Sunday Morning Book Thread 07-19-2015: Unnatural Acts [OregonMuse]

"When I Slip This Idiot Juice Into Their Drinks, Those ESPN Execs Will Beclown Themselves So Thoroughly That They'll Never Be Taken Seriously Ever Again! BWAHAHA!"

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 MULTIPLE TRIGGER WARNINGS because someone may say that Emma Sulkowicz was not raped, much less Lena Dunham, that more guns equals less crime, and that the mentally ill ought not be allowed to determine public policy.

There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.
-Marcel Proust

The Mad Scientist And The Unwilling Transsexual

With all the hubbub over ESPN trying to pump up its in-the-crapper ratings by promoting the cause of a confused and pathetic female impersonator, there is another story that I think deserves our attention.

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapinto is the account of the tragic case of David Reimer, whose penis was destroyed in a botched circumcision and whose parents followed the advice of psychologist Dr. John Money, who assigned their son a new gender. Why did he think this would be the best course of action?

Money was a prominent proponent of the "theory of Gender Neutrality" - that gender identity developed primarily as a result of social learning from early childhood and that it could be changed with the appropriate behavioral interventions.

Which sort of has "mad scientist" written all over it, doesn't it? "Laws of nature? Ha! We'll just ignore nature, do whatever we want, and everything will be just fine." If some doctor told me that my infant son would be better off as a woman, I would think he was, well, mad. But, this was the 60s, a time when old certainties were being tossed overboard like so much useless ballast.

Money and the Hopkins team persuaded the baby's parents that sex reassignment surgery would be in Reimer's best interest. At the age of 22 months, baby Bruce underwent an orchidectomy, in which his testes were surgically removed. He was reassigned to be raised as female and given the name Brenda. Psychological support for the reassignment and surgery was provided by John Money, who continued to see Reimer annually for about a decade for consultations and to assess the outcome.

H. P. Lovecraft just e-mailed me and said "that's effed up."

For a number of years afterwards, Money reported how wonderful it all was turning out, and how "Brenda" was oh so happy wearing frilly little dresses and acting just like a little girl. It was widely reported as a huge success.

But, as it turned out, Dr. Money was, get this, lying about it. Colapinto reveals that "Brenda" never felt like a girl, was bullied at school, was extremely unhappy, and had many developmental problems.

Of course, he had to lie, in order to maintain his views on gender. Facts must never be allowed to interrupt the narrative.

When "Brenda" finally learned the truth at age 15, "she" decided to live as a male, changed her name to David, and received testosterone injections to reverse the previous gender reassignment. David eventually married, but his life did not go well for him, and then, sadly, he committed suicide in 2004.

Colapinto's book is credited with helping to accelerate the decline in gender reassignment surgeries performed on infants with congenital malformations or penile loss.

In Your Heart, You Know He's Right

Long-time moron commenter tsrblke e-mailed earlier this week and asked:

My dad is currently reading biographies. He's working through the latest Reagan Biography, and it sparked interest in Barry Goldwater. Do you think you could ask for recommendations on a good Goldwater biography in the book thread?

I am not familiar with Goldwater biographies, and so I don't know if there is a good or definitive one, so hopefully one or more of you morons can help out here. But poking around on Amazon, there appears to be two types of books about Mr. Goldwater: biographies and analyses of his thought and political impact.

First, the biographies. I was able to find two. Or maybe three:

Barry Goldwater by Robert Alan Goldberg

Flying High: Remembering Barry Goldwater by William F. Buckley Jr. which I think is more of a personal reminiscence than a biography.

Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution by Lee Edwards and Phyllis Schlafly

Next are the analyses of his political impact:

Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus by Rick Perlstein. This is one I've heard of before, but have not read:

In the 1964 presidential campaign, LBJ ate Barry Goldwater for lunch and thereby, according to the pundits, stuck a fork in the heart of American conservatism. But Goldwater's politics were vindicated, Perlstein argues, by subsequent elections, especially Reagan's in 1980, and his tenets are championed today on both sides of the aisle.

Well, I don't know about that last bit, which reminds me of the idiot progs who complain that the MSM is "far right" (yes, they actually think this). Of course, Perlstein is a liberal, therefore his vision is going to be greatly impaired, but I do note this:

Liberal readers [will] either be peeved or amused by Perlstein's unabashed partisanship, perhaps best shown in his observation that LBJ's deputy Bill Moyers pioneered dirty campaign tactics: "the full-time-espionage, sabotage, and mudslinging unit."

I've always had an intense loathing for Bill "Backpfeifengesicht" Moyers, who is the epitome of the smug, arrogant, sanctimonious liberal hypocrite. Because back in the day, he was in fact, LBJ's hostaet man, and he took dirty politics and the smear campaign to a whole 'nother level.

He commissioned the first attack ad for television, which basically claimed that the only two choices in the 1964 election were (a) vote for LBJ or (b) little girls will get nuked. The ad was free of any kind of intellectual content or rational argument, but made its case on imagery and pure emotion. It was very effective, and helped LBJ win over Goldwater by a landslide. There's even a book written about it, Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad That Changed American Politics by Robert Mann.

You can see Moyers' original "daisy" ad here. YouTube comments are generally to be avoided, but I this one was actually pretty good:

They told me that if I voted for Barry Goldwater, we would be at war in Vietnam within a year. They were right I voted for Barry Goldwater and we were at war in Vietnam. A little later I got a draft notice courtesy of President Johnson the peace candidate and got a free plane ticket to Nam.

Yup.

But getting back to third-party analyses of Goldwater, there's also A Glorious Disaster: Barry Goldwater's Presidential Campaign and the Origins of the Conservative Movement J. William Middendorf, a behind-the-scenes retelling of the 1964 presidential race by one of Goldwater's close associates.

Lastly are the books Goldwater wrote himself, the most famous one of course being Conscience of a Conservative, which is available on Kindle for 99 cents. I can do better than to quote from the book itself:

I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not pass laws, but to repeal them. it is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is "needed" before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall replay that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am dong the very best I can.

What's sad about this paragraph is that the political goals Goldwater lists therein are, in today's political climate, utterly unobtainable.

How many of you morons knew that Goldwater was apparently quite a good photographer? This is news to me. A number of his photos have been published in The Eyes of His Soul: The Visual Legacy of Barry M. Goldwater, Master Photographer by by Evelyn S. Cooper and Michael Goldwater (Barry's son). One Amazon reviewer says:

As an Arizona resident, I am especially appreciative for the lovely photographs but more than that, it is an expression of the love of our state that Barry Goldwater had. You can see it and feel it in the pictures he shot. This was such a treat to go through...

This is a book that anybody, regardless of politics, can enjoy.

Lastly there's With No Apologies: The Personal and Political Memoirs of United States Senator Barry M. Goldwater by the man himself, published in 1979. I'm just going to take the lazy way out (again) and copy-and-paste a relevant Amazon review:

As everyone sadly knows, Barry Goldwater -- never a quitter -- failed to quit while he was ahead. No one will ever know, I guess, whether he became senile in his old age; but as time progressed, the fierce champion of the Right became more and more the gadfly, happily reveling in taking abhorrent Leftist stands and letting the media use him, laughing at him all the while.

These memoirs are Goldwater before the fall, the man who gave us the modern conservative movement, still in rare form and fighting the good fight. Published in 1979, they include not only his political thoughts but his autobiography too (the book is worth buying simply for Goldwater's recounting of the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis, which have not generally been reported as this Armed Services Committee member actually witnessed them).

So, in answer to tsrblke's original request, a good biography of Barry Goldwater is probably going to be the one written by Barry Goldwater.

Nixon's The One

And speaking of political biographies, a new one of Nixon has just been released, Being Nixon: A Man Divided by former Newsweek political writer Evan Thomas, and it may be a bit controversial because, according to this review, it argues that

Nixon is much less the evil mastermind of 1970s caricature - and much more a Jekyll-and-Hyde character constantly at war with himself.

I'm old enough to remember the "1970s caricature" Nixon that the liberals created in their own minds to suit their political ends. The origins of Bush Derangement Syndrome and Reagan Derangement Syndrome can be seen here, in the granddaddy of them all, Nixon Derangement Syndrome, where there's no sin too great, and no crime more heinous that the target can't be accused of.

I like this bit:

None of this is to say Nixon was a victim. As Thomas states, and supports with analysis and detail, the Watergate burglary in 1972 that caused Nixon’s downfall was probably an act of stupidity the president never knew about before it happened. The infamous cover-ups that followed were his fault, along with what Thomas writes was Nixon’s self-created “toxic environment” encouraging dirty political tricks. “He regarded spying on opponents as normal and accepted,” Thomas reminds readers.

Yeah, well, maybe that's because it was normal and accepted - by previous Democratic administrations. The way liberals, even today, weep and wail and carry on over Watergate, you'd think everything was all polite disagreement and Marquess of Queensbury until Nixon came along.

This allows me to once again pimp one of my favorite books, sadly out of print but no less relevant today, Victor Lasky's It Didn't Start With Watergate, that details all of the dirty politics the MSM gave Democrats a pass on, but then proclaimed to be corrupt, evil and dirty during the Nixon administration.

Everything has become so politicized, it's going to take many years before honest histories will be able to be written about our time. It will be a many years before we get historians who are interested merely in facts and objective analysis without grinding their favorite political axes. If a writer from the liberal tabloid "Newsweak" can publish a book about Richard Nixon without casting him as The Worst Villain In The Universe, maybe that's a start.

Moron Recommendations

If any of you morons are interested in a Hemingway bio, a lurking moron recommended Hemingway: The 1930s by Michael Reynolds, which he describes as "an incredible account of an incredible man." This book is actually one part of a multi-volume biography. Others in the series include The Young Hemingway, Hemingway: The Paris Years, and Hemingway: The Final Years

Books By Morons

I did a bit of proofreading of the military sci-fi adventure, Outward Frontier, which has just been released. It's 2177 and the outer frontier worlds are under attack from an hitherto unknown alien race:

Follow the adventures of an untested American Army officer as he prepares for the invasion..., a Seattle based corporate mercenary who will do anything for money and power, and a New Zealand ranching family on a primitive world in the farthest reaches of space called the Outward Frontier. Their fates are woven together with one of America’s leading scientists as they scramble to execute a desperate plan for the salvation of not only the United States, but for Earth and its numerous colonies.

Available on Kindle for only $1.

What I'm Reading

'Anonymous-9', the author of the novel Hard Bite emailed me and dared me to read it. This is how she pitched to me:

Libertarian hardboiled noir interest you? I...am widely regarded as the creator of the "serial-killing monkey" genre. It reads like a thriller but it's really a cry for freedom embodied in my paraplegic protagonist, Dean Drayhart.

So, what genre is this exactly, "libertarian noir" or "serial-killing monkey"? I don't know, probably both. I do know that it's a fun, page-turning read, with a Moron™ sensibility throughout. I mean, who but a Moron could write a novel about a paraplegic vigilante with a hooker girlfriend and a bad attitude who has made it his life's mission to track down hit-and-run drivers and kill them with the help of his capuchin monkey? All that's missing is the ValuRite.

The sequel, Bite Harder is also available, and the the author has written a number of other books.

___________

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.

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 .

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at July 19, 2015 08:55 AM (oVJmc)

2 I read One Second After, $2.99 kindle. About surviving an EMP attack. We need a weekly prepper thread. Depressing.

Posted by: nckate at July 19, 2015 08:57 AM (emNpS)

3 Almost finished with the first volume of The Last Lion, 'Visions of Glory', and looking forward to starting the second volume, 'Alone'.

