Sunday Morning Book Thread 07-24-2016: It's Commies All The Way Down [OregonMuse]

University of Michigan Law Library

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 for losers, 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. And these don't count.

Geez people, go home and read a book.

There's no hope.

Posted by: Country Boy at July 17, 2016 08:31 PM (zzzTG)

(The AoSHQ Sunday Morning Book Thread approves of moron Country Boy's take on the Pokemon Go ~~fad~~ ~~craze~~ national obsession)

Nood Communism

A couple of weeks back, I was complaining of Howard Zinn and other rat bastard commies rewriting of history to make the American founders out to be nothing but greedy, slaving rich guys. I got an interesting response:

#30: https://tinyurl.com/brjhz

Posted by: Country Singer at July 03, 2016 11:39 AM (GUBah)

The page links to a list of "Current Communist Goals", #30 of which is

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

Sounds about right. So, the question that occurred to me was, where did this list come from? It looks pretty much like the things the rat bastard commies have been up to for the past several decades, but I want to know where it came from. Did the commies just sit down one day and draw it up as a list of action items (perhaps inspired by Lenin's essay What Is To Be Done?) or was it put together by anti-communists who wanted to explain their own observations of what they saw the rat bastards doing?

As it turns out, it's more the latter: the list appeared, unsourced, in the book The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen, who compiled it from a variety of material:

If the student will read the reports of Congressional hearings together with available books by ex-Communists, he will find all of these Communist objectives described in detail. Furthermore, he will come to understand how many well-meaning citizens have become involved in pushing forward the Communist program without realizing it. They became converted to Communist objectives because they accepted superficial Communist slogans. Soon they were thinking precisely the way the Communists wanted them to think.

TNC is an interesting book. In its day, it sold over 2 million copies, according to the Amazon description.

The Naked Communist contains a distillation of more than one hundred books and treatises on communism, many written by Marxist authors. This text that reviewers have called "the most powerful book on communism since J. Edgar Hoover's Masters of Deceit" sees the communist as he sees himself - stripped of propaganda and pretense. Readers are offered an explanation of the appeal of communism, its history, its basic and unchanging concepts - even its secret timetable of conquest.

It starts out with a biography of Karl Marx and his friendship with Engels. I did not know that he came from a long line of rabbis, but even so, one day when he was about 5 or 6 years old his father came home and announced "Hey, guess what, we're all Lutherans now." So young Karl was baptized into the Lutheran Church. This switcheroo was so sudden I think it must had quite an effect on how he came to view religion, i.e. all there is to the universe is a bunch of atoms banging around. Marx's materialistic philosophy is discussed in the next chapter, followed by bios of Lenin and Stalin and the history of communism in Russia

Skousen has also written many other books, such as The 5000 Year Leap (which apparently Glenn Beck used to hype back when he was on Fox), The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, as well as a couple of other nood books, The Naked Capitalist and The Naked Socialist.

Also books on Mormon theology and history too numerous to list.

You can actually download The Naked Communist in a variety of formats for free here.

And on a biographical note:

Mr. Skousen and his wife, Jewel Pitcher of San Bernardino, California, are the parents of eight children, 50 grandchildren, and more than 120 great-grandchildren.

And this is why Mormons will soon be taking over the world. They're the only one having lots of children.

Free (but Competitive) Calliope Workshop, NYC

And as long as I'm stealing stuff from Votermom's blog, why stop now?

Taliesin Nexus, in partnership with Liberty Island, is holding Calliope Author's Workshop, which is "a workshop specifically dedicated to authors working in fiction and narrative nonfiction who share an interest in liberty."

The Calliope workshop is from Sept 9-11 in New York City, and the amazing part of it for writers just starting out - it is completely free! If you are selected to participate, they will provide your airfare and hotel accommodations.

This year's faculty includes Sarah Hoyt and other authors and publishers.

This is one of those things I wished I had announced sooner. The deadline for entries is July 31st. Find out how to apply to participate in this workshop at the Taliesin Nexus site.

(H/T NaCly Dog for the cartoon)

Worst President Ever?

We don't need to wait until Jan. 2017 to know this. Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan get it in early with their new book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama:

The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama compiles 200 inconvenient truths about Obama’s presidency—the facts that will shape his legacy: His real record on the economy; the disaster that is Obamacare; his shocking abuses of taxpayer dollars; his bitterly divisive style of governing; his shameless usurping of the Constitution; his scandals and cover ups; his policy failures at home and abroad; the unprecedented expansion of government power... and more.

All of these facts are now at your fingertips in a single source. The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama is your ultimate guide to Obama's real record - the record he’d like history to forget.

Not a bad Kindle deal for $3.99

Moronette Votermom has an interview with Matt Margolis. In her review of the book, she points out this is not some sort of rage anthology, but rather:

[T]he authors use a calm and reasoned tone, there does not seem to be any emotionalism. From the title I was a bit worried that it would have a lot of angry rants but it's not that type of book.

But if it's a rage anthology you're looking for, check out the one-star reviews of this book on Amazon. Not only are they hilarious, but as of this date, there is not one "verified purchase" in the bunch. I know everybody is surprised by this.

Also:

It's more a chronicling of current history. Given how quickly we, the public, forget, and how the media loves to whitewash Democrat actions, I think this is an important book; I'm glad the authors have published it.

Emphasis mine. This is a good point. Someone needs to be standing there at the memory hole, keeping track of what's getting flushed. Hopefully, this book will help serve that purpose.

Request For Beta Readers

Moronette 'right wing whippersnapper' is finishing up her YA novel and needs some fresh eyes to take a look at it:

I'm in search of someone to beta read/edit my first novel, a YA low fantasy (lots of swords, pretty dresses, and poisonous royal courts, but no magic, dragons, or end of the world) with a large helping of romance, a few little mysteries, and a twenty-year feud between two kings to keep everybody engaged. Because of the subject matter, it's probably of more interest to the 'ettes than the 'rons, but I'll take help from anyone who offers. If you're interested, shoot me an email at countrywoman539 at gee mail dot com.

Moron Recommendations

Again dipping into ace's book rec thread (which I've been dining out on for weeks now), a moron who is socking L. Ron Hubbard recommended Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright, which, the Amazon blurb describes as

...a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists—both famous and less well known—and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.

This rec caught my eye because I am currently reading the other book by Mr. Wright mentioned in the blurb, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

A sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans and the Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America. Lawrence Wright's remarkable book is based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews that he conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, England, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States.

The book starts out with the FBI agent who first notices this WWE heel named Osama bin Laden shouting from a cave in Afghanistan, and his efforts to impress upon his colleagues the necessity of hey, you know, maybe we should keep an eye on this guy.

H/T to moron commenter "Randy Weaver's Revenge" for this rec, who also says

I won't even go into the myriad of conflicts between the CIA and FBI that resulted in no one having the whole picture, thus allowing the attack to proceed.

9/11: the perfect storm of incompetence and suck.

Books By Morons

Part Two of naturalfake's 'Wearing The Cat' series has just been published. The Fox's Den continues the saga of naval dentist Lt. Nick McGill, who

...arrives at MCAS Katsuobushi Japan as the Lieutenant Deluxe, the finest lieutenant, professionally, militarily, dentally, socially, spiritually, that the Old Man has ever had the privilege of serving with in the whole of his Naval career.

McGill has the papers to prove it.

And all it took was a little blackmail.

McGill's idiotic yet brilliant solutions to his dilemmas lead to an exquisite series of surprises, twists, and laughs as just about everything that could possibly go wrong does for McGill. And changes his life forever.

I read the first in the series. It's pretty dang funny. But the humor is for adults.

The Kindle edition is currently priced at 99 cents, so what are you waiting for?

___________

Moronette 'votermom' is putting together a list of moron authors over on the Goodreads site which is intended to be accessible 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 24, 2016 08:59 AM (DrCtv)

2 Good morning bookworms
Finished A Higher Callook by Adam Makos, it's the story of a very wounded Bomber and crew that was found flying by the German Ace Franz Stigler trying to get back to England. But instead of finishing it off he escorted it through the flak zone. It tells how they arrived at that point ( both Bomber crew and fighter pilot) and how the war finished mostly for the fighter pilot.
The book I think came out a few years ago but if you come across it is thought it was well written and understand how inter personal in the German Luftwaffen worked.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:01 AM (bksJQ)

3 Yes, worst ever.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 09:01 AM (jR7Wy)

4 Started Company Commander by Col Charles B. MACDONALD a memoir of a company officer. I am abandoning my Kindle Unlimited as I've been buying books and didn't read anything from it in awhile. So saw this and few times and am fascinated by personal war stories.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:05 AM (bksJQ)

5 "15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States."

Well, success.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at July 24, 2016 09:05 AM (9ym/8)

6 I read a book featured by OM a few weeks ago, The New Class: An Analysis of the Communist System by Milovan Djilas. Written in the mid-50's, it is a scathing inditement of communism written by one who was once considered the replacement for Tito in Yugoslavia.

Posted by: Zoltan at July 24, 2016 09:05 AM (JYer2)

7 Obama's legacy will be protected by the Left like junkyard dogs. Unfortunately it's the victors who get to write history. (Spainish Civil War being the exception)

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 09:06 AM (MNgU2)

8 Obama has been undeniably the worst for America but since destroying the country was exactly what he wanted to do,he has to count his presidency as a great success.

Posted by: steevy at July 24, 2016 09:07 AM (B48dK)

9 The Peanuts cartoon is how I picture all writers sitting at their typewriter or now computer.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:07 AM (bksJQ)

10 Nice link, OM/COJ.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at July 24, 2016 09:07 AM (9ym/8)

11 7 The Left always writes the histories,oh yeah,the victors.

Posted by: steevy at July 24, 2016 09:08 AM (B48dK)

12 University of Michigan Law Library or Hogwarts Castle?

Posted by: Avogadra at July 24, 2016 09:08 AM (UDMos)

13 And this is why Mormons will soon be taking over the world. They're the only one having lots of children.

ahem

Posted by: Mohammid al Goatfucker at July 24, 2016 09:09 AM (rwI+c)

14 Slightly OT but still tangentially related: I had 2 very long flights in the last 2 weeks (Korea). The first, on KAL, was almost pleasurable. Tall, beautiful, attentive young stewardesses did everything that could be asked of them, start to finish. The plane was new and modern, including having power plugs for my Kindle, so I could read (see, books). They also had TV screens in the back of each seat, so I could watch crappy superhero movies the whole time. Given that it was overnight, that's a good, brain-dead pastime.

The return trip was on United, and simply couldn't have been a starker contrast. The flight was delayed, costing us our connection. The stewardi were all old, crabby, and spent most of the trip goofing off in the galley. The bathrooms were filthy, and the plane was old and beat up. United now says they're "giving" us self-entertainment. What that means is that you have to watch movies via wifi on your own Kindle, since they only have the one, old screen at the front of the section, and that was glitchy and stuttering. It, of course, had no plugs for my Kindle. Fortunately, I was in a reading frame of mind, but if I'd wanted to watch movies, I could do so only as long as my battery held up. Yet they tell you at security that you can't bring a spare battery, for good reason.

Two points:
1) Most people don't read on planes anymore.
2) United stinks on ice.

Posted by: pep at July 24, 2016 09:10 AM (LAe3v)

15 We really didn't know the intent of Bin Laden at the time so give us a break.

Posted by: FBI at July 24, 2016 09:10 AM (MNgU2)

16 @14, we travel a lot and I could not agree with you more. Our local carriers are the absolute worst, United and Delata leading the charge. Virgin, especially Virgin Australia is an absolute delight, so is Korean and Eva if you are headed east.

Posted by: IC at July 24, 2016 09:13 AM (KTFfX)

17 Just in case we're go to careen off into a consideration of anti-communist books, I've long cherished "The New Class: An Analysis of the Communist System," by Milovan Djilas, who would know, being one and all. And he tears it apart from the inside.

I went to a medieval history conference at the U of Mich law quad once, in the 70's, and a very polite and proud old alum insisted on giving me a mini-architectural tour so that I'd understand that it was all endowed by a grateful alum (with high architectural standards), not The State. That was in The Old Days.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 09:15 AM (tIja6)

18 Just finished Miss Jane by Brad Watson, a story about his own great-aunt who was born with a congenital defect, persisted cloaca, that would make sex and pregnancy difficult if not impossible. It was accompanied by incontinence, rendering every outing a potential disaster. And yet in all other ways she is a normal little girl, and she grows into a charming and beautiful young lady.

