Saturday, May 10, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Peter L. Winkler is pretty sure that D.C. madame really did commit suicide. * Dennis Mangan is thinking about leaving California. Visitors offer many tips. * Alice is trying not to become a tiresome geezer-blogger. It's already too late for some of the rest of us. * Gotta love it when a girl finds a career that really suits her. (NSFW) * The worst cities in the country for hay-fever sufferers. * Have these guys figured out how to predict the results of the Presidential election? (Link thanks to FvB.) * Great motorcycle. (Link thanks to Graham Lester.) * Men eat more meat; women eat more fruit. (Source.) * Hey, a mammoth black vs. brown riot at an L.A. high school -- who could have anticipated it? Any bets on whether we'll be seeing more or less of this kind of thing? * Yahmdallah reached towards a bug that he thought was dead, and ... * Eyeball the pixel couch. * Who's the spanking-est of them all? (NSFW) * James Kunstler wouldn't be surprised if the economy falls apart in the next month or two. * Agnostic tries to figure out why beautiful girls from more traditional areas are more modest about their looks than beautiful big-city girls. * Derek Lowe takes a look at yet another anti-cholesterol drug flop and offers this: "For now, there’s no way to really know what will happen in humans without, well, using humans." Can someone please share Derek's wisdom with the entire field of economics? * Her new HDTV has reawakened Lynne Kiesling's interest in hockey. * I'll probably never get around to reading Yuri Slezkine's "The Jewish Century," praised by Steve Sailer among others. How nice then that YouTube carries a good hour-long Harry Kreisler interview with Slezkine. * MBlowhard Rewind: I ventured a General Theory of women's fashion magazines. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 10, 2008 | perma-link | (5) comments

Thursday, May 8, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Polly Frost confesses that she's just a "genre slut." * As though it wasn't bad enough to get cancer at age 33, the cancer that star Chicago chef Grant Achatz developed was on his tongue. Can you say "Beethoven" and "deafness"? Jennifer Tanaka has the story. * Did Roman gladiators eat too many carbs? * An excellent collection of interviews -- audio and transcripts both -- with James Kunstler. * Tyler Cowen volunteers a list of his country music faves. Commenters leap in with many more suggestions. * Daniel McCarthy takes stock of the Ron Paul campaign. * Is drinking fruit juice really all that healthy? * Jock Sturges: highbrow pornographer, or upholder of classical standards of beauty? * Lester Hunt watches Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will." * Does the Russian ballet establishment abuse its female charges? * Dark Party Review interviews Glenn Mercer, frontman for the legendary early-'80s punk band The Feelies. * A fabulously sexy NSFW link prompts a a not-bad question. * MBlowhard Rewind: I tried to make some sense of how best to approach the word "intellectual." Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 8, 2008 | perma-link | (3) comments

Wednesday, May 7, 2008


Personality Change via Stress
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- During the weeks leading up to Tuesday's presidential primaries in North Carolina and Indiana, there was scattered commentary that Hillary Clinton had been battered by the competition process into being a better grounded, more likable candidate. No links here 'cause I'm writing this in my Chicago hotel room and will need some sleep soon. In any case the true, or even perceived, persona of H.R. Clinton isn't the focus of this post. But let's begin by assuming that Hillary was indeed changed by her confrontation of reality on the campaign trail. The question is, would such a change be permanent? That is, if she got to be President, would she be the "old" Hillary we know and love from the Clinton White House years or the "new" Hillary that is actually even more lovable. I think we would have the old Hillary. That's because short-term stress in most cases isn't strong enough to create large-scale, fairly permanent personality changes. Especially if the subject returns to his comfortable pre-stress environment. Living in the pampered White House environment of servants and yes-men seems to be an excellent means of personality regression. Perhaps some of the campaign-induced changes might stick, but by "some" I mean "almost none." Here is an example from my past. When I was a frat-rat in college we ran Hell Week initiation rites. On a few occasions we had doubts about some of the pledges who might be initiated. Do we black-ball them or let them become members? One argument for letting them participate in Hell Week was that the experience would "shape them up." So through Hell Week they went. And for a few weeks or a month thereafter, they had indeed "shaped up." Then they regressed. By the end of the school term they were their own not-so smooth selves. This is not to say that hardship can have an effect. It can. But it probably needs to be exceedingly severe (short -term) or else a lengthy process. And the previous environment also needs to have been altered enough that regression is harder to do. Or so I think. What do you think? Later, Donald... posted by Donald at May 7, 2008 | perma-link | (2) comments

Tuesday, May 6, 2008


Vacation Working
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Do you pack some work or even semi-work along when you go on vacation? I do, and I'm not sure why. That's because I almost never actually work on the work stuff I bring. Which is silly, because all I'm doing is dragging around an increment of needless weight. My "work" can take several forms. For instance, I usually bring some sketchbooks and possible reference material for planning paintings. Other times I'm likely to toss in a book that I think I Really Ought To Read. And for our 7-17 May trip to the Midwest (by the way, thanks for the travel tips, readers), I copied a book project file from my desktop computer to my laptop in the far-fetched hope that I might do a little writing or editing. Why don't I follow through on my intentions? I can't rule out laziness. Or to put it another way, Laziness Rules!! Besides that, travel is a busy time that's also costly. Given the investment, it seems foolish to hole up in a motel room and do stuff that can more easily be done at home; so why not actually sightsee and experience such exotic places as Springfield, Illinois and Dayton, Ohio. Moreover, travel can get tiring when one is in his geezerhood. That boils down to being too ground down to do much more than indulge in light reading in the evening. That's my sad story. Are any of you realistic enough to know that work and vacations don't mix and therefore leave work stuff at home? Or are you a stalwart who actually manages blending work and vacationing? As a parting shot, I really, truly, positively plan to blog while on this trip provided I don't have computer or other trouble. Honest. [Uncrosses fingers] Later, Donald... posted by Donald at May 6, 2008 | perma-link | (3) comments

Dog Linkage
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * The Rawness shares a hilarious quick dog video. * Thinking of adopting a retired racing Greyhound? Here's an informative, 19-part guide. I wonder what Gil Roth -- who recently adopted a retired racer -- thinks of the advice. * Patrick Burns writes that dog owners don't need to haul their pets to the vet as often as they're being told to. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 6, 2008 | perma-link | (2) comments

Monday, May 5, 2008


Bagatelles
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Among my many failings is an imperfect command of the English language. But I won't let that small detail stop me from calling attention to failings and odd usage by others. Here goes ... * The local Presbyterian Church celebrated its 100th anniversary this past weekend. As part of the Morning Worship bulletin, the pastor included snippets from the 6 May 1908 minutes of the session that established the church. According to the minutes, the founding group of commissioners from the Puget Sound Presbytery met "for the purpose of affecting such organization..." Uh oh. That's effecting, not affecting. These were probably educated men, but those two words, often confused today, were clearly being confused a century ago. * No doubt you've heard and read the term "underdog." What is the term for its opposite? I contend that it is "top dog." But occasionally I see the word "overdog." I suppose that's logical, but I'm pretty sure that it's mostly used by people who can't call up "top dog" while they're scribbling or keyboarding away. No matter the source, "overdog" always annoys me when I come across it. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at May 5, 2008 | perma-link | (9) comments

Office Habits
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- More studies ought to be done of how we inhabit our offices. My own contribution to this field is the observation: Certain kinds of stuff seems to accumulate. But perhaps I'm just a big ol' packrat. What piles up in your own office? I mean, besides work. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 5, 2008 | perma-link | (6) comments

