Category Archives: thinks

Authenticity is Bunk

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

It’s surprising how many people are still mired in a Nineteenth-Century, Anglo-Saxon mindset when it comes to the idea of authenticity. I’m often made keenly aware of this because of my pen name, which implies a persona, a construction: artifice. … Continue reading →

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American Banshees

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

Taking a break from the Expedition today to talk about a musical form that has been held hostage by corny nostalgia mongers for years, but deserves a fresh listen. I grew up listening to old scratchy 45s. I love their … Continue reading →

Posted in art, thinks | 4 Comments

The Gusto Ethic

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

I believe deeply in Gusto–vitality, vigor, enthusiasm, daring, energy–often at the expense of good sense. I shudder to think what might have become of me were it not for the siren’s song of Gusto: I might have wound up employed, … Continue reading →

Posted in hidden river expedition, thinks | 2 Comments

Glenn O’Brien’s New Book

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

On the train ride home from Glenn O’Brien’s book release party at Bergdorf Goodman, I was reading my signed, newly-acquired copy of Glenn’s new tome, How To Be A Man.While scurrying back to the hedgerows like a good country mouse, … Continue reading →

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Crickets in the Land of Biff

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

Weaved through the impossibly beautiful streets of Chestnut Hill to spend the afternoon on the bucolic grounds of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, where many a damn, damn fine Mimosa met with its doom. Urp. Although I find anglophilia to be … Continue reading →

Posted in capers, thinks | 4 Comments

The New Luxury?

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

Last week I attended a lecture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art given by Hamish Bowles, the European Editor at Large for Vogue. His topic was the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga and Roberto Capucci, whose colorful, exuberant work is now … Continue reading →

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Not the Makings, But the Habit

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Lord Whimsy
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That Bottom Button, Marooned by Tradition

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

I’m very much with The Grumpy Owl when he says: Convention says that one should always leave the bottom button undone. I hold to that convention. But I don’t like it very much. The tradition originated in the court of … Continue reading →

Posted in style, thinks | 4 Comments

The Time Hack

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

“The Time Hack is an experiment aimed at exploring whether our perception of time is influenced by our actions. “The year-long project aims to test whether time itself is flexible and whether our brains measure time differently than the clocks … Continue reading →

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Naturalist Wall of the Dead

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Lord Whimsy

Richard Conniff, author of The Species Seekers, asks in his op-ed piece for the NY Times: “We go to great lengths commemorating soldiers who have died fighting wars for their countries. Why not do the same for the naturalists who … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, thinks | 1 Comment