This sounds like an awful premise for a book but it is a poetic rendering of growing up in a small Mississippi town at the beginning of the century, and living through war, Prohibition, the Depression; of romance blooming but left of necessity to die before reaching full flower; and also the beauties of nature and living a quiet but pleasurable solitary life.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 09:15 AM (jR7Wy)

19 I wish Evelyn Waugh or George Orwell were still alive and doing their jouro thang, so someone with both a brain and wit could cover the Philladelphia debacle to come.

Of course, Fear And Loathing in South Philly would also be a great title, covering a drug and gun fueled rager through fund raisers, speeches, oddities of Vermont delegate gender selection controversies and how Tim Kaine keeps his sanity when confronted by the Golden Calf Required Worship ceremony at the end.

Posted by: MTF at July 24, 2016 09:16 AM (/m8T6)

20 Mormons do have many kids but they cannot compete with the Muslims..I knew a guy who had four wives, 24 kids and heavens know how many grandkids...and that's not really all that unusual in their culture. unles something drastically changes in the course of world events, they will be the majority in a few generations from now.

Posted by: IC at July 24, 2016 09:16 AM (KTFfX)

21 Well into book 2 of the Chuck Dixon "Bad Times" series. Not bad escapist fiction, and boy, do I need escape!
Skip, "Company Commander" is excellent. A classic.

Posted by: That SOB Van Owen at July 24, 2016 09:17 AM (CAKDm)

22 I'm just guessing that one of the points in the Worst presidency book is that 46 million people were on a food assistance program. That's 15% of the population. That's an inconceivable number for me.

Posted by: FBI at July 24, 2016 09:17 AM (MNgU2)

23 Ah early book thread. Finished The Talents 3 book series which is a prequel to the Tower series by Anne McCafrey (yes female author). Started the Tower series however had an interesting run-in with Amazon.

I posted a comment on the first book in the series asking if anyone knew why the book was not available for the Kindle in the US but was available for the Kindle at Amazon Great Britain. Amazon rejected the comment because it "did not meet their guidelines".

I suspect that like almost all the David Eddings books they are not available due to a fight over the copyright rights. Except in this case Anne McCafrey is still alive.

In any case, I am doomed to struggling through the paperback copy I have wearing 2.5x magnifying glasses over my normal glasses.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:17 AM (mpXpK)

24 I did not intend on leaving on the FBI sock.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 09:18 AM (MNgU2)

25 Funny thing about Marx, like most modern day politicians on the Left, he never worked a day in his life but was all worried about the plight of the workers.

Plus he suffered from chronic boils his entire life so I can take pleasure in that small factoid.

Reading "All Standing" about the famine ship Jeanie Johnston by Kathryn Miles. A good read.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 24, 2016 09:19 AM (ej1L0)

26 We really didn't know the intent of Bin Laden at the time so give us a break.
Posted by: FBI
----------------

ISWYDT

But, that is actually the excuse they have used for the string of Muzzie killers in the U.S., most of them were known to one degree or another.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 24, 2016 09:20 AM (9mTYi)

27 A couple of weeks back, I was complaining of Howard Zinn and other rat
bastard commies rewriting of history to make the American founders out
to be nothing but greedy, slaving rich guys.

I had never heard of Howard Zinn. A while back I was perusing the history section of out local library and I got his History of the US book. I read about five pages and said WTF???? I sampled a few more pages through the book, closed it up and took it back to the library. What a POS that book was.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:21 AM (mpXpK)

28 Finished Alberto Angela's "A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome."

A well-known TV host and author in Italy, specializing in science, archaeology and history-related subjects, Angela's book takes us hour by hour through a typical Roman day during the reign of Trajan, at the very height of Rome's power.

Angela makes engaging use of the unusual 4th-Person narrative viewpoint - i.e. "We enter the market" and "Let's look inside one of the amphorae" - to make you feel like you're taking an exclusive guided tour.

The translation is notable for the manner in which it retains the certain "Italian-ness" of the original text, and although there are some notable translation glitches here and there, I didn't find them distracting because the translation as a whole is so well done.

What did they wear? How did they wear their hair? What did they eat? How did they bathe and go to the bathroom? What was an afternoon at The Coliseum really like? What was their sex life like? Where did all those slaves come from? Did they gamble? Have prostitutes? What was it like to go to court in ancient Rome? How did they decorate their homes? Angela brings you all of the sights, the sounds and the smells. And you'll learn that just about everything everyone thinks they know about Ancient Rome is wrong.

The book does have some nice drawings but it screams out for an overviewl map and some inset maps to go with each chapter, and more drawings would have been appreciated. You'll find yourself running to the computer a lot while reading this book, to learn and see more about the various subjects covered. I kept Google Earth Rome up so I could see the ruins described in the book.

A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome is not a heavy, weighty, professorial tome kind of book. It doesn't need to be. You'll learn plenty while enjoying its natural, breezy, intimate narrative, and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 24, 2016 09:21 AM (WlGX+)

29 We really didn't know the intent of Bin Laden at the time so give us a break.

Posted by: FBI at July 24, 2016 09:10 AM (MNgU2)

I would like to add that bin Laden's employees were extremely careless - which is much different than grossly negligent - with the airplanes that they borrowed from United and American.

Posted by: James Comey at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (nFdGS)

30 Thanks for the plug, OM! I'm really excited to- maybe- get some feedback on this thing, since nobody else is willing to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

In other news, I'm reading B.A. Botkin's A Treasury of American Anecdotes. Highly recommend. It's all the old yarns and tall tales that the old timers used to tell, and these people were older in the fifties, so they'd seen a lot of cool American history first hand. I've gotten my hands on a few of Botkin's folklore collections, and they're all really good, not to mention, unabashedly American.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (26lkV)

31 Das Kapital will be 150 years old next year.

The Wave of the Future that.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (rwI+c)

32 Was reading the articles about how MH 370, the Malaysian passenger plane that "disappeared" in the Indian Ocean was apparently taken down deliberately by a Muslim pilot who had practiced before hand on his in-home flight simulator. Recalled an Egypt Air flight (990) that had gone down off the east coast of the U.S. in 1999, killing hundreds. The pilot who took that plane down was also Muslim. The NTSB officially ruled the crash a suicide.

While searching online for articles about this, I came across an article written by a former Muslim (and former Muslim Brotherhood member). He says that there have been at least four of these Muslim jihad/suicides by passenger plane: Egypt Air 804 (where the pilot actually had a "farewell" dinner for all his friends, and said his goodbyes, before he crashed the plane); Egypt Air 990 (the U.S. crash that NTSB confirmed was deliberate); an Indonesian crash (in which the cries of "allahu akbar" were heard on the CVR by investigators), and apparently now the Malaysian plane "disappearance."

The Muslim author of the article says that the koran teaches that death by drowning automatically makes Muslims martyrs. He believes that is why the MH370 pilot practiced taking the plane out into the Indian Ocean and then setting it down there; he specifically wanted to drown and become a martyr.

http://tinyurl.com/hxoh988

It's interesting reading. It's also terrifying, for those of us who have to fly. Of course, the airlines and the various governments are trying to keep the lid on this, to avoid people freaking out about flying on planes piloted by Muslims.

Posted by: TrivialPursuer at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (NnYnv)

33 I remember walking through the Law Quad at UM and spotting the strangely modern-looking gargoyles (spectacles?). Here they are:

http://www.law.umich.edu/historyandtraditions/buildings/LawQuadrangle/Pages/Corbels.aspx

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (jR7Wy)

34 I've decided to hide from the world, and so am rereading PG Wodehouse's collected Blandings stories. I'd rather read about a taciturn pig than noisy thugs.

If you have never had the PG Wodehouse addiction but are willing to give him another try, I always suggest the short story "Uncle Fred Flits By" as an introduction. I've read the story probably a hundred times and I still laugh hard when I read it.

Posted by: MTF at July 24, 2016 09:23 AM (/m8T6)

35 You can go right down the list of Communist goals. The vast majority of them have been achieved.

Posted by: rickl at July 24, 2016 09:24 AM (sdi6R)

36 I am surprised that Amazon is marketing that book about Obama.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:25 AM (mpXpK)

37 I love gargoyles and have carved 3, 1 as a corbel. I want to make a real on as a water downspout but haven't broke out the carving tools in years.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:25 AM (bksJQ)

38 I had never heard of Howard Zinn. A while back I was perusing the history section of out local library and I got his History of the US book. I read about five pages and said WTF???? I sampled a few more pages through the book, closed it up and took it back to the library. What a POS that book was.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:21 AM (mpXpK)

The title of Zinn's book is "A People's History of the United States". That's what tipped me off that it was a manure wagon of commie propaganda.

And it's used in all the high schools now, or so I hear. Isn't that great?

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 09:25 AM (tEhtH)

39 Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

I wonder if this is the same strategy as 'the moon landings never happened' croc of bullshit which is becoming so prevalent. Discredit American achievements under capitalism -- even though NASA was a government agency.

I got into it with son-in-law recently when he popped off about 'people who believe we landed on the moon'. I calmly but patiently explained my own experience with software developed by the Jet Propulsion Lab. How it was designed to handle the million plus parts necessary for the moon missions. How it was swifly ported to early personal computers of both Dos and Cpm and embraced by small businesses giving 'early embracers' a huge competive advantage.

I then proceeded to tell him how that competitive advantage allowed me to buy a new home, pay for the braces for my son and daughter, put in a swimming pool, put a couple new cars in the driveway, etc. etc. etc.

His reply *crickets*.

Posted by: free range conservative at July 24, 2016 09:26 AM (ZnIt3)

40 4 ... Skip, 'Company Commander' is a wonderful and informative book. It gets better and better as it goes. MacDonald became the Army historian. Also, check out his 'A Time For Trumpets', which is the best account I've read of the Battle of the Bulge.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 09:27 AM (V+03K)

41 I got into it with son-in-law recently when he popped off about 'people
who believe we landed on the moon'. I calmly but patiently explained my
own experience with software developed by the Jet Propulsion Lab. How
it was designed to handle the million plus parts necessary for the moon
missions. How it was swifly ported to early personal computers of both
Dos and Cpm and embraced by small businesses giving 'early embracers' a
huge competive advantage.

I then proceeded to tell him how that competitive advantage allowed
me to buy a new home, pay for the braces for my son and daughter, put in
a swimming pool, put a couple new cars in the driveway, etc. etc. etc.

You're a better man than me. I would have smacked him.

Posted by: pep at July 24, 2016 09:27 AM (LAe3v)

42 38 Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 09:25 AM (tEhtH)
--------------------------------------------------

Seriously? It's fictionalized history! Even Zinn admitted as much, or at least he described as "editorial history". Is there a school board out there crazy enough to call it a textbook? We really are sunk in this country.

Posted by: MTF at July 24, 2016 09:28 AM (/m8T6)

43 I see AoSHq Time for Trumpets and picked up the sampler. I have 2 weeks of Unlimited to read all I can

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:30 AM (bksJQ)

44 Posted by: TrivialPursuer at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (NnYnv)

Checking it out now. Thank you for the tip.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 24, 2016 09:31 AM (WlGX+)

45 I highly, highly recommend Thomas G. West's Vindicating the Founders - it's an analysis of the founders on race, class, etc., based on a reading of their own words. It's really one of the best books you can read on the Founding.

Posted by: Some (TX) Asshole at July 24, 2016 09:31 AM (l9C+f)

46 Love the photo of the library but t kills me that it's wasted on lawyers. I should be MINE, ALL MINE!!!

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 09:31 AM (V+03K)

47 Just started "Hollywood Party" about the apparently boundless tragedy of the communist blacklist, so really good timing for me WRT the Book Thread. So far, so good - the author does not appear to be wasting any time.

And on my Kindle I am reading "Gone to Sea in a Bucket" which is entertaining enough although there's a good bit of British background c. WW II that I don't get, but not enough to dissuade me from reading the book.

That Kellerman mystery is still around but it seems to consist of padding surrounding five minutes of detecting maybe once a day. It's just dreadful and I do not understand why he still has a contract. Mrs. Kellerman is a much better writer.

Coffee isn't kicking in at all. For some reason, I think there's something else I'm reading, but without a few functioning brain cells, it's just not coming to me. And kitteh really wants to snuggle this morning.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 24, 2016 09:31 AM (VsZJP)

48 Tablet changed "A" for "AoSHq "

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:32 AM (bksJQ)

49 I usually check in with AOS on Sunday specifically for the book thread. Picked up some good recommendations from the morons over the years. Thanks!

Posted by: Buckeye Abroad at July 24, 2016 09:34 AM (GcTQ1)

50 Ah - the Library o'the Week has a very strong resemblance to the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. I've always liked Victorian revival, especially for public buildings.

