Sunday Morning Book Thread 06-21-2015: The Evil That Men Do [OregonMuse]

The Fall of Man

Good morning to all of you morons and moronettes and bartenders everywhere and all the ships at sea. Welcome to AoSHQ's stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread. The only AoSHQ thread that is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Or kilts. Serious you guys. Kilts are OK, too. But not tutus. Unless you're a girl.

Book thread TRIGGER WARNINGS for the celebration of cisnormative family life, and for holding the following truths: that the personal is NOT the political, that the 2nd amendment was not put there for duck hunters, that Bruce Jenner is still a man, that Lena Dunham is still a pervert, and that progressive narratives are established by fraud, propagated by ignorance, and maintained by force.

It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

-Judy Blume

I put up these book quotes because I like them, but this week's quote I put up because I don't like it. My question to Ms. Blume is, drama queen much? What books are "under fire"? What books "will never be read"? I understand that she's an author whose books have, in the past, been deemed inappropriate for young children and removed from schools, but the quote makes it sound like the Stasi is about to start confiscating and burning private libraries. Give me a break. There hasn't been a book that's actually been 'banned' in this country since the 1960s. Any adult n this country can read any book they want, and yet the progs are still caterwauling about 'censorship'.

Adam To Eve: ‘Thanks To You, We're Boned’

Back in the day, the schools used to teach microaggressive stuff like this:

In Adam's fall
We sinned all

There is a whole boatload of theology packed into that one short sentence. But it's not from a catechism theology textbook. This is the first line in the New England Primer, a widely-published and oft-republished book (starting in the late 1600s) by which generations of early Americans were taught to read. And thus Americans learned from their earliest years that all men are sinners in need of grace.

Having said that, though, some people appear to be more in need of grace than others. And while that doesn't mean they are evil and we are not, the question is, how best to deal with them. And I'm not talking about obvious and egregious sinners such as murderers, rapists, thugs and Christians who won't bake cakes for gay weddings, but rather those curiously toxic personalities that seem to be in many families and work places.

For example, most relationships involve a lot of what you might call give-and-take. You get benefits from the other person as they do from you. But some people are all take and no give. They just suck you dry. They're not fun to be with, everything's a problem, it's always about them, and there's usually tons of drama that just never stops.

You can't live with 'em, and can't shoot 'em.

After awhile you start to whether they're really incompetent at relationships, or if they're deliberately, maliciously evil.

It is for these types of people that the book Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition by Albert Bernstein was written. He divides the emotional vampires into basic types: antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, and paranoid, and tells you how to deal with them effectively.

Also,

In response to the daily calls and emails he got about the previous edition of this book, Dr. Al Bernstein has added his advice for dealing with those emotional vampires who come in the shape of spouses and lovers, relatives, and children. Dr. Bernstein shows you how to deal with each vampire type and what you need to do to keep from getting drained.

Some think they just are evil, that there's no other good way to describe such people.

Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend by Barbara Oakley tries to pin it down to abnormal physiology:

Have you ever heard of a person who left you wondering, "How could someone be so twisted? So evil?" Prompted by clues in her sister's diary after her mysterious death, author Barbara Oakley takes the reader inside the head of the kinds of malevolent people you know, perhaps all too well, but could never understand.

This book is an exploration of the neurologic and genetic basis for evil, manipulative behavior, using examples from history and providing clues from scientific studies on brain function.

And then there's The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, a clinical psychologist who holds that perhaps as many as 4% of the population are conscienceless sociopaths who have no empathy or affectionate feelings for humans, or, for that matter, animals (I've heard that mass murders frequently start out as children by torturing and killing small animals).

The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency...is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know—someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for—is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr. Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game.

It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.

I find it helpful to remember, when dealing with these toxic individuals, is that there, but for the grace of God, go I.

Mr. B's Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath, UK

World's Best Independent Bookstores

From the Guardian, their readers pick out their favorite bookstores. Spoiler: Number 1 is Powell's in Portland, OR. Yay, home team!

I kind of like #8, and I grabbed the photo because it made the bookstore look very inviting.

8. Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath (UK)

This indie bookshop in central Bath not only has a great selection of books, a cosy atmosphere and comfy armchairs – it also offers services like bibliotherapy and “reading spas”, during which staff engage in one-on-one conversations with readers over a mug of coffee and recommend books they think are especially suited to that person.

I think I'd like to go there.

How Obama All But Gave Nuclear Weapons To The Mad Mullahs of Iran, Screwed Over Israel, Set Back Middle East Progress By A Generation, And Sill Found Time To Get 9 Holes of Golf In Before Lunch.

A book that should shortly be making waves is Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide by former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren.

Michael Oren served as the Israeli ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. An American by birth and a historian by training, Oren arrived at his diplomatic post just as Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton assumed office. During Oren’s tenure in office, Israel and America grappled with the Palestinian peace process, the Arab Spring, and existential threats to Israel posed by international terrorism and the Iranian nuclear program.

I guess this Amazon blurb is accurate if "grappled with the Palestinian peace process" actually means "destroyed the United States' decades-old alliance with Israel":

Oren provides an inside account of relations between the administration of Barack Obama and the government of Bibi Netanyahu, and his thesis is overwhelming, authoritative, and damning: For the last six and a half years the president of the United States has treated the home of the Jewish people more like a rogue nation standing in the way of peace than a longtime democratic ally. Now the alliance is “in tatters.”

My only question is, is Obama merely incompetent, or is this by design?

A number of items discussed in Ally are listed in this Times of Israel article. Here's one that will surprise no-one:

4. Oren stunned by Obama’s attitude to the United States: Reading the president’s memoir “Dreams From My Father,” the ambassador says he scoured the book in vain “for some expression of reverence, even respect, for the country its author would someday lead” but finds none.

Yeah, Mike, that's pretty much par for the course. And don't forget: we elected this clown twice. One wonders why no reporter has ever asked Obama to explain the fundamental lack of respect for America that is evident in all of his writings and statements prior to his becoming a national figure.

And while looking at Ally, I happened to see this one, Catch The Jew! by Tuvia Tenenbom, a gonzo journalists who wanders around Israel and the Palestinian Authority asking embarrassing questions:

From the self-hating leftists in Tel Aviv to the self-promoting PLO execs in Ramallah, from the black-clad Haredim of Bet Shemesh to the glowing foreign human rights activists in Beit Hanina, from Jewish settlers and the Christians who come from abroad to toil with them to ardent Jerusalem monks and Bedouins in surprisingly glorious shacks, Tenenbom takes on the people of the land, getting to know them and disarming them as he breaks bread and mingles with anyone and everyone.

Does Palestinian wife number one hate the Jews more than she hates wife number two? Who finances cash-rich NGOs pursuing a Judenrein Israel? Who sets Palestinian olive groves on fire and why? What is the emotional gravity that pulls idealistic human rights activists from other countries to Israel and only to Israel? Who are the flaming feminists who sacrifice their lives for the rights of polygamists? Whose land is this, anyway?

This looks like it might be fun.

Turn Off Your TV This Summer

I've been amazed, since I got back into doing some actual reading a few years back, how many books are actually part of a larger series. Especially the self-published and indie published e-books. When you get a Kindle or Bookbub $1.99 deal, the book they're offering is, more often than not, the first in a series, whether it be a trilogy, tetralogy, or something like the Game Of Thrones, which is apparently never going to end. But, no matter. Here are some classic book series you should consider turning off the boob tube this summer and spending some time with.

Me, I've been been meaning to get to Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy for some time now, this may be a good time to do it.

Books By Morons

The mailbag was light this week, so the following is a repeat from an earlier book thread.

Moron Sean Gleeson wants you to read and review his new book. Well, actually, it's not his book, it's his late father's book. I'll let him explain it:

Paul F. Gleeson was a successful Chicago lawyer who died in 2012, at the age of 70. He was also my father. Among his belongings we found a boxful of typed manuscripts from the 1970s and 80s. It turned out they were short stories he had written...

Also in the box were rejection letters from publishers. Dad was unable to get past the literary gatekeepers of those days. Discouraged, he stuck to his day job, and gave up his dream of entertaining the readers of America. The stories sat, unread, for three decades in a dusty heap.

How cool is that? I mean, finding the stories after all these years, it's like discovering buried treasure. So Sean and his siblings bundled them up and published them as Screams from My Father: Stories by Paul F. Gleeson. Sean describes his father's stories as

Rip-roaring pulp-fiction tales, with ironic twist endings, like Alfred Hitchcock or Twilight Zone stories.

More information on each of the 10 stories is at the Amazon link.

___________

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

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

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:56 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Morning Horde.

Posted by: olddog in mo at June 21, 2015 08:55 AM (BGCet)

2 I got the others.

Posted by: olddog in mo at June 21, 2015 08:56 AM (BGCet)

3 Adam left the iron on.

Posted by: Boss Moss at June 21, 2015 08:56 AM (SXQcx)

4
Books? Where we are going, we don't need books!

-- Every LIV, Ever

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars(TM) at June 21, 2015 08:56 AM (VLTL9)

5 They appear to be moving slowly. Lots to read.

Posted by: olddog in mo at June 21, 2015 08:57 AM (BGCet)

6
Turn off the one-eyed beast!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars(TM) at June 21, 2015 08:57 AM (VLTL9)

7 Took just long enough saying hello on the morning thread to get run over by the library.

Well, Morning, bookworms. I gotta go read the EMT first, but I'll be back if I can. Might not mention it. I'll be a lurkworm.

Posted by: mindful webworker - hot off the press at June 21, 2015 08:57 AM (9vbJt)

8 Utah should lose it's statehood. Run it as a Federal Territory with a Governor General.

Posted by: Boss Moss at June 21, 2015 08:58 AM (SXQcx)

9 It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

-Judy Blume
-------------------------------

Banned in Boston!

Actually, that used to be the way to sell books.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at June 21, 2015 08:58 AM (F2IAQ)

10 Whole lot of book banning going on.

Oh wait...

http://tinyurl.com/o2dxkle

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:07 AM (VPLuQ)

11 It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books
that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

So, she's with the Sad Puppies? Heh.

Posted by: HR trinken trinken trinken at June 21, 2015 09:07 AM (rHXGG)

12 Just finished Francis Crick : discoverer of the genetic code by Matt Ridley. Very good. Sounds like his Cambridge parties were a lot of fun. I'd like to try it, but my wife would not approve. So automatically it is a bad idea.

Up next, Barbara Tuchman's March of Folly and The chemistry between us : love, sex, and the science of attraction by Larry Young and Brian Alexander.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 21, 2015 09:08 AM (u82oZ)

13 Is it just butt fuck mafia children's books that are being banned?

Posted by: Boss Moss at June 21, 2015 09:09 AM (SXQcx)

14 >>> Whole lot of book banning going on.

Put that on the curriculum for the Arabic immersion school. In Houston.

Diversity!

Posted by: fluffy at June 21, 2015 09:11 AM (2iV3X)

15 Following the theme above, another interesting read is 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths' by Kevin Dutton.
Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/nt7ebjn

"In this engrossing journey into the lives of
psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned
psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of "madness"
along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain
scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant
neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who
kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a
dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise
as a titan of industry.
Dutton argues that there are indeed
"functional psychopaths" among us--different from their murderous
counterparts--who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic
personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in
some fields, the more "psychopathic" people are, the more likely they
are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis
through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as
he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a
drink with one of the world's most successful con artists, and
undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand
exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.
As
Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies,
he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more
psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless,
confident, charming, ruthless, and focused--qualities that are
tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at
every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it's our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success."

