Fizzy Friday

Enjoy the weekend. It's Pony Time!

The Chili Master is Gone

It's a sad day for Washington. Ben Ali, founder of Ben's Chili Bowl in DC, has died.

Thank you Mr. Ali for all of us old dogs served.

The Height of Handiness...a COSCO Step Stool!

COSCO Step Stool Project File (Week 1):

Yeah, so, my COSCO step stool isn't quite as glamorous as the one in the advert above. That's to be expected after fifty-plus years of use and abuse. Despite a little tarnish and rust around the screw heads the chrome is in remarkably good shape. The vinyl seat cover itself was in fair condition, with the exception of a few paint splatters. A little too dated though. And not in a good way. So where to begin?

Deconstruction.

I first removed the flip top seat from its mountings. No problems here as the bolts and fasteners unscrewed easily.

I next ripped the old vinyl cover off of the steel seat and tore away the foam. The foam was so old it practically disintigrated into a poof of dust when you touched it. And then the real "fun" began.

Little did I know how difficult it would be to remove the steps themselves. The original machine screws had calcified at their connection points fusing them to the nuts. I employed a lot of Liquid Wrench (which I highly recommend) to break down a lot of the rust and other gunk.

It then took a lot of prying with the use of screw drivers, locking wrenches, and lug wrenches in order to pop the bolts. This particular screw is bent and shows a noticeable thread deterioration.

The stairs were then ready for masking and spray painting.

When a Step Stool is Handy...Everything Else Is!

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my purchase of a vintage COSCO Step Stool at a local thrift shop for under ten dollars. I have seen a couple of these sell at local antique fairs for over $100, therefore my original intent was to restore and market on either eBay or Etsy for a profit.

I turned to the internet to see if I could find out anymore about this particular chair and discovered that the COSCO brand name - a blend of (CO)lumbus (S)pecialty (CO)mpany - was first put into effect in 1941. After the War they changed their manufacturing from military equipment to household goods; patenting the first full-line of metal household stools and high chairs. By 1960 they were recognized as the largest manufacturer of step stools and carts. In the late 80's the COSCO brand was acquired by Dorel Industries Inc. They are still manufactured today.

In post-war America it was common for advertising agencies to market the manufacturers' product to the stereotypical housewife. As you can see from the ad above, the model is engaged in a variety of matronly duties while wearing her high heels. What we would consider today an ordinary household item for dads and grandpas alike, was then marketed as a must-have for every fashionable lady.

It is with this same gusto that I decided it would remain my own must-have item.

Psychotic Reaction

Flipping through the XM Channels this afternoon I stopped when I heard this song by the Count Five. Curious to learn more about the band I discovered that they were a true 1960's garage punk outfit. Psychotic Reaction was their only hit to ever make the charts, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100 for 1966. According to an article on www.SanJose.com:

Count 5 never went on to achieve anything more than cult status, and as the sordid story goes, Byrne insisted on putting his college studies above the band. The group made a famous appearance on American Bandstand with Dick Clark but reportedly turned down a million smackeroos from the William Morris Agency to go out on tour, opting to remain in college with hopes of avoiding the draft.

Band leader John (a.k.a. Sean) Byrne granted an interview shortly before his death. It can be found here.

The Count Five holds alt-cult status with many artists of their generation. Indeed, modern bands like the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes bear a striking resemblance. Altogether, the music remains surprisingly vibrant and fresh today.

A Trip to the "Hard" Ware Store

Over the past week I have had to make several trips to my local chain hardware store to purchase a variety of items, and I have found each venture to be an annoying and bothersome mess. The sales staff tend to be rude and/or unknowledgable about the merchandise. I also find the store layout extremely difficult to navigate.

It kind of makes you long for this:

Mad, Sad, and Happy Men