Saturday, May 3, 2008


Hidden Front Wheels
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- In the very real world of engineering, you can't optimize everything. Putting it another way, engineering is a realm of trade-offs, compromises. For example, instead of text in that comic-strip balloon above your head, we see a glowing light bulb, and your mind is exploding with the word "Eureka!" You suddenly realized that one way to improve gas mileage of automobiles is to streamline the car's body. That comes from reading that aerodynamic resistance, at speed, is a function of a car's frontal area (the number of square feet/meters at the vehicle's largest cross-sectional point) and the coefficient of drag. For a given frontal area, the resistance can be reduced by improving the coefficient of drag by streamlining the car's body. A brilliant insight, but not exactly new. For example, Paul Jaray was investigating automotive streamlining in the 1920s and took out several patents. The Ill-fated 1934 Chrysler Airflow made use of wind-tunnel tested streamlining in an effort to reduce drag. One of the ways to cut drag is by eliminating or controlling sources of air turbulence. For instance, projections from the car's body such a rear-view mirrors can create turbulence. Since mirrors are essential to driving safety and cannot easily be eliminated, they are now housed in streamlined shields; when I was a lad, they were the shape of a dentist's mirror, presenting a nearly flat surface to the wind. Another source of turbulence is holes or gaps in the body surface. The largest such gaps are the wheel wells. Therefore, when engineers and stylists began to think seriously about streamlining in the 1930s, they set about eliminating wheels wells, both front and rear. Let's take at look: Gallery Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" Reducing drag of wheels was nothing new in the field of aviation. The P-26 fighter, first flown in 1932, was one of many designs that featured streamlined "spats" over the wheels and landing gear struts. This was a compromise. The spats improved streamlining over open struts and wheels, but a better aerodynamic solution was retractable landing gear. But retractable gear were heavy and complicated. So spats were acceptable for P-26s that had a top speed of a little more than 200 mph, but weren't the best solution four years later when Curtiss Hawk 75s could hit 300 mph. Most 75s had retractable gear, but the 75Ns that were sold to Thailand had spats. Norman Bel Geddes model, 1934 Pioneer industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes created several aerodynamic car designs in the 1930s. The copper model shown above has eight (!!) wheels and a body whose interior might have been a akin to todays' minivans. Note that both the front and rear wheels are covered by fenders. Panhard "Dynamic" 140 coupe, 1937 If you look closely, you can see that there are three windshield panes, a large one and small curved ones at each side. Panhard called this primitive wrap-around system panoramique; General Motors mass-produced single-pane wrap-arounds starting in 1953-54. What can't... posted by Donald at May 3, 2008 | perma-link | (6) comments

Friday, May 2, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Lynn is turning 50. Youngster! * Hey, baldness can be studly: Chris White points out the funny and informative Take It From the Head, self-described as "The Gallery of Shaved Head Musicians." Photos and info about tons of musical cueballs to be enjoyed. * Stuff Asian People Like explains that whole badminton thing. * Roissy turns up a study that reaches some depressing conclusions about marriage and sex. * David Chute confesses that he has a taste for melodrama. * Steve and commenters have a lot of shrewd hunches about why our lawgivers think insane immigration rates are such a great thing. * Dark Party Review picks 10 great teenflicks from the 1980s. Hmm: Cute as Molly Ringwald was, I could never really stand John Hughes' work ... So I guess my fave of the bunch is "Valley Girl." Or maybe "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." (UPDATE: Here's a 2004 interview with Molly Ringwald.) * Part of Thursday's translation of Ecclesiastes is going to be published. * Katie Hutchison celebrates some beautiful carriage-house doors. * How are dogs and children similar? How are they different? * Pants for geeks. (Link thanks to the Communicatrix.) * A great line from Baldilocks: "Grown folks expect criticism; children in adult bodies mistake criticism for being dictated to." * Rick Darby speaks up in praise of the wonderfully eccentric jazz pianist Erroll Garner. * MBlowhard Rewind: In this posting I wrote about all kindsashit. The really interesting bit, though, is about the history of the director. Did you know that until the 19th century plays didn't have directors? To quote m'self: "The Greeks, Shakespeare, Mozart's operas, etc -- all were performed without a director." Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 2, 2008 | perma-link | (9) comments

Links by Charlton
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Websurfing virtuoso Charlton Griffin keeps turning up gems: * Learn about the legendary American landscape photographer Ansel Adams. Don't miss the slide show. * Maybe a few lines and wrinkles aren't such bad things. Interesting fact: "Of the 11.8 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. in 2007, less than 10 percent were done on men." * As if the Marimba Queens aren't enough to make your eyes and ears pop, check out that slap bass player. * Also worth a listen / watch: the Wilford Brimley diabetes dance remix. * Here's a delicious true-crime story about new-style identity fraud, young-and-shallow edition. Here's a page of photos and details that will enhance your reading pleasure. Some more pix. * Thank god for a little truth in college advertising. * The worst of the worst -- and when the topic is musicals, that's saying a lot. * Penis snatching in West Africa is back. Be especially wary around taxi drivers wearing gold rings. *Japanese misuses of English can be a riot, can't they? Those with a taste for the raunchy will want to click here too. * The gas that will turn a grown man into a slacker. * What did Leonardo Da Vinci look like? * Pat Condell isn't a man you can hold back. Here he blasts Scientology. * 18th century England's working classes dressed nattily. Thanks to Charlton. As you may know, I'm a big fan of Charlton's work as an audiobook producer and reader. Help yourself to his new version of "Crime and Punishment" here. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at May 2, 2008 | perma-link | (2) comments

Tuesday, April 29, 2008


Chick Linkage
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Polly Frost tells Dark Party Review that she thinks of "Dangerous Liaisons" as excellent erotic fiction. * More Bellucci gorgeousness. * Alias Clio has some tips for da dudez. Ian, Thursday, Peter, and PA offer disagreements, as well as tips of their own. * Postmodern burlesque queen Dita van Teese once made a sex tape. (NSFW) * Thousands of aging British women travel overseas every year looking for sex with young foreign men. Not all of these liaisons work out well. * Gwynnie loves gyro. * Johanna Soderlund thinks that a lot of people might benefit from reducing the quantity of carbs they eat. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 29, 2008 | perma-link | (16) comments

Monday, April 28, 2008


Parachuting Into Flyover Country
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Next Wednesday (7 May) we fly to Chicago for 11 days in the Midwest. Nancy hasn't been there other than airport stopovers, so this trip is for her to get to know that part of the country better. My parents were born in Illinois and Ohio and I've visited the area many times while driving through or when consulting for A.C. Nielsen, General Motors and Chrysler back in the 80s and 90s. But I haven't been there since 2000 or thereabouts and am not up-to-date regarding what's worth seeing. For example, I haven't been to Chicago in about 15 years. I plan to visit the Art Institute. Friends say that a boat tour of the architecture is worth taking. And we'll of course check out the Loop and Michigan Avenue and perhaps one of the zoos. Nancy isn't that hot on technology so we might skip the Museum of Science and Industry and other Midway area attractions. Plus, we don't really want to spend all our time in museums anyway -- my attention span in them ranges between 60 and 90 minutes. Elsewhere, I plan to visit Ford's Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn and perhaps take a peek at the Air Force Museum in Dayton to see what's new. Other than that, nothing very definite. We plan to be in: Madison, WI; Springfield, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Columbus, OH and perhaps South Bend, IN in addition to places previously noted. We probably don't have a large enough time budget for spending hours and hours in one place, but if any of you have suggestions regarding interesting places to see along the route I just sketched, let me know. I plan to pack a computer and will try to post when I can en route. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 28, 2008 | perma-link | (5) comments

