I’m a mechanical man. I’m a mechanical man. 2 mechanical arms. 2 mechanical legs. I’m a 2 + 2 = 4 man.

The internet is magic. How esle would I be able to buy some obscure 7″ single from a guy nobody’s ever heard of, or at least remembers. Skateboard Rider was released in 1977 on a German label called Metronome Muzik. Check out the cool Van Halen style lettering. This came out a year before Van Halen’s first album, which sounds like it came from a different planet compared to this. The B-side is called Sunshine in Your Face, and although the view from the awesome cover calls to mind something else on your face, the b-side is absolutely horrible without any skateboard kitsch to fall back on. Skateboard Rider was about $15 delivered, from Deutschland.

The Telegraph (UK) “reports” that the new Maverick Meerkats calendar is available. I hate it when web sites try to protect their scans (of other people’s images) with a bunch of overlayed divs designed to keep you from downloading the image. Come back here in a year and I’ll probably be doing the same thing. Isn’t there a there a Cure album called Meerkats? I like that little raccoon/weasel doing the rock and roll. He reminds me of Bone Man. – Thanks to Anders Knudsen for the tip.

Majorette die cast cars are like the red headed step child of die cast cars compared to Hot Wheels and especially Johnny Lightning. Even Matchbox cars are kind of crappy, but at least they roll better than Racing Champions. Is Corgi even around anymore? Those things were insanely expensive. Majorette has some less common car models compared to the majors, maybe that’s because they’re from France. The shells are sometimes cool, but they’ve always been kind of chintzy, and now that they’re made in Thailand they’re pretty much relegated to the pile s of overpriced junk destined for the short toy ailses of Walgreens. I have no idea when this Majorette Skate Board van was made, but it looks very 80’s to me. The bottom has no information on it other than some manufacturing nonsense like “ECH 1/65” and “FOURGON 279/234,” whatever that means. The whole thing cost me a little over $5 with shipping, and it came all the way form the U.K.. The guy who sold it had to have lost money by the time he posted it, especially if you take the time into account. Maybe he’s got a trained monkey doing his eBay listings.

Buddy Carr Skateboards are featured in the October issue of Italian GQ. I have to say I really like the design aesthetic over there, which Buddy art directs and Antonio Carusone executes. – Thanks to Michael Brooke for the tip.

Title says it all. The People of Wall Mart. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

This is a recent postcard my son got from his grandmother. By the looks of that Cooper style hockey helmet that Mickey Mouse is wearing it could have been from the 70’s but Donald is sporting a bicycle-style helmet and then there is the web address printed on the back. Somebody call the Department of Child Services, Donald’s nephews aren’t wearing helmets! Mickey is rockin’ som e of those new kingpin-less trucks. In Bizarro World there’s some sort of Californian American anti-defimation league that is upset by the stereotype this postcard perpetuates.

My old friend Evil Tom sent me this link which he subtitled “Why adults should not portray teenagers in their art.” “Fledgling” – All of us feel, or have felt, the awful and wonderful growth of this pre-teen skateboarder. Small wings on his back, he wants to fly yet is not ready to soar. Is he slouching to defy, to define himself, or to bear the weight of wings getting larger every day? Installed in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, this life size standing bronze figure reminds us young citizens need community support. Well, at least his heart is in the right place, although I’m worried about his heart on. I’m bummed out at our Wisconsin readers. This tip came from a guy living in Michigan!

Die Skateboard-Welle war schon eine Weile in Deutschland angekommen, als man dem Thema einen deutschen Song gab. In the 70’s there was a German teeny bopper who had some sort of hit song called Skateboard, Uh ah ah. At some point recently he tried to mount a comeback which involved rereleasing the song with new, updated mixes. There’s not much info out there that’s easy to find on this Benny character. For example, iTunes seems to have him confused with a Mexican perfomer of the same name. – Thanks to Spencer Montgomery for the tip. [Source: Skate in the Ramp]

I swear Salba must have joined a union or something. It’s like you can’t film a music video with skateboarding unless it features Steve Alba in a pool. Jackass 3 opens today I think. – Thanks to Matt Beasley for the tip.