Posted by: Sam Kinnison at June 21, 2015 09:11 AM (IdCqF)

16 Whoops, still socked.

Posted by: Epobirs at June 21, 2015 09:12 AM (IdCqF)

17 Howdy all.

Posted by: Beth M at June 21, 2015 09:12 AM (fY+0I)

18 Call me when Judy Blume is concerned about flags being banned.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at June 21, 2015 09:12 AM (F2IAQ)

19 Finally got around to reading The Martian on y'alls recommendation. Not bad, surprisingly pure man versus nature plot. I absolutely cannot picture the protagonist as Matt Damon, I suspect the movie will be a trainwreck.

Hmm, what else this week? A couple of superhero novels, including The Rules of Supervillainy, which is a fun comedic-toned romp about a guy who inherits a superhero's mystical doo-dad and rejoices in his life-long dream of becoming a supervillain. Doesn't really end so much as slam to a halt and a "next time, space cowboys" place-marker for the next book. The anti-villain is a howling lefty, but then, superhero stories are inherently left-wing, and you can easily take it as "unreliable narration".

The latest Ring of Fire book is out, I've got it on my kindle, probably look at it this evening or tomorrow.

Posted by: Mitch H. at June 21, 2015 09:13 AM (9dWup)

20 Don't forget People of the Lie by M Scott Peck. An insightful classic.

Posted by: Stirfry Laura at June 21, 2015 09:16 AM (bIMGT)

21 The First Man is in Venice.

Posted by: Boss Moss at June 21, 2015 09:16 AM (SXQcx)

22 Yes, Charleston was a horrible crime. But mass murder of blacks in this country by blacks go without the same out cry:

every inner city gang killing
rape & murder of black women in Cleveland (11 victims)
rape & murder of black women in LA (10 victims)

I could go one but my point is that in each case the people in he community refused to call the police.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at June 21, 2015 09:16 AM (iQIUe)

23 After 20 years I finally completed my collection of War World Books by Pournelle and Company. I needed 3 of them. Almost done with Revolt on War World. The last book set in the Codominium. I think. Then its on to War World IV and finally Blood Feuds.

Pure escapism.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois at June 21, 2015 09:18 AM (RQ2Z6)

24 You just know one of the book cases in Mr. B's Emporium swings open to reveal a hidden back chamber when you pull on "Bishop Percy's Pantaloons".

I'm currently shuttling back and forth betwixt Nick Popaditch's very salty and funny "Once a Marine" and Polybius' "The Rise of the Roman Empire". Just encountered the Dickensian name "Gnaeus Servilius" who "accomplished nothing of importance", but did land on the legendary Island of the Lotus Eaters -- about which Poly writes nada. That's what I want to know about!

Okay, back to reading.

We really are lucky, folks. Cheap paperbacks and instantly downloadable anything! We're living like kings and queens. Vikings would burn down my library for kicks!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:18 AM (jR7Wy)

25 I have an update: about 2 months ago I asked for help finding a book I remembered reading years ago. It was about some a Soviet author who defects to the West, and once he's free to tell the truth he suffers complete writer's block and descends into alcoholism. The setting was Paris (not New York, as I'd thought) a bit in the future, when the Soviet Union was clearly winning the struggle with the West and was soon to take over.

Well, I found the title: "The Age of Longing" by Arthur Koestler. (I'd always thought it seemed like a Koestler book, but I couldn't get past "Darkness at Noon" in search engines.) Here's a New York Times review from 1951, appropriately entitled "When the Will to Resist is Gone". http://tinyurl.com/q8beast

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at June 21, 2015 09:19 AM (VBbCO)

26 Finally reading Rush's second book. Not easy with new gnatlike attention span.

Posted by: Boss Moss at June 21, 2015 09:19 AM (SXQcx)

27 11 So, she's with the Sad Puppies? Heh.

Posted by: HR trinken trinken trinken at June 21, 2015 09:07 AM (rHXGG)

I was thinking along the same lines. Without context, her quote could easily apply to the non-PC authors being bullied out of the industry by leftists for thoughtcrime.

Posted by: antisocial justice beatnik at June 21, 2015 09:20 AM (9jUcX)

28 Banned? No. But I'm willing to bet there are some books that, when purchased by anything but cash, trigger some check mark somewhere.

Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 09:25 AM (yxw0r)

29 "One wonders why no reporter has ever asked Obama to explain the
fundamental lack of respect for America that is evident in all of his
writings and statements prior to his becoming a national figure."

Well, that's true.

But no reporter (at least not from the mainstream media) has ever asked Obama to explain about anything else of note either.

Not about the huge and odd lacunae in his biographical record. Not about Frank Marshall Davis. Not about eating dogs, and not about the syllabus in his boyhood madrassa schooling. Not about casually vacationing in countries under martial law (with sternly worded State Department travel advisories against entry) as a college student. Not about how the ostensibly penniless Obama paid for such exotic travel. Not about how none of his student contemporaries remember him in classes he ostensibly took in college.

Not about the mysterious man who out of the blue called up civil rights icon Percy Sutton, a man who Sutton described as "one of the richest men in the world," who asked Sutton to pull strings to get the then-unknown-to-Sutton-and-everyone-else Barack Obama into Harvard Law.

Not about the fixer and felon Tony Rezko who got the Obamas into their Hyde Park mansion (and a mansion it is, not throwing the word around lightly).

Not about the former Weather fugitives and domestic terrorists Ayers and Dohrn. Not about Obama characterizing Ayers, with whom he had worked hand in glove for years and in whose living room he had launched his political career, as "a man who lives in my neighborhood".

Not about Obama's relationship in Chicago using his political power to benefit Val Jarrett, and about the ugly public-money-for-private-profit setup that was the Altgeld Gardens housing project. Where predominantly African American residents shivered through Chicago winters with broken windows and no heat.

Not about Mooch getting paid three hundred grand a year by her hospital employer to engage in "patient dumping" to other medical centers of poor and uninsured patients, again mostly African American.

Not about Obama's oleaginous praise for former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, only a few months before the obviously severely bent KK went to prison on multiple felony counts involving public corruption.

And this is just stuff from *before* Obama became President.

You could fill entire volumes with the stuff since.

The press couldn't be bothered to ask a single pointed question about ANY of it. So it's not just the content of Obama's two autobiographies that the press glossed over. It's his whole damn life that was discreetly elided, both in politics, and before politics.

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 09:26 AM (noWW6)

30
28 Banned? No. But I'm willing to bet there are some books that, when purchased by anything but cash, trigger some check mark somewhere.
Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 09:25 AM (yxw0r)

Even if not, records can be search later.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 09:26 AM (MQEz6)

31 Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 09:25 AM (yxw0r)

Bob, we liberals only want the best for you, whether or not you want it, and documenting your entire lifetime of purchases via credit cards is the easiest way to do that!

Besides, it will help us immeasurably in deciding what part of the camp you are sent to.

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 09:28 AM (ftVQq)

32 "One wonders why no reporter has ever asked Obama to explain the
fundamental lack of respect for America that is evident in all of his
writings and statements prior to his becoming a national figure."

I used to believe that reporters were involved in a criminal conspiracy with the left to inflict a communist government on us but I have now come to believe that reporters are just stupid and shallow.

Barack Obama is black. Anybody who opposes him is racist and racism is bad.

That is it. That is their entire thought process.

If I ever become philosopher king, I am going to require everyone who wishes to become a reporter to pass a test and the test will be heavy in math questions and require a working knowledge of calculus. The only reason for the test will be to weed out the worst of the idiots.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at June 21, 2015 09:31 AM (QHgTq)

33 Next up in my stack, via the "new arrivals" section of the library -- "The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage -- The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer" by Syndney Padua.

A graphic novel that actually has some good technology. Fans of the xkcd strip or Randall Munroe's "what if?" book would love this.

Blurb by James Gleick - "Don't be fooled by the word ''comic.' Sydney Padua tells a story that is tender, passionate, and true."

Leafing through this, I think it looks outstanding. 313 pages.

Posted by: doug at June 21, 2015 09:33 AM (3C4ul)

34 It's getting easier to turn off the TV. There's a free preview of HBO and Cinemax this weekend. I have yet to find anything I want to watch and these freebie weekends are supposed to entice me to subscribe? Finally saw an episode of Game of Thrones after hearing so much about it. God! What crap!! Graphic gore and T&A for perpetual teenagers.

I'm not quite ready to kill the TV completely, but it's getting harder to justify the cost of even a basic package on Directv.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 09:33 AM (FvdPb)

35 Read Erik Larson's "Dead Wake", about the sinking of the Lusitania. Very well done, as is usual by Larson. Engrossing, as I knew hardly anything about the event. One thing I never knew is how fast it sank. One torpedo, and the ship went down in about 18 minutes. And this was a ship about the size of the Titanic, which had sunk only 5 years earlier.

One neat thing. When he talks about the day of departure from NYC, he describes a film that was taken at the time. It shows people arriving by cabs to the wharf and such. Then the camera was taken to a high location looking down on the ship as it pulls away from the dock. The camera is still, the ship moving so the effect is that of the camera gliding over the ship. And in the footnotes he gives the website where you can see this footage. It's www.criticalpast.com. All sort's of historical footage at that sit.

Posted by: HH at June 21, 2015 09:33 AM (Qia1Z)

36 in honor of Waterloo and etc

http://is.gd/WOLNbf

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at June 21, 2015 09:34 AM (Cq0oW)

37 Well, I found the title: "The Age of Longing" by Arthur Koestler

I remember when you requested help with this. Couldn't help out. Glad you finally found what you were looking for, and thanks for the tip.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 09:34 AM (Y6SY/)

38 The only reason for the test will be to weed out the worst of the idiots."

Easier test.

Put them individually in a room, bare footed with a single kitchen chair.
And a pair of sneakers on the floor in front of the chair.

Only hire the ones who come out of the room with the shoes properly tied, and on the correct feet.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:34 AM (VPLuQ)

39 Just started the latest Terry Brooks book, The Darkling Child. It's not great, but I have a fondness for the Shannara books from my childhood.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at June 21, 2015 09:34 AM (QxAMb)

40 Considering what we know about how humans function and all the ways we malfunction; how do we define evil?

Does evil exist separate from pathology?

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 09:35 AM (MQEz6)

41 30
28 Banned? No. But I'm willing to bet there are some books that, when purchased by anything but cash, trigger some check mark somewhere.
Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 09:25 AM (yxw0r)

Even if not, records can be search later.
Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 09:26 AM (MQEz6)
----
Didn't they try to get Monica Lewinsky's Amazon order history?

I think about it occasionally when I order "Spicy Zeppelin Stories" or whatever is suggested on the Book Thread.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:36 AM (jR7Wy)

42 Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 09:26 AM (noWW6

Nicely put. The use of "oleaginous," no less.

I wonder...are there any web sites that simply catalog all of his scandals/failures/GAAAFFES? They become so routine as to numb the memory. Which, I suspect, is part of the plan.

Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 09:36 AM (yxw0r)

43 >>rape & murder of black women in Cleveland (11 victims)

are you talking about the serial killer they caught last year? That was on the news a bit here as I think there was a local connection...

I am reading a Barbara michaels book - which is pretty much a ghost story probably. I need to get back to guests of tr ayatollah soon.

Posted by: Le-a is on a boat, MFers! at June 21, 2015 09:36 AM (vmMMi)

44 Uh... whoa. The morning thread was rather boisterous, right off the bat, I see. Glad that kind of thing won't happen here amongst the bookshelves....

Posted by: mindful webworker - peace, y'all at June 21, 2015 09:37 AM (9vbJt)

45 On evil and evil people. I find the left, with it's hatred of Christianity, really doesn't like the concept of original sin and fallen man. Of course they also reject the only way man can be redeemed.