Sunday, April 27, 2008


CameraLabs
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Shopping for cameras can be bliss, no? I spend far more time researching cameras than I do actually taking pictures. Camera store visits and cruises through sites like DPreview and Steve's Digicams strike me as valid entertainment options in their own right. Question: What is it about shopping for a camera or a camcorder that the testosterone-addled can find so deeply satisfying? Although I've become a fairly well-informed camera shopper, I haven't in fact purchased a new camera in more than three years. I suppose that's partly because the next generation of cameras always seems sooooo much more appealing than what's currently in the stores. Yet the appeal must go deeper than that. Sifting and sorting technical details, comparing and contrasting features, and of course handling machines and imagining what brilliant uses one might put them to ... OK, I guess I may have found my explanation. This is just the kind of shit that boys really like. Hey, where video is concerned: For years I was intimidated by the expert chitchat on various videocamera forums. How could one even consider picking up a videocamera without at least a PhD in electrical engeineering? Then I checked out what these tech wizards were actually putting their knowledge and machines to work shooting, and was able to relax a bit: footage of their kids, their dogs, and their vacations, mainly. Guys and machines, eh? I'm reminded of a charming joke in the film "Amelie." A voice-over introduces Amelie's father, telling us that his greatest pleasure was to spend time in his workshop -- not to build anything, mind you, but to clean and organize his tools. My current favorite online camera-researching resource is CameraLabs, the creation of a British technology writer named Gordon Laing. He's clear, enthusiastic, and crisp; he's opinionated without being obnoxious about it; he's informed without succumbing to total geekiness. He's smart and helpful, in other words -- an ideal camera reviewer, in fact: one whose expertise never blinds him to how we Normals are likely to make use of and react to a machine. And Laing's video walkthroughs of the cameras he discusses are something too. They seem to me to be masterpieces (if hyper-minimalistic ones) of expository filmmaking. It's a pleasing bonus that Laing seems to live and work in Queenstown, N.Z. When Gordon Laing shows off sample photographs, in other words, he's showing pix of some of the prettiest landscapes in the world. At the moment, I'm hesitating between four cameras: this one (great wide-angle lens but can't zoom while taking a video), this one (zooms during video, amazing telephoto lens, but bulkier than would be ideal), this one (fun, but how's the quality?), and this one (seems perfect but pricier than I'd like). Of course I could always put off a decision until next season's models come out ... Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 27, 2008 | perma-link | (5) comments

Friday, April 25, 2008


Rings and Fingers ... and Symbolism?
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- No anthropologist am I. For one reason or another I never took a course in the subject. That's why I'm about to start whimpering and pleading for information from you, our Noble, Learned, Sophisticated Readers. (Buttered up yet? Hope so.) As the title of this post suggests, I'm curious as to how much symbolism is out there regarding rings and which fingers they reside on. I've noticed various things, but have been too shy to ask people whether or not they have any meaning. To begin, in the USA married people tend to wear wedding bands on their left-hand "ring finger" -- the one between the middle and little fingers. But not all married people. When I was young, married men didn't wear wedding bands as much as they seem to today. (This was in Seattle in the 40s and 50s. I could be entirely wrong about this, but my very fuzzy recollection is that male wedding bands in those days tended to be an East Coast or perhaps a Catholic thing.) My father didn't wear one, for example. But I do. What about rings on other fingers? Some people -- usually women -- wear lots of rings at once, sometimes even on a thumb. Let's ignore that because it's likely a fashion quirk and focus on cases where only one ring is worn. Sometimes the symbolism is obvious. This is the case for signet rings which can represent a high school, college, fraternity, and so forth. You squint at the big thing and make out "Purdue University" or whatever. A less obvious to me case is a women wearing a simple band on the ring finger of her right hand or on the middle finger of her left. I can theorize as to meanings, but I don't know for sure because I never asked. Are there in fact meanings attached, or is the ring finger simply being avoided to prevent confusion as to one's marital status? There surely are other ring / finger combinations. Are any of these symbolic? I, and perhaps other readers, would like to know. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 25, 2008 | perma-link | (13) comments

Media Linkage
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * The Times of London asks a sensible question about Italian wild child Asia Argento. I wrote enthusiastically about Argento's nutty "Scarlet Diva" here. I notice that Argento has just made a film with the brilliant Catherine Breillat, whose "Brief Crossing" I raved about back here. * Marc Andreessen tells the story of the first American newspaper. * Andy Horbal says that Pittsburgh is a great place to be a film buff. I raved about what a cool city Pittsburgh is back here. * Dark Party Review lists some hilarious pop-music guilty pleasures. * Before digital-distribution nirvana arrives for movies, a few elements still need to fall in place: faster downloads for one, and easier ways of charging for content for another. Anne Thompson lays out the big picture here. "We're in the transitional post-major studio pre-Internet era," once source tells Anne helpfully. Anne blogs here. * David Byrne also has a lot of interest to say about digital distribution. * More zany fun from an old J.C. Penny's catalogue. Ah, the '70s, source of so much unintended humor ... * Todd Fletcher points out what must be the swinging-est few minutes ever of The Lawrence Welk Show. Check out Todd's own -- very non-Welkian -- music. It's shimmering, rhythmic, full-of-wonder stuff. * Is it possible to live in the modern world without a cellphone? * Pre-digital special effects rule. (Link thanks to Charlton Griffin.) * Joe Valdez sees a lot to enjoy in John Carpenter's version of "The Thing." * I have a fan! * Too bad that blogging is bad for your health. * MBlowhard Rewind: I mulled over some recent developments in graphic design. Lotsa visuals. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 25, 2008 | perma-link | (8) comments

Wednesday, April 23, 2008


Colleen Recommends
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- A few finds from the ever-spirited and flukily-talented Communicatrix: * A yummy bustier made entirely of pine nuts. * Danny Miller pens an ode to the 1950s-era "Mike Wallace Interview" show. "I’m here to say that Wallace’s show was far more incisive, authentic, and hard-hitting than anything on the air today," Danny writes. * A good question -- and some excellent suggestions. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 23, 2008 | perma-link | (2) comments

Monday, April 21, 2008


Sculpted Jets
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- I have the impression that artists tend to look down on engineers when they aren't completely ignoring them. Architects are a little more sympathetic, citing certain bridges and other structures as being "beautiful" in the simplified, Modernist sense. Industrial designers in the past tended to hold engineer-designed products as counter-examples to the beauty, sophistication and sales potential that the ID crowd could gladly produce. And it's true that cars designed by engineers almost always suffer by comparison to stylist-designed automobiles. Still, engineers are fully capable of designing beautiful objects. Well, some are. I offer for your consideration two jet fighters designed shortly after the end of World War 2, when jet planes were a new and exciting thing. Gallery North American F-86 Sabre The most subtly-formed part of the Sabre is the area around the air intake at the front. As a pre-teen I couldn't convincingly draw it, and it's not easy for trained artists to get it right. (Although it had other uses, that red thing in the opening is a plug to prevent museum-goers, in this case, from tossing empty soda cups and other trash into the intake.) What makes the nose difficult to draw is the small radar "dome" above and slightly forward of the intake and how it blends with the front profile of the fuselage. Here is a head-on view of a Sabre. Note that the fuselage takes the form of a rounded triangle in the sense that the widest point is near the bottom. This is what the radome had to blend into. The radar scanner had to be projected forward of the rest of the aircraft in order for it to function better. It's possible that the radar "nose nib" might have had aerodynamic advantages for the inlet at certain angles of attack, but that's pure speculation on my part. This picture of a Canadian-built Sabre is intended to give you a good idea how the plane looked. A really attractive aircraft, though a quibbler might mention that the tail surfaces seem slightly too delicate. Grumman F9F Panther This is a photo of a model airplane. I'm using it because it shows the surface sculpting better than did photos I found on the Web of actual planes. The Panther was tubby, unlike the Sabre. This was entirely due to the engines. The Sabre was powered by an axial-flow engine that is comparatively long and narrow -- tube-like. Modern jet-propelled planes are powered by axial-flow engines that are often fattened because of a bypass feature. Many earlier jets such as the Panther had centrifugal-flow motors. In this design -- based on turbochargers -- air smashed into a turning, spiral-flanged faceplate and was spun off to a ring of combustion chambers. Such engines were comparatively short and fat. Worse, for military purposes, they weren't suited for sonic and supersonic speeds. The fuselage of the Panther is round ahead of the wings. Air intakes for the engine are on the... posted by Donald at April 21, 2008 | perma-link | (10) comments