Not much to report, bookwise - as I am going all out to finish the first draft of the Gold Rush epic that I feel like I have been working on forever, so that I can pick up with the third Luna City chronicle. Dipped a bit into an fantasy epic on my Kindle that I must have picked up on special - Mark of the Mage by RK Ryals. First of four volumes, and the first book is free on Kindle. So far, so good.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at July 24, 2016 09:34 AM (xnmPy)

51 bonk bnonk

Posted by: Dr. Varno at July 24, 2016 09:35 AM (GdFQh)

52 38 And it's used in all the high schools now, or so I hear. Isn't that great?

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 09:25 AM (tEhtH)

I would not doubt it. But how would it go over in TX. The rumor is that TX really controls what school books are published due to the yuuuge number of books they buy for schools.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:36 AM (mpXpK)

53 These people who don't believe the moon landings ever took place...do they believe the ISS exists?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 09:37 AM (jR7Wy)

54 @27 Vic

Howard Zinn's book of fables (he admitted making shit up to fit the leftist narrative) is pushed in most US public schools as the "history book" to be used.

Posted by: Buckeye Abroad at July 24, 2016 09:38 AM (GcTQ1)

55 The people who don't believe in moon landings are all out back spraying vinegar at teh chemtrailz and are unavailable for comment.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 24, 2016 09:38 AM (WlGX+)

56 "The title of Zinn's book is "A People's History of the United States". That's what tipped me off that it was a manure wagon of commie propaganda."

"The People's Anything" is a sure guarantee of a load of commie codswallop. And unfortunately, Zinn's load of Commie codswallop in the guise of being a history of the US is used as a college text book in history courses. My daughter had it assigned as a required textbook (one of several) when she took a history course at a local community college, but fortunately the professor teaching the class said that reading the damn thing wasn't required.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at July 24, 2016 09:39 AM (xnmPy)

57 Did NCIS have and episode where Gibb's dad had a german luftwaffen friend that guided him home?

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at July 24, 2016 09:39 AM (4+VII)

58 You ever notice how few movies the Soviets/commies are really bad guys in?In the supposed "red scare" fifties you would think there would be many.There weren't.If the Soviets were involved they were often portrayed as very reasonable and not at fault.John Wayne shocked an interviewer by bringing that up after a question about the "black list".

Posted by: steevy at July 24, 2016 09:39 AM (B48dK)

59 You're a better man than me. I would have smacked him.Posted by: pep�

Can't. Too many grandchildren for me to take on.

Funny thing is, like so many of the murdering jihadists in this country, he's second generation American. I had more respect for his father, who fled Europe, became a US citizen, joined the US military and returned to Europe to fight as an American soldier.

I'm beginning to think that second generation Americans are easily influenced by the daily propaganda of the left. If so, we're in for a rough road ahead.

Posted by: free range conservative at July 24, 2016 09:40 AM (ZnIt3)

60 Love the photo of the library but t kills me that it's wasted on lawyers.

Why would lawyers need a library?

Posted by: Barack Hussein Obama, Esq. at July 24, 2016 09:40 AM (9mTYi)

61 54 Howard Zinn's book of fables (he admitted making
shit up to fit the leftist narrative) is pushed in most US public
schools as the "history book" to be used.

Posted by: Buckeye Abroad at July 24, 2016 09:38 AM (GcTQ1)

I never saw it in any of my daughter's books, nor in any of my grandson's books. But he is not yet in HS.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:40 AM (mpXpK)

62
I never read Zinn. When he kicked the bucket, local library had a display of his books. I grabbed one to skim thru - his most famous one, and found it had no index. I call BS. When a book has no index it is either a rush job or they are pulling a fast one.

Any way, I've seen Howie in docs, the one that sticks out the most was one on Sacco & Vanzetti, the original dindunuffin' boys. What a pile of shit!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 09:41 AM (iQIUe)

63 "Somewhere, in all these dusty law books, a great idea got lost. The idea that laws are for people, and people should be able to afford it."

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 24, 2016 09:42 AM (WlGX+)

64 Howard Zinn had his 15 minutes of fame when Lefty Matt Damon inserted him into Goid Will Hunting .

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 09:43 AM (MNgU2)

65 Dammit.

Hamilton.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at July 24, 2016 09:44 AM (9ym/8)

66 It was Hammer time!

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:45 AM (bksJQ)

67 I read "The Longest Winter" by Alex Kershaw this past week. The story is about an 18 member recon unit that held off the German Army just before the Battle of the Bulge and allowed the Allied troops to get positioned.....Turned out to be the most decorated platoon of WW2. I just love the guys of this era. The whole time I was reading it, I was trying to imagine this same event in the context of today's yutes.

Posted by: LA ette, formerly of TX, lakeside lurker at July 24, 2016 09:46 AM (ufEMs)

68 DNC Berniebot protestor Marxism blues- a limerick

A clueless ex-hippie named Davy
Confused? angry? yes...or...no...maybe
"I'm a rat bastard commie
and I'm mad at my mommy!"
"I'm a middle-aged Red diaper baby!"

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 09:47 AM (NeFrd)

69 bonhams just sold a signed copy of "das kapital" for $300,000. it was inscribed by marx to one johann eccarius "one of my oldest friends and adherents" 4 days after publication.

eccarius was a tailor and emigre in london and, among other things, was first general secretary of the 'international workingmen's association', a forerunner of the communist party.

they were quite close, with marx even supporting him financially at one point, but they had a falling out. marx even called him bitterly a "scoundrel" and a "traitor".

it's the most a signed "capital' has sold for as far as i know. ironic?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 24, 2016 09:47 AM (WTSFk)

70 g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at July 24, 2016 09:48 AM (KCxzN)

71 Maybe it was those commie freaks of REM who started it all...

♪ If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool ♪

Posted by: free range conservative at July 24, 2016 09:48 AM (ZnIt3)

72 And better yet Red Bull kept Ferrari off the podium,
I hate those Red/orange cars

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 09:48 AM (bksJQ)

73 I am reading "The Devil's Pleasure Palace: The Cult of Critical Theory and the Subversion of the West" by Michael Walsh.

Holy effing shit. It explains so much. What really pisses me off is that that fucker Herbert Marcuse was Professor Emeritus at my alma mater.

How the fuck did a faggot commie get into this country let alone get a sinecure?

Posted by: Grampa Jimbo at July 24, 2016 09:48 AM (4+VII)

74 ... just to put a book spin on things...

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at July 24, 2016 09:48 AM (WTSFk)

75
"The People's Anything" is a sure guarantee of a load of commie codswallop"......

Hey!

Posted by: Volkswagen at July 24, 2016 09:49 AM (weV3+)

76 Last week I mentioned what I would be reading during the conventions. (I did watch the Pence and Trump speeches as I was curious how they would go. Pretty good, I thought. I've been watching conventions since 1960 and am long past any rah- rah reactions. I streamed C-SPAN for the coverage.)

The plan worked. Backwoodsman magazine articles, classic adventure books, and a few off-shoots. It helped me retain what's left of my sanity or at least a non-lethal attitude. I'll be doing more of it this week. And I won't waste 2 seconds on the BS in Philly.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 09:50 AM (V+03K)

77 I'm rereading Clarence Thomas's bio, My Grandfather's Son. For some reason my allergies acted up when reading a few select chapters in that book. Now , when rereading them I'm just angry that America has lost what made me feel so emotional the first time I read them.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 09:50 AM (MNgU2)

78 62
I never read Zinn. When he kicked the bucket, local library had a display of his books. I grabbed one to skim thru - his most famous one, and found it had no index. I call BS. When a book has no index it is either a rush job or they are pulling a fast one.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 09:41 AM (iQIUe)

No index? I wouldn't be surprised if there was no footnotes or sources cited either.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 09:50 AM (7qAYi)

79 Also finished "Washington's Immortals" by Patrick K. O'Donnell. It's touted as a "Band of Brothers" treatment of the Maryland Line in the Revolutionary War, but it doesn't work out. Ambrose spent years getting to know the Easy Company survivors and listening to their stories. O'Donnell was obviously limited to available personal accounts and contemporary documents, which are pretty sparse. The result is a rehash of the campaigns that the Marylanders participated in, interspersed occasionally with a sentence or two of the "We marched barefoot in the snow" or "A cannonball took off the head of the poor fellow next to me" variety.
It's a fairly good campaign history, but don't expect to feel that you know these soldiers at personal level. It's not Winters and Guarnier and Shifty Powers in tricorn hats.

Posted by: That SOB Van Owen at July 24, 2016 09:51 AM (CAKDm)

80 Wow, what a library! No offense, but I didn't think a library so beautiful could exist in Michigan. I guess we only hear about how awful Detroit is & not the rest of the picture.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 09:51 AM (7qAYi)

81 Going Clear is good, someone in the book thread actually recommended it awhile back and that's why I read it.

If anyone has any doubt about Paul Haggis being a small, petty, ignorant man just read that book.

Posted by: Nigel West Dickens at July 24, 2016 09:52 AM (LYCUN)

82 I have tried teaching these moon landing conspriracy nuts how stupid they are.

I found out it would be easier to teach physics to a cat.

Posted by: JackS at July 24, 2016 09:54 AM (hgwL9)

83 Reading Hot and Sweaty Rex by Eric Garcia, the sequel to Anonymous Rex. Velociraptor private dick Vincent Rubio it's one of my favorite characters and it's too bad Garcia gave up on the concept after only three books.

Next up: Tim Cockey's The Hearse You Came In On. I love the Hitchcock Sewell Mysteries set in Baltimore.

Posted by: Sharkman at July 24, 2016 09:54 AM (rNZuH)

84 Thanks OM for yo' fine Book Pimpery for "Wearing the Cat - Part Two: The Fox's Den"-

and your kind personal words for "Wearing the Cat - Part One: Flaming Hoops".

Posted by: H D Woodard - "Wearing the Cat - The Fox's Den" at July 24, 2016 09:55 AM (HGtd0)

85 Matt Damon actually grew up in close proximity to Zinn and was raised to believe he was a Great Man. I found 'Good Will hunting' unwatchable, as the smug it emanates just stank up the room.

Posted by: Epobirs at July 24, 2016 09:57 AM (IdCqF)

86
Speaking of reasonable commies: I laugh when I think of Noel & Herta Field. They were commies spies in the 30s and 40s. When they thought they were going to get arrested, he applied for and was granted a residence permit in Czechoslovakia. A few days later, he was arrested. His wife traveled there looking for him, and she was arrested. His brother went to Poland where he had contacts hoping they would help him find his brother and he was arrested. The Field's adopted daugher went to East Germany looking for them and she was arrested.

Both Noel & Herta were handed over to the Hungarians who tried and sentenced them as spies.

Herman was held in a basement and "interrogated" for 3 years in Warsaw.

The daughter was sent to Moscow and sentenced to death. When Stalin kicked the bucket, her sentence was commuted to gulag time.

When Noel & Herta were released they went back and settled in Hungary and shilled for communism until the day they dies. Idiots. All 4 of them were committed commies with 2 of them spying for the ruskies for years. All were tortured and threatened with execution and did hard time, but of course, we were and continued to be the bad guys in their eyes.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

87 Good morning book thread!

I skipped my usual Today in History Sunday post to out up a post about Clinton Cash (movie/book/graphic novel)

If you missed it last night be sure to watch it today

Link in nic

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 09:59 AM (7lVbc)

88 I have tried teaching these moon landing conspriracy nuts how stupid they are.

I found out it would be easier to teach physics to a cat.
Posted by: JackS at July 24, 2016 09:54 AM (hgwL9)

Oh tosh!

meow = meowpurr2

And with that I say-

Good Day, Sir...

...

...

...

uh..and rub my belly right here.

Posted by: Fisix Kat at July 24, 2016 10:00 AM (HGtd0)

89 56: "The People's Anything" is a sure guarantee of a load of commie codswallop.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom
________

That's what made The Rock so entertaining when he was wresting. His finishing move was The People's Elbow. You knew that was coming when he raised The People's Eyebrow.

Posted by: FireHorse at July 24, 2016 10:01 AM (zMWBb)

90 88 I have tried teaching these moon landing conspriracy nuts how stupid they are.

I found out it would be easier to teach physics to a cat.
Posted by: JackS at July 24, 2016 09:54 AM (hgwL9)
----
I'd say you have a 50/50 chance.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat at July 24, 2016 10:03 AM (jR7Wy)

91 I picked up some new books at a local used book store over the weekend. I got a couple of horror anthologies (one includes the first appearance of Stephen King's "The Mist"), a military history of Gibraltar, a one volume history of the British Navy in the age of sail (as opposed to the 7 volume set I'm trying to compile), Bryan Farwell's "Mr. Kipling's Army" about the British Army of the pre-WWI era, and a biography of an Italian Romantic terrorist of the 1850s. All for $15.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 10:05 AM (7qAYi)

92 To be a true communist you can't believe in God. I think I've found the key to their failure.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 10:05 AM (MNgU2)

93 Oregon, thanks for mentioning the Margolis intreview and the Calliope workshop!

Taliesin seems to have a lot of opportunities for struggling rightwing writers ("righters"?) whenn I clicked around their site.

