Manolo says, the Manolo makes no secret of the fact that he likes his tennis shoes old style, indeed, he believes that where the kicks are concerned the tried-and-true is still the best. Here are three classic tennis shoes of which the Manolo approves.

What could be better than the classic Converse Star Player Ox in white leather.

Perhaps the Puma Clyde, in the classic black.

But, wait, here is the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 in blue for when the Manolo feels the uncontrollable urge to rock it Japanese style.

These and other such handsomely classic shoes are available from Size Mens Clothes.

Manolo says, witness the latest trend in facial-hair stupidity, the monkey-tail beard.

Jeffrey Costello & Robert Tagliapietra, Stylish Bears

Manolo says, finally, there is hope for ordinary American men!

While their clothes they design for others are beautiful, no one would accuse the fashion designers Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello of being anything other than burly gay bears, but they are good enough

But, perhaps if you were the burly, big-bellied straight man who wished to claim the mantle of stylishness, you could do worse than emulate these two.

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Manolo says, it is all about the self-confidence.

Monday’s Man of Mystery is none other than the probable future mayor of Chicago.

Mr. Henry asks, “How good is your eye for famous men?”

Mr Henry asks, “How good is your eye for famous men?”

This week’s Man of Mystery is the Dude himself, abiding in a younger incarnation.

In today’s New York Times, David Brooks makes a great point about Amy Chua’s wrong-headed parenting choices.

When the Tiger Mother starts chewing her cubs, the larger question is why doesn’t the father of the house step in to restore sanity? What sort of father today cedes all child-rearing authority to his wife?

“Extreme parenting” is tyranny and madness. Crushed under the regime of an Amy Chua, a smart child who is well-grounded and self-protective would run away from home.

Even in a happy household, it is every husband’s sacred obligation to protect his children from momentary mood swings of the motherly variety.

Just before dinner when everyone including the dog seems to need a stiff one, Mr. Henry will on rare occasions hear Mrs. Henry carping at Little Henry about some minor transgression normally involving a small sin of omission like not putting something away in its proper place.

In order to reestablish family harmony at these critical junctures, Mr. Henry steps into the breach. First he tells Little Henry to run upstairs and hide until dinner is ready. Then he suggest to Mrs. Henry that a little bite of hors d’oeuvres might hit the spot. Then – and this is key – he refuses to engage in a fight with her no matter what.

Once dinner has begun to work its magic and conversation begins to wander merrily, all will be well.

Mr. Henry asks, “How good is your eye for famous men shirtless?”

Congratulations to Rick who guessed this week’s Man of Mystery, the great strategic and political general.

Major Ames replaced his hat rather hastily, after a swift manoeuvre with regard to his hair which Mrs Evans did not accurately follow. The fact was (though he believed the fact not to be generally known) that the top of Major Ames’ head was entirely destitute of hair, and that the smooth crop which covered it was the produce of the side of his head – just above the ear – grown long, and brushed across the cranium so as to adorn it with seemingly local wealth and sleekness. The rough and unexpected removal of his hat by the bough of the mulberry tree had caused a considerable portion of it to fall back nearly to the shoulder of the side on which it naturally grew, and his hasty manoeuvre with his gathered tresses was designed to replace them. Necessarily he put back his hat again quickly, in the manner of a boy capturing a butterfly.

– p. 59

Mrs. Ames, by E. F. Benson, Bloomsbury ©1912