Posted by: Beth M at June 21, 2015 09:37 AM (fY+0I)

46 Finally saw an episode of Game of Thrones after hearing so much about it. God! What crap!! Graphic gore and TA for perpetual teenagers.

Yeah, I watched the very first episode of GoT back when it first came out, and my reaction was pretty much the same. I didn't even make it through the entire episode.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 09:38 AM (Y6SY/)

47 I don't believe there is a scale of psychopathy. You either have a conscience or you don't. Those without one all have certain things in common, including high intelligence... and vacant, soulless eyes that appear to look right through you when you study them. But they are uniformly amazing at concealing it, and the eyes in combination with their chameleon-like abilities very often lend psychopaths a charisma that is bone-chilling in hindsight. I am not talking about killers here. I am talking about people you know.

It is theorized that the psychopaths that stay the correct side of the law do so mainly through reason and self-preservation.

Posted by: Mega at June 21, 2015 09:38 AM (9Du4t)

48 JTB. I recently bought a hd antennas. It works fine it's just a question of how many channels you can pick up in your particular area. Potential for free local channels at least.

Posted by: Beth M at June 21, 2015 09:40 AM (fY+0I)

49 Also, Nick Popaditch ran for CA's 51st congressional district and lost to **Filthy Filner**.

Some areas cannot be saved.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:40 AM (jR7Wy)

50 Hi everybody. Speaking of emotional vampires and original sin, here's what I've been reading. Sort of a twofer covering both those topics.

So, my brother sent an e-mail a couple weeks ago proclaiming that man-made global climate change is settled science because you would be a poopyhead if you dared to ask an expert a challenging question and that it's time for action because something, something and what about your grandchildren, you mean old poopyhead (or words to that effect). And that we should have an open minded family discussion about what poopyheads "climate deniers" are.

I think I should send him the link (on WZ) to the esteemed Australian scientist who helped eradicate smallpox who has now declared that the human race is on an inexorable and irreversible path toward extinction within 100 years because of...get this......overpopulation.

Yay experts!!!

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at June 21, 2015 09:41 AM (mvenn)

51
Iran lawmakers curtailed on power to veto nuclear deal
To pave way for final-status deal with world powers, Iranian parliament votes to give right of approval of deal to country's Supreme National Security Council, controlled by Khamenei

Fredo and Boner jealous

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 21, 2015 09:43 AM (/tNwW)

52 Didn't they try to get Monica Lewinsky's Amazon order history?

Heh. I hadn't heard this, but it wouldn't surprise me. I know they rifled through Clarence Thomas' trash looking for video rental receipts. They wanted to find pr0n, but instead, it was mainly westerns.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 09:43 AM (Y6SY/)

53 how did you start with the idea of "family" and go right into evil, psychopaths and etc?

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at June 21, 2015 09:43 AM (Cq0oW)

54 In an emotional speech that heaped scorn and blame on America for failing to pass gun control measures while it supposedly perpetuates racism, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said white Americans need to question our own assumptions and privilege.

Move much to the left have we?

Fuck you old lady

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 21, 2015 09:44 AM (/tNwW)

55 "Put them individually in a room, bare footed with a single kitchen chair.

And a pair of sneakers on the floor in front of the chair.

Only hire the ones who come out of the room with the shoes properly tied, and on the correct feet.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:34 AM (VPLuQ)"

The thing is that stupid as they are, reporters have mastered the social skills that allow them to move among normal people. Getting dressed is among those social skills. In that they are like a whole industry full of Chaucy Gardiners.

Maybe what is needed are some of the tests given to Special Ed kids to categorize their ability to reason and understand abstract concepts because I genuinely believe that most people in the journalism world would be categorized as mentally disabled.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at June 21, 2015 09:44 AM (QHgTq)

56 "esteemed Australian scientist who helped eradicate smallpox who has now declared that the human race is on an inexorable and irreversible path toward extinction within 100 years because of...get this......overpopulation. "

Almost like plague and pestilence helped cull the human herd.

/s

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:45 AM (VPLuQ)

57 For Father's Day my wife is "letting" me either barbecue (doubtful due to the weather) or pick up from take out. I mean why should this day be different than any other day? Why on this day do we eat leaning...oh sorry wrong holiday

Posted by: Nevergiveup at June 21, 2015 09:46 AM (/tNwW)

58 Reading "My Fight/Your Fight" by Ronda Rousey, based on some author quotes I read somewhere.

I'm not into mixed martial arts, but Rousey is a very intelligent woman who has a modern take on stoicism.

Rousey -- "When you are in the middle of the hustle, there are going to be times when your life is complete sh*t and you've got absolutely nothing to show for the effort you've put in. I don't just mean tough times, but moments when you have to swallow your pride and check your ego. I'm talking about the kind of times where, if it were happening to someone else, you would be thanking God that it wasn't happening to you. There were times when I knew that I was in a terrible situation, but I also knew that it wouldn't last forever. Those are the moments when you have to remind yourself that this experience is a defining moment in your life, but you are not defined by it."

Posted by: doug at June 21, 2015 09:47 AM (3C4ul)

59 BTW , kittens and cats , the NE Primer is one of three places in The Scarlet Letter ,where the meaning of the letter A is stated . And the other 2 are also not " Adulteress " ( Able and Angel is they ) It is a book thread ain't it ?? And BTW as to the books on psychopathy / anti social personality disorder , I was waiting and remain waiting for the naming of our President in that label / diagnosis , because except for promiscuous sexuality ,he sure am do touch all the bases .

Posted by: jay hoenemeyer at June 21, 2015 09:48 AM (uvj0z)

60 " because I genuinely believe that most people in the journalism world would be categorized as mentally disabled."

I think it's more along the lines of morally and ethically disabled.

I know several mentally disabled people who are honest, trustworthy and understand the difference between right and wrong.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:49 AM (VPLuQ)

61 Every now and then I like to OD on magazines I follow and this was one of those weeks. "Muzzleloader", some technique for using the old guns, a lot of history from early American through the Mountain Man era. "Backwoodsman", "Fly Tyer", "Woodcarving Illustrated" and a couple of others. I just sit amidst the piles of back issues, thumb through them, and avoid going out in the sauna that has been our weather this week.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 09:51 AM (FvdPb)

62 I think it's more along the lines of morally and ethically disabled.

I know several mentally disabled people who are honest, trustworthy and understand the difference between right and wrong.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:49 AM (VPLuQ)

THIS.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:51 AM (V+kmg)

63 "So, my brother sent an e-mail a couple weeks ago proclaiming that man-made global climate change is settled science"

Perhaps remind him that up until about two weeks ago, it was "settled science" that eating eggs and butter would make your heart explode like the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and that instead of those, you should eat heart-friendly things like margarine, packed with healthy trans fats.

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 09:51 AM (noWW6)

64 I am still recovering from reading Flashback by Dan Simmons, as recd by many 'rons. The description of a post Obama America seems closer than ever.
Next on my list is The Crown and the Dragon by @jdp_writes, part of the fantasy bundle I unexpectedly won in the last book thread.
linky -
http://www.johndpayne.com/?page_id=17

Thanks again to John - it's like book Christmas in June!

Posted by: @votermom at June 21, 2015 09:51 AM (uR/E+)

65 On evil and evil people. I find the left, with it's hatred of Christianity, really doesn't like the concept of original sin and fallen man. Of course they also reject the only way man can be redeemed.
Posted by: Beth M at June 21, 2015 09:37 AM (fY+0I)

I tell them and I tell them and I tell them.

*sigh*

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 09:52 AM (V+kmg)

66 The Emotional Vampire
Evil Genes
The Sociopath Next Door

And a Happy Fathers Day to you, too.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at June 21, 2015 09:52 AM (TqyFL)

67 In an emotional speech that heaped scorn and blame on America for failing to pass gun control measures while it supposedly perpetuates racism, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said white Americans need to question our own assumptions and privilege.

You first, Cupcake.

You can start by getting me a sammich

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:53 AM (V+kmg)

68 Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 09:52 AM (V+kmg)

What road are you heading down, my friend?

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 09:53 AM (ftVQq)

69 You can start by getting me a sammich

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:53 AM (V+kmg)

I'd recommend skipping the "first" part and going directly for the sammich!

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 09:54 AM (ftVQq)

70 I think about it occasionally when I order "Spicy Zeppelin Stories" or whatever is suggested on the Book Thread.
Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:36 AM (jR7Wy)

"Spicy Zeppelin Stories"

This is a thing?

Is there a soundtrack?

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:55 AM (V+kmg)

71 Read A World Undone about WWI. Pretty good from my relatively uninformed position.

Also read Black Hearts, which is a case study in a failure of leadership that ultimately led to a war crime. (Not to absolve the personal responsibility of those involved at all but, well, you'd have to read the book)

Currently working on They Fought For Each Other, which I can only take about a chapter at a time. About a battalion in Iraq that had the highest casualty rate since Vietnam. Highly recommended but not for the faint of heart.

Posted by: Kenway at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (yls1r)

72 What road are you heading down, my friend?
Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 09:53 AM (ftVQq)

Was going to check out the People's Judean Front concert in Damascus.

Wanna come?

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (V+kmg)

73 I gave my kid who just graduated from HS the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker. I was afraid it might be a bit dated for her, published in 1997, but she read straight through it and put sticky notes all through it. I adked her what the sticky notes were for and she said to mark the bits she wanted to refer to.

Posted by: @votermom at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (/rhWZ)

74
67 In an emotional speech that heaped scorn and blame on America for failing to pass gun control measures while it supposedly perpetuates racism, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said white Americans need to question our own assumptions and privilege.

You first, Cupcake.

You can start by getting me a sammich
Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:53 AM (V+kmg)

Try telling the Hill-Thing she's had enough and the bar is closed. Try denying that fucked-up hag anything.

She is privilege incarnate.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (MQEz6)

75 This is a thing?

Is there a soundtrack?
Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 09:55 AM (V+kmg)
---
No, but it should be.

Do get the soundtrack. It's a great theme and you can hum it!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:57 AM (jR7Wy)

76 @34 JTB

"I'm not quite ready to kill the TV completely, but it's getting harder to justify the cost of even a basic package on Directv."

You won't miss it. Our TV is used for local news, college football, old DVDs and occassionally cartoons for the kids. Most of the time it is collecting dust.

Stopped watching years ago.

Posted by: Buckeye Abroad at June 21, 2015 09:58 AM (AaYIj)

77 "Considering what we know about how humans function and all the ways we malfunction; how do we define evil?

Does evil exist separate from pathology?"

One of the best books on this I've read is "People of the Lie: The hope for healing human evil" by M Scott Peck. Peck is a psychiatrist who was one of the leaders of the psychiatric evaluation of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam for the military. He is also a Christian and views these things from a Christian perspective.

His thesis is that "evil" *is* a form of narcissism and that "evil" should be a medical diagnosis. His argument and his illustrations are fascinating.

Posted by: billo at June 21, 2015 09:59 AM (NXn7k)

78 Otherwise not reading much. But I have been writing. Here's a taste from my latest project entitled "Seamus Muldoon, An Accidental Hero" --

Special Warfare Animal Group, Department of the Army, Top Secret Laboratory, Chicago IL
December 1942

They stood outside a blank wooden door. Smith reached for the knob and pushed the door open. A bare metal table stood in the center of the room. A single three-legged stool sat empty on the near side of the table. On the far side of the table were three folding chairs facing toward the door. A short round man sitting in the middle chair gestured toward the well-formed stool. "Have a seat Mr. Muldoon." Seamus nervously sat down. The room reminded him of the principal's office at his high school back home. The round man was dressed the same as the thin man, right down to the name tag with the name 'Smith". A third man occupied the second facing chair, looking intently down at a stack of paperwork in front of him. A black leather coat covered this man's shirt, leaving Seamus in the dark about his name, but Seamus assumed the obvious, another 'Smith'. Thin Smith walked around the table and took the empty chair facing Seamus.
Round Smith cleared his throat noisily and said, "Welcome to the Department of the Army, Special Weapons Animal Group, Mr. Muldoon. May I call you Seamus?"

