Blogger Dana Blankenhorn takes issue with Jim Surowiecki's scalp management and with his stance on the falling dollar:

I'm a big James Surowiecki fan. (Not a Truly Handsome Man yet, like I am, but don't you think his barber is starting to get creative?)

When I got into journalism, nearly three decades ago, I harbored a secret dream of writing for The New Yorker. I never got a sniff. But I harbor no grudges because Surowiecki did. And he's run with it.

All this praise, naturally, is a prelude to my taking issue with his latest column, which covers the subject of the collapsing dollar, the subtext for my novel The Chinese Century.

He goes on, "As I noted in my novel the Chinese can squash us like a bug and effectively kill our democracy simply by selling our currency," etc. But back to the question of hair. Veteran business journalist Blankenhorn is little burdened with excess foliage, and justly pleased; with his salt-and-pepper beard and smart-guy glasses he looks like a psychiatrist or professor, or both. Still, is he implying Jim is losing it? Last I looked, he was a man of hair. I think his cut is merely raffish, not compensatory. Either way, he's got bone structure on his side. Jim, I wouldn't change barbers for all the tea in China.


Be Very Afraid [Corante; photos of both on page]