Sunday Morning Book Thread 08-01-2021

Pilsen Community Books Chicago 01 smaller.jpg

Good morning to all you 'rons, 'ettes, lurkers, and lurkettes, wine moms, frat bros, crétins sans pantalon (who are technically breaking the rules). Welcome once again to the stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, a weekly compendium of reviews, observations, snark, witty repartee, hilarious bon mots, and a continuing conversation on books, reading, spending way too much money on books, writing books, and publishing books by escaped oafs and oafettes who follow words with their fingers and whose lips move as they read. Unlike other AoSHQ comment threads, the Sunday Morning Book Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Therefore, this sorry looking fellow here would not be allowed on the book thread. I don't even know what he's supposed to be. It's like he's wearing a suit of clothes designed by several different committees that don't communicate very well.

Pic Note:

If you're in Chicago and suddenly get a wild hair to pound down some some progressive literary backwash, then I'd say that Pilsen Community Books is your best bet. First, I think you know without asking that any book seller with "community" in its name is guaranteed to be lefty as all get out. Second, on their main web page, over on the left side, a sample of the books they've chosen to feature are, Intersectional Class Struggle: Theory and Practice, Feminist Antifascism: Counterpublics of the Common, Our Time Is Now: Sex, Race, Class, and Caring for People and Planet and Lost in Work: Escaping Capitalism.

I wonder if they have the Collected Sayings of Enver Hoxha?

So, there you are. Hey, commies gotta read, too.

It Pays To Increase Your Word Power®

First of all, I don't know if this is actually a "thing", or something HH just made up. And Googling "vowel movements" routes me to "bowel movements", because reasons. But it's kind of a fun word game nonetheless. I came up with PACK, PECK, PICK, POCK, PUCK, and then MASS, MESS, MISS, MOSS, MUSS. Perhaps some of you morons can come up with others.

And Now, The Worst Officiated Olympic Game Ever

Now that we're in the middle of the Olympic competition, it's time to revisit a particularly unpleasant memory. Which this book does:

Three Seconds in Munich: The Controversial 1972 Olympic Basketball Final

Of course, the Munich Olympics were infamous for something several orders of magnitude worse:

...eleven Israeli team members were killed by Palestinian terrorists, stunning the world and temporarily stopping the games. One American player, Tommy Burleson, had a gun to his head as the hostages were marched past him before their deaths.

Through interviews with many of the American players and others, the author relates the horror of terrorism, the pain of losing the most controversial championship game in sports history to a hated rival, and the consequences of the players’ decision to shun their Olympic medals to this day.

I wanted to see us smash the Soviet team hard and grind their faces in the dirt at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, but Yugoslavia knocked them out of gold medal contention so we never got the chance to play them.

So, either the Kindle or hardcover edition will set you back 20 bucks. If you want a cheap way to see what happened, here is a 5-minute YouTube video that shows the agonizing play-by-play that we saw on AMC television back then.

Keep in mind that the official who rushed out on the court after time had expired to order a 3-second do-over had NO AUTHORITY to do so. I'm not sure why the American coach did not scream at him right then and there to get his ass off the court. Perhaps the book explains that. I hope it explains all of the rule and procedural violations that went on, and I'm not including the flagrantly one-sided refereeing and blown calls. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

It stank so bad that if the IOC had a meeting and determined that they were tired of the USA winning basketball gold and would do whatever it took to see the USSR win, it wouldn't have looked any different.

Oh, of course we put in an "appeal" but its failure was pretty much predetermined: the panel split along Cold War lines against us 5-3. It's easy to believe that what was working against us is the great reluctance to overturn settled results.

It's as if one team colluded with the authorities to steal the game and everybody stood around with their hands in their pockets watching it happen in broad daylight.

And nobody did a damned thing about it.

The whole thing is just like the 2020 election, isn't it?

Who Dis:

(Last week's 'who dis' was Isoko Asabuki, a Japanese poet and world class tennis champion(!) in the early 20th century. She was one of the first Japanese women athletes to gain international recognition. Considering that Japan was still in the process of modernizing after centuries of feudalism, she must have been a remarkable woman. Could not find any pics of her in tennis attire, but here are some other photos.

Books For Boys

Saw this one from one of my twitter peeps:

I entirely missed this book as a child, and that's a real pity. Sylvia Engdahl's superb story took the traditional fairy tale structure and created an exciting and entertaining science fantasy. I'd have loved this as a child, and it gets my highest recommendation.

He's talking about the YA science fiction novel, Enchantress from the Stars, by Sylvia Engdahl, first published in 1970 and advertised as a "Newbery Honor" winner:

Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy.

Sounds like a ripping good yarn. The following year, Engdahl wrote a novel featuring the same heroine, but The Far Side of Evil in not a sequel, but rather more like "More Adventures of...":

On completion of her training as an agent of the interstellar federation's Anthropological Service, Elana is sent to a world whose people may soon destroy their civilization. Since not enough is understood about the situation to justify any interference with their evolution, the Service has no power to act; its agents must go as helpless observers, posing as natives, in the hope of gaining knowledge that may help to save other worlds. This passive role proves intolerable to the young, inexperienced agent assigned to the same city as Elana, a city under totalitarian rule. After falling in love with a local girl who has become Elana's closest friend, he identifies too completely with the natives and unwittingly endangers the entire world by a well-meant but ill-advised attempt to intervene. Forced to assume responsibility for undoing the damage, Elana finds that only she—at great cost—can prevent an immediate war of annihilation.

This sounds like to could be a ST:TOS story. Speaking of which, I found this section of the Enchantress From the Stars wiki page somewhat amusing:

Engdahl wrote parts of Enchantress in the 1950s; many concepts in the novel date from that time, prior to Star Trek and other 1960s science fiction. In a 1997 journal article, "Enchantress from the Stars: Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Star Trek and Science Fiction", Carol Littlejohn writes that many of the themes and concepts in the novel (such as the peaceful exploration of space without interfering in the history of other planets) are similar to those in Star Trek. However, the author notes that her characters take the rule of non-intervention much more seriously than does Star Trek's crew of the spaceship Enterprise.

Heh. That's a mighty low bar. Captain Kirk's idea of a peaceful non-intervention was firing his phaser for effect, starting a fistfight or two, and seducing a local hottie.

wut

Moron Recommendations

Lurkette author Lisl e-mails about a book suitable for you history nerds:

I've got a book recommendation that I hope you'll want to check out, in the form of The Road Not Travelled. This is an anthology of alternative historical (short) fiction set in the Wars of the Roses era exploring, as the description implies, the what ifs within this particular era. What all of the authors have in common is investigation (on various levels) into the guilt or innocence of Richard III, against the charges that he murdered his two young nephews in order to seize the throne - most, myself included, believe the charges have never adequately been proven and that other players also stood to benefit, including the entire line of Tudors, whose claim to the throne was always on shaky ground.

The book she's referring to is this one, The Road Not Travelled: Alternative Tales of the Wars of the Roses

The Amazon blurb says:

This collection of short stories from over twenty talented authors explores...some of these roads and includes most of the famous figures of the Wars of the Roses - Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick the Kingmaker, Anne Neville, George of Clarence, Francis Lovell and, of course, Richard III to name just a few.

So it sounds like being familiar with that era in history might help you understand all of the fine points of these stories. There are stories from 20 different authors, including Lisl.

The Kindle edition is just $4.99.

Also, proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to the Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK), so it's for a good cause.

___________

12 I read Eternal by Lisa Scottoline. This excellent novel is a love and family story set in Rome beginning in 1937 and continuing through the war years. It's a beautifully written tribute to the power of love.

Posted by: Zoltan at July 25, 2021 08:06 AM (kiyX4)

Eternal is a new novel, released earlier this year. Here is the love triangle:

Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist; Marco the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists; and Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and a doctor. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta's heart. But in the autumn of 1937, all of that begins to change as Mussolini asserts his power, aligning Italy's Fascists with Hitler's Nazis and altering the very laws that govern Rome. In time, everything that the three hold dear--their families, their homes, and their connection to one another--is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

$12.99 for the Kindle edition. Scottoline has written tons of books, including a lot of crime fiction. Her book Someone Knows is an Amazon editor's pick:

Allie Garvey is heading home to the funeral of a childhood friend. Allie is not only grief-stricken, she's full of dread. Because going home means seeing the other two people with whom she shares an unbearable secret.

Twenty years earlier, a horrific incident shattered the lives of five teenagers, including Allie. Drinking and partying in the woods, they played a dangerous prank that went tragically wrong, turning deadly. The teenagers kept what happened a secret, believing that getting caught would be the worst thing that could happen. But time has taught Allie otherwise. Not getting caught was far worse.

Moral: a guilty conscience can ruin your whole life.

Based:

___________

I've also begun "Helluva Town," a history of how NYC changed during the war years. I'm barely into it, but I'm learning interesting tidbits.

Posted by: Weak Geek at July 25, 2021 08:17 AM (Om/di)

I wouldn't think this topic would warrant a lot of interest, but there are (at least) two other social histories of NYC during WW2: Over Here!: New York City During World War II and Victory City: A History of New York and New Yorkers during World War II (Illustrated)

But Helluva Town

...is a kaleidoscopic and compelling social history that captures the youthful electricity of wartime and recounts the important role New York played in the national war effort. This is a book that will prove irresistible to anyone who loves New York and its relentlessly fascinating saga.

Wartime Broadway lives again in these pages through the plays of Lillian Hellman, Robert Sherwood, Maxwell Anderson, and John Steinbeck championing the democratic cause; Irving Berlin’s This Is the Army and Moss Hart’s Winged Victory with their all-servicemen casts; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! hailing American optimism; the Leonard Bernstein–Jerome Robbins production of On the Town; and the Stage Door Canteen.

...Here, too, is an unseen New York: physicists who fled Hitler’s Europe spawning the atomic bomb, the FBI chasing after Nazi spies, the Navy enlisting the Mafia to safeguard the port against sabotage, British agents mounting a vast intelligence operation. This is the city that served as a magnet for European artists and intellectuals, whose creative presence contributed mightily to New York’s boisterous cosmopolitanism...

Finally, this is the story of New York’s emergence as the power and glory of the world stage in the wake of V-J Day, underlined when the newly created United Nations arose beside the East River, climaxing a storied chapter in the history of the world’s greatest city.

It might be worth getting the hardcover edition for $11.49 rather than a Kindle copy for $15.99.

There's another book about NYC called Helluva Town, but it's by a different author, and it extends the history it discusses into the 1950s.

You might consider pairing this one with a book recommended by MP⁴, Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York:

In Appetite City, the former New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes leads us on a grand historical tour of New York's dining culture. Beginning with the era when simple chophouses and oyster bars dominated the culinary scene, he charts the city's transformation into the world restaurant capital it is today...

Enhancing his tale with more than one hundred photographs, rare menus, menu cards, and other curios and illustrations (many never before seen), Grimes vividly describes the dining styles, dishes, and restaurants succeeding one another in an unfolding historical panorama: the deluxe ice cream parlors of the 1850s, the boisterous beef-and-beans joints along Newspaper Row in the 1890s, the assembly-line experiment of the Automat, the daring international restaurants of the 1939 World's Fair, and the surging multicultural city of today.

New York is, indeed, the greatest restaurant city the world has ever seen.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, insults, threats, ugly pants pics and moron library submissions 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: OregonMuse at 09:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Currently on the third book of the Harry Potter series.

Posted by: Vic at August 01, 2021 08:01 AM (mpXpK)

2 It's Jeff!

Good morning Horde

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:01 AM (ONvIw)

3 Who Dis? Eric Roberts?

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 01, 2021 08:02 AM (PiwSw)

4 Tolle Lege

No new books, haven't been to used book store

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:02 AM (Cxk7w)

5 Those pants are fine.

Posted by: an onion at August 01, 2021 08:03 AM (Tnijr)

6 The poor "Pants" guy looks like one of those sectional flippy books.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:03 AM (Dc2NZ)

7 On the other hand, Jeff Bridges was trying to get The Giver filmed for years, so it might be him, with the books in the background as the hint.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 01, 2021 08:03 AM (PiwSw)

8 I actually liked the Harry Potter books, read them all

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:04 AM (Cxk7w)

9 Who dis? Jeff Bridges.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:04 AM (jvt6t)

10 Good morning everyone! That pantless dude looks ridiculous with all the layers, but the heeled wingtips sent me over the edge. ARGHHH!!

Posted by: CarolinaGirl at August 01, 2021 08:04 AM (Kh9rg)

11 "Therefore, this sorry looking fellow here would not be allowed on the book thread."

Why, I would hope not.

His socks don't match.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice. Asymptomatic raycist at August 01, 2021 08:04 AM (3D/fK)

12 hiya

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (arJlL)

13 Why would I ever set foot in Chicago to read progressive BS?

Just bought for my younger daughter's b-day a nice Calvin and Hobbs collection of books.

Posted by: SMH at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (+tqLU)

14 The Bridges guy is "for the ettes"

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (ONvIw)

15 Thunderbolt & Lightfoot was a great book. Not really.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (jvt6t)

16 Still not reading these days. Brain hurts.

Posted by: rhennigantx at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (yrol0)

17 Morning, Horde...How goes it? I'm still making my way through the Lensman saga. Started Grey Lensman yesterday. At the moment, the heroes are piloting a planet (yes, that's what I said) through the void between the Second Galaxy, ruled by the evil Boskone, and the First Galaxy, ruled by the Galactic Patrol. Pretty wild stuff...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (K5n5d)

18 I found a five book series that I can't wait to order.

https://tinyurl.com/yk6dps49

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice. Asymptomatic raycist at August 01, 2021 08:05 AM (3D/fK)

19 Hello book thread, my old friend. I've come to learn from you again.

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:06 AM (45fpk)

20 The Bridges guy is "for the ettes"
Posted by: CN
___

Pass.

Posted by: SMH at August 01, 2021 08:06 AM (+tqLU)

21 I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say the pants guy doesn't own a weedwhacker.

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:06 AM (arJlL)

22 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I hope everyone had a great week of reading.

Posted by: JTB at August 01, 2021 08:06 AM (7EjX1)

23 I need to find a good book to read, but have been so busy it hasn't happened yet.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:06 AM (jvt6t)

24 Hey grammie. : )

Posted by: SMH at August 01, 2021 08:07 AM (+tqLU)

25 Anyway, working on finishing Windswept House, an amazing book. If you substituted "world leaders" for Cardinals it would probably be even more hideously accurate. Why didn't I hear of this earlier?

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:07 AM (ONvIw)

26 "I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say the pants guy doesn't own a weedwhacker."

You misspelled Tallywacker.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice. Asymptomatic raycist at August 01, 2021 08:07 AM (3D/fK)

27 Just bought for my younger daughter's b-day a nice Calvin and Hobbs collection of books.
Posted by: SMH

Nice !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:07 AM (arJlL)

28 Hiya SMH!

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (45fpk)

29 From Fen downstairs

�I just wanted to recommend this book again, because I won't be here for the book thread. It's a book for women-"Holy In the Moment" -simple ways to love God and enjoy your life Ginger Harrington. She is a Christian and wife of someone in the military (Maybe her husband was a chaplain, but I don't know.

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (Cxk7w)

30 You misspelled Tallywacker.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice. Asymptomatic raycist at August 01, 2021 08:07 AM (3D/fK)

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Tally Ho!"

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (PiwSw)

31 I read The Leopard by Guiseppe Di Lampedusa, which was recommended here several times. The author is a Sicilian prince and the story is based on the life of his great grandfather, Don Fabrizio, prince of Salina. When the forces of revolution land in Sicily with Garibaldi, Fabrizio is smart enough not to oppose the inevitable, but he is too attached to the past to join the present. An interesting historical novel.

Posted by: Zoltan at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (kiyX4)

32 Heh JT,

Plus is that the g-babies will be introduced to the wonderful world of Calvin & Hobbs.

Posted by: SMH at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (+tqLU)

33 Just bought for my younger daughter's b-day a nice Calvin and Hobbs collection of books.
Posted by: SMH
---

That there is good parenting.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:09 AM (Dc2NZ)

34 I remember that 1972 basketball game. I was about 8 years old and watched it with my Dad and four brothers. There was some yelling and things thrown at our old TV set.

Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:09 AM (88xKn)

35 Hiya JTB ! Regards to the Missus !

Farmer mentioned that you were in Pa.

Is that right ?

Did I know that ?

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:09 AM (arJlL)

36 Slightly OT, but still book related...I was watching Critical Drinker's Happy Hour on Conan The Barbarian yesterday. His guest, Andre Einherjar from Midnight's Edge, pointed out that almost ALL popular culture today can draw a direct line back to the pulp fiction written a century or so ago. Even the serialized way in which we view content can be tracked back to those stories. Something to thing about...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:10 AM (K5n5d)

37 There's a good book about NYC just at the end of the war: Manhattan 45 by Jan Morris. It's like a travel book if you had a time machine.

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:10 AM (QZxDR)

38 Just bought for my younger daughter's b-day a nice Calvin and Hobbs collection of books.
Posted by: SMH
---

That there is good parenting.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread)

Seconded !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:10 AM (arJlL)

39 Nice Community Book Store!

Those pants...never mind.

The Who Dis is how Joe Biden thinks he looks.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at August 01, 2021 08:10 AM (R/m4+)

40 "Literary Limerics"
-
And to think of the money I wasted in high school buying Monarch Notes!