Typical of my writing style, I have to include terms like 'well-formed stool'.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at June 21, 2015 09:59 AM (mvenn)

79 "Perhaps remind him that up until about two weeks ago, it was "settled science" that eating eggs and butter would make your heart explode like the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and that instead of those, you should eat heart-friendly things like margarine, packed with healthy trans fats."

Remind him that it was settled science that homosexuality was a mental aberration, the earth was flat, the sun revolved around the moon, and that there were only two genders.

All known facts.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:59 AM (VPLuQ)

80 Wow. The family of the thug who murdered Off Kim in Cinn, disrupted his vigil b/c they thought it shd include their thug son.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at June 21, 2015 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

81 Posted by: billo at June 21, 2015 09:59 AM (NXn7k)

Thanks!

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:00 AM (MQEz6)

82 WSJ, might be behind the paywall

This might interest many of you.

Grunt's Eye View

A musket ball loses a third of its force after 100 yards. Waiting to see 'the whites of their eyes' was good advice.

Alexander Rose's "Men of War" is a worthy successor to "The Face of Battle," telling the stories of three famous American battles that were fought in three very different technological eras.

http://on.wsj.com/1IXb4DO

Interesting concept.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at June 21, 2015 10:01 AM (qCMvj)

83 Do get the soundtrack. It's a great theme and you can hum it!
Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 09:57 AM (jR7Wy)

So to speak

*rimshot*

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 10:01 AM (V+kmg)

84 Clicked on the link for the Evil Genes book and found that she has written other books as well, including 'Cold-Blooded Kindness'. This looks even more interesting than the other. http://amzn.to/1QKlvlg

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (PMlgt)

85 "Up next, Barbara Tuchman's _March of Folly_"

I have always admired Tuchman's writing style, but in recent years have come to realize that her acumen as an actual historian is somewhat lacking.

John Schindler, "That Terrible Tuchman Woman":

http://tinyurl.com/nz662pe

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (noWW6)

86 "...the fundamental lack of respect for America that is evident in all of his writings and statements prior to his becoming a national figure."

Obama's lack of respect arises because Obama didn't grow up in America. I think it was Ace who coined the term 'cultural osmosis' : Whatever, Obama ain't got it. His lack of respect for things American arises out of ignorance.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I amn't at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (TqyFL)

87 "You won't miss it. Our TV is used for local news, college football, old DVDs and occassionally cartoons for the kids. Most of the time it is collecting dust. "

Indoor, flat panel HD antenna mounted behind a painting on the Living Room wall.

Something like 21 local channels in full HD.

FIOS at 50MPS to stream through a ROKU for the rest.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (VPLuQ)

88 I think no journalist should be allowed to say anything on TV unless they have had at least two drinks.

It's time for some honesty,

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:03 AM (MQEz6)

89 Wanna come?

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (V+kmg)

Only if we agree to avoid the mosh pit!

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:03 AM (ftVQq)

90 In an emotional speech that heaped scorn and blame on America for failing to pass gun control measures while it supposedly perpetuates racism, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said white Americans need to question our own assumptions and privilege.

Yeah, blame guns for screwing up America, and then call everybody racist.
That'll really bring in the votes, yessiree.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:05 AM (Y6SY/)

91 a clinical psychologist who holds that perhaps as many as 4% of the population are conscienceless sociopaths who have no empathy or affectionate feelings for humans, or, for that matter, animals (I've heard that mass murders frequently start out as children by torturing and killing small animals).

Does that include eating dogs? (I'm looking at YOU, Obammy)

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 21, 2015 10:05 AM (5buP8)

92 Happy Fathers Day to all Moron dads! The culture may vilify and mock us and we may be under appreciated, but don't ever forget just how vital you are in the lives of your sons and daughters.

Posted by: Insomniac at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (mx5oN)

93 Whatever, Obama ain't got it. His lack of respect for things American arises out of ignorance.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I amn't at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (TqyFL)
Totally independent of wherever he was born, Obama was not raised as an American. He shares no culture, history, or sense of place with those that are Americans,

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (ftVQq)

94 Also read Black Hearts, which is a case study in a failure of leadership that ultimately led to a war crime. (Not to absolve the personal responsibility of those involved at all but, well, you'd have to read the book)

Posted by: Kenway at June 21, 2015 09:56 AM (yls1r)

Had to read "The General" by C.S. Forester at the NWC back in the day. It was very good.

I also highly recommend T.R. Fehrenbach's "This Kind of War"

Both outline the costs of poor leadership.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (V+kmg)

95 I just looked up Kevin Dutton (psychopath expert referenced above) on google... and I'm sorry but those images of him that come up actually represent those of a typical psychopath. Chameleon-like with vacant eyes. Just my opinion.

Posted by: Mega at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (9Du4t)

96 I did read some more of the Idiot's Guide to Chess. Going slowly to really soak up the information.

Question for those who know: Looking around the internet about decent chess pieces I came across mention of tournament quality vinyl chess boards that can be rolled up. I don't remember anything like this from the 1950s-60s. Are they really OK to use? Do they unroll and stay flat for a good playing surface? They were sure inexpensive, even for the deluxe versions. If I eventually get a decent set of weighted chess pieces, I would rather put the money towards the pieces and not an unneeded fancy and expensive board. I would rather make a fancy board, probably maple and mahogany, than buy one. Your opinions and experiences are welcome.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (FvdPb)

97 "the sun revolved around the moon,"

That one might have been more like a "Fun Fact".

My bad.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (VPLuQ)

98 Only if we agree to avoid the mosh pit!
Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:03 AM (ftVQq)

We're on! My buddy Stephen the Deacon will get us THE BEST seats!!

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (V+kmg)

99 One of the best books on this I've read is "People of the Lie: The hope for healing human evil" by M Scott Peck.

Yeah, I wish I had remembered this one to include with the others I mentioned.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (Y6SY/)

100 *spits at The Barrel*

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (V+kmg)

101 Perhaps remind him that up until about two weeks ago, it was "settled science"

*****

Actually I took a different tack. I suggested to the e-mail group (reply all) that his wife and kids consider the advisability of continuing to let him operate a motor vehicle or handle his own personal finances.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at June 21, 2015 10:08 AM (mvenn)

102 We're on! My buddy Stephen the Deacon will get us THE BEST seats!!

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (V+kmg)

We're definitely on then, Where exactly should we meet?

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:08 AM (ftVQq)

103 Read Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, a short but difficult work with sentences that go on
and on, crazy stuff going on which you don't know if it's real or is
the narrator nuts as she focuses on the use of a word in a play she watches and she follows mailmen as they make deliveries and she has an
affair and someone commits suicide and her psychiatrist may be dosing
her with LSD (gasps for air) then...

Listened to Corey's Abaddon's Gate (Expanse #3) continuing a series where aliens have entered the solar system. After two very good books this was just OK. The aliens play a
background role, the main story is struggle between human factions
leading to armed conflict. Liked some characters but others were
annoying, and just didn't like the story that much.

Posted by: waelse1 at June 21, 2015 10:09 AM (tj5ok)

104 *spits at The Barrel*

Posted by: Sean Bannion at June 21, 2015 10:07 AM (V+kmg)
Well played!

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:10 AM (ftVQq)

105 Question for those who know: Looking around the internet about decent chess pieces I came across mention of tournament quality vinyl chess boards that can be rolled up. I don't remember anything like this from the 1950s-60s. Are they really OK to use? Do they unroll and stay flat for a good playing surface? They were sure inexpensive, even for the deluxe versions. If I eventually get a decent set of weighted chess pieces, I would rather put the money towards the pieces and not an unneeded fancy and expensive board.

Don't worry, the roll-up vinyl boards work fine. They roll out flat. I have one I've been using for years.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:10 AM (Y6SY/)

106 We're definitely on then, Where exactly should we meet?
Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:08 AM (ftVQq)

Kidron. It rocks!!!

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 10:11 AM (V+kmg)

107 When I look at the nut who killed the people in church last week, I do tend to think more than ever there's a genetic component to this. It just seems he's part of a pattern. These people should be in jail or away from society. Period.

Posted by: pj at June 21, 2015 10:11 AM (cHuNI)

108 Does that include eating dogs?

"The Muslim call to prayer is the most beautiful sound on earth. Well, second only to the serenely scintillating sizzle of a sublimely seasoned Schnauzer schnitzel."

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at June 21, 2015 10:13 AM (mvenn)

109 Book rec: The Mesmerized, by Rhiannon Frater.

A tale of terror and momma grizzlies.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:13 AM (MQEz6)

110 I'll have to look into The General. This Kind of War is in my Kindle pile to be read.

Posted by: Kenway at June 21, 2015 10:13 AM (yls1r)

111 Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (FvdPb)

It is really pretty easy to make a very nice chess board as a wood working project. I did this once with a 4-H group and they came out very well.

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:13 AM (ftVQq)

112 " I do tend to think more than ever there's a genetic component to this. "

I suggest that we test him for rabies.

The old fashioned way.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:15 AM (VPLuQ)

113 ...the test will be heavy in math questions and require a working knowledge of calculus. The only reason for the test will be to weed out the worst of the idiots.
Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at June 21, 2015 09:31 AM (QHgTq)
***************************
My own take on this is that a journalist - to be worthy of the title - should be able to pass the High School exit exams from the 1960s. They like the era so much; they revere and worship it - prove, then, that you actually know what was going on.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at June 21, 2015 10:16 AM (TqyFL)

114 Kidron. It rocks!!!

Posted by: Saul of Tarsus at June 21, 2015 10:11 AM (V+kmg)
How about we meet at, shall we say, noon-ish?

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 10:16 AM (ftVQq)

115 Re: Turning off T.V. My family is reading "Jayber Crow" by Wendell Berry, aloud. It's a fantastic book, beautifully written, and as lazy as a summer afternoon. My wife does most of the reading, and these are the sweetest family times. We will be doing a long car trip later this summer, and we will read the entire time. No video players, no game controller's, just interaction. I have a wonderful family, it's great to get to know them...

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 21, 2015 10:16 AM (5buP8)

116 *taking note of Erik Larson's book about the Lusitania, mentioned up-thread.*
I will have to search that out, when it becomes available in the second-hand market. I have enjoyed the heck out of his other books - especially Isaac's Storm, which was about the destruction of Galveston in the 1900 hurricane. A fantastic read ... and since I want to include a story-line about that in the next WIP ...

I followed some of the links about psychopaths, too. Ugh. Brought back the memory of one who I worked with, back in the Air Force. Horrible, vengeful woman, pathological liar and completely and totally self-centered. I tried to find the link on the old SSDB blog where I wrote about her, but it was so long ago, that post is lost. I did include it in my little memoir about my time in, though - in the kindle book Air Force Daze. It's the chapter called "Poisonous People" if anyone is interested.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at June 21, 2015 10:17 AM (95iDF)

117 "When I look at the nut who killed the people in church last week, I do
tend to think more than ever there's a genetic component to this. It
just seems he's part of a pattern."

Young male. Complex inner fantasy life. Rebuffed, marginalized real life. Psych problems. Psych meds. "Recreational" drugs. Firearms.

Throw all those ingredients in a blender and the results regularly turn out to be horribly unpalatable. We should be surprised why again precisely?

