enough that I didn't think anything about it until my kid looked at the picture and asked: "Dad, why is that stick thing up your butt?"

Ummm...I...errr...I don't really have a stick up my butt...do I?

Yipe!