Posted by: Biden's Dog at August 01, 2021 08:11 AM (gfB3g)

41 Judging from his expression, the pants guy thinks that out fit is just as retarded as we think it is.

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:11 AM (QZxDR)

42 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (Zz0t1)

43 Heh JT,

Plus is that the g-babies will be introduced to the wonderful world of Calvin & Hobbs.
Posted by: SMH

Nice AGAIN !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (arJlL)

44 "I've been looking for a girl like you - not you, but a girl like you."

Groucho Marx - longing for someone, but not really sure whom

Posted by: BackwardsBoy - Psychos Rule! No, really. They're in charge now. at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (HaL55)

45 I decided to go with buying a couple Owen Barfield books. I chose Poetic Diction and Saving the Appearances: a Study in Idolatry. If CS Lewis thought he was worth reading, maybe I will too or maybe it will be too scholarly.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (ONvIw)

46 Seriously. Stop googling anything. There are plenty of other search engines out there where you aren't feeding the beast that's trying to destroy everything you hold dear, I think.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (Zz0t1)

47 The Who Dis is Walter Cronkite !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (arJlL)

48 I'm halfway through C.J. Box's "Blue Heaven" (2007) about a pair of kids who are on the lam after witnessing a murder in the woods. The killers are a group of corrupt ex-cops from L.A. who got rich off a crime and moved to an area of rural Idaho known as a retirement haven for big city policemen (hence the name "Blue Heaven").

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:13 AM (Dc2NZ)

49 Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (Zz0t1)

Fire won't melt steel. Google it.

Posted by: Fat Has Been at August 01, 2021 08:13 AM (jvt6t)

50 Sponge, I use Startpage with my Brave browser.

Posted by: SMH at August 01, 2021 08:13 AM (+tqLU)

51 Reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation.

Posted by: lin-duh at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (UUBmN)

52 46: I think googling has become a generic word for "did a search".

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (ONvIw)

53 Who Dis? Ricardo Montalb�n's and Patrick Swayze's daddy, that's who!

Posted by: Biden's Dog at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (gfB3g)

54 Hey everyone!

I finished Stanley G. Payne's European Civil War 1905-1949 and it is an excellent introduction to the revolutionary conflicts of that era. I'll do a full review on my site at some point, but I'll content myself here to noting that like Payne's other work it is brief, to the point, and refreshingly free of bias. Payne's own politics are a little vague, but he's clearly annoying with the leftist slant on everything and so comes across as conservative because he peppers his analysis by saying "yeah, the right did this, but the left did it times ten, but you never hear about that."

Payne was a hugely useful source in my work on the Spanish Civil War and even responded to my fan-girlish emails, so be sure to buy some of his books. I have three so far and will keep adding more.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (llXky)

55 I find it interesting that the library above puts sociology next to religion. There's far too much of that these days.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (ONvIw)

56 off cholesterol sock

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:15 AM (jvt6t)

57 Among some of the dissident alt-right science fiction community (John Del Arroz and satellites) I've been seeing the rumblings of some much-needed revision of the historical narrative of SF. For a long time it was presented as "In the beginning there were the pulps, which were trash, and then John Campbell said let there be light, and it was so."

HOWEVER I find it a little weird that both SF writers on the right are now dumping on Campbell (for trying to take SF away from its pulp origins) AND the left are dumping on him as well (for being a white guy and not a Marxist).

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:16 AM (QZxDR)

58 The Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago was originally settled by Czech and Polish immigrants. I think it's more Hispanic now, not sure.

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:16 AM (45fpk)

59 Booken morgen horden

Posted by: vmom sic semper stabbicus at August 01, 2021 08:16 AM (oEn12)

60 Still working my way through G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. It's an easy read but he's a fricking aphorism factory and I'm afraid I'm going to be compelled to do something I otherwise never do - highlight passages and pages in pencil for future reference.

For example: "Oscar Wilde said that sunsets were not valued because we could not pay for sunsets. But Oscar Wilde was wrong; we can pay for sunsets. We can pay for them by not being Oscar Wilde."

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:17 AM (llXky)

61 Pilsen is where you go for Mexican food now in Chicago.

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:17 AM (QZxDR)

62 Gat, get, git, got, gut. Did I win anything?

Posted by: Eromero at August 01, 2021 08:17 AM (0OP+5)

63 One thing I owe Anthony Burgess for is introducing me to Aldous Huxley. For some reason I had a prior misconception that he was an overrated fop like Fitzgerald or a boring gasbag like Dreiser or Sinclair Lewis but nothing could be further from the truth. Proving that good literature is timeless, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan was written in 1939 but could apply to the fake sciency shitheads who are wrong about everything about Covid but still demand to be authority figures. It's wickedly funny about everything and I wanted to question the Horde if they had any personal faves.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:18 AM (y7DUB)

64 gat, get, git, got, gut?

Posted by: gilbar at August 01, 2021 08:18 AM (bPy5j)

65 HOWEVER I find it a little weird that both SF writers on the right are now dumping on Campbell (for trying to take SF away from its pulp origins) AND the left are dumping on him as well (for being a white guy and not a Marxist).
Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:16 AM (QZxDR)
---
I think there's a pretty good argument to be made that Science Fiction was shaped just as much by the editors (Campbell, Asimov, Gernsback, Del Rey, etc.) as by the writers. Both sides may have a point, as people are pretty complex. Doesn't make them right, though.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:19 AM (K5n5d)

66 Trimegistus, I think he's being unpersoned for his racism (he wouldn't publish Delaney even though he thought his work was brilliant) and antisemitism (although Asimov said he never encountered anything like antisemitism from him).

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:19 AM (Dc2NZ)

67 wat, wet, wit ,wot, wut??

Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:20 AM (88xKn)

68 Pilsen is where you go for Mexican food now in Chicago.

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:17 AM (QZxDR)

Ahh. Seems to be happening to a lot of ethnic communities in Chicago. Andersonville used to be a haven for Scandis, but now many of those businesses have been replaced by other ethnicities.

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:20 AM (45fpk)

69 I find it interesting that the library above puts sociology next to religion. There's far too much of that these days.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (ONvIw)

---
I was at one of our local bookstores last week and it was completely demoralizing. The leftist slant was just overwhelming. They did have a few books that weren't "TRUMP IS AWFUL" but even in the (tiny) military and world history sections it was tough going. Literature was feeble.

And good grief that have a huge section sociology and "gender studies," all of which seems to be designed to reinforce the delusions of the left. "See, we're all really good people! We're totally normal! It's those other ones that have the problem."

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:21 AM (llXky)

70 63: After Many a Summer sounds like a good book.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:21 AM (ONvIw)

71 I think there's a pretty good argument to be made that Science Fiction was shaped just as much by the editors...

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:19 AM (K5n5d)

Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Gardner Dozois heartily agree.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 01, 2021 08:22 AM (PiwSw)

72 1/2 -- Since the last time I wrote a review on the Book Thread, here's some highlights:

The Divine Romance by Fulton Sheen. Originally published in 1930, Archbishop Sheen discusses Creation, the Trinity, Revelation, Redemption and the Catholic Church in terms of God's divine love for Mankind. I found it to an excellent read and quite thought-provoking. An interesting point that I had never considered was that God became man as Jesus Christ so that that He could experience suffering. Highly recommended: rating = 5.0/5.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:22 AM (pJWtt)

73 I was at one of our local bookstores last week and it was completely demoralizing. The leftist slant was just overwhelming.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:21 AM (llXky)

Which?

Posted by: hogmartin at August 01, 2021 08:22 AM (ghoDT)

74 Do I have this right then?
Book nook took rook

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (Cxk7w)

75 Seriously. Stop googling anything. There are
plenty of other search engines out there where you aren't feeding the
beast that's trying to destroy everything you hold dear, I think.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:12 AM (Zz0t1)

---
I've noticed that DuckDuckGo has gotten a lot better over time.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (llXky)

76 1/2) Glimpses of the Devil by Dr. M. Scott Peck. Published in 2005, the book contains two case-studies of exorcisms performed by the author. Dr. Peck is a psychiatrist who eventually became convinced of the existence of Satan. Generally interesting, but due to Dr. Peck's rather nebulous understanding of Catholicism (being a Protestant, himself), Satan outwits him in the second exorcism *. Generally interesting. Rating = 4.0/5.

* During the second exorcism, Satan tells Dr. Peck that the Book of Judith was removed from the Bible because Christians can't stand strong women. Of course, it is only the Protestant version that lacks Deuterocanonical books, and Catholics routinely petition the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for them. According to some Catholic exorcists I have read, only Mary can defeat Judas, and a being claiming to be Judas appeared during the second (ultimately unsuccessful) exorcism.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (pJWtt)

77 Word games never was my strong point

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:24 AM (Cxk7w)

78 Sad thing is, that blunder of a USA/USSR game officials has no comparison to the clusterfark that is today's NBA officiating.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:24 AM (Zz0t1)

79 And good grief that have a huge section sociology and "gender studies," all of which seems to be designed to reinforce the delusions of the left. "See, we're all really good people! We're totally normal! It's those other ones that have the problem."
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:21 AM (llXky)

It's very frustrating and scary to see history and literature being chucked aside for PC garbage and sociology generally. It was what first angered me about my former rabbi: Sociology=Theology, emblazoned on a screen for all to stare at. Sociology is trendy college research, theology should be a fixed mark, not a fashion statement.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:24 AM (ONvIw)

80 I remember that 1972 basketball game. I was about 8 years old and watched it with my Dad and four brothers. There was some yelling and things thrown at our old TV set.
Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:09 AM (88xKn)

I was living on my own in Cleveland post college and was pacing around the apartment like a fucking maniac repeating "this is fucked up. Somebody has to make this right or just tell the Olympics to suck horse cock and leave". It prepared me emotionally to deal with the GOP.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:24 AM (y7DUB)

81 I'm working my way through James Clavell's Asian Saga. I read Shogun and Tai Pan long ago, and they both are still incredible reads. I'm on Gai Jin. The man can really tell a story.

Posted by: Laura Montgomery at August 01, 2021 08:25 AM (KFIdK)

82 I've been using DDG with reasonable amount of success for a while now.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:25 AM (Zz0t1)

83 A book about Richard III? To fundraise for scoliosis?

Pffft!

That's like a book about the Bidens to raise funds for child abuse.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (6FeV1)

84 I remember that 1972 basketball game. I was about 8 years old and watched it with my Dad and four brothers. There was some yelling and things thrown at our old TV set.
Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:09 AM (88xKn)

I was living on my own in Cleveland post college and was pacing around the apartment like a fucking maniac repeating "this is fucked up. Somebody has to make this right or just tell the Olympics to suck horse cock and leave". It prepared me emotionally to deal with the GOP.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:24 AM (y7DUB)

Yes, well that was back in the day when I cared about sports and the olympics.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (Irn0L)

85 I've noticed that DuckDuckGo has gotten a lot better over time.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd

More Goin' and less Duckin' ?

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (arJlL)

86 I've noticed that DuckDuckGo has gotten a lot better over time.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (llXky

Yes it has, but typing DuckDuckGoing is simply not going to happen. Google is to using a search engine as kleenex is to tissue, it's become rather broad and generic.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (ONvIw)

87 Big fan of Clavell. I should reacquire his stuff one day....

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (6FeV1)

88 Shit, shat, shut, shart, shirt, shimmy shimmy coco bop.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (Zz0t1)

89 Which?

Posted by: hogmartin at August 01, 2021 08:22 AM (ghoDT)

---
Schuler books in Meridian Mall. The daughters wanted to roam so I browsed while the shopped. It was miserable - everywhere I looked there was blatant, smug, self-congratulatory stupidity for sale.

I remember going to book stores and being enthralled by all the exciting subjects and titles, but even the history section is a bunch of grim "Everything is Awful" themed books.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (llXky)

90 For a split second, my brain read the top photo caption as "Plissken Community Bookstore." I pictured a lot of copies of The Anarchist's Cookbook in the front window.

Posted by: PabloD at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (FmrzA)

91 Bat, bet, bit, bot, but.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (Q9lwr)

92 because Christians can't stand strong women.

Like Sarah, and Rachel, and Hannah, and Esther, and Ruth, and Mary, and Salome, and Mary of Magdala and Lydia? Those women?

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (45fpk)

93 Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:26 AM (E6b/B)

Yeah, piss off, stolen sock.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (Zz0t1)

94 Morning hordemates!

Posted by: Diogenes at August 01, 2021 08:28 AM (axyOa)

95 Captain Hate -

Now that you've had a change of heart (SWIDT ?), are ya gonna give James Jones another look-see ?

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:28 AM (arJlL)

96 cool, pool fool, stool, drool...

I still got it....

Posted by: Joey Paste Eater at August 01, 2021 08:28 AM (jvt6t)

97 Do I have this right then?
Book nook took rook
Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (Cxk7w)

That's not a vowel movement. That's consonantstipated.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:28 AM (6FeV1)

98 Schuler books in Meridian Mall. The daughters wanted to roam so I browsed while the shopped. It was miserable - everywhere I looked there was blatant, smug, self-congratulatory stupidity for sale.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (llXky)

ISTR they used to have a decent used section, but all of Meridian Mall is a no-carry zone so f'em.

Posted by: hogmartin at August 01, 2021 08:29 AM (ghoDT)

99 Reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation.
Posted by: lin-duh at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (UUBmN)

Been a long time, but as a yute, always found him a tough read.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:29 AM (Zz0t1)

100 E6b/B

....

You DICK!!!!!

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:29 AM (6FeV1)

101 For a split second, my brain read the top photo caption as "Plissken Community Bookstore." I pictured a lot of copies of The Anarchist's Cookbook in the front window.
Posted by: PabloD

And an eyepatch hanging on the shelf.

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:29 AM (arJlL)

102 1 For a split second, my brain read the top photo caption as "Plissken Community Bookstore." I pictured a lot of copies of The Anarchist's Cookbook in the front window.
Posted by: PabloD at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (FmrzA)

Brain and Maggie, An Unlikely Love Story
"Snake, I Thought You Were Dead" : Reminiscences of a NY Cab Driver

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (PiwSw)

103 ....

You DICK!!!!!
Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:29 AM (6FeV1)

Fam.

*fistbump*

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (Zz0t1)

104 I was at one of our local bookstores last week and it was completely demoralizing. The leftist slant was just overwhelming. ... all of which seems to be designed to reinforce the delusions of the left. "See, we're all really good people! We're totally normal! It's those other ones that have the problem."
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:21 AM (llXky)

Lefties want you demoralized. You all people should understand that it's all propaganda intended to prop-up an evil ideology destined to collapse. It's all bull$sh!t and I wouldn't be surprised if those books don't sell particularly well because Lefties tend to be the most incurious folks I've met. I suppose there's an upside to so many not being readers anymore.

There's plenty of good, old books out there.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (pJWtt)

105 Reading a three book series by Benedict Brown centered on murder mysteries set around a teenager and his grandfather in 1925 England.
Fluff but fun.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (axyOa)

106 17 ... If you think the Lensman series so far is wild stuff, it gets wilder as it goes. And the Skylark series as least as much. Absolute fun reading.

Posted by: JTB at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (7EjX1)

107 Yeah, piss off, stolen sock.
Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (Zz0t1)

What he said.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (EVrGQ)

108 Don't forget Dorcas.

Posted by: JAS, AoSHQ addict at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (JVCkA)

109 Reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation.
Posted by: lin-duh at August 01, 2021 08:14 AM (UUBmN)
----
That's next on my list after Lensman. I plan on reading the entire robot/empire/foundation saga in chronological order.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (K5n5d)

110 literary limericks Hamlet

*****

To Bother. Or Not To Bother

I didn't watch the play to the end
Which may be an ominous trend
So I'm embarrassed to say
That to this very day
I thought Hamlet was Pooh's little friend

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (Xwt96)

111 99 Good old Meridian Mall. My closest mall is now Quakerbridge and I went yesterday for a new watch battery for a vintage acquisition. A lot of vacancy, as Lord and Taylor is out and some of the tenants if that section are gone. I don't think they even have a bookstore these days as BN is down the road.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (ONvIw)

112
What he said.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (EVrGQ)

Funny how I mention google and am immediately socked........

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (Zz0t1)

113 Fam.

*fistbump*
Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (Zz0t1)

I gotchoo

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (6FeV1)

114 Brain and Maggie, An Unlikely Love Story
"Snake, I Thought You Were Dead" : Reminiscences of a NY Cab Driver

Plissken: How To Modify A Car For Candelabras.

A DIY Sensation!

Posted by: Joey Paste Eater at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (jvt6t)

115 Like Sarah, and Rachel, and Hannah, and Esther, and Ruth, and Mary, and Salome, and Mary of Magdala and Lydia? Those women?
Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (45fpk)

I don't disagree. I was just quoting the being quoted in Dr. Peck's book.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (pJWtt)

116 What he said.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:31 AM (EVrGQ)

I agree with Waraiotoko Johnson

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (6FeV1)

117 Funny how I mention google and am immediately socked........
Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (Zz0t1)

Softballs and all that...

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (jvt6t)

118 I am not sure the vowel movement game works well in Hebrew.

MRR . . .

um.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (qaiJN)

119 There's plenty of good, old books out there.
Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (pJWtt)

This is why I am acquiring more books and not going totally e-reader. I am afraid that they will be censored like so much else.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)

120 Reading a three book series by Benedict Brown
centered on murder mysteries set around a teenager and his grandfather
in 1925 England.

Fluff but fun.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 01, 2021 08:30 AM (axyOa)

Oh! Those are free to me on Kindle Unlimited. Will download. Thanks!