Posted by: Kenway at July 19, 2015 08:58 AM (TjEMX)

4

DAY 985

478 to go (551 to Inauguration Day 2017)


Muzzies, Marxists, Maoists, Mau-Maus, MFM's, Moochelle, Mao-suits, McCain's, McConnell's, Mahdi megatons, machiavellian Mississippi mudslingers, McAuliffe's, Maduro's, MIRV's, Mexifornians, mewling mattress myth manufacturers, marriage maimers, menacing Mozillan 'mo's, Mugwumps, Monrovian microbes, mutants, malcontents, malthusians, maniacs, malignant medical mandates, martial law, miscreants, microaggressors, minions, maladjusted masochistic multiculturalists, momzers, mamalukes, mooks, mopes, mariuoli, meeskeits, maricons, marauders, malodorous militants, menstruating mons veneri, malfunctioning Moron microsites and miscellaneous meshugas notwithstanding.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at July 19, 2015 08:59 AM (St6BJ)

5
Sticking the countdown here. Stomach is killing me. I have either some form of gastritis or low level reflux.

Or the mussels I ate Friday.

Later all.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at July 19, 2015 09:00 AM (St6BJ)

6 US investigators probe shooter's alleged 'war' text message
The text reportedly included an Islamic verse: "Whosoever shows enmity
to a friend of Mine, then I have declared war against him," according to
the newspaper.



Still can't figure out his motives?


But the FBI warned against jumping to conclusions


I guess so. Evidence out of the horse's mouth must not show a motive


"For many years, our son suffered from depression.


Oh so the poor dear suffered from depression. It wasn't jihad or hating on America. Well all is forgiven.

Posted by: TheQuietMan at July 19, 2015 09:01 AM (DiZBp)

7 That cartoon character looks like Doc Brown, from the 'Back To The Future' movies.

Posted by: RickZ at July 19, 2015 09:06 AM (HEtQ3)

8 Where is Cindy Sheehan when we need her? Instead of "Code Pink" how about the poor families of the murdered by Islam form a group called "Code Green" and follow Dear Leader Obozo around yelling and screaming that we want our vengeance, we are at war with Islam, and he better stop golfing and get to it.
Cindy please help us....Cindy?.....

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 19, 2015 09:07 AM (JG47A)

9 Finally finished "The Last 100 Days" this week. For any of you with interest in WWII, I would call it a 'Must Read'. Extremely well documented, with many transcripts of Hitler's exchanges with his commanders and etc., and the same for the Allies.

While I learned a great deal regarding specific facts, I was mostly struck by the shortsightedness of Roosevelt in his dealings with Stalin.

Started "The Skunk Works". Those guys pulled off an astonishing design/defense coup with the F-117. Very interesting read so far.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 19, 2015 09:08 AM (9mTYi)

10

Is there another Ace book review yet? I saw he mentioned some sort of poll, which I never saw...

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at July 19, 2015 09:11 AM (qCMvj)

11 Somebody must have put idiot juice in the water supply, judging from current events.

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 09:11 AM (sdi6R)

12 Today I have a day off from the church I am serving part time and go to another church (with a later worship time) with which I am helping to establish a drama ministry, so that means I can get on the book thread, (which I always enjoy) at an earlier time.

I am reading "Prayer and Spiritual Warfare" by E.M. Bounds. He was a minister who served as a chaplain on the side of the confederacy during the Civil War. Bounds was opposed to slavery. He wrote lots of books, the majority of which have to do with prayer. I've only read this one and another one, and that it would be a ppropriate always for christians. but particularly appropriate now given our current world condition and the fight against "powers and principalities".

I just re-read "With Christ in the School of Prayer" by Andrew Murray which is excellent and which I had mentioned before

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 19, 2015 09:11 AM (OSs/l)

13 Happy Sunday! I'm still working on reading Dune.

Posted by: Beth M at July 19, 2015 09:12 AM (kiy9d)

14 Finally awake for the start of Book Thread! (You East Coast people and your curvature of the Earth privilege....)

Tried to read Ancillary Sword (because Hugos) and failed. The ancillary premise is very interesting, but I do not believe a super AI that can understand humans get upset when they believe in gods and you don't, would *fail* to understand gender is actually a thing humans care about and get upset when you pretend it isn't there at all.

Also tried to read Fortunes of the Imperium, having been promised it was like Bertie Wooster in space and Hijinks Would Ensue. They lied. It was as funny as a phone book. So, currently reading God Stalk, it having been recommended by Morons. Not sure what I think yet, but I'm still reading.

And I would like to point out that I TOTALLY predicted the big-ass crater on Pluto in The Scent of Metal. I bet there really is a ginormous alien ship in all that ice, and NASA is covering it up.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at July 19, 2015 09:12 AM (GG9V6)

15 For many years, our son suffered from depression.

That's such utter claptrap; Millions of people suffer from depression. I am one of them but mine hasn't really bad for years. These people are not going and shooting others.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 19, 2015 09:13 AM (OSs/l)

16 LBJ's deputy Bill Moyers pioneered dirty campaign tactics: "the full-time-espionage, sabotage, and mudslinging unit."





Bill Moyers is a vile leftist POS. No wonder why he's been on PBS for years

Posted by: TheQuietMan at July 19, 2015 09:14 AM (DiZBp)

17 And I would like to point out that I TOTALLY predicted the big-ass crater on Pluto in The Scent of Metal. I bet there really is a ginormous alien ship in all that ice, and NASA is covering it up.
Posted by: Sabrina Chase at July 19, 2015 09:12 AM (GG9V6)
----
Stop yammering here and keep working on the sequel!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at July 19, 2015 09:14 AM (jR7Wy)

18 Fenelon - There must have been a lot of writing going on by ministers. Have you ever heard of P.C. Headly? The fellow was a writing machine. Look at this list, and the mixture of titles.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/nkgpx58

I'm out..., running late for Sunday School.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 19, 2015 09:15 AM (9mTYi)

19 Read my first Larry Correia -- "Monster Hunter International." A very pleasant surprise; the man is a gifted story teller. I used to read a lot of SFF but gave it up because the quality seemed to be tanking. Maybe I should go read more samples on Baen.

I like noir, but gave up on Ken Bruen's "Green Hell." His "Priest" was good, but extremely noir. I loved his "Tower" and several others, but "Green Hell" turned the noir up to 12.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:16 AM (j2ORV)

20 I have not heard of P.C. Headley, but my gosh, he did write a lot of books.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 19, 2015 09:19 AM (OSs/l)

21 I've read a number of the Goldwater books listed although it was a long time ago What sticks out in my memory is that "Conscience of a Conservative" was the most revealing. Unfortunately, Goldwater in his last years became unpredictable, to say the least. The Libs gloried in that. I always suspected it was the onset of dementia but never knew for sure.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 09:20 AM (FvdPb)

22 I recall watching a documentary about that John Hopkins sex change case years ago. Incredibly awful what happened -- not just to the young man, but to the entire family. The poor boy, forced to live as a girl, was miserable his entire life and repeatedly tried to kill himself. His brother, feeling guilty about what was happening to his "sister" also was miserable, and also suicidal. The parents, especially the mother (the father refused to appear on camera), were wracked with guilt, and their despair was palpable. The entire family was destroyed by one irresponsible doctor's desire to test his stupid gender theory. Before he killed himself, the young man went to the doctor's office at JH with a gun, intending to kill him. He wasn't able to bring himself to do it, but if he had and I'd been on his jury, I wouldn't have hesitated one moment before voting "not guilty." That doctor had it coming -- and then some.

Posted by: TrivialPursuer at July 19, 2015 09:20 AM (kGrdk)

23 They didn't have any trouble coming up with a motivation for Dylann Roof.

Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at July 19, 2015 09:20 AM (oVJmc)

24 They didn't have any trouble coming up with a motivation for Dylann Roof.


Posted by: Pappy O'Daniel at July 19, 2015 09:20 AM (oVJmc)



None of them. Not the MFM, not the FBI, not Prezzy Race Baiter. And guess what it was the whole white race's fault. But poor widdle Muhammad, they just can't figure out what drove the little lamb to slaughter

Posted by: TheQuietMan at July 19, 2015 09:23 AM (DiZBp)

25 As I mentioned the other day, I first heard about Reimer while in a doctors office reading a medical journal. I forgot the name of the rag but it had sex in the title so I chose it. This was over 30 years ago and even then I knew it was wrong and effed up. They made it like a success story but of course there was no input from the "experiment" itself. Years later read how miserable he was and then some years after that I read about his suicide.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 19, 2015 09:25 AM (iQIUe)

26 Just read "The Rape of the Mind" by Joost Meerloo, from 1956. Meerloo was a Dutch psychiatrist who was in the underground against the Nazi occupation, then worked professionally with various victims of the Nazis and the Russians. Moved to the US in 1950, and served as an expert witness in some of the court martials of US former POWs of the North Koreans who had been brainwashed. His analysis of similarities between the experience of a single prisoner being brainwashed and that of an entire nation being subjected to propaganda is eerie and way to applicable to us in 2015. Almost all human beings are weaker and more vulnerable to propaganda than we often realize. The book is kind of a downer. : ( Still trying to think about useful lessons it might have about countering propaganda.

Posted by: Emily at July 19, 2015 09:27 AM (7Rn+/)

27 I read "As Nature Made Him" years ago. I felt so bad for the entire Reimer family, but the real story, completely neglected, is that the respected John Money was possibly the biggest perv to ever get a Ph.D. One thing OM didn't mention is that Money had those two boys perform simulated sex for him in their "therapy" sessions with the unhurt boy being the male and poor David Reimer playing the girl. He had them simulate sex acts and somehow this came to nothing. This book was first published in 2000. Money died in 2006. The police had 6 years they could have used to go after this monster but nothing happened to him. Nothing.

I am still re-reading "Shogun" and I am reading a book called "The Real Doctor Will See You Now" by Matt McCarthy. It's about his first year residency and I got it via the LibraryThing early reviewers program. Unless McCarthy just falls apart half-way through, I expect to give a favorable, probably not glowing, review. I have always enjoyed "how I learned to be a doctor" books and this is looking promising.

Posted by: Tonestaple at July 19, 2015 09:27 AM (WdorP)

28 Every sex assignment person who commits suicide they stlll try to blame on other factors. The reporter in LA they claim he was despondent over his wife leaving him and losing friends. Well, is it realistic to think his wife wd stay with him? He certainly made plenty of new friends. This recent veteran guy who committed suicide, his wife stayed with him. They blamed it on his inability to find work. Well, join the club. He still had a wife, a roof over his head. It's all denial denial denial and if you dare to ask questions it's shut up.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 19, 2015 09:29 AM (iQIUe)

29 "Everything has become so politicized, it's going to take many years before honest histories will be able to be written about our time. It will be a many years before we get historians who are interested merely in facts and objective analysis..."

But is that even a sure thing? Can we rely on time and "perspective" anymore? What if time is working against us? It has occurred to me lately that the Left's great project goes beyond the mere re-engineering of outward society, but rather encompasses the re-engineering of the human social genome. That is, the Left seeks to obliterate innate human capacities for objectivity, common-sense, intellectual curiosity and honesty. We may be assuming a lot -- too much -- to believe in a future of people interested or even able to reflect honestly and objectively on the past.

Posted by: rrpjr at July 19, 2015 09:30 AM (s/yC1)

30 Sabrina, everyone knows the crater on Pluto is from where Kzanol's ship hit it

Posted by: Kindltot at July 19, 2015 09:31 AM (3pRHP)

31 19 Doug, This spring I took an online fiction writing course with Larry Correia and it was great! He is a real character, a natural storyteller live and in person also, and inspiring to writers. One of the most memorable takeaways for me is his statement that fiction writers are entertainers! They are supposed to be writing for the readers.