Saturday, April 19, 2008


Bagatelles
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- * A couple of days ago I wrote about a Yale art student who claimed to have impregnated herself, then aborted, as an art project. I'm not sure why I bothered. I should have known that uber-satirist Iowahawk would pounce, offering an "advertisement" for the "Dynamic Transgression" method of art instruction. (If you're in the mood for potty humor, be sure not to skip the coupon at the bottom.) * Seattle's suburbs got upwards of six inches of snow last night. I've never experienced snow here later than April 3rd or thereabouts (though I heard that we got a late-April snow in 1972). I can visualize the forthcoming headline: New Ice Age Sign of Global Warming -- Gore Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 19, 2008 | perma-link | (60) comments

Sunday, April 13, 2008


MIA
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- I've been MIA for the last few days because I've been subjected to an MIA -- a Massive Influenza Attack. Went to bed Wednesday with a tickle in my throat; woke up Thursday with a 102 degree fever; and am only just now re-emerging into some kind of feeble consciousness. Not much has been going on in my brain besides registering aches and pains, marveling at the usual flu hallucinations, and vowing that I'll do a better job of remembering to be grateful for good health once I in fact have my good health back. Well, there has been one small question that has been on my brain. A usage thing. How do you use the word "flu"? When you're sick with it, do you say, "I have 'flu"? Or "I have the flu"? I understand that "flu" is short for "influenza," and that there's no reason to place the word "the" in front of it. But saying, "Oh, it was a little case of 'flu" just doesn't suit my mouth. I feel affected and pretentious if I use the word "flu" without "the" ahead of it. Where do you stand on this key question? Back with a tad more vigor, I hope, in a day or two, Michael... posted by Michael at April 13, 2008 | perma-link | (8) comments

Blogging Note
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Yes blogging has been light at the good ol' 2B ranch the past few days. And it will likely stay that way into next week. Partly that's because I'm on the road. We flew down to LA and won't return to Seattle till Tuesday evening. If I can post something before Wednesday, I will. Comments also have been slow to appear. That's because I get to my computer about twice a day while on this trip. And Michael hasn't been vetting and posting comments at all for a few days. Several weeks ago he indicated that there might be times when other events would force him to cut back on blogging, and this might be such a time. Please have patience. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 13, 2008 | perma-link | (2) comments

Wednesday, April 9, 2008


Brutal-Looking Airplanes
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Combat -- and most other types -- of aircraft move through air at speeds where the resistance of air needs to be countered by streamlining the airflow around them; one result is that most airplanes tend to look graceful. I wrote about planes that were downright sensuous here. And here I dealt with French aircraft in the era of the transition from boxy flying machines to streamlining that looked pretty awkward. By the late 1930s, most airplanes looked sleek. But not all of them. Some warplanes, rather than being sleek as sabers were as brutal-looking as clubs or maces. Here are some examples. Gallery Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Liberator was basically a boxcar full of bombs. It sported a graceful Davis airfoil wing, but the rest of the aircraft was functional in an ugly sort of way. More B-24s were built than the earlier, sleeker B-17 Flying Fortress (which carried a smaller bomb-load). But the "Fort" was more famous and beloved. Several B-17s are still flying, but almost no B-24s remain, even in non-flying condition. I saw a flying example at Seattle's Boeing Field last summer and parts of another at the restoration shops of the Imperial War Museum facility at RAF Duxford a few years ago. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt One might expect fighters to look graceful, but American World War 2 fighters powered by 2,000-HP radial engines might charitably be termed "purposeful." The P-47 eventually served more as a fighter-bomber than a fighter. Grumman F6F Hellcat The Hellcat was the Navy's most successful fighter during the war. Note the high position of the cockpit; this was to provide better pilot visibility when making aircraft carrier landings. Martin AM-1 Mauler Too late for World War 2 and not quite as good as the rival Douglas Skyraider, not many Maulers were built. Some saw service in the Korean War. An attack plane, it looks more brutal than the fighters shown above. Focke-Wulf FW-190 Big, flat-faced radial engines tend to make fighters look pugnacious. But not always. The FW-190 was not only fairly sleek, but gave the Royal Air Force a lot of trouble until a new series of Spitfires with more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin motors re-tipped the performance scales. Hawker Typhoon Although it takes some doing, it's possible for fighters with in-line, water-cooled engines to look brutal. Though I should add that the Typhoon, like the Thunderbolt, was mostly used in the fighter-bomber role. Fairchild-Republic A-10 Warthog (Thunderbolt II) Maybe it has to do with that ground-support fighter-bomber role. The A-10 Warthog (officially, Thunderbolt II) is jet-propelled and brutal both visually and in capability. It served in the Kosovo and Gulf campaigns. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 9, 2008 | perma-link | (21) comments

Tuesday, April 8, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Dave Lull spots the first review of Bill Kauffman's new book, and it's a positive one. * Joan Collins learned how to play a bitch by observing Bette Davis. * Perhaps Stonehenge was built by only one guy. * As I've said before and hope to say many times again: There can be no such thing as too many photos of Monica Bellucci. * A link meant specially for Peter. (NSFW, I guess.) * Roissy and crew fantasize about the perfect woman. * Fjordman proposes the creation of a European Indigenous People's Movement. Hibernia Girl signs up. * An Irishman is told by an academic that Irishness is nothing but a social construct. * Thanks to Barry Woods for pointing out this amazing collection of British public information films. That's one fascinating archive of material. * Coming off of a round of chemo, Alan Sullivan watches some costume dramas. * Steve discusses tribalism. * Agnostic visits a dance club and analyzes the sociology of "the grind." * Always on the alert for the role pathogens play in evolution, Agnostic should be pleased by a recent report claiming that the tendency some cultures have to promote individualism and the tendency others have to promote group-centric behavior might well be responses to local pathogen loads. * Dark Party Review lists seven excellent movie fight scenes. * Healthy people tend to be at their least-happy at the age of 44. * Stuff Asian People Like includes Dance Dance Revolution. * So maybe the globalization of culture does deliver some benefits: Link thanks to the Communicatrix. * MBlowhard Rewind: I offered a guide to understanding the French. Key lesson: Don't take their philosophizing seriously. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 8, 2008 | perma-link | (28) comments

Saturday, April 5, 2008


Spring Comes to Manhattan
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- If you keep your eyes open you can glean evidence that the vegetation is once again stirring. All of you who live in less urban settings: Now's your chance to gloat. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 5, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Wednesday, April 2, 2008