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (45fpk)

121 Trick track truck puck fuck

This is easy.

Posted by: Justsayin' at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (Fs5vw)

122 And it appears the douche has a VPN.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (Zz0t1)

123 I see DDG, I think Guided Missile Destroyer.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (Dc2NZ)

124 During the second exorcism, Satan tells Dr. Peck
that the Book of Judith was removed from the Bible because Christians
can't stand strong women. Of course, it is only the Protestant version
that lacks Deuterocanonical books, and Catholics routinely petition the
Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for them.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (pJWtt)

---
There's a podcast at ancientfaith.com called "Bad Book of the Bible" led by former Protestants who converted to Eastern Orthodox. They go through the "bad books" (the ones missing from the Protestant canon) and also why they were excluded. I found it entertaining.

Our Lady is a powerful intercessor. She is officially credited with the Christian victory over the Turkish fleet in 1571. There's a feast day to celebrate it. Because Catholics hate strong women or some such nonsense.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (llXky)

125 I don't disagree. I was just quoting the being quoted in Dr. Peck's book.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:32 AM (pJWtt)

Oh, yes! Not directed at you. My target was the stupid Doctor.

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:34 AM (45fpk)

126
This is why I am acquiring more books and not going totally e-reader. I am afraid that they will be censored like so much else.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)

This.

I haven't bought many online books, but after learning that your purchased movies could suddenly disappear, the online world for "owning" things is not based in reality.

Plus, what Amazon did to Parler.......

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:34 AM (Zz0t1)

127 124: Are there not many, many female saints?

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:35 AM (ONvIw)

128 Just bought for my younger daughter's b-day a nice Calvin and Hobbs collection of books.
Posted by: SMH
---

That there is good parenting.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread)

Seconded !
Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:10 AM (arJlL)
***

Just did the same for my grandson.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 01, 2021 08:36 AM (axyOa)

129 : Are there not many, many female saints?
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:35 AM (ONvIw)

Dudes in wimples. At least until Shakespeare.

Or something.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:36 AM (6FeV1)

130 And you're a dick, so, go suck it.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:36 AM (Zz0t1)

131 128: GTFO fake Sponge

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:36 AM (ONvIw)

132 Like Sarah, and Rachel, and Hannah, and Esther, and Ruth, and Mary, and Salome, and Mary of Magdala and Lydia? Those women?

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:27 AM (45fpk)

---
To say nothing of St. Joan of Arc..

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:36 AM (llXky)

133 This is why I am acquiring more books and not going totally e-reader. I am afraid that they will be censored like so much else.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)

I'm doing the same thing. Although I've never taken to the e-readers (although I can appreciate their utility for some purposes -- long term archiving not being one of them). In particular, I've been purchasing older history books.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (pJWtt)

134 This is why I am acquiring more books and not going totally e-reader. I am afraid that they will be censored like so much else.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)

This.

I haven't bought many online books, but after learning that your purchased movies could suddenly disappear, the online world for "owning" things is not based in reality.

Plus, what Amazon did to Parler.......
---
Even worse--how many of them will suddenly disappear because they spread "misinformation?"

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (K5n5d)

135
Shakespeare in the Park - a limerick

A Shakespearean hack and a schlub
Performed Hamlet at our garden club
He started his soliloquy
With this: "To tree. Or not to tree?"
And ended it with "Aye! There's the shrub!"

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (Xwt96)

136 Looks like it will be time to mow my lawn, shortly.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:38 AM (Zz0t1)

137 35 ... "Hiya JTB ! Regards to the Missus !

Farmer mentioned that you were in Pa.

Is that right ?

Did I know that ?"

Good morning, JT. Nope it's Va, not Pa.

Posted by: JTB at August 01, 2021 08:38 AM (7EjX1)

138 Helluva Town sounds interesting, but has anyone ever written or read a book about NYC after the end of the Revolution but before they actually evacuated their troops in 1783?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 01, 2021 08:38 AM (7bRMQ)

139 This is why I am acquiring more books and not going totally e-reader. I am afraid that they will be censored like so much else.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)
---

Plus, you can make a fort out of the books for the inevitable Last Stand.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:39 AM (Dc2NZ)

140 From the ever changing hash.......

Good luck. You have no friends and it's really starting to affect your personal life. You should try and become a better person.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:39 AM (Zz0t1)

141 diogenes, I've enjoyed the Benedict Brown books too.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at August 01, 2021 08:39 AM (fTtFy)

142 Sounds like someone needs to introduce me to this Pilsen Community Books.

And though I'm a lame odd numbered year, I think this book is worth a shot: David Goldblatt's "The Games: A Global History Of The Olympics".

Posted by: 1989 at August 01, 2021 08:39 AM (7qU8l)

143 Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (UBAsB)

Look, just because you're not mentally fit to transition, go play somewhere else. Or get better.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (jvt6t)

144 I read The Leopard by Guiseppe Di Lampedusa, which was recommended here several times. The author is a Sicilian prince and the story is based on the life of his great grandfather, Don Fabrizio, prince of Salina. When the forces of revolution land in Sicily with Garibaldi, Fabrizio is smart enough not to oppose the inevitable, but he is too attached to the past to join the present. An interesting historical novel.
Posted by: Zoltan at August 01, 2021 08:08 AM (kiyX4)

I was surely one of the recommenders. Relatedly I've reached the point in Thucydides where he (and VDH) take the Athenians to task for thinking that they, particularly in a weakened state, were so drenched in hubris to think they could sucessfully take on Sicily, particularly since it is an island and they knew how fucking large it was. Robert McNamara level cluelessness.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (y7DUB)

145 97 said I'm bad a word games

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (Cxk7w)

146 There's more hash flying around in here than a cypriot bathhouse....

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (6FeV1)

147 Are there not many, many female saints?

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:35 AM (ONvIw)

---
Yes and they include Doctors of the Church. Because patriarchy, or something.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (llXky)

148 ---
Even worse--how many of them will suddenly disappear because they spread "misinformation?"
Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (K5n5d)

Or are written by "colonialists", or the wrong gender. I can see a lot of censorship coming from the NWO shitheels. I really appreciate the Malachi Martin book as it uses all the buzzwords years before they became common, but you know they weren't borrowed from Martin as Martin uses them with distaste in his tone.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (ONvIw)

149 Plus, you can make a fort out of the books for the inevitable Last Stand.
----
Hey, I have a lot of thick books with stopping power. Of course, I would not be able to move very fast while wearing them as a suit of armor. Pretty sure they'd stop some incoming projectiles, though.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:41 AM (K5n5d)

150 I just finished Hush Money by Robert B. Parker (?)

I'd read that after he died, his wife or somebody was gonna continue the series.

It was kinda meh.

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:41 AM (arJlL)

151 Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 08:37 AM (K5n5d)

Yep. I would collect books for that reason alone. Preserve for future Morons.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (jvt6t)

152 148 The sock is gone. Finally!
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (j348R)

Oh look I'm being socked by a shitheel! I feel like a member of a cool club, now.

On that note I'll go walk the pooch, while my clone screws the pooch.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (ONvIw)

153 And Lisa Scottoline's book also has a woman in period costume walking away.

I don't mind this, actually, because I like to picture the heroine in my own mind.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (AwPyG)

154 I read Enchantress from the Stars, by Sylvia Engdahl way back when, I didn't remember the name but I remember the plot.
I liked it, it was kind of a sweet book, though it was when I was getting tired of Andre Norton's far future stuff, and it suffered from me comparing it to that.

Another book I read about that time that was similar was Newton and the Quasi Apple by Stanley Schmidt, which is similar, interstellar agents for some reason think it is a good idea to provide the locals with anti-gravity and ruin a young local who is developing a philosophy about the physics of motion, and prevent a scientific revolution.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (qaiJN)

155 Oh, yes! Not directed at you. My target was the stupid Doctor.
Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 08:34 AM (45fpk)

OK, that's a relief. I wouldn't intentionally antagonize you. I always enjoy your perspective (and you and the Rev. seem like great people to know in meat-space).

Yeah, Dr. Peck admits that he went into these exorcisms not particularly well-versed in Christianity and I got the impression that he belonged to a rather 'bland" church. If he had known his Bible better, he could have easily confronted Satan over his lies.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (pJWtt)

156 Yep. I would collect books for that reason alone. Preserve for future Morons.
Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (jvt6t)

We can keep them all at AtC's house.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (6FeV1)

157 Therefore, this sorry looking fellow here would not be allowed on the book thread.

Those aren't mind-searingly awful like Hillary!'s, but day-um.

Dude's never not skipped leg day in his life.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (a3Q+t)

158 But seriously, imma go mow my lawn. Neighbors are starting to think we died.

*fistbump* to all the protectors of the horde and may the troll discover the joys of not being a raging prick someday.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (Zz0t1)

159 Says the loser who posts on a 90s blog most of the day, LOL.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (NagBY)

Sponge, this is so not me.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (ONvIw)

160 136 Looks like it will be time to mow my lawn, shortly.
Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:38 AM (Zz0t1)

I've been working a lot and was dreading mowing the lawn, when lo and behold, a lawn service company got an address mix up and did my lawn instead.

Winning!

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (jvt6t)

161 mare, mere, mire, more, mure

(I had to look up 'mure')

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (Xwt96)

162 Just did the same for my grandson.
Posted by: Diogenes

Nice !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (arJlL)

163 Dude's never not skipped leg day in his life.
Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (a3Q+t)

His leg day is every February 30th.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (6FeV1)

164 Well, that was a surprise!

I nearly set aside "Helluva Town" in the first pages because it mentioned a National Football League game between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers on Dec. 7, 1941. But a quick check of Wikipedia showed that the author was correct: There was a National Football League back then, just not the one we know (and used to love). And Brooklyn did have a football team named the Dodgers. Two years later, they became the Brooklyn Tigers.

The book is a series of "this happened and then that happened." After Pearl Harbor, it moves into my two favorite subjects: organized crime and espionage, in this case the roles of Luciano and Intrepid. Don't expect in-depth studies, just overviews. Lucky got just two pages.

I just finished a chapter on the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which apparently had more than its share of goldbricks. One observer, the playwright Arthur Miller, who worked in the yard, said that it was so overstaffed that absentees were not noticed. (I'll add a vignette in a subsequent post; Pixy and/or my phone are limiting me.)

Coming up: the fire aboard the Normandie.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (Om/di)

165 I was surely one of the recommenders. Relatedly
I've reached the point in Thucydides where he (and VDH) take the
Athenians to task for thinking that they, particularly in a weakened
state, were so drenched in hubris to think they could sucessfully take
on Sicily, particularly since it is an island and they knew how fucking
large it was. Robert McNamara level cluelessness.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:40 AM (y7DUB)

---
A crucial advantage the non-left has is that we read history and understand human nature. All those navel-gazing books that do nothing but affirm self-esteem are useless when compared to the wisdom of the ancients.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (llXky)

166 Yep. I would collect books for that reason alone. Preserve for future Morons.
Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:42 AM (jvt6t)
---

The other day folks at According to Hoyt were talking about great SF books and of course Lucifer's Hammer came up. Somebody pointed out that you can't bury books and other perishables in trash bags because they are biodegradable now.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (Dc2NZ)

167 My kindle is about three years old and some days it's erratic and slow. So, I'm thinking of getting a new tablet( non- Amazon product). Any suggestions from the Horde would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:45 AM (88xKn)

168 63 One thing I owe Anthony Burgess for is introducing me to Aldous Huxley. For some reason I had a prior misconception that he was an overrated fop like Fitzgerald or a boring gasbag like Dreiser or Sinclair Lewis but nothing could be further from the truth. Proving that good literature is timeless, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan was written in 1939 but could apply to the fake sciency shitheads who are wrong about everything about Covid but still demand to be authority figures. It's wickedly funny about everything and I wanted to question the Horde if they had any personal faves.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:18 AM (y7DUB)

All Americans of a certain age remember where they were and what they were doing when they found out Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis died.

Posted by: 1963 at August 01, 2021 08:45 AM (7qU8l)

169 I've been working a lot and was dreading mowing the lawn, when lo and behold, a lawn service company got an address mix up and did my lawn instead.

Winning!
Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (jvt6t)

HA! Noice........

If they come back next week, you'll be getting a bill.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:45 AM (Zz0t1)

170 (I had to look up 'mure')
Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (Xwt96)

If at first you're too ostentatious, mure, mure again.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:45 AM (6FeV1)

171 Good morning, JT. Nope it's Va, not Pa.
Posted by: JTB

AHA !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:46 AM (arJlL)

172 Now that you've had a change of heart (SWIDT ?), are ya gonna give James Jones another look-see ?
Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:28 AM (arJlL)

With a larger amount of oxygenated blood flowing to my noggin, if anything it should increase the invective.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:46 AM (y7DUB)

173 Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM (Dc2NZ)

The Dungeon stays relatively dry. Mostly.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:46 AM (jvt6t)

174 Why would anyone go to Chicago?

Posted by: Ziba at August 01, 2021 08:46 AM (S1hrL)

175 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes.

Slept late. No hangover. Usual Sunday feeling of regret.

Now to read content. Talk to you in about a hundred comments.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 01, 2021 08:46 AM (2JVJo)

176 OT, but I want to finish up the Mazda water pump install today.
Once again I'm faced with that age old conundrum of how to torque the crankshaft pulley bolt to 120 ft-lbs when you can't lock the engine.

Posted by: Just Wondering at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (jYQlA)

177 Guess I will have a new hash since the internet was out yesterday.

On MP4's recommendation I am reading Titanic Survivor about Violet Jessop. I requested it from the library and they shipped it in from Rifle.

It's fascinating.

Posted by: Infidel at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (VDqwV)

178 That vignette:

One crumb bum set up a snooze spot in the engine room of a ship that was undergoing repairs. He woke up one afternoon to find that the ship had left the yard. He was away for six weeks.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (Om/di)

179 Be blessed, Horde.

Hug your loved ones. Enjoy this day of rest as I won't be resting much.

Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (Zz0t1)

180 Been working on filling out a plot for a work I'm calling "Crime Share" (no, its not an expose on time share industry)

The pitch is: there is a community of criminals spread about who will commit crimes for others in exchange for crimes committed for them. That is, if Bob wants a judge killed, Bob gets Sam (via the network), who has absolutely no connection to the judge or to Bob to do the job so Bob can have an ironclad alibi. Bob eventually will have to pay for the hit by doing a similar crime.... and so on.

The toughest part of this is... do I want to dissolve the Crime Share network or have it exist for a sequel? (sort of like John Wick universe)

Posted by: Reuben Hick at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (/SlmF)

181 Posted by: Just Wondering at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (jYQlA)

A large pry bar inserted to prevent the turn........

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (jvt6t)

182 With a larger amount of oxygenated blood flowing to my noggin, if anything it should increase the invective.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt

LOL !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (arJlL)

183 band, bend, bind, bond, bund

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (Xwt96)

184 All Americans of a certain age remember where they were and what they were doing when they found out Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis died.
Posted by: 1963 at August 01, 2021 08:45 AM (7qU8l)
---

I was a Narnia nut in my yute and when I saw a news clipping at the library (remember news clipping files?) giving his birth and death dates, I was crushed.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Sans-Culottes (except for the Book Thread) at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (Dc2NZ)

185 Read three Sherlock Holmes books by James Lovegrove. The three make up what he called The Cthulu Casebooks, where he melds Holmes with H.P. Lovecraft. Does a very creditable job, with a totally competent Watson. Hadn't read either Holmes or Lovecraft in quite a while, and these were good stand alone stories that did not disrespect either author. Fun light reading.

Posted by: From that time at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (4780s)

186 Posted by: Sponge - Saying Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (Zz0t1)

Good Luck. We're all counting on you.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:48 AM (jvt6t)

187 Disable your rev limiter and crank it til it don't crank no more.

Then you can torque it with ease.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:49 AM (6FeV1)

188 ball, bell, bill, boll, bull

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:50 AM (Xwt96)

189 White Fragility on the shelf at Goodwill this week for a buck. Bought it to take it out of circulation, what.

Posted by: Ziba at August 01, 2021 08:52 AM (S1hrL)

190 mass, mess, miss, moss, muss

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:52 AM (Xwt96)

191 Is anybody in contact with Ben Had?

I've sent two emails asking for MoMe information, with not replies.

I figure that my messages are in a spam folder.

Would somebody please alert BH?

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 08:52 AM (Om/di)

192 Yeah, Dr. Peck admits that he went into these
exorcisms not particularly well-versed in Christianity and I got the
impression that he belonged to a rather 'bland" church. If he had known
his Bible better, he could have easily confronted Satan over his lies.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:43 AM (pJWtt)

---
My wife was raised Southern Baptist and she continues to marvel over all the stuff that she missed growing up. Her mother taught Sunday school and her father was a deacon at their church, but she'd never even heard of Maccabees, which is a key part of salvation history.

Our bishop is doing a Year of the Bible program where every day has a selected reading and he offers commentary each week. It's made a profound impression on her, particularly the "bad books" which she hadn't seen growing up.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:52 AM (llXky)

193 oops, that one's been listed already. I think I should quit now.

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:53 AM (Xwt96)

194 190 mass, mess, miss, moss, muss
Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:52 AM (Xwt96)

You must be a real son of a whore to play boggle with, S�amus.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:53 AM (6FeV1)

195 Is anybody in contact with Ben Had?

I've sent two emails asking for MoMe information, with not replies.

I figure that my messages are in a spam folder.