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 10:06 AM (7lVbc)

94 A good antidote for the Howard Zinn crap book is "A Patriot's History of the U.S." by Schweikart and Allen.

Posted by: bluebell at July 24, 2016 10:06 AM (805dc)

95 @67 Lyle "Ninety Degrees" Bouck, 99th I and R Platoon, is still alive. Nickname from the elevation they set their mortars at. Straight. Up.

As the entire German Army marched up the rail line into Losheimergraben Station, one crusty old sergeant (must have been a First Div cadre) walked out to the middle of the tracks, held up his hand, and called "Halt!"

And, the Germans being very well disciplined soldiers, for several minutes they actually did.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 10:07 AM (tIja6)

96 Are there any cartoon, uh, I mean graphic histories of the United States that aren't horribly lefty?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 10:09 AM (jR7Wy)

97 I dug out my fancy schmancy leather bound copy of the first five Barsoom books. I forgot just how much fun they are. Burroughs retained a feel of the adventure writers of the Victorian era, always a good thing. And holding a nicely bound version adds to the enjoyment. For books I'll read and re-read these fancy bindings are worth the cost. Within reason.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 10:09 AM (V+03K)

98 Dennis Prager says "If you love God, you must hate evil"
Communism is pure evil.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 10:10 AM (bksJQ)

99 JTB, which edition is that?

I have my cherished and well-thumbed 70's paperback versions and a one-volume set of the first three books.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 10:11 AM (jR7Wy)

100 Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 10:09 AM (jR7Wy)

I have a pictorial history of the Confederacy which is the closest I come.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 10:13 AM (MNgU2)

101 96 Are there any cartoon, uh, I mean graphic histories of the United States that aren't horribly lefty?
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 10:09 AM (jR7Wy)

I keep hoping Rush will do comic book versions of his "Rush Revere" series.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 10:16 AM (7qAYi)

102 @96 I'll bet you already know this, but the "graphic" comic-book of "The Road to Serfdom" was published by General Motors--and handed out free at dealerships.

http://tinyurl.com/2983pqr

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 10:17 AM (tIja6)

103 A book I picked up this week is a nice version of Jules Verne stories. The translations seem to be decent. At least they have the characters in Journey to the Center of the Earth as German, not Scotsmen. (I'm getting fussier about translations of classics as my curmudgeonliness grows.) So I downloaded a freebie ebook of 'Around the World' in French. Got through the first couple of chapters and figure I'm getting about 70 to 75 percent, better than expected. I'm even getting some of the humor. Considering how long ago my French classes were, I am surprised, pleased, and encouraged.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 10:18 AM (V+03K)

104 And this is why Mormons will soon be taking over the world. They're the only one having lots of children.

I'd prefer the Mormons take it over, as opposed to the Muslims. Looks like that's what it will come down to.

Posted by: April at July 24, 2016 10:19 AM (e8PP1)

105 My son had to read Zinn's history book in his AP High School history class.

The history class was taught by an ex-Navy officer, an Annapolis grad. And he is such a major tool. Still there, teaching high school history.

By the end of the year, most of the kids in the class (sophomores) were almost laughing at him, he was that ridiculous.

Of course, in college, he got more propaganda in a couple of the humanities courses. It was offset by his part time job, working at a liquor store in the 'hood, where he got to meet a lot of oppressed people every day, buying liquor.
It's all pretty funny. He thinks that government welfare and support is pretty insane, having seen the effects close up. That is pretty much counter to a lot of what he was taught in college.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 24, 2016 10:19 AM (Cz05v)

106 I've read Ring World in Larry Niven's Known Space Series (maybe a couple of others, or maybe the were just short stories set in the universe) and I think that I want to read all of them. Is there a proper sequence to read them, or does it matter?

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at July 24, 2016 10:19 AM (rwI+c)

107 Many aeons ago, in the 1970s, the National Lampoon Radio Show ran a satire documentary called The Immigrants: The Hillbillies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE9AQhfz2fM

It turns out the writers of that sketch were closer to the truth than they likely realized. "Black Red Necks and White Liberals' by Thomas Sowell offers the theory that the greatest impediment to blacks in the US after the Civil War was not hatred by whites but the culture acquired from the whites. Much to my surprise, the terms red neck and cracker were in use in England before the people it was applied to settled the South of North America. These were 17th Scots in the days when Scotland was regarded as a lawless land inhabited by red necks and crackers who easily inspired to murder each other, badly organized in civic matters, and little inclined to improve.

A century later the Scots had changed greatly but their relatives who settled what would become the US south didn't, and continued to be much like their ancestors. Many traits of blacks later attributed to their distant African origins were in fact common factors of Southern whites noted by many observers well before the Civil War. Even such practices as 'jumping the broom' at weddings can traced back to Europe but not Africa, even though it became a 'traditional' practice at black weddings a few decades ago.

The book starts there but also includes a number of other interesting related matters, such as the role of 'middleman' minority groups around the world, who show some remarkably similar patterns despite having no direct connections or knowledge of each other. There is also a chapter on the history of slavery put in historical perspective, especially how strange it was to most cultures around the world when the West began pressing for an end to the practice. Nobody wanted to be a slave, yet could not easily wrap their heads around the idea that it simply shouldn't be done by or to anyone.

An excellent collection by a writer who should receive far more public respect than merely within conservative circles.

Posted by: Epobirs at July 24, 2016 10:19 AM (IdCqF)

108 Reading Company Commander a strange thought has popped up in my head. As I've seen more pictures of dead soldiers from the ACW (American Civil War ) I'm getting their images in my head instead of WWII soldiers. In some ways there is no difference I guess.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (bksJQ)

109 Love the photo of the library but t kills me that it's wasted on lawyers.

OM, you might want to consider this place where any old schmuck can walk in off the street.

The New York Public Library Rose Main Reading Room.

http://bit.ly/2apAMK3

Posted by: Bandersnatch at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (mgbwf)

110

The book

Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich

https://amzn.com/B00Q33PRDS

The movie (airing for free today, 2pm and 8pm):

Global Airing of 'Clinton Cash' Documentary on Breitbart with Email Sign-Up

The highly anticipated Clinton Cash documentary will air for free with Breitbart.com email sign-up on Saturday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Sunday, July 24 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. ET.

To secure your online movie access pass, enter your email in the Clinton Cash movie pass form below:

http://bit.ly/2a2Kxbt

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (qCMvj)

111 If those were Communist goals, they achieved, through persistence or dumb luck, a high majority of them.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (VdICR)

112
Interesting bio. She married an Iranian prince, couldnt hack it, returned to Poland, remarried. Her and husband were in the resistance against the nazi. However, they believe the commies killed her in 1943. Husband arrested by NKVD after the war I think he was released in late 50s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_I%C5%82%C5%82akowicz

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 10:23 AM (iQIUe)

113
When Hillary and Bill lose, what will stop them from creating the biggest money laundering organization evah!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 10:24 AM (iQIUe)

114 Posted by: Epobirs at July 24, 2016 10:19 AM (IdCqF)

Sounds interesting, and great review! This is up my alley, I'll add it to my cart.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at July 24, 2016 10:24 AM (WlGX+)

115 I had one of Skousen's sons as a professor at BYU.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at July 24, 2016 10:24 AM (Kc884)

116 You ever notice how few movies the Soviets/commies are really bad guys in?In the supposed "red scare" fifties you would think there would be many.There weren't.If the Soviets were involved they were often portrayed as very reasonable and not at fault.John Wayne shocked an interviewer by bringing that up after a question about the "black list".

Posted by: steevy at July 24, 2016 09:39 AM (B48dK)

Wayne also tried to even the score a bit with his 1952 movie "Big Jim McLain".

Posted by: HTL at July 24, 2016 10:24 AM (J50A0)

117 The inability to identify cause and effect is the biggest defect of the Lefty sheep.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at July 24, 2016 10:25 AM (MNgU2)

118 'Company Commander' and 'A Time for Trumpets' by Charles B. MacDonald are great reads.

Contrary to what I had been taught and believed, he describes the english speaking and U.S. Army equipped germans, who were supposed to cause all sorts of chaos, as being incompetent. All were captured or killed. Although technically all were killed because those captured were shot as spies.

Posted by: JackS at July 24, 2016 10:25 AM (hgwL9)

119 #105

If you do a search on 'known space chronology' you might find that useful if you want to go in order of when the stories are set, although that is very different from the order in which they were written. The more recent 'Fleet of Worlds' series should be read last, even though it takes place across the entire span of the Known Space setting. Because they're a sort of secret history of Known Space, they're more fun if you know set up where they reveal what was really happening behind the scenes.

http://www.chronology.org/niven/

You have to take some of the earliest entries of the 'future' with a grain of salt, since these were written starting in the mid-60s and many things that obviously didn't happen became set in stone to maintain the timeline. So think of it as an alternate reality with certain similarities to our own.

Posted by: Epobirs at July 24, 2016 10:27 AM (IdCqF)

120 To secure your online movie access pass, enter your email in the Clinton Cash movie pass form below:

http://bit.ly/2a2Kxbt
-----

I didn't give my email - just clicked on the link yesterday and got the movie.
Don't know if that changes today.

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 10:29 AM (7lVbc)

121

been reading all morning with a break to fill the hummingbird feeder and wash the car

back to reading...

One thing I read this morning.

The Rise of Social Bots

EMILIO FERRARA, Indiana University
ONUR VAROL, Indiana University
CLAYTON DAVIS, Indiana University
FILIPPO MENCZER, Indiana University
ALESSANDRO FLAMMINI, Indiana University

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1407.5225.pdf

I read a print copy, which had additional references and summaries. (and lots of images of big fluffy blue twittie birdies with some wearing snooping sunshades a la MIB).

One such "Key Insight"

Social bots have been used to infiltrate political discourse, manipulate the stock market, steal personal information, and spread misinformation. The detection of social bots is therefore an important research area.

Don't we know it.

Great new industry for a techie moron or 'ette.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 24, 2016 10:29 AM (qCMvj)

122 "35 You can go right down the list of Communist goals. The vast majority of them have been achieved.

Posted by: rickl at July 24, 2016 09:24 AM (sdi6R) "

And this country and Western culture generally are, in fact, tottering.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez_and_the_dogs at July 24, 2016 10:31 AM (gUoN4)

123 Is it a community's Aristotelian moderation that wards off utopian ideas hijacked by megalomania of the loser, such as communism?

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 10:31 AM (ewfUZ)

124 Are there any cartoon, uh, I mean graphic histories of the United States that aren't horribly lefty?

"Johnny Tremain" was one number in Illustrated American Classics. There are more.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 10:32 AM (tIja6)

125
I've read Ring World in Larry Niven's Known Space Series (maybe a couple
of others, or maybe the were just short stories set in the universe)
and I think that I want to read all of them. Is there a proper sequence
to read them, or does it matter?

Posted by: Grump928(C)

You may be thinking of "Tales of Known Space", which was a collection of short stories, or "Neutron Star", which is another.

If you read Ringworld, you should also read (at least) "Protector", before you read "Ringworld Engineers". The later Niven stories of Ringworld aren't that good.
Other novels of "Known Space" by Niven
"The World of Ptavvs"
"A Gift from Earth"
"The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton", a UN cop

Not a novel of Known Space (same history) but a good read
"A World Out of Time"

Good books written by Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
The Mote in God's Eye
Lucifer's Hammer
Footfall

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 24, 2016 10:32 AM (Cz05v)

126 Just finished a really cool book--it's a graphic novel adaptation of Debby Does Dallas.

Posted by: I don't think this is a thing at July 24, 2016 10:34 AM (Kc884)

127 It's Debbie, not Debby, you dumbney

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 10:37 AM (ewfUZ)

128 Niven's Gil Hamilton in "Death by Ecstasy." It comes rushing back whenever some new psychoactive, or Psycho Active, drug hits the street. Or, Po-Ke-Mongo.

First, get somebody addicted to an electric probe permanently mounted in the brain's pleasure center. Then, shorten the cord. They'll starve themselves.

Sounds like a [diet] plan...

