I am writing a blog! I’m sure there are folks out there joking that I’ll ruin the screen trying to scratch out mistakes with a fountain pen. But I say ‘old dogs, new tricks’ and bring on your modern-age hurly-burly.

So I sit me down in the lounger with a snazzy laptop and a stiff cocktail (classic Sidecar, thank you very much) and prepare to share the wisdom. So, what do you want to know?

The boys at the lounge gave me this space to chat you all up, talk about wicked-cool lamps, maybe convince you to buy a couple (just a click away, what are you waiting for…), and otherwise sap bandwidth away from more worthy causes. But then I get stuck on where to start…

I take another sip, and think—Hey! It’s always nice to start with a cocktail. So let me tell you about my Sidecar. A sublime combination of brandy, cointreau and lemon juice in a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Esquire’s take on it is here, and it’s as fair as any. They go cognac and I can accept that. I’ll even allow triple sec for Cointreau if the economic stimulus package hasn’t gotten to you yet. I will, however, demand real lemon juice. The lord looks down on that weird plastic lemon-shaped vessel rolling around the back of your fridge.

The liquor pundits (not to be confused with the liquored-up pundits) say the Sidecar came out of the big war and was tossed back at many a speakeasy, as well as becoming the signature at Poppa Hemingway’s hang in Paris, Harry’s New York Bar. Now that’s a drink that’s been around.

But that ain’t the point. The point is that it’s damn tasty. Don’t put it in your mouth, because its cool, or its retro-hip, or even if its on sale. Like what you like. And Lou likes to share a drink with the ghosts of gangsters and Parisian ex-pats. Style is not a trend it’s a personal statement. Whether its in your glass, rockin’ your ipod or lighting up your pad, its what sets you apart from the herd. I don’t know about you, but Lou thinks the herd is big enough.

So if you got a favorite brandy, let me know. Got a question about swank lighting, shout it. Want to know if those pants make you look fat, bring it on.

Lou is listening.