Would somebody please alert BH?
Posted by: Weak Geek

She had mentioned that her e-mail was down.

Pony Express ?

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (arJlL)

196 The titles in that bookstore! Imagine being the editor of such dreck. Eeeccchhh.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (Om/di)

197 Pony Express ?
Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (arJlL)

Homing pigeons.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (jvt6t)

198 I'm picturing Muldoon in front of a white board, scribbling away like a mad scientist.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (AwPyG)

199 Been working on filling out a plot for a work I'm calling "Crime Share" (no, its not an expose on time share industry)

Sounds like Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 01, 2021 08:55 AM (2JVJo)

200 (I had to look up 'mure')
Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:44 AM

Mure today
A breakthrough limerick tomorrow

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 01, 2021 08:55 AM (a3Q+t)

201 Homing pigeons.
Posted by: Jak Sucio

or Homey Pigeons..."HeyyyyyBen Had ! You lookin' good ta-DAY Mama !"

She-itttttt!

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 08:56 AM (arJlL)

202 72. "The Divine Romance by Fulton Sheen."

RBC, I have read several Fulton Sheen books and they have all been excellent. I remember some of his TV broadcasts. A few of them are on Youtube.

Posted by: JTB at August 01, 2021 08:56 AM (7EjX1)

203 artemus at his 29 year age a blackboard and chalk

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 08:57 AM (Cxk7w)

204 So I mentioned on Friday's GAINNNZ thread that I had finished a good first draft of my new Theda Bara book, and it's time to start typing up things (because I write in longhand) and editing as I go.

One thing I do need to find is a large map of LA for 1917 (or within 1-2 years either way). You can find some on-line, but they're either just images which don't blow up to the size I need or aren't available for purchase.

One of many things to do.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 01, 2021 08:57 AM (2JVJo)

205 198 I'm picturing Muldoon in front of a white board, scribbling away like a mad scientist.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 08:54 AM (AwPyG)

I'm picturing a team of underaged assistants with smartphones.

Posted by: dantesed at August 01, 2021 08:57 AM (88xKn)

206 ... scribbling away like a mad scientist.

*****

...dribbling is more like it, I'm afraid.

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 08:57 AM (Xwt96)

207 The book group is reading Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges, a reread for me but it was so long ago that it is like reading it for the first time plus reading things like this when I'm older improves the experience. It's stimulating a lot of good discussion including by someone who was adamantly opposed to reading it (he's being such a good sport that I've reconsidered his insistence to read The Raj Quartet which I mainly opposed because it's so fucking long). Anyway Borges has so many internal puzzles and weird metaphors that a group read might be the best way to experience him.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (y7DUB)

208 HOWEVER I find it a little weird that both SF
writers on the right are now dumping on Campbell (for trying to take SF
away from its pulp origins) AND the left are dumping on him as well (for
being a white guy and not a Marxist).
Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 08:16 AM (QZxDR)

The pulps. I have posted this before but people do need to know some resources exist. This is a online collection of pulps: Western, Horror, Detective, Air stories, Science Fiction.

Pulp fiction was pretty grim at the beginning of the 20th Century, though there were some real gems. Not in science fiction of course that was pretty grim except for the imagination

https://tinyurl.com/v2a4bkxx

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (qaiJN)

209 That's not a vowel movement. That's consonantstipated.
Posted by: Warai-otoko

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (oEn12)

210 Good Morning y'all!

Colorado Morondezvous
Saturday August 21st
6:30pm til .......
Central Denver (not downtown)

wds dot aoshq at proton mail dot com

Hope to see you there

Posted by: westminsterdogshow at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (/UQ/R)

211 Thanks to the book thread. I was traveling last week so needed to load up the Kindle. I had picked up Kurt Schlichter's The Split (if you like this series, well, it's one of them. Standard Schlichter fare. Gun porn. Making fun of liberals. Not as good as the last one, I think partly because reality is outstripping the ability to satire it.) Anyway, saw a notice here for Standing The Final Watch: The Last Brigade Book 1 by moron William Alan Webb.

Quick review: It's good! Read it!

Posted by: blaster at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (mbFEM)

212 New on my to read pile is The Carnivore Code by Paul Saladino

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (oEn12)

213 I love Fulton Sheen. Dude was funnier than most people who call themselves "comedians".

Smarter than most people who call themselves "academics" too.

Like what a "TED talk" ought to be, but isn't.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:59 AM (6FeV1)

214 Speaking of covers, does the cover help you decide to buy a book?

I'm thinking it's less and less important, especially since the covers are thumbnail-sized on ebook browsing.

Although I suppose it shows you the type of story

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 08:59 AM (AwPyG)

215 RBC, I have read several Fulton Sheen books and they
have all been excellent. I remember some of his TV broadcasts. A few of
them are on Youtube.

Posted by: JTB at August 01, 2021 08:56 AM (7EjX1)

---
My wife listens to his radio shows. Wonderful intellect and I love his Irish-American accent. Used to be common in the 1930s, now all but extinct. One of young our priests had a trace of it.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 09:00 AM (llXky)

216 Paul Saladino

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (oEn12)

A guy with "salad" in his name advocating a carnivore diet....

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (6FeV1)

217 I'm not an expert on the Wars of the Roses or Richard III in particular, but while I agree that the Tudors had good reason to want the princes out of the way, Richard had better opportunity than them to actually do the deed: and he had been involved in some shady deaths over the course of the wars already, if memory serves (the son of Henry VI, for example). I don't think he was more of a monster than anyone else at the time; it was an era where anyone and everyone, including children, was thrown under the bus at a moment's notice to get control of the throne. But as one author said on the subject, history is not a court of law; you have to consider probabilities, not possibilities.

Posted by: Dr. T at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (Vgw1E)

218 Y'all have a groovy day. Gotta wash the dust off my scoot, then riding all day. It's only gonna be 95, so I can live with that.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (jvt6t)

219 Scrabbling, screbbling, scribbling, scrobbling, scrubbling and sometimes y.

What do I win?

Posted by: Just Wondering at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (jYQlA)

220 Mate, mete, mite, mote, mute

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (Xwt96)

221 pall pell pill poll pull

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (oEn12)

222 mall mell mill moll mull

ok brain, you can stop now

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 09:02 AM (oEn12)

223 Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (qaiJN)
---
That's a pretty neat resource. I find the advertising in the pulp mags almost as entertaining as the stories!

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 09:02 AM (K5n5d)

224 And if anyone happens to be a retired pediatric cardiologist, there is an excellent charity called The Children's Heart Project, run by Samaritan's Purse, that I thought I'd mention.

Brings in third world kids for heart procedures.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:03 AM (AwPyG)

225 bog cog dog fog gog hog jog log nog pog tog sog wog

The longest set of single first consonant changes.

I think.

Posted by: retropox at August 01, 2021 09:04 AM (Q8shk)

226 @217

There's a great story about finding the grave of Richard III. I think it was an amateur who was researching where the battle of Bosworth Field took place, and she figured out that Richard was buried at a local monastery, which had been razed and was now a strip mall parking lot.

Sure enough, she was right. This was just a few years ago.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:06 AM (AwPyG)

227 Speaking of covers, does the cover help you decide to buy a book?

Absolutely. There's a certain genre of books that look like they all have variations of the same cover art. Same font. Same font placement. Same atmospheric background. I almost always skip right over them.

Posted by: grammie winger at August 01, 2021 09:07 AM (45fpk)

228 rassin', ressin', rissin', sassin', frassin'

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 09:07 AM (Xwt96)

229 I think there's a pretty good argument to be made
that Science Fiction was shaped just as much by the editors (Campbell,
Asimov, Gernsback, Del Rey, etc.) as by the writers. Both sides may have
a point, as people are pretty complex. Doesn't make them right, though. Posted by: Lord Squirrel(K5n5d)

There is an argument that Sci-Fi came out of the Technocracy movement, a progressive movement that argued that all elements in society should be controlled by skilled technocrats who could combine everything from science to operate society most efficiently. A lot of early pulp work is exactly this with brilliant scientific administrator men of action struggle to maintain the world in the face of chaos and self interest. This was a theme out as far as H. Beam Piper's paratime series, though I suspect the reaction to that was the dystopian work from the 60's like Logan's Run and such.

However the movement went away and all that is left was the Sci Fi genre in literature. It is like the Russian revolution collapsed and all that was left was the Soviet Hero art of tractors and steel workers and agricultural workers in overalls.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 09:07 AM (qaiJN)

230 Joey, have you ever been in a Cypriot bath house?

Posted by: klaftern at August 01, 2021 09:08 AM (r4sI4)

231 Sounds like Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

Wasn't aware of that film. This goes a quite a bit further - almost in to a How To in organizing an underground group that can get rid of politicians, oligarchs and other people who need to go away.

The hard part was coming up with the vetting process to filter out trouble makers and informants. while also discovering those who are in an upper echelon for the harder targets.

This was supposed to be a origin backstory to some of the series protagonists, but I'm finding that it works out as possible sub plot devices for continuing works.

Posted by: Reuben Hick at August 01, 2021 09:08 AM (/SlmF)

232 * During the second exorcism, Satan tells Dr. Peck that the Book of Judith was removed from the Bible because Christians can't stand strong women.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 08:23 AM (pJWtt)

Nice to see Old Scratch is up on all of the latest fads.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:08 AM (AfSnS)

233 Speaking of covers, does the cover help you decide to buy a book?
----
Sometimes. I have noticed that cover art in recent years (for fantasy/science fiction) is very, very bland in many respects. Nowadays, covers give you very little information about the story inside.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 09:08 AM (K5n5d)

234 More review on The Final Watch - none of this is spoiler its available in the plot synopsis on Amazon - it is a similar scenario to the Schlichterverse - commies have eaten out our substance and caused societal collapse. Some right thinking individuals (and not necessarily political) are all that's left to save the US. And SF projects it 50 years into the future staving off a collision of book timeline with real world for a bit!

And there is more - the post-collapse world is pretty much the dark ages, so the right thinking people have to not only be Preservers of the USA, they are like the Church or The Foundation preserving civilization itself.

It isn't intended to be great literature, it is intended to be a fun read. And it is! William Alan Webb is a better writer than

Posted by: blaster at August 01, 2021 09:09 AM (mbFEM)

235 @86 --

Yes it has, but typing DuckDuckGoing is simply not going to happen.

Oh, yeah?

DDG is my go-to search engine, followed by Bing. I do wish those had street views on their aerial maps. I like to look at houses in normal neighborhoods.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 09:09 AM (Om/di)

236 @228

After the "Gone Girl" success, it seemed like every thriller had the word "girl" in the title. A lot of them still do.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:09 AM (AwPyG)

237 One thing I did read over last week was Hans-Otto Meisner's Magda Goebbels: First Lady of the Third Reich. An intermittently interesting book (Meisser, whose father was a high-level official in the Third Reich and who knew Magda personally) had access to her first husband's family and early lovers to flesh out the tale of a young convent-school girl who wedded (and to people's astonishment, actually seemed to love) Hitler's propaganda master.

One interesting tidbit Meissner has is that Magda was exposed to Buddhist thought at one point in her life and always had a Buddhist book on her bedside table. He speculates (though with the caveat that we can't really know and the end of the war had screwed with everyone's mental health) that one reason she agreed to kill her children was that, as innocents, they would be, by Buddhist thought, born into new and better lives. "We don't die, we just step into a new, dark room."

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 01, 2021 09:10 AM (2JVJo)

238 @234

I think that can be blamed on the "thumbnail" cover size that's on kindles. A lot of times the book has just the title and the author's name in huge letters, with very little else.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:11 AM (AwPyG)

239 Watching "Taps" on TV. It's a bullshit movie, LOL, but at least they stand for the National Anthem

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:11 AM (Irn0L)

240 219 Scrabbling, screbbling, scribbling, scrobbling, scrubbling and sometimes y.

What do I win?
Posted by: Just Wondering at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (jYQlA)

You forgot the "hey nonny nonny and a hot cha cha."

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:11 AM (AfSnS)

241 One thing I owe Anthony Burgess for is introducing me to Aldous Huxley. For some reason I had a prior misconception that he was an overrated fop like Fitzgerald or a boring gasbag like Dreiser or Sinclair Lewis but nothing could be further from the truth. Proving that good literature is timeless, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan was written in 1939 but could apply to the fake sciency shitheads who are wrong about everything about Covid but still demand to be authority figures. It's wickedly funny about everything and I wanted to question the Horde if they had any personal faves.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 08:18 AM (y7DUB)

I wouldn't say it's a fave at all, but it is an interesting contrast.

Imagine that Aldous wrote his final novel after becoming an angry ranty hippie/beatnik who decided that maybe "Brave New World" wasn't such a bad place after all.

That would be "Island", where society is organized according to AH's principles, and none of your namby-pamby guff about Western Civ concepts like freedom allowed, you uptight and unsmart apple-head you.

(con't)

Posted by: naturalfake at August 01, 2021 09:12 AM (5NkmN)

242 Well Welsh will never have a Vowel Movement.

Posted by: Anna Puma at August 01, 2021 09:13 AM (HKB3n)

243 @234

I think that can be blamed on the "thumbnail" cover size that's on kindles. A lot of times the book has just the title and the author's name in huge letters, with very little else.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:11 AM (AwPyG)
----
Interesting point. If correct, that means that the glorious cover art may be a thing of the past. I have some wonderful cover art for many science fiction and fantasy novels. I recently replaced a series (because it was worn out) and the cover art is just terrible compared to the original.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 09:14 AM (K5n5d)

244 Greetings:

You're mention of "Isoko Asabuki, a Japanese poet and world class tennis champion" brought to mind the approaching Hiroshima and Nagasaki festivals. I'm pretty sure that the indefatigable remaining local grannies will be making their appearances to remind the world of how bad the USofA is/was/ and will be.

Earlier this year, I finished Ian Toll's Pacific War trilogy.
One part of it that kind of astounded me was his coverage of the 1945 Battle of Manila. He asserted that the World would never forget the destruction visited on the Filipinos by the totally non-racist Japanese military.

Almost needless to say, the surviving Manila grannies will not be joining the festivities to the north.

Posted by: 11B40 at August 01, 2021 09:14 AM (uuklp)

245 oops

It isn't intended to be great literature, it is intended to be a fun read. And it is! William Alan Webb is a better writer than Schlichter so you don't have to suffer for the art. The pacing is excellent, and there is some good world building that seems like a great invitation to read the series.

And maybe put me some knowlege, but there appears to be some sort of writer's collective at Dingbat Publishing that is dedicated to putting out good reading. I used to read tons, and for maybe, I dunno, 29 years, I haven't read many books, but now I am wanting to.

Posted by: blaster at August 01, 2021 09:14 AM (mbFEM)

246 Borges:

These days, LABYRINTHS and FICCIONES and A PERSONAL ANTHOLOGY are probably the best intros to Borges' work. These books came out long before the three big volumes from Penguin (COLLECTED FICTIONS, SELECTED POEMS, and SELECTED NON-FICTION). The Penguins are newer translations and while they're okay they just don't read as nicely (at least for me) as the translations done by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in the 70s and 80s. If you can find 'em secondhand, the di Giovanni translations of THE ALEPH, THE BOOK OF SAND, DOCTOR BRODIE'S REPORT, and SELECTED POEMS 1923-1967 are well worth a look.

Bests to all.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 01, 2021 09:15 AM (JzDjf)

247 (con't)

Basically, it's about a guy who lands on an Island(!) with the perfect society. But, the greedy jealous Western world wants to destroy them and take what they have. ie. a vert thin plot interspersed by a lot of rants and lectures.

Not the smart an incisive humorous AH at all.

Imagine a smarter smugger Joe Biden wrote a book.

This would be that.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 01, 2021 09:15 AM (5NkmN)

248 242 Well Welsh will never have a Vowel Movement.
Posted by: Anna Puma

Can't really blame them, as those thieving French stole all their vowels and don't even pronounce them. Wasteful.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 09:16 AM (oEn12)

249 And another note about finding Richard III's grave; a lot of people speculated that the "humpback" description was propaganda by his enemies, but the skeleton they found had a severe case of scoliosis.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:17 AM (AwPyG)

250 but at least they stand for the National Anthem

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:11 AM (Irn0L)

And none of them are trannies!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:17 AM (Q9lwr)

251 DDG is my go-to search engine, followed by Bing. I do wish those had street views on their aerial maps. I like to look at houses in normal neighborhoods.

I love the street view feature. Fascinating when going on global tours to wander down streets in foreign nations. Certain things jump out immediately:

In the former United States, we have this fetish for building non durable housing out of sticks, and hardly ever any defenses against breaking in.

In pretty much everywhere else on Earth, there are walls, gates, bars, concertina wire, labyrinths etc. leading to mostly durable material buildings made of concrete, rock and other materials that also have fantastic defensive and thermal flywheel properties.

Posted by: Reuben Hick at August 01, 2021 09:18 AM (/SlmF)

252 OK, folks, I'm off to do something, though I don't know what.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 01, 2021 09:18 AM (2JVJo)

253 I might be a little bit gay for Caleb Dressel.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 09:18 AM (7Fj9P)

254 Covers on books ? Never
Label on wine? Often

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 09:19 AM (Cxk7w)

255 Interesting point. If correct, that means that the glorious cover art may be a thing of the past. I have some wonderful cover art for many science fiction and fantasy novels. I recently replaced a series (because it was worn out) and the cover art is just terrible compared to the original.
Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 09:14 AM (K5n5d)

speaking of...has anypne been to the Frank Frazetta museum? Is it worth a visit?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 09:19 AM (oEn12)

256 I might be a little bit gay for Caleb Dressel.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 09:18 AM (7Fj9P)

His wife is a cutie!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:19 AM (Q9lwr)

257 Imagine a smarter Joe Biden..."

****

Whoa! I'm going to have to stop you right there.

