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If you think I'm cute
In my birthday suit,
Don't chide my indiscretion.
I feel my best
When I manifest
My compulsive tendencies toward psychosexual infantile regression.
Esquire Magazine - December 1961
Not as good as it was. Better than it will be.
Here's a 1972 catalog I found. Stanley explains the first cover, "...was so dull and unexciting that we were forced to reject it. We were caught at the last moment without a cover, and in desperation we utilized the Vasarely scarf that had been in the catalog a couple years previously."
The scarf was a His & Hers feature from the 1969 catalog and was sold as a pair for $750. Designed by Victor Vasarely and silkscreened by hand in Switzerland on 36" squares, it didn't do too well. Marcus explains, "...the coloration and design made it perfectly suitable for a Christmas cover. It also helped us finally to sell off the balance of our stock."
"There were two idea pages that year, neither was very successful from the point of view of sales but which did generate good publicity. The first gift was "His and Her" lifesize dummies made to reproduce the image of anyone the buyer chose... These dummies, operated by a remote control button that could be cued in to laugh at the most inane of jokes, could even be sent as proxies to sit in at a dull party. It proved not to be one of my best ideas." S.M. His and Hers
"The other big gift was one that Edward Marcus discovered. It was a jet-powered glider plane and it, too, flopped -- for entirely different reasons. The jet engine gave it greater mobility by allowing it to take off from almost any field and eliminating the necessity of a tow plane. But unfortunately the plane was never certified by the FAA, and while we had several responsible orders -- at $32,000 -- we were unable to fill them." S.M. His & Hers
Marcus does not mention this George Ciancimino designed wall unit with Sony components but it sings to me. I just need an Eame's chair. $2,000 for the wall unit alone and another $2,730 for the reel to reel, amp, turntable and VCR.
Not Over-the-Top but more, Under-The-Table. A location shoot in Guadalajara (the Match Game's destination of choice). From Left- Mola handworked by San Blas Indians applied to cotton skirt- $110. Navy blazer with yellow, green and white embroidery by Sussex Clothes- $185. Festival of Flowers halter top by Malia of Hawaii - $34. I loved halter tops. I still do.
If ever there was '70s look - this was it: Malbe's ecru blouse-$35 and deep bottle green pj pants $42. All by Judy Hornby. Satin belt with ivory-color buckle - $10.
Major Frampton's wife. Ft Monroe Officer's Club. Enough said. Some skirt stripes ($28) are checked to match top ($16). Both by David Smith.
T.A. Davis wood racket not for sale. Winter white acrylic dress $35 and (be still my heart) matching bikini for $10. All by Hampton Court Knits.
I'm sure he's riding a Fuji. NM exclusive rendition of rugby stripes in cotton knit and made in France. $18.50
Just because Boris Badenov can get away with wearing a leather trench doesn't mean you can.
And just because Jann Wenner wore this throughout the '70s doesn't mean you can. Then or now. V Neck wool Cricket sweater - $25 White wool flannel slacks- $55 Bow Tie $10. All by Ralph Lauren.
How many dimples can this tie hold? Tartan shirt by Embassy - $20 Italian parquet weave tie by Berkley $10.
More ties. This is a Christmas catalog. L-R Liberty of London print- $9 and a Hut racquet club tie for $8.50
And the amazing gift wrap service. Free for years. Then with purchase minimums and finally gone all together. (click on any image to enlarge)
Supporting characters in order of appearance- Walther PPK -
"Reaching up, I took my PPK from its hiding place above the helm and then ran a thumbnail over the "loaded round" pin that protruded slightly just under the hammer. Satisfied that a live one was up the spout, I stuck the pistol in the left side of my waistband."
Soviet SKS - "The SKS has all the robust features of the AK but is semiautomatic... It has a smaller magazine capacity than the AK. It is easier to control and allows the shooter to conserve his ammunition, something that might well become critical before this job was over."
Skorpion Machine Pistol- "With it's pistol size and folding stock, the Skorpion makes for a compact weapon. Some folks say it's a bit low-powered, but for a close-in fight, I've found it to be more than adequate."
Soviet RPK Machine Gun- "...and with a flourish, he flung open the lids to two other boxes. I looked inside. Everything was there: RPK machine guns, a couple sniper rifles, the little Skorpion machine pistols, two grenade launchers, and other assorted items."
Rokon Trailbreaker - "Best cross-country motorbike in the world...Made by the Rokon company of New Hampshire, she has front and back wheel drive, fat tires and a long range at a rather slow speed. The wheels are hollow for use as additional fuel or water carriers or to act as floats when crossing a stream."
Soviet AN-2 "...nothing so much as a flying truck. It is the world's largest biplane. With a thousand-horsepower radial engine, a large payload, and a remarkable design that allows it to get in and off the ground in 450 feet or less, the AN-2 is in all probability the greatest rough-country airplane ever manufactured."
Eric Haney was one of the youngest Command Sergeant Majors in the US Army before retiring. One of the first members of the secret Delta Unit at Ft Bragg in the '70s, Eric wrote the fascinating, Inside Delta Force, which was read by David Mamet and which resulted in Haney producing and writing CBS's, The Unit. A guilty pleasure of C-ration cheese spread across B-1 unit crackers.