On Editors
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Some people consider me to be a pretty good editor. Well, the folks at the government agency where I used to work did. I suppose that's because I was able to strip out most of the governmentese phrasing, get the logic properly oriented and call attention to phrases that might cause us trouble if published or otherwise read by the wrong people. I was less skilled regarding the mechanics of grammar, however. Spelling, too. And when I was in Korea, I was nominally the editor of the 7th Logistical Command's newspaper. I'm not very fond of editors. Editors are a necessary evil. I think that most writers really aren't very good at evaluating their own work, especially immediately after they finish a block of writing. Someone with a fresh eye is usually necessary. For works in progress, this is often The Long-Suffering Spouse. For scholarly works, the extra eyeballs come in the form of colleagues or peers. But, eventually, the writing meets up with an editor. I wrote a book 30-some years ago, and the editing was minimal. Maybe that was because the subject matter was technical and an editor with the required knowledge wasn't available. I think the book suffered thanks to that production defect. On the other hand, I used to contribute articles to American Demographics magazine and sometimes could hardly recognize any of my verbiage when the printed version arrived in the mail. I don't think what I had produced was all that bad -- a little trimming and polishing would have been good enough. What bothered me about the heavily-edited stuff was that it had my byline, and by that point it was barely my work. I didn't gripe much because I was running a tiny business at the time and needed all the publicity I could get. For many writers, an important joy of blogging is that one can write without having the copy vetted by an editor. The downside is that a lot of the writing isn't nearly as good as it could be: I sometimes cringe when I reread some of my 2Blowhards postings. Dean Barnett, who now writes for the Weekly Standard, mentioned that his policy was to wait at least 20 minutes before posting a blog item. I think that's a good idea, even for the political blogging Barnett does, when there is pressure to get commentary out the door as fast as possible while topics are still hot. For what it's worth, I try to give a piece as many re-reads as possible, even when I need to post something soon. But waiting is better, and I breathe more easily if I can let an article sit overnight or even for a few days before going live. I suppose that makes me my own editor. The quality of my copy probably suffers, but at least I don't take the criticism personally. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at April 2, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Tuesday, April 1, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Whatever happened to John Hughes? (Link thanks to Vince Keenan.) Fun to see Kevin Smith calling Hughes the J.D. Salinger of his generation. Deal with it, English profs. * Genre-fiction writer Richard S. Wheeler wonders why people read fiction at all, let alone genre fiction. * Old-timer Shelly Lowenkopf lists some of the cultural signposts of his generation. That's a great reading / listening / viewing list for the rest of us to make use of. * African-American movie critic Mark Harris runs a website devoted to black horror movies. He's a funny, smart writer who deserves to be better-known by those who enjoy reading about movies. And the black angle on horror movies really does pay off. * David Lynch's "Lost Highway" is being turned into an opera. * Another blessing that globalization has brought our way: crime on a global scale. * Prairie Mary reprints the obit of a just-deceased friend who lived long and well. * French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier is one of those French artists who idolizes American popular culture -- jazz, noir novels, etc. So what has it been like for him to make his first American movie? Hint: too damn many lawyers ... * Would you like your serving of rotted shark before or after your serving of pickled testicles? * Somebody's still making Daguerreotypes! * The British government is now on Twitter. * MBlowhard Rewind: Women certainly adore baked goods. Why? Best, Michael... posted by Michael at April 1, 2008 | perma-link | (1) comments

Monday, March 31, 2008


NIMBY Forever
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- It seems that the U.S. does not yet have a place to permanently store nuclear reactor waste material. Congress acted on this matter in 1982 and waste material has been sitting here and there in sub-optimal locations since then because the promised repository remains to be built. Matters could get worse if more reactors are built in response to a need for environmentally "clean" energy sources. (What sense does it make to charge the batteries of a totally electric car each night if the electrical power source is an oil-fired generation plant?) Seems to me that we've been in a "crisis" mode on this for enough time to have come up with a solution. But politics and interest groups have been working their usual magic. This interests me because I was involved (peripherally, in the extreme) with the repository issue nearly 20 years ago. The original plan was to have several repository sites scattered across the country to spread the risk, so to speak. Over time, the number of sites dwindled down to three, and then, finally, one. The remaining site is the Yucca Mountain site in southern Nevada near where atomic bomb tests were made in the 1950s. My task had to do with population projections of areas near Yucca Mountain -- in practice, this was mostly rapidly-growing Las Vegas and satellite communities; the rest of it is nearly uninhabited. As background, those of us on the consulting team were given a tour of the vicinity, including Death Valley. On our way back to Vegas we spied site-protesters near the Indian Springs entrance to the area. I could understand protesters waving signs if the proposed site was on the Berkeley flats, off Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge or along the north side of 10th Street in the Village ... but in the middle of a desert?!? Years later I raised this point to a liberal co-worker who assured me that the desert would be a perfectly awful place for a repository. But I couldn't pin him down as to what location might be better. One interesting part of the background touring was a visit to a test bore on the Hanford Reservation in Washington state. At the time, Hanford was still in the running as a repository site, so a tunnel was bored into the lava and other rock as sort of a sketch of an actual facility, including galleries for the storage containers. The layout was similar to that a a large munitions magazine, the rows of galleries isolating comparatively small amounts of dangerous material. We also got to look at an old reactor. Interesting to see the monitoring instruments that were highest-tech in 1950, but looking like old sci-fi movie props in the digitized late 1980s. This sounds (or even is) cynical, but the track record suggests that no repository will be built until there is a major nuclear leakage crisis at one of the many existing storage sites. Ain't government wonderful.... posted by Donald at March 31, 2008 | perma-link | (12) comments

Saturday, March 29, 2008


Bagatelles
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- * In about half an hour from now (it's almost 7:30 Saturday evening, Pacific Daylight Time as I type this) something called "Earth Hour" will be upon us Left-Coasters. The idea is that we should turn off the lights in the house for an hour in recognition of something or other. Nancy is off attending cultural events with my sister, so I have the freedom to honor Earth Hour in the most appropriate manner. I'll be turning on every light visible from the outside. After all, we had an unusually late snow yesterday and the neighborhood needs all the warmth and cheer it can get. * What ever happened to hat etiquette? It probably disappeared along with the fedora, circa 1960. Just in case you forgot, let me mention that men are supposed to remove their hats when entering a building -- especially a church or a house. But these days, in the baseball cap era, guys leave their hats on everywhere except church. I notice this mostly in restaurants. And if there was a mirror handy, I might even notice myself wearing one in a restaurant. I assure you that I only wear a hat indoors occasionally. Hat-wearing places for me include airports, shopping malls and bookstores -- the latter because I need both hands free for browsing. I tend to wear a cap in fast-food restaurants, but not in fancier ones. Even so, I'm not sure Mother would be pleased. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at March 29, 2008 | perma-link | (41) comments

Wednesday, March 26, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Maybe it'd be a good idea to take the TV out of the kids' bedrooms. * Lester Hunt adds some shrewd thinking to Thomas Sowell's fab "A Conflict of Visions." * $179 will buy you a neoclassical dildo. And speaking of dildos ... * One the most common architecture-and-design mistakes these days is opening things up too damn much, and bringing in too much damn light. Katie Hutchison shows off a small house with large -- but not oversized -- windows. * WhiskyPrajer flips for "The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard." I love that collection too. * Is Globalization the best way to a prosperous future for all? (Link thanks to ALD.) Or the latest example of totalitarian-utopian insanity? * DesignObserver's Stephen Heller takes a look at the graphics that the Ron Paul campaign inspired. * Are the Dems once again throwing away the Presidential election? * Michael Bierut points out the online pocket-protector musuem. * Asian people apparently love nagging. * When David and Moira saw the Soweto Gospel Choir, the white people in the crowd managed to stay in their seats. Come on, white people. Even if you can't dance, you gotta do better than that. * So maybe there is a way that more money can increase your happiness .... * Home prices in California are dropping by $3000 per week. * Hyper-dynamic, self-empowered, alt-porn feminist / BDSM performer / gallery-owner Madison Young inks a deal with Girlfriends Distribution. (NSFW) * Youthquake in Chile. (Link thanks to Marginal Revolution.) * Slow Food, Slow Cities ... and now, Slow Parenting. (Link thanks to Alice Bachini.) * When a euphemism isn't euphemistic enough... * MBlowhard Rewind: I wanna be like this guy. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 26, 2008 | perma-link | (18) comments