Posted by: Emily at July 19, 2015 09:32 AM (7Rn+/)

32 This week I read The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System by James Richards. First he details the factors and players which are working to remove the US dollar as the world's reserve currency. He also give the clearest account that I have read on how politicians and big bankers keep the wealth flowing to the bankers from the average citizenry. His advice to survive the collapse includes buying gold, land and fine art. An interesting and informative book.

Posted by: Zoltan at July 19, 2015 09:33 AM (lFkeD)

33 Wouldn't growing up with a missing penis already have messed up Reimer? Let me add that of course Dr. Money made things worse.

Posted by: Pete in TX at July 19, 2015 09:33 AM (S3St4)

34 The news has been especially disgusting and enraging this week. It was escapism time, so I OD'ed on Conan stories. Just the ones written by Howard. What a wonderful story teller and it is so satisfying to see his character succeed by force, guile and determination. I've enjoyed Howard's writing since my teens and those great Fratzetta covers n the paperback editions.

I've always been astonished at the depth of Howard's knowledge of history, weapons and weapons terminology and other rather obscure items. How did a young man in dusty, small town Texas find out all of this? And in so short a life?

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 09:35 AM (FvdPb)

35 My service to the book gods today is to try to bring order to the stack of books piled at the feet of my bookcases. I may rearrange and reassign priorities to my bookcases too. This is a big deal, because I recreate the same layout in my cases after each move and can locate even the tiniest pamphlet blindfolded. There is no hierarchy as all are vital to my mental well-being: Golden age sci-fi, Penguin classics, history, art, military, deliciously cheesy paperbacks, and humor.

I'm taking breaks every 20 minutes or so to read about Sluggor in Anna's "The Princess Who Caused Fear". Anna, it needs more purple! Never enough ultraviolet, puce, and magenta for this reader.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at July 19, 2015 09:36 AM (jR7Wy)

36 All Hail Eris at July 19, 2015 09:14 AM (jR7Wy) Stop yammering here and keep working on the sequel!

Yes'm! Typing now! They've just discovered a feline stowaway...

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at July 19, 2015 09:37 AM (GG9V6)

37 Also, if the illustration is accurate, then Dr. Money was Doc Brown's evil twin.

Posted by: Pete in TX at July 19, 2015 09:37 AM (S3St4)

38 I like noir, but gave up on Ken Bruen's "Green Hell." His "Priest" was good, but extremely noir. I loved his "Tower" and several others, but "Green Hell" turned the noir up to 12.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:16 AM (j2ORV)

Noooooooooooo.

Say it ain't so. I just bought "Green Hell".

I like Ken Bruen's books quite a bit but sometimes he really falls off the pony. *cough*Headstone*cough*

He reads better when he lets his (dark) sense of humor fly.

Posted by: naturalfake at July 19, 2015 09:38 AM (KUa85)

39 It bears saying that there are certainly instances of ambiguous genitalia. The embryologic/developmental pathways that lead to either male or female sex organs is not as dramatically different as you might think.

(Ovaries, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris) ~
(Testicles, scrotum, shaft, penile head)

I have had the experience of receiving a newborn baby from the obstetrician, stabilizing the breathing and announcing to the proud parents, "It's a...well...er...it's a... okay... hold that thought... I'm gonna have to get back to you on that." You literally cannot tell by looking.

In the absence of male hormones or inability of the tissues to respond to male hormones (defective receptors) the male genitalia do not develop fully during fetal life. The decision-making regarding gender assignment in such cases can be medically difficult, and sometimes has long-lasting psychologic impact.

Having said that, these cases are very rare, and very different from somebody with body dysmorphia or psychologically based gender confusion who voluntarily elects to have perfectly normal and functional genitalia surgically altered. Celebrating people like Bruce Jenner as courageous and heroic is the hallmark of a society that is wandering with a broken moral compass.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at July 19, 2015 09:38 AM (NeFrd)

40 Science Fiction recommendation: Armor by John Steakly

Spy genre recommendation: American Assassin by Vince Flynn

Historical fiction recommendation: Tides of War by Steven Pressfield

Non Fiction : American Caesar by William Manchester

Posted by: Cruzinator at July 19, 2015 09:38 AM (B7Uun)

41 Maybe Kozinski shd concentrate on Judicial Misconduct since he is certainly in the belly of the beast , i.e., the 9th Circuit.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 19, 2015 09:39 AM (iQIUe)

42 Still slogging my way through the first of Shelby Foote's three volumes on the Civil War. Hoping to finish sometime before I retire or die. It's OK so far, but it's clear he had good days and bad days as a writer over the course of the years it took to assemble his work. And more maps would help; he's not always good at creating a clear picture of the action (cf. The Killer Angels by Michael Sharra).

Posted by: PabloD at July 19, 2015 09:40 AM (1MuD5)

43 #7 RickZ beat me to it.

Posted by: Pete in TX at July 19, 2015 09:40 AM (S3St4)

44 Still slogging my way through the first of Shelby Foote's three volumes on the Civil War.

My son just finished that; He hasn't gotten the second one yet.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 19, 2015 09:41 AM (OSs/l)

45 I would like a homocidal helper monkey.

Posted by: HR trinken trinken trinken at July 19, 2015 09:41 AM (rHXGG)

46 Goldwater in his last years became unpredictable, to say the least. The Libs gloried in that. I always suspected it was the onset of dementia but never knew for sure.

Goldwater remarried later in his life to a woman who was 30 years younger, and very, very liberal. That perhaps had something to do with it. Also he had a homosexual grandson and a lesbian grandniece, which may have contributed to his "evolution" on certain issues.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 09:42 AM (qkRol)

47 "But, this was the 60s, a time when old certainties were being tossed overboard like so much useless ballast."

However, ballast is what keeps a ship sitting properly in the water.

Posted by: TimInVirginia at July 19, 2015 09:43 AM (BsxA+)

48 @31 Thanks. I heard Brad Thor recently saying something similar. Thor bases his stories around real world events/trends but his mission is to entertain. (No, I haven't had a chance to listen to Thor on the AOS podcast, but it is on my to-do list.)

I wondered why the hero of "Monster Hunters International" was a large accountant. Then I read Correia's wikipedia page -- "Based in Utah, Correia used to be an accountant, as well as a part-time firearms instructor." Clearly not a small man, either. ;-) I like his dry wit.

Thor and Correia are not shy about allowing their viewpoints to come through in their work but never to the detriment of the story. unlike the SJW types.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:44 AM (j2ORV)

49 Oh so the poor dear suffered from depression. It wasn't jihad or hating on America. Well all is forgiven.


*****


If he suffered from depression why didn't he do what normal people do when they're depressed...

...lop off his penis and go shoe shopping.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at July 19, 2015 09:44 AM (NeFrd)

50 A buddy of mine sent me a copy of "The Martian" by Andy Wier. Having seen several of the Horde recommend it, I started. I'm about 2/3rds through it, and it has been quite entertaining so far.

Posted by: Darth Randall at July 19, 2015 09:46 AM (6n332)

51 @38 Depends on your tolerance for alcoholic dysfunction and experimental writing styles.

I really thought that Ian Rankin hit it just about right with his Rebus stories.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:46 AM (j2ORV)

52 Criminal / Law Enforcement recommendation : Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter

Posted by: Cruzinator at July 19, 2015 09:46 AM (B7Uun)

53 Flashback by Dan Simmons, recommended to piss a Moron off.

Posted by: DaveA at July 19, 2015 09:48 AM (DL2i+)

54 Anyone know of a good general history of the US that is well written, but doesn't get too deep in the weeds? My son is reading "A Short History of the World" by Geoffery Blainey and enjoying it; I'd like to find something comparable on US history. The Paul Johnson book is quite a bit denser than what I'm looking for.

Posted by: Raul Johnson at July 19, 2015 09:48 AM (6pRSw)

55 9 While I learned a great deal regarding specific facts, I was mostly struck by the shortsightedness of Roosevelt in his dealings with Stalin.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 19, 2015 09:08 AM (9mTYi


FDR's administration was chock full o'Commies including Harry Hopkins and even the previous vice president, Henry Wallace. Probably most of the State Dept. as well - some things never change.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at July 19, 2015 09:49 AM (St6BJ)

56 Since I'm watching the British Open right now I'll make the recommendation to all golfers who haven't already read it, The Legend Of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield. Just like every military person should read Pressfield's Gates Of Fire, every golfer should read TLOBV. It's an amazing book. Don't let the terrible movie you from reading the book. To be fair no one could have captured the book into a movie.

Posted by: Cruzinator at July 19, 2015 09:54 AM (B7Uun)

57 42 Still slogging my way through the first of Shelby Foote's three volumes on the Civil War.

Posted by: PabloD at July 19, 2015 09:40 AM (1MuD5)

I read all three volumes several years ago, after the Ken Burns documentary first aired. I don't remember how long it took, though. I'm not a writer, so I can't speak for the quality of the writing. I liked them.

The books were a Herculean feat of research and writing, and are an exception to the usual rule that "history is written by the victors".

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 09:54 AM (sdi6R)

58 The second book I read this week was Annihilation, the first volume of the Area X trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer. The book introduces the reader to Area X, a section of coastline and the surrounding area cut off from the rest of the country by a mysterious barrier. Of course there is a portal through this barrier and we learn about the weird and mysterious goings on there with the the twelfth expedition sent there by a government agency call the Southern Reach. Previous expeditions have not fared well, and this one is no exception. The was enough interesting weirdness and mystery to keep me interested and to keep me reading the next two volumes for and explanation to it all.

Posted by: Zoltan at July 19, 2015 09:55 AM (lFkeD)

59 Are others having issues with ads on the site when I'm on my iphone? I'm getting rerouted to the ap store. Could be my phone, but just wondering if others are experiencing the same issue.

Posted by: GC at July 19, 2015 09:55 AM (Ma5u/)

60 I just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Has anyone read this? From what I'd heard, I expected to be pulled In immediately and I had to force myself to finish it. Did I miss something? I wasn't impressed.

Posted by: Abby at July 19, 2015 09:56 AM (8wu51)

61 Posted by: GC at July 19, 2015 09:55 AM (Ma5u/)

Yep. Been doing for a few weeks.

Posted by: Cruzinator at July 19, 2015 09:57 AM (B7Uun)

62 GC, it's been happening to me for weeks. So annoying.

Posted by: nckate at July 19, 2015 09:58 AM (emNpS)

63 Matt Welch of nonREASON has jumped on the Sandra Bland bandwagon. Shame on him.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at July 19, 2015 09:59 AM (iQIUe)

64 Celebrating people like Bruce Jenner as
courageous and heroic is the hallmark of a society that is wandering
with a broken moral compass.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at July 19, 2015 09:38 AM (NeFrd)

Exactly.

It is a measure of a society how it treats its troubled citizens.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 19, 2015 10:00 AM (Zu3d9)

65 Posted by: J.J. Sefton at July 19, 2015 09:49 AM (St6BJ)

And let us not forget that FDR was quite ill, and was getting abysmal medical care.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 19, 2015 10:02 AM (Zu3d9)

66 "the mentally ill ought not be allowed to determine public policy."

"Crazy" seems to be the new coordinated attack on conservatives and tea party types now. It used to be "the word they told us to use is 'extreme' ", as Schumer was caught saying on the hot mike. Now it is "those crazies" taking control of the Republican party.

It's a mad mad world.

Posted by: Illiniwek at July 19, 2015 10:05 AM (6zZ5y)

67 14
"So, currently reading God Stalk, it having been recommended by Morons. Not sure what I think yet, but I'm still reading."
I had the same reaction when I started reading the series. I was new to fantasy novels, having just finished the first 4 "Game of Thrones" books, and it took a while to get fully into the very strange world and characters. Years later and I'm still reading the series and waiting eagerly for the next installment.