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 10:38 AM (tIja6)

129 99 ... All Hail Eris, My copy of the Barsoom books is put out by Barnes and Noble: 'John Carter of Mars'. It's still sold by B and N, 20 bucks in the store (I had a credit) or 13 bucks ordered online. I have a few from this series and they are nice.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 10:38 AM (V+03K)

130
Watched The Martian last night. It ends in tragedy....Matt Damon survives.

Posted by: Some Guy in Wisconsin at July 24, 2016 10:39 AM (Qj6zv)

131 Vic, Anne McCaffrey died a couple years ago sadly, her son is not even close to holding up her legacy.

Posted by: FCF at July 24, 2016 10:39 AM (kejii)

132 I might not give a darn for the whole state of Michigan.

And I might think them cowards for canceling their games with us. (Arkansas)

But they have a nice law library.

Posted by: Servius at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (Q2Nsk)

133 96 Are there any cartoon, uh, I mean graphic histories of the United States that aren't horribly lefty?
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 10:09 AM (jR7Wy)

Funny you should ask - I just included the forthcoming graphic novel version of Clinton Cash in my blog post today.

That's part of American history, right?

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (7lVbc)

134 "Don't forget the AoSHQ reading group on Goodreads."

I'm an old fogey, so it would be helpful if someone could explain just what it is I'm supposed to DO with Goodreads. Is it simply a list of AoSHQ recommended books? Is it also some kind of social media thing? AoSHQ has been very kind in mentioning my own books, and I'm glad to return the kindness, but I don't really know how to do that through Goodreads. Maybe I'm not alone, and a future book thread could discuss this? Thanks. :-)

Posted by: Law of Self Defense at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (Gc5NT)

135 129 99 ... All Hail Eris, My copy of the Barsoom books is put out by Barnes and Noble: 'John Carter of Mars'. It's still sold by B and N, 20 bucks in the store (I had a credit) or 13 bucks ordered online. I have a few from this series and they are nice.
Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 10:38 AM (V+03K)

I was at my local B&N yesterday & saw a nice paperback edition of the first three John Carter books in the clearance aisle for 50% off.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (7qAYi)

136 When Noel Herta were released they went back and settled in Hungary and shilled for communism until the day they dies. Idiots. All 4 of them were committed commies with 2 of them spying for the ruskies for years. All were tortured and threatened with execution and did hard time, but of course, we were and continued to be the bad guys in their eyes.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 24, 2016 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

I know, right? Solzhenitsyn wrote of running into these committed commies in the gulag, who were convinced that their incarceration was all a big mistake. And if they could tell Comrade Stalin about it (and Solzh. published samples of the letters that they wrote), he'd straighten it all out for them.

They actually believed this.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 10:41 AM (tEhtH)

137 Eris, are you looking for graphic novels for kids, or adults? If you're looking for ones for elementary or middle school aged children, check out Rainbow Resource Center at rainbow resource.com. It's a huge homeschool catalog, from which I have been ordering for years and years. They have personally reviewed nearly every item they sell and definitely lean conservative.

Posted by: bluebell at July 24, 2016 10:43 AM (805dc)

138 111 If those were Communist goals, they achieved, through persistence or dumb luck, a high majority of them.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (VdICR)

I'm pretty convinced it wasn't dumb luck.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 10:45 AM (tEhtH)

139 I finished The Egg and I by Betty McDonald. I suggest everyone read it, especially if you ever had that "back to the land" urge, even if it was the idea of raising urban chickens. It was written in 1945, and talks about how Betty and her first husband bought a stump farm up above Port Townsend, WA, and made a go of being chicken ranchers in the 30's.

It is auto-biographical and talks about her grandmothers, growing up following her father who was a mining engineer, and finally marrying Bob, her husband who wanted to raise chickens.

No power, no modern amenities, and 18 hour days of hard farm labor caring for chickens and improving a farm. All of it told in a sense of wonder, joy and mild exasperation.

There is one passage that one neighbor talking about the widow, Mary, down the way:

"The women don't like her though and all because one time her old man was layin' up with the hired girl and she caught 'em and run a pitchfork into her old man's behind so deep they had to have the doctor come out and cut it out. She said that would teach him and it did because he got lockjaw and died from where the pitchfork stuck him. Mary felt real bad but she said she'd do it again if conditions was the same."

There are authors that write pages and pages of prose and say next to nothing, but Betty McDonald wrote throw-away paragraphs like this that have more drama, meaning and story than many books I have bought and read through.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 24, 2016 10:46 AM (ry34m)

140 Morning, all!

That Obama "worst president" book sounds excellent, especially because I suspect a lot of sources, such as online news stories and *ahem* State Dept press conferences, will disappear or be edited (if they haven't been already). Good to nail these facts down now.
* * *
I will be ordering "Clinton Cash" - not the type of book I crave given the Clintons have been inescapable for 25 years, but I watched the Breitbart-produced documentary for free on their site last night and it was much worse than I suspected. If Benghazi and the email server weren't already reasons she should never hold office again, what she and Bill did in Haiti --- or their shenanigans all over the globe with Frank Giustra should land them in jail. I am amazed and appalled that the MSM has ignored *this much corruption* while harping on silly things like Trump U or Melania freakin speech. Argh!

Posted by: Lizzy at July 24, 2016 10:46 AM (NOIQH)

141 For another look at Mormon theology and history, see Utah Lighthouse Ministry. WWW.utlm.org

Posted by: Jean at July 24, 2016 10:49 AM (Doh4+)

142 I'm an old fogey, so it would be helpful if someone could explain just what it is I'm supposed to DO with Goodreads. Is it simply a list of AoSHQ recommended books? Is it also some kind of social media thing? AoSHQ has been very kind in mentioning my own books, and I'm glad to return the kindness, but I don't really know how to do that through Goodreads. Maybe I'm not alone, and a future book thread could discuss this? Thanks. :-)
Posted by: Law of Self Defense at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (Gc5NT)

Goodreads itself is a kind of social media thing for readers.

The AoSHQ group on goodreads started as a place to continue the conversation of the Sunday book thread. Since a lot of times that includes books by Morons, it also tries to support Moron writers by talking about their books, connecting to each other and all that stuff.

Kind of like a secret clubhouse.

Anyone can start a discussion on anything really.

Right now we mainly try to do the monthly group reads but we are open for suggestions on more activities. (Would love it!)

I think of it as part of the effort to take back the culture.

I know I've been exposed to a wider range of books than I expected based on it.

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 10:50 AM (7lVbc)

143 Any morons in the Philadelphia area might be interested to know that Dinesh D'Souza is going to be at a screening of his movie Hilary's America & will have a Q&A afterwards. It's the 6:45 showing at the Regal Cinema in Conshohocken PA.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 10:51 AM (7qAYi)

144 his shocking abuses of taxpayer dollars

-
Speaking of Obozo's free use of taxpayer dollars, he just vetoed a bill that would have put a cap on ex-presidents' taxpayer funded expense accounts.

http://tinyurl.com/haqszpn

Big Mooch's vacation world travel is not going to end just because somebody else is president.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 10:51 AM (Nwg0u)

145 A commie Debbie would organize her cheerleading squadmates to address grievances for the lack of NCAA recognition. Tumbling Lives Matter, whether it be in hay or on the green in front of hundreds. The Man doesn't want her to go to Dallas.

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 10:53 AM (ewfUZ)

146 Started Company Commander by Col Charles B. MACDONALD a memoir of a company officer.

-
I'm in the midst of reading his A Time For Trumpets about the Battle of the Bulge.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 10:54 AM (Nwg0u)

147 A little-discussed aspect of the North Shoulder of the Bulge is that one regiment of the 99th Infantry was, at the beginning of the action, engaged in probing attacks on the Roer River dams, attached to 9th Div., an extension of the Hurtgen campaign.

Their infiltration back into their own division, essentially flanking while the line was retreating, was one of the best-executed tactical essays of the Army in WWII. Units of the 2nd Division moved up through the 99th as the 99th solidified, on new roads so well placed that for a decade, private reminiscences published in the division newsletter speculated that the "Battle Babies" were used as bait and the whole thing was a set-up to draw the Germans in.

Everything we know about the various stands made in the north is post-History Channel. For 40 years after the war, all of the Bulge except Bastogne was generally viewed as an abject defeat.

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 10:54 AM (tIja6)

148 135 ... josephistan, Agreed. There are plenty of good copies of the Barsoom and other books out there at great prices. Getting the fancier bound versions is strictly an extravagance to myself. The Everyman's Library hardcover books of some classics (essays of Montaigne, Don Quixote, many others) are also well done. Yeah, I spoil myself. (Good copies of the Everyman's Library versions are often available at used book stores.)

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 10:56 AM (V+03K)

149 I would not doubt it. But how would it go over in TX. The rumor is that TX really controls what school books are published due to the yuuuge number of books they buy for schools.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 09:36 AM (mpXpK)

Well...

Years ago, when I was at UT, in my freshman year I had an American History 101 professor-

who taught a straight up lunatic, communist interpretation of U.S. History.

His favorite trick was to give multiple choice exams where he'd have 3 or 4 normal American history answer and one absolutely insane, conspiratorial, communistic answer-

of course if you put anything but the insane commie answer, your answer was wrong.

Once, I figured that out, I never went to class, except for tests. I always just picked the most lunatic answer on his tests.

Final Grade? A.

I also had, in my freshman year, a composition teacher, who would have us write essays about social issues. And the first 3 papers I got "F"s.

My last two years of high school, I had teachers who were extremely strict on compositional skills and I made straight A's in those classes so I knew my compositional skills were tight.

Further there might just be one, maybe two red marks on each paper, so I confronted him about it.

In essence, he told me the grades were for my "bad thinking". My thinking was fairly typical for a high school/freshman college student at that time. Meaning it was pretty much liberal.

Upon further questioning, I got him to tell me the "real answers", which were...you guessed it!...the most insane far left opinions on these topics.

And when I say insane, I'm not kidding. At no point did his opinions resemble anything found in human behavior or on the planet Earth.

So, from then on out, I wrote insane commie papers. And got "A+"s after that.

For yucks, I even fucked up my spelling or punctuation on purpose to see what would happen.

Still A+.

Final grader? A.

Probably, because he thought I was now a such a good little commiebot.

But, in fact, my thinking was more along the lines of: "Ok, you fascist fuck. You just made an ideological enemy for life."

Thereafter, whenever I experienced any cognitive dissonance over what I was being taught in any class, I went to look up the answers myself in the vast libraries of UT.

Result? By the end of college, I was basically a conservative. As it turns out, reality does not comport at all to leftard thought.

Posted by: H D Woodard - "Wearing the Cat - The Fox's Den" at July 24, 2016 10:56 AM (HGtd0)

150 The Peanuts cartoon is how I picture all writers sitting at their typewriter or now computer.

-
I saw Ebert one time discussing the various ways the movie portray writers writing. Some slugging back hooch, some typing angrily, some gazing into space. It was pretty funny.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 10:57 AM (Nwg0u)

151 125 Good books written by Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
The Mote in God's Eye
Lucifer's Hammer
Footfall

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 24, 2016 10:32 AM (Cz05v)

I have read Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall. Both are good books that I highly recommend to the Morons.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 10:57 AM (mpXpK)

152 131
Vic, Anne McCaffrey died a couple years ago sadly, her son is not even close to holding up her legacy.

Posted by: FCF at July 24, 2016 10:39 AM (kejii)

Damn I had not heard that. No wonder there is a copyright war. It is just like the Eddings mess. My wife has a Dragon book that her son co-wrote. I have not read it. I got burned out on the dragon books.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 11:00 AM (mpXpK)

153 You too can be an Honor's or Dean's list student, all it takes is a persecution complex

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 11:00 AM (ewfUZ)

154 We really didn't know the intent of Bin Laden at the time so give us a break.
Posted by: FBI

We'll never know his motive.,

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 11:01 AM (Nwg0u)

155 Free Ed, cosigned by Anne McCaffrey -
http://serversystems.net/free-ed/

My response is violent, as I have often been a guest and GoH at Dragon*Con. I have written such people as I know who might spread the word and try to get Ed his trial. Four effing years? And this is before the current Bush administration. Something must be done for him.

... I never had much use for the State of Georgia anyhow but there are limits past which any right-thinking person must take action. As a euro-citizen, I would be happy to take it to the Hague. (I'll find out how.)

But thank you for laying out the sordid facts and reminding us all that some basic human rights can be at risk. Like a proper trial and appropriate religious services

Ed Kramer is the pedobear (well, one of them) who preyed upon teenaged boys at the Dragon*Con.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 11:02 AM (aE8re)

156 Goodreads is a place to discuss books, find new books, make lists of your favorite books, post reviews of books, etc.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 11:03 AM (39g3+)

157 The New York Public Library Rose Main Reading Room.
http://bit.ly/2apAMK3

Posted by: Bandersnatch at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (mgbwf)

Ooo, some good pics there, thank you.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 11:04 AM (tEhtH)

158 135 I was at my local BN yesterday saw a nice
paperback edition of the first three John Carter books in the clearance
aisle for 50% off.