Sunday, March 23, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * PrairieMary wonders if the westerns she just watched were really westerns at all. * I'll bet they have questions. * Didn't the name Sony at one time inspire trust and loyalty? No longer. * Gil Roth and his wife adopt a retired racing greyhound. * Jim Kalb questions whether science will ever give a complete account of life as we experience it. * Gerard Vanderleun reports that San Francisco has lost a lot of its charm. * Now this is a hobby and a half. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 23, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Saturday, March 22, 2008


Blogging Notes
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- I'm on the road again. Actually, a non-stop flight to one of those Mexican west coast tourist towns where Nancy is hosting a gathering for her sons and their families. I won't be taking my MacBook, so don't expect any posts from me while I'm away (I return Thursday evening). If it's convenient and not too costly, I might post something brief from an Internet cafe, but don't count on it. What I did do was plant a post in our queue that I'll publish on my return. It was fun to write and I'm hoping that some hackles will be raised. While in lovely Mexico I might have just enough time to throw myself at their generous welfare system. If I hide my passport I might be able to claim Undocumented status; they ought to be highly receptive to that ploy. Then I can request a drivers license. I ought to be able to parlay that into voter registration. Problem: how to vote? I suppose voting against the PRI is generally a good thing. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at March 22, 2008 | perma-link | (1) comments

Thursday, March 20, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Witold Rybczynski reviews some recent attempts at impressive new downtown libraries. * Bruce Grossman loves that new Charles Willeford reprint. * Michele Somerville thinks that what school kids need most is more gym. * David Pogue flips for the Flip. * Are European women better lays than American women? MBlowhard response: How I wish I knew ... * Clio puts in a good word for pacifism. * Dr. Michael Eades explains the thinking behind the low-carb diet. * This certainly has to be one of the more heavily-commented-on -- or at least enthusiastically-commented-on -- blogpostings in recent history. You go, self-pleasuring post-Riot grrls. * Richard S. Wheeler thinks that novelists who write about the American West should pay more attention to water issues. * Science looks closely into the question of when and whether to stretch. Before a workout? After a workout? At all? And science concedes defeat. * Yummy or Yucky writes amusingly and appreciatively about two trustworthy pleasure-givers: galangal and lemongrass. * Some downtown Woodstock stores prompt reflections about "the hippie philosophy" from Shouting Thomas. * Lester Hunt raves about the movie version of "Persepolis." * The brilliant young designer Maria Wagner of A Swiss String (NSFW) -- whose punkette micro-swimsuits I raved about back here -- predicts that the g-string and the thong will make comebacks in 2008. I hadn't been aware they'd gone away. Still, I'm feeling more cheerful about the year already. Fun to learn that Maria is one of the girls modeling the A.S.S. swimsuits. Go to this page and search her out. * Fred Himebaugh speaks up in praise of minor-league sports. Boy, am I with him on that. * MBlowhard Rewind: I gabbed about some enjoyable erotic movies here. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 20, 2008 | perma-link | (7) comments

Wednesday, March 19, 2008


Linkage by Charlton
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- More finds by master websurfer Charlton Griffin: * "What on earth is going on?" the commuters passing through New York City's Grand Central Station asked each other. * Corny film but amazingly evocative art. The world really is full of bizarre and wonderful talents, isn't it? * Is getting a tattoo an edgy thing to do? Or is it maybe a very conservative one? * John Cleese has an announcement for America. (CORRECTION: Thanks to Julie Brook, who points out that this list wasn't actually composed by John Cleese. Here's a fun explanation of the piece's complicated genesis.) * Witness the Japanese way of finding the hottest girl in the world. * Learn a lot about the death of Jayne Mansfield. (Key point: not decapitated.) Interesting to see Mansfield referred to by the person who posted the video as "the mother of actress Mariska Hargitay." * Take-no-prisoners Vlogger Pat Condell certainly knows how to project a lot of personality, score points, and command the camera. * Here's a wonderful compilation of "What were they thinking?" vidclips, set to a very cute pop song. One of my own favorite Oops microgenres these days is the "Newsperson gets wiped out" category. Here's an excellent recent example. * "High-dynamic range" photographs certainly show the world as no photographs ever have before. * The song isn't a personal fave of mine, but it does seem to inspire and move nearly everyone else. * Time to relax and enjoy a bit of well-earned genuine popular-culture bliss. * And a few bonus links from that spirited and talented Communicatrix: You haven't had a real clown nightmare until you've seen this thing. James Finn Garner finds quite the vintage photograph. Humor with pie charts and bar graphs. David Lynch has a message for all of you who want to watch movies on your iPhones ... Charlton reads and produces some of the most satisfying audiobooks on the market. Go here and type either his name, Charlton Griffin, or the name of his production house -- Audio Connoisseur -- into the Search box, download, and class up your listening life. Here's Charlton's latest production. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 19, 2008 | perma-link | (7) comments

Monday, March 17, 2008


Seattle Seen
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Digital photos have been piling up on my computer's disk drive and it's high time the world got to see 'em. Herewith are some pictures of Seattle I've taken over the past month or so: no particular theme. I'll begin with the obligatory skyline shot. This was taken from West Seattle, across Elliott Bay. I forgot to ask that seagull to sign a photo release form. Hope it doesn't mind. Not far from where the previous photo was taken, I noticed this house. I wrote about architecural use of pebbles here, and was not pleased with the idea. The house shown above seems pretty old and has little sign of being anything more than builder-designed. So I present it as a curiosity, not an architectural statement. Speaking of Seattle houses, many modest-sized brick Tudor style dwellings were built during the 1920s. I suppose your town has something like these too. The house shown is nowhere nearly the cutest one I've noticed. I would like to do a posting on these sometime, but I worry about getting in trouble wandering neighborhoods snapping pictures of houses. Immediately to the right of the Tudor-style house is this. I'm not sure whether it is new or simply a major re-do. The glass brick near the entrance is interesting, but I don't like the industrial-looking siding on dwellings. Seattle is noted for airplanes. Here are two parked in front of the Museum of Flight located by Boeing Field. On the left is a Boeing B-47 and to the right is a Douglas DC-2. No, not a DC-3; the DC-2 came first and was a little smaller than the -3. Plane-spotters will notice that the fuselage of the -2 has a more squared-off cross-section than the -3. Note the lights under the nose; these are not found on the DC-3. I noticed this new tour bus parked on Main Street opposite Occidental Park. Hmm. Reminds me of ... ... those 1930-vintage tour buses that used to (and still) roam national parks in the Mountain West. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at March 17, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Saturday, March 15, 2008


