Sunday Morning Book Thread 07-10-2016: It's Good To Be The King! [OregonMuse]

Photo Or Painting?

(to tell you the truth, I've forgotten where I snagged today's pic from, so I don't know the answer to my question)

Good morning to all of you morons and moronettes and bartenders everywhere and all the ships at sea. Welcome to AoSHQ's stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, where men are men, all the 'ettes are lovely, safe spaces are where we store our ammo, cigars and beer, and nobody cares about what kind of snowflake you are, so suck it up, buttercup. And unlike other AoSHQ comment threads, the Sunday Morning Book Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Even these pants.

Rules For Thee But Not For Me

There's a club. We're not members. They make the decisions. We live with the decisions that are made. It's as if they are an incestuous nest of rat-spiders who spin a web, and we're all caught in it.

Posted by: grammie winger, watching the fig tree at October 23, 2015 09:03 AM (dFi94)

Anyone else remember TWA flight 800? In case you don't remember, in July of 1996, this flight took off from JFK Airport, suffered a massive explosion shortly afterwards, and crashed into the Atlantic, killing all 230 passengers and crew. The official explanation was that the destruction of the 747 aircraft was due to a fuel/air explosion in the center wing fuel tank. There were a number of initial witnesses whose testimony suggested that TWA 800 was hit by a surface-to-air missile. However, upon a full investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the witnesses were incorrect.

But there are some who don't believe the official version.

Among those is conservative writer Jack Cashill, and his book on the subject, TWA 800: The Crash, the Cover-Up, and the Conspiracy, has just been published by Regnery. Cashill went over the old evidence, used the FIOA to look at some new evidence, and even interviewed a number of the original witnesses.

For those of us who don't want to shell out > $18.00 for the KIndle version, Cashill has also written several articles for The American Thinker website, one of which is titled Hillary, Gorelick, and the Corruption of the TWA 800 Case, so yeah, is anyone here surprised that once again, here's Jamie Gorelick hovering around the center of another Clinton-era disaster?

How does she come into it? Cashill says:

The reader might recall the testimony of George Tenet, then the Director of Central Intelligence, before the 9/11 Commission in March 2004. It was Tenet who first introduced America to “the wall that was in place between the criminal side and the intelligence side.” He was referring specifically to a memorandum issued by the Department of Justice in 1995.

Said Tenet for the ages, “What’s in a criminal case doesn’t cross over that line. Ironclad regulations, so that even people in the criminal division and the intelligence divisions of the FBI couldn’t talk to each other, let alone talk to us or us talk to them.”

This procedural rule, of course, is what became known as "the Gorelick wall", and is what chiefly hampered investigators from catching the 9-11 hijackers beforehand. But, the wall was a bit more porous back in the Clinton presidency:

As Hillary’s go-to-person in the DOJ, it was [Gorelick] who oversaw the TWA 800 investigation. On her watch, as the CIA documents show, the FBI and CIA regularly breached the allegedly ironclad “wall” to collaborate on the subversion of that investigation. Tenet himself was deeply involved.

So to recap: Jamie Gorelick, a Clinton appointee, makes a rule for everybody and then ignores it when it suits her purposes to do so.

How about that? Rules? We don' need no steekeeng rules!

One final tidbit from the author:

I was invited to discuss the crash on CNN’s “New Day” with host Allison Kosik. At the end of this short segment, Kosik asked me why there might have been a cover-up. “This was Bill Clinton’s Benghazi moment,” I said. “They [the Clintons] just wanted to kick this can down the road until after November so it would not affect the outcome of the [1996] election.”

When CNN released the transcript the next day, someone had edited out my answer.

No doubt the Clintons sleep soundly knowing the MSM has their back.

It's good to be the king!

calvinist bedtime stories-525.jpg

Curious George And The Soft Jihad

This one from a Thursday morning thread was too good not to look into:

101 Good news for parents of young kids out there. Curious George is celebrating Ramadan in a new book. No, not an Onion article.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at July 07, 2016 10:32 AM (0LHZx)

So I searched for the terms 'Curious George Ramadan' and found the book It's Ramadan, Curious George which Amazon actually lists as a bestseller. The authors are listed by Amazon as by H.A. Rey and Hena Khan, which is a tad misleading since Mr. Rey died in 1977. So unless this is based on some long-lost manuscript that just turned up, which I doubt, Rey wouldn't have contributed anything except the characters.

So I guess what we have here is a Curious George fanfic, written by Hena Khan, whose Amazon author bio says is "a Pakistani-American Muslim who was born and raised in Maryland." She has written other books about Islam for young people.

The Yahoo News story about this blames it on Donald Trump:

[The book] comes amid rising tensions fueled by worries about Islamist extremism and a heated presidential campaign during which Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump has called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States.

Trump. Is there *nothing* he isn't responsible for?

I was going to complain about this being yet another case of bowing the knee to Islamic exceptionalism, however:

The [Yahoo News] report attempts to quell any concern that Curious George is celebrating an Islamic holiday by reminding that he has also celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah in previous installments.

So I had to look those up, too, and sure enough, there's Happy Hanukkah, Curious George and also Merry Christmas, Curious George, so that much is correct. But the Christmas book is about Santa, not Christ, and my understanding of Hanukkah is that it is a relatively minor holiday - Passover would have been more appropriate, I would think, and more comparable to Ramadan. But I shouldn't complain. As long as Houghton Mifflin is renting out their 'Curious George' property for the promotion od Islam, perhaps we should be thankful that we didn't get "Curious George Gets A Splodey Shirt" or "Curious George Meets The Elders of Zion." (h/t boulder terlit hobo).

And it's sort of ironic that according to his wiki page, the Reys were Jewish:

While in Paris, [Rey's] animal drawings came to the attention of a French publisher, who commissioned him to write a children's book. The result, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, is little remembered, but one of its characters, an adorably impish monkey named Curious George, was such a success that the couple considered writing a book just about him. The outbreak of World War II interrupted their work. As Jews, the Reys decided to flee Paris before the Nazis seized the city. Hans assembled two bicycles, and they fled Paris just a few hours before it fell. Among the meager possessions they brought with them was the illustrated manuscript of Curious George.

Books For Children

And speaking of books for children, if you're looking for books for very young children, Mrs. Muse and I discovered the books of Australian author Graeme Base. He is a fantastic artist, and you can click on the 'Look Inside' links on his book pages to look at some examples of his wonderfully intricate drawings. For example, Animalia is his best-selling A-B-C book, each of the 26 letters has its own page filled with objects that start with that letter and the trick is to find them all. You probably won't see them all on your first reading. This is a great book to sit down and read with your children (or grandchildren).

The Waterhole is a board book that teaches counting.

The Eleventh Hour sounds like it may be for kids who are perhaps a little older:

An elephant's 11th birthday party is marked by 11 games before the banquet to be eaten at the 11th hour, but when the time to eat arrives, the birthday feast has disappeared. Readers are to guess the thief from the clues.

It does sound like fun.

The hardback books are surprisingly inexpensive, with current prices ranging from $5.28 to $18.00 (approx.)

We've already bought several and given them out to other families, that's how much we like them.

Moron Wins Award

Congratulations to moron author Jack July (Old Sailor's Poet), who won third place for the Conservative-Libertarian Fiction Alliance CLFA Book of the Year award for his novel Amy Lynn: Golden Angel.

From the CFLA press release:

To qualify, books had to be novel length (minimum 50k words) fiction first published in the calendar year 2015. Self-published, small press and traditionally published works were all eligible, including e-book and audio formats. Authors need not be members of the CLFA or even consider themselves to be politically aligned with the CLFA in order to be nominated and win. Books were nominated by members of the CLFA closed Facebook group. The top ten nominees were the finalists, and the final round of voting was open to the public.

People interested in joining the CLFA closed Facebook group may visit www.facebook.com/groups/CLFAgroup/ and request to be added.

H/T to 'ette Beth.

Beta Readers Wanted

This week I heard from a longtime moron lurker who posts infrequently as 'Emile Antoon Khadaji'. He is seeking beta readers for his novel:

I have just wrapped up the second draft of my novel and am looking for some test subjects . . . err, readers, to give their input..."A Place Outside The Wild" is what I like to call a post, post-apocalyptic novel. It involves the lives of a group of survivors 8 years after a zombie-like pandemic. I tried to take a little bit different approach in this as I think the people who survive such an event are obviously infinitely more exciting than the zombies (although I did also try to come up with a creative reason for the creation of the zombie plague and its results on the victims). My main thematic inspirations were "hostaet", "Farnham's Freehold", and "Dies the Fire."

If this sounds like a novel you'd like to read and provide feedback, the author can be contacted at dhumphreys5252 at-sign gee mail dot com.

Moron Recommendations

I might just as well cut and paste this review from ace's book recommendation thread. There's nothing I can really add to it but links:

629 I know I'm late to the party but this thread is turning me from forever lurker into an active commenter because I must recommend you the Surgeon in Blue: Jonathan Letterman, The Civil War Doctor I'm reading now. It's an historical overview of how battlefield and emergency medicine were developed in the US as a result of catastrophically rudimentary military hospital at the beginning of the Civil war. Union heads definitely didn't consider medical care of wounded soldiers as an important task (Surprise!). Financial investment into the field ambulance and med equipment was thought to be a capricious luxury as much as selecting skilled doctors for the task. The book is full of detailed and grotesque descriptions of how wounded were treated that will make you cringe. I am a healthcare worker and I've seen it all, but I'm still telling myself how lucky we are to be born now and not then when it comes to trauma treatment and med field in general.

Posted by: Mitten bound at June 07, 2016 08:34 PM (0yfal)

Here's the book: Surgeon in Blue: Jonathan Letterman, the Civil War Doctor Who Pioneered Battlefield Care by Scott McGaugh. I second Mitten bound's sentiments about how fortunate we are to be born now not then. We take the wonders of modern medicine for granted. Dentistry, too, by the way.

___________

Moronette 'votermom' is putting together a list of moron authors over on the Goodreads site which is intended to be acessible to non-members. Here is the list she has compiled so far. Let her know if there's an author she's missing.

http://www.bookhorde.org/p/aoshq-authors.html

___________

Don't forget the AoSHQ reading group on Goodreads. It's meant to support horde writers and to talk about the great books that come up on the book thread. It's called AoSHQ Moron Horde and the link to it is here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/175335-aoshq-moron-horde.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at the book thread e-mail address: aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as you all know, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:59 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good morning.

Posted by: HH at July 10, 2016 09:00 AM (DrCtv)

2 too much content

Posted by: iforgot at July 10, 2016 09:00 AM (5o5ek)

3 About 1/3 into A Higher Calling by Adam Makos. It's good and am learning a few things about German Luftwaffen pilots

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:02 AM (Yo9Lf)

4 (to tell you the truth, I've forgotten where I snagged today's pic from, so I don't know the answer to my question)

I wish my living room looked like that but without the piano. I had to help tote one of those one time. Never want to do it again.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 09:03 AM (mpXpK)

5 Book Thread!!!!

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:03 AM (7lVbc)

6 Painting I'm thinking but easily could be wrong.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:04 AM (Yo9Lf)

7 I forgot to mention one of my go-to military Authors for military fiction.

P.T. Deutermann.

My latest read from him.

http://www.ptdeutermann.com/book-sentinels.html

But, I'v read almost everything he has written.
And they are all enjoyable.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at July 10, 2016 09:06 AM (ptqRm)

8 Today is Nikola Tesla's birthday.

Short bio of his early life in nic

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:06 AM (7lVbc)

9
Yesterday I got away from my keyboard and finally read the first 55 pages of this short (337 pp) biography of Stalin by Oleg someone. All the people who did him small favors on the way to the top will wind up sending him desperate, pleading letters later in life asking for a way out of their intense poverty, criminal proceedings, exile, or other Stalin-induced misery.

Kind of interesting that he endured four years of exile within the Arctic circle in Siberia, some town with a total of 8 houses and 67 inhabitants. He was good at hunting and fishing.

Posted by: iforgot at July 10, 2016 09:10 AM (5o5ek)

10 Jack July's award is well deserved. The Amy Lynn series is gritty and exciting. Be sure to read book 1 first.

I did a post on the winners this week that's still on my front page, as well as my interview of 'ette Elisabeth Wolfe.

I will do another author interview, hopefully this week, of the author of new release "The Worst President in History"

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:11 AM (7lVbc)

11 This week I finished reading The Andromeda Strain. Yes, I was able to snag a copy for less than $10. Now have gone back to reread of some Mercedes Lackey stuff.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 09:11 AM (mpXpK)

12 Oregon, I've been staring at the pic and I am going with "painting"

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:12 AM (7lVbc)

13
If the thread is still going 55 pages from now, I'll let you know what else I find out about Stalin.

This book is so-so by the way, but I wanted something short and sweet after the doorstop I read recently on Catherine the Great.

Posted by: iforgot at July 10, 2016 09:12 AM (5o5ek)

14 Yesterday, Ed Driscoll at Insty linked an article about apartments inside libraries and families raised there.

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/238241/#respond

Posted by: mustbequantum at July 10, 2016 09:13 AM (MIKMs)

15 It's a 3D modelled illustration.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at July 10, 2016 09:13 AM (VdICR)

16 I read Raney by Clyde Edgerton this week. It was a rec from the old lady who writes a few articles every now and again for the Charlotte Observer. She made a list of southern writers to read for book clubs. Raney was one of her choices. It's about a southern couple who marries after the vietnam war. She is stereotypical southern from backwoods NC. He is a librarian, liberal from Atlanta. Pretty formulaic. Basically, she needs to change and he doesn't. Not sure how the couple ever managed to date much less marry. The books is touted as a funny story, some parts are, but mostly it's irritating. Glad I read it free and didn't purchase it.

Posted by: nckate at July 10, 2016 09:14 AM (tna7B)

17 As Hillary's go-to-person in the DOJ, it was [Gorelick] who oversaw the
TWA 800 investigation. On her watch, as the CIA documents show, the FBI
and CIA regularly breached the allegedly ironclad "wall" to collaborate
on the subversion of that investigation. Tenet himself was deeply
involved.

Not surprising. Everyone in Bubba's administration was corrupt and Scankles' will not be any different except it will be even worse. Bubba's manipulation of the CRA law (originally passed under Carter) was the leading cause of the banking collapse which Obama turned into Depression 2.0

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 09:15 AM (mpXpK)

18 A couple of weeks ago HD Woodard was here pimping his book "Wearing the Cat". I bought it from Amazon for the Kindle app. I enjoyed it enough to recommend it here and in an Amazon review. Well done and funny.

Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at July 10, 2016 09:15 AM (CTtEr)

19 "The Eleventh Hour" ... I read that book somewhere as a kid (only 20 years ago or so) and occasionally remember it at odd times but could never recall what its name was. Never did solve the puzzle as far as I remember. Thank you!

Posted by: longtime lurker at July 10, 2016 09:16 AM (xhEPV)

20 Also not surprising that the liberals in the publishing industry have turned Curious George into a liberal/PC pile of crap for indoctrinating children. The book originally had a "moral" message that was not political.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 09:17 AM (mpXpK)

21 weirdflunkyonatablet, Everyone seems to like it. I'm going to put it on top of my to-read list.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:17 AM (7lVbc)

22
A follow-up on last week's news of Ben H. Winters, the author of The Last Policeman Trilogy, new alt-history thriller, "Underground Airlines", set in an America where slavery still exists.

The NYT did an extended profile on the Winters and the book:

https://tinyurl.com/gltvzq6

And since the left reads the NYT, and Winters is white, guess how that turned out?:

Slate: The NYT Called This White Guy "Daring" for Tackling Slavery Through Sci-Fi. Uh, No.
by J. Holtham -a black screenwriter and essayist living in Los Angeles.

https://tinyurl.com/jaf32bn

And which point Winters performed kowtow before the godless Octavia Butler, hoping to escape the wrath of the Left.

Such are our times.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at July 10, 2016 09:18 AM (kdS6q)

23 Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:17 AM (7lVbc)

Definitely PG13 at least for sex themes. If it was a website it would absolutely be NSFW.

Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at July 10, 2016 09:20 AM (CTtEr)

24 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I finished the latest Longmire book, 'The Highwayman'. This one is a bit of a psychological mystery with Johnson's patented moments of serious action. It's a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable.

BTW, for those concerned, the complete 4th season of Longmire will be released on DVD September 13. Since we don't use Netflix, it is on our Amazon wishlist.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:20 AM (V+03K)

25 *snuggles into book thread*

Still reading Mark Lee Gardner's "Rough Riders". Our boys are facing the Spaniards' superior fast-loading Mausers, and have "more and larger guns and artillery with the range all surveyed off. They can shoot well and have better rifles and longer range, have fine positions and are courageous."

Gastrointestinal distress is felling more men than the Spaniards, though.

I'm also flipping through Teddy's own book, "the Rough Riders", hearing Teddy's own squeaky Harvard voice when I read "General Wheeler, a regular game-cock, was as anxious as Lawton to get first blood."

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:20 AM (jR7Wy)

26 How could Curious George celebrate Ramadan when he's clearly Jewish?

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:21 AM (Cq0oW)

27
From his response to the Slate J'accuse:

Hi J., I saw your piece on Slate. Thank you for writing it.

...I agree with those who scorn the idea that writing this book required some sort of "courage" or "daring" on my part. I am acutely aware of the privilege I have in my country and in my industry, wearing the skin that I do. This book grew out of my own distress about systemic racism in America.....