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 09:19 AM (Xwt96)

258 Who dis: Muy macho Senior Yeff Bridges?

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 09:20 AM (7Fj9P)

259 @254

That's a good point. You get the impression there's a lot of thought going into wine labels, nowadays.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:21 AM (AwPyG)

260 "a pair of kids who are on the lam after witnessing a murder in the woods. The killers are a group of corrupt ex-cops from L.A. who got rich off a crime and moved to an area of rural Idaho known as a retirement haven for big city policemen"

sounds like "historical fiction". Or ... whatever the term is for truth based fiction, based on current/recent "history".

Posted by: illiniwek at August 01, 2021 09:21 AM (Cus5s)

261 Started reading Flannery O'connor's short story collection. I wasn't sure what "Southern Gothic" was, so I looked it up. She's got it covered. Definitely a dark/deadpan sense of humor.

Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 09:22 AM (AwYPR)

262 Not the smart an incisive humorous AH at all.

Imagine a smarter smugger Joe Biden wrote a book.

This would be that.
Posted by: naturalfake at August 01, 2021 09:15 AM (5NkmN)

You have to have a weird borderline unhealthy concept of your self worth to even consider writing that. That said it's not without an odd appeal to see if he can pull it off but it sounds doomed to disappoint.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 09:23 AM (y7DUB)

263 That's a pretty neat resource. I find the advertising in the pulp mags almost as entertaining as the stories!
Posted by: Lord Squirrel at August 01, 2021 09:02 AM (K5n5d)

Yes. To quote Terry Pratchett, they were the sort of publication you could put your truss in.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 09:26 AM (qaiJN)

264 In the former United States, we have this fetish for
building non durable housing out of sticks, and hardly ever any
defenses against breaking in.

Posted by: Reuben Hick at August 01, 2021 09:18 AM (/SlmF)

---
We do have a LOT more guns than they do. When self-defense is illegal, people have to resort to physical obstacles.
Still, your point stands. We're now three generations removed from serious, society-wide adversity. People look around at peace and prosperity and think it's the default setting for humanity - anyone else who doesn't have it is super-dumb, not smart like us.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 09:27 AM (llXky)

265 During the second exorcism, Satan tells Dr. Peck that the Book of Judith was removed from the Bible because Christians can't stand strong women.

Some outstanding gems of female decision making come to mind:

Eve: "Adam, eat this." (result, downfall of everything)
Sarah: "Abraham, knock up my servant" (result: Ishmael and that whole mess)
Potifer's Wife: "Your slave made a pass at me."
Delilah: "Samson, you could use a haircut."
Jezebel: "We should stop worshipping Yaweh and return to Ba'al."
Herodias: "Like that dance? Give me John The Baptist's head on a platter"

Posted by: Reuben Hick at August 01, 2021 09:28 AM (/SlmF)

266 Did you guys see that there is an upcoming conservative SCI-FI and fantasy convention coming up? It is called basedcon! Looks awesome!

Posted by: Rob at August 01, 2021 09:28 AM (QWpX/)

267 Well, time to get ready for Mass. I suspect I'll be unable to check in what with competing social events for the next couple of weeks. See you later in August!

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 09:28 AM (llXky)

268 I think I know why I'm in a reading slump - my regular blood test came bsck and I'm running out of iron again. Explains the general tiredness.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 09:28 AM (oEn12)

269 Good morning.
Late start this morning because I was up late finishing Iris Johanssen's newest Bullet. It was actually quite good and exciting. Do I sound surprised? Yes, yes I was.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 01, 2021 09:29 AM (Y+l9t)

270 Afghan forces clashed with the Taliban as Islamist militants besieged three of the provinces key cities. Local Afghan government commanders said military reinforcements began arriving on Saturday as Taliban fighters entered parts of Herat, Kandahar and Lashkar Gah.

The Taliban will take over all of afghanistan as sure as night follows day

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:29 AM (Irn0L)

271 The problem I have with that Hamlet limerick is that there is no twist, or word play or punch line. I know I have put out some stinkers, but I do try to have a punny ending. I might have gone with something like this:

There once was a melancholy Dane
Who found that his father was slain
He conspired to get
His foes in his net
The body count was really in seine!

Posted by: Muldoon at August 01, 2021 09:30 AM (Xwt96)

272 I love Fulton Sheen. Dude was funnier than most people who call themselves "comedians".

Smarter than most people who call themselves "academics" too.

Like what a "TED talk" ought to be, but isn't.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 01, 2021 08:59 AM (6FeV1)

Unfortunately, Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen's Beatification was put on an indefinite hold by the Holy
See. It seems that the Archdiocese of Rochester, NY, has raised some last-minute issue that Sheen may have known of child sexual abuse but did nothing. The allegations are pretty nebulous and there are suspicions that Rochester is pulling shenanigans. Of course, since Fulton Sheen was a staunch anti-Communist and the current Pope isn't, Sheen is apparently in bad odor with the current bunch at the Vatican.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 01, 2021 09:30 AM (pJWtt)

273 @180 --

Reuben, sounds like "Strangers on a Train."

Do the network members know each other, or is it like a college bulletin board? What would happen if one member of the network wants another member killed?

Somebody must be coordinating the operation.

Answer those questions, and I think you'll know how to proceed.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 09:31 AM (Om/di)

274 That 'correct number of books' comment--that's why I recently spent some time with my Dad (and his table saw and other tools) to create some custom bookshelves to fit in the badly designed corners of my townhouse. One is just 6" deep, in order to fit behind a baseboard heater that comes way to close to a corner....Yeah, those shelves will be filled in no time at all.

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 01, 2021 09:31 AM (Lhaco)

275 Haven't been watching the Olympics so looked up Caleb Dressel. I understand the previous comment now. Wow.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 01, 2021 09:33 AM (Y+l9t)

276 Cover art resonates in unexpected places --

A friend borrowed Lucifer's Hammer (or Mote in God's Eye, I forget which) and it had a double or triple cover paintings (are they called steps?). Her toddler fell in love with one of the illustrations and ripped it off the book and carried it around with him for weeks. Embarrassed the lady, but I thought it was hilarious.

Posted by: mustbequantum at August 01, 2021 09:34 AM (MIKMs)

277 Swore that this would be the week I finished The Portable Faulkner. Still 69 pages to go. Haven't changed my opinion that he merits all the praise he's received but I can't see how it would ever be reading for pleasure. Worth it nevertheless.

Posted by: who knew at August 01, 2021 09:34 AM (4I7VG)

278 Oh, those darn Smiths down the street! They think they're so special with their "first edition" "signed" house with original dustjacket in near-mint condition. Screw them!

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 09:39 AM (UHVv4)

279 Re switching murders:

THE HOOK, by Barry Malzberg and Bill Pronzini, is good dark fun. Think STRANGERS ON A TRAIN meets the book business.

Bests to all.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 01, 2021 09:40 AM (JzDjf)

280 Started reading Flannery O'connor's short story collection. I wasn't sure what "Southern Gothic" was, so I looked it up. She's got it covered. Definitely a dark/deadpan sense of humor.
Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 09:22 AM (AwYPR)

The last time her name came up I mentioned a book I picked up at a library sale by a nun who went through O'Connor's library of theological works finding marked passages indicating what influenced her. Of course I'd misfiled it at the time but finally found it, inadvertently of course. The writer was Kathleen Feeley and the title was Flannery O'Connor: Voice of the Peacock and it gives more insight into her work than any other source I've seen.

My favorite O'Connor quote was about To Kill a Mockingbird and her disbelief that a children's book received such critical praise.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 09:40 AM (y7DUB)

281 Started reading Flannery O'connor's short story collection.

Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 09:22 AM (AwYPR)

Good stuff! "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" is her most famous story, but she has other stuff worth reading.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:40 AM (Q9lwr)

282 I am slowly reading through Tramp Abroad, which is the travel book by Robert Heinlein about traveling around the world mostly by ship.

I pounded through it once, years ago, and now I discover that I didn't actually take any of it in beyond a bit about being in South Africa.
Heinlein wrote good for an engineer. Which is not ringing praise.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 09:41 AM (qaiJN)

283 If you are looking for a funny witty book STARSHIP GRIFTERS damn funny Rex Nihilo and his quest to earn some easy money. Along with his robot companion Sasha who tries to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 01, 2021 09:41 AM (dKiJG)

284 Re post 279:

Aarrrggh. THE HOOK is by Donald Westlake, not Malzberg and Pronzini.

More coffee...

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 01, 2021 09:41 AM (JzDjf)

285 Sam Levenson once wrote that regardless of a book's topic, "Every book has a girl on the cover and no cover on the girl."

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 09:41 AM (Om/di)

286 The Taliban will take over all of afghanistan as sure as night follows day

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:29 AM (Irn0L)

And Europe will demand that we do something about it, and Biden/Harris is stupid enough to do it.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:43 AM (Q9lwr)

287 Get laid and back for ....

Bucket of Blood.

Has horror or misplaced murder...has beatniks not learning linguistics.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 09:43 AM (qoz/n)

288 I am an idiot, Heinlein's book was Tramp Royale.

Tramp Abroad was by Mark Twain and it was a fantastic book

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 09:43 AM (qaiJN)

289 People look around at peace and prosperity and think it's the default setting for humanity - anyone else who doesn't have it is super-dumb, not smart like us.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 09:27 AM (llXky)

No. Leftists tell people that if you don't have peace and prosperity, it's because some oppressor wanted it for himself and took it from you.

Because war, scarcity, and privation are the result of unjust social structures and not the default human condition

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:44 AM (AfSnS)

290 Still only half way through the second Sanderson Words of Radiance. I've read two other books while working my way through it. For some reason, can only read about 40 pages at a sitting.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 01, 2021 09:44 AM (Y+l9t)

291 And Europe will demand that we do something about it, and Biden/Harris is stupid enough to do it.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:43 AM (Q9lwr)

And whatever Biden does will be useless and not end the problem, as it will not cost the enemy, because "humanitarianism" and shit

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 09:44 AM (ONvIw)

292 And Europe will demand that we do something about it, and Biden/Harris is stupid enough to do it.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:43 AM (Q9lwr)

And Max Boot, Bill Kristol, and Tom Nichols will cheer him lustily on.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:45 AM (AfSnS)

293 217 I'm not an expert on the Wars of the Roses or Richard III in particular, but while I agree that the Tudors had good reason to want the princes out of the way...
Posted by: Dr. T at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (Vgw1E)

Josephine Tey explores this in her classic mystery, "The Daughter of Time," in which her detective is stuck in bed with a back injury, and to pass the time ends up looking into all the available evidence, and evaluates who had the stronger motive. And also turns up some possible evidence that the princes were illegitimate because of a prior secret marriage, thus making them ineligible to inherit the crown.

Posted by: Wethal at August 01, 2021 09:45 AM (ZzVCK)

294 Heinlein wrote Tramp Royale. Twain wrote A Tramp Abroad.

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 09:46 AM (QZxDR)

295 The Taliban will take over all of afghanistan as sure as night follows day

The Chinese might have something to say about that. They're not likely to be as "humane" as we were and have stated they have a vested interest in "developing" the region for their own designs.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 01, 2021 09:47 AM (BFigT)

296 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.

Rural IP issues are now solved.

Posted by: NaCly Dog (u82oZ) at August 01, 2021 09:47 AM (u82oZ)

297 The Taliban will take over all of afghanistan as sure as night follows day

The Chinese might have something to say about that. They're not likely to be as "humane" as we were and have stated they have a vested interest in "developing" the region for their own designs.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 01, 2021 09:47 AM (BFigT)

From what I read the Chicoms are well on their way to an agreement with the Taliban.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:48 AM (Irn0L)

298 Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:45 AM (AfSnS)

But they would would never advocate smashing the Taliban into a complete surrender, something so big that the people hang the mullahs, would they? No that's not "nice".

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 09:49 AM (ONvIw)

299 @243 --

Lord Squirrel, compare the covers of the latest Matt Helm reprints with the originals. No contest.

With adventure fiction, I like to imagine what scene I would choose for the cover.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 09:49 AM (Om/di)

300 From what I read the Chicoms are well on their way to an agreement with the Taliban.
Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:48 AM (Irn0L)

I would guess that an "agreement" with the Chinese is not worth much.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 09:50 AM (ONvIw)

301 226 @217

There's a great story about finding the grave of Richard III. I think it was an amateur who was researching where the battle of Bosworth Field took place, and she figured out that Richard was buried at a local monastery, which had been razed and was now a strip mall parking lot.

Sure enough, she was right. This was just a few years ago.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 09:06 AM (AwPyG)

She also said when she walked around the parking lot, she got a strong chilly feeling at one corner. She managed to convince the local authorities to dig up that one area of the lot (using her research more than the chill) ...and that's where the bones were found. Richard is now buried in the local cathedral.

Posted by: Wethal at August 01, 2021 09:51 AM (ZzVCK)

302 That "women in a period costume facing away" brings up a pet peeve: book cover trends. You can see them in any book store or on Amazon, a style of book cover comes up and 72000 books use almost exactly the same thing. Romances, cozy mysteries, and "family stories" are the worst offenders. They are like a template with a vague difference on each one but basically the same thing again and again.

Pretty girl facing you with costume on and generic period background.

Whimsical tempera painted cover with bright colors

Shirtless, massively muscled man with hot girl in period clothes clinging to him, and vague period background

The guy who did the cover for my book Snowberry's Veil was so happy he could do a cover that wasn't "two people in a pose" for once.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 09:52 AM (KZzsI)

303 I must admit, I am less alarmed than most people by all the dire warnings about China's expanding influence in Central Asia, Africa, etc.

Why? Because the Chinese have a 4000-year history of utter incompetence when dealing with foreigners. They don't really believe non-Han are actually humans; in the racism sweepstakes they make Japan look like Brazil by comparison.

They'll pour a lot of money into Africa and Afghanistan, push the locals around, bribe the leadership, piss everyone off, and eventually get kicked out at gunpoint (or bogged down in counterinsurgency while everyone deplores them).

Posted by: Trimegistus at August 01, 2021 09:52 AM (QZxDR)

304 I would guess that an "agreement" with the Chinese is not worth much.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 09:50 AM (ONvIw)

They don't even use "fine print".

Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 09:52 AM (AwYPR)

305 The Chinese are taking over Afghanistan and doing it right by bribing the Taliban and not the secularists and 'democrats'.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 09:53 AM (UHVv4)

306 Chinese will offer talban jobs.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 09:53 AM (qoz/n)

307 I am on a mailing list that shows cheap ebooks and once in a while I see something I like on there.

But 90% of the time its either "female named detective in small town discovers terrible secret" or "I ripped off Dan Brown who ripped someone else off, now I can be rich too"

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 09:54 AM (KZzsI)

308 Chinese will offer talban jobs.
Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 09:53 AM (qoz/n)

money and little boys...not jobs. Who needs any fuckin jobs

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:54 AM (Irn0L)

309 The guy who did the cover for my book Snowberry's Veil was so happy he could do a cover that wasn't "two people in a pose" for once.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 09:52 AM (KZzsI)

Or trendy variations on a title "The Something or other's Wife", or "the Fill in the Blank's Daughter"

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 09:54 AM (ONvIw)

310 From what I read the Chicoms are well on their way to an agreement with the Taliban.
Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 09:48 AM (Irn0L)

After their bumbling stalemate with India in the disputed border territories, does anyone think they have any appetite for conflict with the Taliban?

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 09:54 AM (y7DUB)

311 https://tinyurl.com/v2a4bkxx
Posted by: Kindlto
====
Checked out Amazing Stories, 1926 first issue. 25 cents, 100 pages two columns each, small print. H.P. Wells and others.
Quite a bargain.

Posted by: From that time at August 01, 2021 09:55 AM (4780s)

312 Fack, Feck, Fick, Fock F.. eh, no, this isn't going anywhere.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly worded commenter at August 01, 2021 09:56 AM (1PBwZ)

313 H.P. Wells and others.

Quite a bargain.

Posted by: From that time at August 01, 2021 09:55 AM (4780s)

I'll bet.

Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 09:56 AM (AwYPR)

314 Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of Ewok!

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 09:57 AM (UHVv4)

315 New book last week was Sabrina Chase's Sky Tribe. Read/listened to it in just a couple of days and now I'm sad it's over.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 01, 2021 09:57 AM (1lKRm)

316 Our Lady is a powerful intercessor. She is officially credited with the Christian victory over the Turkish fleet in 1571. There's a feast day to celebrate it. Because Catholics hate strong women or some such nonsense.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at August 01, 2021 08:33 AM (llXky)

One of her titles is "Our Lady of Victory", celebrated on the same day as Our Lady of the Rosary, which is the day of Lepanto.

Posted by: Fox2! at August 01, 2021 09:58 AM (qyH+l)

317 And Max Boot, Bill Kristol, and Tom Nichols will cheer him lustily on.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:45 AM (AfSnS)

There is a reason why Afghanistan is called the "Graveyard of Empires," but these fools are simply too blinded by their moral superiority and confidence in their own intellects to understand.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:59 AM (Q9lwr)

318 Lets look at the map...look at resources.

China needs wives too.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 10:00 AM (qoz/n)

319 re the road not traveled and whether Richard III was a terrible guy, I've always liked Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time as a fictional exploration of that idea.