If Germany Had Won the Great War
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- "Alternative History" was a popular sport a few years ago for history buffs. It probably always will be around if for no other reason than politicians and pundits love to criticize and second-guess actions of other politicians. For example, "If only Clinton had resigned when the Monica thing went public, then Al Gore would have been President and would have won the 2000 election. Bin-Laden never would have attacked the U.S., the Palestinians and Israelis would have made peace, we would now have Global Cooling and Earth would be paradise." Or something like that. Fun stuff. And it's generally harmless because it's pure speculation -- certainly after about the second major pivot point is reached. For example, it seems that records show that the German army would have pulled back from the 1936 re-occupation of the Rhineland had the French army moved east to counter it. It's possible that this could have led to a chain of events that would lead to Hitler's toppling and no World War 2. But it's also possible that World War 2 would have happened anyway, at a different time, under different circumstances and possibly with a different outcome. I'm not sure Alternative History would have pleased Leo Tolstoy, who thought Napoleon was rendered a sock-puppet by historical forces. I happen to think that men and randomness shape history -- of the political and military kind, at least -- as much as such "forces" do. What brings this up is that I just read a fairly recently reissued 1935 book about the opening weeks of the Great War by Sewell Tyng. Plus, I have read and re-read Edward Spears' 1930 account of the same period, but from a liaison officer point of view. The Great War is known for its bloody trench warfare which indeed took up most of the four years it lasted. But its opening and closing weeks were marked by fluid campaigns, and the opening campaign very nearly resulted in German victory. Many writers of military history assert that if the Germans had only followed Schlieffen's plan to the letter, their right wing would have swept past Paris and caught the French armies in a huge trap. On the other hand, Martin van Creveld writes that the Germans didn't have the logistical capacity to maintain such an assault and that Schlieffen himself knew it. The Schlieffen Plan and the French Plan XVII aside, Tyng mentions a number of occasions where the tide of battle might have changed had some transient condition or another been in place. Certainly the Germans had the upper hand until the first few days of September 1914. But, as both Tyng and Spears indicate, the sometimes derided French commander Joffre was able to throw the Germans back after having his center and left retreat rapidly while moving forces from his right to create a new army based on Paris. Anyway, just for speculative fun, let's assume that the Germans did decisively defeat... posted by Donald at March 15, 2008 | perma-link | (16) comments

Thursday, March 13, 2008


Psychology Linkage
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Dennis Mangan and visitors have a good try at explaining why populations, as they get richer, start having fewer babies. * Rina confesses that she's pretty neurotic. * Roissy has a theory ... * Edward Hadas lists nine bad ideas economists have about human nature. * A yoga class triggers off some humane, helpful, and brainy reflections for Dark Party Review. Yoga will do that sometimes. * Henry Chappell wonders if it's possible to be crunchy and still shop at Amazon. * So long to one of Italy's more common hand-gestures. * Raymond Pert tries going without his mood meds. * Glenda Cooper recounts the history of English romance-novel publisher Mills and Boone, and reviews the way romance-novel storylines and heroines have changed over the years. * Prairie Mary muses about what it's like to have a "Pyrrhic Success." All of us have had a few of those, I suspect. You can now buy a copy of Mary's bio of her onetime husband, the western sculptor Bob Scriver, here. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 13, 2008 | perma-link | (3) comments

Monday, March 10, 2008


Didn't Do It ... and Glad!
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Joseph Epstein, for many years Northwestern University's pitcher of the wry, writes in the current Weekly Standard about the joys of not having done things. In his case, he mentions Never having owned a station wagon. Never having earned a Ph.D. "Some of the most deeply stupid people in the country have Ph.D.'s." Never having played golf. Not a bad list, that. I can claim two out of three. Unfortunately I let down my guard and got a Ph.D., and from one o' them fancy Ivy League schools, no less. I might never live that down. Later, Donald... posted by Donald at March 10, 2008 | perma-link | (9) comments

Friday, March 7, 2008


What All Kinds of People Like
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Via Ilkka and TGGP, a few fun and informative variations on Stuff White People Like: Stuff Black People Like; Stuff Asian People Like; Stuff Educated Black People Like. I think it's great when people are frank and funny about group habits, tastes, and preferences, don't you? Let's have a little more earthy, good-natured rowdiness and a whole lot less denial. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 7, 2008 | perma-link | (10) comments

Thursday, March 6, 2008


Lean and Fat Conveyance Aesthetics
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Do humans have an innate tendency to find lean more attractive than fat? I don't know of any research results regarding this question, though I would think that studies have been made. Nevertheless, I suspect that people do indeed prefer lean to fat. This is despite the fact that I'm about 25 pounds over my college weight and in spite of the assertions from organizations claiming to represent overweight people that they are being discriminated against unfairly. Fighting human nature is a long, hard struggle. Just for fun, rather than dealing with humans, let's consider conveyances. They need to be at least passably functional, otherwise they couldn't be sold. But there remains a range in form and appearance within functional parameters. Below are some pairings for your consideration. The fat version is shown first, followed by the lean. Gallery Pan American Boeing Stratocruiser over San Francisco Bay Pacific Northern Constellation over Seattle The Stratocruiser was largely a B-29 bomber where the bomber's fuselage was chopped off just above the wing and a wide fuselage section for passengers was placed on top. That accounts for the odd shape. The justification was that, by using major B-29 components such as the wings, it would be cheaper to build than a totally new design. Also, the lower fuselage section could store baggage and incorporated a passenger lounge towards the rear. The Lockheed Constellation, on the other hand, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful transports ever built, and I agree. Modern cruise ship Profile view of Normandie SS Normandie - another view The Normandie, like the Constellation, is widely claimed to be a classic; it's certainly one of my favorite liners. Functional purists might flinch at the fact that the rear funnel is non-functional, its presence is for appearance only. Modern cruise ships will probably never be as graceful as the Normandie because customers prefer the multi-deck arrangement whereby each superstructure cabin has its own little patio. The result is a top-heavy appearance that makes me wonder how seaworthy such ships are. U.S. M3 tank German Panther (Panzerkampfwagen V) tank The M3 (known variously as the Lee and Grant) pre-dates the Panther by about three years. Combat in the North African desert demonstrated that it was too tall (too easy to see) and that the inability of the sponson-mounted 75mm gun to traverse placed it at a disadvantage once shooting started. The Panther lacked these defects and looks much better as well. 1949 Nash 1949 Chevrolet fastback Both cars debuted in the 1949 model year. The Nash was the postwar car that most embodied late-prewar notions about the car of the future. The idea was that cars would feature streamlining even to the point where the front (maneuver) wheels are enclosed in the cause of smooth airflow. The result was a car kids like me derided as an "upside-down bathtub on wheels." The Chevy shown here is also a "fastback" style to keep... posted by Donald at March 6, 2008 | perma-link | (14) comments

Federal Objectivity
Michael Blowhard says: Dear Blowhards -- Who says personal tastes and opinions don't play an important role in governmental rulings and judgements? Hmm: Who's cuter? Alyson Hannigan or Jennifer Grey? Best, Michael... posted by Michael at March 6, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Friday, February 29, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Hot for teacher? * Henry Chappell's visit to the Texas branch of the Tallgrass Prairie is a gem of nature writing: a satisfying, vivid blend of poetry, precision, evocation, and knowledge. It's the kind of thing that I always hope to read when I open a copy of Sierra magazine or Natural History. Fun to see that Henry is a Townes fan too. * Mencius Moldbug and Larry Auster trade blows over the Civil War and the right to secede. TGGP adds his thoughts. * Balance gets to be a challenge. (Link thanks to Charlton Griffin.) * Agnostic has a theory about why it is many Asian guys are such lousy pickup artists. Then he considers the ballet world -- and finds it pretty sexy. Sadly I have no personal experience to draw on here. But I can report that dancers are widely rumored to be the world's best lays. * Robert Sibley points out that one of the lessons of the great Michael Oakeshott is that we should be wary of losing our heads politically. * Diet Coke and Mentos changed their lives. * Steve Sailer gives a lot of thought to Michelle Obama. Fun to learn that "a couple of months after her husband was sworn in as U.S. Senator, Michelle's salary at the [University of Chicago's] Medical Center was raised from $121,910 to $316,962." * Anonymous confesses that she was always suspicious of her hubby's sexual orientation. "I wanted to have sex every day," she writes, "but he told me I was a nymphomaniac." Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 29, 2008 | perma-link | (9) comments

