Author Archives: Blowhard, Esq.

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About Blowhard, Esq.

Amateur, dilettante, wannabe.

Etymology of the Day

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: We’ve talked about polysemy several times, the phenomenon of one word having several meanings, some of which eventually come to overlap. An example is the word uncouth, the history of which we can chart with information from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“The Canyons” (2013)

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I finally got around to checking out this crowdsourced collaboration written by Bret Easton Ellis, directed by Paul Schrader, and featuring Lindsay Lohan and James Deen. Lohan and Deen play dissolute, fringe Hollywood types engaged in various sexual … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The ordinary man is luminously clear, I alone seem confused. The ordinary man is searchingly exact, I alone am vague and uncertain. How nebulous! as the ocean; How blurred! as though without boundary. The masses all have … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy and Religion | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Carolingian Minuscule and Modern Writing

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: In the 8th century, Charlemagne, the ruler of the Carolingian empire, had a problem on his hands. Over the centuries, scribes had made so many mistakes when copying the Bible and other texts of the Church fathers … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

“Jane Eyre”

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: When was the last time you read a romance novel? Yeah, I can’t say it’s a genre I sample much either. But I was talking to Paleo Retiree once at our weekly cultural salons (comparing and contrasting … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

The Hundred Years’ War, Taxes, and the Modern State

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The Hundred Years’ War (waged from 1337 to 1453, so it was actually 116 years long) was a series of conflicts between England and France over control of the French monarchy. The war actually had roots that went … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Economics | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Crusader Follies: Peter Bartholomew and the Holy Lance

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: One of the first major victories for the Europeans of the First Crusade was the capture of Antioch. After eight months of laying siege to the city, the Christian knights captured it in May 1098. However, their victory … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy and Religion | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Picture of the Day

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The purified souls in Purgatory, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, c. 1412-1416 Related I’ve been enjoying The Great Courses’ lecture on the High Middle Ages. TGC also has a course on the Late Middle … Continue reading →

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Urbanism: It Ain’t Rocket Science

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The City of Los Angeles has been holding listening sessions the past few weeks on the revision of its zoning code. I haven’t been able to attend any of them, but if I did it would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

“Only God Forgives” (2013)

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: While I enjoyed DRIVE, after watching this one, it was clear to me why others didn’t enjoy DRIVE. There’s no pixie-cute Carey Mulligan to redeem this one, instead, we’ve got an impotent, Oedipal-conflicted Ryan Gosling avenging the death … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments