Author Archives: Paleo Retiree

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About Paleo Retiree

Onetime media flunky and movie buff and very glad to have left that mess behind. Formerly Michael Blowhard of the cultureblog 2Blowhards.com. Now a rootless parasite and bon vivant on a quest to find the perfectly-crafted artisanal cocktail.

“The Un-Civil War: BLACKS vs. NIGGERS: Confronting the Subculture Within African-American Communities” by Taleeb Starkes

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: This book is like a companion piece to Chris Rock’s famous “I love black people but I hate niggers” standup routine, and despite its obvious shortcomings I enjoyed it a lot. Today’s “black people” matrix can be so … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Politics and Economics | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Architecture du Jour: Wilderstein

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: My wife and I recently visited Wilderstein, a magnificent 19th century mansion on the Hudson River, not far from the lovely small town of Rhinebeck. Wilderstein is sometimes said to be the Hudson River Valley’s best Victorian house. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, The Good Life, Travel | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

An Interview With Brian Kellow, Part 1

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Yesterday I raved about Brian Kellow’s new book about the legendary Hollywood agent Sue Mengers. It’s a smart and fun biography, an informative joyride through the life of a colorful and fascinating character who peaked during the 1970s, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Interviews, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Brian Kellow’s “Can I Go Now? The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood’s First Superagent”

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Like Robert Evans (who produced “The Godfather” and ran Paramount), Sue Mengers was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of ’70s Hollywood. The agent (first at Creative Management Associates, then at ICM) for many of the era’s … Continue reading →

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

Linkage

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Some eloquent praise for Nicolas (“Don’t Look Now“) Roeg from the very gifted Bernard (“Candyman“) Rose. I recently caught up with Roeg’s 2006 “Puffball: The Devil’s Eyeball” and enjoyed it a lot. Who was Sue Mengers? Stay tuned: … Continue reading →

Posted in Linkathons | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Music Du Jour

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Vince Gill and the legendary pedal steel guitarist Paul Vincent — with backing from Marty Stuart and The Fabulous Superlatives — perform Merle Haggard’s wonderfully acerbic-yet-heartrending 1970 tune “I Can’t Be Myself.” Related Gill and Vincent also perform the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Good Nonstick Pan

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Over the years, my wife, an excellent home cook, has been unhappy with the nonstick pans she’s tried. They don’t distribute the heat effectively; they don’t impart any flavor; the surface loses its effectiveness in just a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and health, Shopping | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Edges, Pointiness, Minimalism and Public Seating

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: On a beautiful recent day, my wife and I treated ourselves to a long, leisurely walk — first through the West Village, then down along Hudson River Park, and finally through and beyond Battery Park Marina. The red line shows our … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

9/11 Memorial Visit: The Crap Space Angle

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Blowhard, Esq. and I recently spent a few sunny hours exploring the 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan. We weren’t interested in touring the museum, so (aside from rolling our eyes at its fashionably toppled-over exterior form) we skipped it. What we intended to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Architecture and Color, Once Again

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Blowhard, Esq.’s recent posting about architecture and color prompted me to pull out the iPhone a lot during my daily walks around downtown NYC. For the sake of this posting, please ignore the dramatic differences in shapes, designs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged | 6 Comments