Ben Winters

Blah blah, please kill me last.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at July 10, 2016 09:21 AM (kdS6q)

28 Life is too lousy to be reading short books.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:21 AM (XMCo0)

29 Good heavens, I had bought the Graeme Base book Animalia for my daughter, when she was a toddler - either from a children's bookstore in Athens, or through an English catalog which served English speakers in far distant lands. Another wonderful picture book author is Mitsumasa Anno - especially Anno's Journey, which contained all kinds of visual references to classical stories for children.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at July 10, 2016 09:22 AM (xnmPy)

30 Just checking in; not reading, not writing, just watching current events and wondering how far down the rabbit hole we are going.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at July 10, 2016 09:22 AM (843wl)

31 20 Also not surprising that the liberals in the publishing industry have turned Curious George into a liberal/PC pile of crap for indoctrinating children. The book originally had a "moral" message that was not political.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 09:17 AM (mpXpK)

The most prominent memory I have of Curious George is him getting into the ether supply at a hospital and getting very loopy. Remember kids, huffing is bad, mmmkay?

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:25 AM (0mRoj)

32 I keeel you!!!

Posted by: The Man With The Yellow Turban at July 10, 2016 09:25 AM (BO/km)

33 "Wearing the skin that I do"?

Aztec priest?

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (Cq0oW)

34 Good morning, beloved Horde!

Nothing like a great book thread to make one late to church on a Sunday morning!

Posted by: Emmie at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (xVuS6)

35
"Wearing the skin that I do"?

Aztec priest?

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (Cq0oW)

Buffalo Bill.

Posted by: BignJames at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (Yi9Gb)

36
And a lot of this sort of thing is going on atm:

Black Chick Lit - Reader life from the POV of two WOC

5 Reasons Why I'm Side-Eyeing 'Underground Airlines'

I have not yet read Ben Winters' Underground Airlines, and I sure as hell don't plan to.....

blackchicklit.com/5-reasons-why-im-side-eyeing-underground-airlines/

And so on.....

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (kdS6q)

37 Slate: The NYT Called This White Guy "Daring" for Tackling Slavery Through Sci-Fi. Uh, No.
by J. Holtham -a black screenwriter and essayist living in Los Angeles.

Using slavery to continue to beat up the United States is hardly daring. It's been the cool thing to do among left-wing academics and writers for a looooong time.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:28 AM (0mRoj)

38 On the kindle, I read Breakthrough by Michael C. Grumley. Researchers in Miami learning to communicate with dolphins, the U. S. Navy trying to explain and anomaly off the coast of Bimini, and scientists from the U. S. Geological Survey in Antarctica studying a glacier about to collapse and cause a devastating tsunami are all brought together in this very good fast-paced thriller. The ending was a little too pat, but I enjoyed the action.

I also read Soul of the Fire by Eliot Pattison. This is the eighth book in the Inspector Shan series set in Tibet. In this book Shan is appointed to an international commission to investigate the self-immolation by Tibetans. Shan soon discovers that two of the immolations are murders, not suicides, and that the commission's purpose is to whitewash the fact that these suicides are being done as protests against Chinese repression.

I'm learning much about Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Chinese repression there. I found the following sentences spoken by an American on the commission very poignant: "The more I know about Tibet and the rest of the world, the more I think of what happened to them was indeed the beginning of the end of time. For all of us. What happened in Tibet was a test and all of us failed it. The soul of humankind is being hallowed out here, and the world ignores it. (pg116).

Posted by: Zoltan at July 10, 2016 09:28 AM (JYer2)

39 My guess is photo, since I don't see a painter using that composition.

Posted by: Mr. Peebles at July 10, 2016 09:28 AM (mBYZv)

40 Curious George Feeds The Sun

Where George learns about Aztec culture

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:28 AM (Cq0oW)

41 Loaned my copy of Capitalism and Freedom to a guy at work. Can I call that a good deed ? Because I don't have a lot of good deeds.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:29 AM (fiGNd)

42 I would like to recommend a new series I recently happened across. They involve Harry Gilmour, a young Royal Navy officer, a volunteer in WWII who finds his way into "...the trade..." the submarine service.

The difference between life in submarines and the traditional Royal Navy is summed up by one of the characters as: "Thing about the trade is, Mr. Gilmour, unlike that lot upstairs, with us, if every man knows his job and does his duty exactly right, then there's a good chance we'll all live. If he don't, then we don't. It's as simple as that."

Vivid action, excellent characters, careful attention to detail and well done humor. The two titles published to date are: "Gone to Sea in a Bucket" and "The Skipper's Dog's Called Stalin".
The author's name is David Black.

Posted by: John F. MacMichael at July 10, 2016 09:29 AM (B/gz2)

43 I mentioned this earlier in the week, but read votermom's interview with Elisabeth G. Wolfe. I have come to rely on Elisabeth's recommendations for classic literature translations and the interview was excellent. Be sure to check out votermom's site. It's worth checking every few days, anyway.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:29 AM (V+03K)

44 33 "Wearing the skin that I do"?

Aztec priest?
Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:26 AM (Cq0oW)

C'mon, buddy, have a heart.

Posted by: Aztec priest at July 10, 2016 09:29 AM (0mRoj)

45 Here's a book series - David Hair, "The Moonbridge Quartet". I saw this in Boulder's main library, where else. Here's the map of the fantasy world:

http://the-moontide-quartet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Moontide_Quartet_Wikia

Two continents. One has duchies with names like "Gallia", "Argundy", and "Schlessen". The other hosts "Lokistan", "Kesh", and "Javon" (=Ionia). The Leviathan Bridge links the twain, but rises only every twelve years.

Recently, the continent with the Franco-German duchies has decided to cross the bridge and plunder the continent with the Oriental duchies who are all peaceful and dindo noffins. This is called a "Crusade".

When I read this description I had a long public laugh, and then put the book back before the librarians kicked me out.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 09:30 AM (6FqZa)

46 Curious George and the Color from Space

Where George summons Nyarlothotep

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:31 AM (Cq0oW)

47 The Leviathan Bridge links the twain, but rises only every twelve years.

Good controls guy could fix that. Somebody probably just screwed up the preset on Raise Bridge Timer.

I know a guy ... but he don't work cheap.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:32 AM (fiGNd)

48 Curious George and the Great Old Ones

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:32 AM (jR7Wy)

49 Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:29 AM (V+03K)

*crams double chocolate brownies through USB port for JTB*

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:33 AM (7lVbc)

50 Bigby beat me to it.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:33 AM (jR7Wy)

51 Next up, Bi-Curious George.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:34 AM (0mRoj)

52 51 Next up, Bi-Curious George.
Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:34 AM (0mRoj)

Thread winner

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:35 AM (7lVbc)

53 The problem with bureaucrats like Gorelick is that instead of serving the people, which is why you should want to be in government service in the first place, they serve the Party narrative and whatever helps protect, serve and makes profitable whatever that which they deal with in service to the Party. You also have the double dippers who retire from the military with a pension and then turn right around and go to work for a defense contractor doing almost the same job they just retired from but now on the payroll of Boeing or Lockheed Martin and once again at taxpayers expense. Corruption knows no bounds in D.C.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 10, 2016 09:36 AM (ej1L0)

54 next up, Curious Georgia. Because everyone will eventually be tranny

Posted by: nckate at July 10, 2016 09:36 AM (tna7B)

55 As Mohammed as my witness, peace be upon him, I swear I thought Bi-Curious George could fly

Posted by: Ahkmed at WMOE in Pakistani at July 10, 2016 09:37 AM (fiGNd)

56 I mean, shouldn't the imams be condemning the Curious George book? On the basis of comparing Muslims to Jews with that whole "pigs and monkeys" thing?

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 09:38 AM (Cq0oW)

57 Has anyone written a biography of Jamie Gorelick?

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 09:38 AM (Ovnvw)

58 Bi-Curious George gets Stoned

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:39 AM (fiGNd)

59 "Hitler's Hangman" by Robert Gerwath tells the tale of Reinhard Heydrich who is really one nasty bastard.

Posted by: Libra at July 10, 2016 09:40 AM (GblmV)

60 Started and finished Larry Correia's Monster Hunters International. 2 and a half tentacles up. Good read.

Posted by: That SOB Van Owen at July 10, 2016 09:40 AM (QuvVc)

61 A day or two ago, all hail eris posted a link to old comic strip illustrations and how good they were. I remembered a lot of them from the 50s and 60s. The site was correct: some of these comic strips were serious art or at least excellent illustrations. I remember 'Steve Canyon', 'Gasoline Alley', 'The Phantom', and others. But one of my favorites was 'Prince Valiant'. The library has compendia of those color strips from the 1940s and later. I was too young to appreciate the quality of the artwork when young but these were wonderfully drawn. I'm enjoying the hell out of these. There aren't any comics of this quality left as far as I know.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:41 AM (V+03K)

62
An elephant's 11th birthday party is marked by 11 games before the banquet to be eaten at the 11th hour, but when the time to eat arrives, the birthday feast has disappeared. Readers are to guess the thief from the clues.

ATF : illegal cake candles
IRS : failure to file quarterly W-2s for profits that bought cake
FDA : improper conditions under which eggs were obtained
F&WS : wild bird's feather fell amidst dishes on the table
- or -
All of the Above

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:41 AM (fOgSR)

63 The picture is "Victorian Room" by Stuart Lynch (aka sanfranguy), 3d digital art.

Posted by: cool breeze at July 10, 2016 09:41 AM (ckvus)

64 58 Bi-Curious George gets Stoned
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:39 AM (fiGNd)

The illustrations are mind shattering! (Not to mention bone crushing)

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:42 AM (7lVbc)

65 "Hitler's Hangman" by Robert Gerwath tells the tale of Reinhard Heydrich who is really one nasty bastard.

Well ... that crowd was awfully tough to stand out in for overall dickness. Really pushed a guy to over-achieve.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:42 AM (fiGNd)

66 The Graeme books make me sad that my kids are too old for picture books.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:43 AM (7lVbc)

67 As a kid one of my most cherished books was "An Atlas of Fantasy" by J.B. Post:

http://tinyurl.com/z9zgv8f

The detailed maps in Tolkien's books really kicked my cartographophilia into overdrive and I made my own world complete with colored maps and histories of the sundry lands and peoples therein. Did anybody else do this?

I still have the maps. They were pretty good for a kid!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:43 AM (jR7Wy)

68 52 51 Next up, Bi-Curious George.
Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:34 AM (0mRoj)

Thread winner
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:35 AM (7lVbc)

Thanks, I'm flattered you think so!

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:43 AM (0mRoj)

69
Curious George Tosses a Salad

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:43 AM (fOgSR)

70 The photo is one of a number of images by sanfanguy.

Put houses-victorian-room-house-era-by-sanfranguy into Bing images for the others.

Tip of the ol fedora to TinEye.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at July 10, 2016 09:44 AM (hyuyC)

71 Oh, and here's a link with some tasty mappage:

http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-most-incredible-fantasy-maps-youve-ever-seen-474420566

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:44 AM (jR7Wy)

72 Thanks, I'm flattered you think so!

And I'm flatter for your efforts.

Posted by: Bi-Curious George at July 10, 2016 09:44 AM (fiGNd)

73 I was in a used book store yesterday (Mr. K's in Asheville, awesome store, even if it is full of hippies) and I ran across a collaborative book by Tony Judt and Timothy Snyder. "Thinking the Twentieth Century" is actually a structured series of conversations that these two master historians had right before Judt died for ALS in 2010.

Since I've read both Bloodlands (Snyder) and Postwar (Judt), I'm curious to see what these two agree and disagree about with regards to Europe and the 20th Century. I'll post my impression next Sunday, if I finish it in time.....

Posted by: Pave Low John at July 10, 2016 09:44 AM (b5yHT)

74 63 cool breeze

Well spotted.

Shakes fist at your faster download speed!

Posted by: NaCly Dog at July 10, 2016 09:46 AM (hyuyC)

75
Painting. There shd be rugs on those floors and there are not.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 09:46 AM (iQIUe)

76 JTB check out Little Memo in Slumberland. Winsor McCay drew some of the finest strips ever. I printed some of these out on a large format color plotter and they are gorgeous.

comicstriplibrary dot org

Posted by: freaked at July 10, 2016 09:47 AM (BO/km)

77 62
An elephant's 11th birthday party is marked by 11 games before the banquet to be eaten at the 11th hour, but when the time to eat arrives, the birthday feast has disappeared. Readers are to guess the thief from the clues.

ATF : illegal cake candles
IRS : failure to file quarterly W-2s for profits that bought cake
FDA : improper conditions under which eggs were obtained
F&WS : wild bird's feather fell amidst dishes on the table
- or -
All of the Above

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:41 AM (fOgSR)

And the armed tactical units from all aforementioned agencies storm the party, burn a lion cub with a flashbang, shoot three dogs including one that was a pet, take the young elephant's parents into custody for illegal possession of ivory, and relocate the elephant to a group foster zoo where he's routinely abused by the howler monkeys.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:47 AM (0mRoj)

78 Curious George Tosses a Salad

My daughter composed a better edition.

Posted by: Brian Williams at July 10, 2016 09:47 AM (fiGNd)

79
Curious, er, 'Splodey George and His IEDs

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:48 AM (fOgSR)

80 OM, thanks for another great book thread and for the mention of those Graeme Base children's books. I looked on Amazon and the illustrations are extraordinary. From the little I saw they reminded me of a modern version of some of the original illustrations from 'Alice in Wonderland'.

This means a trip to the library tomorrow. They have a number of Base's books and I'm not embarrassed to use the children's section even if most of the people in there barely reach my knee. I assume they think I'm some kid's grandfather. I'm just careful where I step. :-)

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:48 AM (V+03K)

81 Late afternoon CA time after work 911, I went to a bar and on the teevee was that little prick George Stephanopolus. He was trying to articulate all the terrorists attacks prior to 911 and was ticking them off one by one and one of the attacks he mentioned was TWA Flight 800.

The interviewer ignored the connect.

I never forgot it.

Posted by: torabora at July 10, 2016 09:48 AM (PGIcz)

82 Just started reading William Gibson's The Peripheral. I am not sure if his writing has gotten that more dense or if I have but it's difficult for me to click into.

Posted by: blaster at July 10, 2016 09:49 AM (2Ocf1)

83 You know it's too much of a gorgeous day here to be inside reading a book, take it outside.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:49 AM (Yo9Lf)

84 >>>
The detailed maps in Tolkien's books really kicked my cartographophilia into overdrive and I made my own world complete with colored maps and histories of the sundry lands and peoples therein. Did anybody else do this?

Oh laws, yes

http://worldsapart.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Worlds

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 09:49 AM (Ovnvw)

85 The interviewer ignored the connect. I never forgot it.

I have to go overseas for work now and again. State Dept. recommends you register your trip with the local consulate - in case of emergency.

I never bother. In case of emergency - I'm pretty sure they'll let me hang for political expediency.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:51 AM (fiGNd)

86 comicstriplibrary dot org

Oh and they have the Krazy Kat strips on that site too.

Posted by: freaked at July 10, 2016 09:51 AM (BO/km)

87 BTW the bar was the T&A where several years later I would bring home my own personal Al Kida.

You looking for trouble? Go there.

Posted by: torabora at July 10, 2016 09:51 AM (PGIcz)

88
And the armed tactical units from all aforementioned agencies storm the party, burn a lion cub with a flashbang, shoot three dogs including one that was a pet, take the young elephant's parents into custody for illegal possession of ivory, and relocate the elephant to a group foster zoo where he's routinely abused by the howler monkeys.
Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:47 AM (0mRoj)

Wow! That's not the way I remember "The Ugly Duckling" ending, but 'splosions and identity questioning are what sells, baby!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:52 AM (fOgSR)

89 Re TWA 800, I never believed the official story. I also don't believe it was a missile.

My theory is that it was Algerians and the French were the target. With a bomb on board.

But important to note Congress passed significant anti terror legislation after TWA 800.

Posted by: blaster at July 10, 2016 09:52 AM (2Ocf1)

90 A decent fictionalized take on TWA 800 is "Night Fall" by Nelson DeMille. It's a John Corey novel, so you can expect snarc and cynicism galore, but Demille is nothing if not entertaining, I think he believes it was shot down.

Posted by: Seemilitterate at July 10, 2016 09:52 AM (vjftI)

91 83 You know it's too much of a gorgeous day here to be inside reading a book, take it outside.
Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:49 AM (Yo9Lf)

Heat index in the 100s around here. I'll stay indoors thanks.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:52 AM (0mRoj)

92
Photo Or Painting?

My house. My lawn.

Now get off it!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 09:54 AM (fOgSR)

93 I was in a used book store yesterday (Mr. K's in Asheville, awesome store, even if it is full of hippies)

I know it well. Are you another Asheville moron, or just passing through?

Posted by: Grey Fox at July 10, 2016 09:54 AM (bZ7mE)

94 Finished The Days of the French Revolution ...
by Christopher Hibbert.

Very old school, with the facts as sourced, limited analysis, and good storytelling.

All in all, chilling. The only good news is that the instigators of the violence got it in the neck, so to speak.

The quote "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." is a story as old as empires and empire builders.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at July 10, 2016 09:55 AM (hyuyC)

95 I'm not embarrassed to use the children's section even if most of the people in there barely reach my knee. I assume they think I'm some kid's grandfather. I'm just careful where I step. :-)
Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:48 AM (V+03K)

---
Ha ha, I unashamedly peruse the children's shelves. I got on an Oz kick some years back. What strange little acid trips those books are!

I'm probably mistaken for a parent -- or more probably, a creepy governess.