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:18 AM (noWW6)

118 I think no journalist should be allowed to say anything on TV unless they have had at least two drinks.

***

Yessshh! Absholutely!

Posted by: Diane "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" Sawyer at June 21, 2015 10:18 AM (mvenn)

119 Hello and Happy Fathers' Day to the most unappreciated, vilified, blamed, biased-against, and disrespected minority extant; without whom the world would fail, and they take on this burden, as they have always done, stoically and driven by an inner compass to move society forward (and ably civilized by women): Adult males.

Posted by: uhhuh at June 21, 2015 10:19 AM (nWCqc)

120 Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment.At least the mask is completely off now.

Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:21 AM (sPO3u)

121
117 "When I look at the nut who killed the people in church last week, I do
tend to think more than ever there's a genetic component to this. It
just seems he's part of a pattern."

Young male. Complex inner fantasy life. Rebuffed, marginalized real life. Psych problems. Psych meds. "Recreational" drugs. Firearms.

Throw all those ingredients in a blender and the results regularly turn out to be horribly unpalatable. We should be surprised why again precisely?

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:18 AM (noWW6)

He's not much different than the pilot who slammed an airliner into a mountain earlier this year.

We need better ways and tools to deal with these folks.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:21 AM (MQEz6)

122 Diane "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" Sawyer

golf clap building into raucous ovation. I think she hits the 'scrips pretty hard too.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 21, 2015 10:22 AM (5buP8)

123
120 Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment.At least the mask is completely off now.
Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:21 AM (sPO3u)

Link?

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:22 AM (MQEz6)

124 120 Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment.

I used to be mystified why commies regularly purged their party. "Used to" is the operative modifier here.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 21, 2015 10:24 AM (5buP8)

125 123 Here you go.

http://tinyurl.com/q2wme6o

Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:24 AM (sPO3u)

126 "We need better ways and tools to deal with these folks."

Wayne LaPierre had offered one suggestion several years ago.

And so far, every time it has been tried, it has been pretty effective.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:25 AM (VPLuQ)

127 120 Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment.At least the mask is completely off now.
Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:21 AM (sPO3u)

Fat, pandering and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

Posted by: Insomniac at June 21, 2015 10:27 AM (mx5oN)

128 Offered without comment

http://tinyurl.com/qgkqp67

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:27 AM (VPLuQ)

129 20. I second the "People of the Lie" recommendation.
I saw the topic and my first thought was that book is going to be mentioned.

Posted by: Far Post at June 21, 2015 10:28 AM (Qhvee)

130
126 "We need better ways and tools to deal with these folks."

Wayne LaPierre had offered one suggestion several years ago.

And so far, every time it has been tried, it has been pretty effective.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:25 AM (VPLuQ)

Yes, fully agree, but what I was getting at was catching them early and fixing or hobbling them so no one has to die and no one has to kill.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:28 AM (MQEz6)

131 128 Offered without comment

http://tinyurl.com/qgkqp67
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:27 AM (VPLuQ)

At least they'll have something in common to talk about.

Posted by: Insomniac at June 21, 2015 10:29 AM (mx5oN)

132 Related to Oren revealing Obama's true sentiments for Israel:

http://goo.gl/CmyEDV

Gohmert: Obama reveals Israel's Iran spy mission.

Posted by: Semper in Stercus at June 21, 2015 10:30 AM (BZAd3)

133 Rove: "...remove guns from society."

Yeah, just like we removed heroin, cocaine, oxycontin, methamphetamine, etc, etc.

These idiots just don't understand the limitations of government and the existence of the free market; demand creates supply, regardless of laws.

Posted by: doug at June 21, 2015 10:30 AM (3C4ul)

134 Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:18 AM (noWW6)

As usual, spot on. You forgot one thing though.

The Confederate Flag component.

Posted by: Golfman at June 21, 2015 10:30 AM (48QDY)

135 Greetings:

Mindless poetry infliction requires a riposte:

Fleas

Adam
Had 'em.

Posted by: 11B40 at June 21, 2015 10:31 AM (evgyj)

136 Great thread OM. Michael Oren has been kicking ass all over the internet in the last month.

It's obvious he feels there is nothing to lose by laying out all of Obama's lies.

Like anyone in the MSM is going to pick up on these facts?

Fanboys got to be fanboys.

Posted by: Nip Sip at June 21, 2015 10:31 AM (0FSuD)

137 Enjoy your Father's Day, all. I'm out.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at June 21, 2015 10:32 AM (mvenn)

138 Greetings:

Michael Oren among other things was a soldier of some repute and I can recommend his
"Six Days of War".

Posted by: 11B40 at June 21, 2015 10:32 AM (evgyj)

139 >>> Do they unroll and stay flat for a good playing surface?

Chess mats tend to hold shape. If you bring it to a club or tournament rolled up, they take a little time to flatten out.

Posted by: fluffy at June 21, 2015 10:32 AM (2iV3X)

140 Rove, lick it, asshole.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:32 AM (MQEz6)

141 What books are "under fire"? What books "will never be read"?

possibly Shakespeare

Teacher: I Don't Teach Shakespeare Because He's White

http://bit.ly/1GH6ASm

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at June 21, 2015 10:34 AM (qCMvj)

142 Don't bother with LeGuin's whole Earthsea saga. The first one was good but they get progressively worse. I think it was by the third one I had to discard the book partway through once I realized she had no respect for those readers who liked the first installment.

If you ever read Melville's Pierre and the Ambiguities then you might know what I am talking about. Sometimes writers are forced by contracts to write about something they do not want to and so go through the motions in a passive-aggressive style just to collect a check.

It might be fun to put together such a list of Works Written in Hate.

Posted by: Za Toshokan'in at June 21, 2015 10:34 AM (toKeB)

143 Dana Dusbiber, who teaches English in Sacramento, says she avoids Hamlet and all the rest because her minority students shouldn't be expected to study a "a long-dead, British guy" (Dusbiber herself is white). And while Shakespeare is widely regarded as the premier writer of the English language, able to timelessly portray themes central to the human experience, Dusbiber says he only is regarded that way because "some white people" ordained it and he can easily be replaced.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at June 21, 2015 10:35 AM (qCMvj)

144 Downfall: How Rangers FC Self Destucted.

It's crap and that's giving crap a bad name. It should be a good story and good read. One of the biggest clubs in Scotland was sold to a unsavory businessman/ conman for a 1� because the original owner overextended his debt and used a off shore tax scheme to pay for players by an accountant turned pornstar. It gets worse The new owner Criag whyte sold all future ticket sales to pay off the bank, which is why the bank gave the ok for the sale, so he could then declare bankruptcy and come up debt free. The Sports press is as bad as the press following Obama all the signs of insolvency were there but they can't lose thier access to the team.

But to get all this info this asshat has to write about all his Left Wing politics like how Thatcher was somehow responsible and had a Looong screed about the bankers and Thatcher again.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 10:35 AM (CxEX+)

145 Teacher: I Don't Teach Shakespeare Because He's White

How the f**k does she know that?

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at June 21, 2015 10:35 AM (5buP8)

146 If you are afraid of or contemptuous of law-abiding American Citizens bearing arms, what does that say about you?

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:35 AM (MQEz6)

147 "60
" because I genuinely believe that most people in the journalism world would be categorized as mentally disabled."

I think it's more along the lines of morally and ethically disabled.

I know several mentally disabled people who are honest, trustworthy and understand the difference between right and wrong.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 09:49 AM (VPLuQ)"

I used to feel that way but I now just think that they are not very bright and they are easy to fool. They earnestly believe that they are doing the right thing by defending "the good people" which is the left from "the bad people" which is us.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at June 21, 2015 10:37 AM (QHgTq)

148 20
The confederate flag is the flag of another nation. It is the flag of a
nation that was defeated and surrendered. It should have no more place
in South Carolina than the flag of France has over Louisiana, or Spain
or Mexico has over California.

Posted by: f2000 at June 21, 2015 06:44 AM (TsUei)

From the last thread. Funny you should mention that. The flag of France flies in Jackson Sq in NO. The Mexican flag flies all over CA and in TX all the flags are in the capital building. http://tinyurl.com/pkl4owx
In other words EAT ME.

Posted by: Nip Sip at June 21, 2015 10:38 AM (0FSuD)

149 92 Happy Fathers Day to all Moron dads! The culture may vilify and mock us and we may be under appreciated, but don't ever forget just how vital you are in the lives of your sons and daughters.
Posted by: Insomniac at June 21, 2015 10:06 AM (mx5oN)

Oo-rah.

They're the only two things I haven't irretrievably screwed up.

Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at June 21, 2015 10:38 AM (yxw0r)

150 "Six Days of War".

Posted by: 11B40 at June 21, 2015 10:32 AM
____________________

Indeed. I first read it on the beach in Lahaina. It kept my attention well enough to get a sunburn worthy of a hospital visit.

Oh, my. The pain.

Posted by: TJ Camper at June 21, 2015 10:39 AM (8fzo7)

151 I am reading the fifth book of The Expanse series by James S A Corey, which is called Nemesis Games. The series started with Leviathan Wakes, and is an outstanding space opera series.

If you like science fiction, I recommend this series to you in the highest terms.

Posted by: Sharkman at June 21, 2015 10:39 AM (KXpDJ)

152 Here are some classic book series you should consider turning off the boob tube this summer and spending some time with.

Great link.

I have a few of them, but specifically, the Griffin & Sabine is special. Very unique. I've given the first book out as a gift. It's art. It's interactive reading. It's fun.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at June 21, 2015 10:41 AM (qCMvj)

153 "Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment."

Compassionate conservatism!

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:42 AM (noWW6)

154 Today at the donut shop, Buddha was enjoying a plain buttermilk cake donut and his usual cop of joe - black.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at June 21, 2015 10:44 AM (iQIUe)

155
153 "Doughboy Karl Rove wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment."

Compassionate conservatism!

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:42 AM (noWW6)

He did not quite say that, but he did say something nearly as dumb and wrong.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:45 AM (MQEz6)

156 " used to feel that way but I now just think that they are not very bright and they are easy to fool. They earnestly believe that they are doing the right thing by defending "the good people" which is the left from "the bad people" which is us."

As far as I know, there are only two identifiable groups of people whose moral compass allows lies and deceit in the pursuit of their goals.

Leftists.
Islamists.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:45 AM (VPLuQ)

157 Thanks for the words about the vinyl chess boards. Not an immediate concern since I won't be playing any time soon but it is good to know. I did order a book about making (scroll saw) or hand carving chess pieces. A simplified, flat plane (Scandinavian) style might be within my abilities. This would be a very long term project, but fun. In the meantime there are apparently decent quality weighted plastic chess sets for 25 to 35 bucks. If I'm going to learn and lose a lot, the pieces ought to feel good in the hand.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 10:45 AM (FvdPb)

158 155 Yes,the headline is only slightly misleading.How else can his remarks be construed?

Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:46 AM (sPO3u)

159 >>> In the meantime there are apparently decent quality weighted plastic chess sets for 25 to 35 bucks. If I'm going to learn and lose a lot, the pieces ought to feel good in the hand.

I miss the chess thread.

Posted by: fluffy at June 21, 2015 10:47 AM (2iV3X)

160 By the way torquewrench, I just read your rant at #29. Excellent work.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:48 AM (Y6SY/)

161 OM,
I must disagree. There are books that will never be written because the people who would have written them were beat up by the progressive lynch mobs. Not everyone is a born perfect writer and when they go to hone their skill with classes anywhere the progs will destroy them.

