Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

* People develop some bizarre and amazing skills, don't they? Could this guy be the all-time master? Probably helps prevent arthritis too. Link thanks to Miss Cellania, who has a terrific knack for turning up amusing webthings.

* Anne Thompson didn't find David Denby's recent movies thinkpiece too impressive.

* Nate Davis (and the Missus) visit Boston's new Institute of Contemporary Art.

* I've often wondered what it must be like to be a young guy in these pussywhipped, er, grrl-power days. So I found 21-year-old HughRistik's story of what it has been like for him to grow up very interesting.

* Searchie takes a big step.

* Jaquandor and Tosy & Cosh volunteer answers to a book-quiz that the NYT Book Review section would never run.

* Fashions for those who want to dress like chic lesbians.

* Cowtown Pattie recalls the roadside cafe where she spent some of her childhood. Would someone please set C. Pattie's postings to music?

* The Communicatrix -- a Web 2.0 kinda girl -- has fallen hard for Clipmarks.

* The best images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

* David Chute writes a beauty of a review of the new film "Children of Men." The film-reviewing world could use a lot more of David's quietly sardonic yet appreciative tone. David has also started a series of postings he's calling "Critical PC" here. James Poniewozik and David Denby get the shaft in David's first installment.

* Are female bosses harder on women employees than male bosses are? (Link thanks to ALD.)

* So maybe one of the better things people can do to increase their quality of life is to learn how to cook for themselves ...

Best,

Michael

It's "Children of Men." :-)

Posted by: JewishAtheist on January 12, 2007 6:19 PM

Oops, tks, corrected.

Posted by: Michael Blowhard on January 12, 2007 6:29 PM

Hey, thanks for the link! I've been enjoying checking the others one out, too.

Posted by: Miss Cellania on January 12, 2007 6:31 PM

Thank you, Michael. I like that a lot.

A scathing essay on "Children" by Thomas Hibbs in TNR is worth a look.

Links to this and mine, dropped into the comments on a CofM realted Risky Biz Blog post, elicited at least one extraordinarily clueless response.

I was hoping for Denby on "Children," which promised to be a perfect storm of PC catch phrases. Alas, they assigned Anthony Lane, who fell for it, but less entertaingly than Denby would have:

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/articles/070108crci_cinema

Posted by: David C on January 12, 2007 7:14 PM

The "manualist"'s Bohemian Rhapsody was impressive, but I found his Semper Fidelis march more inspiring. (I wonder if he's preventing arthritis or CAUSING it.) Bach's Third Brandenberg could lend itself well, but he's going to have to keep those things tuned up.

I wonder if he can't resist squeezing off a little cadenza when he shakes hands with someone...

Posted by: Flutist on January 13, 2007 4:26 AM

Nate Davis was wearing a tie to a Contemporary Art Institute?

Posted by: Tatyana on January 13, 2007 9:56 AM

Where did you find this HughRistik guy? Amazing.

It's clear that rejecting identity politics entirely, for him, would be about as big a step as it would be for some bright young Oxford student, circa, oh, I don't know, 1307 or so, to reject the Trinity. Whatta world.

Posted by: Mencius on January 13, 2007 6:11 PM

Thanks, Michael!

Music? Why don't you hear it?

*grin*

Posted by: Cowtown Pattie on January 13, 2007 10:39 PM






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