I actually feel weirder cruising the YA stacks. But I love me some YA dystopian fiction.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:55 AM (jR7Wy)

96 Good morning Horde, again thank must be extended to those who have bought Golden Isis.

Sequel story has now passed 15,000 words. And things are getting interesting for the characters.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 10, 2016 09:56 AM (AZagi)

97 I actually feel weirder cruising the YA stacks.

--

Ha ha! I know what you mean, Eris.
It's better when I have one of the kids with me.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:56 AM (7lVbc)

98 Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 09:49 AM (Ovnvw)

Now that's worldbuilding!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 09:57 AM (jR7Wy)

99 94- I think I have that book

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:57 AM (Yo9Lf)

100 Reading can lead in unexpected directions. I mentioned last week that I got a book of all Gustave Dore's illustrations for 'The Divine Comedy'. That got me looking into the technique used to produce them. It is essentially engraving end grain wood with very fine burins and other tools (combined with exquisite artistic ability). This is far beyond any talent I will ever have.

BUT, a related method, woodcut block printing, might be a possibility. I have the tools and rudimentary skills so it's worth a try and should be fun, or at least funny.

So a translation of a centuries-old Italian manuscript has led to a new hobby for me in the 21st century. That's kind of cool.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 09:59 AM (V+03K)

101 It is a fantastic day, light breeze mid 60's going to 80.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:59 AM (Yo9Lf)

102 Nancy Drew and the Case of the Don't-Touch-Me Wrist Bands

Posted by: Citizen Cake at July 10, 2016 10:00 AM (ppaKI)

103 101 It is a fantastic day, light breeze mid 60's going to 80.
Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:59 AM (Yo9Lf)

Lucky punk. Whereabouts?

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 10:00 AM (0mRoj)

104 This has probably been asked and answered in a previous thread ...

I'm currently enjoying Kindle's "Amy Lynn" by a moron author whose name I don't remember. Since I used to work as a proofreader for a local ad agency and a weekly newspaper, my instincts always catch the typo or two (or more ...?)

Obviously a print version is set in stone, but may a Kindle version be edited "on the fly" without formally calling it a new version? If not, I'll back out of the door quietly, you didn't see me, I was never here.

But if a list of corrections may both be possible, and in the author's best interest, anyone know how I may contact our very own Jack July for a humble hello?

Posted by: Kate58 at July 10, 2016 10:00 AM (oLZsm)

105 If Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar today

Friends, Romans, countrymen, xis, xat, and oxerxings, lend me your ears, xears, xars, and oxerxings.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 10:01 AM (Nwg0u)

106 @93 I grew up in western NC, then moved to Asheville in 2014 after I retired from the Air Force. I always wanted to move back to the mountains, but close enough to Asheville so that I can easily do all the cool things (like visit bookstores) that I missed out of in my tiny hometown.

By the way, did you hear about that bizarre burglary/break-in at the bookstore in the Grove Arcade? Thousands of dollars of damage to the books after the sprinklers went off. What a shame....

Posted by: Pave Low John at July 10, 2016 10:01 AM (b5yHT)

107 Morning everyone. Has anyone found any details about that Dallas PD robo-bomb? Have found tons of speculation, but no actual facts.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 10, 2016 10:01 AM (QS9a4)

108
I believe our kiddos had at least one of Base's books - the alphabet one comes to mind and perhaps the party one, too. I'm at a loss as to where they now are; our basement, probably.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 10:01 AM (fOgSR)

109 "Hitler's Hangman" by Robert Gerwath tells the tale of Reinhard Heydrich who is really one nasty bastard.
Posted by: Libra at July 10, 2016 09:40 AM (GblmV)

He was also sex addict who would visit the brothels in Berlin and elsewhere and was known to wear out a few of the employees at these places. A weird, evil man.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 10, 2016 10:02 AM (ej1L0)

110
The Hardy Boys Get Their CCLs

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 10:03 AM (fOgSR)

111 >>>>Now that's worldbuilding

It's gotten to be more fun than the book writing. I posted a 20 page essay on an interstellar war that was tangentially related to the plot not so long ago.

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 10:03 AM (Ovnvw)

112

Moron Wins Award

Congratulations to moron author Jack July (Old Sailor's Poet), who won third place for the Conservative-Libertarian Fiction Alliance CLFA Book of the Year award for his novel Amy Lynn: Golden Angel.

so awesome

he sets a great example of living your life, and not letting politics pull you down

I was wondering how his books were doing, as I forgot his pseudonym.

Thanks for the update.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 10, 2016 10:03 AM (qCMvj)

113

adding this, then dashing, if you didn't see it over at hotair

There are just SIX plots in every film, book and TV show ever made: Researchers reveal the 'building blocks' of storytelling

Prior to this study it was believed there was 3 to more than 30 plots
Used fictional stories that have been downloaded over 150 times

Most popular stories follow the 'fall-rise-fall' and 'rise-fall' arcs

http://dailym.ai/29B1hKQ

seems like a no-brainer to me
nothing really new here

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 10, 2016 10:05 AM (qCMvj)

114 weirdflunkyonatablet

votermom

and Kindle Customer,

If you're still here...

Thank you for your kind words about

"Wearing the Cat - Part One: Flaming Hoops"

here and/or on Amazon.

You are all Gentlemen and/or Gentlewomen or possibly, Gentletrannies and Scholars.

Posted by: H D Woodard - "Wearing the Cat - Part One: Flaming Hoops" at July 10, 2016 10:05 AM (7egWp)

115 anyone know how I may contact our very own Jack July for a humble hello?

Posted by: Kate58 at July 10, 2016 10:00 AM (oLZsm)

Jack July is in the goodreads group and active on goodreads. You could message him there.

Posted by: cool breeze at July 10, 2016 10:06 AM (ckvus)

116 That Jesse Lee Petersen vid in the sidebar is excellent. As is another of his videos - where he takes on a black Atheist Democrat.

Bam! Pow! Like watching George Foreman in the ring with a bunch of Pee Wee Hermans.

Posted by: Fastener-Neutral Gwinnett at July 10, 2016 10:06 AM (iU9Qe)

117
Do teachers still read books aloud in class these days? I'm not talking about in the early grades (K through 2), but in grades 4 through 6.

I recall a teacher of mine from that span of grades reading a mystery wherein there was a parrot that seemingly stuttered "To, to, to be, or not to be" and that was an important detail for solving the mystery.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 10:07 AM (fOgSR)

118 By the way, did you hear about that bizarre burglary/break-in at the bookstore in the Grove Arcade? Thousands of dollars of damage to the books after the sprinklers went off. What a shame....

No, I had not. Does sound like a shame...

I don't know if you know this already, but with you here there are now four of us Morons in the Asheville area - you, I, Mike Hammer, and RobinAsheville (not sure I've got that last handle exactly right)

Posted by: Grey Fox at July 10, 2016 10:08 AM (bZ7mE)

119 Agree about the JLPetersen vid. National (one-way) conversation where i can be accused of every evil under the sun by know-nothing, do-nothings? No, thanks.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 10, 2016 10:08 AM (QS9a4)

120 The inside flap of Amy Lynn Golden Angel gives an email address of anylynnbraxton@gmail.com.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:09 AM (mpXpK)

121 Posted by: H D Woodard - "Wearing the Cat - Part One: Flaming Hoops" at July 10, 2016 10:05 AM (7egWp)

You're welcome.

Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at July 10, 2016 10:11 AM (CTtEr)

122 Asheville is awesome. Favorite southern anyplace.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:12 AM (Cq0oW)

123
Guerrillas and Generals: The "Dirty War" in Argentina
By Paul H. Lewis

Preview: https://goo.gl/gLNhmL

Argentina had a long history of using torture, even before the 1976 coup. Even Peron, who did instigate a number of beneficial and necessary reforms for the lower class, used torture. But Peron began consolidating and seizing power over every institution in the country. Seriously, the gov controlled all the unions and was also seeking to control the Church.

In 1955 Peron was overthrown. While he still had the army on his side, the navy blockaded the Buenos Aires port and threatened to shell the city. Don t care about the coup but for the navy to threaten to shell their own civilians is pretty despicable.

I mentioned the other day that I was surprised the terrorists didnt get out of the country when the coup was imminent since documents were leaked where it was spelled out what the generals intended to do. Shades of Mein Kamp! When some one tells you they are going to kill you, it's best to take them seriously.

Did they not believe them? Did they want the country to hit rock bottom not realizing it would only do so after most of them had been killed?

Oh, well, good book and does away with a number of myths regarding Argentina. This author says most lefties talked without being tortured. I believe them. I also believe that they were still tortured because they were sadists.

Anyway, they had great names for incidents that also sound like shout outs to 1930s Germany: There was the Night of the Pencils (arrested and disappeared a bunch of radical high school kids) and the Night of the Neckties (arrested and disappeared a bunch of attys).

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 10:17 AM (iQIUe)

124
"Paddle-To-The-Sea" is the story of a young boy who carves a canoe with an Indian seated therein. He inscribes a message on a metal plate attached to its bottom asking anyone who finds it to put it back in the water so that it can attain its goal.

He sets it out to start its journey in the snow on the banks of a stream whose waters ultimately enter Lake Superior and from there, Paddle-To-The-Sea ultimately traverses all five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. It's a great story with great illustrations that I loved as a kid, particularly the maps of each Great Lake wherein its shape was likened to something else - Superior was a wolf's head, Huron was a trapper with a pack on his back (Georgian Bay), and so forth.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 10:17 AM (fOgSR)

125 someone somewhere linked an article on people who live in libraries, or used to live in libraries, as supers and maintenance, in apartments in the libraries hidden from the public. among those profiled was the family of a man who was the super for the new york society library on 79th and madison ave in nyc, the oldest library in america. they don't have the position any more, but the rooms can be rented out for events. if you want to

the new york society library is also one of the last (if not the last) subscription library. $250 per annum. many literary lions were members going back over centuries. or so.

this is a hooky kind of comment. so it is legitimate.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 10:19 AM (WTSFk)

126 The thing I always thought was weird about Flight 800 is that the video released explaining the cause of the accident was by the CIA, rather than the FAA or the NTSB.

I also remember a theory that it was accidentally shot down by the U.S. Navy which was holding exercises in the area.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 10:19 AM (sdi6R)

127 @118 I'm not the only Moron in this town? Good to know, I'll keep an eye out for Mike Hammer and the other guy.

By the way, has the local paper (Asheville Citizen-Times) always been this bad? If it doesn't involve the LGBT agenda, police brutality or the enviromental wackos protesting the Duke Power coal plant, they really don't seem to care. I check the online version every now and again, but I refuse to buy the dead-tree editions.

Posted by: Pave Low John at July 10, 2016 10:20 AM (b5yHT)

128 "booky"

1. a person who takes bets.

2. having to do with books.

my use of "booky" (above) is the rare 2nd definition.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 10:22 AM (WTSFk)

129
119 Agree about the JLPetersen vid. National (one-way) conversation where i can be accused of every evil under the sun by know-nothing, do-nothings? No, thanks.
Posted by: goatexchange at July 10, 2016 10:08 AM (QS9a4)

His dignified rebuttal to the young woman's attempt to identify him as not black was crushing, as were her inaudible "yes" responses to him asking whether when she took a job, she agreed to abide by the employer's rules. No histrionics, no shouting and no audience baiting. Excellent viewing!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 10:22 AM (fOgSR)

130 So mostly I seem to be reading the first Brother Cadfael mystery and I'm waiting for someone to be killed so you can tell I haven't gotten very far.

My bathroom book is called "Hollywood Babylon" and is about scandals in early Hollywood. Not really understanding why Kathy Shaidle thought this was such a cool book. These people are mostly just careless and I am not sure why I'm reading this except I bought it and it's mostly pictures which cuts down on the words.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 10:22 AM (VsZJP)

131 painting - but a damn good one!

The tufts on the piano stool.. the window covering.. .but mostly the lack of realistic shading..

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at July 10, 2016 10:23 AM (UpGcq)

132 booky: example:

"she liked reading and other booky things."

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 10:24 AM (WTSFk)

133 He was also sex addict who would visit the brothels in Berlin and elsewhere and was known to wear out a few of the employees at these places. A weird, evil man.
Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 10, 2016 10:02 AM (ej1L0)
---
Yeeeesh. Trying to imagine Reinhard Heydrich's pillow talk....

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:26 AM (jR7Wy)

134 I use to love old libraries. Where I went to university, the various depts had their own libraries and then there were two main ones. But the dept libraries were old and had those iron and glass stacks. You could hide up there, lay on the glass floors and read.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 10:26 AM (iQIUe)

135 This week I read "King Leopold's Ghost," by Adam Hochschild, about the creation and exploitation of the Belgian Congo. The atrocities committed there were atrocious. In the course of about 30 years half of the Congolese population died through murder, overwork, starvation and disease. Africa is a mess and it's easy to blame the Africans, but the colonial powers have much to answer for as well.

Posted by: biancaneve at July 10, 2016 10:26 AM (3fayT)

136 Here's a disappointment: Nicholas Ostler, "Passwords to Paradise".

Ostler is a brilliant linguist who has written other books, which I haven't read myself but serious reviewers tell me are good. However for this book the only reviewers telling me this is good are Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. And their "reviews" are just capsules, almost blurbs. TRIGGER WARNING

Ostler argues that when a nation's religious texts are translated into another nation's language, the second nation's culture drives the end result such that the second nation ends up with, effectively, a different Scripture. Potentially even a foreign religion dressed up in the first religion's clothes.

It's an interesting hypothesis, but this book is not the essay to prove it.

"Passwords" has huge gaping holes for intermediaries that - I think - you HAVE TO sort out before you can get to (what Ostler thinks is) the Good Stuff. Ostler clearly cares most about the history of Christianity, especially in the Americas and Europe. In my opinion one cannot start on the origins of Christianity without discussing, first, how various Jews translated the Torah and Psalms into Greek and Aramaic. We don't get that here. Ostler also appends a chapter on Islam. He's done that without musing upon attempts to translate the Bible into Arabic. He doesn't even offer a dedicated chapter to Syriac(!).

The book also has a number of sub-hypotheses that I would cast into serious doubt. He observes that the Slavic world has been backward compared to the West. He thinks that's because the Slavs had their own Bible early on, in Slavonic. I counter that having one's own Bible didn't hurt the Protestant Germans and English, at least intellectually (temporally, it did end up in some brutal civil wars, sure). And if having an oecumenical Scripture is so great then how come the Islamic world sucks so bad? A more substantive argument of his is that the Welsh took the lead in converting Ireland, based on loanwords like trindoid in Irish (

It is further littered with errors, especially when transcribing Hebrew. Almost every Hebrew word here has scrambled consonants.

I don't see a credit for an editor in the Acknowledgements. It looks like the publisher at Bloomsbury did it themselves. If this book's editors didn't have a drinking problem when they started the manuscript, I bet they have one now.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:27 AM (6FqZa)

137 127 By the way, has the local paper (Asheville
Citizen-Times) always been this bad? If it doesn't involve the LGBT
agenda, police brutality or the enviromental wackos protesting the Duke
Power coal plant, they really don't seem to care. I check the online
version every now and again, but I refuse to buy the dead-tree editions.

Posted by: Pave Low John at July 10, 2016 10:20 AM (b5yHT)

Ashville is the home of the most liberal college in NC so the paper will reflect that. My BIL sent his daughter to that college.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:31 AM (mpXpK)

138 Ha ha! I know what you mean, Eris.
It's better when I have one of the kids with me.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:56 AM (7lVbc)

Personally, I would feel very uncomfortable perusing the YA section by myself in a library. Old guy like me, I would be afraid people would think I was some kind of perv cruising for underage targets.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 10:31 AM (M/KpG)

139 Pixy ate half my paragraph:

A more substantive argument of his is that the Welsh took the lead in converting Ireland, based on loanwords like trindoid in Irish (from Welsh trindod) and on the Saint Patrick legend, which is indeed an early one given that the Irish first tried converting Patrick's name to Q-Celtic "Cothriche". However there's a rival legend in south Ireland, that Saint Palladius was their first bishop presumably leading an already-Catholic flock, a generation before Patrick. Ostler's linguistic argument fails too when you consider that Spanish also voices the stops in Latin, "trinidad". So couldn't the church-Latin-speaking proto-Spaniards have done the hard work in southern Ireland, first?

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:31 AM (6FqZa)

140 Thing that wife and I most fondly remember about Asheville - odd as it is - was how very dog friendly it was. We'd travel a lot with our sorely missed terrier and it was always terrible how we'd have to split up as wife or I would want to do something but the other had to dog sit. In Asheville most of the time it wasn't an issue.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:32 AM (Cq0oW)

141 I keeel you!!!
Posted by: The Man With The Yellow Turban at July 10, 2016 09:25 AM (BO/km)

Next up, Bi-Curious George.
Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:34 AM (0mRoj)

Thread winner
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:35 AM (7lVbc)

Co-winners.

Posted by: Ben Rothlessburger at July 10, 2016 10:33 AM (Dj0WE)

142 Aww crep, I saw Ben lurking there, went ahead and let him post for me anyway. Go away Ben! Don't you have some broad you can NOT rape somewhere?

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 10:34 AM (Dj0WE)

143 I use to hang out at AHF Axis History Forum. Got into a pissing match with people there who believed the wives of these nazi henchmen were innocent. Bullshit. Lina Heydrich was one of the earliest nazi party members. And since they didnt think there was anything wrong with murdering jews, they talked about it openly among themselves. Plus, they helped themselves to the victims belongings. So, I dont believe for a second she didnt know about the holocaust.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 10:35 AM (iQIUe)

144 I have a 10 year old daughter who will be eligible to vote in the 2024 Presidential election, and I found myself in the unenviable position of having to explain to her that she needs to remember what's going on right now when she begins exercising that right. If there's to be any reversal of the current decline, people her age need to be reminded that they do not have to accept the status quo of wholesale corruption, incompetence and malfeasance that currently permeates virtually every institution - public and private - when their time comes to step up and discharge their responsibilities as Americans.

My generation failed to prevent the disaster that's currently unfolding, but at least my wife and I can do our part to ensure that the next generation understands and accepts that things were not always like this, and, more importantly, they can create a better future for themselves and their own children, one in which charlatans, grifters and sociopaths are put in their proper place and decent people hold the center once again.