Posted by: tsrblke (phone) at June 21, 2015 10:49 AM (GkpWM)

162 In the meantime there are apparently decent quality weighted plastic chess sets for 25 to 35 bucks. If I'm going to learn and lose a lot, the pieces ought to feel good in the hand.

I think you can get a decent set of weighted pieces for < $15, by the way.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:50 AM (Y6SY/)

163
156 " used to feel that way but I now just think that they are not very bright and they are easy to fool. They earnestly believe that they are doing the right thing by defending "the good people" which is the left from "the bad people" which is us."

As far as I know, there are only two identifiable groups of people whose moral compass allows lies and deceit in the pursuit of their goals.

Leftists.
Islamists.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 21, 2015 10:45 AM (VPLuQ)

Yes, that is one of the reasons they are allies of a sort, for now.

They are both at war with vital pillars of Western Civilization: Christianity and Human Rights.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:50 AM (MQEz6)

164 "...that Bruce Jenner is still a man..."

And that won't be changing.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at June 21, 2015 10:51 AM (xSCb6)

165 the Emerald Atlas, it's in the same mold as the Harry Potter books, very good and if you like Audiobooks Jim Dale reads the book, so it's like listening to the old Radio shows where he does voices of all the Characters in the book. It's nice for a long drive with the Family.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 10:52 AM (CxEX+)

166 And I miss the chess threads too. Too bad Yahoo ditched their online chess platform last I saw. We could have had some Moron matches.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at June 21, 2015 10:54 AM (xSCb6)

167
158 155 Yes,the headline is only slightly misleading.How else can his remarks be construed?
Posted by: steevy at June 21, 2015 10:46 AM (sPO3u)

He never says he wants to get rid of the Second Amendment, he just stupidly says doing so would produce a particular result. you could say that because he wants the result, he also wants to try and get it. Maybe, maybe not.

Posted by: eman at June 21, 2015 10:54 AM (MQEz6)

168 161 OM,
I must disagree. There are books that will never be written because the people who would have written them were beat up by the progressive lynch mobs.

Yeah, I know. But I think Blume was coming at it from the other direction. I don't think she had Sad Puppies in mind, although it certainly does fit the quote.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:54 AM (Y6SY/)

169 Good Morning Ron's. Haven't been reading much but the youngest daughter has been ripping through a series called Magic (Dog Mysteries)

Two decades of genetic research and experimentation, subsidized by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, produces an amazing animal of the sub species Canis Lupus Familiaris. It appears to be a large golden retriever; however, it has one salient attribute that separates it from the rest of the canine world, it possesses the intelligence of an adult human being. Named Magic by the Marine whose life he saves, he travels from war torn Iraq to America and beyond.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 10:55 AM (KbNXw)

170 Oh the authors name is Edmund Humm.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 10:55 AM (KbNXw)

171 #23, FWIW, I'm currently editing an RPG sourcebook for War World covering the period before the CD takeover, prior to writing several more in depth sourcebooks for other periods.

Posted by: Graves at June 21, 2015 10:56 AM (3MEXB)

172 85 ...
John Schindler, "That Terrible Tuchman Woman":

http://tinyurl.com/nz662pe

Posted by: torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM (noWW6)

Schindler and the reviewer he quotes aren't so much saying Tuchman was wrong as she didn't write what they think she should have written. They claim problems in her work but don't point to errors, only omissions. I actually read the forward to "Guns of August" and never expected a full explanation of the start of WWI. She was writing an in depth view of parts of the start, the ship chase in the Mediterranean that she witnessed as a child and at her editor's insistence, the massive German artillery rolling through Europe. The review Schindler referenced complained that she ignored previous historical work and everything European governments had published since. I like that she ignored "conventional wisdom", secondary sources and biased government propaganda to look at original sources and what people knew or could have known at the time.

Posted by: gingeroni at June 21, 2015 10:56 AM (baKy9)

173 Forgot to mention, I found a bunch of P.G. Wodehouse books, very cheap, at our local used book store. And I found a 'complete' works of his on my Nook that I didn't remember getting. And most of these are not stories I read before. There will be months, or more, of excellent reading in that trove. Yay, me!!

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 10:57 AM (FvdPb)

174 I read "People of the Lie" quite a while back. As near as I could tell, Peck decided that anyone who annoyed or offended him was part of the "people of the lie." I recall particularly a woman whose behavior may not have been the most mature in the world but Peck was offended deeply by her and so, without any evidence of evil on her part, he decided she was one of those dreadful people. I thought Peck was just a dreadful human being after reading that book.

Hervey Cleckley's "The Mask of Sanity" and Robert Hare's "Without Conscience" are excellent. "Snakes in Suits" is also interesting. For true crime afficionados on this subject, you can't beat "Son" by Jack Olsen.

I don't think Barack Obama is a textbook narcissist rather than a psychopath. I don't think he is a fluent liar, which is one of the hallmarks of a psychopath, as he's not a fluent anything. To see a narcissist in action in true crime, one on Obama's level although fortunately without his reach, read "Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell" also by Jack Olsen.

Posted by: Tonestaple at June 21, 2015 10:57 AM (jAHuk)

175 Karl Rove needs to be relegated to the dustbin of history. Or, maybe someone should buy him a fuckin headstone. He is as big a phoney as Rodham. What a piece of shit.

Posted by: Chavez the Hugo at June 21, 2015 10:58 AM (ucDmr)

176 Hey torquewrench, another item you can add to your list of Stuff Obama Never Gets Asked About is that grant money he was responsible for handing out to Chicago Schools to "improve" education. I forget the name of the foundation, but supposedly the money went to schools that taught "social justice" and other items on the progressive agenda, but actual schools that were actually interested in actually educating their students in math, science, history, etc., got nada.

And of course, after all the money was given to Obama's progressive allies in education, the actual improvement to Chicago schools was also nada.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 10:59 AM (Y6SY/)

177 years ago when I was a sprog, I remember a lot of frothing about Judy Blume. Basically her books were considered by a number of schools to not be appropriate for children and young adults because of the subject matters. There were calls to remove them from school libraries because of that.

I would understand her re-living her major victory in life, but I wonder if she would be able to express that there are any limits to YA literature. It would be an interesting interview.

Unfortunately it would be one that would probably end her acceptability to the Progs.

Posted by: Kindltot at June 21, 2015 11:00 AM (3pRHP)

178 Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 10:55 AM (KbNXw)

saw a description of the book and it sounds interesting, moreso since your daughter seems to be enjoying it.

Posted by: Hrothgar at June 21, 2015 11:00 AM (ftVQq)

179
If I ever become philosopher king, I am going to require everyone who wishes to become a reporter to pass a test and the test will be heavy in math questions and require a working knowledge of calculus. The only reason for the test will be to weed out the worst of the idiots.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at June 21, 2015 09:31 AM (QHgTq)

******

When I was in the USAF in the 80s, I crossed-trained into Space Command. At that time, one of the boxes I had to fill on my application was that I had completed math at least through Calculus I, even though the job didn't require the use of calculus.

I was told that the requirement was there so that they could make sure I knew "how to think the right way."

Posted by: Elinor, Who Usually Looks Lurkily at June 21, 2015 11:00 AM (NqQAS)

180 166
And I miss the chess threads too. Too bad Yahoo ditched their online
chess platform last I saw. We could have had some Moron matches.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at June 21, 2015 10:54 AM (xSCb6)

When is the last time we had a gun thread? Dave in Texas disappear?

Posted by: Nip Sip at June 21, 2015 11:01 AM (0FSuD)

181 I too like The Expanse series, didn't know he kept the series going.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:02 AM (CxEX+)

182 >>> When is the last time we had a gun thread?

Soon. Like 17 comments soon.

Posted by: fluffy at June 21, 2015 11:03 AM (2iV3X)

183 "Read Erik Larson's "Dead Wake", about the sinking of the Lusitania. Very well done, as is usual by Larson."
HH at June 21, 2015 09:33 AM (Qia1Z)

Recommended. As is almost everything by Larson.

Posted by: John Pomeroy at June 21, 2015 11:04 AM (gTa30)

184 You chessheads would enjoy the coffee table book "Chess Masterpieces: One Thousand Years of Extraordinary Chess Sets" by George Dean and Maxine Brady. I bought mine a few years back at the Detroit Institute of Arts when they held the exhibit (get yours via Ace's Amazon link).

Precious metals and crystal, ivory, amber, Meissen porcelain sea creatures, the Cold War (Capitalists with pawns in chains versus Workers, Peasants and Soldiers), Allies vs. Axis.

http://tinyurl.com/nlkah7s

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 11:06 AM (jR7Wy)

185 Jerry Pournelle (ed.), Warrior! (Hoo Ugh!) This is the fifth of his Cold War era collections concerning future war, fiction and speculative.

It's a Tor book. There's a boycott on, because Tor hates fans of books like this. I bought this used before the boycott.

Warrior! promises to focus on warriors, as opposed to Men Of War (the second); but in reality the titles seem not to matter in these series. What I'm seeing more of in this collection - on the fiction end - involves time travel with an eye to alternate history, in various forms.

For instance Pournelle's own offering "He Fell Into A Dark Hole", while it does feature Navy men (and women) trying to get some crews outside a black hole's grip, doesn't involve any warrioring. It's Newton they gotta fight. (It's from 1973, so hasn't been updated for Hawking...) The main issue here is that the protagonist has a wife in the gravity well; and the wife went and got remarried. It might have been more Einsteiny if the *protagonist* had got remarried and the wife was still only a couple weeks older...

Mack Reynolds, an old socialist worker, provides "Coup" which involves stranded Scots on a planet who have reverted to Plains Indian culture. When the big galactic empire resumes contact with this bunch, it's for the planet's resources. It sounds like a hamfisted analogy, also revisited in Star Trek and SG-1, but Reynolds turns out not to be TOTAL social-justice idiot (I've reviewed some of his work here before).

Edward Hughes is back with a third installment of his look at Irish Prima-Nocte World. And Duncan Lunan's "The Day and the Hour" has Soviet-era England must fight ALL the old Celtic rebellions at once. I personally think this last one is less "science fiction" and more "Scottish porn"...

William Wu has another sort-of English What-If in "Masterplay"; in Wu's world, computer wargaming is a central activity of Western culture. Here he gets to refight Bosworth Field, for the House of York.

For nonfiction, "The Prevention of War" is a 1970s brief in favour of the technological side of the Cold War. "The War Against Star Wars" should be read as its 1980s followup. This slaps down the so-called "union of concerned scientists", who are caught lying their ass off about how well America can protect itself against a "Day After" situation of balloons going up. It explains how competition was causing nuclear warheads to scale DOWN, and to be more accurate. That meant that nukes could be deployed in tactical situations, away from urban centres and focusing on massed troops. No fallout! - but on a related topic, this was a theme of the movie "The Day After": the Warsaw Pact invade west Germany, and America nukes their whole advance army. The Russians are screwed - and they know it, so THAT is when they launch all their 1970s-era inaccurate heavy-metal megadeth nukes at us. So this essay is tactically sound and strategically weak, as they say. Really, the best way to win a cold war is not to fight, but to keep the technological advantage just in case.

"A Time of Martyrs" was probably my favourite. Time-travellers are trying to fix the Muslim World by doing... something... with the Hidden Mahdi of the Shi'a. Read it and find out. Grimly hilarious to us. Maybe not to Muslims. Certainly not to Tor.

Anyway, it is definitely one of the better offerings in the series, despite its lame-ass and inaccurate title. If you get it, I recommend going the used route, until Tor get a clue again.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:06 AM (P7CX2)

186 Nood up.

Posted by: speedster1 on the ipad at June 21, 2015 11:07 AM (1brdf)

187 I just looked up Kevin Dutton (psychopath expert
referenced above) on google... and I'm sorry but those images of him
that come up actually represent those of a typical psychopath.
Chameleon-like with vacant eyes. Just my opinion.