Wednesday, February 27, 2008


Harley Weekenders
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- I need help. No, not that kind of help. You see, there's something that has sparked my curiosity for years and it would be nice to finally get the information I need to satisfy it. It has to do with those groups of (mostly) guys who meet up on weekends and go roaring along the freeways and byways on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. And no, I don't include the Honda Gold-Wing clubbers and other breeds of manifestly "nice" bikers. I'm talkin' Harleys, the black and orange crews. Within the Harley fraternity I'm excluding the ones who are obviously folks who work in offices during the workweek -- guys with glasses and short haircuts. I want to know about the ones with tattoos and long, graying hair worn in pony-tails. What kind of jobs do those guys have that provide the cash to shell out five-figure dollar amounts for a Harley with blinding gobs of chromium plating? I'm guessing that they're blue-collar types, maybe working in manufacturing or auto repair or something like that where gray pony-tails, mustaches and tattoos are acceptable. Hmm. Actually, quite a few kinds of work settings tolerate that kind of appearance. For all I know, those guys are college teachers, ad agency "creatives" or even computer programmers. As I said, I need help. ... Michael? ... Friedrich? ... Shouting Thomas? ... Anyone? Later, Donald... posted by Donald at February 27, 2008 | perma-link | (11) comments

Tuesday, February 26, 2008


We Want Your Business
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Out in California visiting with the in-laws. A routine business-solicitation letter arrives in the mail. Nothing special. A familiar style of envelope featuring a familiar style of special offer, or something: And inside, a familiar style of friendly-eager letter, featuring a familiar style of contest, or something: It's on its way to the shredder, in other words. But wait. Something has caught the attention. Let's take a closer look at that offer on the envelope: And what was that sweepstakes featured in the letter? Yup, that's right: Today the in-laws received a business-solicitation letter pitching the idea of buying cremation services now rather than waiting 'till the usual time. Some alluring passages from the Neptune Society's letter: More and more people are choosing cremation over traditional funeral arrangements ... The numbers are increasing every year! ... There are several advantages to making your arrangements now. First, you lock in today's price ... As the Neptune Society apparently likes to say: "Cremation just makes sense." Given that one reason that the Neptune Society gives to consider cremation is that "It has less impact on the environment," it seems fitting that the Neptune Society wants us to know that their envelope and letter were both I couldn't help wondering what the "ash" content of this recycled paper was. The reaction of my beloved stepdad-in-law, to whom this letter was specifically addressed? "How did they know where to find me?" Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 26, 2008 | perma-link | (1) comments

Monday, February 25, 2008


Sports Tribalism
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- The blood flows passionately through those Obama fans who hope, hope and Hope that He will be the one to end the curse of that nasty old nation-stuff, leading us to the exalted realm of World Citizenship. Yes, that golden goal of everyone being equal, at last! ... aside from those Ivy League grads who will do most of the thinking and all of the deciding. But all that idealism eventually comes up short, confronting what seems to be human nature. You know, the in-group, out-group thing. That starts early in life. For example, when I was in grade school it was our third grade classroom versus those other rooms. Our Cub Scout den versus the other dens in the pack and our pack as opposed to other packs. This concept was brought home to me in college when, for the first time, I regularly read the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (P-I) newspaper. In those days it was the morning paper and the Seattle Times (which my family took) was the evening paper. But the fraternity house subscribed to the P-I so I read it every morning at breakfast. Now, in those days the P-I had a sports editor/columnist named Royal Brougham. Actually he had been writing sports there since shortly after the earth started to cool, and was in his mid-60s when I was in college and still cranking out the content. I suppose almost every city with a daily paper had someone like him at one time or another; if you want more information about Brougham, click here. The point I'm creeping up to is that Brougham was a "homer" -- a super-homer, in fact. When it came to Seattle high school sports, he had no wiggle-room; he couldn't favor one team over another in a column. But when a Seattle team played a Tacoma team, the us-versus-them thing kicked in. It went into high gear when the University of Washington football team was playing any other team. But if the Huskies weren't in the Rose Bowl, then he'd cheer for the Pacific Coast Conference team that did get to play. And, in the Olympic Games, it was our Americans versus those foreigners. Brougham died with his boots on, so to speak. Well, make it that he died with the cover off of his Underwood typewriter. He suffered his fatal heart attack at a Seattle Seahawks game in 1977. Today, there's a street named Royal Brougham Way next to the baseball stadium. One can argue that this is ancient history, that today's sports writers can get away with being more cosmopolitan. And it's probably true, up to a point. Nevertheless, it's hard for me to imagine a sports writer holding his job if he showed contempt for local teams most of the time and favored out-of-town, out-of-state and out-of-country teams. Human nature still rules. Just ask those sophisticated Ivy Leagers; their beloved football teams no longer play in the NCAA's Division I. Maybe they're... posted by Donald at February 25, 2008 | perma-link | (6) comments

Sunday, February 24, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * San Francisco, sunrise to sundown in hi-def. (Fast connection required.) * How bad is it? (Link thanks to FvBlowhard.) * Robert J. Samuelson utters a word that those who lived through the '70s learned to dread. * Tyler Cowen lists his favorite Spanish literary books. * JessiJaymes13 doesn't want to be anybody's ... Well, go there and find out. (NSFW) * Gil Roth flies in over Newfoundland, points his camera out the window, and snaps some spectacular shots of ice and mountains. * Just in case ... * A great idea from Robert Nagle: reviews of exercise videos. * Roger Scruton writes a beauty of a review of Richard Sennett's new book about craftsmanship. * "White flight" is so yesterday. Thanks to insane immigration policies, today's sociological phenomenon is "black flight." * Mark Sisson thinks that even unrefined grains should be avoided. * Tim Hauserman gives the short version of what Gary Taubes has to say in "Good Calories, Bad Calories," and also offers an interview with Taubes himself. * It looks like it's time for the ladies to pick up a vial of "bottom enhancer." Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 24, 2008 | perma-link | (4) comments

Tuesday, February 19, 2008


Elsewhere
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Guys: Maybe the time really has come to give up the soft drinks. * What should the experts require of us? It seems like it must be a lot of fun to be a nanny-state advisor ... * Why do you exercise? * MoonRiver runs some beautiful reproductions of four of Fairfield Porter's paintings. FvBlowhard and I are both Fairfield fans. Friedrich recently shot off this fun passage to me: I like some of his pictures intensely, others I’m pretty indifferent to. My reaction to him is quite a bit like my reaction to Bonnard, who was one of inspirations. In some pictures both guys are geniuses, in some they look like they’re 12-year-old amateurs.In any case, I always like the emotional tone, the investment in quiet everyday domestic life. I really like the high angle landscape of the parking lot; the generalizing of the color shapes is cool, as is the fact that he preserves the tonal relationships but suppresses most texture. I almost feel inspired to knock out a painting in response to this one! Here's a good Robert Hughes passage about Fairfield Porter. Best, Michael... posted by Michael at February 19, 2008 |