Posted by: Tuna at July 19, 2015 10:07 AM (JSovD)

68 No light pleasure reading this week, but I got through four books on Kenya. Started a fifth, 'Histories of the Hanged', an in-depth look at the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya and the efforts of the in-country English to try to establish a South African apartheid system.

Also re-reading Pressler's 'Do the Work' because every once in a while, I need a kick in the ass to maintain forward momentum.

Posted by: Long Running Fool at July 19, 2015 10:10 AM (/A5gb)

69 The apps that seem to be most involved are "Lyft" a taxi app and something about fantasy football. Maybe we could rain down negative reviews on their apps as a reward?

Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 10:12 AM (7pz+3)

70 Sabrina, in the Antheneum hard cover for God Stalk Pat Hodgell on the flyleaf of the dust jacket explains she hopes to finish her doctorate in English literature with an emphasis on nineteenth-century fiction and that probably explains why her first full length novel is written in many respects like a Victorian novel.

re: Pluto. James P. Hogan in his original Giants Trilogy had the Ganymeans bury their dead at Pluto because that little rock was all that was left of their home world from 50,000 years ago.

Well Eris, not sure if this will strike fear in your heart or exultation but working on The Princess Who Caused Fear vol 2. Combat Meido Alice will be in it plus a snippet that frankly screams of H. Beam Piper that I am trying to flesh out. And other stories. Sluggor won't be in this one though Madonna of the Waters will after an expansion. Thank you for reading my little book. Good luck reorganizing.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:15 AM (zABgu)

71 To #54 The Structure of American History , Hofstader , miller and aaron 1964 . The 1964 says it all It is a text book but a very good one . Otherwise , the Oxford History , the 200 some years broken down into periods , pretty balanced but several thousand pages in toto . Then of course to know how the america haters got there the ever helpful Howard Zinn

Posted by: jay hoenemeyer at July 19, 2015 10:15 AM (uvj0z)

72 Goldwater remarried later in his life to a woman who
was 30 years younger, and very, very liberal. That perhaps had
something to do with it. Also he had a homosexual grandson and a lesbian
grandniece, which may have contributed to his "evolution" on certain
issues.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 09:42 AM

Or maybe BMG just wised up a bit. In earlier times, he was a doctrinaire purist on political and social issues, which was both blessing and curse. His later "evolution" softened him, not towards groups, but to individuals. He would still not have countenanced treason (and so would still be anathema to liberals), but would give people a certain amount of slack as long as they didn't rock the societal boat. I liked him better later, and I admired him from the start.

With No Apologies is a damn good book and I recommend the daylights out of it. I'm sure he left out a few nasty details -- what writer of autobiography doesn't? -- but he emerges as a principled hardass with limited tolerance for the kind of people who subvert the country or selfishly drain its resources for personal gain.

Wish I'd known the guy. And wish we had 536 (equaling one full Congress plus President) more like him.

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 10:18 AM (rCmeG)

73 I bought Brad Thor's "Code of Conduct" on Friday and I'm about halfway through it.. a really good fast read, if you like that kind of thing!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at July 19, 2015 10:19 AM (UpGcq)

74 looking around, I'm seeing few general history books on the USA that cover the entirety post circa 1940s

there are plentiful ones that deal with slices of history, like the war of 1812 or ways to look at it, such as the four folkways book.

then there are textbooks, uneven of course.

Posted by: Bigby's Knuckle Sandwich at July 19, 2015 10:20 AM (Cq0oW)

75 66
"Crazy" seems to be the new coordinated attack on conservatives and tea party types now.

Posted by: Illiniwek at July 19, 2015 10:05 AM (6zZ5y)

How very Soviet.

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 10:20 AM (sdi6R)

76 Tuna thanks for the reminder. Hodgell years later wrote and Baen put online for free a little side-story about events and people in Tai-Tastigon. Read after finishing God Stalk to avoid spoilers.

The Talisman's Trinket.
http://www.baen.com/talismanstrinket.asp

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:20 AM (zABgu)

77 Anybody who would like a review copy of HARD BITE, about a paraplegic who targets hit-and-run-drivers in Los Angeles with the aid of a helper monkey, please drop me a line: anonwrite9 at gmail dot com. It has 175 organic reviews on Amazon, and a refreshing, pro-liberty point of view.

Posted by: Anonymous-9 at July 19, 2015 10:21 AM (vmHHv)

78 30
Damn, was I pissed when they took away Pluto's planet status. I spent my childhood making solar system charts and models for school assignments and loved that mysterious little orb hanging out there with all those big gassy giants.

Posted by: Tuna at July 19, 2015 10:22 AM (JSovD)

79 72 Yeah don't you wish we had a President who was only as corrupt as Nixon today?

Posted by: MAx at July 19, 2015 10:23 AM (YJeFl)

80 How very Soviet.

Consider that stolen to tell the boss next time he spouts off.

Posted by: Infidel at July 19, 2015 10:24 AM (zgVAw)

81 "t will be a many years before we get historians who are interested merely in facts and objective analysis without grinding their favorite political axes."

I follow a ACW history blogger, Dimitri Rotov, whose core contention is that modern historians - specifically the then-revisionist "Centennials" of the mid-20th Century - can be best understood as regurgitating the Republican newspaper editorial version of the war. He doesn't say so explicitly, but his positions can likewise be understood as being a somewhat idiosyncratic restatement of pro-McClellan Democratic editorial positions. So, even a century and a half later, ACW history buffs are still arguing the party positions of the day. That does not fill one with hope for a post-partisan future discussion, does it?

I loved God Stalk, she's been cranking out further books every five years or so since then, so she's not the quickest writer on the planet, but if you like the style, it stays in lane.

I finished reading Paul Johnson's History of Christianity, looking for a new nonfiction book, maybe I'll circle around and finish that partially-read copy of God's Traitors, which I found pretty hard slogging.

In between getting drunk and writing terrible booze-soaked Christian poetry posts on my blog, that is. Which might be worrying my relatives, it occurs to me.

Posted by: Mitch H. at July 19, 2015 10:25 AM (TyX4J)

82 Funny that demotion of Pluto... only 5% of the members of that organization were in attendance and thus decided Pluto's fate. And their votes carried.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:25 AM (zABgu)

83 Listened to Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim, where a young sailor is charged with abandoning a sinking ship and struggles with
what to do with his life after that. Mostly a human study with some
action, Conrad really shows his strength at spinning a yarn, terrific stuff.

Listened to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, where a young bond trader in NYC meets the mysterious nouveau riche Mr. Gatsby, eventually learns his story and his obsession with a married woman named Daisy. Very entertaining short novel, also enjoyed the recent film with Tobey McGuire.

Read The Deaths Of Tau (Tao #2) by Wesley Chu, up for the Hugo Campbell award for best new writer. Aliens
have been living among us as mental hosts for thousands of years, they
are split into two factions and have been in armed conflict. Haven't read book one but thought this one was pretty good, lots of fighting and explosions, similar to a Correia Monster Hunter book though not quite as good.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 19, 2015 10:26 AM (oAK6v)

84 Re: Hemingway (and others--Gellhorn, dos Pasos, Robert Capa.) I can't recommend highly enough Amanda Vaill's "Hotel Florida" which is set during the Spanish Civil War. An incredibly interesting book with some amazing characters. You will also find out what a shithead Hemingway was at times and his association with various communist causes.

A great writer but an arrogant asshole as a human being.

Posted by: Libra at July 19, 2015 10:28 AM (GblmV)

85 After the "Usher" book thread I continued reading more Poe and enjoyed it thoroughly. Then I realized I have never read anything by HP Lovecraft. (I hang my head in shame.) Here I am, almost as old as Vic and never read Lovecraft. I ordered the Annotated Lovecraft which should arrive in a few days. Definitely looking forward to it.

As part of my program of distraction from the news I'm continuing to learn basic chess by playing out past games. I've learned two things: I have little native talent for the game and it's a lot of fun.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 10:30 AM (FvdPb)

86 51 @38 Depends on your tolerance for alcoholic dysfunction and experimental writing styles.

I really thought that Ian Rankin hit it just about right with his Rebus stories.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:46 AM (j2ORV)

Well, yeah, but that whole Jack Taylor series is all about the alcoholic self hate and attempted (usually failed redemption).

His Brant series is better in that regard.

I actually like him better when he gets out of Ireland and sets the story in America, even though he goofs up some of the details and American slang.

"American Skin" is my favorite novel by him. Also like "Once Were Cops" quite a bit. And the "Bust" series written with Jason Starr (more in Starr's voice than his) is a lot of fun. Kind of a dark farce.


I used to read Ian Rankin and the Rebus series. I don't know...I lost interest somewhere along the line with him. They were just so dreary and similar. i felt the series was one long toilet circling without the flush.

Posted by: naturalfake at July 19, 2015 10:30 AM (KUa85)

87 Yeah don't you wish we had a President who was only as corrupt as Nixon today?

Posted by: MAx at July 19, 2015 10:23 AM

Hell, if you're gonna look at it that way, I wish we had a Preezy who was only as corrupt as the first 43 of 'em combined!

BMG was not at all a Nixon fan. Didn't like the guy personally, didn't approve of his little liberal peccadilloes, wanted him to resign because he felt RMN had dishonored the country.

Wonder what he would have thought of Choom Boy....

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 10:31 AM (rCmeG)

88 Oregon Muse did you see this on Abe Books? Asking people who is their book hero.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/pmcwbj8

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:33 AM (zABgu)

89
I wuv reading!

Posted by: Pluto, The Littlest Planet at July 19, 2015 10:33 AM (KUa85)

90 From what I understand, when I baby/child has "issues" with their genitals, they default to the "girl" position because the assumption is that females are less exposed to nudity in things like high school locker rooms/ bathrooms, and are less likely to be teased because of their deformations.

Posted by: shibumi, who is forced to live in an unsettling reality created by democrats at July 19, 2015 10:33 AM (9KToF)

91 His later "evolution" softened him, not towards groups, but to individuals.

I don't know about this. He condemned the "Moral Majority" (i.e "the religious right") lock, stock, and barrel. His quote (which the MSM gleefully repeated over and over again, as they do whenever one conservative goes after another) was that they (the MM) "scared the hell out of him."

So in one fell swoop, Goldwater wrote off the socons.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 10:34 AM (qkRol)

92 #14

I slogged through the first book and it was severely unrewarding. The gimmick of the society with no gendered pronouns was completely wrecked by calling EVERYONE 'her' and 'she.' Either Leckie wasn't brave enough to create some new pronouns or felt it wouldn't be brave enough if she didn't club the reader over the head with this obnoxiousness on ever damned page.

Otherwise, it was remarkably dull. A better writer could have produced a far more enjoyable read from the same outline. If this is what they're reduced to giving Hugos to these days, it's no wonder sales for the genre are verging on dropping off the charts.

Posted by: Epobirs at July 19, 2015 10:34 AM (IdCqF)

93 82 Funny that demotion of Pluto... only 5% of the members of that organization were in attendance and thus decided Pluto's fate. And their votes carried.
Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:25 AM (zABgu)

That's interesting.

I'm kind of an agnostic on the subject. It was certainly thought to be a planet when it was first discovered, and was initially estimated to be much larger than it really is.

But then about 60 years later, additional objects began to be discovered in that region, some of them with orbits similar to Pluto's. So I don't have a problem with classifying it as a Kuiper Belt object, either. I can understand the arguments for both sides.

One cool thing about Pluto and Charon is that they are a true double planet, the only one in our solar system. Their common center of gravity lies outside of Pluto itself, so Charon is more than a just a moon.

