Tuesday, February 28, 2006


Peripheral Artists (4): Isaak Levitan
Donald Pittenger writes: This is another installment in a series of posts dealing with 19th Century artists who lived far... posted by Donald at February 28, 2006 | perma-link | (7) comments

Monday, February 27, 2006


Are We Closed-Minded?
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Lock the doors. Put plywood over the windows. Hide under the bed. A Blowhard... posted by Donald at February 27, 2006 | perma-link | (14) comments

Sunday, February 26, 2006


Psst. Wanna Drop a Name?
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Name-dropping is an utterly selfish practice that invidiously separates those with connections from those... posted by Donald at February 26, 2006 | perma-link | (41) comments

John Sloan Updates
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- A while back I wrote about American "Ashcan" artist John Sloan (click here to... posted by Donald at February 26, 2006 | perma-link | (7) comments

Saturday, February 25, 2006


French Notes
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Tyler Cowen and commenters recommend the Best of Paris. Time to book a... posted by Michael at February 25, 2006 | perma-link | (10) comments

Hot New Restaurant
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Julienned dog penis, anyone? (Link thanks to DazeReader). Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 25, 2006 | perma-link | (1) comments

Thursday, February 23, 2006


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Nice casting! BTW, I hear that this book about Dusty Springfield is heaven... posted by Michael at February 23, 2006 | perma-link | (9) comments

Bill Kauffman
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Thanks to Dave Lull for tipping me off to Bill Kauffman, a writer whose... posted by Michael at February 23, 2006 | perma-link | (2) comments

Happiness Wars
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- It's fun to take note of how strongly people in the economics world feel... posted by Michael at February 23, 2006 | perma-link | (15) comments

Wednesday, February 22, 2006


The Incredible Disappearing Airline Meal
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- For eons, it seemed, everyone was complaining about meals served on airliners. By "everyone"... posted by Donald at February 22, 2006 | perma-link | (12) comments

Arts Connoisseur? Or Dirty Old Man?
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- The Wife and I recently watched the straight-to-DVD problem drama "Havoc." Have you caught... posted by Michael at February 22, 2006 | perma-link | (26) comments

Tuesday, February 21, 2006


Roundabouts Come 'Round Again
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- New Jersey was killing them off, and I thought I was safe. But No!... posted by Donald at February 21, 2006 | perma-link | (26) comments

What Sergei Eisenstein's Dad Did
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Are you a cinema buff and an architecture buff? Then this post's for you.... posted by Donald at February 21, 2006 | perma-link | (9) comments

Monday, February 20, 2006


Fond Memories of Hell Week
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Actually, I don't have "fond memories" of my college fraternity's initiation rites, but I... posted by Donald at February 20, 2006 | perma-link | (15) comments

Saturday, February 18, 2006


Kelly Jane Likes Rod
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Kelly Jane Torrance praises Rod Dreher's new book "Crunchy Cons." Nice line: "A free-market... posted by Michael at February 18, 2006 | perma-link | (6) comments

Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Here's one man who really, really loves his hobby. * Wendy McElroy tries... posted by Michael at February 18, 2006 | perma-link | (5) comments

Women, Crime, Immigration
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Brenda Walker argues that ill-managed immigration can destroy women's progress. She also links to... posted by Michael at February 18, 2006 | perma-link | (17) comments

Gals 'n' Guys, Cont.
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Trixie celebrates Valentine's Day with a funny and helpful gift to the guys.... posted by Michael at February 18, 2006 | perma-link | (0) comments

Friday, February 17, 2006


Age, Energy, Exercise
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- My cancer operation didn't just throw me for an emotional/spiritual loop, it also dramatically... posted by Michael at February 17, 2006 | perma-link | (21) comments

Bugatti Bliss
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Thanks to Ben Ladd -- one of the amiable and helpful techies at our... posted by Michael at February 17, 2006 | perma-link | (2) comments

Wednesday, February 15, 2006


Please Don't Build This Car
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- There are run-of-the-mill local automobile shows and then there are Important Automobile Shows such... posted by Donald at February 15, 2006 | perma-link | (13) comments

Multicultural Britain
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Britain's population will be more than 50% nonwhite by 2100, reports Anthony Browne. (London... posted by Michael at February 15, 2006 | perma-link | (12) comments

Gay in America, Straight in Russia
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Part of what I love about the web is the chance it gives us... posted by Michael at February 15, 2006 | perma-link | (29) comments

Blogging, Money, Power
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- It has always seemed to me that a big part of the fun of... posted by Michael at February 15, 2006 | perma-link | (2) comments

Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * First modernism, then low-fat eating, and now this. Is there nothing left to... posted by Michael at February 15, 2006 | perma-link | (2) comments

Tuesday, February 14, 2006


What's My Favorite? I Dunno
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- You ask me what's my favorite movie, novel, painting, symphony, artist, food, composer, automobile,... posted by Donald at February 14, 2006 | perma-link | (13) comments

Be Original! Do Like Me!
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- One of the more maddening and/or amusing characteristics of the academic avant-garde (and its... posted by Michael at February 14, 2006 | perma-link | (20) comments