Posted by: Sirius the Canine Pundit at July 10, 2016 10:37 AM (LBO1U)

145 When I went to OBC we had an argentine major in the class. First Argentine officer in an Army school since the Falklands.

We were doing some training on field telephones - the kind you crank to dial - and the Major said you can also use these to torture people, tape the leads to them and crank.

He wasn't joking.

Posted by: blaster at July 10, 2016 10:38 AM (2Ocf1)

146 >>>>without the piano. I had to help tote one of those one time. Never want to do it again.<<<<<

That's why you should always hire a professional for that kind of thing.

BTW, if you are 'toting' the grand piano you are doing it wrong.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living at July 10, 2016 10:38 AM (tEDMc)

147 artisanal 'ette at July 10, 2016 10:05 AM (qCMvj)

I read that article about the 'six plots' and didn't really agree with it since the word 'plot' always meant, to me at least, something like love story, adventory story, tragedy, war story, detective story and so forth. The up down emotional rollercoaster ride isn't 'plot' to me.

I have read that there are only nine 'plots', with variations though I can't remember the nine.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at July 10, 2016 10:38 AM (Jw9xt)

148 2024 election is where Meghan McCain will be facing off with Kanye West

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:39 AM (Cq0oW)

149 Anyway, they had great names for incidents that also sound like shout outs to 1930s Germany: There was the Night of the Pencils (arrested and disappeared a bunch of radical high school kids) and the Night of the Neckties (arrested and disappeared a bunch of attys).

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 10:17 AM (iQIUe)

They rounded up and disappeared a bunch of lawyers? Now that's some progressive thinking I believe we could *all* get behind!

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 10:41 AM (M/KpG)

150 Personally, I would feel very uncomfortable perusing the YA section by myself in a library

Yeah. One option might be to call in the book via interlibrary loan at the front desk, and pick it up when they have it. Kind of like what people used to have to do for erotica.

Not that this option makes one feel any less creepy.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:41 AM (6FqZa)

151 Asheville is a great town, but I think it is starting to suffer from it's ever-increasing popularity. All these dumbass liberals keep moving here from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chapel Hill and NYC-by-way-of-Florida and then try their damndest to turn Asheville into the kind of progressive shithole they just left (including higher crime rates, apparently). Then they spend all of their time complaining about how the rest of western NC isn't as "enlightened" as Asheville.

Seriously, the hipsters and hippies in this town are going to suffer major shoulder problems if they keep patting themselves on the back this hard. But if a narcissist, I guess that's the name of the game.....

Posted by: Pave Low John at July 10, 2016 10:41 AM (b5yHT)

152 boulder terlit hobo - have you read "And God said..." by Joel M Hoffman? - deals with the translation of Hebrew [ancient] into modern languages, and how those translations were very likely wrong. Very interesting in that it questions some basic tenants of Christianity that come from mistranslation...

Posted by: geezer der mensch at July 10, 2016 10:42 AM (VHGGJ)

153 I would say the top picture looks like CGI.

I finished the "Colossus" trilogy by D.F. Jones. The first book was the basis for the movie "Colossus: The Forbin Project." Basically, guy creates a super-computer to run the defense systems, it discovers there's a Russian counterpart, they combine and take over the world.

I enjoyed the books, but Jones' view of women is downright Neanderthal. The second book in particular...*shudder*

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at July 10, 2016 10:42 AM (AroJD)

154 Posted by: Grey Fox at July 10, 2016 10:08 AM (bZ7mE)

AshevilleRobert.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 10, 2016 10:43 AM (GDulk)

155 Good morning,

I want to learn about leadership from leaders in the past.

I am choosing a biography on Winston Churchill and would appreciate recommendations from the Horde.

I may also read about Hitler to understand how he became a leader and how it was possible for him to lead.

All recommendations welcome.

Posted by: AmericanKestrel at July 10, 2016 10:44 AM (hipNa)

156 @143 Bruce, observing modern SJWs, I suspect that female Nazis were possibly the most fervent true believers.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 10:44 AM (7lVbc)

157 Yeah. One option might be to call in the book via interlibrary loan at the front desk, and pick it up when they have it. Kind of like what people used to have to do for erotica.

Not that this option makes one feel any less creepy.
Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:41 AM (6FqZa)
-----
If you don't feel slightly ashamed doing it, how will you know you're having fun?

I feel weirdest picking up a conservative book at the front desk. I know they're judging me and finding me wanting!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:45 AM (jR7Wy)

158 geezer - I haven't read that.

One weird thing I stumbled into in Ostler's book (he doesn't make it easy, because it's so chaotic) is that - for the Psalms especially - the Jews translating the books into Greek made them even more Jewish, if that's possible. For instance where the Hebrew in Psalm 130 says "But there is forgiveness with Thee; therefore, Thou art feared (thiware)", the Greek in their "Psalm 129" says "because of your Torah". Professor Bart would have an Ehrgasm over that.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:47 AM (6FqZa)

159 Boss Lady and I vacationed in Asheville a couple of years ago. A great area by the way. Didn't mind the hippies too much. Seemed harmless enough.

OTOH, wth is up with the "no shoes"? Everywhere we went downtown seemed like a shoes zone.

Never seen so many pairs of grocery store feet in my life.

Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at July 10, 2016 10:47 AM (CTtEr)

160 Eris - that's like me, back when I still bought manga at the bookstore. Why is an old man buying this stuff?

Posted by: geezer der mensch at July 10, 2016 10:47 AM (VHGGJ)

161 the new york society library on 79th and madison ave in nyc, the oldest library in america.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 10:19 AM (WTSFk)

Ahem! The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Franklin in 1731, is the oldest library in the country.

Posted by: josephistan at July 10, 2016 10:47 AM (7qAYi)

162 Next up, Bi-Curious George.
Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 09:34 AM (0mRoj)
Thread winner
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 09:35 AM (7lVbc)
Co-winners.
Posted by: Ben Rothlessburger at July 10, 2016 10:33 AM (Dj0WE)

I'm kind of getting into the Curious George/Lovecraft mash-ups:

Curious George In The Mountains of Madness
Curious George and the Fungi From Yuggoth
Curious George and The Thing On The Doorstep

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 10:48 AM (M/KpG)

163 I think it was Goebbels who said that without the women's vote they never would have won their one and only election. I'm sure the exact quote is floating around the Net someplace.

Posted by: Skookumchuk at July 10, 2016 10:48 AM (/WPPJ)

164 *literally the Greek actually has nomos; but as every NT reader here knows, that's torah.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:48 AM (6FqZa)

165 Curious George, Reanimator.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 10:49 AM (M/KpG)

166 BT Hobo - also check out Hoffman's "In the Beginning" - a history [short] of Hebrew - what a complicated language!

Posted by: geezer der mensch at July 10, 2016 10:50 AM (VHGGJ)

167 >>I am choosing a biography on Winston Churchill and would appreciate recommendations from the Horde.

Winston Churchill - The Last Lion

Posted by: JackStraw at July 10, 2016 10:50 AM (/tuJf)

168 There actually are a bunch of Cthulhu children's books. Baby's First Mythos series

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:50 AM (Cq0oW)

169 Curious George Meets Yog-Sothoth

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (M/KpG)

170 Curious George and Pickman's Model

Posted by: josephistan at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (7qAYi)

171 Good morning! I'm so pleased that Old Sailor's Poet won an award. I miss him on the regular threads and hope he and is family are doing well.

This week I read "Stiletto" by Daniel O'Malley, the sequel to "The Rook". A fun read, nothing strenuous. It's described as a supernatural thriller. I would agree with that.

I would comment on Jamie Gorelick and the Clintons but my mother taught me that if I couldn't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

*Silence*

Posted by: SnowyBits at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (3yXfd)

172 Ironic that a banned commenter gets the limelight.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (IqV8l)

173 Ooh I'd love to read that. I'm very interested in the Semitic languages generally. Also intrigued by proto-Semitic's connexions with old Berber.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (6FqZa)

174 True confession: I've never read Curious George in any iteration.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 10:52 AM (Dj0WE)

175 106, Pave Low John, where in western NC. Maybe we're cousins. The family seat, such as it is, is in Robbinsville.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 10:52 AM (VsZJP)

176 Curious George - Bonobo's Lives Matter [too soon?]

Posted by: geezer der mensch at July 10, 2016 10:52 AM (VHGGJ)

177 Curious George and the EBR

Kind of a POTA prequel.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:53 AM (Cq0oW)

178 Greetings:

Doesn't anyone read Conrad's "Lord Jim" anymore ???

Posted by: 11B40 at July 10, 2016 10:53 AM (evgyj)

179 172
Ironic that a banned commenter gets the limelight.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 10:51 AM (IqV8l)

If you are talking about OSP he was not banned deliberately. It is one of those inadvertent pixy bannings. Ace will unban him if requested. Those inadvertent banning occur when Pixy bans a block range of numbers and someone gets caught up in it.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:54 AM (mpXpK)

180 160 Eris - that's like me, back when I still bought manga at the bookstore. Why is an old man buying this stuff?
Posted by: geezer der mensch at July 10, 2016 10:47 AM (VHGGJ)
---
That's why I buy my Catwoman and Invader Zim comix online. Away from prying eyes.

Must be generational. My younger friends (20s and 30s) feel no compunction atall wading into the pop culture kiddie pool. Although these days, the comics and cartoons are many-layered and appeal to all ages on some level. I caught "Gravity Falls" and when the tracers stopped I thought, no way would I have seen something this freak-a-delic in my youth. Probably for the better, as I was plenty strange enough under Squaresville culture.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:55 AM (jR7Wy)

181 >>I am choosing a biography on Winston Churchill and would appreciate recommendations from the Horde.

--

AmericanKestrel, when kid was doing a project on Churchill a couple of years ago, I helped her skim through the first 3 books of Churchill's WWII series.

I highly recommend 1 & 2 - A Gathering Storm and Their Finest Hour if you want to get a sense of Churchill's courage, willpower and bull-doggedness.

I suggest borrowing hardcovers from the library - I have seen complaints about the quality of the kindle editions.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 10:55 AM (7lVbc)

182 Where the Deep One's Are

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 10:56 AM (Cq0oW)

183 About 1/3 into A Higher Calling by Adam Makos. It's good and am learning a few things about German Luftwaffen pilots

Posted by: Skip

If you can find a copy, you should read "The First and the Last" by Adolf Galland. He was an ace fighter pilot and ended up as an Inspector General in the Luftwaffe.

Actually, in the end, he was flying ME-262's against B-17's over Germany in 1945.

He had a cameo appearance in the movie "The Battle of Britain" and flew a BF-109 in the movie. I think he was listed as a Technical adviser in the credits.

Tremendous guy, I think he ended up in Argentina (snicker).

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 10, 2016 10:56 AM (Cz05v)

184 Bruce, observing modern SJWs, I suspect that female Nazis were possibly the most fervent true believers.

Wendy Lower, Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields

Basically if someone goes Nazi, he or she is likely to suck as a human being, and neither sex is immune to this.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 10:56 AM (6FqZa)

185 174 True confession: I've never read Curious George in any iteration.
Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 10:52 AM (Dj0WE)
---
Me neither! Went straight to Fritz the Cat.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:56 AM (jR7Wy)

186 Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:54 AM (mpXpK)

Nope.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 10:57 AM (Zu3d9)

187 Update on Don Quixote:

I am slogging through slowly, as I am NOT a fast reader. Less that halfway, I feel confident saying it is the greatest work of fiction I have ever encountered.

Right now I am in the middle of a section, considered a novella within the novel, that does not involve our brave knight, but a Moorish beauty who has escaped her wealthy father, because she was taught by a servant as a child, stories of Christendom, and wishes to live freely as a Christian.

She refers to the Virgin Mary as Lela Marien, which for some reason rolls off the tongue in a way that strikes me as beautiful.

Anyhoo, there's some modern world reality being tossed around here. Brilliant stuff, this entire book. I really have no idea how it all turns out, and can't wait to pick it up again when I have the time.

I could say more, but this isn't MY book thread, so.....

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 10:57 AM (Dj0WE)

188 seems like a no-brainer to me

nothing really new here
Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 10, 2016 10:05 AM (qCMvj)

This analysis is less than useful. It is like saying "The major method for achieving transportation is through low friction surfaces, and there are only X ways of accomplishing that"
And that puts the car in the same class as an ox-cart and a skateboard.

I suppose the article is just a description of the old wheel of fortune, and the definition of story arc is how many times you go around, and what part of the circuit you start and stop on: but the real story itself (to channel the inner Pratchett) is whether you ride in a dignified manner around, fight to throw each other off to try to rebalance it to your benefit, or just stick your arms out of the car and make "Wo-Hooooo!" noises as you hit the turns.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 10:58 AM (ry34m)

189 Read the Shakespeare plays King John and The Merchant of Venice. The former is interesting history, going back 800 years. John is King but there are competing forces looking for power. However the story isn't that good and the writing doesn't shine, it's the least interesting history play I've read so far. The latter has a lot of good stuff in it, several love stories and good writing, but all this Jew this and Jew that with Shylock gets old, so it's a mixed bag.

Listened to The Sword of Shannara (original trilogy #1) by Terry Brooks. I read this book many years ago and wasn't impressed, having recently read a lot of Tolkien from whose Lord of the Rings it borrows liberally, but liked it more this time around. The Shannara series looks to have over 30 books in it now, could spend a lot of time wading through that.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 10:58 AM (ICjLQ)

190 146 >>>>without the piano. I had to help tote one of those one time. Never want to do it again.

That's why you should always hire a professional for that kind of thing.

BTW, if you are 'toting' the grand piano you are doing it wrong.
Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living at July 10, 2016 10:38 AM (tEDMc)

Am I the only one who LOL'd? Well played, sir.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 10:58 AM (sdi6R)

191 172 Ironic that a banned commenter gets the limelight.
Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr.
-------------------
I thought the same thing -
2 dead Morons on the front page. 1 murdered by a typo, the other squished by TBH3000.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 10:59 AM (tfU0m)

192 "Where the Deep Ones Are":

http://tinyurl.com/j72kb9f

I have this on my coffee table.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:59 AM (jR7Wy)

193
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:54 AM

Moo Moo

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 11:00 AM (IqV8l)

194 Vic, in response to Bertram's comment, I took it to mean Monsieur Moo Moo's comment in the main body of the thread.

Posted by: SnowyBits at July 10, 2016 11:00 AM (3yXfd)

195 174 True confession: I've never read Curious George in any iteration.
Posted by: BurtTC
------------------
Harold And The Purple Crayon was better anyway.
And now you have Skippyjohn Jones to read with any young ones in your life.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:02 AM (tfU0m)

196 True confession: I've never read Curious George in any iteration.
Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 10:52 AM (Dj0WE)
---
Me neither! Went straight to Fritz the Cat.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 10:56 AM (jR7Wy)

Oh! Well that's different then. I guess I went from innocent Sunday morning comics/well-worn Dr. Seuss/Golden Books type fare to the likes of Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and Bloom County.

I am aware of Fritz the Cat, but it has a "dirty" connotation to me, and I'm willing to accept as possible, that I have that wrong.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:02 AM (Dj0WE)

197 Thought you might Eris!

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:03 AM (Cq0oW)

198 All recommendations welcome.
Posted by: AmericanKestrel at July 10, 2016 10:44 AM (hipNa)

=====

Anything written by Ian Kershaw.

He wrote a book comparing Hitler and Stalin that I think is very illuminating.

If not Kershaw then Richard Evans.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 10, 2016 11:03 AM (EZebt)

199 193
Moo Moo
Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 11:00 AM (IqV8l)

That is kind of ironic. I didn't notice it at first.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:04 AM (sdi6R)

200 186
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:54 AM (mpXpK)

Nope.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 10:57 AM (Zu3d9)

Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:05 AM (mpXpK)

201 "Bam! Pow! Like watching George Foreman in the ring with a bunch of Pee Wee Hermans.

Posted by: Fastener-Neutral Gwinnet"

Yes. The heartbreaking discrimination (of having to change your hairdo) was particularly moving.

Posted by: David Petraeus at July 10, 2016 11:05 AM (cHuNI)

202 Ruth "The Walking Corpse" Bader Ginsberg says she's resigning if Trump wins. Self-defeating since it would give Trump another appointment, but I'll take it. Hell, the Dems never do anything self-defeating like that. Advantage must be taken, and another reason to bite down hard and vote Trump.

As for books, Stephen Ambrose's bio of Meriwether Lewsi, UNDAUNTED COURAGE.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 10, 2016 11:05 AM (WlGX+)

203 Listened to The Sword of Shannara (original trilogy #1)
by Terry Brooks. I read this book many years ago and wasn't impressed,
having recently read a lot of Tolkien from whose Lord of the Rings it
borrows liberally, but liked it more this time around. The Shannara
series looks to have over 30 books in it now, could spend a lot of time
wading through that.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 10:58 AM (ICjLQ)

And the plot is the same in every book.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:06 AM (mpXpK)

204 Lewis.

Damn dyslexia.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 10, 2016 11:06 AM (WlGX+)

205 As I said in a thread yesterday, I'm reading "The Jeeves Omnibus" with 3 Jeeves novels and 10 stories. I need to stick fun stuff right now.

I've read quite a bit of Wodehouse already, but the great thing about him was that he was so incredibly prolific that there's still plenty of of the wonderful world of Wooster and Psmith to get through. It's really pretty amazing that Wodehouse was able to sit down every day, flip a switch and crank out lines like this description of a hungry Bertie eating breakfast : "after sailing through a couple of sausages like a tiger of the jungles tucking into its luncheon coolie..."

And now off to the ballgame to tailgate.