Posted by: josephistan at July 24, 2016 10:40 AM (7qAYi)

many of his books, including the Mars books are available for free at Gutenberg.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 11:04 AM (mpXpK)

159 Niven's books are okay, but when he works with someone else (particularly Pournelle) he really writes his best work.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 11:04 AM (39g3+)

160 1 If those were Communist goals, they achieved, through persistence or dumb luck, a high majority of them.

=====

concerted efforts. they care, we don't. being left alone is not a strong enough rallying cry. confederate moose out front should have told you.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at July 24, 2016 11:04 AM (U0lQa)

161 Thanks to votermom for the Goodreads group, which I finally joined. It got me started reading Elisabeth's 'Loyal Valley' series, which looks to be fun. And since I have never been west of the Mississippi River, the area, history and customs are new to me. (Did you know there was more to Texas history than the Alamo and the Texas Rangers?)

After this series I need to try Sgt. Mom's Texas history stories. I downloaded them some time back.

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 11:07 AM (V+03K)

162 I have read Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall. Both are good books that I highly recommend to the Morons.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party

Well, then there are the Falkenberg's Legion short stories by Pournelle (back history of the Co Dominium), and then his two novels (with SM Stirling?) about the end of the CoDo and beginning of the First Empire of Man

Go Tell the Spartans
and
Prince of Sparta

These are actually pretty underrated stories, and pretty well written, in my opinion. A lot of detailed discussion of COIN warfare.

The Mote in God's Eye is from the same history time line, only about 900 years later, after the fall of the First Empire, and establishment of the Second Empire.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative...pondering the future at July 24, 2016 11:08 AM (Cz05v)

163 the Malaysian passenger plane that "disappeared" in the Indian Ocean was apparently taken down deliberately by a Muslim pilot who had practiced before hand on his in-home flight simulator.

-
So my werewolf theory is shot to hell?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 11:09 AM (Nwg0u)

164 As a young goat during the Cold War, i had a tour where i served with Soviets. Typically it was me and two Sov's (they didn't allow their officers to be isolated one on one - too much opportunity to... be converted), for a week, isolated in an outpost. Over the years, they had stocked the bookshelves with Soviet writings. I used to amuse myself by reading aloud passages from Marx or Engles, and then laughing and asking them, "Do you really believe all this crap? Do your wives?! LISTEN to this...!" they would shrug and say its for international communism.. but their hearts were NOT in it.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 24, 2016 11:09 AM (sU1Lj)

165 I suspect that like almost all the David Eddings books they are not available due to a fight over the copyright rights. Except in this case Anne McCafrey is still alive.

Anne has gone between for the final time.

Posted by: Fox2! at July 24, 2016 11:12 AM (brIR5)

166 Muslim Flight Simulator is a pretty good product, but I don't understand why I keep losing the game when I land the plane safely

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 11:15 AM (aE8re)

167
Hi all. Back from my week at BSA summer camp.

My yard hates me and demands attention. BBL...

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at July 24, 2016 11:16 AM (BK3ZS)

168 "Do you really believe all this crap? Do your wives?! LISTEN to this...!" they would shrug and say its for international communism.. but their hearts were NOT in it.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 24, 2016 11:09 AM (sU1Lj)

This is one of the many failures of Marxism: the authorities want to imbue the population with "class consciousness", i.e. turn everyone into a political ideologue. Of course, 95% of the population *has no interest whatsoever* in political ideology, they just want to go about their lives in peace.

But communism can never just leave you alone.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 11:18 AM (tEhtH)

169 Mary felt real bad but she said she'd do it again if conditions was the same."

*****

Mary's hubby needed marital correction
His affairs did not occur without detection
Mary caught him with a lass
And put a pitchfork in his ass
That's the price of having sex without protection

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 11:19 AM (NeFrd)

170 166 Muslim Flight Simulator is a pretty good product, but I don't understand why I keep losing the game when I land the plane safely

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 11:15 AM (aE8re)

You a funny man. A regular Bob Hope.

(that actually does sound like a Hope joke, though)

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 11:20 AM (tEhtH)

171 Mary's hubby needed marital correction
His affairs did not occur without detection
Mary caught him with a lass
And put a pitchfork in his ass
That's the price of having sex without protection

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 11:19 AM (NeFrd)

Hmmm... needs moar lockjaw.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 11:21 AM (tEhtH)

172 he describes the english speaking and U.S. Army equipped germans, who were supposed to cause all sorts of chaos, as being incompetent.

-
Paraphrasing, he said their tanks disguised to look like Shermans would fool a man with poor eyesight from a distance in the dark.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 11:21 AM (Nwg0u)

173 Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 11:19 AM (NeFrd)

Ha!

Do you make these up on the spot, or is there a huge tome out there, known only to a few, called 1001 Bits of Wit for Every Social Situation? Inquiring minds want to know.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at July 24, 2016 11:23 AM (26lkV)

174 JTB, Elisabeth really knows her Texas history, doesn't she?

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 11:25 AM (7lVbc)

175 Nice to see the anti-Mormon drive by.

Still, if you think Cleon Skousen had it going on, and you despair of the current Pope, you should read some of Mormon Church leaders actual, official religious talks back in the 50s to 70's. They... did not mince words when it came to Communism. I think John Paul II himself would have called it overly blunt. Especially read some of Ezra Taft Benson's writings; he was Secretary of Agriculture under Eisenhower and later Mormon prophet. Not a fan of socialism at all.

Posted by: Vanceone at July 24, 2016 11:25 AM (IQzhs)

176 #162

The War World shared universe is also in the CoDominium / Empire of Man timeline. Jerry gifted the setting to his former assistant, John Carr, when decided to stop doing anthology work in the 90s and could no longer keep him on as an employee. Carr has produced newer works that fill in some gaps in the timeline of the collapse of the First Empire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_World

Posted by: Epobirs at July 24, 2016 11:26 AM (IdCqF)

177 There's a lot of pissant doggerel that pops up here as situations warrant, usually illustrating that everybody thinks he could write poetry if he really wanted to. Muldoon does the quality doggerel. It scans. Holds its foot (ouch). No forced rhyme. Folks, this is harder than it looks (said the Girl at The Picnic).

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 11:29 AM (tIja6)

178 Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm looking for adult-oriented (stop it!) history, but will dip my toe in YA history if it's well-written.

Not gonna apologize for being visual!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at July 24, 2016 11:30 AM (jR7Wy)

179 Mary's husband's dalliance she saw
might result in going to the law
but she caught him with a lass,
and she stabbed him in the ass
so he ended the affair with lockjaw

Posted by: Kindltot at July 24, 2016 11:31 AM (ry34m)

180 Hmmm... needs moar lockjaw.

Posted by: OregonMuse

*****

Okay...

Mary's hubby he was tired of the tedia
So he had some rumpy-pumpy with Miss Lydia
Mary caught them in the act
And she poked him (that's a fact)
With a pitchfork that was covered in clostridia

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 11:32 AM (NeFrd)

181 Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at July 24, 2016 11:04 AM (U0lQa)

I hold up Colorado, where I grew up, as an excellent example of this. True libertarianism can never stand against the Will to Power.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 24, 2016 11:32 AM (FN+ue)

182 you win

Posted by: Kindltot at July 24, 2016 11:32 AM (ry34m)

183 But communism can never just leave you alone.

Seems politics in general can't just leave you alone.

Was feeling really good about that $50 earlier in the week - now, it seems a little sketchy at best. I should probably just go ahead and get the money order ready.

How's things ?

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 24, 2016 11:34 AM (fiGNd)

184 >>>39
I got into it with son-in-law recently when he popped off about 'people who believe we landed on the moon'.
Posted by: free range conservative at July 24, 2016 09:26 AM (ZnIt3)

Yikes. That is a cross to bear. Good luck.

Posted by: m at July 24, 2016 11:34 AM (/7Lfc)

185 With a pitchfork that was covered in clostridia
Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at July 24, 2016 11:32 AM (NeFrd)
------------------

Seamus has definitely cornered the market on medical limericks.

Posted by: bluebell at July 24, 2016 11:34 AM (805dc)

186 There's a lot of pissant doggerel that pops up here
as situations warrant, usually illustrating that everybody thinks he
could write poetry if he really wanted to. Muldoon does the quality
doggerel. It scans. Holds its foot (ouch). No forced rhyme. Folks, this
is harder than it looks (said the Girl at The Picnic).

Posted by: Stringer Davis at July 24, 2016 11:29 AM (tIja6)
Hence why I don't usually even try to regale the Horde with my 'wit'. The French used to have a great term for people like me- 'staircase wit'. We're out the door and halfway down the stairs by the time we think of a snappy comeback.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at July 24, 2016 11:36 AM (26lkV)

187 Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. And these don't count.

How about these? https://sportkilt.com/

Can't stay, off to the beach now. Later roonz and roonettez, fear no evil!

Posted by: GGE Hades of the Traveling Horde, Myrtle Beach or Bust at July 24, 2016 11:39 AM (vbvxt)

188 Was feeling really good about that $50 earlier in the week - now, it seems a little sketchy at best. I should probably just go ahead and get the money order ready.
How's things ?
Posted by: ScoggDog at July 24, 2016 11:34 AM (fiGNd)

Yeah, you were bragging earlier this week about how good you felt about the bet on the very thread ace used to talk up Trump a bit. I'll send you the address of the charity you can send your $50 to.

Hope you got the e-mail I sent you yesterday.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 11:40 AM (tEhtH)

189 Sorry about the OT:

I don't know how this got on TV, but this 1/2 hour documentary just started. Rise of Terrorism - Unveiling the Truth.
Jeff Barnd?
It's narrated like a 60 Minutes segment, only he's actually qouting the koran, talking about sex slaves, MB, bone harum, etc.

Posted by: Chi at July 24, 2016 11:41 AM (8JjjJ)

190 Where are people seeing that the entry deadline for Taliesin's Calliope Contest is July 31? I looked at their website and it says applications are due by August 8.

Posted by: right wing whippersnapper at July 24, 2016 11:42 AM (26lkV)

191 Hope you got the e-mail I sent you yesterday.

Got it ... haven't read it yet. Thanks.

My entire "Ace will vote Hillary" idea was pretty much based on the notion that he'd have one of his really bad days, get upset, and freak out. It's still possible - but sure as hell ain't probable.

If I have to donate to charity to pay off a bet, does it still count as a good deed ? Because I'm really, really short on good deeds.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 24, 2016 11:43 AM (fiGNd)

192 Always trust Pissboy's Rhyming Dictionary, Second Edition for all your doggerel needs in print. Don't use the Third Edition because that's when it became unmoored from the classics.

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 11:45 AM (ewfUZ)

193 Hope you got the e-mail I sent you yesterday.

And now I've read it ... and yeah - you pegged it.

Sending you a reply. Hope you get that.

Posted by: ScoggDog at July 24, 2016 11:47 AM (fiGNd)

194 Went to the dog park, had to separate two fighting dogs in the creek, got soaked and mud-covered, clocked in the head by another dog owner trying to help, and then was stung by a bee above my right eye. All in the span of about 3 minutes. Shoulda just stayed home with the Book Thread.

Posted by: Lincolntf at July 24, 2016 11:47 AM (2cS/G)

195 No good deed goes unpunished, Linc.

Posted by: Chi at July 24, 2016 11:49 AM (8JjjJ)

196 >>>110

The movie (airing for free today, 2pm and 8pm):

Global Airing of 'Clinton Cash' Documentary on Breitbart with Email Sign-Up

The highly anticipated Clinton Cash documentary will air for free with Breitbart.com email sign-up on Saturday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Sunday, July 24 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. ET.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 24, 2016 10:21 AM (qCMvj)

***Due to the overwhelming demand to view this film, we've decided to broadcast it online for free with no password required.***

That update notice is posted at Breitbart.

Posted by: m at July 24, 2016 11:49 AM (/7Lfc)

197 The Black Book of Communism; Courtois, Werthe, Panne, etc
In Denial; Haynes, Klehr
Destructive Generation; Collier, Horowitz
The Radical Left,The Abuse of Discontent; Gerberding, Smith
The Politics of Peace; Tierney

discoverthenetworks.org

Posted by: Grad School Fool at July 24, 2016 11:49 AM (swEzU)

198 I saw Ebert one time discussing the various ways the movie portray writers writing. Some slugging back hooch, some typing angrily, some gazing into space. It was pretty funny.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Racist for Dinosaurs at July 24, 2016 10:57 AM�

Some? That's how I picture Anna, slugging hooch, typing angrily while gazing into space for the next thought.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 11:50 AM (bksJQ)

199 Thank god for Mormons....doing the jobs other Americans won't do....because they can't afford big families.

Posted by: vivi at July 24, 2016 11:50 AM (11H2y)

200 I've decided that even with a couple of hours of commute each work day, it is time to actually do the writing I've said I was going to do when I got the chance. Right now I'm working on a nasty short story about a Nazi who turns out to be the closest thing available to a good guy. Wish me luck.