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 10:37 AM (sdi6R)

94 So I am starting Hard Luck Hank Prince of Suck, loved the first two books, I hate that this book that skip too far into the Characters future, maybe because I want more books.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 10:39 AM (c4yY7)

95 >>> One cool thing about Pluto and Charon is that they are a true double planet, the only one in our solar system. Their common center of gravity lies outside of Pluto itself, so Charon is more than a just a moon.
Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 10:37 AM (sdi6R)



Indeed not! It's more like a Space-Station......

Posted by: Zombie Obi-Wan Kenobi at July 19, 2015 10:40 AM (2mJMN)

96 Indeed not! It's more like a Space-Station......

That's no moon...

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 10:42 AM (qkRol)

97 Yup, it's a mystery of a motive alright:

"At this time, we have no indication that he was inspired by or directed by anyone other than himself," Ed Reinhold, the FBI agent in charge, said of the shooter, identified as 24-year-old Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, during a news conference Friday.

(snagged from a Conservative Treehouse piece)

In book related news, I (re)read Sackett (1961) by Louis L'Amour since I had suggested it to ace as a starting place for L'Amour's writings. My dad was a huge fan of his writing, and has a complete collection. I've read probably a dozen or so of his books over the years, and I'm not a big western fan. Then again, I've been known to read detergent boxes, too.

I'll give Sackett 2.5 stars.

He has Sackett getting a copy of Blackstone from his brother and I really ought to read that some day. Blackstone refers to (wiki) --

The Commentaries on the Laws of England[1] are an influential 18th-century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765-1769. The work is divided into four volumes, on the rights of persons, the rights of things, of private wrongs and of public wrongs.

Many early Supreme Court rulings cite Blackstone per wiki. And I've read elsewhere that in the 18th century if you could pass a test on Blackstone, you could hang out your shingle as a lawyer. At least back then you could actually know the law; now even the IRS is likely to not know its own laws and regulations.

Posted by: GnuBreed at July 19, 2015 10:43 AM (BYmr3)

98 I've read the Shelby Foote "Civil War" volumes and loved them. Enough so I got the three volumes in hard back when I had a chance. Gave the paperback edition to my 'honorary' nieces when they were old enough. They were surprised by how much they had not been taught in school. I still thumb through them for certain battles.

Always liked that Foote wrote them with a dip pen. It seemed appropriate for the topic.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 10:45 AM (FvdPb)

99 I'm continuing to learn basic chess by playing out past games.

Are you working your way through the games in Chernev's Logical Chess Move by Move?

Because if you aren't, you should be.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 10:46 AM (qkRol)

100 I have been reading Janet evanovichs 'wicked charms' which is pure fluff. If I hadn't been so distracted it would not take any time to read because she puts out three books a year now, coauthored and giant font, triple spaced with huge margins and it's still only 240 pages. Ridiculous.

Posted by: Lea at July 19, 2015 10:46 AM (c30pY)

101 I'm curious about any reactions to the "Jack Reacher" thrillers. I found the first few good but that the theme of corporate evil in subsequent books became monotonous. I may be getting too sensitive to political influences in books, so I ask.

Posted by: rrpjr at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM (s/yC1)

102 I'm reading about Muslims who find Christ:

"Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam" by Rifqa Bary

"Dreams and Visions - Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?" by Tom Doyle.

"A Wind in the House of Islam" by David Garrison.

Fascinating.

Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM (7pz+3)

103 Rickl the decision to demote Pluto lacked any nuance lets say. They could have just grandfathered in Pluto as a planet because of how long it had been classified as such. For Pluto they were quite black and white.

And then they went all legal and nuanced for the definition of a dwarf planet which is a designation I am unfamiliar with, more familiar to me is the term planetoid to mean a hefty rock just not quite big enough to be a planet. Their definition of what is a dwarf planet has a whole host of issues - clearing out its space? How does one define that when Earth still suffers NEOs. Where does a planet's space end? What about Trojan asteroids?

And yes the orbital mechanics of the Pluto/Charon system as they travel around the Sun reminds me more of a drunk at 3am than any regular orbit.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM (zABgu)

104 90 From what I understand, when I baby/child has "issues" with their genitals, they default to the "girl" position because the assumption is that females are less exposed to nudity in things like high school locker rooms/ bathrooms, and are less likely to be teased because of their deformations.

---

Besides that, women/girls are generally given a lot more leeway on gender-conforming than men/boys. Angelina Jolie has taken some heat for allowing Shiloh to go by John and have a boy's haircut/clothes but it's not even in the same universe as the shit she'd hear if her son, Maddox started going by Madeleine and wearing dresses as a very young child.

Posted by: Jenny Hates Her Phone at July 19, 2015 10:48 AM (yz1VW)

105 So in one fell swoop, Goldwater wrote off the socons. Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 10:34 AM

I certainly don't want to start or participate in an argument about the MM, but will admit that there have been times when socons like those in the MM have scared the hell out of me, too.

If you cherry-pick any public figure's utterances (especially if they're in politics, you can find something that puts you off of them. I can't think of a single person in politics who hasn't, at one time or another, dropped a word-bomb that got them firmly entrenched on my personal Shit List. That includes BMG.

But I refuse to go all whiny about details as so many do today -- see: Trump versus all the Deep Thinkers of Conservatism -- when the overall effect is or could be good for the country.

And Goldwater, crusty bastard that he was, stood tall for the United States and the Consitution.

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 10:49 AM (rCmeG)

106 OT. Sorry. Kerry has just said its "presumptious" to put the Iran deal to Congress BEFORE taking it to the UN Security Council

In his mind, and the JEFs, the UN Security Council is more important. WTF

Posted by: ThunderB at July 19, 2015 10:49 AM (zOTsN)

107 Caught some kind of respiratory crud after last Sunday's Indie Author event at a mall -- either something in the AC system, or just exposure to a lot of people - so didn't get a lot of book stuff done ... but I am set up for two massive multi-author library events coming up in the fall - so, yay!
I'm going to try and finish one of the current works in progress to launch it then, so if anyone would like to volunteer as a beta reader for a book tentatively titled "Sunset and Steel Rails" ... email me at clyahayes-at-gee-mail-dot-com. There are bits of chapters posted at my book website, so if you think this is something that would interest you - let me know.

The one book that I did get into re-reading this week - Eric Larson's "Isaac's Storm" - about the 1900 hurricane that nearly destroyed Galveston. It was a horrific storm, which may have killed 10,000 people in Galveston and storm surge on the coastal mainland. This book is one of those straight historical accounts which reads as fascinatingly as a novel.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at July 19, 2015 10:49 AM (95iDF)

108 Sarah Hoyt's husband, Dan, has published his first novel, 9th Euclid's Prince. Bought it yesterday; so far, so good.

Posted by: SDN at July 19, 2015 10:52 AM (p/ktF)

109 And the Ace of Spades link maker still doesn't work.

Posted by: SDN at July 19, 2015 10:52 AM (p/ktF)

110 103 dwarf planet is the white hispanic of astronomy

Posted by: MAx at July 19, 2015 10:53 AM (YJeFl)

111 http://www.amazon.com/Ninth-Euclids-Prince-Dan-Hoyt-ebook/dp/B0111EPBD4/accordingtohoyt-20

Posted by: SDN at July 19, 2015 10:53 AM (p/ktF)

112 Anyone else up for suggesting Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' for the next book discussion? The cartoon at the top reminded me. Short, unintentionally funny, and very good for discussion on current/timeless issues. For some reason, reading about all the special snowflakes this week, the quote from the obnoxious brat killed by the monster about his papa being a syndic keeps running through my head. I think there is good reason for the unassuming little potboiler (whoever came up with that description -- brilliant) to still be relevant.

Posted by: mustbequantum at July 19, 2015 10:53 AM (MIKMs)

113 >>>24-year-old Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez


can we bring back the the idea that religious war is not a bad thing?

the west got it right that different branches of Christianity should stop fighting each other.

Christianity and Judaism have nothing in common with islam

Posted by: not a Raiders fan at July 19, 2015 10:53 AM (4Kn+9)

114 Posted by: SDN at July 19, 2015 10:52 AM (p/ktF)

#twoweeks

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 19, 2015 10:55 AM (Zu3d9)

115 99 ... OM, That's exactly the book I'm using. I may never play a game against an opponent but I'm having fun learning about chess and replaying and, hopefully, understanding these masterly games. It is approaching therapeutic.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 10:55 AM (FvdPb)

116 I'm curious about any reactions to the "Jack
Reacher" thrillers. I found the first few good but that the theme of
corporate evil in subsequent books became monotonous. I may be getting
too sensitive to political influences in books, so I ask.

Posted by: rrpjr at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM

So many authors of series novels, like the "Reacher" books and everything written by Robert B Parker, tend after a while to sound as if they've gotten lazy and are just phoning it in.

I liked the first couple of "Reacher" novels, just as I enjoyed the initial "Spenser" books, but when the author keeps grinding 'em out without giving the reader any evolution or major changes to the characters and plots, I lose interest.

Wouldn't say it's "political" as much as it's laziness and starting to believe in your own P.R. That's what stopped my reading of later Vonnegut books, too.

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 10:55 AM (rCmeG)

117 103
Their definition of what is a dwarf planet has a whole host of issues - clearing out its space? How does one define that when Earth still suffers NEOs. Where does a planet's space end? What about Trojan asteroids?

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM (zABgu)

Yeah, it's a question of definition and classification, which is always going to be controversial when there is no bright dividing line.

There are seven moons in the solar system that are larger than Pluto. Ganymede and Titan are even larger than the planet Mercury (which everybody agrees is a planet). Titan even has a dense atmosphere, which Mercury lacks. And so on.

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

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 10:58 AM (sdi6R)

118 I am listening to an audio book by Terry Good kind. It was the longest one I could find at the library. It's one of those wizard and Dragon stories that I can't stomach reading, but as an audio book it serves its purpose. Can't remember the title. 8 more hours of listening today on my way to Savannah.

Posted by: lincolntf at July 19, 2015 10:59 AM (6rrzz)

119 Read the brand spanking new Laundry novel by Charles Stross. Meh. There's just not a lot of story there; it was boring.

The story is told from Mo's perspective instead of Bob's. As CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN unfolds, people are spontaneously developing superpowers and deciding they are superheroes and/or supervillains. Early in the book, Mo is caught taking done one of them by a TV crew; her Laundry cover is blown.

So she's assigned to be the director of a brand new branch of the police force designed to deal with the growing supervillain threat, tasked with bringing up the new force and recruiting superheroes into her little force.

The book is chock full of the office politics with which Mo has to deal. And we're not talking interesting soul-sucking dimension-shifting Laundry office politics here, because she's building a normal civilian police force. No, it's the average everyday sort of office politics; there are several points in the book where Mo and her executive team are worried about whether their little force is sufficiently diverse, for example.

To break up the office politics, Mo also has to deal with a failing marriage. So the office politics are broken up mostly by awkward encounters with Bob rather than action or advancement of the actual plot.

Probably would have made a decent short story.

Posted by: Anachronda at July 19, 2015 11:00 AM (o78gS)

120 If you cherry-pick any public figure's utterances (especially if they're in politics, you can find something that puts you off of them.

Right. But if he wanted to snipe at other conservatives, the best place to do that is in private, and not where the MSM will insure his comments get circulated far and wide, and, incidentally, laughing at him while they do it.

And Goldwater, crusty bastard that he was, stood tall for the United States and the Consitution.

He certainly did. Prior to about 1980. After that, I don't know. Maybe he just should have kept his mouth shut.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:02 AM (qkRol)

121 A sailor also died that was shot by the muzzie the TN shooter.

5 dead now

Posted by: not a Raiders fan at July 19, 2015 11:04 AM (4Kn+9)

122
Nixon was an angel compared to obama. obama is a traitor and a terrorist.

Posted by: Soothsayer of the Righteous And Harmonious Fists at July 19, 2015 11:05 AM (B0X2V)

123 @101 Reacher/politics question was asked & answered on freerepublic.com -- http://bit.ly/1HCI8kh

I don't find the politics to be a problem and I am fairly sensitive to bias. I've read all the books and find them entertaining.

