"There was a cyclone in Brooklyn last year. It destroyed two vintage T-shirt shops and a banjo."

103/50

Put another bird on the log fire

I'd be a bit less humbug about Christmas if my secondhand paperbacks from Thriftbooks were delivered to me by the Hipster Portland Santa. Do the East Coast, Portland Santa. I implore you!

The Hipster Williamsburg Santa refuses to travel this far south in Brooklyn after that incident in 2009 on the B Train at Beverley Road. 

Skinheads: the trouble of cults

Skinhead spot in East Village today had my jaw hitting the sidewalk.

Fred Perry top, polished red oxblood Dr Martens with (what looked like) 12 eyelets , the braces and the skintight jeans splattered with bleach. Jeans splattered with bleach? I'd totally blanked that fashion disaster from my mind.

Oh, and the bloke wearing the uniform was about 50. He could have been front and centre in that Ian Walker article.

Wilson Kick-It

Whilst I'm in a footie frame of mind, I really do have to mention the excellent Kerrydale Street. It has to be the best Glasgow Celtic website out there.

Impress your hipster neighbours with tales of when Gil Scott-Heron's dad played for Celtic. Drop casually into conversation that Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley was once spotted at a Celtic/Rangers game at the Celtic end, and never again stay awake at night wondering what the final score was between Third Lanark and Celtic way back in January 1924 (3-1 away win for Celtic, FYI).

It also has an excellent info guide of Celtic players past and present - though I was surprised that the entry on Charlie Nicholas was so scant - and there are some canny pics on the site that I've never seen before.

[Paul Wilson in the foreground and the incomparable Jimmy Johnstone in the background on one knee.]