Thanks as always to the most worthy OregonMuse and oh, it's a painting.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V. (a white) (whitely brandishing ampersand privilege) at July 10, 2016 11:07 AM (P8951)

206 I think Maet banned Moo Moo, but I'm not certain.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:07 AM (sdi6R)

207 Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party
----------------------
Actually, it was Maet. There was a certain comment, but he also stated that it was a cumulative thing. A "Lifetime Achievement Aawrd" if you will.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:08 AM (tfU0m)

208 202 Ruth "The Walking Corpse" Bader Ginsberg says she's resigning if Trump wins.

More incentive to vote for Trump!

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V. (a white) (whitely brandishing ampersand privilege) at July 10, 2016 11:08 AM (P8951)

209 200 186
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 10:54 AM (mpXpK)

Nope.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 10:57 AM (Zu3d9)

Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:05 AM (mpXpK)

I think he means that you're talking about two different people.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:09 AM (0mRoj)

210 Good morning,

I want to learn about leadership from leaders in the past.

I am choosing a biography on Winston Churchill and would appreciate recommendations from the Horde.

I may also read about Hitler to understand how he became a leader and how it was possible for him to lead.

All recommendations welcome.
Posted by: AmericanKestrel at July 10, 2016 10:44 AM (hipNa)

"Hitler and Stalin," written by Alan Bullock, I read it years ago and remember learning quite a bit from it, but I've read so much since on both topics, I can't recall exactly the details.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:09 AM (Dj0WE)

211 Ironic that a banned commenter gets the limelight.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr.

"Ironic" isn't exactly the word I would use ...

Nice to see Moo moo again, anyway. Who knew he was a fan of Curious George?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (zc3Db)

212 199 193
Moo Moo
Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 11:00 AM (IqV8l)
That is kind of ironic. I didn't notice it at first.
Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:04 AM (sdi6R)

I start putting the book thread together early on in the week, like maybe Tuesday. So sometimes it is, as they say, overtaken by events.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (M/KpG)

213 207
Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party

----------------------

Actually, it was Maet. There was a certain comment, but he also
stated that it was a cumulative thing. A "Lifetime Achievement Aawrd"
if you will.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:08 AM (tfU0m)

That must have been one of those mornings when I was in the "rocking chair". I don't remember that at all. I always thought OSP was a nice guy.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (mpXpK)

214 Actually, it was Maet.

He was in top form. Let everyone know there's a list. Made sure I knew I was on it.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (fiGNd)

215 Rush Limbaugh is pals with James Kallstrom, former assistant director of the FBI in New York. He had Kallstrom on his radio show to debunk TWA 800 conspiracy claims. Not sure whom to believe.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (IqV8l)

216
Describe Your Sex Life With a Star Wars Quote:

Did it go in? Negative, it just impacted on the surface.

They came from behind!

you came in that thing? You're braver than I thought

It's a Trap!

I don't care what you smell, get in there!

That is why you fail.

a long long time ago....

She's my sister.

Size matters not.

Into the garbage chute, flyboy!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:11 AM (iQIUe)

217 213 207
Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party

----------------------

Actually, it was Maet. There was a certain comment, but he also
stated that it was a cumulative thing. A "Lifetime Achievement Aawrd"
if you will.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:08 AM (tfU0m)

That must have been one of those mornings when I was in the "rocking chair". I don't remember that at all. I always thought OSP was a nice guy.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (mpXpK)

Maet banned Moo Moo, not OSP.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:11 AM (0mRoj)

218 I have another mistake today, the book is
A Higher Call by Adam Makos
Adolf Galland gets a appearance in I shouldn't type about something and watch a F-1 race at same time.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 11:11 AM (Yo9Lf)

219 Actually, it was Maet.

He was in top form. Let everyone know there's a list. Made sure I knew I was on it.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:10 AM (fiGNd)

Did you call him "Francis"?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (zc3Db)

220 No, Vic.
Moo Moo. Just this week.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (tfU0m)

221 the new york society library is also one of the last
(if not the last) subscription library. $250 per annum. many literary
lions were members going back over centuries. or so.

this is a hooky kind of comment. so it is legitimate.
Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 10:19 AM (WTSFk)

The Gaston, OR City library is a subscription library. That is because Gaston straddles the county line for Yamhill and Washington county, and if Gaston gets into one of the the counties' library system, they would not be able to loan freely to half the town.

The other reason it still exists is that the library at Newberg, the nearest town, is supported by city property taxes so they charge anyone outside of town a subscription fee too. And Gaston's fee is less than Newberg's.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (ry34m)

222 Are you saying Ace banned him for cause? I never heard that.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:05 AM (mpXpK)

Moo Moo was banned for cause.
Old Sailor's Poet, on the other hand. got caught in pixy's anti-spam net and has been unable to extricate himself.

Happened to me once, too. I was unable to comment on the book threads for about a year.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (M/KpG)

223 Posted by: 11B40 at July 10, 2016 10:53 AM (evgyj)

Yes, read Lord Jim last year, good book, maybe Conrad's best.

By the way I read version one of dhumphreys' zombie book, enjoyed it and helped catch some spelling errors. If you like zombie apocalypse novels you'll probably like it.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (ICjLQ)

224 I know moo moo got banned. He was not a "nice guy".

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (mpXpK)

225 I think Maet banned Moo Moo, but I'm not certain.
Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:07 AM (sdi6R)

Correct. In my opinion, warranted under the circumstances, not just as a "lifetime award," but the particular comment that got zapped. It was typical nastiness from him, and in the climate of the day, including Ace's specific warning, it almost could be said to have been a challenge to the powers that be.

Challenge accepted, it would seem.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (Dj0WE)

226 Eris -

My kids are big-time into gravity falls. Hell, I think it's pretty damned good. A lot of good stuff out there for kiddos and their parents both to enjoy.

And as a fellow with somewhat shaky ethics, as judged by conventional standards, that gruncle Stan is presented endearingly is just a bonus.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (NknYi)

227 Lots of us have been pixy-banned, including myself several years ago.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (0mRoj)

228 Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:02 AM (Dj0WE)

--
Ha! I was joking, kind of. I saw a book with cartoon kitty kats and dad bought it for me. Then I started reading it at home and holy cow. No wonder the sales clerk was smirking.

Yeah, it was kinda dirty.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (jR7Wy)

229 222 Old Sailor's Poet, on the other hand. got caught in pixy's anti-spam net and has been unable to extricate himself.

Happened to me once, too. I was unable to comment on my own book thread for about a year.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (M/KpG)

OK, that's what I thought. We were talking about two different people.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (mpXpK)

230
Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (iQIUe)

231 Ahh the pixy ban. I stupidly posted "last" or something lame like that in a years-old Memorial Day Thread. Lost commenting privileges for two months.

Fortunately in #twoweeks we won't have to worry about that

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 11:14 AM (6FqZa)

232 I'd really like to read the book on the TWA 800 disaster. There is at least a lot more smoke to this conspiracy than most.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 11:14 AM (Yo9Lf)

233 226 Eris -

My kids are big-time into gravity falls. Hell, I think it's pretty damned good. A lot of good stuff out there for kiddos and their parents both to enjoy.

And as a fellow with somewhat shaky ethics, as judged by conventional standards, that gruncle Stan is presented endearingly is just a bonus.
Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (NknYi)

I enjoyed Gravity Falls. Too bad the series is over.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:14 AM (0mRoj)

234 Did you call him "Francis"?

Didn't call him anything ... but couldn't make a comment for a few hours without getting a pretty quick reply from him.

My guess is they really do have a list that they put their favorites on - that alerts them anytime somebody on the list makes a post.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:15 AM (fiGNd)

235 Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:13 AM (iQIUe)

You're right. If a Cob doesn't like somebody, and decides to ban him or her, that's not right.

But that's not why moo moo was banned.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:16 AM (Dj0WE)

236 I'd really like to read the book on the TWA 800 disaster. There is at least a lot more smoke to this conspiracy than most.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 11:14 AM (Yo9Lf)

It's interesting how such a disproportionate number of air disasters fly out of JFK. There was also that jet that crashed in Queens a few days after 9/11 that they said the tail had disintegrated in the jet wash or something (that had never happened before or after, so far as I know).

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at July 10, 2016 11:16 AM (zc3Db)

237
It's gotten to be more fun than the book writing. I posted a 20 page essay on an interstellar war that was tangentially related to the plot not so long ago.

Its a trap! Seriously, you can get carried away building and not writing too easily.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 11:16 AM (39g3+)

238 Free speach only gets you so far, your a guest act like one.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 11:17 AM (Yo9Lf)

239 Moo keeps a callous little gremlin on a leash, and if some comment triggers him he lets it out to type a response. He left a paper trail of gremlin comments over some years.

He'd got much better at controlling it recently - ironically - but too many cobs remembered the earlier threads which ended up as flamewars.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 11:18 AM (6FqZa)

240 Does that piano stool look kinda low, and uncomfortable, to anyone else?

Morning, Glories. Now to read the post...

Posted by: mindful webworker - 20 Years on the Web, still not viral at July 10, 2016 11:18 AM (5QyYN)

241 230
Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang!
---------------------
That isn't how it went down. At all.
Maet & ace have both been lenient, IMO. I guarandamntee you that there are plenty of us that neither "like," but we're still here.
Moo was banned for cause. I hope he won't be the last.

Posted by: Chi at July 10, 2016 11:18 AM (tfU0m)

242 King John--I like Phil the Bastard, he is sort of a proto John Bull with a dash of Flashmanesque cynicism. The whole "and hang a calf's skin from those recreant limbs" bit is hilarious.

Posted by: the guy that moves pianos for a living at July 10, 2016 11:19 AM (tEDMc)

243 I was unable to comment on the book threads for about a year.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (M/KpG)

I thought that was for cause....something about praising Annie Proulx...

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:19 AM (Zu3d9)

244 Insomniac -

Not for us, it's not. Now our thing is to go back to look for clues in the earlier episodes, and work on cracking the cyphers at the end of the openings for each.

Of course, these are the same little simians who insist on Fritz Lang, Kurosawa, and Christopher Lee film festivals from time to time

My kids - cultured and cooler than ever I'll be......

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:19 AM (NknYi)

245 He'd got much better at controlling it recently - ironically - but too many cobs remembered the earlier threads which ended up as flamewars.

Meh ... if he's like everyone else, he'll reset his router, clear his cookies, and come up with a new nic. Probably something that rhymes.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:20 AM (fiGNd)

246 We haven't taken a newspaper in years so I don't know what's out there these days for Sunday comics. The last interesting, creative and funny strip I remember is 'Calvin and Hobbes'. I did get a bunch of the book collections of the strips when they were on sale. Some are brilliant. I'm not aware of any dramatic color comics left that have the artistry of 'Prince Valiant'. What a loss.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 11:20 AM (V+03K)

247 I got pixy-banned for a few months once. The weird thing is that I got banned simultaneously at several sites I read, but not others. Some sort of mysterious IP shenanigans, I guess.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:20 AM (sdi6R)

248
Let me repeat myself: Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:21 AM (iQIUe)

249 Not for us, it's not. Now our thing is to go back to look for clues in the earlier episodes, and work on cracking the cyphers at the end of the openings for each.

That's awesome.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:21 AM (0mRoj)

250 And the plot is the same in every book.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:06 AM (mpXpK)
LOL, guess Tolkien wasn't around to give him new story ideas.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 11:22 AM (ICjLQ)

251 I've read all the AT articles and that the CIA is involved at all smells to me.
In the USAF on July 7 1979 (crap I missed the anniversary ) we had a A-10 crash and remember well all the parts went to a hanger but we're never put together as TWA 800 was. That doesn't add to it as I know other planes have been put together.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 11:22 AM (Yo9Lf)

252 243 I was unable to comment on the book threads for about a year.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:12 AM (M/KpG)

I thought that was for cause....something about praising Annie Proulx...
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:19 AM (Zu3d9)

LOL. That would DEFINITELY be for cause.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:23 AM (0mRoj)

253 250 LOL, guess Tolkien wasn't around to give him new story ideas.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 11:22 AM (ICjLQ)

The last book I saw by him I checked out from the library. I read the first ten pages and closed it up. I already knew how it would end.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:23 AM (mpXpK)

254 By the way I read version one of dhumphreys' zombie book, enjoyed it and helped catch some spelling errors. If you like zombie apocalypse novels you'll probably like it.

Hit me up if you want the latest version. It has been fleshed out (heh) quite a bit. Ended up about 180,000 words after edits and additions.

Posted by: Emile Antoon Khadaji at July 10, 2016 11:23 AM (5M59c)

255 Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:15 AM (fiGNd)

I thought that Maet's "list" comment to you was at least partially tongue-in-cheek.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:24 AM (Zu3d9)

256 Banned from your own book thread ... that's a full day's work right there. Well played.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:24 AM (fiGNd)

257 >>> The tufts on the piano stool..

That, plus the sunlight seems to be coming out of the hearth.

Posted by: fluffy at July 10, 2016 11:24 AM (eiFlk)

258 ...Hans assembled two bicycles, and they fled Paris just a few hours before it fell....

Wow. I would hate to think of depending on my bicycle assembly skills in the last hour!

Posted by: mindful webworker - 20 Years on the Web, still not viral at July 10, 2016 11:25 AM (5QyYN)

259 256 Banned from your own book thread ... that's a full day's work right there. Well played.
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:24 AM (fiGNd)

Ace still holds the all time banning trophy for banning himself from his own blog.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:25 AM (0mRoj)

260 Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 10:22 AM (VsZJP)

Kind of embarrassing, but...The Creators by Daniel Boorstin. It's difficult to describe but it is part of a trilogy and this one is for lack of better description, cultural history . At 700 pages it's trying as a straight sit down and read and I seem to carry it around with me for snippets. One of the places is the bathroom. I leaf through and have found interesting stuff -- Machievelli and Michelangelo, good friends having coffee or part of Chaucer's very long list of perks from the crown, lifetime daily liter of wine. Good stuff on Cervantes etc. Vignettes sort of. Anyway, it's informative and fun.

In the course, of looking something up I came across Ross King. Anybody read any of his works, bios in particular?

I love this thread. Thanks.

Posted by: gracepc at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (OU4q6)

261 And the plot is the same in every book.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:06 AM (mpXpK)

It's odd that sometimes that works very well. Mysteries for example. It's the process that is important.

But fantasy needs to be fantastic, and I guess an expected plot ruins that.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (Zu3d9)

262 I thought that Maet's "list" comment to you was at least partially tongue-in-cheek.

I'll bet twenty it wasn't.

You know ow this goes. Ace gets upset, then Maet bans people. Happens like clockwork.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (fiGNd)

263 Re: Shanarra Books.

I read a lot of the Brooks books in my younger days. I was never that huge a fan of the Sword book, but really liked the Elfstones one. Read a few more when he started the sequel frenzy. I lost interest somewhere in there.

It was a fairly interesting world, if I remember because he seemed to hint that this was a modern world that had suffered some sort of major cataclysm and been thrown back into the dark ages.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (3ZoRf)

264 Let me repeat myself: Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:21 AM (iQIUe)

You can repeat it as many times as you like, and every time you do, you will STILL be wrong. That's not what happened with moo moo.

If you weren't there, you don't know. I could repeat what he said, but I won't. If you were there, then you have no reason to keep saying what you are saying, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to read Ace's post, a couple hours earlier, then read moo moo's comment, and not see how 2+2 = 4.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (Dj0WE)

265 We just marathoned through Shannara on Netflix. Kid the elder had the remote.
By MTV, so it was all pretty young actors looking way too clean and lots of kissing. But ok I guess.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:28 AM (7lVbc)

266 Ace still holds the all time banning trophy for banning himself from his own blog.

That was pre-Scogg. Wish I'd have been there to see that.

What'd he have to do ? Call another COB to get un-banned ?

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:28 AM (fiGNd)

267 I am a healthcare worker and I've seen it all, but I'm still telling myself how lucky we are to be born now and not then when it comes to trauma treatment and med field in general.

I pray that when the SHTF, we aren't reduced to the level of care in the War Amongst Some States!

Posted by: mindful webworker - 20 Years on the Web, still not viral at July 10, 2016 11:28 AM (5QyYN)

268 Eris, a lady I dated for a short while claimed her Mom bought her a Gorey alphabet book - the Ghastlycrum Tinies I think - when she was little thinking it was a cutesy illustrated alphabet book.

It showed.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:29 AM (ry34m)

269 263 It was a fairly interesting world, if I remember
because he seemed to hint that this was a modern world that had suffered
some sort of major cataclysm and been thrown back into the dark ages.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (3ZoRf)

One of the later 3 book series covers that sequence.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:29 AM (mpXpK)

270 I don't often stop in the book threads because I always end up with a long list of books to read.

Thanks to everyone for their recommendations on my request.

I will also be looking into Paddle-to-the-Sea, Grumbly, Pattison, and DeMille.

I pulled out my copy of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with illustrations by Dore to enjoy again.

Don Quixote is a fun story, I like all of the "side paths" the author takes.

The discussion on language and religion is interesting and something I would like to learn more about in the future.

Posted by: American Kestrel at July 10, 2016 11:30 AM (hipNa)

271 268 ... I read a comma in there that wasn't really there. Changed the entire tone of your post.

Put a whole different spin on the MoMee. Believe me.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:30 AM (fiGNd)

272 Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:15 AM (fiGNd)

I thought that Maet's "list" comment to you was at least partially tongue-in-cheek.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:24 AM (Zu3d9)

I did too, but I don't remember the history of everything around here, so maybe it's a long-playing argument.

Really, the only advice I can given anyone in this here comment section is let the past stuff go. If somebody offended you before, forget it. Please try not to carry arguments from one thread to the next to the next.

