Trashball 093007: Kewpie Dolls Do It in the Dirt

Kewpie doll found in El Paso. Nice buns.

Trashball 093007: Chertoff's First Job

The Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff started out small but worked his way up to HLS director. Heckuva job, Chertoff!

Trashball 093007: Kokomo Kuties

"Since 1970 [ed. note: says "Since 1971" on bass drum] this VARIETY BAND has entertained over 400 audiences with OLD TIME SONGS and COMEDY NUMBERS."

Postcard recovered in Dayton, Ohio.

Trashball 093007: Fairland Lake Club

This is a detail of a 50s-era postcard from the Fairland Lake Club in Roanoke, VA. Looks like both the mayor (possibly) and the village idiot showed up for the photo shoot.

Robot Wisdom

Link to a well curated collection of Jorn Barger's fave vids of September.

Trashball 092607: Mix Tape

Over the years, I've gradually rid myself of all the obsolete cassette tapes I once owned in favor of CDs and my iPod. While unpacking (still) from my move from DC to Las Cruces, NM, a month ago, I came across a sole survivor I didn't know I still had. It's a mix tape my then-girlfriend Caroline made for me in 1989, with a lovely customized insert. I listened to it for the first time in over 15 years and—wow!—what a poignant time capsule! Thanks again, Caroline!

Trashball 091807: Needs a Little TLC

Yesterday, just outside of Ellicott, Colorado, I discovered an enormous junkyard that contained no cars, so far as I could tell, from after 1980. Had I more time I would've tried to get permission to explore it, but I did take some photos of the cars along the perimeter, including this rare (in the U.S., anyway) Simca.

Trashball 091407: Life's No Day at the Beach

I found this photo among a box of personal effects bound for the dump. The subject is either painfully shy or painfully depressed. Either way, it looks like an Antonioni film still.

Trashball 091307: Why the Long Face?

"Cause I'm lost, that's why!" she would reply if she could. This adorable Bassett Hound came into my life yesterday afternoon as I was taking the garbage out. Very sweet and friendly, she had no tags. After about 30 minutes with me, during which she drank about a half-gallon of water and ate two cans of cat food, I gave her up to the kind animal control officer, who doubted very much that they would have any trouble either finding her human or getting her adopted. I named her Lucy. Recovered on Davis Ave. in Las Cruces, NM.

Maploss

This painting was completed last night. "Maploss" is 20" x 16" and acrylic on canvas. Inquiries should be sent to chris[at]goodwinart.com. Purchase it for $400 by clicking here.

Gordon Won't Soon Forget

Another new painting. "Gordon Won't Soon Forget" is acrylic/mixed media on canvas, 20" square. Price on request. Email chris[at]goodwinart.com.

Trashball 091207: Bridge Out

This is a real-photo postcard from the 1913 flood that devastated Dayton, Ohio, not to mention this poor horse. Caption says, "Horse hanging in wrecked Fifth St. bridge."

Trashball 091207: The Safeway Is the Only Way

Now that's what I call marbled. Vintage Safeway matches recovered on 19th St., NW.

Trashball 091107: A Fork in the Load

One of my favorite finds, these tiny forks (3 inches long) were made circa 1850 by Baltimorean Andrew Ellicott Warner and is near sterling purity. One has a wonderful little engraving of an elk on it; the other three have a lion holding a star. Recovered in Washington, DC.

Belmersaid

First painting from the new crop. "Belmersaid" is acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16". Price on request. Email chris[at]goodwinart.com.

Goodwin Paintings 4 Sale

I recently undertook a serious campaign to start painting full-time again. Therefore I'm happy to offer these slightly older works for sale (I needed something on the walls in the meantime).

The top painting is called "Virgie" and is mixed media and 24" x 18". The second is "Binky's in Film", mixed media, and 28" x 22". Prices on request. (email chris[at]goodwinart.com) I hope to have more and newer stuff up soon.

Impromptu Music Post: Turin Brakes

Jeez criminy, this is a good album. It's Ether Song by Turin Brakes.

Trashball 090507: The Mexican Hula Dance

When I met the gentleman pictured here, he was old, suffering from terrible arthritis and walked with pain. In 1971, though, when this picture was snapped in Mexico, his body was a thing of beauty. Recovered in Laurel, MD.

Trashball 090407: Typical Feminist

Not according to me, but according to a student in a women's studies class my friend teaches in Maryland. On the first day she asks her students to draw a picture of what they think a feminist looks like. It's true, though—most feminists I know are bearded ladies.

Cowboys and Indians in the Motel Industry

I love motels. On my recent drive from DC to New Mexico, I stayed in many motels. In 2004, a girlfriend and I drove from DC to California and back and spent many nights in all manner of motels, from pristine enterprises to the sorts of rooms where the fear of catching clostridium difficile from the toilet is not entirely unwarranted. One thing that was common among almost all of the motels, though, was the faint (and often not so faint) smell of curry that hung in the air and clung to the bed clothes. For almost all of the motels were run by Indians.

After seeing the above motel sign in Las Cruces—and having seen many like it before—it finally occurred to me to look into this phenomenon. I came across this BBC article, which does raise the issue of the "American-owned" signage that's been popping up. My trouble has been figuring out whether such signs are no different from "Buy American" bumper stickers—and I have no objection to those—or if they betray and appeal to some racism. As with many things, it's almost certainly a mixture of both.

Trashball 083107: Bad, Betty, Bad!