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher was tough to take, but not as bad as I expected.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 11:05 AM (j2ORV)

124 Or the mussels I ate Friday.

To quote the Robot Hasidim on Fyturama:

"No shellfish!"

Posted by: Fox2! at July 19, 2015 11:05 AM (brIR5)

125 Doing more knitting than reading this summer but did start " Death Ex Machina", the fifth in Gary Corby's mystery series about ancient Athens' first and only P.I.. This time the newly married Nico, his priestess wife Diotima and his pesky little brother, Socrates( yes, that Socrates) investigate strange happenings and murder on stage at Athens' great art festival. Light hearted and fun with a little education on Greek customs and traditions mixed in.

Posted by: Tuna at July 19, 2015 11:08 AM (JSovD)

126 Isn't the Pluto-Chiron system the closest thing to our own? Good thing the Jovian representatives weren't at that meeting or we'd be a dwarf planet, too.

Posted by: t-bird at July 19, 2015 11:08 AM (FcR7P)

127 Oh, yeah. And speaking of mad scientists, here's a good webcomic regarding them: http://www.project-apollo.net/mos/index.html

Posted by: Anachronda at July 19, 2015 11:08 AM (o78gS)

128 On Twitter someone posted a picture of the Death Star as being a NASA pic of Pluto, which reminded me of The Scent Of Metal, sometimes these scifi books turn out to be prophetic.

I enjoyed book one of the Ancillary series though everyone being called her and she was very irritating, apparently the writer wouldn't listen to editors advising her to drop it. Book two lacked the strengths of its predecessor having nearly no action, and the pronoun usage was as confusing as ever. Probably won't continue of the series, unless forced to by next year's Hugo's.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 19, 2015 11:09 AM (oAK6v)

129 If you like to read on the go and carry (firearm), Galco makes a nice product just for that.........unless you have lost you firearms in a boating accident.

Posted by: JROD at July 19, 2015 11:10 AM (4z+4V)

130 121
Young father with 3 little ones under the age of six. But the little weasel who murdered him was " depressed" so it's all ok.

Posted by: Tuna at July 19, 2015 11:11 AM (JSovD)

131 Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 10:47 AM (7pz+3)

I Dared Call Him Father is a good one too. The culturally muslim former wife of a Pakistani diplomat came to Christ in the 60's after dreams that made her seek out a local missionary. Even then there was increasing persecution and it has gotten so much worse since.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 19, 2015 11:11 AM (GDulk)

132 Maybe he just should have kept his mouth shut. Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:02 AM

Maybe he should have. He was, after all, getting old and was in poor health. Kinda like John McCain (though not as bad), even though McCain has dropped a lot more dung-bombs than BMG ever did.

There's a fine line between Giving a Brother a Break (Big Ron's so-called 11th Commandment) and honesty. I would hate to be the judge of who does and doesn't step over that line.

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 11:11 AM (rCmeG)

133 Back when I was in school in the 60s, i remember books and wall charts about the solar system. All of the moons except our own were shown as featureless dots. Almost nothing was known about them. I naively assumed that all of those small worlds were probably like our Moon--airless bodies covered with craters, and not all that interesting.

Now that they've been visited, we know that each one is utterly unique and individual. Who'd have thunk it?

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 11:11 AM (sdi6R)

134 There is a story in this shooting mess... of the little boy who could not cry wolf.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:12 AM (zABgu)

135 Did we put a flag on Pluton?

Posted by: Sheila Jackson Lee at July 19, 2015 11:14 AM (Dwehj)

136 Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher was tough to take, but not as bad as I expected.

Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 11:05 AM

Teh Cruiser is kinda tough to take in any role, IMO. My mental picture of Reacher was something along the lines of that perennial cartoon favorite, Clutch Cargo....

The books didn't inspire me to go see the movie, for which I'm grateful.

Posted by: MrScribbler at July 19, 2015 11:14 AM (rCmeG)

137 Pepperoni Io completely changed the landscape when it came to satellites of the solar system.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:17 AM (zABgu)

138 Come to think about Ace's podcast, I was surprised at Brad Thor's comment that, "In college, only once, I was drunk, and we don't talk anymore."

I would hope that someone like Brad would have had a better first time experience playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 19, 2015 11:17 AM (3pRHP)

139 Abby. I am a Gaiman fan but American Gods was just ok and didn't like Anansi Boys. They're trying to make Gods into tv series I think. Good Omens is still my favorite, and Stardust.

Posted by: Beth M at July 19, 2015 11:18 AM (kiy9d)

140 Putting Hard Bite on my to-read list, love me some detective noir.

Posted by: bam at July 19, 2015 11:18 AM (mvuew)

141 Or, I should say ...libertarian noir?

Posted by: bam at July 19, 2015 11:19 AM (mvuew)

142 I Dared Call Him Father is a good one too. The culturally muslim former wife of a Pakistani diplomat came to Christ in the 60's after dreams that made her seek out a local missionary. Even then there was increasing persecution and it has gotten so much worse since.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 19, 2015 11:11 AM (GDulk)

Oh! Believe it or not, that was the first one I read. It was excellent - I forgot about it. The author was from a politically prominent family and had led a very interesting life. Her determination to seen Christ puts my soft life to shame.

Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 11:22 AM (7pz+3)

143 126 Isn't the Pluto-Chiron system the closest thing to our own? Good thing the Jovian representatives weren't at that meeting or we'd be a dwarf planet, too.
Posted by: t-bird at July 19, 2015 11:08 AM (FcR7P)

Heh. Actually, it's Charon, not Chiron. Chiron is another small object that orbits between Jupiter and Saturn.

Before Charon's discovery in 1978, our Moon was by far the largest moon relative to its planet, and some said it was almost a double planet. But the Earth-Moon center of gravity lies deep inside the Earth. Charon is even larger relative to Pluto, and their center of gravity lies between them, so they're a true double planet, rather than a planet and moon.

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 11:22 AM (sdi6R)

144 to seek . . .

Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 11:22 AM (7pz+3)

145 Maybe he should have. He was, after all, getting old and was in poor health. Kinda like John McCain (though not as bad), even though McCain has dropped a lot more dung-bombs than BMG ever did.

Well, that's certainly true. Also, if BMG said anything sensible in his old age, it is unlikely that it ever would've been reported by the MSM. They are only interested in reporting things that they think will cause damage to conservatives.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:24 AM (qkRol)

146 hi all
I had heard about the Reimer story, it is very sad, that poor boy

Posted by: chemjeff enjoying blueberry pancakes at July 19, 2015 11:24 AM (2XMpf)

147 Charon is the ferryman across the river Styx to the underworld of Hades/Pluto.

Chiron was a centaur.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:25 AM (zABgu)

148 137 Pepperoni Io completely changed the landscape when it came to satellites of the solar system.
Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:17 AM (zABgu)

They were the first volcanoes discovered on another world. And Neptune's moon Triton has ice volcanoes that spew water vapor.

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 11:25 AM (sdi6R)

149 I know I've recommended Brent Week's Black Prism here before, but I just listened to it through OverDrive app and I'm not sure I would now. The reader making The Prism sound like a stoner beach bum didn't help but I'd forgotten/not noticed how much crudity there was and the absolutely *vicious* internal dialogs of both the Prism and Kip. I suppose it's true to character, the world is very good and the magic system unique, but I guess I'm not at a point that I can hear people beating themselves up (and making it impossible for others to be kind to them as well) without cringing.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 19, 2015 11:26 AM (GDulk)

150 giant font, triple spaced with huge margins and it's still only 240 pages. Ridiculous.


****

Heh, I can see it:


It was a dark and... (turn page)



...stormy night. (turn page)

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at July 19, 2015 11:27 AM (NeFrd)

151 Posted by: Jade Sea at July 19, 2015 11:22 AM (7pz+3)

She truly lived in the Kingdom of God in a way I very much want to emulate.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 19, 2015 11:27 AM (GDulk)

152 Teh Cruiser is kinda tough to take in any role, IMO. My mental picture of Reacher was something along the lines of that perennial cartoon favorite, Clutch Cargo....

Heh. Isn't Reacher supposed to be, like, a 6-foot-6 hulking brute of a man?

And Cruise is 5-9 and about half Reacher's weight...

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:28 AM (qkRol)

153 *uses her eating knife to snag a pancake from ChemJeff's plate*

Yep the Reimer story is truly horrific. Money deserves to be in an adjoining cell with Mengele.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:29 AM (zABgu)

154 Emily,

I too am reading Rape of the Mind and find it really depressing. One of the bright spots regarding human psychology is the power of ridicule and humor to defuse the "trance" state.

I am a lifelong MST3K fan and I think that show has done much to render me less susceptible to suggestion. I have never done drugs (even in college!) and I once endured a 6-hour long "lie detector" test by a former army interrorgator to renew my clearance.

He keyed in on a lot of my inherent guilt (Catholic) but he could not turn me in the end. I left confident that I would be found loyal (because I am!) and a sense of pity for my interrorgator. He had the worst canckles.

Anyway, my take is MST3K can teach resistance tomental coercion. That was in fact the theme of the show.

Posted by: Charlemagne's Ghost at July 19, 2015 11:29 AM (vevQl)

155 We're going to be driving cross country so have 2 of Rush's books on tape for the kido's.

should be a good time wife and kids jammed into the car for hours

good old fashioned family time

Posted by: not a Raiders fan at July 19, 2015 11:30 AM (4Kn+9)

156 Anna: the planet definition they used for Pluto is so skewed I don't think Neptune conforms to it because it shares its orbit with half the Miller Belt, including Pluto.

Posted by: Thing from Snowy Mountain at July 19, 2015 11:31 AM (uPEP1)

157 Back when I was in school in the 60s, i remember books and wall charts about the solar system. All of the moons except our own were shown as featureless dots. Almost nothing was known about them. I naively assumed that all of those small worlds were probably like our Moon--airless bodies covered with craters, and not all that interesting.

I know, right? And there weren't many of them, either. Jupiter had 12 moons, Saturn had 9, Uranus had 5, Neptune 2, and Pluto 0.

And now, I can't keep with all of the new moons that have been discovered. Dozens and dozens. I have no idea how many each planet has.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:32 AM (qkRol)

158 Since I'm new to Lovecraft, any suggestions on which stories to start with? I believe this volume has all of them.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 11:34 AM (FvdPb)

159 150
giant font, triple spaced with huge margins and it's still only 240 pages.

Watch Triumph of the Will with commentary last night. At one point the commenter mentions that Hitler had terrible eyesight and his speeches were done on a special typewriter with a two-inch font so that he could read them without glasses.

Must have been a monstrous machine, in more ways than one.

Posted by: Anachronda at July 19, 2015 11:35 AM (o78gS)

160 From what I understand, when I baby/child has "issues" with their genitals, they default to the "girl" position because the assumption is that females are less exposed to nudity in things like high school locker rooms/ bathrooms, and are less likely to be teased because of their deformations.

*****


I think the decision is more likely based on an anatomic reconstruction issue first and foremost. In ambiguous genitalia the gonads (testes or ovaries) usually are not descended from the abdomen, the shaft of the penis is not well formed, and the introitus (vaginal opening) is splayed open (see also hypospadias). From the surgical perspective it is easier to make this arrangement visually look like a female than a male.

Posted by: Muldoon, a solid man at July 19, 2015 11:35 AM (NeFrd)

161 hey!

And it's also sad to think that the Goldwater campaign button of "AuH2O" wouldn't even work in today's era because you'd have a hard time explaining to people what it meant.