Try. We'll all get it wrong sometimes, because we're human, but just try.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:30 AM (Dj0WE)

273 269 263

The TV series explicitly shows it to be set in the ruins of our world.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:30 AM (7lVbc)

274 265 We just marathoned through Shannara on Netflix. Kid the elder had the remote.
By MTV, so it was all pretty young actors looking way too clean and lots of kissing. But ok I guess.
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:28 AM (7lVbc)

Pretty much every sci-fi/fantasy series on TV is a soap opera. "The Young and the Feckless." "As the plot point turns." "All my McGuffins."

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:31 AM (3ZoRf)

275 Ghastlycrum Tinies

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:29 AM (ry34m)

The Gashlycrumb Tinies

Absolutely awesome stuff.

http://tinyurl.com/jxzp759

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (Zu3d9)

276 264 Let me repeat myself: Just because a co blogger doesnt like someone isnt cause for banning them. Sorry, but that is how it came across and it stinks.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 10, 2016 11:21 AM (iQIUe)

You can repeat it as many times as you like, and every time you do, you will STILL be wrong. That's not what happened with moo moo.

If you weren't there, you don't know. I could repeat what he said, but I won't. If you were there, then you have no reason to keep saying what you are saying, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to read Ace's post, a couple hours earlier, then read moo moo's comment, and not see how 2+2 = 4.
Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (Dj0WE)

I didn't see the comment that got Moo Moo banned, and I was sorry to see him go. He liked to stir shit, but many of his comments were good.

Maet's explanation of how some commenters have an overall corrosive effect on the blog was excellent, and should maybe be pinned to the sidebar.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

277 I thought that was for cause....something about praising Annie Proulx...

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:19 AM (Zu3d9)

Ha! I'm embarrassed to have to admit this, but I had to look her up. I had no idea 'Brokeback Mountain' came from a short story.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (M/KpG)

278 Try. We'll all get it wrong sometimes, because we're human, but just try.

I've resolved to just stay off the daywalker threads. It's ONTs and weekends from here on out for me.

I come here for the comments. It's like shooting the shit with a schizoid home computer. I find it entertaining.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:33 AM (fiGNd)

279 Kindltot:

A is for Ansel, who fell down the stairs.
B is for Basil, assaulted by bears.....

Heh....I knew a girl like that. Dark, true, but great fun, and a charming hostess.

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:33 AM (NknYi)

280 Don Quixote is a fun story, I like all of the "side paths" the author takes.

The discussion on language and religion is interesting and something I would like to learn more about in the future.
Posted by: American Kestrel at July 10, 2016 11:30 AM (hipNa)

The translator, in her footnotes, says not everyone is fond of the novellas within the novella, but really, I'm in the middle of the second one, and they are more than welcomed! Great stories, and we must remember, when he wrote this, the "plot twists" he tosses in there weren't invented yet. In fact, you could say (and some have) Cervantes is the one who invented them!

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (Dj0WE)

281 Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (M/KpG)

Oh hell....Proulx is awful for more than that. Read "The Shipping News."

And if you want to get a rise out of AtC, just mention Proulx to her in passing as a good author.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (Zu3d9)

282 The series that covers the downfall of our world starts with Running With The Demon.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (mpXpK)

283 Cbd is a man of good taste, and nice judgment - his fondness for the Gashlycrumb Tinies proves it. Great college wall poster it made, too.....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (NknYi)

284 So ... what I'm hearing is I really DON'T need to google Annie Proulx. Good to know.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:36 AM (fiGNd)

285 photo or painting?

I found it on Pinterest and it appears to be a 3-d rendering.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551620654332981480/

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 11:36 AM (ANVXm)

286 268 Eris, a lady I dated for a short while claimed her Mom bought her a Gorey alphabet book - the Ghastlycrum Tinies I think - when she was little thinking it was a cutesy illustrated alphabet book.

It showed.
Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:29 AM (ry34m)
---
She planted a seed that bore strange fruit, but the soil has to be ready for it. Some people just like macabre humor.

I loved the old Charles Addams cartoons as a kid, and I thought Uncle Fester was fun! Ah, innocent youth. Please to enjoy:

https://theinvisibleagent.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/cartoons-by-charles-addams/

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:36 AM (jR7Wy)

287 279 Kindltot:

A is for Ansel, who fell down the stairs.
B is for Basil, assaulted by bears.....

Heh....I knew a girl like that. Dark, true, but great fun, and a charming hostess.
Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:33 AM (NknYi)

Edward Gorey's artwork was used in the opening to Mystery! as an animated sequence. I think that was my introduction to Gorey's work.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:36 AM (0mRoj)

288 Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:36 AM (fiGNd)

Watch it...you're on MY list now.

Posted by: E. Annie Proulx at July 10, 2016 11:37 AM (Zu3d9)

289 I didn't see the comment that got Moo Moo banned, and I was sorry to see him go. He liked to stir shit, but many of his comments were good.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

I hated him when he first started showing with his Akin/Huck BS, I remember thinking oh crap, just what we need, a religion hater, but I actually grew to like him after awhile, and if you could get him off his pet peeve, a lot of what he said was actually pretty good. So I'm sorry to see him go.

"Sin is crouching at the door, but you must master it." God said this to Cain, shortly before he killed Abel. Good advice, especially nowadays.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:37 AM (M/KpG)

290 You mean you didn't like Gay Shepherds Buttfucking? Philistines.

Posted by: Annie Proulx at July 10, 2016 11:38 AM (0mRoj)

291 Watch it...you're on MY list now.

Golf clap. I laughed.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:38 AM (fiGNd)

292 Insomniac - same here, in terms of first exposure to his work. Really good stuff.....

Posted by: Your Decidedly Devious Uncle Palpatine, Still Accepting Harem Applicants at July 10, 2016 11:38 AM (NknYi)

293 The two cats I couldn't stand when I got here were jwest and moo moo. They've become two of my favorites.

That probably says something about me. It's probably not good.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:39 AM (fiGNd)

294 Brooks comes from that High School era when I was pretty much devouring any series with a fantasy cant.

Raymond E Feist
Christopher Stasheff
Barbara Hambly
Stephen R Donaldson
Dennis L. McKiernanan
Steven Brust
L.E. Modesitt
Of course, Tolkien
Robert Jordan

Some of these are old favorites, but some are ones where I have been reluctant to go back and read them again because I fear they might not have been as good as they are in my memory.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:40 AM (3ZoRf)

295 Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:27 AM (Dj0WE)

I didn't see the comment that got Moo Moo banned, and I was sorry to see him go. He liked to stir shit, but many of his comments were good.

Maet's explanation of how some commenters have an overall corrosive effect on the blog was excellent, and should maybe be pinned to the sidebar.
Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:32 AM (sdi6R)

I just learned to skip over his comments, because to me it wasn't worth it. He might be right about many things, but if you said something with which he disagreed, he would come out with both barrels blasting.

I can take the jabs that get thrown around here, however, I realize Ace is basically saying "knock off with the jabbing." Moo moo came in that particular day, throwing hand grenades. That's what got him banned.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:40 AM (Dj0WE)

296 293 The two cats I couldn't stand when I got here were jwest and moo moo. They've become two of my favorites.

That probably says something about me. It's probably not good.
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:39 AM (fiGNd)

You don't change the devil, son. The devil changes you.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:40 AM (0mRoj)

297 Ahkmed at WMOE in Pakistani #55: As Mohammed as my witness, peace be upon him, I swear I thought Bi-Curious George could fly

Holy moley, that's a triple crossing-the-memes award winner!

Posted by: mindful webworker - 20 Years on the Web, still not viral at July 10, 2016 11:41 AM (5QyYN)

298 In fact, you could say (and some have) Cervantes is the one who invented them!

It's amazing how old this very modern-seeming novel is. Cervantes must have been a bit like Don Quixote himself, just writing a yuuuge damned novel when nobody even knew what one was!

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 11:42 AM (J3phO)

299 You don't change the devil, son. The devil changes you.

Joke's on him. I never had a soul to corrupt to begin with .

Ha !!!

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:42 AM (fiGNd)

300 The one banning that I really didn't like was Backwards Boy. Somebody set him off and he made one very intemperate comment which got him the heave-ho, but 99.9% of the time he was perfectly fine.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:42 AM (sdi6R)

301 I would like to thank the Moron who suggested Betty McDonald as a writer.
I am half way through The Egg and I, and it is a very fun book, and Betty McDonald was a very good writer.
But my goodness, the hardships of living on a stump-ranch like that. Her discussion on electric lights versus trimming the wick on an oil lamp sticks in my mind.

I also picked up the Onions in the Stew, which is about her second marriage, and I will get to that one next.

I had actually read her first children's book, Mrs Piggle Wiggle when I was a kid. Grandma had a copy upstairs in her house, in Dad's old bookshelf up there. Probably a book bought for Dad, as opposed to the books he bought for himself.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:43 AM (ry34m)

302 "Sin is crouching at the door, but you must master it." God said this to Cain, shortly before he killed Abel. Good advice, especially nowadays.
Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:37 AM (M/KpG)

Moo could be a really good commentor. The thing that got him in trouble in the beginning was the thinly veiled sneer he seemed to direct at everyone here. That moderated a LOT as time went by. Then this silly season happened and he seemed to bring the sneer back for the NeverTrumpers.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:43 AM (3ZoRf)

303 Holy moley, that's a triple crossing-the-memes award winner!

You are the first person to notice it. All my best work goes unmentioned. I'm the van Gogh of socking.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:43 AM (fiGNd)

304 Oh hell....Proulx is awful for more than that. Read "The Shipping News."

And if you want to get a rise out of AtC, just mention Proulx to her in passing as a good author.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (Zu3d9)
----
Ah, "The Shipping News". A friend and I were puzzled by the acclaim given to her sludgy prose, but we had a lot of fun for about a week writing reports and memos in her smegmiloquent style.

This is one case where the movie was much better than the book.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (jR7Wy)

305 You are the first person to notice it. All my best work goes unmentioned. I'm the van Gogh of socking.
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:43 AM (fiGNd)

Just remember that ears do not grow back and she is not worth one of them.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (3ZoRf)

306 #155
Sir Martin Gilbert was Churchill's official biographer, the series runs to 9 volumes, but there is an excellent 1 volume edition.

Gilbert also wrote extensively on the Holocaust, his preface in the book of that name on his visit to the site of Treblinka hit me like a sledgehammer. I thought I was knowledgeable about the subject, but this is one of the most disturbing books I've ever read. I think it should be required reading for mature students. His 1 volume history of WW1 is also highly praised.

Posted by: JHW at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (kn0BL)

307 "Curious George Gets A Splodey Shirt"

Heh.

I see another 'ron reader mentioned Nelson DeMille's "Night Flight," re Flight 800. He was a non-believer from Day One. Not only was this Slick's "Benghazi Moment," it was the first muzzy terror attack on US soil, and Bill didn't want his memory forever tainted by that fact.

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (OJKE+)

308 Holy moley, that's a triple crossing-the-memes award winner!

No kidding, that one should get Comment-Of-The-Week.

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 11:45 AM (J3phO)

309 Bi-Curious George gets Stoned
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 09:39 AM (fiGNd)

Ludicriz George straight tripping with his Nina and getting Paid.........

George-Z and Snoop Dogg find some Gin and Juice....

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 10, 2016 11:45 AM (ej1L0)

310 I see another 'ron reader mentioned Nelson DeMille's "Night Flight," re Flight 800. He was a non-believer from Day One. Not only was this Slick's "Benghazi Moment," it was the first muzzy terror attack on US soil, and Bill didn't want his memory forever tainted by that fact.
Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (OJKE+)

There was the '93 WTC bombing.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (3ZoRf)

311 Googling Anne Proulx, since I knew nothing about her, it seems that she wasn't a 'bad' writer, but it was the subjects she wrote about, and the way she treated them.

And they were best sellers, and well received by the intellectuals; which says something about the intellectuals and the book sellers.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (Jw9xt)

312 Stephen R Donaldson

--

The only one that bears rereading is Mirror of Her Dreams / A Man Rides Through

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (7lVbc)

313 In fact, you could say (and some have) Cervantes is the one who invented them!
-------------------------------
It's amazing how old this very modern-seeming novel is. Cervantes must have been a bit like Don Quixote himself, just writing a yuuuge damned novel when nobody even knew what one was!
Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 11:42 AM (J3phO)

It almost makes me want to seek out these stories of the Knights Errant, but given that they drove our brave knight barking mad, I think maybe it's better that I don't.

And yeah, Cervantes seems to be saying to the world "enough with this stupid chivalry nonsense! You all are driving me crazy!!"

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (Dj0WE)

314 Ah, "The Shipping News". A friend and I were puzzled by the acclaim given to her sludgy prose, but we had a lot of fun for about a week writing reports and memos in her smegmiloquent style.
This is one case where the movie was much better than the book.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:44 AM (jR7Wy)

I was going to say, I had heard that 'The Shipping News' was a pretty good movie.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (M/KpG)

315 Then this silly season happened and he seemed to bring the sneer back for the NeverTrumpers.

Plenty of sneer to go around. Before it's all over - sneer's going to be the least of our problems.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:47 AM (fiGNd)

316 Brooks comes from that High School era when I was pretty much devouring any series with a fantasy cant.

-----

Romance novels for boys.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:47 AM (Cq0oW)

317 The only one that bears rereading is Mirror of Her Dreams / A Man Rides Through
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (7lVbc)

Ah, that was the one with the weird Mirror fetish. Of course, most of Donaldson's work seems to be broken into weird writing theme compulsions.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:48 AM (3ZoRf)

318 In the vein of thinking on Gorey, I admit that of all the short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, I thought Berenice was the funniest.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:48 AM (ry34m)

319 The only one that bears rereading is Mirror of Her Dreams / A Man Rides Through
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (7lVbc)
---
Yes, these were very good. Though, being Donaldson, there had to be some unpleasantness toward females.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (jR7Wy)

320 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (Cq0oW)

321 Brooks comes from that High School era when I was pretty much devouring any series with a fantasy cant.

Something's wrong with me. Did not read that as "fantasy cant".

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (fiGNd)

322 The author of the TWA 800 book, Jack Cashill, also wrote "Deconstructing Obama" which developed the thesis that Bill Ayers ghostwrote Obama's Dreams From My Father. He's a real investigative reporter, which is rare these days.

Over the years here in NYC, I've heard somewhat reliable anecdotes that the official story about TWA 800 was false.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 10, 2016 11:50 AM (bQxkN)

323 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.

Ace's House !!! Ace's Rules !!!

Posted by: The Ace's House, Ace's Rules Crowd at July 10, 2016 11:51 AM (fiGNd)

324 315 Then this silly season happened and he seemed to bring the sneer back for the NeverTrumpers.

All I can say is that all kinds of people seem to have completely lost their shit over Trump, on both the supporting and opposing side. I've seen folks turn it into a religious thing, again on both sides of it. It's gone totally off the rails.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 11:51 AM (0mRoj)

325 Romance novels for boys.
Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:47 AM (Cq0oW)

Yeah, pretty much. It is the classic meaning of Romance though. The world the way you want it to be. Count of Monte Cristo type stuff.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:51 AM (3ZoRf)

326 I sometimes don't get to the blog for a few days at a time.....was Nip banned?

Posted by: BignJames at July 10, 2016 11:51 AM (Yi9Gb)

327 The only Shanarra book I read was the first one which was a painfully blatant ripoff of Lord of the Rings -- and not a very good one. I don't mind if someone swipes or rewrites a plot, if they do a good job of it. But if its just hackneyed and incompetent, I don't have any patience with it.

Supposedly later books got better, but I don't care enough to find out. For a fantasy author I read remarkably little fantasy. Most of it is disappointing or dull to me.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 11:52 AM (39g3+)

328 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.
Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (Cq0oW)

I think we do not really know the extent of the pressure Ace is getting to HAVE a "more boring" blog, both from friends and enemies.

Or maybe he simply eats more of the stress than he wants to be eating, and as has been said NUMEROUS times, it's his blog. If that's what he wants, that's what he wants.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:52 AM (Dj0WE)

329 320 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.
Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (Cq0oW)

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Posted by: Charles Johnson, sniffing his bicycle seat at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (M/KpG)

330 It's gone totally off the rails.

B B B Baby you just aaaiiiin't seen n n n nothin' yet !!!

Posted by: Randy Bachman at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (fiGNd)

331 Yes, these were very good. Though, being Donaldson, there had to be some unpleasantness toward females.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (jR7Wy)

Yeah, he completely lost me forever when I made the mistake of reading the first novel in his Gap series. Never have gone back. That was just twisted.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (3ZoRf)

332
'Berenice', Poe's funniest you say?

[picks up complete works of Poe from book shelf]

Ok, this is going to take some time I see.
[settls back in comfy chair]

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (Jw9xt)

333 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.

Hold it...I'm not banned...that must mean...

Hey!

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (jO7js)

334 Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (Cq0oW)

Rough and tumble arguing is fine I think. And coarse discourse can also be fun. But commenters who are always coarsening, or redirecting the flow of comments are a problem, and that seems to be on the increase.

Ace is pretty serious about controlling it.....

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:53 AM (Zu3d9)

335 Referring to books about Winston Churchill

I have been reading, off and on, "Warlord", by Carlo d'Este

It is not praiseworthy of a man some thought the most important person of the 1st half of the 20th Century, but it is pretty funny at times.

Churchill was an outrageous character, and a lot of his antics were really funny.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 10, 2016 11:54 AM (Cz05v)

336 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.

I am hoping that, after the convention, the tantrums and screaming matches will reduce and they can come back.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 11:54 AM (39g3+)

337 The author of the TWA 800 book, Jack Cashill, also wrote "Deconstructing Obama" which developed the thesis that Bill Ayers ghostwrote Obama's Dreams From My Father. He's a real investigative reporter, which is rare these days.