Monday, February 13, 2006


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Peter Briffa's blog -- surely the cheeriest and funniest cranky-blog out there --... posted by Michael at February 13, 2006 | perma-link | (4) comments

Vignettes of Early Television
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- I have mixed emotions about writing memoirs. One the one hand, I worry that... posted by Donald at February 13, 2006 | perma-link | (9) comments

Saturday, February 11, 2006


Bastien-Lepage: Forgotten Influential
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- For many years, casual students of art history have been shown the thundering Main... posted by Donald at February 11, 2006 | perma-link | (13) comments

Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * As a third grader, OuterLife learned his IQ score, and nothing has been... posted by Michael at February 11, 2006 | perma-link | (5) comments

Querencia
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- There's an even-better-than-usual array of rich-and-quirky postings up from the gang at Querencia. Reid... posted by Michael at February 11, 2006 | perma-link | (1) comments

Friday, February 10, 2006


How to Read
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- The London Times' Carol Sarler writes that any interest she might have had in... posted by Michael at February 10, 2006 | perma-link | (22) comments

Thursday, February 9, 2006


Steering Left, Right -- or Center
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- It all seems so logical. Except to the hyper-logical French. In countries such as... posted by Donald at February 9, 2006 | perma-link | (4) comments

Cellphones and Economists
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Terrible news for those who detest electronic chirps and one-side-only conversations: Cellphone use is... posted by Michael at February 9, 2006 | perma-link | (8) comments

Intuition and the Arts
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- I was following an especially interesting commentsfest on a Razib posting over at GNXP... posted by Michael at February 9, 2006 | perma-link | (16) comments

Wednesday, February 8, 2006


Low-Fat Begone
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- So maybe a high-fat diet doesn't contribute to cancer or heart disease after all.... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (14) comments

Strange Hybrid
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Only in Scandinavia: Curling goes heavy metal. Rock on, noble Vikings! Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (1) comments

J.T. Redux
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Susie Bright and Dennis Cooper blog about what it was like to be taken... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (2) comments

The Fur Flies
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- When feminists have at each other, perhaps the only sane thing to do is... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (3) comments

Group Differences 7
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * A Swiss study finds that the Italian-Swiss bond tightly with their families, while... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (7) comments

Dance Moves
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * When he was a young dude, Friedrich von Blowhard had a happy-bear dancing... posted by Michael at February 8, 2006 | perma-link | (3) comments

Tuesday, February 7, 2006


For the Price of a Face Lift...
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- ...you can have a second wedding. So says The Fiancée. She was in Seattle... posted by Donald at February 7, 2006 | perma-link | (11) comments

Jane Jacobs
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- We Blowhards and many of our fine visitors make frequent reference to "the great... posted by Michael at February 7, 2006 | perma-link | (30) comments

Monday, February 6, 2006


Unbelievable Bernie (Fuchs)
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- It was nearly three months late, but I didn't complain. I grabbed a copy... posted by Donald at February 6, 2006 | perma-link | (7) comments

Sunday, February 5, 2006


Should First be Best?
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Ever hear the gripe that news media cover political campaigns and elections like horseracing... posted by Donald at February 5, 2006 | perma-link | (11) comments

Saturday, February 4, 2006


Which Way to Go?
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Hmmm. Shall I skip the fish-oil pills and die of heart disease? Or shall... posted by Michael at February 4, 2006 | perma-link | (14) comments

Raunch Culture
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * As girls continue to take over colleges and med schools, they also seem... posted by Michael at February 4, 2006 | perma-link | (15) comments

Q&As
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * New Perspectives Quarterly interviews Milton Friedman. (Link thanks to ALD.) * The American... posted by Michael at February 4, 2006 | perma-link | (1) comments

Rachel Interviews Molly
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Erotica doyenne -- writer and entrepreneur -- Rachel Kramer Bussell interviews that saucy pen-and-ink... posted by Michael at February 4, 2006 | perma-link | (0) comments

Friday, February 3, 2006


"Shag" on Sale
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- I just noticed that Amazon is offering the 1989 comedy-drama "Shag" on sale for... posted by Michael at February 3, 2006 | perma-link | (3) comments

Thursday, February 2, 2006


Perfume Whom
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Oh boy, am I going to catch hell for this one. Inadequate researching, sloppy... posted by Donald at February 2, 2006 | perma-link | (28) comments

Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Newspaper and media buffs should enjoy this piece by Slate's Jack Shafer about... posted by Michael at February 2, 2006 | perma-link | (10) comments

Primate Cities
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- There's a concept that's been kicking around the fields of Geography and Demography for... posted by Donald at February 2, 2006 | perma-link | (14) comments

Wednesday, February 1, 2006


Foodstuff
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Alice compares the American and the British sandwich. Shanti has some expert tea tips.... posted by Michael at February 1, 2006 | perma-link | (1) comments

Polymonotheism
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Is goal-oriented monotheistic Christianity the explanation for why the West developed capitalism and science?... posted by Michael at February 1, 2006 | perma-link | (18) comments