Posted by: Mega

In many ways, isn't this also the story of Barack Obama?

Posted by: Bossy Conservative....lost in America at June 21, 2015 11:08 AM (+1T7c)

188 One of my college roommates grew up in the same neighborhood as John Hinckley. He recalled that as a young teenager, Hinckley would bury cats in the yard up to their necks and then run over them with a lawnmower . I am not sure I believe that but I do believe Hinckley would have claimed hed done it. Great way to impress girls, right?

Posted by: Jim in virginia at June 21, 2015 11:08 AM (tQt1U)

189 And I miss the chess threads too

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to keep up the chess threads, and also put out the book thread, which is more important.

Also, the majority of the comments on the chess threads consisted of bad jokes, bronx cheers, and links to pics of women with great "chess".

Not that those weren't fun. But I think the audience for a weekly chess thread simply isn't there.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:11 AM (Y6SY/)

190 Judy Blume: It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

This is why I'm not laughing:

Also in the box were rejection letters from publishers. Dad was unable to get past the literary gatekeepers of those days. Discouraged, he stuck to his day job, and gave up his dream of entertaining the readers of America. The stories sat, unread, for three decades in a dusty heap.

Blume is right - there *is* censorship in America. That's the whole point of Sad Puppies, and now the Tor boycott. The censors are the SJWs, a raving mob of cultural-revolutionaries; and they enjoy the protection of the State. They've seduced or suborned the gatekeepers. Stuff gets censored before you even see it - which is kind of what censorship *means*.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:11 AM (P7CX2)

191 And of course, after all the money was given to
Obama's progressive allies in education, the actual improvement to
Chicago schools was also nada.

Posted by: OregonMuse

The Annenberg Challenge.

I think Byron York started to research this in 2008, to gain some insight into that enigma that is Barack Obama.

Suddenly, the files for all this were taken out of the public access.

Curious.

Posted by: Bossy Conservative....lost in America at June 21, 2015 11:13 AM (+1T7c)

192 I personally think this last one is less "science fiction" and more "Scottish porn"...

"Scottish" and "porn" are two words you don't see used in the same sentence very often.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:14 AM (Y6SY/)

193 "and now to read the comments" as they say.

I see that HR beat me to it.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:16 AM (P7CX2)

194 One of the strengths of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess is his thorough explanation of moves and notation. My next goal is to be able to read a notated summary of each move of a game and follow what happened. The easiest way to do that will be to duplicate the moves on my own board, which I hope will drive the lessons through my thick skull better than just trying to keep it all in my head.

Thanks to OM and all who have made suggestions about the game and gear. At some point I should pick up a copy of the original version of Capablanca's Fundamentals of Chess to see how it was taught in the 1920s.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 11:19 AM (FvdPb)

195 He recalled that as a young teenager, Hinckley would bury cats in the yard up to their necks and then run over them with a lawnmower

Not sure I believe it. The practicalities of doing this are daunting. How do you put a cat in the ground up to its neck without it clawing and scratching most of your skin from your body?

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:19 AM (Y6SY/)

196 torquewrench: I have always admired Tuchman's writing style, but in recent years have come to realize that her acumen as an actual historian is somewhat lacking.

She should have known better about Vietnam at least. If she'd read Pournelle's essays in the "There Will Be War" series #2 and #4, she'd have known that there was no native South Vietnamese support for communism post-Tet. The homegrown Cong had pissed everyone off with their brutal rampage of an epic fail. The point of 1975 is that the North Vietnamese *invaded* the South.

The Vietnam War was *not* a folly. The folly was Watergate, which weakened the Republican administration so they couldn't stop the Democrats in Congress

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:21 AM (P7CX2)

197 A chess book to avoid, by the way, is Reuben Fine's 'Chess The Easy Way'.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:21 AM (Y6SY/)

198 The Farseer Trilogy is really good about a assassin apprentice, No PC crap. If thier is on thing I hate is women warriors, I just can't believe that they can carry all that armour. I had a neighbor that was a grandmaster at medieval fighting and taught his students. I loved going over with my Dad pulling up a chair and watching them bash each other and I mean they went at it, all thier stuff was dented and used. I felt how heavy all that armour is and I had a hell of time with it, and I was a in shape college football player.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:21 AM (CxEX+)

199 The Vietnam War was *not* a folly. The folly was Watergate, which weakened the Republican administration so they couldn't stop the Democrats in Congress

Exactly so. I watched that 'Last Days In Vietnam' documentary mentioned on the ONT awhile back. Wow. Those unfortunate South Vietnamese. We really screwed them over big time.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:23 AM (Y6SY/)

200 One of my Wife's coworkers met Ted Bundy, she was at a Mall and he hit on her while she was waiting for friends to drive her home, she nearly went with him.

Also I was friends with Bob Bales and I never thought he would do what he did, I still can't.

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:28 AM (CxEX+)

201 I wonder if she would be able to express that there are any limits to YA literature. It would be an interesting interview.

Having read Sabaa Tahir's heavily-hyped An Ember in the Ashes... yeah. That image of the boot smashing a human face over and over? This image is pretty much the book's plot. By hey, Arabic! (Ancient North Arabian anyway.)

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:30 AM (P7CX2)

202 Picked up To Catch A Jew on Kindle after someone on Twitter linked an author interview before it came out - I also picked up his earlier book, I Sleep In Hitler's Bedroom (at least, I think that's the English title - I gather it was initially released in other languages with a different one). His writing style is definitely odd but if you can get over that, they aren't bad reads.

Posted by: GalaKitty at June 21, 2015 11:30 AM (de28r)

203 Here's something that happened that effects Authors. Amazon made a big change on how we are paid. It's a pretty big deal and may have an impact on what you read. But I like it.

http://tinyurl.com/pxqbwfh

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:31 AM (KbNXw)

204 So we have this independent book store in my area called 'Rainy Day Books'. Very well liked, and they always seem to snag all of the best authors for talks/signings. In the last few months they've had people like Erik Larson, John Cleese, hell even Stephen King.

Anyhow, they decided to put together a Literary Tour. Of Italy. They even had a list of books to read before you went. So one of my sisters is going on it. She leaves tomorrow I think and won't be back until after July 4th. She's pretty excited about it.

Kind of cool.

Posted by: HH at June 21, 2015 11:31 AM (Qia1Z)

205 that grant money he was responsible for handing out to Chicago Schools to "improve" education

Annenberg Challenge: http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/wreck-annenberg

I found out about this in David Freddoso's "The Case Against Barack Obama". It still holds up. As we've all had to learn.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 11:32 AM (P7CX2)

206 I read Screams From My Father and found it quite amusing.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 11:33 AM (LImiJ)

207 OM ... Thanks for the warning about Chess the Easy Way. And I STRONGLY agree that the book thread is much more important than a chess thread.

I wonder if there is interest in a 'traditional', non-electric board game thread, perhaps once or twice a year. Chess, checkers, Parcheesi, backgammon, cribbage, etc., that kind of thing. Just an idle thought; I don't have an answer. I've seen mention that such games are becoming more popular partly as a push back against expensive, electronic, often violent or gory non-social game playing, partly for nostalgia, and a little bit of prepper since they are light, portable and don't require power to play.

Posted by: JTB at June 21, 2015 11:34 AM (FvdPb)

208 Kindle Unlimited is it worth it and are audiobooks included?

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:35 AM (CxEX+)

209 85 torquewrench at June 21, 2015 10:02 AM

I'll take the exit ramp from the book before she gets to Vietnam. My strategic appreciation will be quite different than hers.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 21, 2015 11:36 AM (u82oZ)

210 Kindle Unlimited is it worth it and are audiobooks included?
Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:35 AM (CxEX+)

Audio books are separate, but Kindle unlimited, it you read like my Daughter does, one or two books a week, you will save hundreds of dollars.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:37 AM (KbNXw)

211 Greetings:

And, speaking of Viet Nam, I recently re-read John L. Plaster's "SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam". It's not much literature-wise but the bravery and acumen of what those guys did deserves to be recorded historically.

Posted by: 11B40 at June 21, 2015 11:38 AM (evgyj)

212 Hating your country is the highest form of patriotism.

Obama demanded an apology from Oren and his boss. Oren is retired so Barky has nothing on him but his boss gave a grudging apology. What a petulant little brat Obama is! And notice, lying is perfectly OK but telling the truth will not be tolerated.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 11:38 AM (LImiJ)

213 Kindle Unlimited is it worth it and are audiobooks included?
Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at June 21, 2015 11:35 AM (CxEX+)

Audio books are separate, but Kindle unlimited, it you read like my Daughter does, one or two books a week, you will save hundreds of dollars.

-
Amazon Prime Music is a deal and a half, too.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 11:41 AM (LImiJ)

214 Under the heading, "Shit that made me go WTF."

A doctor offered to fly me from South Carolina to Eau Claire WI overnight, first class to sit in with his wife's book club as they discuss my first Novel, Amy Lynn.

I've never heard of this before. I checked him out and he's legit. Maybe I got a shot at this writing thing after all.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:44 AM (KbNXw)

215 I've never heard of this before. I checked him out and he's legit. Maybe I got a shot at this writing thing after all.

What an interesting gig. I hope you're going to take him up on it.

And I expect a full report from you in a future book thread.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:48 AM (Y6SY/)

216 And I expect a full report from you in a future book thread.
Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 11:48 AM (Y6SY/)

Actually I can't because I am starting truck drivers training school to get my CDL. Neighbor Adam has a construction company and I'm going to drive dump trucks part time. However, I will be doing the book club on speakerphone. I wish there was a way I could record it.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:53 AM (KbNXw)

217 . Those unfortunate South Vietnamese. We The Democrats really screwed them over big time.

----------------
Ain't no WE about it.

Posted by: The Truth, the whole Truth etc. at June 21, 2015 11:54 AM (6jKOp)

218 Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:44 AM (KbNXw)
---
OSP, you have to do this, if only to get material for your next book, which is about an author who attends a book club (where they are reading his book) just so he can get material for his next book. Very meta!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 11:54 AM (jR7Wy)

219 169 Good Morning Ron's. Haven't been reading much but the youngest daughter has been ripping through a series called Magic (Dog Mysteries)
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 10:55 AM

Hmmm. Sounds similar to Watchers by Dean Koontz.

Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at June 21, 2015 11:56 AM (15VmI)

220 I don't know what makes sociopaths evil, only that they are, they exist, and there's no fixing them. My wife's half brother was a sadistic, evil, child abuser and murderer. He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for strangling a woman in front of her small daughter, then kidnapping the toddler and driving to another state before being caught. Before graduating to this level while he was an adolescent he abused my wife when she was a little girl, permanently scarring her emotionally and installing a lifelong terror of him suddenly appearing again. She followed his parole hearings over the years for news of a release. The parents of the murdered woman also attended and spoke at all of those hearings pleading for him to never be released. After 27 years in stir they put him in a work release program where he was to be monitored and never leave NY state. My wife was terrified that he'd find his way down to FL and get to her. All I could do was try to convince her that I would not let that happen. I've never in my life had any real animus for someone else, but this caused me to determine that if this creep came within 100miles of my wife I'd eliminate him and make sure he'd never be found. You can bet I was armed.
Coincidentally my wife soon afterward became ill with cancer and passed within a year and a half. She was fearful until the end. The scumbag half brother thankfully died of an OD about 6 months later. Why he couldn't have gone first and given her some peace of mind for a short while is a hard thing to ponder. I did thank God for taking him before I did, possibly saving my soul, or at least keeping that window open.
Anyway, these freaks do exist, they are evil and must be removed permanently from society, one way or the other. I hope one never touches your life.