The Unit was below Haney. And I was happy to see the first in a series of novels with Master Sergeant (ret.) Kennesaw Tanner pop out of his home in Cave Spring, GA last spring. A year earlier I spent some time with Eric, his wife Dianna and a bunch of new born puppies. You don't think ex Delta operatives as being puppy men but Haney is as down to earth a man as you'd ever know. I grew up around Green Berets. I know the egos. Haney doesn't seem to have one.
"There are the moments, just prior to setting out on an act that puts life at hazard, when I can taste the sweetness of life in a fullness that is almost overwhelming. Twenty-four hours from now, when the earth has made one full rotation on its axis, I may no longer be counted among the living." Eric Haney - No Man's Land
The book opens up with a grisly discovery of a woman's body in a salt marsh that may put you off jumbo lump crab forever. It moves to the brutal murder of a Saudi royal family on board their yacht, the kidnapping of a young boy and a job offer for Tanner from the US government communicated by a wonderful sleaze bag army colonel who deserved more pages.
The book culminates in an attack on a desert fort and there's a 'Dogs of War' feel to it -- But while Fredrick Forsythe backed a mercenary operation to lend his novel authenticity -- Haney's knowledge of tactics, weapons and the middle east comes from personal experience. Haney comes at you straight on and when you finish this novel you'll know why straight on works so well in a fire fight and in this case, a novel.
As an aside, the Haney's are looking to save some Cave Spring history. If you like preserving history and wanna help out please go here. Not asking for money. Just your vote. Thanks.
He appeared, it seemed by magic, in a madras button down, khakis and Timberland boat shoes. George McGovern had a tan and a son standing next to him. But I didn't know who they were. The son wore a beard, t-shirt, jeans and 20 extra pounds. He smiled warmly but not like his father. I'll never forget the smile of George McGovern in Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge.
His smile was white but not too bright. He asked me questions about General Washington. "Were there any other headquarter locations at VF?" No. "How were the colors of the bedroom walls researched?" Extensively. "How long had I worked there?" Two months. Not normal questions but you knew this guy was no normal visitor. Still, I had no idea.
It was hot on the second floor and my straw Stetson hung by the chin strap on top of a radio belted to my waist. I had no idea the radio was off. A man came up the stairs using the same banister we told visitors George Washington used. He saw McGovern and sang out, "Senator McGovern! What a surprise." McGovern turned from me, half smiled and almost whispered, " Jim...what's a lobbyist like you doing at Valley Forge."
McGovern and the lobbyist made some small talk while I wondered what to say as sweat trickled down the small of my back and into the crack of my butt. I was staring at McGovern now and forgetting everything. That I was born in South Dakota. That I hated Nixon. Wondering how things would have been different if only...if only...he had been elected president. This man who was not just some well heeled lawyer from the Main Line... but, George-fucking-McGovern.
George-fucking-McGovern turned from the lobbyist to me, held out his hand and said, "I'm George McGovern. " I shook a hand who had shaken so many others and said, "I'm John." He smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, John. " He introduced me to his son in the t-shirt and in less than a second the stairway was filled with 80 Girl Scouts.
McGovern looked at me with concern and as a good federal employee I showed him the escape. A 200 year old secret staircase by the fireplace. I showed the senator and his son the exit and closed the door behind them just as the Girl Scouts reached the landing.
Later at the Visitor Center, a ranger working behind the information desk asked, "Did you see him? We tried to call you." "Yes," I said. I had no idea how much he knew about history." The ranger laughed, "He has a doctorate in history you idiot." And I thought to myself, "Isn't it odd how we short change the most important people."
Cashmere blazer and turtleneck
Turning the DB down with corduroy
A reader asked,
"On this note of tieless dressing - help me out. What the hell do I do with a blue blazer, double breasted one, brass buttons etc..I love it on the hanger, but everytime I put it on I seem...overdressed, too sea captain?? Any thoughts? Casual with jeans? - the great zamboni"
There is the natural aversion to a DB blazer with a turtleneck. Especially a white one. Bad memories are triggered of my days working for the Boss, having my ass chewed and being forced to eat cinnamon toast somewhere in Tampa.
But as 'M' Magazine so elegantly presents above, it can be done with understated taste. After all, I don't care how much money George had. He was from Cleveland. Anyway, 'M' answers the Zamboni question better than I ever could and with much fewer words.
The cords are a great touch and everything here is about texture rather than color. The ribbed turtleneck. The ribbed trouser. The ribbed thing in his wallet. All contrasting against the smooth surface of the blazer. Casual but not sea captain. Or, baseball team owner.
A Golf Foxtrot tradition
An $88 tree fetches $200 in NYC
Greenhouse cafe happily hoovers tree savings
Unique gift ideas
Formal it ain't - but distressed works here
Field notebooks are everywhere which begs the question: Which came first? The notebooks or A Continuous Lean?
Bravo for BYOB but pulled pork bbq and duck confit were bland
Philadelphians will whine about the prices - - New Yorkers will think it a steal
Go when the 'ladies who lunch' have vacated - the sound level will drop like a flag stone terrace. Located at 914 Baltimore Pike at the intersection of Route 322 in Glen Mills, PA. Or, where God left his shoes.