Posted by: chemjeff enjoying blueberry pancakes at July 19, 2015 11:35 AM (2XMpf)

162 nood at last

Posted by: MAx at July 19, 2015 11:35 AM (YJeFl)

163 Money deserves to be in an adjoining cell with Mengele.

Money died in 2006, I believe. May God have mercy on his soul.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:36 AM (qkRol)

164 And it's also sad to think that the Goldwater campaign button of "AuH2O" wouldn't even work in today's era because you'd have a hard time explaining to people what it meant.

Good point.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:36 AM (qkRol)

165 Two inch font? Typewriter? Well during the Depression Daimler-Benz did make typewriters to help keep the doors open.

But the clacking of that machine, office probably sounded like it was always being strafed by a heavy machine gun.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 19, 2015 11:37 AM (zABgu)

166 Read the brand spanking new Laundry novel by Charles Stross. Meh. There's just not a lot of story there; it was boring.

The story is told from Mo's perspective instead of Bob's. As CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN unfolds, people are spontaneously developing superpowers and deciding they are superheroes and/or supervillains. Early in the book, Mo is caught taking done one of them by a TV crew; her Laundry cover is blown.

So she's assigned to be the director of a brand new branch of the police force designed to deal with the growing supervillain threat, tasked with bringing up the new force and recruiting superheroes into her little force.

The book is chock full of the office politics with which Mo has to deal. And we're not talking interesting soul-sucking dimension-shifting Laundry office politics here, because she's building a normal civilian police force. No, it's the average everyday sort of office politics; there are several points in the book where Mo and her executive team are worried about whether their little force is sufficiently diverse, for example.

To break up the office politics, Mo also has to deal with a failing marriage. So the office politics are broken up mostly by awkward encounters with Bob rather than action or advancement of the actual plot.

Probably would have made a decent short story.
Posted by: Anachronda at July 19, 2015 11:00 AM (o78gS)



I'm about fifty pages from the end of "The Annihilation Score" and I was hoping for at least a slam-bang finish but it sounds like I'm destined to be disappointed.

*sigh*

With all the background to this novel, you'd be expecting it to be chock full o'action, but-

Nooop.


I swear to God, I think this novel is really a Mary Jane story about building the perfect socialist government agency.

Really.

In fact, there's a footnote on page 68 regarding a meeting Mo has with the Prime Minister, etc,

where she gabbles on almost point for point through Lippman's spiel from last week's book thread about propaganda about socialist gov't approvingly and ends, and i quote,

"But I find it faintly reassuring to confirm that, however misguided I might privately think some of our government's policies might be, at least they are being executed with enthusiasm and zeal by first-class overachievers. Because it beats the alternative."

I assume the alternative is leaving people alone to live their own lives their own way - which goes along with the plot of the nuisance of ordinary people suddenly gaining (super)power because they aren't under gov't control.

So, to recap, the main character gets all gooey just thinking how great it is that all these "high-achievers' in the Government bureaucracy are running the public's lives even when what they're doing is the wrong thing!

Becuz ordinary citizens can't be trusted with power.

Think about that for a second.


Plus, bonus frequent Margaret Thatcher bashing.

Really.

Dude, it's been 25 fookin' years. Let. It. Go.

So, minimal action and a really lame-ass Mary Jane banding together the people in this new department that has all the sophistication of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland deciding to Jeepers!!! Put on a show!.

And the extra special bonus explanation by the Capitalist Vampire (giddet?) - of how starting up a Government Bureaucracy is exactly like starting up a new venture capital business. (Spot the flaws!)


But action, thrills, supernatural goodies - eh, let's have more of that sweet sweet office politics and relationship troubles.

I've had a theory for the last few of his books that Stross is losing his faith in Socialism, but trying his darnest to get it back-

mostly by throwing away his great imagination, and plotting skills and hewing to the SJW line. (reaching it's apex so far in "The Apocalypse Codex".


Sorry for the rant, but he's a writer whose skills I admire, but-

who, like so many, mistake their adherence to SJW tropes and socialist nonsense for writing genius.


Eh, I'll finish the last 50 and hope for the best.

*blah*

Posted by: naturalfake at July 19, 2015 11:37 AM (KUa85)

167 @101 I'm curious about any reactions to the "Jack Reacher" thrillers.

I read the first one, The Killing Floor as I recall, and, well, the author says that books like that are all about the characters and the plots are just vehicles to put the characters into a position where they can shine. Okay, I'll buy that. I mean the plot of every "Spenser" novel is someone in trouble goes to see Spenser, Spenser and maybe Hawk and maybe others act cool and tough and completely badass and the trouble is resolved.

I didn't find Jack Reacher to be anything like cool or tough or smart enough to seek out the second book. To be honest, I don't even remember enough to say what actually bothered me about the guy, but I vaguely recall that there was something.

Your mileage may vary.

Posted by: R. Kipling at July 19, 2015 11:37 AM (Tb8YD)

168 I just finished Flashback by Dan Simmons which I thought was an all together excellent book. The US after 20 more years of Obamunism is a bleak and dreary place. (Much of it is set in Denver where I used to live and I greatly enjoyed the details. For example, Cherry Creek Mall is now an armed camp providing housing and protection for the unfortunate. One of characters escapes by climbing a cable holding one of the landing geese in the formerly beautiful fountain. And also, of course, The Tattered Cover bookstore is the seen of some action.) The drug flashback is almost universally used to remember better days. The reconquista army has conquered much of the southwest. Al Jazeera has a number of all.executions all the time channels. The rump state of the US is governed by a puppet state but actually run by competing Japanese advisors. Israel is a radioactive wasteland. Our hero, Nick Bottom, is a disgraced former homocide detective and current flash addict who is hired to investigate the murder of a Japanese advisors son and heir.

I was amuse by the Amazon reviews in that many are one star reviews. All of the dozen or so one star reviews I read did not comment literary value. All.complained about the conservative politics being crammed down their throats. Hey, now you know how we feel.

Noirish murder mystery set in an all too possible near futures with a Philip K. Dickish ending. What's not to like?

Posted by: The Great White Snark at July 19, 2015 11:40 AM (LImiJ)

169 In addition to "Logical Chess" I'm finding "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess" (which got me started) and "Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess" to be enjoyable and helpful.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 11:46 AM (FvdPb)

170 Thanks OM for mentioning my book, Outward Frontier. It is a most un-PC military sci-fi book that I think you Horde members will enjoy. If any of you do pick it up, I would appreciate a review on Amazon or love/hate mail. My contact info is on the Amazon webpage.

Posted by: Secret Squirrel at July 19, 2015 11:49 AM (eTvJc)

171 But action, thrills, supernatural goodies - eh, let's have more of that sweet sweet office politics and relationship troubles.

Did Stross recently undergo gender reassignment surgery?

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:50 AM (qkRol)

172 Beth-that's why I chose American Gods. I stumbled into the genre and Gaiman seems to be the one the authors emulate. When I read they were trying to make a TV series, I thought I'd try it. I'll try the others you said you liked before I write him off. Thanks!

Posted by: Abby at July 19, 2015 11:51 AM (8wu51)

173 Greetings:

In something of a conjunction with the first anniversary of his death, I'm re-reading Fouad Ajami's "The Dream Palace of the Arabs" and "The Foreigner's Gift" both as a homage and to reinforce my belief about just that culture really is.

I will never regret coming under that man's sphere of influence.

Posted by: 11B40 at July 19, 2015 11:51 AM (abx5/)

174 Any one who has raised both boys and girls knows that "gender is a social construct" is bullshit. My kids showed an interest in each others' toys and TV shows/movies. By preschool age or even as toddlers, they were both showing distinctive traits and tastes that we once associated with masculine and feminine.

While I'm sure today's gender nazi sociology crowd would insist that this was the result of raising my kids in a rigid, dogmatic right-wing household, that's far from the truth. I'm pretty crunchy granola as a parent and prefer to let the kids find their own way with my support and discipline when needed. So far, my kids have assumed gender identities consistent with their sex- in other words, normal!

Posted by: Commissar M at July 19, 2015 11:54 AM (KSF9t)

175 157
I know, right? And there weren't many of them, either. Jupiter had 12 moons, Saturn had 9, Uranus had 5, Neptune 2, and Pluto 0.

And now, I can't keep with all of the new moons that have been discovered. Dozens and dozens. I have no idea how many each planet has.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:32 AM (qkRol)

Yes, I remember that. You could say that we "knew" more then than we do now. And good luck trying to memorize their names.

That Wiki page I linked in #117 is fun to scroll through. Saturn has at least 53 moons now, apparently. I suppose that if you got close enough, you could count each ring particle as a "moon".

Posted by: rickl at July 19, 2015 11:56 AM (sdi6R)

176 I am glad you warned me off Ancillary Justice, everyone is referred to as She in the book, just told me everything I need to know.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 11:56 AM (c4yY7)

177 So far, my kids have assumed gender identities consistent with their sex- in other words, normal!

And if there's one thing the left absolutely hates, it's normal.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 11:56 AM (qkRol)

178 I have seen that people here liked "The Martian" that will be my next book after I finish Hard Luck Hank.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 12:00 PM (c4yY7)

179 I am looking for good Sci Fi series to start, wondering if anyone has some recommendations.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 12:07 PM (c4yY7)

180 119: I was on board w/ the Laundry books until a combination of the third book's aggressively hostile anti-theism and the nasty, nasty finale of Stross's Nine Princes in Amber ripoff series broke my give a shit. After those two crapshows I would't piss on a burning shelf full of his books. Stross is an asshole, and he doesn't keep it out of his writing anymore.

Posted by: Mitch H. at July 19, 2015 12:14 PM (TyX4J)

181 I am looking for good Sci Fi series to start, wondering if anyone has some recommendations.

I've just finished the 'Man of War' series by H. Paul Honsinger, and liked it very much. The first one is 'To Honor You Call Us'.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQUKZMY/

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 19, 2015 12:16 PM (qkRol)

182 179 ... Patrick, It depends on what you like in Sci-Fi. If you like space opera, maybe THE space opera, try the "Lensman" series by E. E. "Doc" Smith. He also wrote the "Skylark" series. These were mostly written in the 1930s and 40s. They are sometimes corny (Smith sometimes spoofs his own style), LOTS of action and always fun. His books build on the previous ones in the series so they should be read in order. If you're thinking of something more modern, try Larry Coreia. Most modern Sci-Fi series leave me cold.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 12:18 PM (FvdPb)

183 You could try David Weber's Honor Harrington series, book one on Kindle is free at Amazon/Baen.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 19, 2015 12:23 PM (oAK6v)

184 I'm reading a superhero novel series - Tarnished Sterling - and was astonished when the protagonist was outed as a conservative in the second book. Normally these things read like products of the SDCC chapter of ACORN's waiting room. You don't expect a protagonist to spontaneously trash California's "toxic economic atmosphere and corruption". Even the heroine in the Wearing the Cape series is more of an outer boroughs Catholic police-union type statist, and before this, I would have placed that as the furthest to the right these things got.

Posted by: Mitch H. at July 19, 2015 12:25 PM (TyX4J)

185 Thank You, I just bought it and it's nice that to add the audio version is only 1.99 more.

Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 12:26 PM (c4yY7)

186 181 ... OM, Thanks, as always for the book thread. Also for suggesting the Honsinger trilogy. Turns out the local library has all three books.

Posted by: JTB at July 19, 2015 12:29 PM (FvdPb)

187 I am looking for good Sci Fi series to start, wondering if anyone has some recommendations.
Posted by: Patrick from Ohio at July 19, 2015 12:07 PM (c4yY7)

Igniting the Reaches series by David Drake
Venus Equilateral series by George O Smith
The Kane series by Karl Edgar Wagner
Vorkosigan series by Bujold
Anything by Larry Correia
The Sten series by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch

Posted by: Kindltot at July 19, 2015 12:42 PM (3pRHP)

188 "15
For many years, our son suffered from depression.