Posted by: Leonard Pinth-Garnell at June 21, 2015 11:56 AM (PtuJp)

221 Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:44 AM (KbNXw)
---
OSP, you have to do this, if only to get material for your next book, which is about an author who attends a book club (where they are reading his book) just so he can get material for his next book. Very meta!
Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 11:54 AM (jR7Wy)

Actually part of going to truck drivers training school is to get experience and information for Amy Lynn #5. The Union. Amy's brother Joseph ends up with a small trucking company and well, you know how Amy feels about people that screw with her family. Just started #4 called Terminal and #3 should be out in a few months. Trying to get my Model dressed out appropriately and shoot some cover pics.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 11:58 AM (KbNXw)

222 Good Morning Ron's. Haven't been reading much but the youngest daughter has been ripping through a series called Magic (Dog Mysteries)

Two decades of genetic research and experimentation, subsidized by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, produces an amazing animal of the sub species Canis Lupus Familiaris. It appears to be a large golden retriever; however, it has one salient attribute that separates it from the rest of the canine world, it possesses the intelligence of an adult human being. Named Magic by the Marine whose life he saves, he travels from war torn Iraq to America and beyond.

-
I read the first one and liked it. Good guys win, bad guys lose. The bad guys are corrupt DHS bureaucrats and crazy-ass Iranians. Some of the bits with super intelligent Magic misunderstanding basic things were funny, too. And the author is a combat veteran.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 11:58 AM (LImiJ)

223 Teacher: I Don't Teach Shakespeare Because He's White

-
Did you tell her he was queer?

Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 12:03 PM (LImiJ)

224 Did you tell her he was queer?
Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 12:03 PM (LImiJ)

He was? Seriously?

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 12:04 PM (KbNXw)

225 Fathers day, need to spend time with my girls. Later rons.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 12:06 PM (KbNXw)

226 No, he just did it for fun.

Posted by: Leonard Pinth-Garnell at June 21, 2015 12:06 PM (PtuJp)

227 No, he just did it for fun.
Posted by: Leonard Pinth-Garnell at June 21, 2015 12:06 PM (PtuJp)

I knew it!

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 12:09 PM (KbNXw)

228 My understanding is that Shakespeare self-identified as a black woman. So the teacher is wrong.

BTW, I've met Al Bernstein. Guy is pretty funny. And a regular guy. Not fancy shmancy. Didn't know he was still writing.

Q: Will I be willowed here?

Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at June 21, 2015 12:20 PM (p+HJy)

229 Q: Will I be willowed here?
Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at June 21, 2015 12:20 PM (p+HJy)
---
A: Nope.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 12:22 PM (jR7Wy)

230 You sure?

Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at June 21, 2015 12:25 PM (p+HJy)

231 Yep.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 21, 2015 12:25 PM (jR7Wy)

232 I'm sure.

Posted by: OregonMuse at June 21, 2015 12:26 PM (Y6SY/)

233 224 Did you tell her he was queer?
Posted by: The Great White Snark at June 21, 2015 12:03 PM (LImiJ)

He was? Seriously?
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet at June 21, 2015 12:04 PM (KbNXw)

...
226 No, he just did it for fun.
Posted by: Leonard Pinth-Garnell at June 21, 2015 12:06 PM (PtuJp)

It can be difficult to follow threads of conversation on this board. I interpret this as "will shakespeare wasn't queer, he just did it for fun"

kind of brings me back to my English Public School days

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at June 21, 2015 12:26 PM (P7CX2)

234 Journalists should only be hired from countries where writing the wring thing can get you shot. That way we know they will have the proper concept of the role of journalism in society.

Ironically, I would also like all current journalists to be shot for treason.

Posted by: Za toshokan'in at June 21, 2015 12:36 PM (sEOY5)

235 Yes, there does need to be some way to getting these crazies off the street before they kill. How about involuntary commitment? EEEEEK says the ACLU and their ilk.

BTW the bowl haircut seems to be another indicator.

Posted by: pj at June 21, 2015 12:58 PM (cHuNI)

236 Another vote for "Catch the Jew." I just read it over the weekend and it is damning.

I do think his conclusion is too pessimistic. He repeatedly condemns the self-hating Israeli leftist intellectual, but then concludes that the important part of Israeli society has lost the self-respect and courage needed to endure. Yet when he discusses the Ultra-Orthodox he merely satirizes their more absurd customs, and does not seem to grasp that it is these people (and the National Religious, who he neglects almost entirely) who will soon be a voting plurality in Israel. And the religious have self-respect and confidence to spare, and are far more ruthless towards Israel's enemies than the Left could ever be.

Which would have been an interesting discussion to get into, but Tenenbom only glances off of it briefly.

Posted by: Mastiff at June 21, 2015 01:02 PM (aU9hp)

237 #185

It should be noted that the entire There Will Be War set is being published anew in e-book form by Castalia, so the taint of Tor is off them. Formatting for the e-book conversions by YT.

Posted by: Epobirs at June 21, 2015 01:19 PM (IdCqF)

238 The long and short of it is, the man who coined the phrase "the long and short of it" and hundreds of other commonplaces that teacher uses regularly without realizing it cannot be "easily replaced."

(I say this with plans to spend a week on Hamlet in both of my lit classes this fall.)

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at June 21, 2015 01:28 PM (iuQS7)

239 @200 Patrick From Ohio

Ohio has some dark corners.

Travellers beware.

Posted by: Buckeye Abroad at June 21, 2015 01:28 PM (AaYIj)

240 Wanted to recommend "Empty Mansions" by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. It's about reclusive heiress Huguette Clark. Very interesting as it shows how hard it is for the rich to piss off their money.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at June 21, 2015 01:32 PM (Lqy/e)

241 You know those people you know that are.. kind of off? They're not evil, they just behave in ways that are not quite right?

They have personality disorders. Maybe one, maybe several. Might or might not be a severe problem.

Emotional Vampires helps you figure out what's wrong with those people you have to deal with on a daily basis, how to deal with them, and, if required, when to just run away.

It's a great book. Funny, and actually really, really useful. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

Posted by: shibumi who is awash in existential dread at June 21, 2015 01:33 PM (GwjEG)

242 Now?

Posted by: The Poster Formerly Known as Mr. Barky at June 21, 2015 01:59 PM (p+HJy)

243 242 Not now.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at June 21, 2015 02:09 PM (u82oZ)

244 SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam
-------------

Just ordered a used copy, ABE Books, $3.48, free shipping.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at June 21, 2015 02:27 PM (F2IAQ)

245 (I say this with plans to spend a week on Hamlet in both of my lit classes this fall.)
-------------

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly.

Posted by: The Bard at June 21, 2015 02:28 PM (F2IAQ)

246 35 Read Erik Larson's "Dead Wake", about the sinking of the Lusitania.

Posted by: HH at June 21, 2015 09:33 AM (Qia1Z)

I haven't read that one, but "Lusitania" by Diana Preston is very good.

https://tinyurl.com/qdkc6e3

Posted by: rickl at June 21, 2015 03:23 PM (sdi6R)

247 If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly.

When you've got three hours of class time in a week and want your students to watch a three-hour play, that is quickly.
(And ISWYDT.)

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at June 21, 2015 03:52 PM (iuQS7)

248 34
I'm not quite ready to kill the TV completely, but it's getting harder to justify the cost of even a basic package on Directv.

Well, there's five finger eight pole Shaolin exploding touch Thursdays on the new El Rey network, although it's frustrating that the Shaw Brothers never seemed to figure out how endings work.

Posted by: Anachronda at June 21, 2015 05:26 PM (o78gS)

249 "In Adam's fall
We sinned all"

The little story of Adam and Eve has much to offer, even to the "rank unbeliever". But Adam didn't really "fall", he jumped.

Eve was deceived, but Adam made a free will choice to follow her, and disobey God. (A Biblical version of Greek sailors and the Sirens perhaps, led to their demise by beautiful women, knowing the peril) Jesus was called the second Adam, and he also was tempted and could have disobeyed his Father, but he chose wisely, for our sakes. (as the story goes) We have evil because we have free will.

"He divides the emotional vampires into basic types: antisocial,
histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, and paranoid, and tells
you how to deal with them effectively."

And it sorta ties to that. Some say the tree of knowledge related to self satisfaction, rather than serving one another and a cis-normative God. Some think even in a sexual sense, which makes a little sense. Trees were often phallic symbols, and worship in the groves related to that. Today's America need not bother with symbols, we have live twerking, children sexting, all forms of transsexual or trans-racial twists being called brave, not strange. 50 shades of gray could put a man in prison, but is encouraged as discovering the inner "beast". But religion/society should tame and control the beast, or we become a third world hellhole in due time.

Posted by: Illiniwek at June 21, 2015 05:54 PM (8bK1p)

250 Just got back from Half Price Books. Scored some good stuff from the clearance section:

Dead Six by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari
A non-fantasy novel by Correia, an excellent black ops thriller.

Ghost by John Ringo
This is the infamous "Oh John Ringo, no!" novel.

The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror by Stephen Schwartz
Includes a blerb on the back which reads in part:

He is a most articulate enemy of Islamo-Fascism - Christopher Hitchens

Posted by: BornLib at June 21, 2015 06:06 PM (zpNwC)

251 I finished The Starborn Triology by Jason Morrow. It was a freebie via Amazon Kindle. I started it because it was zombies. I almost put it down 'cause it went SF on me (ducks). Sorry, SF just isn't my cup of tea. And, no, I consider zombies horror, not SF.

BUT, I'm glad I kept on. The author has written quite a riveting tale that mirrors the fallen, the apostles and Jesus. In that order. It was excellent, but I doubt I'd get any sequels 'cause I can't relate to having alien superpowers -- even if it is to thwart zombies and the bad guys that enable them.

Posted by: RushBabe at June 21, 2015 08:05 PM (zdw2Z)

252 I'm working through Tenenbom's I Sleep in Hitler's Room--it's taken me a long time because I bought it in Germany and am reading it in German (German title: Alone Among the Germans). His writing (at least in this book) is light and sardonically funny, but his conclusion after his year in Germany interviewing Germans of all stripes is that they're hopelessly anti-Semitic still. (I read this in an article he wrote in which he described how hard it was to convince the Germans to publish his book.) I don't really agree with him, after having lived in Germany for three years, but he's the son of Holocaust survivors and I suppose has his own presuppositions. But then, I didn't travel as much as he or interview as many Germans. In any case, his writing is quite amusing, and I'd like to get my hands on the Israeli version of his travel-a-country-interviewing-locals shtick.

Posted by: CCC at June 21, 2015 08:08 PM (ZTF1d)

253 I bought Screams from My Father a few months ago. Good stuff, for the period's literary sensibility.

Posted by: Richard McEnroe at June 21, 2015 11:47 PM (Kucy5)

254 I just read Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg. Fantastic book. I thought it was going to be all jokey, but it was a real analysis of the left and not weighed down by academic language.

Posted by: pj at June 22, 2015 12:54 AM (cHuNI)

255 #237

Speaking of Castalia, they have a book related to the thread topic:

How to Deal with Narcissists: Why they Became Evil, How They Think, And Strategies and Techniques to Take Control by Michael Trust

I haven't read it so I can't speak as to it's quality. Just putting that out there.

Posted by: BornLib at June 22, 2015 05:56 AM (zpNwC)

256 Villains: Where or What Would They Be? by Edward Cline

http://t.co/dzp8ZhO75J

Posted by: BornLib at June 22, 2015 06:31 AM (zpNwC)

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