Posted by: yara at August 01, 2021 10:00 AM (N7mou)

320 The Taliban will take over all of afghanistan as sure as night follows day
====================
What's funny is that if senior military leadership would have followed Trump's orders to GtFO of the sandbox, they could have hung all the current and future troubles on him. Now it's President Jarrett's mess to clean up.
The ChiComs WILL offer the Taliban jobs: scraping lithium out of rocks so they can sell us electric cars.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 10:00 AM (7Fj9P)

321 SJW don't like SPELLMONGER series, a mage that is a retired or tired warmage went to a small town to be a Spellmonger, keeping mice out the grain, warding insects from farms etc etc and then the Goblins attack, I find it funny and the SJW don't like it because it depicts some women as evil and manipulative

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (dKiJG)

322 The Taliban are holding out for a firm commitment to carbon emissions reductions and more investment in renewable energy in order to curb global warming, which is having a negative impact on the economic development of Afghanistan.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly worded commenter at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (1PBwZ)

323 Currently I'm reading a book about ancient Rome, following the career of a man who starts out as a north Italian farmer's son and ends up very powerful. Its set during the Marius/Sulla years, so there's plenty of intrigue and hardship.

Like most, he portrays Marius as a generally good guy who went kind of nuts as he became increasingly frustrated by how the system was so corrupt and wouldn't let him do what he was trying to with Rome. Its not that Marius had such bad ideas, actually he was quite brilliant. Sulla never comes across as quite so intelligent or capable in history but both ended up monsters.

The problem with the book series is that its pretty good, if bleak, when its in combat but gets really deeply into political corruption and intrigue and maneuvering when its not and none of that is particularly exciting reading to me.

The books are quite well written and have tons of great historical detail, plus they're written by a career soldier, so the man knows and understands combat and the military. They're called the Sertorius Scroll series by Vincent B. Davis II if you're interested.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (KZzsI)

324 I just finished a very quick read written in '77 called Closing Time by Lacey Fosburgh. It was based on the true story of a 1973 murder of a young schoolteacher in NYC that became the basis for the movie 'Looking for Mr. Goodbar.' Well, what can I say about it. It was a glimpse into the seedy days of the singles bar scene in the city at that time and a few key players who were caught up in it at the time. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't know the movie was based on a true story, so I hunted down a copy and read it. Other than a few liberties taken in the movie, it followed pretty closely with the factual account of what actually happened. Good book, if not kind of ugly from the vantage point of seedy underbelly NYC at the time.

Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (O+I8R)

325 Luv me some Jeff. Always have, always will.

Posted by: sidney at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (7/kmB)

326 China will promise not to impede heroin production in return for lithium rights.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly worded commenter at August 01, 2021 10:02 AM (1PBwZ)

327 322 The Taliban are holding out for a firm commitment to carbon emissions reductions and more investment in renewable energy in order to curb global warming, which is having a negative impact on the economic development of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly

*snort*

Posted by: nurse ratched at August 01, 2021 10:02 AM (U2p+3)

328 Fack, Feck, Fick, Fock F.. eh, no, this isn't going anywhere.
====================
...fyck. Sometimes "y".

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 10:02 AM (7Fj9P)

329 And Max Boot, Bill Kristol, and Tom Nichols will cheer him lustily on.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 09:45 AM (AfSnS)

There is a reason why Afghanistan is called the "Graveyard of Empires," but these fools are simply too blinded by their moral superiority and confidence in their own intellects to understand.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 09:59 AM (Q9lwr)

It's certainly refreshing not to have to consider those highly credentialed dolts on "our side".

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 10:03 AM (y7DUB)

330 Jeff Bridges looks better as he ages, imo. Lucky guys. Women rarely look better going through the aging process.

Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (O+I8R)

331 Shirtless, massively muscled man with hot girl in period clothes clinging to him, and vague period background

==

ther's a reason they're called bodicevrippers
although sadly, in this PC worl, bodices are mostly unripped on the covers (and heroines bitchy in between)

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (oEn12)

332 Listening to The Powerhouse by John Buchan, author of The 39 Steps, The secret cabal is a little over the top in terms of manpower they can call up on instant notice (reminds me of Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday in that) but otherwise the central story driver seems pretty prescient. I just looked it up and it was written in 1913.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (1lKRm)

333 Asked the question is there other books on audio on YouTube after finding A Woman in Berlin was on it, just looked and there seems to be many.
Animal Farm, The Hobbit, The Godfather
If so inclined take a look

Posted by: Skip at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (Cxk7w)

334 "The Chinese are taking over Afghanistan and doing it right by bribing the Taliban and not the secularists and 'democrats'."

Two devious gangster cartels ... should be interesting which tells the better lies, who stabs who first ... but yeah, China will not be constrained by "morals".

Posted by: illiniwek at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (Cus5s)

335 330 Jeff Bridges looks better as he ages, imo. Lucky guys. Women rarely look better going through the aging process.
Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (O+I8R

Nobody compliments "rugged" looking women.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (ONvIw)

336 i see 293 already covered Tey's book. guess i oughta read the comments...

I re-read (after 50 or 60 years) the first two of Asimov's foundation series based on comments here a couple of weeks ago. I was extremely disappointed. I remember being fascinated by Asimov's idea of a statistical psychology (though i think sociology would be a better fit) and the first two had precious little to do with that.

Posted by: yara at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (N7mou)

337 Jeff Bridges looks better as he ages, imo. Lucky guys. Women rarely look better going through the aging process.

Its only fair, guys rarely look as good as girls do when they are young. Usually gangly and dorky looking as youths when girls shine.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (KZzsI)

338 Nobody compliments "rugged" looking women.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (ONvIw)

Well in the Military we tend to promote them

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (Irn0L)

339 I dunno, to me it's kind of an Occam's Razor thing.

They threw the princes in the tower so as to quietly murder them away from the public eye.

Too much was at stake, and England has a long history of ruthless people being ruthless.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (AwPyG)

340 .
hic, haec, hoc . . .

(those weird dead foreigners just don't understand vowels)

Posted by: mustbequantum at August 01, 2021 10:07 AM (MIKMs)

341 OT, but I want to finish up the Mazda water pump install today.
Once again I'm faced with that age old conundrum of how to torque the crankshaft pulley bolt to 120 ft-lbs when you can't lock the engine.
Posted by: Just Wondering at August 01, 2021 08:47 AM (jYQlA)

Bring #1 piston to TDC on the compression stroke (both valves will be closed). Back off about half-turn. Stuff several yards of soft rope, like cotton sash cord or woven nylon, into the #1 spark plug hole. Turn engine slowly forward by hand until the rope blocks further turning. Torque the nut, back off a half-turn, and pull the rope out.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 01, 2021 10:07 AM (jhfgb)

342 SOULFINDER a comic book about a former soldier that's now a priest becomes an Exorcist. I got the limited edition that included a Rosary. Really good series.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 01, 2021 10:07 AM (dKiJG)

343 Listening to The Powerhouse by John Buchan, author of The 39 Steps

Buchan is a great writer but he feels really dated in a way not all authors from the time does. And something about his thrillers doesn't feel particularly thrilling, like you always know things will turn out okay no matter how it goes.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:09 AM (KZzsI)

344 Hey Polliwog the 'Ette! Glad you enjoyed Sky Tribe
There will (eventually) be more in that series, I hope.

And many thanks to the Book Thread! Every time one of my new books gets mentioned I see a spike in sales

Now I go off to write a *new* series. Which starts off in a world where China gets nuked by North Korea...

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at August 01, 2021 10:09 AM (DS/kF)

345 They threw the princes in the tower so as to quietly murder them away from the public eye.

Its difficult to relate in America and modern culture, but the idea of killing a king was so abhorrent, fraught with spiritual significance, and frightening that even other kings were extremely reluctant to do so.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:10 AM (KZzsI)

346 309 The guy who did the cover for my book Snowberry's Veil was so happy he could do a cover that wasn't "two people in a pose" for once.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 09:52 AM (KZzsI)

One of the book accounts I follow on Twitter did a whole series on cover art featuring pretty women with long, luxurious hair running away from creepy-looking houses. There was just no end to the variations on that theme.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 10:10 AM (AfSnS)

347 deck dack dock dick duck

Sounds like trouble.

Posted by: Jaxso at August 01, 2021 10:11 AM (ZaiK6)

348 Nobody compliments "rugged" looking women.
Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:05 AM (ONvIw)

Well in the Military we tend to promote them

--

LOL

Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:12 AM (O+I8R)

349
Wait until the LIVs figgure out youtube is a censoring POS and stop using it

Posted by: will choose a nic later at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (bTQ72)

350 Sertorius Scroll series by Vincent B. Davis II if you're interested.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:01 AM (KZzsI)

I always love a good stories about ROME, Like the Marcus Didius Falco series.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (dKiJG)

351
Well in the Military we tend to promote them

--

LOL
Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:12 AM (O+I8R)

But aren't those "transwomen" like Milley

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (ONvIw)

352 There was a newspaper strip once called Dick Duck, Duck Dick about a duck PI, kinda silly and fun. Jim Engle I think.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (KZzsI)

353 Its difficult to relate in America and modern culture, but the idea of killing a king was so abhorrent, fraught with spiritual significance, and frightening that even other kings were extremely reluctant to do so.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:10 AM (KZzsI)

Not just kings. Elizabeth was so iffy on icing Mary that her derp state underlings had to work behind her back.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (y7DUB)

354
OT
Jamaican world's second fastest man is visibly stunned after being beaten by mullet-sporting Australian sprinter whose 'name he doesn't even know' in 100m heat

Posted by: will choose a nic later at August 01, 2021 10:15 AM (bTQ72)

355 Been reading Gordon R. Dickson's The Cloak and the Staff. It is printed in sections inside Jerry Pournelle's There Will Be War short story compendium.

The Earth is under the crushing burden of Alien's landing and taking over. The 8 foot tall aliens are seasoned warriors and used to governing subject races as cattle or sometimes pets.

The story is "Take some plucky Earthlings that do not like it, and see what happens." It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1981, but is forgotten today.

Posted by: NaCly Dog (u82oZ) at August 01, 2021 10:17 AM (u82oZ)

356 Pulp eh? I'm watching Mamie Van Doren in Guns, Girls and Gangsters right now.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 10:17 AM (UHVv4)

357 It was explained to me that cover art is supposed to draw the eye in a backwards "6".

Don't know if that still holds, though

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:18 AM (AwPyG)

358 #355 Is that the one where the aliens use a cattle-prod type device to shock anyone showing emotions in public, Salty?? I remember the graffiti the resistance uses.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 10:19 AM (UHVv4)

359 If you like the Marcus Falco mysteries, i recommend these series as well:

SPQR by John Maddox Roberts (5 stars)
Leonidas the Gladiator by Ashley Roberts (4 stars)

Both about Rome and mysteries and Roman culture and history.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:20 AM (KZzsI)

360 Jamaican world's second fastest man
====================
I'm pretty sure a lot of those "Jamaican" sprinters are US raised, and/or US university trained.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 10:20 AM (7Fj9P)

361 Jeff Bridges looks better as he ages, imo. Lucky guys. Women rarely look better going through the aging process.
Posted by: Lady in Black at August 01, 2021 10:04 AM (O+I8R

Nobody compliments "rugged" looking women.
Posted by: CN

You BOTH look MAHVELOUS !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 10:21 AM (arJlL)

362 From what I read the Chicoms are well on their way to an agreement with the Taliban.

I've heard it's something along the lines of "don't interfere with our plans and your tribes might be allowed to live." The Chinese are xenophobes, so...

As for the Chicom military; they're more than willing to subjugate lesser peoples but I'm not so sure against near peer foes. The US was beaten by the Chinese via cyber, political and social warfare. Toss in biological if you want to count COVID, but I consider that social/political more than anything else.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 01, 2021 10:22 AM (BFigT)

363 I read the first Monster Hunters International book recently as well and it was enjoyable. A bit too much gun porn in it, with extremely specific details only a gunsmith really understands. It was a pretty well done romp but like a lot of urban fantasy felt the need to go further and further over the top into a vast gigantic story of global importance.

Honestly just tell stories of people doing stuff in this setting, you don't have to tell the BIG STORY, at least not at first.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:22 AM (KZzsI)

364 I tried a Steven Saylor book (Roman mystery) but his books read very slow, for me.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:22 AM (AwPyG)

365 Write a short story every week. It's not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.

-Ray Bradbury

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 10:23 AM (arJlL)

366 don't know if anybody here has every mentioned C J Petit. He has written 80 westerns, all good-guy-wins-in-the-end-shoot-em-ups. In his last one (The Saloon Lawyer), he says that this is it, he's going to revise his books, but no new ones.

Most of his could use stronger editing, but he writes reasonably well and the stories are good. All on KU.

Posted by: yara at August 01, 2021 10:23 AM (N7mou)

367 The girl who was won the 400M hurdles from the Ukraine went to ASU and trained in Arizona,

there are a ton of peeps who live in the USA competing for other countries

Posted by: will choose a nic later at August 01, 2021 10:23 AM (bTQ72)

368 I'm pretty sure a lot of those "Jamaican" sprinters are US raised, and/or US university trained.
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 10:20 AM (7Fj9P)

Definitely US roided and growth hormoned.

We got the best, why settle for less?

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at August 01, 2021 10:23 AM (R/m4+)

369 @363

They call that "author intrusion", where the author dwells lovingly on their own hobbyhorse at the expense of the story. So--too much gun description, or too much explanation about how to bake things, etc.

Tom Clancy was famous for author intrustion

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:24 AM (AwPyG)

370 It was explained to me that cover art is supposed to draw the eye in a backwards "6".

I did a ton of study on cover art design, because while I can do posters, the book cover is a very specific kind of art.

In the west at least, moving the eye in a "Z" pattern is good, its how we're used to reading thing. Top line, over to the left, next line. But the backward 6 thing is more international, a spiral is comfortable to the eye.

You want your book title to be bigger than your name, unless you're such a huge celebrity that your name sells the book. Like Stephen King or John Grisham.

The title has to be legible and the image distinct in small images, because that's what almost all online book sellers use when they list books. About the size of a postage stamp.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:25 AM (KZzsI)

371 217 I'm not an expert on the Wars of the Roses or Richard III in particular, but while I agree that the Tudors had good reason to want the princes out of the way, Richard had better opportunity than them to actually do the deed: and he had been involved in some shady deaths over the course of the wars already, if memory serves (the son of Henry VI, for example). I don't think he was more of a monster than anyone else at the time; it was an era where anyone and everyone, including children, was thrown under the bus at a moment's notice to get control of the throne. But as one author said on the subject, history is not a court of law; you have to consider probabilities, not possibilities.
Posted by: Dr. T at August 01, 2021 09:01 AM (Vgw1E)

Plantagenets.... not Tudors

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at August 01, 2021 10:26 AM (BgMrQ)

372 Wethal: "She also said when she walked around the parking lot, she got a strong chilly feeling at one corner. She managed to convince the local authorities to dig up that one area of the lot (using her research more than the chill) ...and that's where the bones were found. Richard is now buried in the local cathedral." While tooling around rural Wisconsin one summer a friend took me to the cornfield where Ed Gein's house once stood and recounted the creepy feeling he got while walking around it. Later research showed we were across the road from the actual scene of the crimes. So, don't put too much trust in the creepy feelings.

Posted by: who knew at August 01, 2021 10:27 AM (4I7VG)

373 andycanuck

Good memory.

They use a shock prod, but not against emotions. Only if cattle go wild and attach them, or get in the way. That was the defining incident in the story.

A young alien in a public square in Denmark used his prod to get a woman out of his path. She was hurt in the process. Her husband attacked the alien, who had to publicly kill the husband, to enforce discipline in the cattle. And older alien chided the younger one, for wasting good cattle. A Earthling pet of the aliens did not like it.

Posted by: NaCly Dog (u82oZ) at August 01, 2021 10:28 AM (u82oZ)

374 I don't think he was more of a monster than anyone else at the time; it was an era where anyone and everyone, including children, was thrown under the bus at a moment's notice to get control of the throne.

Even for his time, Richard was pretty monsterous. The problem is, once you establish that you can kill the king and take over, everyone figures its time for their shot, and you have a target on you. Until then the idea of taking over is so vast and inconceivable nobody even wants to really try.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:29 AM (KZzsI)

375 sick sack sock suck

...and if you ignore spelling variations for the 's' and 'k' sounds:

Soak sake seek psyche....

Posted by: Oldowan at August 01, 2021 10:30 AM (Mfqer)

376 Time for chores.

May your day be serene, and your to-read pile full of gripping yarns and insightful non-fiction.

Posted by: NaCly Dog (u82oZ) at August 01, 2021 10:32 AM (u82oZ)

377
Gen. Petraeus: Real Potential of a Civil War Now in Afghanistan

LOL, Idiot. It's called a walk over, not a civil war

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:33 AM (Irn0L)

378
China will promise not to impede heroin production in return for lithium rights.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly worded commenter at August 01, 2021 10:02 AM

Which then causes Russia to suffer an opioid epidemic as cheap heroin floods it southern border.