That's such utter claptrap; Millions of people suffer from
depression. I am one of them but mine hasn't really bad for years. These
people are not going and shooting others.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 19, 2015 09:13 AM (OSs/l)"

But what has your trained capuchin monkey been up to?

Posted by: Obnoxious A-Hole at July 19, 2015 12:57 PM (QHgTq)

189 Wonderful thread---as usual, OMuse! Reading this thread (and the comments) is the first thing I do every Sunday after church.

I have just finished the Bounty trilogy by Nordhoff and Hall, which my 17 yr old son urged me to try.
LOVED it.
Most of you know the basic story of the first volume, Mutiny on the Bounty. (The book is FAR better than any of the movies, to put it kindly.)
Fewer have read Men Against the Sea, the story of what happened after the mutineers put Captain Bligh and a few of his loyal followers adrift on a lifeboat. A fantastic tale of survival against all odds.
Then there is Pitcairn's Island, which tells what happened to the mutineers, who escaped to that hidden isle with a few Tahitian "wives."

It's in the last two volumes that you begin to see Capt. Bligh and Fletcher Christian more clearly. For all his harshness, Bligh comes across as the better man--- well, certainly the better man in danger and crisis, not necessarily in the tea parlor or faculty lounge.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at July 19, 2015 01:06 PM (cN9Sk)

190 Finally finished "The Last 100 Days" this week. For any of you with interest in WWII, I would call it a 'Must Read'. Extremely well documented, with many transcripts of Hitler's exchanges with his commanders and etc., and the same for the Allies.

-
I agree. A very good book.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at July 19, 2015 01:11 PM (Ap1sS)

191 Flashback by Dan Simmons, recommended to piss a Moron off.

-
?

Posted by: The Great White Snark at July 19, 2015 01:12 PM (Ap1sS)

192 It's in the last two volumes that you begin to see Capt. Bligh and Fletcher Christian more clearly. For all his harshness, Bligh comes across as the better man--- well, certainly the better man in danger and crisis, not necessarily in the tea parlor or faculty lounge.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at July 19, 2015 01:06 PM (cN9Sk)


Bligh kept a journal during that epic voyage in a lifeboat. Makes for an interesting read. He was a man of science, and a keen observer.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at July 19, 2015 01:22 PM (t7Ude)

193 I've loved biographies since I was a kid. One of my favorites, which I'd like to buy (but at $50 bucks, can't do), is "What's a Woman Doing Here? A Reporter's Report on Herself" by Dickey Chapelle. Miss Chapelle was a photojournalist about WWII time, and she kinda fell in and then fell in love with the Marines. She was taken prisoner in Hungary while reporting on communist oppression, went on doing combat reporting after she was released, embedded with the Marines in Viet Nam, and wrote a gripping book about it all.

I found it at the Columbus library, quite by happy accident. Would love to have my own copy one o'these days.

Posted by: Comrade Moron April at July 19, 2015 01:31 PM (79ZSg)

194 I really like Terry Goodkind plus his views are very moronish.

Since Ace used my question with Brad Thor in the podcast, I'm reading Lions of Lucerne. Plus Brad is pretty hawt!!!

Posted by: lindafell de Spair at July 19, 2015 02:05 PM (xVgrA)

195 I read Lions of Lucerne a couple of weeks ago, terrific political thriller, plan on reading the sequel pretty soon.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 19, 2015 02:28 PM (oAK6v)

196 35
My service to the book gods today is to try to bring order to the stack
of books piled at the feet of my bookcases. I may rearrange and
reassign priorities to my bookcases too. This is a big deal, because I
recreate the same layout in my cases after each move and can locate even
the tiniest pamphlet blindfolded. There is no hierarchy as all are
vital to my mental well-being: Golden age sci-fi, Penguin classics,
history, art, military, deliciously cheesy paperbacks, and humor.



All Hail Eris,

What a lovely way to spend hours- re-arranging and re-doing bookcases. Of course I usually get distracted by this book I had forgotten about until I saw it again and have to re-read it right then and there.

Posted by: Charlotte at July 19, 2015 02:59 PM (jPHP1)

197 181
I am looking for good Sci Fi series to start, wondering if anyone has some recommendations.

I've
just finished the 'Man of War' series by H. Paul Honsinger, and liked
it very much. The first one is 'To Honor You Call Us'.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQUKZMY/

Thumbs up for "To Honor You Call Us". Stayed up late last night/early morning to finish it. Alarm came too early today. Will be downloading the rest of the series.

Posted by: Charlotte at July 19, 2015 03:13 PM (jPHP1)

198 So I am starting Hard Luck Hank Prince of Suck, loved the first two books, I hate that this book that skip too far into the Characters future, maybe because I want more books.

-
I'm just finishing Basketfull of Crap and am quite enjoying it.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at July 19, 2015 03:41 PM (LImiJ)

199 Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where it's not Safe to Believe by Tom Doyle

Great stories of true martyrs. Very encouraging, believe it or not. God is working everywhere.

Posted by: Actinide at July 19, 2015 04:01 PM (jrVes)

200 I listened to an abridged version of "The Lions of Lucerne." Was not impressed, in large part because the oh-so-supreme bad guys were terrible shots. I never felt that the good guys were in any damger. Put it this way -- I knew Matt Helm would survive, but not whether he would end up hospitalized again. Maybe "Lions" is better in full, but with so many good books out there, it will be some while before I give it a chance.

(Apologies for the poor spacing; I upgraded this phone and am getting used to it.)

Posted by: Weak Geek at July 19, 2015 04:25 PM (+P39t)

201 Dr. John Money, who founded the sex-change unit at Johns Hopkins, was, get this, a homosexual, a pedophile, and a supporter of child molesting.

Which he wanted to rename as "affectional pedophilia."

He said, "If I were to see the case of a boy aged TEN or ELEVEN who's intensely erotically attracted to a man in his 20s or 30s, if the relationship is totally mutual, and the bonding is genuinely totally mutual, then I would not call it pathological in any way." (Wikipedia, "Dr. John Money" entry)

Any questions? this pervert -- OH and he's the asshole we have to thank for the changing of "perversions" to "paraphilias" in the psych literature -- founded the industry of mutilating (mostly males) in the pursuit of various profound psychosexual dysfunctions.

Because it got his rocks off.

Posted by: Beverly at July 19, 2015 04:47 PM (x36f0)

202 BTW, that Wikipedia article praises the monstrous Dr. Money to the skies, and seems to approve of his NAMBLA POV on child molesting.

Sodom, here we are.

Posted by: Beverly at July 19, 2015 04:48 PM (x36f0)

203 19 Read my first Larry Correia -- "Monster Hunter International." A very pleasant surprise; the man is a gifted story teller. I used to read a lot of SFF but gave it up because the quality seemed to be tanking. Maybe I should go read more samples on Baen.

I like noir, but gave up on Ken Bruen's "Green Hell." His "Priest" was good, but extremely noir. I loved his "Tower" and several others, but "Green Hell" turned the noir up to 12.
Posted by: doug at July 19, 2015 09:16 AM (j2ORV)

And "Monster Hunter International" is his least good book no less.

Posted by: BornLib at July 19, 2015 05:08 PM (zpNwC)

204 Just finished with Michael Z. Williamson's libertarian military sci-fi adventure "The Weapon"

It was excellent. Much more exciting than the preceding novel, "Freehold" (which you could probably skip if you wanted to, but is still a good read).

Posted by: BornLib at July 19, 2015 05:10 PM (zpNwC)

205 Neil Gaiman writes a very "classic" fairy tale - with all the nastiness that the unhuman creatures can unleash. You really have to be into that format to appreciate them though, or they can come off as a tad stiff, kind of like Tolkien. (Though he used the saga style.)
I loved American G-, and Anansi Boys, plus a bunch of his children's books - Coraline, Odd and the Frost Giants, and The Graveyard Book, and of course Stardust.


Larry Correia is awesome. I just re-read the Monster Hunter series. Hard Magic series is excellent, and so is Dead Six. Be sure to check his web site for links to short stories related to those, and check out his Christmas Noun series while you are at it.


Leading from Correia, I have been reading John Ringo's Aldenata series to get a feel for his style as he is due to write some Monster Hunter universe books. Nice hardcore powersuit "near-future" sci-fi.

Posted by: Sam at July 19, 2015 05:57 PM (mkv9z)

206 For science fiction, here is a Space Opera list to start with:

Cordelia's Honor is a fix-up novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is the foundational book for the character driven Vorkosigan Saga. Includes Shards of Honor (1986) and Barrayar (1991).

Once started, the series is quite addictive. A high point (with a lot of story arc behind it) is A Civil Campaign (1999). To get the full impact, read the stories before it.

Startide Rising is a 1983 novel by David Brin. Turns the wow factor up to 11. Uplifted dolphins roil the entire 5 galaxies.
It's full of wild aliens, dolphin language and novel concepts. The end of the book begs for a big movie. You're shouting Go Terrans!

The Uplift War is a 1987 novel by David Brin. It is in the same universe as Startide Rising, but in a different setting and a little latter time than the first book. The uplifted chimpanzee Fiben Bolger is the hero of this highly appealing book. I've reread this many times for pleasure.

The Hyperion Cantos is a series of novels started in 1989 by Dan Simmons. The title was originally used for the collection of the first pair of books in the series, Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion and later came to refer to the overall storyline, including Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion (1997). This is a major commitment, but with unexpected rewards. A wide knowledge of English literature deepens the pleasure of reading these inventive books. Great Space Opera. Hyperion is like a science fiction Canterbury tales, but better.

Finally, my favorite new series:

Grand Central Arena is a 2010 novel by Ryk Erik Spoor.
This rollicking book is fresh "sense of wonder" SF. If you were raised on Doc E.E. Smith's Skylark and Lensman series, you are home again. Very good world creation, with enough in-jokes, shoutouts and references to thrill the heart of a space opera reader. It's a tad of a throwback to John W. Campbell with the plucky Terrans verses, well, everyone in the Universe, at first.

The sequel is Spheres of Influence, also excellent.


I hope this helps, even being tardy.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at July 19, 2015 07:05 PM (u82oZ)

207 200 I listened to an abridged version of "The Lions of Lucerne." Was not impressed, in large part because the oh-so-supreme bad guys were terrible shots.

Posted by: Weak Geek at July 19, 2015 04:25 PM (+P39t)

That would be an interesting topic, what stories have the most bad guys who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn? And no Star Wars storm troopers don't count.

Posted by: waelse1 at July 19, 2015 07:59 PM (oAK6v)

208 One mention from the Oregon Muse on AoSHQ Book Thread and HARD BITE jumped to 11,000 in the rankings on Amazon--which means a lot of people clicked over and "bought" the recommendation. Three other requests came in for reviews, which I'm still open to. Hit me up for a review copy if you have a blog or know one that you could write for. THANK YOU AoSHQ. I love you. Email me at anonwrite9 at gmail dot com
Sincerely,
Anonymous-9

Posted by: Anonymous-9 at July 19, 2015 10:18 PM (vmHHv)

209 Reading Empire From The Ashes by David Weber,

Posted by: Vic - Republicans help Obama commit treason at July 20, 2015 03:01 AM (GpgJl)

210 Hi Vic, missed you on the book thread yesterday.

Posted by: OregonMuse at July 20, 2015 10:43 AM (qkRol)

(Jump to top of page)

Name: *

Email: *

URL:

Comments:

Processing 0.03, elapsed 0.1023 seconds.
15 queries taking 0.0716 seconds, 219 records returned.
Page size 165 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.