Author Archives: Blowhard, Esq.

About Blowhard, Esq.

Amateur, dilettante, wannabe.

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The weakening of the state, the progressive development of its imperfections, is a social necessity. The strengthening of other loyalties, of alternative foci of power, of different modes of human behaviour, is an essential for survival. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Economics | Tagged anarchism | 1 Comment

“Why Not Have a Beautiful Home?”

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I’ve been focusing too much on crappy buildings lately. Let’s pay attention to the positive, shall we? Southern California has plenty of well-kept, modest, charming neighborhoods, if you’re willing to look. All of the following homes are … Continue reading →

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: God bless the straightforward writer, and God bless those with the ability to amuse, provoke, surprise, shock, appall. The purpose of literature is to Delight. To create or endorse the Scholastic is a craven desire. It may … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Education | Tagged David Mamet, genre fiction | 1 Comment

Sturgeon’s “Law” is Crap

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: You may not know it had a name, but if you’ve spent any time talking about the arts, you’ve surely come across Sturgeon’s Law, coined by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon: “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art | Tagged aesthetic judgments, bell curve, Science Fiction, statistical probability, Theodore Sturgeon | 15 Comments

Photo of the Day

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I nominate Bern, Switzerland as the official headquarters of UR. Here’s the city’s official website. A person who claims to live in one of the apartments in this photo says, “Rent is high, sure, but not as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Photography, The Good Life | Tagged Bern, Switzerland | 4 Comments

“Flashman”

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I just finished the first volume of George MacDonald Fraser‘s high-spirited and rollicking The Flashman Papers series. For those new to the books, the series of 19th century historical novels chronicles the exploits of an English army officer and self-described … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Afghanistan, Allan Quartermain, alternative literary history, Arthur Conan Doyle, Aubrey-Maturin, boys' own adventures, Brigadier Gerard, British Empire, C.S. Forester, Don Quixote, Douglas Adams, East India Company, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edward Said, Feminism, Flashman, Game, genre fiction, George MacDonald Fraser, H.R. Haggard, historical fiction, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Horatio Hornblower, Ian Fleming, India, indigenous warlords, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, James Bond, James Ellroy, Joseph Conrad, Kabul, Lord of the Rings, men's fiction, n-word, Orientalism, P.G. Wodehouse, Patrick O'Brian, Professor Challenger, public doman, publishing, Robinson Crusoe, sexy native girls, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan | 28 Comments

I Graduated From a Monkey Prison

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: In 1972, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the series, was released. When the film begins, humans have enslaved the apes but eventually the apes rise up in revolution against their oppressors. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Education, Movies, Photography | Tagged brutalism, landscaping, Orange County, Planet of the Apes, Science Fiction, University of California Irvine, William Pereira | 20 Comments

“Silver Linings Playbook”

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: In The Big Picture, screenwriter William Goldman says that when it comes to voting for Best Actor or Actress at the Oscars, he never chooses those who who are playing “drunks or retards.” “Actors kill for those parts,” he … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Bradley Cooper, dancing, David O. Russell, girls in yoga pants, Jennifer Lawrence, mental illness, William Goldman | 8 Comments

Cartoon of the Day

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Posted in Humor | Tagged ancient Greece, philosophy | 1 Comment

Getting the Best Out of People: Freedom v. Control

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Seth Roberts, formerly of Berkeley and now professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, decided to stop grading his students. He writes: The more freedom I gave my students, the more difficult it became to grade them. At … Continue reading →