I googled Bad Betty Squadron and all I could find was a 2004 listserv post about forming what I take to be an all-girl paintball team in the Phoenix area. This 2" x 5" sticker was recovered from the curb of Alameda Ave., in Las Cruces.

Trashball 083107: Republican, Democrat, or Sanitarian?

Count me in as the latter! There's nothing new about poorly translated Chinese packaging, but it's always funny. At least to me. And I wonder if the models used on these two labels ever find themselves wandering through a dollar store and come across these old forgotten shots.

Recovered on N. Main St. in Las Cruces, NM.

Trashball Lands in Las Cruces

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but I recently completed my move to Las Cruces, New Mexico, home of the lovely Organ Mountains (pictured). I'll start posting regularly soon.

Trashball 072907: Mouth Gag

Just what I needed to see, this alarmingly accurate mold of someone's unusually bad teeth. I've actually had it for a while, but was loathe to remove it from its box until now. Still, it gives me the creeps.

Things to Love and Loathe About America

Came across this thoughtful list on a New Zealand Blog called "Statistically Improbable Phrases" (by which I suppose he means sentences like "The badger, stealing quietly across Grand Central, shuttered the blinds and settled down with my second cousin to perform a plangent reading of The Badger Stole Quietly Across."

Naturally, and justly, there was this list, too.

Trashball 072907: Ballot Problems

This is simply an impossible task. I say, how am I meant to winnow down five candidates when I'm required to vote for all five? Truly, the only name of the five Community Member pols I can vote for in good conscience is Slater; Cashell has bad breath, Daily spends far too much time with my daughter, Reagh once lifted my wallet, and Dr. Stiefel is spotty.

As for the Active Members, I suppose I can see my way clear to ticking the Pickett box, despite his long-winded ruminations on the Coolidge administration.

Trashball 072907: Your Motorcar, Sir

A bill of sale for a 1936 Ford Touring Tudor (here's a pic). Not too bad, coming in at $720.73. Still, that's more than I've paid for most of the cars I've owned. Recovered from the aforementioned estate.

Trashball 072907: The End of a Logo

This was 1936, so I'm sure the good folks down at Sloan Auctioneers were soon forced to drop their otherwise serviceable logo. Along with their inch-wide moustaches. Recovered from the aforementioned estate.

Trashball 072907: But Where's Potsie?

Anson Williams might be missing, but we have a good fledgling cast here for Happy Days. More fun '50s snaps recovered from a Washington, DC, estate before it went to the dump. I love the girl smoking the cigarette (and it was her estate).

Trashball 072807: Satisfactory Binders

I am completely enamored of the politeness shown in this 1937 letter, all for the banal purpose of ordering new binders for the writer's collection of Readers Digest magazines. A little stiff, a little formal, but entirely charming. Plus, the writer saved a carbon copy of the letter for his records!

Recovered from a Washington, DC, estate before it went to the dump.

Trashball 072807: Dick Lee vs. Jim Busby

This guy on the left, Dick Lee, for some reason felt it necessary to autograph not only his own cheesy photo (kinda looks like a real schmendrick), but also the photograph of Washington Senators' player Jim Busby, already signed by Busby.

Recovered from an old shoebox from a Washington, DC, estate.

Trashball 072407: Riding the Short Bus

These kids are definitely not on the way to a spelling bee.

Actually, this charming rendition was made by my beloved work partner, Edwin Benitez, this afternoon during a rare bit of downtime on the dump truck. Edwin is 24, but already showing signs of the great French painter Jean Dubuffet

Trashball 072207: Santa Is a Miserable Dog

One of my favorite finds ever. Recovered most recently in my studio, but originally recovered in, I think, Hollis, Oklahoma.

Trashball 072207: Going on a Hayride

Letter fragment recovered in Fairfax, VA.

Trashball 072207: The Land of Flush Toilets

Letter fragment recovered on 33rd St., NW, in Washington, DC.

Trashball in the News: Voice of America

Well, here's another outing for the remarkably un-telegenic Christopher Goodwin.

Trashball 070707: Alley King

Flat metal crown (about 2 inches wide) found in alley behind the 1700 block of Swann St., NW, in DC. One of my favorite finds.

Trashball 070707: Bombay Mystery

What did this small packet contain? And who's that handsome fella featured on it? Recovered on R St., NW, in DC.

Trashball 070707: Ask for Amy

I remember wanting a bike with streamers and a banana seat. All I had to do was sell thousands of greeting cards to my neighbors. I never got very far, although Ms. Houghton across the street did invite me in for a Little Debbie oatmeal cookie. Comic book ad recovered in Bethesda, MD.

Trashball 070707: Original Polaroid Land Photograph

That's what it says on back. Can't say that it's the original. CONTEST: Best poem received rhyming "polaroid" with "hemmorhoid" wins a mystery prize. Photo recovered on Capitol Hill.

Trashball 062807: Wherever There's a 2 You'll Find a 1

A nicely made ticket for an old production of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". Possibly a puppet show. Recovered in Washington, DC.

Trashball 062807: Life is a Big Testy Girl

Remorseful flower card recovered in Fairfax, VA.

Trashball 062707: Two, and All It Implies

Recovered in the Benning Liquor parking lot in Washington, DC, several days after initiating divorce.

Trashball 062707: Nuptial Kitsch

Small plastic tchochke recovered in Fairfax, VA.

Trashball 062707: Breck Girls Will Be Girls

Advertisement subversion found on back cover of Junior Scholastic magazine from 1963. Gonna get those fleas right outta my hair...

Recovered in Fairfax, VA.