Posted by: Bill from Attainder at August 01, 2021 10:34 AM (N/gDA)

379 Lady in Black: " Women rarely look better going through the aging process." And then there's Emmylou Harris.

Posted by: who knew at August 01, 2021 10:34 AM (4I7VG)

380 Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:29 AM (KZzsI)

Not exactly in topic, but I'd like to see the Biden people go the way of Lady Jane Grey and company

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:34 AM (ONvIw)

381 Thanks, Salty; and I only read them/it inThere Will Be War myself not in the full novel/novella.

Speaking of TWBW, I bought Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen after reading the TWBW excerpt and I liked it alot too although a minor quibble about him learning the language too easily.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 10:35 AM (UHVv4)

382 I read a book called Altdorf as well, its the story that we get William Tell from, but without William himself. Its kind of interesting and well-written but I don't really recommend it for a couple of reasons.

First the bad guy is just bad, there's nothing to him except cruelty, betrayal, sadism, and meanness. Its boring.

Second, the good guy knights (Hospitallers) are all basically just warriors without any kind of knightly attitude, and are all burnt out and jaded on their faith.

Third, the medicine and understanding of everything is all either "druids are special and know everything (more on this later)" or "I learned everything I know from Muslims". This is a common conceit in modern writing about the medieval period, and is very mistaken. Monks had been studying ancient medicine all that time and knew it well (this is where the Arabs learned what they knew about medicine: from ancient Greek and Roman writers).

continued...

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:35 AM (KZzsI)

383 Given that there are only 5 vowels in English I would think the combinations would be relatively limited.

Posted by: WarEagle82 at August 01, 2021 10:35 AM (+Kpte)

384 The nytimes has a headline that says "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country"

so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

385 Biggus Dickus, Roman Private Eye

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (UHVv4)

386 ...continued review of Altdorf

Fourth, there's a druid girl there who is good and just and wise and knows plants and medicine that nobody else does except the Arab-trained Hospitaller/future love interest. Now, historically druids were gone by the 14th century, and they weren't very nice people. They certainly weren't the modern "pagan"/wiccan type at all, and that's who this girl and her wise aged teacher (soon doomed to die by the Bad Guy) is.

Fifth, while Druids can do magical things like be invisible in the forest, Christianity is stupid and wrong, but held to by ignorant peasants and brainwashed knights. If you're going to have a magical world, then Christians should do miracles, too, in fairness. After all, that was the lore of the time as well. But no, its good earth hugging druids and stupid mean Christians.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (KZzsI)

387 The nytimes has a headline that says "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country"

so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

And a pretty stupid take on the situation

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (Irn0L)

388 As for the Chicom military; they're more than
willing to subjugate lesser peoples but I'm not so sure against near
peer foes. The US was beaten by the Chinese via cyber, political and
social warfare. Toss in biological if you want to count COVID, but I
consider that social/political more than anything else.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 01, 2021 10:22 AM (BFigT)

I have heard some stories about the Chinese "advisors" in Angola, and that was pretty hair raising stuff. Just, it is the sort of thing the Afghans used to do also. This could get very nasty very fast.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (qaiJN)

389 Men get "rugged"
and women get "handsome"

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (AwPyG)

390 Now a message for you from....Dear Eternal Government.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 10:38 AM (qoz/n)

391 Gen. Petraeus: Real Potential of a Civil War Now in Afghanistan

LOL, Idiot. It's called a walk over, not a civil war

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:33 AM

20 years, 2,378 Americans dead and 10 TRILLION dollars wasted.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 01, 2021 10:38 AM (JUOKG)

392
so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

I wonder if that's what Trump's cabinet meeting in NJ is about? No, donks, you don't get to keep stolen goods, and the culprits need to be punished. (yeah, right)

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:39 AM (ONvIw)

393 They threw the princes in the tower so as to quietly murder them away from the public eye.

-
So you're saying find a tower for Hunter?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at August 01, 2021 10:39 AM (d9FiS)

394 20 years, 2,378 Americans dead and 10 TRILLION dollars wasted.
Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 01, 2021 10:38 AM (JUOKG)

Sigh.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:40 AM (Irn0L)

395 Gen. Petraeus: Real Potential of a Civil War Now in Afghanistan
LOL, Idiot. It's called a walk over, not a civil war
Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:33 AM (Irn0L)

Concur. Gen. Pederast was too busy chasing tail and pinning so much fruit salad on his tunic he had to start using the back. A real asshole.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at August 01, 2021 10:40 AM (R/m4+)

396 And a pretty stupid take on the situation
Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (Irn0L)

Just when I think they, and the tools who dote on their. pronouncements, can't fall any further...

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 10:41 AM (y7DUB)

397 @393

the Epstein hotel

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:41 AM (AwPyG)

398 389 Men get "rugged"
and women get "handsome"
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (AwPyG)

A good example of woman who became rugged and not handsome as she aged was Francoise Sagan (this is the book thread after all). Never a beauty, she became increasingly weather beaten looking from tobacco, booze and general dissipation.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:42 AM (ONvIw)

399 @396

Let's not bicker over who killed who. . . . .

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:42 AM (AwPyG)

400 Not just kings. Elizabeth was so iffy on icing Mary that her derp state underlings had to work behind her back.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at August 01, 2021 10:13 AM (y7DUB)

Mary was also Elizabeth's heir, so there were dynastic considerations, as well as her reluctance to kill a consecrated Queen.

Posted by: Fox2! at August 01, 2021 10:42 AM (qyH+l)

401 I read the first Monster Hunters International book
recently as well and it was enjoyable. A bit too much gun porn in it....

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 10:22 AM (KZzsI)

Better hope Weasel doesn't see this....

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 01, 2021 10:44 AM (7bRMQ)

402 I have heard many people say there is no way to take back the stolen Presidency. But we've never had to do it before, so who knows?

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:45 AM (ONvIw)

403 an "anointed" sovereign is deemed put there by God, which was one of the reasons the people in those days were reluctant to kill royalty.

It's why crownings are performed in church.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:46 AM (AwPyG)

404 Yeah...life will kill you everytime.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at August 01, 2021 10:46 AM (qoz/n)

405 Many the bodice were ripped that day, friend.

Posted by: Bigus Dickus, Private Eye at August 01, 2021 10:47 AM (d9FiS)

406 It's why crownings are performed in church.
Posted by: artemis

CBD does his crownings with the Banhammer !

Posted by: JT at August 01, 2021 10:48 AM (arJlL)

407 Mary was also Elizabeth's heir, so there were dynastic considerations, as well as her reluctance to kill a consecrated Queen.
Posted by: Fox2! at August 01, 2021 10:42 AM (qyH+l)

Elizabeth never forgot that her own mother was the first English Queen to ever be officially executed, and she came close to it herself during the rule of her older sister, Bloody Mary. She was horrified at the prospect of being responsible for the thing she hated most in the world.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 01, 2021 10:48 AM (rfYv5)

408 So, the fate of the Republic swings on Kyrsten Sinema's vacation plans.

Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 10:48 AM (ZHVt1)

409 326 China will promise not to impede heroin production in return for lithium rights.
Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy

sounds like something they'd do
sometimes I admire their cold pragmatism

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 10:48 AM (oEn12)

410 @401

The main problem the bad guys have is the lopsided nature of the victory. This wasn't a razor-thin win like Bush 2000, where everyone has to make nice to survive.

Rumors that the evidence will show Trump got north of 100 million votes, and 400+ electoral.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (AwPyG)

411 408 So, the fate of the Republic swings on Kyrsten Sinema's vacation plans.
Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 10:48 AM (ZHVt1)

Enjoy your month off, Senator Sinema!

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (ONvIw)

412 "She was horrified at the prospect of being responsible for the thing she hated most in the world."

That's her story and she's sticking to it!

Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (ZHVt1)

413 Late getting here - spent the morning making brownies! Texas Brownies, made with coffee - the best recipe ever.

I did do some reading this week; I went back to my giant Kindle collection of Mary Roberts Rinehart mysteries ($1 for about 30 novels). I read 'The Circular Staircase' and quite liked it. I'd tried another one - 'The Man in Lower Ten', and couldn't get into it. Staircase was narrated by a middle-aged New England spinster who gets caught up in some mysterious murders and break-ins at a country estate she's rented for the summer, and somehow this one worked better. The voice sounded more authentic; the other novel was narrated by a man, and I think I found the female narrator more believable, as the author was a woman herself.

Anyway, a pretty good mystery, not quite up to the level of Agatha Christies, but a decent substitute. Just a little long, to my taste; it could have been edited down by at least 25% and I think it would have been tighter and better. I also guessed some of the plot before the end, but that's not unusual once you've read as many mysteries as I have.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (dzUgF)

414 Given that there are only 5 vowels in English I would think the combinations would be relatively limited.

I, ahh, can't, uhh...ehh, I'm out.

Posted by: Barack Obama at August 01, 2021 10:51 AM (CTJwJ)

415 The Knights Hospitallier were and are a Roman Catholic religious order. Now known as the "Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Malta".

Posted by: Fox2! at August 01, 2021 10:52 AM (qyH+l)

416 Rumors that the evidence will show Trump got north of 100 million votes, and 400+ electoral.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (AwPyG)

It was a total heist like stealing the Mona Lisa and tossing in some Van Goghs as well. This was a spectacular theft and it should not be allowed to be kept. Allowing them to keep stolen property will guarantee it will stay stolen. I do not look to Garland as a source of unexpected honesty, though. Obama never would have chosen an honest man.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:52 AM (ONvIw)

417 So, the fate of the Republic swings on Kyrsten Sinema's vacation plans.
Posted by: Ignoramus

I'm trying to visualize what you're implying.

Posted by: t-bird at August 01, 2021 10:53 AM (vOGqy)

418 an "anointed" sovereign is deemed put there by God, which was one of the reasons the people in those days were reluctant to kill royalty.

It's why crownings are performed in church.

You can watch the entire coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II on YouTube, and you'll see the whole thing is a very explicitly Christian ceremony. The cathedral's not just a pretty set for an important occasion, the business is religious from beginning to end.

Makes me wonder how Charles thinks he's going to be able to "diversify" his coronation, as he's said he wants to do. It's not just a matter of changing his title from 'Defender of the Faith' to 'Defender of Faiths'. Without Christianity, the ceremony wouldn't exist. It'll probably end up being a dog's breakfast like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at August 01, 2021 10:54 AM (dzUgF)

419 @416

Not to mention it was almost clownish, in how it was done. Halt all counting in certain swing states in the middle of the night, (and all at the same time); put up barriers on the windows so no one can look in, bus in truckloads of ballots, and repeat until you can declare victory.

It was ridiculous, and anyone who says otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:55 AM (AwPyG)

420 Francoise Sagan ...

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:42 AM (ONvIw)

With that impressive Gallic nose!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 10:56 AM (Q9lwr)

421 Tan a fish; Ten a fish; Tin o' fish; ton of fish; tuna fish.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 10:56 AM (5ieoM)

422 Knights of Malta very big on fighting slavery, historically

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:57 AM (AwPyG)

423 As we, sadly wind down, thanks for a great thread, OM. I always get so much reading inspiration here. Today, I walk away with an interest in reading more Huxley, and looking into John Buchan's work.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:57 AM (ONvIw)

424 Very impressive vowel movements this morning!

Posted by: 496 at August 01, 2021 10:58 AM (U1eOr)

425 With that impressive Gallic nose!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 01, 2021 10:56 AM (Q9lwr)

Indeed.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:58 AM (ONvIw)

426 Rumors that the evidence will show Trump got north of 100 million votes, and 400+ electoral.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:49 AM (AwPyG)

I wonder if the face saving issue this time would be getting Trump and Biden up to testify, and watch Biden be so damaged to be incapable of putting up any coherent statement.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 10:58 AM (qaiJN)

427 I'm starting to get a strong feeling that Charles is a lot like Harry; really, really dumb, but the handlers have been careful to keep that fact from the public.

That tampon tape was a glimpse of what he's really like, and it ain't encouraging

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:59 AM (AwPyG)

428
Gen. Petraeus: Real Potential of a Civil War Now in Afghanistan
LOL, Idiot. It's called a walk over, not a civil war
Posted by: Nevergiveup

Concur. Gen. Pederast was too busy chasing tail and pinning so much fruit salad on his tunic he had to start using the back. A real asshole.
Posted by: Hairyback Guy

You mean it really is "Betray-us"?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 01, 2021 10:59 AM (63Dwl)

429 Very impressive vowel movements this morning!
---------------
Bran, Bren, brin, bron, brun, bryn.

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 11:00 AM (UHVv4)

430 Rumors that the evidence will show Trump got north of 100 million votes, and 400+ electoral.

Yeah it was the biggest landslide in American history, a massive, total victory that they had to stop counting to deal with. There's no official constitutional method to remove a fraudulent president, which is the problem: they directly attacked the entire American system of government and set up a constitutional crisis, just to seize power.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:00 AM (KZzsI)

431 "We don't die, we just step into a new, dark room."

-
Except in California. They have both blackouts and crime sprees.

Posted by: Bigus Dickus, Private Eye at August 01, 2021 11:01 AM (d9FiS)

432 I wonder if the face saving issue this time would be getting Trump and Biden up to testify, and watch Biden be so damaged to be incapable of putting up any coherent statement.

Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 10:58 AM (qaiJN)

Letting the criminals "save face" really isn't in the best interests of the nation. I'm not sure Biden was capable of concocting the plan, but the ones who did must be dealt with and see consequences. I don't care if plenty are GOP, as I suspect.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 11:01 AM (ONvIw)

433 313 H.P. Wells and others.

Quite a bargain.

Posted by: From that time at August 01, 2021 09:55 AM (4780s)

I'll bet.

it's best read in the original polish. backwards.

Posted by: Anachronda at August 01, 2021 11:01 AM (aqric)

434 they directly attacked the entire American system of government and set up a constitutional crisis, just to seize power.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:00 AM (KZ

...because mean tweets.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 11:02 AM (5ieoM)

435 The Hospitallers basically got everything that was the Templars when the French king and Pope destroyed that organization. The French king was hoping to get all that loot, but it went to the pope and he gave it to the Hospitallers. Who were a lot like the Templars, but less warlike and less successful in business.

They eventually turned into the Knights of Malta over time but never had a major scandal or crisis to their name.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:02 AM (KZzsI)

436 ...because mean tweets.
Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 11:02 AM (5ieoM)

Because the NWO and lots of graft.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 11:02 AM (ONvIw)

437 @426

I imagine, if it really does happen, that neither Trump nor Biden will have anything to do with it. The election can only be set aside by each state's legislature, by recalling their electors.

It's facinating, since I imagine these same states were well-aware that the fix was in, and were happy to play along. But now it's getting impossible to cover it up, and so they're all pretending to be outraged. Typical politicians.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (AwPyG)

438 385 Biggus Dickus, Roman Private Eye

Posted by: andycanuck (UHVv4) at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (UHVv4)

I understand he had a wife...

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (AfSnS)

439 So, the fate of the Republic swings on Kyrsten Sinema's vacation plans.
Posted by: Ignoramus

Dude, they're nonrefundable tickets. Credit only.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (d9FiS)

440 Nancy Pelosi is clinically insane. Just sayin'

Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (ZHVt1)

441
It's facinating, since I imagine these same states were well-aware that the fix was in, and were happy to play along. But now it's getting impossible to cover it up, and so they're all pretending to be outraged. Typical politicians.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (AwPyG)

I'm hoping for an electronic trail of evidence and at least one honest man.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 11:04 AM (ONvIw)

442 >>> 419 @416

Not to mention it was almost clownish, in how it was done. Halt all counting in certain swing states in the middle of the night, (and all at the same time); put up barriers on the windows so no one can look in, bus in truckloads of ballots, and repeat until you can declare victory.

It was ridiculous, and anyone who says otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:55 AM (AwPyG)

You misspelled "beaten with a tire iron".

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at August 01, 2021 11:04 AM (ACi07)

443 440 Nancy Pelosi is clinically insane. Just sayin'
Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (ZHVt1)

Corrupt isn't insanity, nor is trying to prevent your crimes from surfacing.

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (ONvIw)

444 384 The nytimes has a headline that says "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country"

so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

Wow. That's like when OJ Simpson wrote his book and titled it "If I Did It". It sounds like a passive-aggressive admission of guilt.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (AfSnS)

445 Nancy Pelosi is clinically insane. Just sayin'
Posted by: Ignoramus at August 01, 2021 11:03 AM (ZHVt1)

Pretty sure for years she's been on the same drug regimen they put Biden on to make him sound semi-coherent.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (5ieoM)

446 ||I understand he had a wife...

You know what she's called?

Incontinentia.

Posted by: moviegique at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (dhFCT)

447 I saw a piece (alas I don't recall the source, ZH perhaps?) that sez older generation Kindles will lose internet connectivity by late 2021 or so.

Amazon is offering discounts to upgrade various models. Me, I've got a 1st gen Fire, but I can connect via wifi so I don't think mine is affected.

Anyhow, if you have stuff on your oldish Kindle and it ain't backed up to the cloud etc etc etc you might want to look into your options.

Posted by: GnuBreed at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (F0YaR)

448 Pelosi's brain is pickled after 70 years of hard drinking. Almost always ends up as Alzheimer's.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:06 AM (KZzsI)

449 One of the book accounts I follow on Twitter did a whole series on cover art featuring pretty women with long, luxurious hair running away from creepy-looking houses. There was just no end to the variations on that theme.

Posted by: OregonMuse,

I bet all of Victoria Holt's books were published with that sort of cover. Gothics.

Notice that no gal ever runs away from a splendid Indian palace like in MM Kaye's universe.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 11:06 AM (oEn12)

450 ||I understand he had a wife...
----------
You know what she's called?