Posted by: Graves at July 24, 2016 11:52 AM (beOli)

201 I've posted about Hayek and his book Road to Serfdom before. I thought it worth raising again in the context of Communism.

Reagan, a closet intellectual, was a big fan of Hayek. Hayek is mostly ignored by American academics today, because he's contra the current left-leaning academic narrative. His mathematical economic work is at odds with current Keynesiasm (Keynes wouldn't be a Keynesian by today's standards).

Hayek had a simple argument in his Road to Serfdom: in addition to being inherently coercive, central planning is sub-optimal because it's not as good as free market pricing at processing information in order to make informed decisions. Even when bureaucrats are smart and well-intentioned, they don't always have all the information they need. If they do have sufficient information, they get overwhelmed by it. Free market pricing wins every time, with the exception of the occasional grand military-oriented project.

An extension of this idea is that bureaucrats don't like change and won't admit to making mistakes. Compare the private sector: even monopolistic companies that don't change and won't admit to making mistakes will eventually fail.

These basic principles explain why the Soviet Union fell. It was part of Reagan's plan.

If you understood Hayek, you'd have known that ObamaCare was doomed to fail.

The book itself is a bit of a slog because of Hayek's academic style. You can find a Reader's Digest summary version online, which I recommend. This summary version was read by millions back in 1945, when we had far fewer people getting higher education.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 24, 2016 11:52 AM (bQxkN)

202 th

Shhh! Quiet in the library!!

Thanks for another cool Book Thread post on a hot July day, O'Muse.

*

This week, whilst meandering through YouTube's back alleys of ghosts, UFOs, time-travelers and strange beings, I ran across the video linked below.

Thought I'd save you time and pass along the basic info, although the "bizarre illustrations" items are worth watching it.

Other than the gnostic gospels and the Voynich Manuscript, these were all new to me.

I see several other similar "strange books" videos. I could waste more time not reading, checking them out!

[And I'm inspired - slightly - to do a similar kind of boring ambiant-music-laden "top [number]" video on "inspired" religious works, you know, like Book of Mormon, Course in Miracles, Urantia, Levi's Gospel, and Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science work.]

This video met my standard of no more than one minute per item. That is, no "top ten" list that takes fifteen minutes to plow through.

--

--

7 Most Mysterious Books ever Written
IndexSe7en on YouTube 7:05
https://youtu.be/DMqjZpcOwsk

1.
The Smithfield Decretals
13th Century French manuscript with bizarre illustrations

2.
The Red Book
(apparently not the Red Book of Westmarch that Bilbo wrote)
Carl Jung, 20th Century work using "active imagination" - and apparently was imaginative

3.
Prodigiorum Ac
16th Century work by French humanist Conrad Lycosthenes describes "otherworldly happenings" since the time of Adam and Eve. UFOs, sea monsters, strange critters.

4.
Gnostic Gospels
This seems like an outlier for this list. The 4th Century Nag Hammadi library, Gosp of Mary, Thomas, et al. (What most impressed me about these gospels when I read them, decades ago, was how wisely those who cobbled "the Bible" together were to choose only Matt, Mark, Luke, and Jack.)

5.
Codex Seraphinianus
"Written in a language no one understands and filled with illustrations of surreal and impossible things." Pub in 1981 by Luigi Seraffini, who apparently had some powerful hallucinogens.

6.
Voynich Manuscript
15th Century, maybe Italian. Indescipherable text, bizarre illustrations. Read recently many pages had been ripped out of this work. Hmmm.

7.
The Rohonc Codex
Illustrated manuscript, unknown language, strange illustrations, surfaced in Hungary in the 19th Century.

Posted by: mindful webworker - top 5 websites you never heard of at July 24, 2016 11:53 AM (rNruR)

203 I don't have a dog but saw a dog park in Jersey across the Commodore Barry bridge that had fenced off areas that connected. Strange thing is there isn't much around that you just couldn't let your dog run around free.

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 11:53 AM (bksJQ)

204 I'm counting on a bunch of ice cold beers this afternoon to counteract my crappy morning, Chi.

Posted by: Lincolntf at July 24, 2016 11:53 AM (2cS/G)

205 Regarding the effectiveness of Skorzeny's American-dressed Germans behind the lines during the Bulge, and because i am hip-deep in researching my grandfather's role in all that, I think one rare but plausible instance of German success was at the Stavelo bridge over the Ambleve, on the night of 17 December. Engineers from the 202nd Combat Engr Battalion had wired it for destruction, but when Peiper launched his armored assault the next morning, nothing happend. The are claims that Germans posing as American engineers had cut the wires, allowing Peiper's column to fight through Stavelot and proceed to Trois-Ponts. Peiper was stopped further along, but I believe Skorzeny's forces did their job in that one specific incident.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 24, 2016 11:55 AM (sU1Lj)

206 The French used to have a great term for people like me- 'staircase wit'. We're out the door and halfway down the stairs by the time we think of a snappy comeback.

All it takes is to do your homework. Most people are predictable, so have replies chambered and ready to fire in those situations. Or just play Socrates and question their assumptions.

Posted by: derit at July 24, 2016 11:56 AM (ewfUZ)

207 I always loved the Snoopy writing comics. And he was smart enough to use a manual typewriter, the ultimate drafting tool. (Yeah, I know those comics predate PCs and word processors.) Still like the purity of Snoopy's writing experience. :-)

Posted by: JTB at July 24, 2016 11:57 AM (V+03K)

208 Yeah, the gnostic gospels are mostly crap.

There are a couple that might have pulled from a "Christian hadith" tradition - Secret Book of James, Dialogue of the Saviour. Thomas, sort of - but that one is *known* to depend on the Synoptic Gospels too (at least in its Coptic translation / adaptation). But most of what I saw was a lot of Egyptian Magick which wouldn't be out of place in the "metaphysics" section of the local chain bookstore

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 11:58 AM (/a8ts)

209 One mysterious book might be Robert Graves' "The White Goddess". Or most of William Blake's work.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 12:00 PM (/a8ts)

210 Good morning, 'rons and 'ettes!

I'm still working my way through the Monster Hunter International series. I'm up to the beginning of book 3. During my vacation this week, I've also been reading "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" again, thanks to discovering some free classics at the Kindle Store.

If I may put in a shameless plug...I have a friend I've known since high school who's written several epic fantasy novels. They're targeted to the YA audience, but I have found the ones I have read entertaining. I hope you'll take a look at them. He's definitely a potential member of the Moron Horde. The link:

https://is.gd/Q2aALQ

Posted by: Captain Whitebread at July 24, 2016 12:01 PM (rJUlF)

211 Carl jungs red book was released fairly recently in English iirc i remember being excited about it

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at July 24, 2016 12:03 PM (U0lQa)

212 NOOD
THE DRINKING THREAD IS UP

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 12:04 PM (bksJQ)

213 don't have a dog but saw a dog park in Jersey across the Commodore Barry bridge that had fenced off areas that connected. Strange thing is there isn't much around that you just couldn't let your dog run around free.

===

it's Jersey

probably surrounded by garbage sinkholes

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at July 24, 2016 12:06 PM (U0lQa)

214 I have to thank Bossy Conservative from last week for recommending I read Niven's "Protector" as a precursor to "Ringworld". I'm halfway through and still not sure how they tie together, but it's a good read and now I see I will be looking for more Niven and Pournelle, just what I need is another set of authors that I've never had a chance to read before!

Posted by: Hrothgar at July 24, 2016 12:06 PM (wYnyS)

215 Re: Howard Zinn. A core problem of his People's History is how it uses a few selected vignettes as somehow being indicative of the broad sweep of American history. Or he'll only view a complicated historical issue through a narrow biased lens. e.g, the real reason the USA vaporized Hiroshima was to keep the Soviets out of Japan, calling it "the first major operation of the Cold War."

I wonder if Matt Damon, who's a big fan of Zinn, knows that Zinn became a secret member of the Communist Party in the 1950s. Publicly Zinn said he was a "Democratic Socialist" because the Soviet Union had given Communism a bad name. I wonder if Zinn and fellow Brooklynite Bernie knew each other.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 24, 2016 12:06 PM (bQxkN)

216 You know most of the time I read the book thread it is while sitting in a Mormon church.

Posted by: V the K at July 24, 2016 12:07 PM (uOtyQ)

217 but I believe Skorzeny's forces did their job in that one specific incident.

Posted by: goatexchange at July 24, 2016 11:55 AM (sU1Lj)

You're right. MacDonald does write about that and I forgot about it. He tells how one way the Americans caught his men was that they had four men in each jeep. The Germans thinking was a jeep had seats for four, so we put four in each jeep. But the Army had so many jeeps that it was unusual to see that.

I had an uncle in the 28th ID in that battle. He was taken prisoner on Dec 20. Spent the rest of the war in Stalag 9b. A really nasty place.

Posted by: JackS at July 24, 2016 12:15 PM (hgwL9)

218 I'm beta reading a moron book, "A Place Outside The Wild" and I'm about halfway through it.

Reading and your health.... So it turns out I've been reading all wrong and it has painful consequences.

- Do not hold you ereader in a pick hold with your thumb. It can cause painful thumb joints especially if you already have arthritis. I have bought a few different iPad stands to use in different situations so I am no longer holding my iPad up and killing my thumb joints.

- Do not look down to read your books. Keep your neck in a neutral position with your reading material at eye level. I have ruined my neck by constantly looking down to read. The curve of my cervical spine, aka neck, is completely gone, in fact it is in the starting phase of curving the wrong way. The base of my neck has bone spurs, calcified disk(?) which are breaking up and collapsing, and most importantly it is starting to impinge my nerves which has been causing my arms and hands to fall asleep, aka pins and needles, while I'm sleeping. So now I'm doing expensive spinal decompress and neck exercises/activities to get my cervical curve back.

I am waiting for a floor stand I ordered so I can read in bed lying flat on my back amount other positions. I also have a foam stand by Stump Stands which I use at my tall counter while sitting on a shorter counter height stool so the iPad is at eye level.

So, if you are looking down to read please think about some adjustments to the way you read before you get as bad as me.

Posted by: lindafell TEXIT!! at July 24, 2016 12:21 PM (xVgrA)

219 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

They have successfully achieved these.

Posted by: SamGompers at July 24, 2016 12:24 PM (Tz6ms)

220 I've read most of the gnostic "gospels" and other assorted extrabiblical books people claim were "banned" or excluded by [insert conspiracy theory]. They're uniformly crap. Some of them are really short, some of them are longer, but they're all just terrible. Not just in content but literary style and writing ability.

The apocryphal books like Maccabees are pretty cool, they actually have a good literary style and are interesting reading. You can tell they're different from scripture but still are decent writing at least.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 12:27 PM (39g3+)

221 Listened to Swords of Exodus (Dead Six #2) by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari, in which the two main characters, mercenary Valentine and thief Lorenzo go on a mission together with a secretive organization in Asia. It's a fun story though the final battle seems to go on too long, and being the middle book in a trilogy many threads are left hanging.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 24, 2016 12:28 PM (bpkid)

222 "I will be ordering "Clinton Cash" - not the type of book I crave given the Clintons have been inescapable for 25 years, but I watched the Breitbart-produced documentary for free on their site last night and it was much worse than I suspected"

When it came out Journolists dismissed it with "no smoking gun" when there more than enough dots on the page to see the cat.

Nor did the FBI investigate Clinton Cash Corruption. I thought they would, based on leaks to Fox News'' Catherine Herridge. She got played. Related to this, the FBI ignored that "Hillary's lawyers permanently put 30,000 e-mails beyond forensic recovery." This is a true Holy Shit Headline.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 24, 2016 12:31 PM (bQxkN)

223 >>I wonder if Matt Damon, who's a big fan of Zinn, knows that Zinn became a secret member of the Communist Party in the 1950s....

Not just a fan, a friend as he was Zinn's neighbor in Cambridge growing up. I'm sure Damon knows this, but doesn't care. It was Damon who produced the HBO mini-series based on Zinn's People's History book.

Posted by: Lizzy at July 24, 2016 12:35 PM (NOIQH)

224 I mowed through The Passenger, by Lisa Lutz. I'll recommend it. Never saw the Hitchcockian twist at the end coming. Book jacket says she was nominated for an Edgar; I'll have to do a search on exactly which of her books it was.