Over the years here in NYC, I've heard somewhat reliable anecdotes that the official story about TWA 800 was false.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 10, 2016 11:50 AM (bQxkN)

Another of his books I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend is "Hoodwinked."

It's something of a modern update on Paul Johnson's "Intellectuals." A review of the people who have influence today's movers and shakers on the left, and if you don't know who those influences are, and how they do it, you really can't understand today's left.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:55 AM (Dj0WE)

338 or redirecting the flow of comments are a problem

Yeah !!! So all you damn "Any Thread's a Gun Thread" people ... knock it off !!!

Seen any good deals on .22 ?

Posted by: Randy Bachman at July 10, 2016 11:55 AM (fiGNd)

339 Wouldn't be Donaldson without some underage and/or virginal girl getting unwanted prong. I hear "The King's Justice" has gone full paedo. He's one sick doggie

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 11:55 AM (6FqZa)

340 Chris, I just saved you a trip to teh Barrel.

You can thank me later.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 11:56 AM (M/KpG)

341 320 I often get the impression that all the banning makes for a more boring blog.
Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:49 AM (Cq0oW)

I'm inclined to agree, but see Maet's explanation here:
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?blog=86&post=364607#c25484180

See also alexthechick's comment here:
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?blog=86&post=364602#c25481239

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:56 AM (sdi6R)

342 I'm not saying it's easy for Ace. Or that the decisions are wrong. I get the policy, just saying what my impressions are.

Posted by: Bigbys Cellphone at July 10, 2016 11:57 AM (Cq0oW)

343 Seen any good deals on .22 ?

Posted by: Randy Bachman at July 10, 2016 11:55 AM (fiGNd)

I'm looking for 8x56 MS.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:57 AM (Zu3d9)

344 Gah !!! Off great purveyor of 70s rock and roll sock !!!

Posted by: Brian Scoggins at July 10, 2016 11:57 AM (fiGNd)

345
I am hoping that, after the convention, the tantrums and screaming matches will reduce and they can come back.

And I am hoping to find a pot of gold in my back yard.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (IqV8l)

346 I enjoyed reading the White Gold Wielder trilogy from Donaldson many years ago, plus some other one-off novel. Plan to revisit his books one of these days though they seem to garner a lot of negativity.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (ICjLQ)

347 The goal, really, is a vibrant community.

Posted by: The Ten Commenters Left At Hot Air at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (jO7js)

348 This morning is not going well.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (fiGNd)

349 how appropriate after brexit: the wimbledon men's finals is an all commonwealth affair! murray of great britain vs raonic of canadia. murray is ahead.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 11:59 AM (WTSFk)

350 In the course, of looking something up I came across Ross King. Anybody read any of his works, bios in particular?

I read "The Judgment of Paris," which is about the early Impressionists. I enjoyed it. It's mostly about Manet, but is really more of a story of how control of the art world was taken from the academy.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at July 10, 2016 11:59 AM (AroJD)

351 And yeah, Cervantes seems to be saying to the
world "enough with this stupid chivalry nonsense! You all are
driving me crazy!!"
Posted by: BurtTC at July 10, 2016 11:46 AM (Dj0WE)

I am now trying to wade through a selection of the Mabinogion, Welsh chivalric/Arthurian tales and I am about to surrender, overmastered. I can't imagine that the Spanish/Catalan/Occitan versions that Cervantes would have read would have been much more sparkly.
If I had known more about the genre when I first read Don Quixote I think I would have gotten more joy from it.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 11:59 AM (ry34m)

352 murray is about to win...

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:00 PM (WTSFk)

353
347 The goal, really, is a vibrant community.
Posted by: The Ten Commenters Left At Hot Air at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (jO7js)

And sparkly, don't forget sparkly!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 12:01 PM (fOgSR)

354 One more point...

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 12:01 PM (w35Hj)

355 murray wins!

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:01 PM (WTSFk)

356
300 The one banning that I really didn't like was Backwards Boy. Somebody set him off and he made one very intemperate comment which got him the heave-ho, but 99.9% of the time he was perfectly fine.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 11:42 AM (sdi6R)

Totally concur with that one, but IIRC, the unban door was left open pending just a bit of contriteness.

Maybe he's just riding out the political season on the sidelines.

I sure do miss one of my very few NASCAR allies here...

Posted by: Spun and Murky at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (4DCSq)

357 Ah ... noon. Or, as my wife calls it, the Get Your Ass Up and Do My Bidding Hour.

Oh noon. I've looked forward to you all morning. Not quite as much as a meat thermometer through the ear, but certainly more than digging my own liver out with a spork. Noon - you're no Spanish Inquisition - but you're certainly in the team photo.

Let me know who else gets banned. I'm making a list.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (fiGNd)

358 I haven't finished Don Quixote, but I've noticed a pattern in the book, where everyone thinks the Don is a retard and he acts like a brain dead infant, but he's usually, ultimately, right.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (39g3+)

359 347 The goal, really, is a vibrant community.
Posted by: The Ten Commenters Left At Hot Air at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (jO7js)

And giving fascist billionaire Mark Zuckberg more of what he wants.

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (0mRoj)

360 *Zuckerberg

Posted by: Insomniac at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (0mRoj)

361 "I've seen folks turn it into a religious thing, again on both sides of it. It's gone totally off the rails."

I don't like Trump especially but thought he'd be the nominee since back in September, and have been a vocal Trumbot here since. It hasn't always been easy. Indignation runs both ways. I'll miss Moo Moo.

Trump draws the right enemies and can beat Hillary. Just win baby!

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 10, 2016 12:03 PM (bQxkN)

362
Nood and rewd

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 12:04 PM (fOgSR)

363 OT: http://kdvr.com/2016/07/09/wildfire-starts-near-nederland/

Since the hills are still aflame, I guess I have to spend today in a bookstore.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 12:05 PM (6FqZa)

364 "Paddle-To-The-Sea" is the story of a young boy who carves a canoe with an Indian seated therein. He inscribes a message on a metal plate attached to its bottom asking anyone who finds it to put it back in the water so that it can attain its goal.

Required reading if you went to elementary school in Michigan.

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 12:05 PM (uOtyQ)

365 346 I enjoyed reading the White Gold Wielder trilogy from Donaldson many years ago, plus some other one-off novel. Plan to revisit his books one of these days though they seem to garner a lot of negativity.
Posted by: waelse1 at July 10, 2016 11:58 AM (ICjLQ)

I have fond memories of the early Land books- probably because as another commentor mentioned they were a classic example of good vs. evil/black vs white.

I was soured on Donaldson though with the first Gap book, and then I read another series by an author Laurell K Hamilton, where over the course of the books she (the author and hence the character) seemed to go completely off the reservation. I realized that for some authors, works are about working out issues. Looking at Donaldson in that light, he does not come off so well.

There was another fantasy author I remember reading in high school, cannot think of the name right now. It was a fairly standard sword and fantasy series, but EVERY SINGLE WOMAN IN THE BOOKS WAS RAPED. I do not like reading rape, so I stopped reading them. Looking back he was another one that clearly had issues.

These days I tend to avoid some of the more overwrought stuff because of it. If the author clearly has issues on a certain subject (or if there is a single rape in the first 100 pages) I am out.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:06 PM (3ZoRf)

366 *Zuckerborg might also work.

Posted by: t-bird at July 10, 2016 12:06 PM (oFSUK)

367 Jorge el Curioso Muerto de la MS-13......

Curious George and the Shake and Bake Lab.....

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 10, 2016 12:07 PM (ej1L0)

368 The Gor books are infamous for ill treatment of women (mostly slaves) and I've never read one but supposedly they are a lot of fun too, at least for boys.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:08 PM (39g3+)

369 (i suppose i shouldn't say this, but, gosh, the men are so far better than the women.)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:08 PM (WTSFk)

370 I haven't finished Don Quixote, but I've noticed a pattern in the book, where everyone thinks the Don is a retard and he acts like a brain dead infant, but he's usually, ultimately, right.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:02 PM (39g3+)

My wineskins would suggest otherwise.

Posted by: The Innkeeper at July 10, 2016 12:08 PM (Dj0WE)

371 (... in tennis.)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:08 PM (WTSFk)

372
The Hasta-La-Bye-Bye, Moo Moo post (in an open thread, no less) --

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?blog=86&post=364607#c25483321

You know those movies where out of the blue and arrow swooshes into someone and pins them to the wall with a resounding "THUD!" and you're like "Whoa, where did that come from?" Yeah, it was just like that.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 12:10 PM (fOgSR)

373 365 Sounds like Robert E. Howard and his "Conan" stories.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at July 10, 2016 12:11 PM (AroJD)

374
Required reading if you went to elementary school in Michigan.
Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 12:05 PM (uOtyQ)

Which I did.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 10, 2016 12:12 PM (fOgSR)

375 murray just finished his post-championship interview...what a sweet guy!

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:13 PM (WTSFk)

376 Oh, there was one other banning that I didn't like, Miss Marple. She was a perfectly sweet older woman and I liked her.

But one day, immediately after Ace posted about commenters criticizing the content of posts, she said, "Why are we talking about X when we should be talking about Y?

BAM. Done.

She had the bad timing to make her comment when Ace was in a pissy mood, and she set off his "why should I have to put up with this shit" switch.

Posted by: rickl at July 10, 2016 12:14 PM (sdi6R)

377
Paddle to the sea. .
Required reading if you went to elementary school in Michigan.

Ya, and I think I read it, or at least remember the story idea, but I don't remember anything else about it. Or maybe I just knew about the story but never read it.

So much for the theory of education, eh?

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at July 10, 2016 12:15 PM (Jw9xt)

378 373 365 Sounds like Robert E. Howard and his "Conan" stories.
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at July 10, 2016 12:11 PM (AroJD)

No, it was some other author. I read several of the books. I remember thinking even at the time that the characters were very spare (it seemed the enemies were just clay pigeons for the heroes to crush.) There were usually only one or two maybe named women in each book, she was the love interest for the main character and she usually got raped (not by the main character, but rather by the faceless evil horde.)

Now I am going to have to go search through my "Never to be read again" pile to see if I can find the author's name.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:15 PM (3ZoRf)

379 Another really uncomfortable series to read is anything by John Varley, who apparently not only hates men but worships women as goddesses of clearly superior natures we are not worthy of even breathing nearby. Plus: gross and bizarre sexual stuff.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:16 PM (39g3+)

380 I read "Tarnsman", the first Gor book. Didn't catch the "my soggy knees!" in it; to me it read like a (slightly) more cerebral Conan. But I'm told the BDSM stuff starts to creep in during the later books.

Robert Howard - and his best imitator, Robert Jordan - is awesome. I think the only truly rapey story is "Frost Giant's Daughter" but then, IIRC Conan ends up losing that struggle.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 12:16 PM (6FqZa)

381 I don't know how the blog world functions but I assume the owners have to protect themselves for legal purposes and to avoid having damaging "quotes" attributed to the blog. Banning frequently disruptive or insulting commenters is part of the owner's responsibility to the rest of the members.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2016 12:17 PM (V+03K)

382 369 (i suppose i shouldn't say this, but, gosh, the men are so far better than the women.)
Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 10, 2016 12:08 PM (WTSFk)

My daughter prefers watching men's tennis, and will not watch women's tennis. Says the men's game is much faster and harder, and more fun to watch.

I think it's kind of like the NBA vs. the WNBA

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 12:18 PM (M/KpG)

383 I ordered two books from Amazon last week, and I'm packing them in my suitcase so I don't peak. The first is the latest in the Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford, called "Deadline". I love me some Virgil Flowers.

The second is the latest in the Inspector Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George, entitled "A Banquet of Consequences". I hope this one is good, her books usually are. But the last one was dreadful. So I'll take my chances.

Posted by: grammie winger at July 10, 2016 12:18 PM (dFi94)

384 Robert Howard - and his best imitator, Robert Jordan - is awesome. I think the only truly rapey story is "Frost Giant's Daughter" but then, IIRC Conan ends up losing that struggle.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 12:16 PM (6FqZa)

You mean Conan gets raped??

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 12:18 PM (M/KpG)

385 LOL., Oregon. I bet you SOMEBODY has done a slashfic where that happens.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 12:20 PM (6FqZa)

386 I think I was supposed to spell it "peek". The heck with it.

Posted by: grammie winger at July 10, 2016 12:23 PM (dFi94)

387 Re: Graeme Base
Appreciate the recommendation mightily!
I was looking for books for an infant grandson, and his fit the bill wonderfully!
Nothing like good art to go with your lessons.

Re: Churchill
I'm not sure I've ever read anyone with his command of the English language. Every few winters, I wade through his account of WWll. His assessment of the US State Dept. was right on in 1945, and would be right on now.

Posted by: MarkY at July 10, 2016 12:25 PM (vP09u)

388 I whole-heartedly recommend The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base. My kids loved that book.

Posted by: Gem at July 10, 2016 12:25 PM (uaHyk)

389 Phillip Jose Farmer did a series of books in which he had several pulp fiction characters - Tarzan and Doc Savage in particular - as part of one family of supermen created by a meteorite that hit in Wold Newton, England causing genetic changes in families there. But they are kind of, uncomfortable reading in a lot of ways, and take the characters in places and directions the original authors would never have wanted.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:27 PM (39g3+)

390 Yow. Hena Khan seems more tyan slightly paranoid ... and seems to have surrounded herslef with people that will at least enable her paranoia.

http://www.henakhan.com/home/2016/7/5/giving-me-shelter.html

"If you ever need it, God forbid, we will shelter you," she said to me over the phone.

Posted by: DRH at July 10, 2016 12:28 PM (KOv7F)

391 Required reading if you went to elementary school in Michigan.
Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 12:05 PM (uOtyQ)
---
Which I did. I don't remember this book.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 12:31 PM (jR7Wy)

392 378 No, it was some other author. I read several of the
books. I remember thinking even at the time that the characters were
very spare (it seemed the enemies were just clay pigeons for the heroes
to crush.) There were usually only one or two maybe named women in each
book, she was the love interest for the main character and she usually
got raped (not by the main character, but rather by the faceless evil
horde.)

Now I am going to have to go search through my "Never to be read again" pile to see if I can find the author's name.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:15 PM (3ZoRf)

That was one of the reasons I did not like the book version of Lonesome Dove.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 12:31 PM (mpXpK)

393 Cannot find them. I had an apartment fire around 15 years ago. Lost a lot of books ironically to the water from the fire dept. Those books might have been tossed in the "leave" pile because I really did not like them.

There was another book series that I initially really liked but went really weirdly (inappropriately) sexual: an alien invasion series by David Gerrold.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:34 PM (3ZoRf)

394 Lonesome Dove was deliberately written as a cynical deconstruction of the old west and cowboy stories. You can see glimpses of it in the miniseries, but the acting is so good it transcends that shoddy and petty idea.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:34 PM (39g3+)

395 "booky"

1. a person who takes bets.

2. having to do with books.

my use of "booky" (above) is the rare 2nd definition.

-
You return library books late, we break your kneecaps.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 12:36 PM (Nwg0u)

396 379 Another really uncomfortable series to read is anything by John Varley, who apparently not only hates men but worships women as goddesses of clearly superior natures we are not worthy of even breathing nearby. Plus: gross and bizarre sexual stuff.
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:16 PM (39g3+)
----
I never got the man-hatin', but I definitely picked up on the tween-lovin'. He's such a good writer but weird toss-off sexual stuff makes the whole story grind to a halt. I never minded the fluidity of the sexuality or the inter-species polyamory, cuz hey, it's sci-fi baby. But the lack of some barriers felt skeevy to me, especially as a young woman.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 12:38 PM (jR7Wy)

397 Yeeeesh. Trying to imagine Reinhard Heydrich's pillow talk....

-
Resistance is futile but I like it.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (Nwg0u)

398 About rape in books in the 70s/80s.

This was pretty common even in romance.
At first the idea was that the hero would rescue virtuous virginal girl from attempted rape by bad guy (and then they get married).

Then there was a wave of romance books where the hero would basically rape the heroine and then they would fall in love.

Must have been something in the culture going round that time.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (7lVbc)

399 Yeah, as soon as the author starts in on the rape an/or underage stuff, it is time to head for the exit.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (3ZoRf)

400 390 Yow. Hena Khan seems more tyan slightly paranoid ... and seems to have surrounded herslef with people that will at least enable her paranoia.

http://www.henakhan.com/home/2016/7/5/giving-me-shelter.html

Yeah, I didn't want to go into her blog, but now that you brought it up, it's just full of teary-eyed butthurt and complaints about 'Islamophobia' with no references to, you know, honor killings, suicide attacks, bombing mosques of other muslim sects, etc. It's just like, one day, for absolutely no reason at all, everybody started hating on Islam. She seems totally mystified as to how this could ever happen.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (M/KpG)

401 For really little kids (babies and toddlers), Sandra Boynton has some great board books (like Moo, Baa, La La La) that are not only fun to read but also stand up to a fair amount of abuse.

And Graeme Base books are wonderful.

Posted by: redbanzai at July 10, 2016 12:41 PM (9dfKD)

402 Which I did. I don't remember this book.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 10, 2016 12:31 PM (jR7Wy)

Same here...first I have heard of it

Posted by: A dude in MI at July 10, 2016 12:42 PM (0LQ4f)

403 260, gracepc, I may have that around here somewhere so if it's vignettes, it's probably a good bathroom book so I shall take a look. If I can find it. Thanks!

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 12:43 PM (VsZJP)

404 401 For really little kids (babies and toddlers), Sandra Boynton has some great board books (like Moo, Baa, La La La) that are not only fun to read but also stand up to a fair amount of abuse.

--

Those are cute.