Incontinentia.
Posted by: moviegique at August 01, 2021 11:05 AM (dhFCT)

I'm trying to muffle my laughter, but it's not working.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 11:07 AM (5ieoM)

451 I have heard many people say there is no way to take
back the stolen Presidency. But we've never had to do it before, so who
knows?

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 10:45 AM

That is why SCOTUS refused to hear the law suit from Texas. If they did take the case they would have to have said that, yes Georgia and Pennsylvania did not follow their election law because that's exactly what they did. All heck would have broken out and there literally is no mechanism to "redo" a Presidential election.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 01, 2021 11:08 AM (JUOKG)

452 I saw a piece (alas I don't recall the source, ZH perhaps?) that sez older generation Kindles will lose internet connectivity by late 2021 or so.

I always take anything I see on Zero Hedge with a block of salt, but I would not exactly be surprised to find out that was true, either. My kindle has been slowing down over time, especially this year and I am 100% certain its one of those deliberate software things to make you want to buy a new version. But it still works fine, other than being ridiculously slower than it used to be (far beyond age would explain) and I grew up the kind of poor that you made do with stuff no matter what until it couldn't be used any more.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:09 AM (KZzsI)

453 Notice that no gal ever runs away from a splendid Indian palace like in MM Kaye's universe.

People make fun of westerns and comic books and action books as being all the same and stale, but romance books have been using the same six plots for like 150 years, and hundreds come out every month.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:10 AM (KZzsI)

454 It shows you the level of the dem's lockstep, that they all follow marching orders from an 80 year old white woman who is universally disliked.

But they do whatever she tells them to.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 11:11 AM (AwPyG)

455 I grew up the kind of poor that you made do with stuff no matter what until it couldn't be used any more.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor
*hi-5!*

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 11:11 AM (oEn12)

456 The nytimes has a headline that says "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country"

so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM

I have not seen that. Something big must be coming that they are trying to get ahead of.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 01, 2021 11:11 AM (JUOKG)

457 romance books have been using the same six plots for like 150 years, and hundreds come out every month.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor

it's like comfort food for the lonely heart, and Doritos for the neglected libido

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at August 01, 2021 11:12 AM (oEn12)

458 The nytimes has a headline that says "Even if the election was stolen, recalling it will just further divide the country"

so that's an interesting change in tactics. I wonder what's coming.
Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 10:36 AM (AwPyG)

And a pretty stupid take on the situation
Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 01, 2021 10:37 AM (Irn0L)
***
In fact having another one will remind people and further divide them so lets not have anymore!
Sarc
Effing dems

Posted by: Diogenes at August 01, 2021 11:13 AM (axyOa)

459 someone here once said that romance for women serves the same purpose as porn for men, and I think that's probably true.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 11:14 AM (AwPyG)

460 All heck would have broken out and there literally is no mechanism to "redo" a Presidential election.
Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 01, 2021 11:08 AM (JUOKG)

Necessity is the mother of invention, like never before

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 11:15 AM (ONvIw)

461 While tooling around rural Wisconsin one summer a friend took me to the cornfield where Ed Gein's house once stood and recounted the creepy feeling he got while walking around it. Later research showed we were across the road from the actual scene of the crimes. So, don't put too much trust in the creepy feelings.
Posted by: who knew at August 01, 2021 10:27 AM (4I7VG)

The researcher doubted the city of Leicester would dig up the whole municipal parking lot that she believed was the site of the monastery garden where Richard was buried. But she did convince them to dig up one spot. She had no research on where in the garden Richard was buried, so thought she might as well ask for the chilly spot.

The cities of Leicester and York had a brief fight over who got the bones. Leicester was where he was buried (It's next door to Bosworth Field), but Richard was Duke of York. Leicester won. Possession being nine-tenths of the law and all that...

Posted by: Wethal at August 01, 2021 11:16 AM (ZzVCK)

462 328 Fack, Feck, Fick, Fock F.. eh, no, this isn't going anywhere.
====================
...fyck. Sometimes "y".
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at August 01, 2021 10:02 AM (7Fj9P)

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

Reminds me of a Far Side strip (I believe it was the Far Side). It involves a husband and wife, who happen to be letters. The wife is confessing to having affairs with all the vowels.

"And sometimes y!"

Posted by: No One of Consequence at August 01, 2021 11:16 AM (CAJOC)

463 I grew up the kind of poor that you made do with stuff no matter what until it couldn't be used any more.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:09 AM (KZzsI)

Critical difference between me and my ex-wife..

Posted by: Oldowan at August 01, 2021 11:17 AM (Mfqer)

464 Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Tally Ho!"

-
At least that JeffePry Toobin's story.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks aka Hangdog Barkston at August 01, 2021 11:17 AM (d9FiS)

465 Le nood

Posted by: BignJames at August 01, 2021 11:18 AM (AwYPR)

466 Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:09 AM (KZzsI)

Kindles losing connectivity has to do with 2G and 3G standards, which all the major carriers are abandoning by 2022. If your Kindle can handle 4G, you're probably still okay.

I lost my first cellphone when the carriers quit supporting analog signals. The phone still worked fine, but couldn't connect. Bastids. This is the same sort of thing.

Posted by: GnuBreed at August 01, 2021 11:18 AM (F0YaR)

467 3000 americans died in the twin towers. And another 2500 of our soldiers teaching them a lesson.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy Strongly worded commenter at August 01, 2021 11:19 AM (1PBwZ)

468 watch for more of this

People who don't wear masks are 'encroaching on others' individual rights': Fauci defends new CDC mask guidance for the vaccinated as he warns things are 'going to get worse' with COVID

Posted by: will choose a nic later at August 01, 2021 11:20 AM (bTQ72)

469 So, here's a chuckle:

The headline in the NYtimes about the stolen election has already been removed.

Posted by: artemis at August 01, 2021 11:23 AM (AwPyG)

470 What frustrates me about my Fire is that its a tablet that happens to also run a Kindle program. I just wanted a Kindle reader that could also do other stuff, that is: it defaults to Kindle instead of having to slowly load it when I want to read a book.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:24 AM (KZzsI)

471 mare mere mire more mure. I'm a sucker for word games.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply Irredeemable at August 01, 2021 11:25 AM (Aashi)

472 Born and raised and still here (unfortunately) in Pilsen / Heart of Chicago neighborhood. Only redeeming quality are the great Italian restaurants on Oakley Avenue. Pilsen is now a haven for progressive / socialists.
Since I was in 2nd grade my father made me read 3 books every 2 weeks. I'm so grateful to him for that as I love to read to this very day.
God bless us all and enjoy the day

Posted by: Lars Pilsen at August 01, 2021 11:35 AM (jyjKw)

473 There's a documentary about the finding of Richard III's body: "The King in the Car Park". Some of it is on YouTube. They even did a reconstruction of his head based on his skull, and he turned out to be a rather nice-looking guy. The researcher responsible for finding his burial place was convinced that the description of him as a hunchback was invented by Tudor historians to further blacken his reputation. She was shocked to find out that he did indeed have a crooked spine (scoliosis) and it would have progressed as he grew older until he was quite bent over.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at August 01, 2021 11:36 AM (dzUgF)

474 There's a documentary about the finding of Richard III's body: "The King in the Car Park".

That was fascinating, especially how they figured out who it was. He did not, shall we say, get a heroic and respectful burial.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:41 AM (KZzsI)

475 Three nonfiction books I read quite recently:

1) "Outrage: The 5 Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away With Murder," by Vincent Bugliosi.

Superb analysis, but painful to re-visit.

2) "Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors," by Ray Manzarek.

A time capsule. I'm more convinced than ever that Jim Morrison did NOT expose himself in Miami! I liked that Manzarek hated the Oliver Stone film even more than I did.

3) "The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad In A Global World," by Maya Jasanoff.

The man's life and his art were pretty seamless. I didn't know that English was Conrad's THIRD language. But it was Polish; French; & then English, which he didn't learn until he was an adult. How many other writers wrote great works of literature in their third language?

Posted by: mnw at August 01, 2021 11:41 AM (Cssks)

476 Richard III:

As soon as I saw a photo of the unearthed skeleton, it was beyond obvious who it was. The curvature of the spine was FAR worse that I'd imagined. He must've carried himself almost bent over at the waist.

Posted by: mnw at August 01, 2021 11:46 AM (Cssks)

477 Heh. 'Women in Period Costume, Facing Away'

See the cover of our own Moron author, Jack July's book, 'Amy Lynn' : https://tinyurl.com/yx7x9syh

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 01, 2021 11:55 AM (DMQdU)

478 Finally finished 'Sarnoff', Lyons. Biography of David Sarnoff, love, hate him, he was an astonishing American success story.

Continue to work on the history of the Bell System. Working on the war years now. It is truly astounding what was accomplished vis-a-vis war effort in four short years.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 01, 2021 12:00 PM (l0Lgi)

479 bat, bet, bit, bot, but
dan, den, din, don, dun

plus a lot that are 4 out of 5
hat, ?het, hit, hot, hut
sat, set, sit, sot, sut?
ban, ben, bin, bon(bon), bun
fan, fen, fin, ?fon, fun

Posted by: Delilah at August 01, 2021 12:02 PM (PfCku)

480 That was fascinating, especially how they figured out who it was. He did not, shall we say, get a heroic and respectful burial.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:41 AM (KZzsI)

There were telling little details - little bits of broken mosaic tile from the church floor in the grave, and the fact that Richard wasn't lying stretched out flat with his arms crossed, as would be typical in a normal burial. He was lying on his side, legs bent. In other words, they dug that grave in a REAL hurry, and couldn't even make it quite big enough for him - he had to be stuffed into an undersized hole. You can almost see the monks sweating as mean, tough guys with swords stood by watching them frantically digging to get the job done as fast as possible.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at August 01, 2021 12:04 PM (dzUgF)

481 434 they directly attacked the entire American system of government and set up a constitutional crisis, just to seize power.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 11:00 AM (KZ

...because mean tweets.
Posted by: BurtTC at August 01, 2021 11:02 AM (5ieoM)

Yeah, but let's say these audit prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that President Kinnock actually received an ass kicking worse than Mondull. This will be the result:

OOOOOPSIE!!!!!!

Posted by: 2021 at August 01, 2021 12:05 PM (7qU8l)

482 I am doing a deep dive into Isaac Asimov this summer. I found a great list on Wikipedia that listed all his Robot, Galactic Empire and Foundation books in the correct reading order. His estate also authorized several prominent scifi authors to write books to "infill" gaps in the Asimov universes. The 3 prequels to I, Robot were great, and I'm trying to find the Robot City books - they're a bit hard to find. Galactic Empire books were not my favorites. I read Prelude to Foundation and am looking forward to re-reading this mind-blowing series after many, many years.

I admit I did get side-tracked a bit with Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and a few other trashy summer reads, book club selections and various audiobooks. I don't think I will finish the Foundation series by Labor Day, but then I have a long fall to look forward to.

Posted by: Delilah at August 01, 2021 12:09 PM (PfCku)

483 The corpse of R-III was put on public display for several days, to squelch any possibility of a "Richard Lives!" thing. Therefore, I don't think there was any hurry to bury him.

Posted by: mnw at August 01, 2021 12:28 PM (Cssks)

484 mate, mete, mite, mote, mute.

thought I'd try it

Posted by: CN at August 01, 2021 12:35 PM (ONvIw)

485 479 fan, fen, fin, ?fon, fun
fae fee fie foe fum

Posted by: Kulak Anachronda, behind the Newsom curtain at August 01, 2021 12:54 PM (BGdiD)

486 I use to have "vowel movements" when I was in choir and voice training to work on vowel sounds paired with different consonants and go through scales. They didn't always need to be real words though but sometimes were. I miss singing.

Posted by: banana Dream at August 01, 2021 01:20 PM (meTku)

487 I am doing a deep dive into Isaac Asimov this summer. I found a great list on Wikipedia that listed all his Robot, Galactic Empire and Foundation books in the correct reading order. His estate also authorized several prominent scifi authors to write books to "infill" gaps in the Asimov universes.

Posted by: Delilah

Were you aware of the books Isaac Asimov wrote as "Paul French", David Starr/"Lucky" Starr, Space Ranger? I read them as a kid. Pretty pulpy, but fun reads.

Posted by: Bozo Conservative.....lost in a lost world at August 01, 2021 01:28 PM (tjZg/)

488 Taliban be doing this now or very soonish.

1) Rolling over the areas they can.
2) Feudalistic agreements (kowtows) with warlords they can't for instance.
3) Low population density areas left to tribalistic pre-history.
4) After things begin to settle, Talibunnies begin to turn on each other.

I thinking that that guy up in the Panshir prior to 9/11 had a pretty good going on up there.

None of these tribes or sub-groups like others very much and there are plenty of diversity going on.

As my father taught me, it's when the pie comes to the table that the knives come out.

Posted by: 11B40 at August 01, 2021 01:50 PM (uuklp)

489 The founder of the effort to find Richard is Philippa Langley and her book (co-authored w/ Michael Jones), The King's Grave, is a marvelous read with amazing detail (but very accessible). Langley also discusses some of Richard's actions found disturbing by even loyal Ricardians. Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time - also fantastic.

Henry VI's son, Edward of Lancaster, was killed in battle at Tewkesbury, confirmed by both Yorkist & Lancastrian sources. Henry himself is often said to have died of a broken heart, but the more accepted (even by Yorkists) is that Edward IV ordered his execution. The first to point at Richard as the murderer came five years after his death & seems suspiciously in line w/ the Tudor propaganda machine revving itself up.

Richard indeed came from the Plantagenet line; the Tudor mention above references the dynasty founded by Henry Tudor (Henry VII), whose claim to the throne was so shaky that even his granddaughter couldn't permit anything positive to be said about any Plantagenet.

Lisa Scottoline recommendation - totally going to check that out!

Posted by: Lisl at August 01, 2021 02:39 PM (IqgOY)

490 A note on those VOWEL MOVEMENTS:

Written Arabic doesn't always include the vowels; they're just understood. That said, one of the Arabic classes I took had my classmates Jan, Jane, Jen, Jean, John, Joan, and June - all of whose names were identically spelled in that class.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at August 01, 2021 02:39 PM (K58O6)

491 Oh, I haven't read Someone Knows, but it seems that if you've read and liked it, you might also like The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Posted by: Lisl at August 01, 2021 02:50 PM (IqgOY)

492 Written Arabic doesn't always include the vowels; they're just understood. That said, one of the Arabic classes I took had my classmates Jan, Jane, Jen, Jean, John, Joan, and June - all of whose names were identically spelled in that class.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at August 01, 2021 02:39 PM (K58O6)

I wonder if Arabic has "vowel points", as Hebrew does, which are optional little dots and squiggles and I think they're mostly used in children's books.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 03:19 PM (5cPw6)

493 I wonder if Arabic has "vowel points", as Hebrew does, which are optional little dots and squiggles and I think they're mostly used in children's books.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at August 01, 2021 03:19 PM (5cPw6)

It does.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at August 01, 2021 04:16 PM (K58O6)

494 "208

"The pulps. I have posted this before but people do need to know some resources exist. This is a online collection of pulps: Western, Horror, Detective, Air stories, Science Fiction.

"Pulp fiction was pretty grim at the beginning of the 20th Century, though there were some real gems. Not in science fiction of course that was pretty grim except for the imagination

"[link omitted] Posted by: Kindltot at August 01, 2021 08:58 AM (qaiJN)"

The Pulp Magazine Project provides interesting info on pulp mags, but the last time I made an exhaustive search it only links to a scattering of the mags themselves. It can take quite a bit of searching to find individual magazines, but the internet archive has large numbers of pulp magazines available for download in various formats (pdf, kindle, etc.). My main interest is science fiction and fantasy, so I mostly know about the availability of those-I've found and downloaded fairly complete (say 10 or 11 issues per year average for the years they were published monthly) from about 1939 to the 1970s for Astounding/Analog, the early 1950s (date of first issue) through the 1970s for

Posted by: Carlos V at August 01, 2021 04:26 PM (Ap+cR)

495 cont-
Galaxy, Worlds of If Science Fiction, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and large numbers of others like Amazing Stories (e.g., the Shaver Mysteries issues) Unknown and lots of others. The are also issues of Black Mask and lots of other pulps and the like available there.

Posted by: Carlos V at August 01, 2021 04:30 PM (Ap+cR)

496 I wonder if Arabic has "vowel points", as Hebrew does, which are optional little dots and squiggles and I think they're mostly used in children's books.

Russian kind of has them too, I had a Russian teacher kind of tease me for using the line over the T (looks like an M) but half the alphabet is made up of V's W's, and M shapes, so that you can run together this incomprehensible series of characters. Why they stopped typically using those I do not know.

Its likely people don't use cursive Cyrillic much these days, like almost no one does English.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 01, 2021 07:15 PM (KZzsI)

497 Narf, Nerf, Nirf, Norf, Nurf.

I'M A HELPER

And also I'm totally on-topic for the current conversation.

Posted by: rold at August 01, 2021 08:10 PM (Fntzm)

498 Guess I'd better not close this tab yet.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 08:17 PM (Om/di)

499 pap pep pip pop pup

Posted by: Cybersmythe at August 01, 2021 10:13 PM (17UTy)

500 And we reach 500.

Posted by: Weak Geek at August 01, 2021 11:50 PM (Om/di)

501 Re: "It Pays...." So why did you skip the vowel "Y"?

Posted by: Igor at August 02, 2021 03:51 AM (yrVvD)

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