If you haven't been in the ocean in a while, get there, because last weekend I was at the beach and the water was perhaps the most beautiful it's ever been, and with this NE wind blowing like it has been, I'll bet it's warmed up another 5 degrees. I'll find out tomorrow. What the ocean have to do with the picture above? Nothing at all, unless you count both the beauty of the ocean and the fully-defined tiny features on that nickel-sized dead bird both as marvels of the natural world. And I do, so here they are together.
Jeannine and I saw The Avengers on Monday, and it was really fun. I love summer movie season, when all these big, fun movies unleash an onslaught of sensory overload. I really can't wait for Batman. Also, if you are lucky enough to have seen Moonrise Kingdom already, let me know how it was. I bet it's really good.
Speaking of big and fun, the new Japandroids album, "Celebration Rock," is just that. I've listened to it a couple times, and it is some great summertime rock and roll. Really like the song above, "Continuous Thunder," which is the last song on the album. Check it out.
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
In this interview with author Elizabeth Cline on NPR, a fact is mentioned that Americans each spend a smaller percentage of their income on clothing than ever (3%), but are still buying at least one item of clothing a week, because it's all cheap garbage that falls apart so easily. The general emphasis of the interview, and her book, is that we should buy less, but buy better quality. She says that anyone born after 1980 doesn't know what quality is regarding clothing, and that if you go into a vintage store, you will quickly see the difference in quality in the older clothes. She says that we are basically wearing rags today.
So buy some American-made clothes, spend a little more money, and get something that will last a lot longer.
Today, another sock! That's right, Smartwool! While Smartwool doesn't make their clothes and other things in this country, it does make the socks here, which is something. And what socks they are! I got a thin pair of Smartwool socks this past Christmas, and wore them all through the winter, and even though they were thin, my feet were kept warm. And the nice thing about Smartwool socks (or any wool socks for that matter) is that they wick moisture away from your skin, which keeps your feet drier. This is also a benefit for summertime socks, of which I own a couple pair of thin no-show Smartwool socks, because the moisture-wicking keeps your feet from getting clammy and smelly in the heat.
Now I know that these socks are more money than "normal" socks, but it's worth it. And if you look around for closeouts and stuff like that, you can usually find a pair of Smartwool socks for about $6 or $7 a pair. Even if you have to pay a little more, it's worth it.
That's all I have to say about this installment of "Made in the U.S.A."