We also really liked King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (and he won't get out!)
I forget the author/illustrator.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:45 PM (7lVbc)

405 277, Hoping I don't get banned for this but since it was a short story, I read Proulx's story on which Brokeback Mountain was based, and it didn't completely suck. But it was short. And not a movie. And really, really sad.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 12:47 PM (VsZJP)

406 Another really uncomfortable series to read is anything by John Varley, who apparently not only hates men but worships women as goddesses of clearly superior natures we are not worthy of even breathing nearby.

Sort of a literary Lifetime channel.

But he knows how to play the game when the gatekeepers of literature are divorced, middle-aged liberal women.

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 12:47 PM (uOtyQ)

407 Kid's books reminds me - I'm In Charge! by Henry Vogel is a good bed-time story book for reading aloud.

The illustrations are just sillhouettes but the stories are fun.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:48 PM (7lVbc)

408 407
- forgot the link

http://www.bookhorde.org/2015/12/im-in-charge-other-stories.html

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:48 PM (7lVbc)

409 Lonesome Dove was deliberately written as a cynical deconstruction of the old west and cowboy stories. You can see glimpses of it in the miniseries, but the acting is so good it transcends that shoddy and petty idea.

Stopped watching it after the Irish kid got killed by the cottonmouths... too sad.

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 12:49 PM (uOtyQ)

410 This was pretty common even in romance.
At first the idea was that the hero would rescue virtuous virginal girl from attempted rape by bad guy (and then they get married).

Then there was a wave of romance books where the hero would basically rape the heroine and then they would fall in love.

Must have been something in the culture going round that time.
Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (7lVbc)

Here is the thing: Rape seems to show up in a lot of books. Why?

Sometimes, the author is simply trying to show the time and place the story is being set up in. I remember a book series by Robert Aspirin (IIRC) that was about Time Traveling agents. The book is about a woman who wants to be the first one. She is told by the grizzled old hand that she does not really want to experience how women are treated in certain times and places. She does get raped on one of her training missions. This is not great to me, but at least allowable.

Some authors seem to dwell on it. I have no idea whether it is some weird psychosexual hangup (Donaldson) or whether they are trying to show their world is GRITTY and REAL, YO!

I have lost patience with the device. It is odd since I have no problem with other forms of violence, but it has tainted series that I otherwise enjoy very much (Malazan Book of the Fallen by Erikson for one.)

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:50 PM (3ZoRf)

411 Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 12:43 PM (VsZJP)

Not really vignettes -- a cultural history. But it is good. And my experience is if you fan it, you will land on something work reading. At least I do. Enjoy.

Posted by: gracepc at July 10, 2016 12:50 PM (OU4q6)

412 Stopped watching it after the Irish kid got killed by the cottonmouths... too sad.

All the deaths in the series were the result of stupidity, randomness, or sheer coincidence. None of them had meaning or made sense, on purpose. McMurtry was amazed how popular his book was, since he was attacking the very people that loved it.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 12:52 PM (39g3+)

413 Posted by: gracepc at July 10, 2016 12:50 PM (OU4q6)

Yikes. Time to eat. Work reading - worth reading.

Posted by: gracepc at July 10, 2016 12:52 PM (OU4q6)

414 TWA 800. Here are the things. The RDX on the seats. I don't see how that could be left over from a training event.

Also, as I recall several members of French Intelligence were on board. Perhaps even the head?

Anyway, the plane was going to Paris, and there were bombings on French trains that week. By Algerians.

Posted by: blaster at July 10, 2016 12:55 PM (2Ocf1)

415 398 About rape in books in the 70s/80s.

This was pretty common even in romance.
At first the idea was that the hero would rescue virtuous virginal girl from attempted rape by bad guy (and then they get married).

Then there was a wave of romance books where the hero would basically rape the heroine and then they would fall in love.

Must have been something in the culture going round that time.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:40 PM (7lVbc)

**Cough, cough . . .**

Posted by: Luke and Laura, Port Charles General Hospital at July 10, 2016 12:56 PM (NqQAS)

416 I never watched General Hospital

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 12:57 PM (7lVbc)

417 I was through with Curious George after Curious George and the Crystal Skull.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 01:02 PM (Nwg0u)

418 Regarding the book on Dr. Letterman and the improvements he made in tending the wounded (and dead) in the Civil War, I'd like to suggest The Aftermath of Battle: The Burial of the Civil War Dead by Meg Groeling. It's part of the Emerging Civil War Series and gives an extremely good overview of many of the problems both sides had to deal with regarding the wounded and dead. As visitors usually ask when visiting a Civil War site, "What did they do with all the bodies?" I also recommend checking out some of the other titles in the series.

Posted by: dwinnorcal at July 10, 2016 01:06 PM (3OTR8)

419 I was through with Curious George after Curious George and the Crystal Skull.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 01:02 PM (Nwg0u)

Really? I though he was a main course in Curious George and the Temple of Doom.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 10, 2016 01:16 PM (ry34m)

420 I though he was a main course in Curious George and the Temple of Doom.

No, no no. Don't be ridiculous.

It was dessert.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 10, 2016 01:17 PM (39g3+)

421 I've been read Hard Luck Hank: Stank Delicious and I'm quite enjoying it. Hank is playing on a professional glocken team as a cover to investigate the disappearance of a number of teammates. Glocken is so brutal a sport that an average career is only ten games. None-too-bright, morally-flexible, good-natured thug Hank stumbles clumsily through another adventure with many the chuckle and thrill in this syfy adventure comedy.

I'm finishing up Mysterium I: Rome in which a well to do young Roman in the year 100 investigates the historical reality of Jesus. I started out good but I'm becoming increasingly disenchanted. One of the characters argues that Jesus was merely a plagiarist by pointing out similar quotes from Seneca. The problem is Jesus was crucified around the year 30 while Seneca died in the year 65 so there may be a horse/cart problem. Regardless of any error here, the problem is the dishonesty. I suppose it's possible the character will be discredited but I feel I'm being lied to. I'm almost finished with book but I doubt I read the sequels.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 10, 2016 01:24 PM (Nwg0u)

422 As 'cool breeze' notes, it's a painting.

http://sanfranguy.deviantart.com/art/Victorian-room-302279364

Posted by: PersonFromPorlock at July 10, 2016 01:31 PM (U4QC6)

423 Anyone else remember TWA flight 800? In case you don't remember, in July of 1996, this flight took off from JFK Airport, suffered a massive explosion shortly afterwards, and crashed into the Atlantic, killing all 230 passengers and crew. The official explanation was that the destruction of the 747 aircraft was due to a fuel/air explosion in the center wing fuel tank. There were a number of initial witnesses whose testimony suggested that TWA 800 was hit by a surface-to-air missile. However, upon a full investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the witnesses were incorrect.

I recall seeing eyewitness reports in the media at the time, within hours of the crash, where the witnesses reported seeing something moving across the sky and hitting the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, government officials, one of which was Rudy Giuliani IIRC, were all over the media stating that the eyewitnesses were wrong. They weren't quite sure yet what brought the plane down, but it had definitely NOT been shot down.

I recall thinking at the time how incompetent they were at conducting their coverup. How could they know what had happened (or hadn't happened) when they were still in the very initial phases of their investigation? They hadn't even finished recovering the wreckage.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at July 10, 2016 01:43 PM (R+30W)

424 On the heels of grammie winger's comments about the elites comes, "You Are A Problem To Be Policed."

http://bit.ly/29r7qGz

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 01:50 PM (OJKE+)

425 Oh hell....Proulx is awful for more than that. Read "The Shipping News."

And if you want to get a rise out of AtC, just mention Proulx to her in passing as a good author.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 10, 2016 11:35 AM (Zu3d9)

I read "The Shipping News", back when it was the flavor du jour. And you know something? None of it stuck with me. Characters, plot, nada. Beyond it was set in Newfoundland, which was probably why it made a splash in the first place.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at July 10, 2016 01:54 PM (GSdpU)

426 Can you imagine George Lucas filming - Curious George: Return of the Monkey?

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 10, 2016 02:07 PM (AZagi)

427 Late, as always.

Finished 'Unbroken' this week. I haven't seen the movie, but as usual, the movie could not possibly been as powerful as the book. Highly recommended.

Started 'The Korean War', by Max Hastings. So far, well written, with lots of interviews with Vets, including Chinese sources.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 10, 2016 02:12 PM (9mTYi)

428 All this talk of John Varley makes me wonder if I ever want to read Red Thunder again since I really don't recall anything of the plot or characters in that book.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 10, 2016 02:14 PM (AZagi)

429 Hmm. Coming soon, 'Curious George and the Folsom Street Parade'

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 10, 2016 02:14 PM (9mTYi)

430 Mike Hammer, that would be Curious George Shocks the Monkey... *thud*

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 10, 2016 02:17 PM (AZagi)

431 My children, now all in their 20's, and I loved reading the books of Graeme Base. One book included a CD of music that we listened to for hours on end. I must ask them what happened to it. Thank you for evoking these memories.

Posted by: Locke Common at July 10, 2016 02:25 PM (bNRzj)

432 BTW did I miss the chess thread???

Posted by: Locke Common at July 10, 2016 02:26 PM (bNRzj)

433 432
BTW did I miss the chess thread???

Posted by: Locke Common at July 10, 2016 02:26 PM (bNRzj)

Yes, that is on Saturdays

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 02:36 PM (mpXpK)

434 One of the characters argues that Jesus was merely a plagiarist by pointing out similar quotes from Seneca. The problem is Jesus was crucified around the year 30 while Seneca died in the year 65 so there may be a horse/cart problem

If the action is happening in 100 AD, then it's possible one or more of the post-Temple gospels (lookin' at Matthew or Luke here, also Thomas et al.) took Seneca's quote and attributed it to Jesus. That would account for the dialogue you read.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 10, 2016 02:46 PM (6FqZa)

435 I read the first page of "The Shipping News." It was lent to me by a friend who did not want it back. She included a bookmark with a Dorothy Whats-her-name (of the Algonquian Roundtable) quote that said, "This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be hurled across the room with great force."

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 03:03 PM (VsZJP)

436 Parker. Dorothy Parker.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 10, 2016 03:04 PM (VsZJP)

437 422 As 'cool breeze' notes, it's a painting.

http://sanfranguy.deviantart.com/art/Victorian-room-302279364

Posted by: PersonFromPorlock at July 10, 2016 01:31 PM

6 Painting I'm thinking but easily could be wrong.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 09:04 AM

I'll take that as a win

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2016 03:11 PM (Yo9Lf)

438 I'm currently half way through CTRL-alt-revolt by Nick Cole per the horde's reccomendation. I'm enjoying it so far.

Posted by: Darth Randall at July 10, 2016 03:41 PM (6n332)

439 P.T. Deutermann.
http://www.ptdeutermann.com/book-sentinels.html

But, I've read almost everything he has written.

And they are all enjoyable.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice

Thanks for the tip.
I did read "Scorpion in the Sea" a long time back and enjoyed it. I thought at the time that Tom Selleck could have adapted the story to Follow up the Mangium P.I. series; where he ended up reuping in the Navy on the last episode.

Just bought the WWII pack, and look forward to reading it. I love what Barrett Tillman wrote on WWII. Hope this is similar.

Posted by: Paladin at July 10, 2016 03:42 PM (i7KR8)

440 I have never read anything by her. What's so terrible about Annie Proulx?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 10, 2016 03:52 PM (bpZlE)

441 Okay, I'm coming late to the party, but if we're going to discuss Flight 800--why you shoot a plane down with a missile along the coast of Long Island?

I mean, even if you wanted to take down a plane, that seems like just about the toughest way to covertly do it.

Posted by: AD at July 10, 2016 03:54 PM (XHWYb)

442 404 King Bidgood- Audrey Wood, author; Don Wood, illustrator.

My kids loved her books, and I enjoyed reading and re-reading (and re-reading more times than I can count!) Napping House, Big Hungry Bear, Tickle Octopus are a few I can quote :-)

Posted by: Grateful to have been able to be a stay-at-home mom at July 10, 2016 03:56 PM (xhEPV)

443 And even if it were an accident--that's one incompetent accident.

Ensign: "I thought it was an enemy aircraft, sir."

Captain: "We're off the coast of Long Island."

Posted by: AD at July 10, 2016 03:56 PM (XHWYb)

444 And by the time I finish the book thread, I have little time to read anything else.

Which explains why I have renewed "The Day of the Jackal" at least nine times.

Posted by: Weak Geek at July 10, 2016 03:56 PM (+Q7sG)

445 I was soured on Donaldson though with the first Gap book, and then I read another series by an author Laurell K Hamilton, where over the course of the books she (the author and hence the character) seemed to go completely off the reservation. I realized that for some authors, works are about working out issues. Looking at Donaldson in that light, he does not come off so well.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 10, 2016 12:06 PM (3ZoRf)

---
I'm going to bet the series by Hamilton is the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. In said series the heroine goes from Catholic good girl to gang-bang whore. It was sad to read as the books started off as pretty good mystery/action books. I quit reading after "Incubus Dreams" which is book 12 in the series because she pretty much dropped the mystery/action aspect and became all sex, all the time.

My understanding is that Hamilton was going through a divorce and got her a boytoy around the time of book 10 or 11.

Posted by: Darth Randall at July 10, 2016 04:13 PM (6n332)

446 A bit late on the thread, but has anyone seen the HBO movie "Conspiracy" concerning the Wannsee
Conference in which Kevin Branagh plays Heydrich. You will never see a better acting job. The scary part about it is that the conference reminds me of one of the many miserable manager's meetings that I sat through--the banality of evil.

Posted by: Libra at July 10, 2016 04:14 PM (GblmV)

447 Thank you for bringing up PADDLE TO THE SEA, I remember watching the short movie in school, I always thought it was a good story.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at July 10, 2016 04:42 PM (c4yY7)

448 Hard Luck Hank books are better in Audio form. The reader reads it as Hank and I never laughed so hard with a book, I really can't recommend these books enough.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at July 10, 2016 04:47 PM (c4yY7)

449 I've been read Hard Luck Hank

I have been reading them also. Good books, but I still think mine are funnier.

Posted by: V the K at July 10, 2016 04:52 PM (uOtyQ)

450 446 A bit late on the thread, but has anyone seen the HBO movie "Conspiracy" concerning the Wannsee
Conference in which Kevin Branagh plays Heydrich. You will never see a better acting job. The scary part about it is that the conference reminds me of one of the many miserable manager's meetings that I sat through--the banality of evil.
Posted by: Libra at July 10, 2016 04:14 PM (GblmV)

Yes, this was a good movie.

In his intro to 'The Screwtape Letters', CS Lewis remarked that the real evil in the world today was being done by men with clean, well-manicured fingernails sitting at desks in well-lit offices behind closed doors with signs that said "Admin." on them.

The film 'Conspiracy' is a perfect illustration of that.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 10, 2016 05:51 PM (M/KpG)

451 450 446 A bit late on the thread, but has anyone seen the HBO movie "Conspiracy" concerning the Wannsee

--
I just watched that last week!
Good movie.

Posted by: @votermom at July 10, 2016 06:26 PM (7lVbc)

452 "booky"

1. a person who takes bets.

2. having to do with books.

my use of "booky" (above) is the rare 2nd definition.

I humbly submit that the word you were searching for was "bookish."

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 06:31 PM (OJKE+)

453 Okay, I'm coming late to the party, but if we're going to discuss Flight 800--why you shoot a plane down with a missile along the coast of Long Island?

I mean, even if you wanted to take down a plane, that seems like just about the toughest way to covertly do it.

The muzz didn't want it covert; Bill Clinton and the DNC did.

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 06:45 PM (OJKE+)

454 "All the deaths in the series were the result of stupidity, randomness, or sheer coincidence. None of them had meaning or made sense, on purpose."

Sounds like real life to me.

"McMurtry was amazed how popular his book was, since he was attacking the very people that loved it."

If that was his purpose he failed greatly.

Posted by: goodluckduck at July 10, 2016 06:50 PM (ffrR/)

455 If that was his purpose he failed greatly.

Amen to that. That miniseries was the hook that started me on Westerns and admiring "Frontier Justice."

IYKWIMAITTYD

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 06:53 PM (OJKE+)

456 455
If that was his purpose he failed greatly.

Amen to that. That miniseries was the hook that started me on Westerns and admiring "Frontier Justice."

IYKWIMAITTYD

Posted by: RushBabe at July 10, 2016 06:53 PM (OJKE+)

I have the mini-series and I thought it was mostly good, but I hated the book.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 07:02 PM (mpXpK)

457 BTW, if you like western books get a few Louis L' Amour books.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 10, 2016 07:04 PM (mpXpK)

458 184
Bruce, observing modern SJWs, I suspect that female Nazis were possibly the most fervent true believers.
----------------
Yeah, Magda Goebbels, Hans' wife, was a real piece of work. Here is an excerpt from her last letter to her parents, just before she killed her six children:

"Our glorious idea is ruined and with it everything beautiful and marvelous that I have known in my life. The world that comes after the F�hrer and national socialism is not any longer worth living in and therefore I took the children with me, for they are too good for the life that would follow, and a merciful God will understand me when I will give them salvation (death)."

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 10, 2016 07:44 PM (ZxmMG)

459 She had the bad timing to make her comment when Ace was in a pissy mood, and she set off his "why should I have to put up with this shit" switch.
Posted by: rickl
--------------

At some personal risk, I would agree. The irony is that she was, as I recall, upset about vulgarity and personal attacks, and merely expressed dismay.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 10, 2016 08:05 PM (ZxmMG)

460 A bit late on the thread, but has anyone seen the HBO movie "Conspiracy" concerning the Wannsee
Conference in which Kevin Branagh plays Heydrich. You will never see a better acting job.

Yep, its one of my faves and I concur about
Branagh.

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2016 09:01 PM (m91Sb)

461 ¢

Posted by: amy schumer at July 11, 2016 12:25 AM (P1hwM)

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