Posted by: RushBabe at July 24, 2016 12:35 PM (OJKE+)

225 Just got here and haven't read through all the comments yet, so I don't know if anyone mentioned that none other than Ronaldus Magnus often said The 5,000 Year Leap should be required reading for American school children.

Posted by: RushBabe at July 24, 2016 12:37 PM (OJKE+)

226 >>When it came out Journolists dismissed it with "no smoking gun" when there more than enough dots on the page to see the cat...

Trump has read the book and mentioned a few items from it in that serious speech he gave a few weeks ago that got lost in the shuffle. It was devastating. I really hope he drops more facts in future speeches and the debates. The MSM will fight not to cover it, so Trump needs to keep hammering on it.

Posted by: Lizzy at July 24, 2016 12:38 PM (NOIQH)

227 It's interesting reading. It's also terrifying, for those of us who have to fly. Of course, the airlines and the various governments are trying to keep the lid on this, to avoid people freaking out about flying on planes piloted by Muslims.

Posted by: TrivialPursuer at July 24, 2016 09:22 AM (NnYnv)

Somebody needs to make a smartphone app that tracks airline crew schedules, so that you could check if your flight was scheduled to have a muzzie on the flight deck. It would probably require the illicit (?) cooperation of non-muzzie flight deck crew, but I expect there are enough of those who are cheesed off about having to work with muzzies, that it could be made to work.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at July 24, 2016 12:40 PM (htBb9)

228 "The MSM will fight not to cover it, so Trump needs to keep hammering on it."

Agreed. Maybe Putin has the 30,000 e-mails that "Hillary's lawyers permanently put beyond FBI forensic recovery." Seriously, he's blowing up the DNS and Debbie as we speak.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 24, 2016 12:42 PM (bQxkN)

229 Heh. I was able to use a YouTube downloader app to download the 'Clinton Cash' documentary to my hard drive. Now I can watch it any time I want to. Woohoo!

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 12:43 PM (tEhtH)

230 Seriously, he's blowing up the DNS and Debbie as we speak.

Why does everyone assume that the DNC is correct when they claim that Putin was behind the Wikileaks dump?

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 12:46 PM (39g3+)

231 6.
Voynich Manuscript
15th Century, maybe Italian. Indescipherable text, bizarre illustrations. Read recently many pages had been ripped out of this work. Hmmm.

Yeah, this one has always puzzled me (as it has many others). I mean, WTF? Who would write something like this, and why? Is it just an elaborate spoof? If so, it would be as impressive as if it could actually be read. I mean, to come up with text that looks and feels like it actually means something, but it's actually gibberish, that takes a certain genius.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 12:47 PM (tEhtH)

232 I'm re-reading The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle. If all you know him from is the Sherlock Holmes books, you're in for a big, delightful surprise. Sherlock Holmes was the pulp stuff he knocked off to pay the bills. His historical books were his passion and best work.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 12:49 PM (39g3+)

233 Or he'll only view a complicated historical issue through a narrow biased lens. e.g, the real reason the USA vaporized Hiroshima was to keep the Soviets out of Japan, calling it "the first major operation of the Cold War."

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 24, 2016 12:06 PM (bQxkN)

That's not even original. That conspiracy-ish theory was invented by some lefty tool named Aperowitz (sp?) who needed to shoehorn WWII into a progressive narrative framework and Zinn is just parroting it.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 12:52 PM (tEhtH)

234 229 Heh. I was able to use a YouTube downloader app to download the 'Clinton Cash' documentary to my hard drive. Now I can watch it any time I want to. Woohoo!
Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 12:43 PM (tEhtH)

That's brilliant.

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 12:56 PM (7lVbc)

235 Howard Zinn's history is the modern-day equivalent of the gnostic gospels. Discuss.

Off to church, bbl.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 24, 2016 12:59 PM (tEhtH)

236 OregonMuse: ...I mean, to come up with text that looks and feels like it actually means something, but it's actually gibberish, that takes a certain genius.

I have a relative, brilliant mind, but years ago descended into madness, whose writings and drawings are decipherable only by the author. What little I was able to grasp, before his work became utterly indecipherable, was generally nonsense and self-delusion. You know the elaborate mathematical permutation tricks which basically amount to a=a? Like that.

So, I think it's a kind of dream-like madness - makes sense when you're dreaming, but upon awakening you realize it's just garbage, laced with bizarre beauty and a few seeming insights, but ultimately mostly nonsense.

Escher without the conscious controls... or something.

If I'm not clear, it's because it's hot here and I'm getting ready to head out into the day. Excuses, excuses...

Posted by: mindful webworker - click for a story at July 24, 2016 01:01 PM (rNruR)

237
I actually have a signed copy of The Naked Communist that I picked up in a thrift store for $1, along with several other signed books for similar prices (Walter Moseley's "Devil in a Blue Dress", a couple of Sue Grafton's books). Back in the day, I spent a fair amount of time rummaging through thrift stores looking for neat little gems like that. Lots of fun.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 24, 2016 01:02 PM (LuZz8)

238 Just started the Cleon Skousen book linked above - seems spot-on so far. 500-some pages to go. Should be perfect reading to accompany the DNC next week.

Earlier in the week I re-read James N. Rowe's "Five Years to Freedom", a story of surviving 5 years as a prisoner of the Viet Cong, culminating in his escape. Awesome book, literally, as in leaves one with a sense of awe.
Went on to design SERE training for Special Forces, (hard to imagine anyone better qualified to do so) and was assassinated by Communist guerrillas in the Philippines in the late 80's.

Oh and thanks to whoever mentioned "Uncle Fred Flits By" up above - I had seen the episode of the parrot mentioned in other Uncle Fred stories, but never actually read it.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez_and_the_dogs at July 24, 2016 01:10 PM (gUoN4)

239 >>>But if it's a rage anthology you're looking for, check out the one-star reviews of this book on Amazon.

Given the way Amazon censored the CBF, I'm surprised they are stll in the state where they would sell such a book. We can't take that for granted. We need to stop being so dependent on megacorportions like Amazon or Apple, since they can no longer be trusted to quietly sell their wares, but are actively taking sides with the left.

Posted by: Yuimetal at July 24, 2016 01:11 PM (0Ph0e)

240 >>>And this is why Mormons will soon be taking over the world. They're the only one having lots of children.

That would be awesome. Book of Mormon might be regarded as a hit piece, but the picture it paints is still vastly preferable to Islam. It would even be preferable to the decadent, nihilist secularism of today. The religion itself is problematic, but still, faking belief (or even being required to fake belief, as with Marx) would be preferable to where we are headed.

Posted by: Yuimetal at July 24, 2016 01:18 PM (0Ph0e)

241 Just snapped up The Worst President In History for my Kindle. Thanks for the heads up.

Interestingly, I recently ended up with a subscription to GQ magazine through some sort of frequent flyers award program. Very liberal magazine, but with some decent articles.

First issue I received had an article about all Obama had achieved during his reign, suggesting that when history had a chance to put a damper on some of the raw emotion, he would be remembered as a truly great president. Maybe Mount Rushmore worthy. Ohhhkaaaay.

Posted by: RM at July 24, 2016 01:51 PM (U3LtS)

242 Oregon! I just found your missing comments (on my blog) in my spam filter.
I am so embarrassed - I did not realize I had one.

Fished them out.

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 02:00 PM (7lVbc)

243 DOUBLE NOOD

Posted by: Skip at July 24, 2016 02:00 PM (bksJQ)

244 Given the way Amazon censored the CBF,

---
What's the CBF?

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 02:01 PM (7lVbc)

245 Oh, I've forgotten to mention this, as I know we have some fine British and Australian Morons out there.

If you have an interest in reading

"Wearing the Cat - Part One: Flaming Hoops"

then

"Wearing the Cat - Part Two: The Fox's Den"

they are both available on Amazon in your countries.

With "WTC - PT: TFD" currently on sale.

Pick'em up and have a laugh.

Cheers!

Posted by: H D Woodard - "Wearing the Cat - Part One The Fox's Den" at July 24, 2016 02:49 PM (HGtd0)

246 Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 02:01 PM (7lVbc)

Confederate battle flag, I believe.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 24, 2016 03:31 PM (FN+ue)

247 Greetings:

Only three chapters in but this book is sure to bring you down especially in the light of Ms. Hillary's imminent ascendancy.

"War by Other Means: Geoeconomics and Statecraft" by Blackwell and Harris.

While the USofA has been pouring billions into the Islamic money pits of Iraq and Afghanistan, our geopolitical rivals have been practicing and developing their economic skills to undermine the USofA and the democratic agenda. China especially seems way out ahead in its leveraged buyouts in Africa and Latino America.

Posted by: 11B40 at July 24, 2016 03:43 PM (evgyj)

248 D'oh! Thanks Polliwog!

Posted by: @votermom at July 24, 2016 04:50 PM (7lVbc)

249 (42): "Seriously? It's fictionalized history! Even Zinn admitted as much, or at least he described as "editorial history". Is there a school board out there crazy enough to call it a textbook? We really are sunk in this country."
At least one University of Hawaii professor of Education required Zinn's __A People's History ...__ some years ago in a Secondary Social Studies class. Professors of Education act as gatekeepers into K-12 teaching.
I picked a copy from the shelf in the UH bookstore and opened at random. Zinn attributes Japan's attack on the US in 1941 to the embargo that the US placed on exports to Japan of strategic materials following Japan's invasion of Manchuria. Interesting. So I wondered how he would treat US policy toward Italy. Zinn condemns the US for NOT imposing an embargo on the shipment of strategic materials to Italy following Italy's invasion of Ethiopia.
I put it back on the shelf.

Posted by: Malcolm Kirkpatrick at July 24, 2016 05:48 PM (IbUUZ)

250 So I saw all the afful Comercials for the new Ben Hur Movie and I decided that I will finally read the book. A word of warning thier is a NEW book out by the original author's great great great granddaughter she UPDATED the book whatever the hell that means.. FYI those of you that like audiobooks they have a whole bunch on YouTube including Ben Hur. I am going to listen to the original Lensman too.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 24, 2016 05:49 PM (dKiJG)

251 250
So I saw all the afful Comercials for the new Ben Hur Movie and I
decided that I will finally read the book. A word of warning thier is a
NEW book out by the original author's great great great granddaughter
she UPDATED the book whatever the hell that means.. FYI those of you
that like audiobooks they have a whole bunch on YouTube including Ben
Hur. I am going to listen to the original Lensman too.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 24, 2016 05:49 PM (dKiJG)

I tried to read the book after getting it from Gutenberg. It was too long and boring. This was one of those rare times when the movie was better than the book.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 06:07 PM (mpXpK)

252 Publicly Zinn said he was a "Democratic Socialist" because the Soviet Union had given Communism a bad name

Huh. Like Martin Luther King Jr., then.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at July 24, 2016 06:30 PM (6FqZa)

253 There are pictures out there if you look for them of MLK attending communist party meetings.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at July 24, 2016 06:34 PM (mpXpK)

254 I loved Ben Hur, but it is very long

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 24, 2016 09:30 PM (39g3+)

255 At 50, I realized I couldn't just not read lousy books, but even decent books with bad writing.
Would reread Tom Clancy for a $100. Worst dialogue evs. Twain, commie sympathizer Graham Greene. What writing!
If I could tell my 10 year old self two things, it would be buy Amazon and don't read bad writing.

Posted by: freedom2014despitebarack at July 24, 2016 09:57 PM (mBYZv)

256 Never heard of Skousen until a couple weeks ago in some blog comment, related to the shootings of police, someone threw out this quote, from a short book by him but without the author or book named.

"But from the beginning the Communists have known that in order to get a revolution ignited there must be violent mobs so overwhelmingly large that police power is smothered, or else the police must be so paralyzed and discredited that smaller mob actions can succeed. The Communist war against the police was therefore launched on two fronts: one to create a potential for massive mob violence which would smother the police, and another to set up machinery to paralyze the police."

From:W. Cleon Skousen, in "The Communist Attack on U.S. Police".

Posted by: geoffb5 at July 24, 2016 10:17 PM (d3wbb)

257 The Communist war against the police was therefore launched on two fronts: one to create a potential for massive mob violence which would smother the police, and another to set up machinery to paralyze the police."

From:W. Cleon Skousen, in "The Communist Attack on U.S. Police".

Posted by: geoffb5 at July 24, 2016 10:17 PM (d3wbb)

And if you told Skousen that this assault on the police would be carried out under the tacit approval of by the White House and the Department of Justice, he'd probably say naw, that's just crazy talk.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 25, 2016 12:48 AM (cBK7d)

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